The Forgotten Books of Eden · 137 of 293

Secrets of Enoch: Chapter XXXII

After Adam’s sin God sends him away into the earth ‘whence I took thee,’ but does not wish to ruin him for all years to come.

1.I SAID to him: ‘Earth thou art, and into the earth whence I took thee thou shalt go, and I will not ruin thee, but send thee whence I took thee.

2.Then I can again take thee at My second coming!

Insight

‘I will not ruin thee, but send thee whence I took thee. Then I can again take thee at My second coming.’ This sentence is the smoking gun for Christian editorial work in 2 Enoch. ‘Second coming’ (deutera parousia) is a New Testament technical term for Christ’s return — Hebrews 9:28, Matthew 24:3, the entire Olivet discourse. A pre-Christian Jewish text could not have used this phrase. Either the Slavonic translator inserted it, or 2 Enoch passed through a Christian editorial layer that overlaid Christ-typology onto the Adam narrative. Either way, the ascending edition you are reading carries Christian fingerprints, and where they are clearest is at exactly the points where Adam’s restoration is being described. The Christian editor wanted Adam’s return to be Christ’s return.

3.And I blessed all my creatures visible and invisible. And Adam was five and half hours in paradise.

4.And I blessed the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, on which he rested from all his works.