James Trimm’s Nazarene Commentary on 2Kefa Chapter 3
3:10-13
10 But the day of YHWH will come as a thief in the night: in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it, will be burned up.
11 Seeing then, that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought youto be, in Set-Apart conduct and upright;
12 Looking for, and hastening the coming of the Day of Eloah, because of which, the heavens, being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
(2Kefa 3:10-13)
14 And Chanokh, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, Behold, YHWH comes with ten thousands of His Set-Apart-Ones:
15 To execute judgment on all, to convict all who are wicked among them of all their wicked deeds which they have committed in a wicked way, and all the harsh things which wicked sinners have spoken against Him.
16 These are murmurers; complainers: walking according to their own lusts. And their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
(Y’hudah 1:14-16)
Some commentators have tried to minimize the importance of this quotation, claiming that Y’hudah was only quoting the Book of Enoch in the way that Paul quoted Greek philosophers. In fact there are two very important features in Y’hudah’s citation.
First of all, while the Book of Enoch is quoted (specifically 1Enoch 1:9), Y’hudah attributes his quote, not to the Book of Enoch, but to the man Enoch (Enoch, seventh from Adam). Since we have copies of the Book of Enoch which predate the Book of Y’hudah, this quote tells us that Enoch seventh from Adam wrote the Book of Enoch.
Secondly Y’hudah uses the word “prophecy”. Y’hudah tells us that this quote from Enoch which comes from the Book of Enoch is “prophecy”. That is a very important statement.
As we saw above Kefa (Peter) wrote specifically about prophecy, and particularly about the Book of Enoch when he said:
knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture
is of any private interpretation; for prophecy never
came by the will of man, but set-apart men of Eloah
spoke as they were moved by the Ruach HaKodesh.
(2Kefa (2Pt.) 1:20-21 – HRV)
So if, as Y’hudah tells us, the Book of Enoch is “prophecy” then Kefa tells us that it was inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit).
Paul has some important words for us about Scripture that is inspired:
Every writing which was written by the spirit is profitable
for teaching and for reproof and for correction and for
instruction in righteousness, that the son of man of Eloah
may be complete and whole for every good work.
(2Timothy 3:16-17 – HRV)
So if the Book of Enoch is prophecy then it was inspired by the Ruach HaKodesh. And if Enoch was inspired by the Ruach then it is profitable for teaching and for reproof and for correction and for instruction in righteousness. In other words, if Y’hudah is telling the truth then we should be using the Book of Enoch as Scripture and not taking it lightly!
Enoch prophecies “Behold, YHWH comes with ten thousands of His Set-Apart-Ones”, to Y’hudah the “coming of the Lord to judge the earth” is the coming of YHWH to the earth. There is little doubt that for Y’hudah the return of Messiah is the same “coming of the Lord” as this coming of YHWH to judge the earth.
Enoch says that He comes “to convict all who are wicked among them of all their wicked deeds which they have committed in a wicked way” to judge men according to their deeds.
But there is more, He will also hold them accountable for their words “…and all the harsh things which wicked sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers; complainers: walking according to their own lusts. And their mouth speaks great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. “
Here Y’hudah speaks of a last days judgment on the “false prophets” of whom he has been speaking. These are the teachers of Torahlessness. According to Enoch (as shown above) they have given ear to the teachings of the Fallen Angels and are themselves following in their footsteps of doing their own will apart from the will of YHWH. They speak “harsh words” concerning the Torah, falsely characterizing the Torah as “bondage” and promising “freedom” to their followers. But unfortunately they will only take them down the same path as Shemikhazah and Azazel.
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of Elohim,…
The seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad movement was Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). Rebbe Schneerson’s focused his teaching on the impending messianic redemption with a drive to “accelerate the coming of the Messiah”. He taught his students to become active in “kiruv” (literally meaning “bringing close”, the act of helping another Jew embrace his Judaism). (Hasidism: The movement and its masters, Harry M. Rabinowicz, 1988, pp.83–92, Jason Aronson, London). Sheerson’s slogan was “Ufaratzta” (from Gen. 28:14), (a Hebrew word meaning “you shall spread out,”). Schneerson taught his students to hasten the Messianic Age by “saving” Jewish souls from secularism and bringing them back to Torah. (The Encyclopedia of Hasidism, entry: Habad, Jonathan Sacks, pp. 161–164)