Michael,

 

for the sake of argument, let's go ahead and say that the entire canon of New Testament scriptures was closed when you say it was with the last word written by Apostle John since all others wrote earlier. Wouldn't the same rule that you used regarding the other apostles also apply to the prophet Enoch - that is that his book was also already written? So the canon existed and was closed but just not in physical or geographically locatable form yet, right? Well the Book of Enoch already existed too or are you suggesting that the Book of Enoch was written later after John closed the canon and therefore is "added to the book"? If so then how did Jude quote from it? Is Jude then to be rejected also or what?

 

Do you agree with Mathman's suggestion that this Book of Enoch was written later as a deception:

 

Therefore, if I wanted to be heard, read and listened to, creating such a “lost document” from scratch would be a great place to start for an excellent deception. In other words, by writing a book that is “loosely referenced” by the Bible, I would then hope someone would be deceived into believing that my “Book of Enoch” is the one being referenced in the Word. The ultimate deception would be if this person was a follower of Jesus and actually believed it was a lost writing from the Lord.

 

But Jude is not "loosely referencing" some unnamed writing but giving a very specific name to both the author "Enoch, seventh from Adam" and as I said before, Jude quotes it nearly verbatim for two whole verses. If the Book of Enoch was not written by Enoch, seventh from Adam, then Jude himself was deceived was he not? If it was written by Enoch seventh from Adam then Jude gives it the authority of an inspired writer of the canonized scriptures and as you also pointed out with shouting (huge print):

 

The Biblical principle is simple. The small part stands in for the whole. In the pre-Christian era,

Rabbis would do this all the time. It is called a remez. R - E - M - E - Z, remez.

 

So if the small part stands in for the whole, then the part that Jude quotes should give equal weight of authority to all of the Book of Enoch, or does such only apply when it works in your favor?

 

Going back and addressing one of Patti C's questions, she wanted to know why Jesus never talked about giants or sons of God mating with daughters of men if it were really true. I never answered that before so I will now. Jesus did say that as it was in the days of Noah so it would be when He returned suggesting that there was something about the days of Noah that would be going on just before He returned that did not go on throughout the rest of history. Jesus also said to His disciples that there was a great deal that He would have liked to tell them but that they would not be able to bear it or handle it at that time. Could this have been what he was referring to maybe? Even Daniel was told that much of what He wrote was not to be understood by him but that the wise of the last generation would understand it.

 

When you put it all together it makes sense to me that there is a great hidden truth that is to be revealed in the last of the last days that will help us to be prepared for what is coming. If we reject this knowledge it may catch us off guard and prove overwhelming at a critical time.

 

Personally, I believe that the Children of Israel entering the promised land was our example and they were afraid of real giants except for Joshua and Caleb. What if we also must confront some kind of giants on our way to being raptured? Will we also cower in fear or say with Joshua and Caleb, "We are well able to go against them for God is with us" etc?