1 Enoch 14

1 Enoch 14:8-25

These verses describe one of Enoch’s visions.  As he describes how extreme his experiences were so that he trembled in fear, and that he could never completely describe the magnificence, it makes me think that God indeed dwells calmly within the pinnacle of the extreme.  The reason why it is so hard for us to experience God is because we run away from extremes; we are repelled by things that are “too much”.

 We turn to sin when temptation tugs “too strongly” within us, and most of our lives we indeed dwell in the bland of life, unless we are forced to go through extremes.  These verses inspire me to hold still in the middle of the storm and sit calmly within the fire; there you will find God sitting as calmly as you.

(Other examples of this concept:
Mark 4:37-41
Daniel 3:24-25)

“And I entered into that house, and it what hot as fire and cold as ice: there were no delights of life therein: fear covered me and trembling gat hold upon me.  And as I quaked and trembled I fell upon my face and beheld a vision, and lo! There was a second house, greater than the former, and the entire portal stood open before me, and it was built of flames of fire.  And in every respect it so excelled in splendor and magnificence and extent that I cannot describe to you its splendor and extent.  And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire.  And I looked and saw therein a lofty throne: its appearance was of crystals and the wheels thereof as the shining sun, and there was a vision of cherubim.  And from underneath the throne came streams of flaming fire so that I could not look thereon.  And the Great Glory sat thereon, and His raiment shone more brightly than the sun and was whiter than any snow.  None of the angels could enter and could behold His face by reason of the magnificence and glory, and no flesh could behold Him.  The flaming fire was round about Him, and a great fire stood before Him, and none around could draw nigh Him: ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him, yet He needed no counselor. ”

(1 Enoch 14:13-22)

January 27, 2012