Book of Moses Evidence: Enoch Stood Before God’s Face

Divine Face/Presence Imagery

In Enoch’s first visionary experience recorded in the Book of Moses, the text twice repeats that Enoch was “before the Lord”:

And when Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying: Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me; for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant? (Moses 6:31)

When rendered as a Hebrew idiom, the phrase “before the Lord” more literally means “before the face/presence of Jehovah” (liphnē YHWH).1 Especially in the context of Enoch’s prophetic commission, this language suggests that Enoch was in the Lord’s immediate presence and literally before his face.2

This imagery gets even more concrete in Enoch’s visionary encounter recorded in the next chapter: “I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face” (Moses 7:2–4). The notion of Enoch being before God’s face is also clearly stated in D&C 107:49: “And [Enoch] saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years.” Similar imagery crops up again in JST Genesis 14:30–31:

For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course; To put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God.

Although somewhat subtle and easily overlooked, this language is quite fascinating when compared to extrabiblical Enochic sources. For instance, one of Enoch’s primary titles was “Prince of the Face/Presence” (sar ha-pānîm), which corresponds to his special status as a servant attending God’s throne.3 It shows up prominently in 3 Enoch and other Jewish sources where Enoch assumes his role as the angel Metatron.4

Likewise, 2 Enoch repeatedly reports that Enoch saw the face of the Lord: “I saw the view of the face of the LORD, like iron made burning hot in a fire and brought out, and it emits sparks and is incandescent. Thus even I saw the face of the LORD” (2 Enoch 22:1).5 In the heading to chapter 24, we read about “the great secrets of God, which God revealed and related to Enoch; and he spoke with him face to face.”6 Similar statements are found throughout 2 Enoch, many of which will be highlighted in the sections below. 

Enoch Stood in God’s Presence 

One interesting feature of the Book of Moses is that it describes both Enoch and the Lord as standing during their encounter: “And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face” (Moses 7:2–4). Enoch’s ability to stand in God’s presence is even more pronounced in JST Genesis 14:30–31: “For God having sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by himself; that every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power, by faith, to break mountains, to divide the seas, … to stand in the presence of God.”7

Based on related language in the theophany experienced by Moses, Orlov points out that “standing was often interpreted through the prism of God’s own standing, indicating the prophet’s participation in divine or angelic nature.”8 Thus, by depicting both Enoch and the Lord in a standing position, the Book of Moses subtly hints at Enoch’s impending transfiguration and adoption into the heavenly council of divine beings.9

Similar imagery turns up in 3 Enoch, where the standing posture of the angels who surround God’s throne is repeatedly emphasized. At one point, Enoch-Metatron explained that, according to scripture, “The whole host of heaven stood beside” the Lord (3 Enoch 18:24). He then went on to describe how angelic scribes could even “write while standing” (3 Enoch 18:25).10

The motif of standing before God is especially pervasive in 2 Enoch. One passage relates that angelic beings “do not leave by night, nor depart by day, standing in front of the face of the LORD, and carrying out his will—cherubim and seraphim standing all around his throne … singing with gentle voice in front of the face of the LORD” (2 Enoch 21:1).11

Importantly, 2 Enoch repeatedly depicts Enoch himself as standing in God’s presence. The first instance occurs in 2 Enoch 21:3: “And the LORD sent one of his glorious ones, the archangel Gabriel. And he said to me, ‘Be brave, Enoch! Don’t be frightened! Stand up, and come with me and stand in front of the face of the LORD forever.’”12 Half a dozen similar statements can be found throughout the text.13

Before God’s Face Continually

In the passage just cited, Enoch was invited to enter into God’s presence for an endless duration: “Stand up, and come with me and stand in front of the face of the LORD forever” (2 Enoch 21:3). Similar descriptions, sometimes using synonyms such as “always” or “eternity,” are repeated several times throughout the text:

• “And the LORD, with his own mouth, said to me, ‘Be brave, Enoch! Don’t be frightened! Stand up, and stand in front of my face forever” (2 Enoch 22:5)14
• “Let Enoch join in and stand in front of my face forever!” (2 Enoch 22:6)15
• “Because a place has been prepared for you, and you will be in front of my face from now and forever” (2 Enoch 36:6)16
• “For you will be glorified in front of the face [of the LORD for eternity], because you are the one whom the LORD chose in preference to all the people upon the earth” (2 Enoch 64:5)17
• “And the angels hurried and grasped Enoch and carried him up to the highest heaven, where the LORD received him and made him stand in front of his face for eternity” (2 Enoch 67:2)18
• “Happy is the person who reverences the name of the LORD, and who serves in front of his face always” (2 Enoch 42:6)19

Analogous language is sometimes used in the King James Bible in various contexts, but examples that fully match the 2 Enoch idiom (involving a reference to a named individual + explicit face imagery + endless duration) are very rare and don’t involve Enoch.20 That being the case, it is significant that a conceptually equivalent phrase turns up specifically in reference to Enoch in D&C 107:9: “And [Enoch] saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually.”21

Walking Before God’s Face

Genesis 5:24 declares, “And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” The idea that Enoch walked with God is thus one of the few details revealed about this figure in the Bible. This also became a fairly common idiom within the Hebrew Bible, where other figures are likewise said to have “walked” with or before the Lord.22 Note, however, that no English rendering in the KJV discusses Enoch or anyone else “walking” specifically before God’s “face.”23

In contrast, these ideas are overtly paired together in D&C 107:49: “And [Enoch] saw the Lord, and he walked with him, and was before his face continually; and he walked with God three hundred and sixty-five years.” Once again, a similar pairing turns up repeatedly in 2 Enoch:

• “Do not turn away from God. Walk before his face, and keep his commandments” (2 Enoch 2:2)24
• “This place, Enoch, has been prepared for the righteous … who walk without defect before the face of the LORD” (2 Enoch 9:1)25
• “And now, my sons, listen to the voice of your father, and to all that I enjoin on you today, so that you might walk before the face of the LORD” (2 Enoch 36:4)26
• “And walk in front of his face with fear and trembling, and worship him alone” (2 Enoch 66:1)27

Most of these passages involve the instruction of posterity. As one who himself had walked with the Lord and stood before his face, Enoch was naturally able to guide his children in these matters.28

Clothed in Heavenly Glory

In Moses 7:3–4, the concept of the “heavens” opening and Enoch being “clothed upon with glory” turns up right alongside the divine face imagery: “And it came to pass that I turned and went up on the mount; and as I stood upon the mount, I beheld the heavens open, and I was clothed upon with glory; And I saw the Lord; and he stood before my face, and he talked with me, even as a man talketh one with another, face to face.” This combination of ideas may be significant, as a similar cluster of elements surfaces repeatedly in 3 Enoch. Orlov explains,

It is significant that, although the designation [Prince of the Divine Presence/Face] is not restricted to Metatron, in 3 Enoch it becomes an essential part of the common introductory formula, “The angel Metatron, Prince of the Divine Presence,” through which R. Ishmael relates the various revelations received from his exalted angelus interpres. … Sometimes this text seeks to enhance the repetitive formula by adding to it the additional definition, “the glory of the highest heaven.” The combination of the expressions, the “Prince of the Divine Presence” and “the glory of the heaven,” does not appear to be coincidental since the divine Presence/Face is the divine Glory which leads to the transformation of any servant of the Face into a glorious angelic being resembling the luminosity of the divine Face.29

By analogy, it could be argued that the description in Moses 7:3–4 of the heavens opening and of Enoch being clothed upon with glory also does not appear to be coincidental. A similar clustering, with the additional element of Enoch being shown a vision of the earth, turns up in a description of Enoch-Metatron in the appendix to 3 Enoch:30

An even stronger set of parallels turns up in 2 Enoch:31

This complex of ideas, found together in limited blocks of text and specifically relating to Enoch in each account, is rather striking.

Dangerous Face Motif

In both 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch, the face of God (or the face of a being imbued with his glory) is viewed as a terrible and dangerous entity. When addressing his family, Enoch declared: “Frightening and dangerous it is to stand before the face of an earthly king, terrifying and very dangerous it is, because the will of the king is death and the will of the king is life. How much more terrifying and dangerous it is to stand before the face of the King of earthly kings and of the heavenly armies, the regulator of the living and of the dead” (2 Enoch 39:8).32

This mirrors the fear that Enoch-Metatron’s glorified body evokes in 3 Enoch. Concerning his physical transformation to an angelic being, he declared, “my flesh turned to flame, … my eyelashes to lightning flashes, my eyeballs to fiery torches, the hairs of my head to hot flames, … and the substance of my body to blazing fire” (3 Enoch 15:1–2). Then, just a few verses later in the next chapter, Enoch-Metatron explained the fear that his appearance evoked, “But when ’Aher came to behold the vision of the chariot and set eyes upon me, he was afraid and trembled before me. His soul was alarmed to the point of leaving him because of his fear, dread, and terror of me.” (3 Enoch 16:2).33

This is rather intriguing because Enoch’s presence evokes fear and trembling in the Book of Moses as well. Although the text doesn’t specifically say that it was due to the glory of Enoch’s face, the language repeatedly hints at that conclusion:

• “fear came on all them that heard him; for he walked with God” (Moses 6:39).
• “as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence” (Moses 6:47).34
• “The fear of the Lord was upon all nations, so great was the glory of the Lord, which was upon his people” (Moses 7:17)

Based on the context of these statements (describing people unable to stand in his “presence” and that he “walked with God” and that the “glory of the Lord” was upon him and his people), it seems quite plausible that at least part of the fear came from the people beholding the luminous glory of Enoch’s face. This notion is especially emphasized in Sefer ha-Yasher (which correlates particularly well with the context of Moses 6:47):

… finally all the kings, princes, and people sought his presence, and all of them desired to see the face of Enoch and to listen to his words, but they were unable to do so, for every human being greatly revered Enoch and were afraid to approach him due to the divine awe which was on his face. For this reason no one was able to look at his face, lest he be chastised and suffer death.

All the kings and princes decided to assemble everyone in one body together to approach Enoch their ruler so that all might speak with him at the time he came forth to him, and they did so. It came to pass that on the day when Enoch finally emerged to them, all of them were gathered together, and so they came together to him. Enoch spoke to them regarding all their concerns, and he taught them wisdom and knowledge, and he instructed them in the fear of the Lord. Everyone was very intimidated, and they were astounded at his wisdom, and they all prostrated themselves on the ground.”35

In short, the fear of Enoch that surfaces repeatedly in the Book of Moses matches up well with the fear expressed in various extrabiblical sources, involving the divine luminosity of Enoch’s face or body. The Book of Moses subtly hints at that conclusion on several occasions without outright saying it.

The Enoch/Moses Connection

Although Enoch’s theophany in the Book of Moses has clear parallels to extrabiblical sources, one might assume that Joseph Smith simply derived this face-related imagery from Moses’s encounter with the Lord in Exodus 33. After all, parallels between these texts are significant, as shown in the following sample:36

However, much like the Book of Moses, 2 Enoch also interacts closely with the imagery of Exodus 33–34. For instance, the heading to 2 Enoch 24 states that this chapter is about “the great secrets of God, which God revealed and related to Enoch; and he spoke with him face to face.”37 Likewise, the Lord declared the following to Enoch: “Because a place has been prepared for you, and you will be in front of my face from now and forever. … All this the LORD said to me, as a man talks to his neighbor” (2 Enoch 36:3).38

Several traditions even state or imply that Enoch himself, in his capacity as the angel Metatron, dispensed heavenly knowledge to Moses, and in some sources, the two figures share a number of overlapping qualities or features. Scholars have also noted relationships between Moses’s encounters with the divine (as reported in Exodus 33–34 and various extrabiblical sources) and those reported of Enoch in 2 Enoch.39

In his analysis of this topic, Orlov assumes that the parallels between Enoch and Moses hint at an ancient polemical debate, in which those responsible for texts like 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch were reacting against traditions which upheld the primacy of Moses as Israel’s prophetic hero. Unlike the perplexing contradictions in Exodus 33 (where the Lord spoke to Moses “face to face” in verse 11 and then declared that neither Moses nor any many can see the Lord’s face and live in verse 20), the account in 2 Enoch is much more straightforward. Orlov explains, “Here [in 2 Enoch] the seer unambiguously states that he saw the Face of the Lord. This theophanic paradigm shift explicitly challenges the aforementioned Mosaic account and its hero; in the Bible the vision of the Face was bluntly denied by the Deity himself.”40

Further evidence of a pro-Enoch movement comes from 3 Enoch. Orlov writes,

From 3 Enoch 15B one learns that it is Enoch-Metatron, whose face was once transformed into fire, who tells Moses about his shining visage: “At once Metatron, Prince of the Divine Presence, said to Moses, ‘Son of Amram, fear not! for already God favors you. Ask what you will with confidence and boldness, for light shines from the skin of your face from one end of the world to the other.’” Here Moses is portrayed as a later version of his master Enoch-Metatron whose face and body were transformed into blazing fire long before the prophet’s ascension at Sinai.41

Much more could be said on this topic, and Orlov may be correct that various factions were trying to assert the superiority of their favored prophet. What would make such a controversy especially plausible is if the parallels between these figures were not merely fabricated by one faction or another but if the resemblances instead stretched back deeper into antiquity than extant secular sources can verify. This is precisely what we find in the Book of Moses, where Moses and Enoch are presented as major prophetic figures who have similar theophanic encounters with God within a single unified record.42

In any case, those who assume Joseph Smith simply borrowed the divine face imagery from the book of Exodus must ask how he could have known that ancient Enochic traditions likewise closely associated Moses with Enoch and that texts like 2 Enoch would independently interact with the same scriptural data. If this was all happenstance, Smith unwittingly chose some very apt passages to make his Enoch revelation ring authentic.

Divine Face Imagery in 1 Enoch

Because 1 Enoch was potentially available to Joseph Smith in 1830, one may naturally wonder if he derived all of this face-related imagery from that source.43 While 1 Enoch does occasionally mention the face of the Lord, its treatment of this topic diverges quite sharply from the other Enochic sources presented throughout this article, perhaps due to the Enoch-Moses rivalry discussed above. Orlov explains,

As already mentioned, Mosaic theophanic imagery does not play a significant theological role in the patriarch’s visions in 1 (Ethiopic) Enoch. The silence of the early Enochic booklets does not prove that their authors lack knowledge about the biblical or extra-biblical Mosaic traditions. Yet, unlike the authors of the Slavonic apocalypse, 1 Enoch authors are reluctant to refer to the luminosity of the face or the body of the hero because these references might remind their readers about the rival Mosaic or Adamic developments. The rival motif of Moses’ countenance is probably also one of the reasons why the imagery of its theological counterpart, the Face of the Deity, does not play a pivotal role in the early Enochic visionary encounters. While the symbolism of the celestial temple and its chambers is quite important in 1 Enoch 14, the divine Face is mentioned only once in this account and without any theological significance. Another formative Enochic vision attested in 1 Enoch 71 does not even refer to such imagery.44

Tellingly, at the very moment when one might expect Enoch to behold the face of God or for the divine presence to be reflected on Enoch’s own face, the text instead emphasizes that Enoch kept his gaze averted: “And [the Lord] lifted me up and brought me near to the gate, but I (continued) to look down with my face” (1 Enoch 14:25). Just previous to this passage, the impossibility of beholding God’s face is directly mentioned: “None of the angels was able to come in and see the face of the Excellent and the Glorious One; and no one of the flesh can see him” (1 Enoch 14:21; cf. Exodus 33:20).45 Thus, if Joseph Smith had relied on 1 Enoch regarding this matter, the divine face imagery would likely be significantly muted or entirely absent from his Enoch revelations.

Conclusion

On several occasions, the Book of Moses either implies or explicitly invokes divine face imagery in relation to Enoch, often in ways that align with extrabiblical Enochic sources. Parallels include (1) generic descriptions of Enoch being before the Lord or seeing the Lord’s face, (2) language indicating that both Enoch and the Lord were in a standing position during Enoch’s theophany, (3) a description of Enoch being before the Lord’s face continually, (4) the imagery of Enoch walking with the Lord in immediate conjunction with face imagery, (5) nearby details regarding heavenly ascent and Enoch being clothed in glory, and (6) accounts of people being fearful, trembling, or unable to stand in Enoch’s presence (i.e.,  before his face), adjacent to language alluding to his translation or transfiguration.

In a generic way, components of these elements can sometimes be found in biblical texts. But, in most instances, there are nuances within the Book of Moses that align particularly well with Enochic sources unavailable to Joseph Smith and that simultaneously are either rare or absent in corresponding biblical sources. Because 1 Enoch lacks the relevant divine face imagery, that text is also of little value as a source of derivation, even though it was potentially accessible to Joseph Smith in 1830.

The various elements of divine face/presence imagery in the Book of Moses support its status as an ancient record and a revelation from God. Outside of divine providence, it is hard to explain how all of these authentic face-related details entered into Joseph Smith’s revelations about Enoch, especially when they are viewed in the aggregate.