Has anyone ever told you that you resemble someone else? We have to expand our perspective of who we are so that we can gain perspective of the heavenly realm. There are many things going on which John is about to tell us, but we may have lost sight of a few important details. Very few people have gone into the heavens and reported back what they saw. But Enoch was one of those people. The condition for these individuals is the Holy Spirit residing in or on them. After Pentecost the Holy Spirit now resides within the children of God. This in turn has made those individuals the temple of God. We are created to be immortal and we look like our Creator. The Spirit of Wisdom makes us friends of God and Prophets.
As John is brought up to heaven he sees the throne of God. Yet John never describes the Heavenly Father to us. We might find it interesting that forty or so years before writing the Book of Revelation John told us twice that no man has seen God at any time. Yet here John is before the throne. Did John see the Father?
John 1:18 (KJV)
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
1 John 4:12 (KJV)
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Really, in context, at that point in time no man living had seen the father except the son. There had been an abnormally long drought of prophetic visions in the land at that time. John did see the Father, the one who sits on the throne, but John never tells us what he looks like. However, humans were made in the image and likeness of the Elohim. As we know, Elohim is plural; “im” denotes three or more in the Hebrew language.
Genesis 1:26-27 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image [1504], after our likeness [3669]: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
1504 LSJ Gloss:εἰκών a likeness, image, portrait
Dodson:εἰκών an image, likeness, bust.
Thayer:
1) an image, figure, likeness
1a) an image of the things (the heavenly things)
1a1) used of the moral likeness of renewed men to God
1a2) the image of the Son of God, into which true Christians are transformed, is likeness not only to the heavenly body, but also to the most holy and blessed state of mind, which Christ possesses
1b) the image of one
1b1) one in whom the likeness of any one is seen
1b2) applied to man on account of his power of command
1b3) to Christ on account of his divine nature and absolute moral excellence
εἰκών
eikōn i-kone' From G1503; a likeness, that is, (literally) statue, profile, or (figuratively) representation, resemblance KJV Usage: image.
3669 LSJ Gloss:ὁμοίωσις a becoming like, assimilation
Dodson:ὁμοίωσις making like, likeness
making like, likeness, resemblance.
Thayer:
1) a making like
2) likeness: after the likeness of God
ὁμοίωσις
homoiōsis hom-oy'-o-sis From G3666; assimilation, that is, resemblance
KJV Usage: similitude.
We are made in His image and likeness. We resemble the Elohim, the Elohim resemble us. We are like the Elohim and the Elohim are like us. This is a very important point. We see so many different beings around the throne; we see beasts, elders, rainbows, eyes, and there are cherubim, seraphim, and ophanim. But humans were made in the image of the Elohim/Theos. With all the beings that have been created, we are the ones that look like the Father and the Son. Not only do we look like Elohim/Theos, we are being changed into a more glorious image while we are reflecting Him.
2 Corinthians 3:18 G1473 But we G1161 G3956 all G343 with uncovered G4383 face G3588 [2the G1391 3glory G2962 4of the Lord G2734 1 are reflecting], G3588 the G1473 same G1504 image G3339 being transformed G575 from G1391 glory G1519 unto G1391 glory, G2509 just as G575 from G2962 the Lord G4151 of spirit
2734 Dodson:κατοπτρίζομαι I mirror, reflect.
Thayer:
1) to show in a mirror, to make to reflect, to mirror
2) to look at one's self in a mirror
3) to behold one's self in a mirror
κατοπτρίζομαι
katoptrizomai kat-op-trid'-zom-ahee Middle voice from a compound of G2596 and a derivative of G3700 (compare G2072); to mirror oneself, that is, to see reflected (figuratively) KJV Usage: behold as in a glass.
1391LSJ Gloss:δόξα a notion
Dodson: δόξα honor, renown, glory splendor honor, renown; glory, an especially divine quality, the unspoken manifestation of God, splendor.
Thayer:
1) opinion, judgment, view
2) opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone
2a) in the NT always a good opinion concerning one, resulting in praise, honour, and glory
3) splendour, brightness
3a) of the moon, sun, stars
3b) magnificence, excel
δόξα
doxa dox'-ah From the base of G1380; glory (as very apparent), in a wide application (literally or figuratively, objectively or subjectively) KJV Usage: dignity, glory (-ious), honour, praise, worship.
3339 LSJ Gloss:μεταμορφόω to transform
Dodson: μεταμορφόω I change the form, transform I transform, transfigure.
Thayer:
1) to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure
1a) Christ appearance was changed and was resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of transfiguration
For Synonyms see entry G5863
μεταμορφόω
metamorphoō met-am-or-fo'-o From G3326 and G3445; to transform (literally or figuratively “metamorphose”) KJV Usage: change, transfigure, transform.
Because the Spirit of the Lord, the Holy Spirit, dwells within us, we are being changed into a more glorious image of the Elohim, which humanity lost in the garden. The satan is blinding the mind’s of the unbelievers and he would rather humans did not know their true spiritual nature. We are made like the Elohim, just as Christ is the image of the Father.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (KJV)
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Not only are humans made in the image and likeness of the Elohim, humans were created to be immortal, not mortal. Mortality came to humanity in the garden.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:23 (KJVApocrypha)
23 For God created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of his own eternity.
Solomon asked for wisdom, and he received the Spirit of Wisdom. The Spirit of Wisdom, the Holy Spirit, resides in us and is the one aiding our transformation into a brighter glory. Notice what Solomon says, she makes them friends of God and prophets.
Wisdom of Solomon 7:24-28 (KJVApocrypha)
24 For wisdom is more moving than any motion: she passeth and goeth through all things by reason of her pureness.
25 For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her.
26 For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness.
27 And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets.
28 For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom.
Entering into holy souls, the Spirit of God makes those souls friends of God and prophets, and God loves them that dwell with wisdom. The Holy Spirit is the unspotted mirror of the power of God. Isn’t that what we are reflecting? If we only knew what we look like.
Colossians 1:12-15 (KJV)
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Jesus looks like the invisible God. It is interesting to note that we are partakers of the inheritance through Jesus’ death. We were covered, or marred in sin. Sin distorts our true image and likeness. With sin festering on us like maggots, we were bound by the power of darkness. But through Jesus’ blood we were cleansed and redeemed. We go through a metamorphosis, continually changing into splendor.
This is why we are also called the temple of God. We are no longer dirty and defiled images of the Elohim. We are His dwelling.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (KJV)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1 Corinthians 3:16 G3756 Do you not G1492 know G3754 that G3485 [2a temple G2316 3of God G1510.2.5 1you are], G2532 and G3588 the G4151 spirit G3588 G2316 of God G3611 lives G1722 in G1473 you?
17 G1536 If anyone G3588 [2the G3485 3temple G3588 G2316 4of God G5351 1corrupts], G5351 [2shall corrupt G3778 3this one G3588 G2316 1God]; G3588 for the G1063 G3485 temple G3588 G2316 of God G39 is holy, G1510.2.3 G3748 which G1510.2.5 you are. G1473
3485 LSJ Gloss:ναός the dwelling of a god, a temple
Dodson:ναός a temple, shrine a temple, a shrine, that part of the temple where God himself resides.
Thayer:
1) used of the temple at Jerusalem, but only of the sacred edifice (or sanctuary) itself, consisting of the Holy place and the Holy of Holies (in classical Greek it is used of the sanctuary or cell of the temple, where the image of gold was placed which is distinguished from the whole enclosure)
2) any heathen temple or shrine
3) metaph. the spiritual temple consisting of the saints of all ages joined together by and in Christ
ναός
naos nah-os' From a primary word ναίω naiō (to dwell); a fane, shrine, temple KJV Usage: shrine, temple.
Compare G2411.
5351 LSJ Gloss:φθείρω to ruin, waste, spoil, destroy
Dodson:φθείρω I corrupt, spoil, destroy I corrupt, spoil, destroy, ruin.
Thayer:
1) to corrupt, to destroy
1a) in the opinion of the Jews, the temple was corrupted or "destroyed" when anyone defiled or in the slightest degree damaged anything in it, or if its guardians neglected their duties
1b) to lead away a Christian church from that state of knowledge and holiness in which it ought to abide
1c) to be destroyed, to perish
1d) in an ethical sense, to corrupt, deprave
φθείρω
phtheirō fthi'-ro Probably strengthened from φθίω phthiō (to pine or waste): properly to shrivel or wither, that is, to spoil (by any process) or (genitive) to ruin (especially figuratively by moral influences, to deprave) KJV Usage: corrupt (self), defile, destroy.
The tabernacles of Moses and David were also known as the tent of meeting. The permanent temple was also a place of meeting, and in both the temple and tabernacles the Holy Spirit was the one facilitating this holy spiritual assembly. Remember how there were different places where people were allowed to go, the courts of the nations/gentiles, the courts of women, the holy place, and the holy of holies? People were segregated in their access to the inner chambers. Some people were never even allowed past the gates. Yet today, anyone who confesses Jesus as Lord receives the Holy Spirit, and now has access to the holy of holies.
The Holy Spirit lives in the inner chambers, the holy of holies, within you. You were bought with the blood of Jesus. Humanity was bought back from corruption and mortality. Imagine, humans created in the image and likeness of the Almighty Living God, corrupted and perishing. Jesus’ blood washed us from sin, now it is up to us to glorify God in our body and our spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
1 Corinthians 6:19 G2228 Or G3756 do you not G1492 know G3754 that G3588 G4983 your body G1473 G3485 [2a temple G3588 3of the G1722 6in G1473 7you G39 4holy G4151 5spirit G1510.2.3 1is], G3739 which G2192 you have G575 from G2316 God, G2532 and G3756 you are not G1510.2.5 G1438 your own?
20 G59 For you were bought G1063 G5092 of value; G1392 glorify G1211 [2indeed G3588 G2316 1God] G1722 in G3588 G4983 your body, G1473 G2532 and G1722 in G3588 G4151 your spirit! G1473 G3748 which G1510.2.3 is G3588 the one G2316 of God
1392 LSJ Gloss:δοξάζω to think, imagine, suppose, fancy, conjecture
Dodson:δοξάζω I glorify, honor, bestow glory on.
Thayer:
1) to think, suppose, be of opinion
2) to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate
3) to honour, do honour to, hold in honour
4) to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour
4a) to impart glory to something, render it excellent
4b) to make renowned, render illustrious
4b1) to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged
δοξάζω
doxazō dox-ad'-zo From G1391; to render (or esteem) glorious (in a wide application) KJV Usage: (make) glorify (-ious), full of (have) glory, honour, magnify.
What does it mean to glorify God in our body and spirit? Celebrate in body and spirit. Be clothed in splendor and adorned in luster in body and spirit. We don’t worship our body, we worship in our body. We don’t praise our body, we praise in our body. We use our body as a tool to honor, do honor, and hold in honor. Why? Because we were created in the image of the Most High and we are bought with the precious blood of Jesus. It is not by our effort that we can be reconciled and redeemed, it was by Jesus’ effort, and he is the precious image of the Father.
Since we are the temple of the Living God, we should be keeping the idols out of the temple, especially the holy of holies where the Holy Spirit lives. As we know, the physical temple from the time of the kingdom split to the time of Ezekiel had been filled with just about every defilement there was. Once the Glory left the temple, it never returned. There was never another infilling of the Spirit of Glory in the temple. This is all about relationship, our relationship with the Creator.
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 (KJV)
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Paul explains that we will judge angels. If we are going to judge angels who know more about spiritual matters than we do, we have to work on building and transforming into who we were created to be. We separate ourselves from evil because we are the body of Christ, being built into a holy temple. Individually we are temples, collectively we are one temple.
Ephesians 2:18-22 (KJV)
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:18 G3754 that G1223 through G1473 him G2192 we [2have G3588 G4318 3access G3588 G297 1both] G1722 by G1520 one G4151 spirit G4314 to G3588 the G3962 father.
We have access via the Holy Spirit to the Father. John may have visited heaven, but we too have access to the father without having to visit heaven.
Ephesians 2:19 G686 So G3767 then, G3765 no longer G1510.2.5 are you G3581 strangers G2532 and G3941 sojourners, G235 but G4847 fellow-citizens G3588 of the G39 holy ones, G2532 and G3609 members of the family G3588 G2316 of God;
We, the nations (Goyim), are no longer illegal aliens, but instead we are citizens, holy members of the family of the Living God.
Ephesians 2:20 G2026 being built G1909 upon G3588 the G2310 foundation G3588 of the G652 apostles G2532 and G4396 prophets, G1510.6 [4being G204 5 the one cornering G1473 3himself G* 1Jesus G5547 2Christ],
21 G1722 in G3739 whom G3956 every G3619 construction G4883 fits together G837 to grow G1519 into G3485 [2temple G39 1a holy] G1722 in G2962 the Lord;
22 G1722 in G3739 whom G2532 also G1473 you G4925 are being built up together G1519 for G2732 a home G3588 G2316 of God G1722 in G4151 spirit
The apostles and prophets led us to the building, and Jesus is the cornerstone, the foundation of the building. He is placing each of us where we fit, to grow this holy temple. Individually, we are the holy of holies, the residence of the Holy Spirit, and collectively we are a home for the Living God.
2 Esra 8:2 Esdras 8:20-21 (KJVApocrypha)
20 O Lord, thou that dwellest in everlastingness which beholdest from above things in the heaven and in the air;
21 Whose throne is inestimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; before whom the hosts of angels stand with trembling,
20 O Lord, thou that dwellest in everlastingness which beholdest from above things in the heaven and in the air;
21 Whose throne is inestimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; before whom the hosts of angels stand with trembling,
Humans are not the center of the story of creation, there were many other spiritual beings in existence before us, and a story of some of them who rebelled against the Living God. Their story was in existence before we were created. The satan was one of the rebellious ones, and we have mistakenly thought he was a cherub. But upon closer look of the detailed scriptures we see that he was not. Yet there are many different types of beings. While they are called the sons of Elohim it seems they may not be created in the image and likeness of the Elohim. There are many different types of spiritual beings and Enoch describes them for us.
In The Book Of The Secrets Of Enoch we find several different beings residing in different places with different responsibilities. One of the reasons we want to look at this writing of Enoch is that it helps us understand what John has written. We have to remember skeptics will claim this book was written in the second century BCE by scribes, but the truth is this book was re-written by scribes. All books were commissioned in the second century BCE by Ptolemy to be scribed and the originals stored in the Library at Alexandria. The scribes under the direction of the High Priest in the Nehemiah temple scribed many ancient texts including the Septuagint. They read paleo Hebrew and were fluent in Aramaic, Babylonian Hebrew, and Greek. The Masoretes in the seventh century CE were not fluent in these languages nor did they own the original materials, which is why the Masoretic Text is an unreliable source for the Old Covenant. The Masoretes took the Greek texts and transcribed them back into Hebrew, not in a temple or under the directions of a High Priest. The Masoretes did not speak Greek at this time. It was simply up to Rabbi’s to decide what words to use for the Greek. This is why many books were not canonized by the Masoretes, yet we found many extra-biblical books in caves at Qumran. Many people at the time of the first century read and knew these books. Enoch’s writings are extremely valuable to us in understanding the book of Revelation and especially the sons of God. Let’s look at a small portion of these beings.
IV.
Of the Angels ruling the stars.
THEY brought before my face the elders and rulers of the stellar orders, and showed me two hundred angels, who rule the stars and their services to the heavens, and fly with their wings and come round all those who sail.
VII.
Of how Enoch was taken on to the second heaven.
AND those men took me and led me up on to the second heaven, and showed me darkness, greater than earthly darkness, and there I saw prisoners hanging, watched, awaiting the great and boundless judgement, and these angels were dark-looking, more than earthly darkness, and incessantly making weeping through all hours.
2 And I said to the men who were with me: 'Wherefore are these incessantly tortured?' they answered me: 'These are God's apostates, who obeyed not God's commands, but took counsel with their own will, and turned away with their prince, who also is fastened on the fifth heaven.’
The prisoners in the second heaven are the fallen angels, watchers, who sired the race called the Nephilim.
The third heaven is separated into two places, one is the the Paradise of Eden where the tree of Life is. Three hundred angels tend this area and it is known as the place between corruptibility and incorruptibility which is reserved for the righteous dead. The other place in the third heaven is Hades, reserved for the unrighteous dead. This is exactly what Jesus told us.
XI.
Here they took Enoch up on to the fourth heaven where is the course of sun and moon.
THOSE men took me, and led me up on to the fourth heaven, and showed me all the successive goings, and all the rays of the light of sun and moon.
2 And I measured their goings and compared their light, and saw that the sun's light is greater than the moon's.
3 Its circle and the wheels on which it goes always, like a wind going past with very marvellous speed, and day and night it has no rest. 1
4 Its passage and return are accompanied by four great stars, and each star has under it a thousand stars, to the right of the sun's wheel, and by four to the left, each having under it a thousand stars, altogether eight thousand, issuing with the sun continually.
5 And by day fifteen myriads of angels attend it, and by night a thousand.
6 And six-winged ones issue with the angels before the sun's wheel into the fiery flames, and a hundred angels kindle the sun and set it alight.
So far we see angels with wings, fallen watchers, the places of the dead humans, the timekeeper angels and six winged beings keeping the rotations of the sun and moon. We then see Phoenix and Chalkydri, which have feet and tails which look like lions and crocodiles with twelve wings. We also see angels that sing.
XII.
Of the very marvellous elements of the sun.
AND I looked and saw other flying elements of the sun, whose names are Phoenixes and Chalkydri, marvellous and wonderful, with feet and tails in the form of a lion, and a crocodile's head, their appearance is empurpled, like the rainbow; their size is nine hundred measures, their wings are like those of angels, each has twelve, and they attend and accompany the sun, bearing heat and dew, as it is ordered them from God.
XVII.
Of the singings of the angels, which it is impossible to describe.
IN the midst of the heavens I saw armed soldiers, serving the Lord, with tympana and organs, with incessant voice, with sweet voice, with sweet and incessant voice and various singing, which it is impossible to describe, and which astonishes every mind, so wonderful and marvellous is the singing of those angels, and I was delighted listening to it.
XVIII.
Of the taking of Enoch on to the fifth heaven.
THE men took me on to the fifth heaven and placed me, and there I saw many and countless soldiers, called Grigori, of human appearance, and their size was greater than that of great giants and their faces withered, and the silence of their mouths perpetual, and there was no service on the fifth heaven, and I said to the men who were with me:
2 Wherefore are these very withered and their faces melancholy, and their mouths silent, and wherefore is there no service on this heaven?
3 And they said to me: These are the Grigori, who with their prince Satanail rejected the Lord of light, and after them are those who are held in great darkness on the second heaven, and three of them went down on to earth from the Lord's throne, to the place Ermon, and broke through their vows on the shoulder of the hill Ermon 1 and saw the daughters of men how good they are, and took to themselves wives, and befouled the earth with their deeds, who in all times of their age made lawlessness and mixing, and giants are born and marvellous big men and great enmity.
On the fifth heaven we see the place where three leaders of spiritual beings came down to Mount Hermon. These beings look like humans, but they are larger.
XIX.
Of the taking of Enoch on to the sixth heaven.
AND thence those men took me and bore me up on to the sixth heaven, and there I saw seven bands of angels, very bright and very glorious, and their faces shining more than the sun's shining, glistening, and there is no difference in their faces, or behaviour, or manner of dress; and these make the orders, and learn the goings of the stars, and the alteration of the moon, or revolution of the sun, and the good government of the world.
2 And when they see evildoing they make commandments and instruction, and sweet and loud singing, and all songs of praise.
3 These are the archangels who are above angels, measure all life in heaven and on earth, and the angels who are appointed over seasons and years, the angels who are over rivers and sea, and who are over the fruits of the earth, and the angels who are over every grass, giving food to all, to every living thing, and the angels who write all the souls of men, and all their deeds, and their lives before the Lord's face; in their midst are six Phoenixes and six Cherubim and six six-winged ones continually with one voice singing one voice, and it is not possible to describe their singing, and they rejoice before the Lord at his footstool.
We see angels, archangels, earthly caretaker angels, and scribe angels who write the the deeds of men, just as Ezekiel tells us. There are Phoenix here as well as Cherubim and six-winged ones. Next we see other varieties of beings such as fiery troops, incorporeal forces, dominions, governments, thrones, many-eyed-ones, regimens and Ioanit stations of light.
XX.
Hence they took Enoch into the Seventh Heaven.
AND those two men lifted me up thence on to the seventh Heaven, and I saw there a very great light, and fiery troops of great archangels, incorporeal forces, and dominions, orders and governments, cherubim and seraphim, thrones and many-eyed ones, nine regiments, the Ioanit stations of light, and I became afraid, and began to tremble with great terror, and those men took me, and led me after them, and said to me:
2 'Have courage, Enoch, do not fear,' and showed me the Lord from afar, sitting on His very high throne. For what is there on the tenth heaven, since the Lord dwells here?
XXI.
Of how the angels here left Enoch, at the end of the seventh Heaven, and went away from him unseen.
AND the cherubim and seraphim standing about the throne, the six-winged and many-eyed ones do not depart, standing before the Lord's face doing his will, and cover his whole throne, singing with gentle voice before the Lord's face: 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord Ruler of Sabaoth, heavens and earth are full of Thy glory.'
Notice what John tells us. When we connect Enoch and Revelation a bigger picture emerges.
Revelation 4:3-11 (KJV)
3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.
4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Heaven is a crowded place. We can see that there are three places where there is torment or punishment; the second heaven for the fallen angels, part of the third heaven for the unrighteous humans who die in their sins, and the fifth heaven where the leaders of the watchers reside. When Paul went to the third heaven he saw paradise, not hades. And just as Jesus told us, the compartment of Abraham’s bay or creek was for the righteous dead until he could take back the keys to hades and death, thereby allowing the righteous dead back into the paradise of eden.
We see so many positions and beings in charge of various things, we can hardly imagine all that goes on. But it becomes more clear as to why Paul reminds us that we will judge angels. We understand that they are ministering spirits who minister to the heirs of salvation. If we see and note their positions we are probably going to give a job performance review.
1 Corinthians 6:3 (KJV)
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
This is Paul’s point. Since we are going to judge angels, are made in the image and likeness of the Elohim, and are the holy of holies (the temple where the the Holy Spirit lives), then we should be able to judge earthly matters and conduct ourselves accordingly. We are not the only beings in the universe. We are some of the many beings in the universe. Our part of the story is that there was a being who refused to bow to Adam, who usurped Adam’s authority on the earth. Humankind lost it’s spiritual eyesight. There were other beings who observed females on the earth and who then rebelled and caused chaos on the earth. The disembodied spirits of the Nephilim still torment humans today. We humans were made in the image and likeness of the Elohim. We are the place where the Holy Spirit lives. We have access to the Father. John gives us the layout of what he sees in heaven without telling us what the Heavenly Father looks like.
Similar to Enoch, fragments were found at Qumran regarding heavenly beings which describe some of the same things we see in our Bible. Let’s close with one of these fragments and let’s consider the culture of the first century and what knowledge humanity may have forgotten.
4Q405 20 II, 21– 2 … His glorious chariots. When they go … they do not turn aside … but advance straight … For the Mas[ ter. Song of the holocaust of] the twelfth [S] abbath [on the twenty-first of the third month.] [Praise the God of … w] onder, and exalt Him … of glory in the te[ nt of the God of] knowledge. The [cheru] bim prostrate themselves before Him and bless. As they rise, a whispered divine voice [is heard], and there is a roar of praise. When they drop their wings, there is a [whispere] d divine voice. The cherubim bless the image of the throne-chariot above the firmament, [and] they praise [the majes] ty of the luminous firmament beneath His seat of glory. When the wheels advance, angels of holiness come and go. From between His glorious wheels, there is as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits. About them, the appearance of rivulets of fire in the (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living ‘gods’ … [in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho] ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King, design[ s of ‘go] ds’ … likeness of … most holy … [the Temple] chambers of the Ki[ ng] … figur[ es of the ‘g] o[ ds’ and from] the likeness … of the Holy of Holies …
The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (7th Edition) (Penguin Classics) (p. 336). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.
