The Book of Enoch Commentary - Chapter 40

The Book of Enoch Commentary - Chapter 40

I don't want this commentary to follow a format strictly for the sake of following a format; meaning, I am to follow the Spirit here and post as little or as much as I feel is right.

The main aim for this commentary is to help demonstrate just how central the Elect One - who is the Davidic Servant, Holy Spirit, and Angel of the Lord - is to these chapters of 1 Enoch. There is much knowledge and illumination to be gained, and that is my central aim here.

Chapter 40 - source

 

1. After this I beheld thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads, and an infinite number of people, standing before the Lord of spirits.

2. On the four wings likewise of the Lord of spirits, on the four sides, I perceived others, besides those who were standing before him. Their names, too, I know; because the angel, who proceeded with me, declared them to me, discovering to me every secret thing.

This sounds very similar to Abraham 3 where there are both intelligences and noble and great ones who seem to be gathered into separate groups.

3. Then I heard the voices of those upon the four sides magnifying the Lord of glory.

4. The first voice blessed the Lord of spirits for ever and for ever.

5. The second voice I heard blessing the elect One, and the elect who suffer on account of the Lords of spirits.

6. The third voice I heard petitioning and praying for those who dwell upon earth, and supplicate the name of the Lord of spirits.

7. The fourth voice I heard expelling the impious angels, and prohibiting them from entering into presence of the Lord of spirits, to prefer accusations against the inhabitants of the earth.

The four wings / voices seems to separate the groups into 4:

•  The Lord of Spirits (Jehovah / Jesus Christ)
•  The Elect One (The Holy Ghost) and the Elect (Noble and Great Ones) aka ISRAEL
•  The Gentiles
•  The Devils

8. After this I besought the angel of peace, who proceeded with me, to explain all that was concealed. I said to him, Who are those whom I have seen on the four sides, and whose words I have heard and written down? He replied, The first is the merciful, the patient, the holy Michael.

9. The second is he who presides over every suffering and every affliction of the sons of men, the holy Raphael. The third, who presides over all that is powerful, is Gabriel. And the fourth, who presides over repentance, and the hope of those who will inherit eternal life, is Phanuel. These are the four angels of the most high God, and their four voices, which at that time I heard.

This is extremely interesting to me for Raphael, rather than Gabriel, is mentioned second and Gabriel third. According to The Seven Levels of Mankind, Noah - who is Gabriel - is the head of the third dispensation. In both the Doctrine and Covenants and The Discourse on Abbaton, Gabriel is second in authority. So, Raphael may actually be sequentially second when counting forwards through the dispensations though he's not second in authority. Moreover, there is precedent that Raphael is in fact Enoch, the second dispensation head.

What a coincidence! Now, consider Enoch speaks to Raphael in the earlier chapters of 1 Enoch. How can this be? Well, the seven principal archangels are referred to as the "Holy Ones." Even here in chapter they are clearly ranking and speak for the four divisions of souls. Clearly the stand apart from the Lord of Spirits and the Elect One as well (i.e. Michael is neither the Lord of Spirits nor the Elect one for those who think Michael is Jesus or Michael is the Holy Ghost.) 

D&C 130:5 I answer, Yes. But there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.

6 The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth;

7 But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord.

In D&C 130, we learn two important truths:

Truth # 1: The seven archangels do belong or have belonged to this Earth or have incarnated upon it.

Truth # 2: These same angels who belong to this earth reside in the Celestial Kingdom where all time is present before them. 

Does this "all time" include when they themselves are incarnated upon the Earth? See what I mean? When Enoch speaks to Raphael .... he may very well be talking to himself. 

I've read speculation elsewhere (John Pratt perhaps) that Phanuel is Joseph Smith. Phanuel means "face of God" and Joseph Smith's dispensation does seem relevant to that name, having revealed the nature of God's face after a long period of darkness and confusion. Joseph Smith being over the baseline / level 1 mankind also aligns to the levels of mankind.

Alright, so circling back, there are four groups and four angels whose voices make announcements pertaining to those groups.

Group | Angel

Lord of Spirits | Michael

Elect One & Elect | Raphael

Gentiles | Gabriel

Sons of Perdition | Phanuel

If Raphael is Enoch, and Phanuel is Joseph Smith, this "coincidentally" aligns perfectly to the levels of mankind. 

Level | Law | Archangel

7 Consecration Adam

6 Chastity Enoch

5 Gospel Noah

4 Sacrifice Abraham

3 Obedience Moses

2 Repentance Peter

1 Faith Joseph Smith

So Noah / Gabriel aligns perfectly to the "Law of the Gospel" here. He presides over the charge of bringing in new elect from the tribes of Earth. Enoch / Raphael presides over the dispensation of the City of Enoch, where elect are gathered and ZION established - which is the work of the Elect One where he and Enoch meet when New Jerusalem joins the City of Enoch (see Moses 7:62-63)