Bible-era Book of Enoch prophecy sparks terrifying Antichrist warning | History | News
An ancient religious text excluded from most Christian biblical canons has sparked debate over whether it contains a warning about the downfall of the Antichrist and corrupt rulers.
The Book of Enoch, more than 2,200 years old, describes a mysterious group known as “kings and mighty men” whose wealth, influence, and rejection of God led them to make a final judgment.
The Antichrist is a figure in Christian theology generally understood as a powerful deceiver who opposes Jesus Christ and leads many away from the faith before the end of the world.
While some modern commentators associate the passages with the Antichrist, the text itself does not clearly identify a single person by that name.
Instead, the second chapter of 1 Enoch, the Book of Proverbs, describes a vision in which powerful rulers known as “kings and mighty ones” are judged by the “Son of Man.”
Passages covering chapters 46 through 63 have been interpreted by some readers as a warning of corrupt systems of power that oppose God rather than as a prediction about a future individual.
What does the Book of Enoch say about kings and the mighty?
The interpretation of the passages can be divided into four movements, each indicating another stage in the rise, power, and eventual decline of the rulers.
The first presents “kings and mighty men” as rich and influential leaders who reject God, persecute the faithful, and rely on their own wealth.
The second describes the coming of the “Son of Man,” who was chosen before creation, and the moment when the rulers realized that they had rejected the chosen figure of God.
The third uses images of six mountains made of iron, copper, silver, gold, soft metal, and lead to represent the collapse of worldly power and wealth.
The final chapter describes the rulers who stand before the “Son of Man” on the day of judgment, whose requests for mercy are rejected and they face punishment for their actions.
Many scholars interpret the images as symbolizing the transitory nature of human kingdoms, wealth, and political authority.
Why was the Book of Enoch removed from the Bible?
The modern Bible contains 66 books in most Protestant traditions, but the number varies among Christian denominations.
Besides the accepted scriptures, more than 70 ancient Jewish and Christian writings also circulated among the early communities, but were not included in the later biblical canons.
One of the most famous of these texts is the Book of Enoch, which expands on stories about the origins of fallen angels, giants, and demons.
Fragments of the Book of Enoch, written in Aramaic, were discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls in caves at Qumran in the Judean Desert, confirming that the text was in circulation centuries before Christianity.
Does the Book of Enoch describe the Antichrist?
The connection between the Book of Enoch and the Antichrist is based on later interpretations rather than a direct statement in the ancient text.
A discussion on the YouTube channel Hermon Codex suggested that “kings and mighty men” may represent a corrupt system linked to end-time beliefs.
Some scholars have argued that differences between English translations of Enoch affect how strongly the rulers are described.
Translations by Michael Knibb and Ephraim Isaac translate the passages more literally, describing rulers whose “power rested on their wealth,” who “denied the name of the God of spirits,” and who oppressed the faithful.
Bible scholar George W.E. Nickelsburg identified the “kings and mighty ones” as corrupt political and religious rulers, rather than Satan or fallen Watchers.
This interpretation has led some readers to argue that Enoch presents the idea of the Antichrist as a recurring pattern of unjust power rather than a single individual.
What warning does the Book of Enoch give about earthly rulers?
The first episode begins in Episode 46; here Enoch describes a heavenly vision involving the Days of Old and the Son of Man before turning his attention to “kings and mighty ones.”
The text says that the faces of these rulers will be filled with shame because they gained power through wealth, rejected the Lord of Spirits, and persecuted believers.
1 Enoch 46:7 reads:
“These are they who rule over the stars of the heavens, who lift up their hands against the Most High, who set foot on the earth and who sit on it.
“All they do is injustice, and their power lies in their wealth.
“Their faith is in the gods which they have made with their own hands, and they deny the name of the Lord of Spirits, and persecute the houses of His congregations and the believers who adhere to the name of the Lord of Spirits.”
The second part appears in Episode 48; Here it is explained that the “Son of Man” was chosen before creation.
The “kings of the earth” are warned that they “will not be able to save themselves” on the day of judgment because they deny the “Lord and Christ of Spirits.”
The third movement occurs in Chapters 52 and 53, where Enoch sees six mountains made of different materials.
According to 1 Enoch 52:6, an angel says to him:
“And all these things that serve those who lead and cause oppression in this world will melt like wax before the fire… and become powerless before the feet of the Chosen One.”
The final action occurs in Chapters 62 and 63, when the rulers gather for judgment.
1 Enoch 62:3 reads like this:
“And in that day all kings, and the mighty, and the great, and those who hold the world, will stand up, and they will see and understand how he sits on his glorious throne.”
The text then describes the rulers appearing before the Son of Man and begging for mercy.
However, their requests are rejected and they are handed over to the angels to be punished for oppressing God’s children and believers.
Chapter 63 describes the rulers’ confession of guilt and includes the following passage:
“We did not confess before him… but we trusted in the scepter of our dominion and glory.”
The text continues as follows:
“He will not be able to save us in the day of our pain and tribulation… All our sins are truly innumerable.”
Many scholars interpret this passage as a warning that human empires built on wealth, pride, and oppression may seem permanent but will ultimately fail.
