Easter’s Ancient Witness: What the Book of Enoch Reveals About the Son of Man

As Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, an ancient and controversial text, the Book of Enoch, offers a startling lens through which to understand what Jesus claimed to be and what He saved humanity from.

This Easter, millions hear the familiar Gospel accounts of the crucifixion and the empty tomb. But few are aware of a shadow scripture that profoundly shaped the world into which Jesus spoke. The Book of Enoch, dismissed by most Eastern and Western churches as apocryphal and even “false,” may hold one of the most important keys to decoding the central claim of Jesus: His identity as the “Son of Man.”

When Jesus stood before the high priest and declared, “you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” [Mark 14:62, New International Version], His audience did not hear a vague metaphor. Many scholars now believe that first-century Jews, steeped in apocalyptic literature, would have instantly recognised the reference to the Book of Enoch [1]. In that ancient text, written centuries before Christ, the “Son of Man” is not a mere human figure. He is explicitly identified as the Messiah, the Elect One, a pre-existent heavenly being who will judge the wicked and save the righteous [1 Enoch 46:1-4].

The Son of Man in Enoch: A Heavenly Judge
The Book of Enoch, long preserved in its entirety only by the ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Church [2], describes this figure in breathtaking terms. One passage reads: “This Son of man, whom you behold, shall raise up kings and the mighty from their dwelling places, and the powerful from their thrones” [1 Enoch 46:4]. Another declares: “A support shall he be for the righteous and the holy to lean upon, without falling; and he shall be the light of nations” [1 Enoch 48:4]. The text goes further: “He shall be the hope of those whose hearts are troubled. All, who dwell on earth, shall fall down and worship before him” [1 Enoch 48:5]. And again: “For the Elect One stands before the Lord of spirits; and his glory is for ever and ever; and his power from generation to generation” [1 Enoch 49:2].

When Jesus applied the title “Son of Man” to Himself, and did so more than any other title, He was not inventing a new concept. He was claiming to be the very figure Enoch saw in vision: the one who would bring justice, light, and eternal hope. This Easter, understanding that connection transforms the meaning of the resurrection. Jesus did not simply die as a martyr; He died as the pre-ordained heavenly judge who would conquer death itself.

What Jesus Saved Us From
The Book of Enoch describes a world fallen under the influence of rebellious “Watchers”, angels who corrupted humanity and brought violence, sin, and deception [1 Enoch 6–11]. The Son of Man comes to execute judgment on these forces of evil and to liberate the righteous [1 Enoch 46:4–8]. In this framework, Jesus’ death and resurrection are not merely about personal forgiveness but about a cosmic victory over the spiritual powers of darkness. As the apostle Paul would later write, “He disarmed the powers and authorities” [Colossians 2:15, New International Version]. The Book of Enoch provides the dramatic backdrop for that victory.

Thus, what Jesus saved us from, according to Enoch, is not only the penalty of individual sin but the tyranny of evil spiritual forces that had enslaved the world. He is the “light of nations” and the “hope of those whose hearts are troubled.” Easter is the confirmation that this Son of Man has indeed conquered.

Why the Book of Enoch Matters This Easter
For centuries, the Book of Enoch has been marginalized. St. Augustine rejected it; Jerome dismissed it. Yet it was quoted explicitly in the New Testament Epistle of Jude [Jude 1:14–15, quoting verbatim 1 Enoch 1:9], and its echoes fill the Gospels. The Ethiopian Church has always considered it canonical. Modern carbon dating has confirmed the antiquity of Ethiopian manuscripts, some dating as early as the 4th century CE, among the oldest complete Christian Bibles in existence [3].

As theologian Thomas Aquinas reminded us, reason is a God given gift for discerning truth [4]. Approaching the Book of Enoch with reason, rather than inherited prejudice, reveals a text that illuminates, not contradicts, the New Testament. This Easter, as we celebrate the risen Lord, we might also recover the ancient book that helps explain who He truly is: the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Elect One, the hope of all who dwell on earth.

References

[1] Nickelsburg, G. W. E. (2001). 1 Enoch 1: A commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, chapters 1–36; 81–108. Fortress Press.
[2] Munro-Hay, S. (2002). Ethiopia, the unknown land: A cultural and historical guide. I.B. Tauris.
[3] Bruce, F. F. (1999). The canon of Scripture. InterVarsity Press.
[4] Aquinas, T. (1947). Summa Theologica (Fathers of the English Dominican Province, Trans.). Benziger Bros. (Original work published c. 1274)