I know I'm getting way ahead of myself in the General Epistles, but we are in 1 Enoch in Intertestamental Literature, so I thought I would go ahead and blog on Jude 14-16.
______
14-15 And the seventh from Adam, Enoch, also prophesied about these, saying, "Behold, the Lord has come with his ten thousand holy ones to effect judgment against all and to convict every soul in relation to all their works of ungodliness which they commit in godlessness and in relation to all the terrible things that ungodly sinners speak against him."
Up to this point Jude's interaction with apocalyptic and Enochic traditions has been very general. But now Jude explicitly quotes the pre-Christian Jewish book 1 Enoch (1.9). 1 Enoch is a library of five distinct units, the first of which is called the "Book of the Watchers" (chaps. 1-36), in which this quote appears. Although the Book of the Watchers probably itself is made up of parts written at different times, something close to its final form probably dates to around 200BC.
We have no evidence to suggest that Jude is quoting some independent tradition that 1 Enoch also quotes. Nothing from any part of 1 Enoch is known in the Old Testament and the Book of the Watchers was apparently composed originally in Aramaic. Even this particular part of the Book of the Watchers was probably added as a kind of introduction as the various materials of these chapters were collected and put together.
The presence of the Enochic books among the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with their similar apocalyptic outlook, may suggest that they were particularly valued by the Essenes, perhaps even that the Essenes considered them Scripture. Jude does not give us enough evidence to know whether he considered 1 Enoch to be Scripture, although he does seem to take the attribution of the quote to Enoch literally. Here is a warning that the way the New Testament authors referenced the Old Testament and other Jewish writings may simply reflect the way people at the time referenced such books and understood authorship, the point being not the attribution but the content of what is referenced.
One wonders whether there might have been some significant intersection between the Essenes and the earliest Christians. John the Baptist seems to bear at least a superficial resemblance to them. The Essenes may also have been the most apocalyptic of the known Jewish groups--and thus more similar to the earliest Christians than either the Pharisees or the Sadducees. The heavy intersection of Jude with possibly Essene literature--including the possible allusion to the Testament of Moses in Jude 9, also makes us wonder. At the same time, Jesus' emphasis on inclusion and reclamation of sinners probably would not have sat well with most Essenes.
Although it is unclear in Jude 9 whether the Lord God or the Lord Jesus Christ is in view, Jude 17, 21, and 25 all clearly refer to Jesus as Lord. We should probably therefore understand the Lord of this verse as the Lord Jesus Christ, who will come in judgment with ten thousands of angels. This fits with what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where Jesus descends with the voice of the archangel, probably to commence the judgment of men (1 Cor. 6:2) and angels (6:3).
16 These are grumblers, complainers, going according to their own desires, and their mouth speaks boastful things, showing favoritism for the benefit [to themselves].
The material that Jude shares in common with 2 Peter 2 now continues (2 Pet. 2:18). If we continue with the assumption that 2 Peter is drawing on Jude, it is fascinating that 2 Peter has omitted the references to 1 Enoch. As we saw with the omission of the Testament of Moses material, some have suggested that 2 Peter is already demonstrating a movement toward a New Testament canon--one that does not include the Enochic literature.
The list is, as the earlier lists, more generic than specific. Jude is railing against individuals within the Christian community who do not belong there, and these are thus characteristics that should not apply to Christians. They should not be grumblers and complainers. They should follow God's will rather than satisfying their own desires. They should not boast but trust in God's grace, power, and glory. They should not show favoritism--especially not for their own benefit since Christians are to put others above their own interests.
Showing posts with label 1 Enoch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1 Enoch. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Saturday Sources: Apocalypse of Weeks
Today I conclude materials in 1 Enoch of New Testament background interest that likely date to the period before the Maccabean crisis (167-64). Translations are once again taken with little modification from Nickelsburg and VanderKam.
The Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72-82)
There is only one verse from the Astronomical Book that I wish to excerpt. It probably dates ca. 200BC or perhaps even earlier.
81:5
They (the holy ones) said to me, "Tell everything to your son Methuselah and show all your children that no human is righteous before the Lord, for he created them."
The Apocalypse of Weeks (1 Enoch 93:1-10; 91:11-17)
The Apocalypse of Weeks, with Daniel the only possible exception, is the oldest historical apocalypse that has survived from the ancient world. The great thing about such apocalypses is the ease with which they are dated. The historical "prophesy" goes amazingly accurately until you get to the time when the apocalypse was actually written. We can thus with great likelihood date this apocalypse to not long before the Maccabean crisis.
93:3-10; 91:11-17
And Enoch took up his discourse and said, "I was born the seventh in the first week, and until my time righteousness endured.
After me there will arise a second week, in which deceit and violence will spring up, and in it will be the first end, and in it a man will be saved. And after that, at its conclusion, inquity with increase, and a law will be made for sinners.
After this there will arise a third week, and at its conclusion a man will be chosen as the plant of righteous judgment, and after him will go forth the plant of righteousness forever and ever.
After this there will arise a fourth week, and at its conclusion, visions of the holy and righteous will be seen, and a covenant for all generations and a tabernacle will be made in it.
After this there will arise a fifth week and at its conclusion, the temple of the glorious kingdom will be built forever.
After this there will arise a sixth week, and all who live in it will become blind, and the hearts of all will stray from wisdom; and in it a man will ascend. And at its conclusion, the temple of the kingdom will be burned with fire, and in it the whole race of the chosen root will be dispersed.
After this, in the seventh week, there will arise a perverse generation, and many will be its deeds, and all its deeds will be perverse. And at its conclusion, the chosen will be chosen, as witnesses of righteousness from the everlasting plant of righteousness, to whom will be given sevenfold wisdom and knowledge. And they will uproot the foundations of violence, and the structure of deceit in it, to execute judgment.
After this there will arise an eighth week of righteousness, in which a sword will be given to all the righteous, to execute righteous judgment on all the wicked, and they will be delivered into their hands. And at its conclusion, they will acquire possessions in righteousness, and the temple of the kingdom of the Great One will be built in the greatness of its glory for all the generations of eternity.
After this there will arise a ninth week, in which righteous law will be revealed to all the sons of the whole earth, and all the deeds of wickedness will vanish from the whole earth and descend to the everlasting pit, and all humankind will look to the path of the everlasting righteousness.
After this, in the tenth week, the seventh part, will be the everlasting judgment, and it will be executed on the watchers of the eternal heaven, and a fixed time of the great judgment will be rendered among the holy ones. The first heaven will pass away in it, and a new heaven will appear, and all the powers of the heavens will shine forever with sevenfold brightness.
After this there will be many weeks without number forever, in which they will do piety and righteousness, and from then on sin will never again be mentioned.
The Astronomical Book (1 Enoch 72-82)
There is only one verse from the Astronomical Book that I wish to excerpt. It probably dates ca. 200BC or perhaps even earlier.
81:5
They (the holy ones) said to me, "Tell everything to your son Methuselah and show all your children that no human is righteous before the Lord, for he created them."
The Apocalypse of Weeks (1 Enoch 93:1-10; 91:11-17)
The Apocalypse of Weeks, with Daniel the only possible exception, is the oldest historical apocalypse that has survived from the ancient world. The great thing about such apocalypses is the ease with which they are dated. The historical "prophesy" goes amazingly accurately until you get to the time when the apocalypse was actually written. We can thus with great likelihood date this apocalypse to not long before the Maccabean crisis.
93:3-10; 91:11-17
And Enoch took up his discourse and said, "I was born the seventh in the first week, and until my time righteousness endured.
After me there will arise a second week, in which deceit and violence will spring up, and in it will be the first end, and in it a man will be saved. And after that, at its conclusion, inquity with increase, and a law will be made for sinners.
After this there will arise a third week, and at its conclusion a man will be chosen as the plant of righteous judgment, and after him will go forth the plant of righteousness forever and ever.
After this there will arise a fourth week, and at its conclusion, visions of the holy and righteous will be seen, and a covenant for all generations and a tabernacle will be made in it.
After this there will arise a fifth week and at its conclusion, the temple of the glorious kingdom will be built forever.
After this there will arise a sixth week, and all who live in it will become blind, and the hearts of all will stray from wisdom; and in it a man will ascend. And at its conclusion, the temple of the kingdom will be burned with fire, and in it the whole race of the chosen root will be dispersed.
After this, in the seventh week, there will arise a perverse generation, and many will be its deeds, and all its deeds will be perverse. And at its conclusion, the chosen will be chosen, as witnesses of righteousness from the everlasting plant of righteousness, to whom will be given sevenfold wisdom and knowledge. And they will uproot the foundations of violence, and the structure of deceit in it, to execute judgment.
After this there will arise an eighth week of righteousness, in which a sword will be given to all the righteous, to execute righteous judgment on all the wicked, and they will be delivered into their hands. And at its conclusion, they will acquire possessions in righteousness, and the temple of the kingdom of the Great One will be built in the greatness of its glory for all the generations of eternity.
After this there will arise a ninth week, in which righteous law will be revealed to all the sons of the whole earth, and all the deeds of wickedness will vanish from the whole earth and descend to the everlasting pit, and all humankind will look to the path of the everlasting righteousness.
After this, in the tenth week, the seventh part, will be the everlasting judgment, and it will be executed on the watchers of the eternal heaven, and a fixed time of the great judgment will be rendered among the holy ones. The first heaven will pass away in it, and a new heaven will appear, and all the powers of the heavens will shine forever with sevenfold brightness.
After this there will be many weeks without number forever, in which they will do piety and righteousness, and from then on sin will never again be mentioned.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Saturday Sources: Book of the Watchers
Today I want to excerpt those parts of the "Book of the Watchers" (1 Enoch 1-36) that are potentially relevant to understanding the New Testament. The Enochic literature seems very important to understanding the New Testament context, especially parts of Matthew, 1 Peter, and Jude. I myself have wondered if Jerusalem Christianity had a significant Essene element, although ultimately that is much more the stuff of novels than of historical conclusion.
The Book of the Watchers is a composite piece, stitched together as so much of this type of Jewish literature. Its earliest parts likely go back to the 300's, and I would date the whole prior to the Maccabean crisis. 200BC seems a fair approximation.
I have again highlighted particularly important parallels. The translation is again excerpted from Nickelsburg and VanderKam, the finest English translation of it ever. I have only modified it very, very slightly.
_________
1:1-9
THE WORDS OF THE BLESSING WHICH ENOCH BLESSED THE RIGHTEOUS CHOSEN who will be present on the day of tribulation, to remove all the enemies; and the righteous will be saved.
And he took up his discourse and said, "Enoch, a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God, who had the vision of the Holy One and of heaven, which he showed me. From the words of the watchers and holy ones I heard everything; and as I heard everything from them, I also understood what I saw.
"Not for this generation do I expound, but concerning one that is distant I speak. And concerning the chosen I speak now, and concerning them I take up my discourse.
"The Great Holy One will come forth from his dwelling, and the eternal God will tread from thence upon Mount Sinai. He will appear with his army, he will appear with his mighty host from the heaven of heavens.
All the watchers will fear and [quake], and those who are hiding in all the ends of the earth will sing. All the ends of the earth will be shaken, and trembling and great fear will sieze them (the watchers) unto the ends of the earth.
The high mountains will be shaken and fall and break apart, and the high hills will be made low and melt like wax before the fire. The earth will be wholly rent asunder, and everything on earth will perish, and there will be judgment on all.
With the righteous he will make peace, and over the chosen there will be protection, and upon them will be mercy...
Look, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all humanity for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him." [quoted in Jude 14].
6:1-2; 7:1-2; 8:1, 4; 9:1, 3-7, 10-11; 10:1-6, 9, 10-13, 15
When the sons of men had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, "Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget children for ourselves"...
These and all the others with them took for themselves wives from among them such as they chose. And they began to go in to them, and to defile themselves through them, and to teach them sorcery and charms, and to reveal to them the cutting of roots and plants. And they conceived from them and bore to them great giants.
Asael taught men to make swords of iron and weapons and shields and breastplates and every instrument of war... (And) as men were perishing, the cry went up to heaven.
Then Michael and Sariel and Raphael and Gabriel looked down from the sanctuary of heaven upon the earth and saw much bloodshed on the earth... They said to one another... "to [us] the souls of men make suit..."
And approaching, they said to the Lord of the Ages, "You are the God of gods and Lord of lords and King of kings and God of the ages. And the throne of your glory (exists) for every generation of the generations that are from of old. And your name (is) holy and great and blessed for all the ages.
"For you have made all things and have authority over all. All things are manifest and uncovered before you, and you see all things, and there is nothing that can be hidden from you. You see what Asael has done, who has taught iniquity on the earth... And (what) Shemihazah (has done) to whom you gave authority to rule over them who are with him...
"And now look, the spirits of the souls of the men who have died make suit... You know all things before they happen, and you see these things and you permit them, and you do not tell us what we ought to do to them with regard to these things."
Then the Most High declared, and the Great Holy One spoke... "Go to Noah and say to him in my name, 'Hide yourself' ... Teach the righteous one what he should do...
To Raphael he said, "Go Raphael, and bind Asael hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness... Throw him there... And on the day of the great judgment, he will be led away to the burning conflagration..."
And to Gabriel he said, "Go, Gabriel, to the bastards, to the half-breeds, to the sons of micegenation; and destroy the sons of the watchers from among the sons of men..."
And to Michael he said, "Go, Michael, bind Shemihazah and the others with him, who have mated with the daughters of men... until the everlasting judgment is consumated. Then they will be led away to the fiery abyss, and to the torture, and to the prison where they will be confined forever... Destroy all the spirits of the half-breeds and the sons of the watchers, because they have wronged men.
14:18-21
And I was looking and I saw a lofty throne; and its appearance was like ice, and its wheels were like the shining sun, and the voice of the cherubim, and from beneath the throne issued rivers of flaming fire. And I was unable to see. The Great Glory sat upon it; his apparel was like the appearance of the sun and whiter than much snow. No angel could enter into this house and look at his face because of the splendor and glory, and no human could look at him...
15:7-9
The spirits of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling; but now the giants who were begotten by the spirits and flesh--they will call them evil spirits on the earth, for their dwelling will be on the earth. The spirits that have gone forth from the body of their flesh are evil spirits...
21:7-10; 22:1-6, 8-13
From there I traveled to another place, more terrible than this one. And I saw terrible things--a great fire burning and flaming there. And the place had a narrow cleft (extending) to the abyss, full of great pillars of fire, borne downward. Neither the measure nor the size was I able to see or to estimate.
Then I said, "How terrible is this place and fearful to look at!"
Then Uriel answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "Enoch, why are you so frightened and shaken?
And I replied, "Because of this terrible place and because of the fearful sight."
And he said, "This place is a prison for the angels. Here they will be confined forever."
From there I traveled to another place. And he (Uriel) showed me to the west a great high mountain of hard rock. And there were four hollow places in it, deep and very smooth. Three of them were dark and one, illuminated; and a foundation of water was in the middle of it.
And I said, "How smooth are these hollows and altogether deep and dark to view."
Then Raphael answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "These hollow places (are intended) that the spirits of the souls of the dead might be gathered into them. For this very (purpose) they were created, (that) here the souls of all human beings should be gathered. And look, these are the pits for the place of their confinement. Thus they were made until the time of the day (on) which they will be judged, and until the time of the day of the end of the great judgment that will be exacted from them"...
Then I asked about all the hollow places, why they were separated one from the other.
And he answered me and said, "These three were made that the spirits of the dead might be separated.
"This one has been separated for the spirits of the righteous, where the bright fountain of water is.
"And this one has been created for the [spirits of the] sinners, when they die and are buried in the earth, and judgment has not been executed on them in their life. Here their spirits are separated for this great torment, until the great day of judgment, of scourges and tortures of the cursed forever, that there might be a recompense for their spirits. There he will bind them forever.
"And this one has been separated for the spirits of them that make suit, who make disclosure about the destruction, when they were murdered in the days of the sinners.
"And this one was created for the spirits of the people who will not be pious, but sinners, who were godless, and they were companions with the lawless. And their spirits will not be punished on the day of judgment, nor will they be raised from there."
25:2-6; 26:1-2, 6; 27:1-3
"Then I answered him (Michael)--I, Enoch, and said, "Concerning all things I wish to know, but especially concerning this tree."
And he answered me and said, "This high mountain that you saw, whose peak is like the throne of God, is the seat where the Great Holy One, the Lord of glory, the King of eternity, will sit when he descends to visit the earth in goodness. And as for this fragrant tree, no flesh has the right to touch it until the great judgment, in which there will be vengeance on all and a consummation forever.
Then it will be given to the righteous and the pious, and its fruit will be food for the chosen. And it will be transplanted to the holy place, by the house of God, the King of eternity. Then they will rejoice greatly and be glad, and they will enter into the sanctuary. Its fragrances [will be] in their bones, and they will live a long life on the earth, such as your fathers lived also in their days"...
And I marveled at the mountain, and I marveled at the valley, I marveled exceedingly.
Then I said, "Why is this land blessed and all filled with trees, but this valley is cursed?"
Then [Sariel] answered, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "This cursed valley is for those who are cursed forever. Here will be gathered all the cursed... Here the godless will bless the Lord of glory, the King of eternity.
The Book of the Watchers is a composite piece, stitched together as so much of this type of Jewish literature. Its earliest parts likely go back to the 300's, and I would date the whole prior to the Maccabean crisis. 200BC seems a fair approximation.
I have again highlighted particularly important parallels. The translation is again excerpted from Nickelsburg and VanderKam, the finest English translation of it ever. I have only modified it very, very slightly.
_________
1:1-9
THE WORDS OF THE BLESSING WHICH ENOCH BLESSED THE RIGHTEOUS CHOSEN who will be present on the day of tribulation, to remove all the enemies; and the righteous will be saved.
And he took up his discourse and said, "Enoch, a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God, who had the vision of the Holy One and of heaven, which he showed me. From the words of the watchers and holy ones I heard everything; and as I heard everything from them, I also understood what I saw.
"Not for this generation do I expound, but concerning one that is distant I speak. And concerning the chosen I speak now, and concerning them I take up my discourse.
"The Great Holy One will come forth from his dwelling, and the eternal God will tread from thence upon Mount Sinai. He will appear with his army, he will appear with his mighty host from the heaven of heavens.
All the watchers will fear and [quake], and those who are hiding in all the ends of the earth will sing. All the ends of the earth will be shaken, and trembling and great fear will sieze them (the watchers) unto the ends of the earth.
The high mountains will be shaken and fall and break apart, and the high hills will be made low and melt like wax before the fire. The earth will be wholly rent asunder, and everything on earth will perish, and there will be judgment on all.
With the righteous he will make peace, and over the chosen there will be protection, and upon them will be mercy...
Look, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all humanity for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him." [quoted in Jude 14].
6:1-2; 7:1-2; 8:1, 4; 9:1, 3-7, 10-11; 10:1-6, 9, 10-13, 15
When the sons of men had multiplied, in those days, beautiful and comely daughters were born to them. And the watchers, the sons of heaven, saw them and desired them. And they said to one another, "Come, let us choose for ourselves wives from the daughters of men, and let us beget children for ourselves"...
These and all the others with them took for themselves wives from among them such as they chose. And they began to go in to them, and to defile themselves through them, and to teach them sorcery and charms, and to reveal to them the cutting of roots and plants. And they conceived from them and bore to them great giants.
Asael taught men to make swords of iron and weapons and shields and breastplates and every instrument of war... (And) as men were perishing, the cry went up to heaven.
Then Michael and Sariel and Raphael and Gabriel looked down from the sanctuary of heaven upon the earth and saw much bloodshed on the earth... They said to one another... "to [us] the souls of men make suit..."
And approaching, they said to the Lord of the Ages, "You are the God of gods and Lord of lords and King of kings and God of the ages. And the throne of your glory (exists) for every generation of the generations that are from of old. And your name (is) holy and great and blessed for all the ages.
"For you have made all things and have authority over all. All things are manifest and uncovered before you, and you see all things, and there is nothing that can be hidden from you. You see what Asael has done, who has taught iniquity on the earth... And (what) Shemihazah (has done) to whom you gave authority to rule over them who are with him...
"And now look, the spirits of the souls of the men who have died make suit... You know all things before they happen, and you see these things and you permit them, and you do not tell us what we ought to do to them with regard to these things."
Then the Most High declared, and the Great Holy One spoke... "Go to Noah and say to him in my name, 'Hide yourself' ... Teach the righteous one what he should do...
To Raphael he said, "Go Raphael, and bind Asael hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness... Throw him there... And on the day of the great judgment, he will be led away to the burning conflagration..."
And to Gabriel he said, "Go, Gabriel, to the bastards, to the half-breeds, to the sons of micegenation; and destroy the sons of the watchers from among the sons of men..."
And to Michael he said, "Go, Michael, bind Shemihazah and the others with him, who have mated with the daughters of men... until the everlasting judgment is consumated. Then they will be led away to the fiery abyss, and to the torture, and to the prison where they will be confined forever... Destroy all the spirits of the half-breeds and the sons of the watchers, because they have wronged men.
14:18-21
And I was looking and I saw a lofty throne; and its appearance was like ice, and its wheels were like the shining sun, and the voice of the cherubim, and from beneath the throne issued rivers of flaming fire. And I was unable to see. The Great Glory sat upon it; his apparel was like the appearance of the sun and whiter than much snow. No angel could enter into this house and look at his face because of the splendor and glory, and no human could look at him...
15:7-9
The spirits of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling; but now the giants who were begotten by the spirits and flesh--they will call them evil spirits on the earth, for their dwelling will be on the earth. The spirits that have gone forth from the body of their flesh are evil spirits...
21:7-10; 22:1-6, 8-13
From there I traveled to another place, more terrible than this one. And I saw terrible things--a great fire burning and flaming there. And the place had a narrow cleft (extending) to the abyss, full of great pillars of fire, borne downward. Neither the measure nor the size was I able to see or to estimate.
Then I said, "How terrible is this place and fearful to look at!"
Then Uriel answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "Enoch, why are you so frightened and shaken?
And I replied, "Because of this terrible place and because of the fearful sight."
And he said, "This place is a prison for the angels. Here they will be confined forever."
From there I traveled to another place. And he (Uriel) showed me to the west a great high mountain of hard rock. And there were four hollow places in it, deep and very smooth. Three of them were dark and one, illuminated; and a foundation of water was in the middle of it.
And I said, "How smooth are these hollows and altogether deep and dark to view."
Then Raphael answered me, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "These hollow places (are intended) that the spirits of the souls of the dead might be gathered into them. For this very (purpose) they were created, (that) here the souls of all human beings should be gathered. And look, these are the pits for the place of their confinement. Thus they were made until the time of the day (on) which they will be judged, and until the time of the day of the end of the great judgment that will be exacted from them"...
Then I asked about all the hollow places, why they were separated one from the other.
And he answered me and said, "These three were made that the spirits of the dead might be separated.
"This one has been separated for the spirits of the righteous, where the bright fountain of water is.
"And this one has been created for the [spirits of the] sinners, when they die and are buried in the earth, and judgment has not been executed on them in their life. Here their spirits are separated for this great torment, until the great day of judgment, of scourges and tortures of the cursed forever, that there might be a recompense for their spirits. There he will bind them forever.
"And this one has been separated for the spirits of them that make suit, who make disclosure about the destruction, when they were murdered in the days of the sinners.
"And this one was created for the spirits of the people who will not be pious, but sinners, who were godless, and they were companions with the lawless. And their spirits will not be punished on the day of judgment, nor will they be raised from there."
25:2-6; 26:1-2, 6; 27:1-3
"Then I answered him (Michael)--I, Enoch, and said, "Concerning all things I wish to know, but especially concerning this tree."
And he answered me and said, "This high mountain that you saw, whose peak is like the throne of God, is the seat where the Great Holy One, the Lord of glory, the King of eternity, will sit when he descends to visit the earth in goodness. And as for this fragrant tree, no flesh has the right to touch it until the great judgment, in which there will be vengeance on all and a consummation forever.
Then it will be given to the righteous and the pious, and its fruit will be food for the chosen. And it will be transplanted to the holy place, by the house of God, the King of eternity. Then they will rejoice greatly and be glad, and they will enter into the sanctuary. Its fragrances [will be] in their bones, and they will live a long life on the earth, such as your fathers lived also in their days"...
And I marveled at the mountain, and I marveled at the valley, I marveled exceedingly.
Then I said, "Why is this land blessed and all filled with trees, but this valley is cursed?"
Then [Sariel] answered, one of the holy angels who was with me, and said to me, "This cursed valley is for those who are cursed forever. Here will be gathered all the cursed... Here the godless will bless the Lord of glory, the King of eternity.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Saturday Sources
Michael Bird's Friday is for "Ad Fontes" (to the sources) is far more intelligent, but since that's taken, I guess I'll go with "Saturday Sources," that is at least this week :-)
I'm working in relation to the worship of the Son of Man in the Parables of Enoch, so I thought I would do what I have done with some other early Jewish literature and quote the texts from the Parables (1 Enoch 37-71) that seem most relevant to New Testament study. The translation is taken from the recent translation of George Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004).
__________
41:1-42:3
And after this, I (Enoch) saw all the secrets of heaven,
how the kingdom is divided,
and how the deeds of humanity are weighed in the balance.
There I saw the dwelling places of the chosen and the dwelling places of the holy ones.
And my eyes saw there all the sinners who deny the name of the Lord of Spirits being driven away from there,
and they dragged them off and they could not remain because of the scourge that went forth from the Lord of Spirits.
For no angel hinders and no power is able to hinder,
for the Judge sees them all and judges them all in his presence.
Wisdom did not find a place where she might dwell,
so her dwelling was in the heaven.
Wisdom went forth to dwell among the sons of men,
but she did not find a dwelling.
Wisdom returned to her place,
and sat down among the angels.
Iniquity went forth from her chambers,
those whom she did not seek she found,
and she dwelt among them like rain in a desert and dew in a thirsty land.
45:1-46:6
This is the second parable concerning those who deny the name of the dwelling of the holy ones and of the Lord of the spirits.
To heaven they will not ascend, and on earth they will not come.
Thus will be the lot of the sinners who have denied the name of the Lord of the Spirits,
who will be kept thus for the day of affliction and tribulation.
On that day, my Chosen One will sit on the throne of glory,
and he will [test] their works, and their resting places will be innumerable.
And their spirits will grow strong within them,
when they see my chosen ones and those who appeal to my glorious name.
On that day, I shall make my Chosen One dwell among them,
and I shall transform heaven and make it a blessing and a light forever;
and I shall transform the earth and make it a blessing.
And my chosen ones I shall make to dwell on it,
but those who commit sin and error will not set foot on it...
There I saw one who had a head of days,
and his head was like white wool.
And with him was another, whose face was like the appearance of a man;
and his face was full of graciousness like one of the holy angels.
And I asked the angel of peace, who went with me and showed me all the hidden things,
about that son of man--who he was and whence he was (and) why he went with the Head of Days.
And he answered me and said to me,
"This is the son of man who has righteousness,
and righteousness dwells with him.
And all the treasuries of what is hidden he will reveal;
for the Lord of Spirits has chosen him,
and his lot has prevailed through truth in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits forever.
And this son of man whom you have seen--
he will raise the kings and the mighty from their couches,
and the strong from their thrones.
He will loosen the reins of the strong,
and he will crush the teeth of the sinners.
He will overturn the kings from their thrones and their kingdoms,
because they do not exalt him or praise him,
or humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was given to them.
The face of the strong he will turn aside,
and shame will fill them.
Darkness will be their dwelling,
and worms shall be their couch.
And they will have no hope to rise from their couches,
because they do not exalt the name of the Lord of the Spirits.
47:3-48:7
In those days I saw the Head of Days as he took his seat on the throne of his glory,
and the books of the living were opened in his presence,
and all his host, which was in the heights of heaven,
and his court, were standing in his presence.
And the hearts of the holy ones were filled with joy,
for the number of [the righteous] was at hand;
and the prayer of the righteous had been heard,
and the blood of the righteous one had been required in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits...
And in that hour that son of man was named in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits,
and his name, before the Head of Days.
Even before the sun and the constellations were created,
before the stars of heaven were made,
his name was named before the Lord of Spirits.
He will be a staff for the righteous,
that they may lean on him and not fall;
And he will be the light of the nations,
and he will be a hope for those who grieve in their hearts.
All who dwell on the earth will fall down and worship before him,
and they will glorify and bless and sing hymns to the name of the Lord of Spirits.
For this (reason) he was chosen and hidden in his presence
before the world was created and forever.
And the wisdom of the Lord of the Spirits has revealed him to the holy and the righteous;
for he has preserved the portion of the righteous.
For they have hated and despised this age of unrighteousness;
Indeed, all its deeds and its ways they have hated in the name of the Lord of the Spirits.
For in his name they are saved,
and he is the vindicator of their lives.
51:1-3
In those days, the earth will restore what has been entrusted to it,
and Sheol will restore what it has received,
and destruction will restore what it owes.
For in those days, my Chosen One will arise,
and choose the righteous and holy from among them,
for the day on which they will be saved has drawn near.
And the Chosen One, in those days, will sit upon my throne,
and all the secrets of wisdom will go forth from the counsel of his mouth,
for the Lord of the Spirits has given (them) to him and glorified him.
61:8-9
And the Lord of the Spirits seated the Chosen One upon the throne of glory
and he will judge all the works of the holy ones in the heights of heaven,
and in the balance he will weigh their deeds.
And when he will lift up his face to judge their secret ways
according to the word of the Lord of the Spirits
and their paths according to the way of the way of the righteous judgment of the Lord of Spirits,
they will all speak with one voice,
and bless and glorify and exalt and sanctify the name of the Lord of Spirits.
62:1-14
And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted and those who possess the earth, and he said,
"Open your eyes and lift up your horns,
if you are able to recognize the Chosen One."
And the Lord of Spirits [seated him] upon the throne of his glory,
and the spirit of righteousness was poured upon him.
And the word of his mouth will slay the sinners,
and all the unrighteous will perish from his presence.
And there will stand up on that day all the kings and the mighty
and the exalted and those who possess the earth.
And they will see and recognize that he sits on the throne of his glory;
and righteousness is judged in his presence,
and no lying word is spoken in his presence...
And all the kings and the mighty and the exalted and those who rule the earth
will fall on their faces in his presence;
and they will worship and set their hope on that son of man,
and they will supplicate and petition for mercy from him.
But the Lord of the Spirits himself will press them,
so that they will hasten to depart from his presence;
and their faces will be filled with shame,
and the darkness will grow deeper on their faces.
[And he will deliver them] to the angels for punishment,
so that they may exact retribution from them
for the iniquity that they did to his children and his chosen ones...
And the righteous and the chosen will be saved on that day;
and the faces of the sinners and the unrighteous they will henceforth not see.
And the Lord of Spirits will abide over them,
and with that son of man they will eat,
and they will lie down and rise up forever and ever.
I'm working in relation to the worship of the Son of Man in the Parables of Enoch, so I thought I would do what I have done with some other early Jewish literature and quote the texts from the Parables (1 Enoch 37-71) that seem most relevant to New Testament study. The translation is taken from the recent translation of George Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004).
__________
41:1-42:3
And after this, I (Enoch) saw all the secrets of heaven,
how the kingdom is divided,
and how the deeds of humanity are weighed in the balance.
There I saw the dwelling places of the chosen and the dwelling places of the holy ones.
And my eyes saw there all the sinners who deny the name of the Lord of Spirits being driven away from there,
and they dragged them off and they could not remain because of the scourge that went forth from the Lord of Spirits.
For no angel hinders and no power is able to hinder,
for the Judge sees them all and judges them all in his presence.
Wisdom did not find a place where she might dwell,
so her dwelling was in the heaven.
Wisdom went forth to dwell among the sons of men,
but she did not find a dwelling.
Wisdom returned to her place,
and sat down among the angels.
Iniquity went forth from her chambers,
those whom she did not seek she found,
and she dwelt among them like rain in a desert and dew in a thirsty land.
45:1-46:6
This is the second parable concerning those who deny the name of the dwelling of the holy ones and of the Lord of the spirits.
To heaven they will not ascend, and on earth they will not come.
Thus will be the lot of the sinners who have denied the name of the Lord of the Spirits,
who will be kept thus for the day of affliction and tribulation.
On that day, my Chosen One will sit on the throne of glory,
and he will [test] their works, and their resting places will be innumerable.
And their spirits will grow strong within them,
when they see my chosen ones and those who appeal to my glorious name.
On that day, I shall make my Chosen One dwell among them,
and I shall transform heaven and make it a blessing and a light forever;
and I shall transform the earth and make it a blessing.
And my chosen ones I shall make to dwell on it,
but those who commit sin and error will not set foot on it...
There I saw one who had a head of days,
and his head was like white wool.
And with him was another, whose face was like the appearance of a man;
and his face was full of graciousness like one of the holy angels.
And I asked the angel of peace, who went with me and showed me all the hidden things,
about that son of man--who he was and whence he was (and) why he went with the Head of Days.
And he answered me and said to me,
"This is the son of man who has righteousness,
and righteousness dwells with him.
And all the treasuries of what is hidden he will reveal;
for the Lord of Spirits has chosen him,
and his lot has prevailed through truth in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits forever.
And this son of man whom you have seen--
he will raise the kings and the mighty from their couches,
and the strong from their thrones.
He will loosen the reins of the strong,
and he will crush the teeth of the sinners.
He will overturn the kings from their thrones and their kingdoms,
because they do not exalt him or praise him,
or humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was given to them.
The face of the strong he will turn aside,
and shame will fill them.
Darkness will be their dwelling,
and worms shall be their couch.
And they will have no hope to rise from their couches,
because they do not exalt the name of the Lord of the Spirits.
47:3-48:7
In those days I saw the Head of Days as he took his seat on the throne of his glory,
and the books of the living were opened in his presence,
and all his host, which was in the heights of heaven,
and his court, were standing in his presence.
And the hearts of the holy ones were filled with joy,
for the number of [the righteous] was at hand;
and the prayer of the righteous had been heard,
and the blood of the righteous one had been required in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits...
And in that hour that son of man was named in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits,
and his name, before the Head of Days.
Even before the sun and the constellations were created,
before the stars of heaven were made,
his name was named before the Lord of Spirits.
He will be a staff for the righteous,
that they may lean on him and not fall;
And he will be the light of the nations,
and he will be a hope for those who grieve in their hearts.
All who dwell on the earth will fall down and worship before him,
and they will glorify and bless and sing hymns to the name of the Lord of Spirits.
For this (reason) he was chosen and hidden in his presence
before the world was created and forever.
And the wisdom of the Lord of the Spirits has revealed him to the holy and the righteous;
for he has preserved the portion of the righteous.
For they have hated and despised this age of unrighteousness;
Indeed, all its deeds and its ways they have hated in the name of the Lord of the Spirits.
For in his name they are saved,
and he is the vindicator of their lives.
51:1-3
In those days, the earth will restore what has been entrusted to it,
and Sheol will restore what it has received,
and destruction will restore what it owes.
For in those days, my Chosen One will arise,
and choose the righteous and holy from among them,
for the day on which they will be saved has drawn near.
And the Chosen One, in those days, will sit upon my throne,
and all the secrets of wisdom will go forth from the counsel of his mouth,
for the Lord of the Spirits has given (them) to him and glorified him.
61:8-9
And the Lord of the Spirits seated the Chosen One upon the throne of glory
and he will judge all the works of the holy ones in the heights of heaven,
and in the balance he will weigh their deeds.
And when he will lift up his face to judge their secret ways
according to the word of the Lord of the Spirits
and their paths according to the way of the way of the righteous judgment of the Lord of Spirits,
they will all speak with one voice,
and bless and glorify and exalt and sanctify the name of the Lord of Spirits.
62:1-14
And thus the Lord commanded the kings and the mighty and the exalted and those who possess the earth, and he said,
"Open your eyes and lift up your horns,
if you are able to recognize the Chosen One."
And the Lord of Spirits [seated him] upon the throne of his glory,
and the spirit of righteousness was poured upon him.
And the word of his mouth will slay the sinners,
and all the unrighteous will perish from his presence.
And there will stand up on that day all the kings and the mighty
and the exalted and those who possess the earth.
And they will see and recognize that he sits on the throne of his glory;
and righteousness is judged in his presence,
and no lying word is spoken in his presence...
And all the kings and the mighty and the exalted and those who rule the earth
will fall on their faces in his presence;
and they will worship and set their hope on that son of man,
and they will supplicate and petition for mercy from him.
But the Lord of the Spirits himself will press them,
so that they will hasten to depart from his presence;
and their faces will be filled with shame,
and the darkness will grow deeper on their faces.
[And he will deliver them] to the angels for punishment,
so that they may exact retribution from them
for the iniquity that they did to his children and his chosen ones...
And the righteous and the chosen will be saved on that day;
and the faces of the sinners and the unrighteous they will henceforth not see.
And the Lord of Spirits will abide over them,
and with that son of man they will eat,
and they will lie down and rise up forever and ever.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Friday Reviews: Enoch and the Messiah Son of Man
I don't have a sturdy review today, but I have been reading a little in Enoch and the Messiah Son of Man: Revisiting the Book of Parables, edited by Gabriele Boccaccini. Lawrence Schiffman says of the book, "These studies cover all of the important issues." It's thus the place to start your scholarly level exploration of the parables. Chris Tilling did a review of this book recently as well.
Thus far I've only dipped in the book with "targeted hits." Loren Stuckenbruck's summary of chapters by Nickelsburg and Knibb seemed a good place to start. He tends toward Knibbs dating in the first century, which is where I am currently as well from a much more novice perspective. Stuckenbruck, with usual attention to detail, also suggests that the Parables are slightly more likely to be based on a Greek translation of the Book of the Watchers than on the Aramaic version.
I dipped also into a chapter on the cosmology of the Parables. Here Jonathan Ben-Dov concludes that the Parables is not dependent on the Astronomical Book for its cosmology.
The next dip that I thought would give me a cross-section of the book was John Collins' response to two other chapters that deal with the Parables in the history of the Son of Man expression. I'm in the middle of this piece now. Since Collins expressed on the side agreement with Sabino Chialà's view of the relationship between the Parables and Matthew, I dipped back into his chapter.
There he believes that the Gospel of Matthew is dependent on the Parables for its imagery of the Son of Man. The influence of the Parables on Matthew, he believes shows up particularly in the image of Son of Man as judge, a Son of Man theme that is sparse in Mark and Luke but significant in Matthew.
Thus far I've only dipped in the book with "targeted hits." Loren Stuckenbruck's summary of chapters by Nickelsburg and Knibb seemed a good place to start. He tends toward Knibbs dating in the first century, which is where I am currently as well from a much more novice perspective. Stuckenbruck, with usual attention to detail, also suggests that the Parables are slightly more likely to be based on a Greek translation of the Book of the Watchers than on the Aramaic version.
I dipped also into a chapter on the cosmology of the Parables. Here Jonathan Ben-Dov concludes that the Parables is not dependent on the Astronomical Book for its cosmology.
The next dip that I thought would give me a cross-section of the book was John Collins' response to two other chapters that deal with the Parables in the history of the Son of Man expression. I'm in the middle of this piece now. Since Collins expressed on the side agreement with Sabino Chialà's view of the relationship between the Parables and Matthew, I dipped back into his chapter.
There he believes that the Gospel of Matthew is dependent on the Parables for its imagery of the Son of Man. The influence of the Parables on Matthew, he believes shows up particularly in the image of Son of Man as judge, a Son of Man theme that is sparse in Mark and Luke but significant in Matthew.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday Thoughts: 1 Enoch and the New Testament
The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36; pre-200BC)
The book of Jude makes the relevance of 1 Enoch for the NT beyond question. Jude 14 quotes the first part of 1 Enoch, called the Book of the Watchers: "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, has also prophesied about these individuals, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand saints to effect judgment on all and to convict every soul in relation to all their deeds of ungodliness that they did and all the harsh things ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (quoting 1 Enoch 1:9). It seems reasonable to conclude that Jude considered some portion of 1 Enoch actually to come from Enoch and, perhaps, even to be Scripture.
Since Jude already quotes the Book of the Watchers, it is easy to hear Jude 6 in the light of 1 Enoch as well. Jude 6 says, "the angels who did not keep their beginning but left their first dwelling have been kept for the judgment of the great day in eternal chains under gloom" (2 Pet. 2:4 incorporates the same material). While Christians naturally understand this statement in the light of Satan's fall, it seems more likely that Jude has in mind the fall of the watchers in the days of Noah. The sons of God (angels) have sex with the daughters of men (human women) and giants are born of the union. But God has the angels Raphael and Michael bind these angels in the valleys of the earth (1 Enoch 10:4, 11-12) until the day of judgment.
1 Enoch 6-11 tells the story as it was commonly understood by many Jews and early Christians. Tertullian in fact believed that this story held the key to 1 Corinthians 11 and the veiling of women. Women praying and prophesying, interacting with the spiritual realm, should have a veil on their heads because of angels like the ones that slept with women before the Flood. I don't personally go with this interpretation of 1 Cor. 11, but it does shed some light on how the ancients understood angels.
First, the ancients conceptualized angels as males, including male organs. There are no female angel names in the Bible or ancient Jewish literature. Secondly, not all angels are good. Paul mentions that Christians will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). It is possible that he has these same angels in mind! The question at least arises whether Jesus' comment that all will be like the angels in resurrection pictures the resurrection body as angelic (cf. Thomas 104).
It also seems most likely that 1 Peter 3:19-20 has this story in view. Christ, "having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in spirit, in which also having gone he preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed formerly when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah..." What other Jewish tradition involves the binding of spirits who sinned in the days of Noah? The idea is that as part of the end of the age, the resurrected Christ proclaimed judgment to the spirits of the fallen angels.
There are some more general ways in which the Book of the Watchers might give background to the thought of the New Testament and Jesus' ministry. One of the hallmarks of Jesus' ministry was his casting out of demons. How is it that demons have come to rule the earth? For 1 Enoch 12-16 (not for 1 Enoch 10:15), demons emerged from the dead bodies of the giants. God tells Enoch to tell the fallen watchers: "you originally existed as spirits, living forever... The spirits of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling; But now the giants who were begotten by the spirits and flesh--they will call them evil spirits on the earth, for their dwelling will be on the earth. The spirits that have gone forth from the body of their flesh are evil spirits" (15:6-9--Nickelsburg's new translation).
Not of immediate importance to the New Testament, but important background as we consider Jewish understandings of the afterlife, is 1 Enoch 22. In this passage we find four compartments for the dead. Those in two compartments are set. These are criminals who were punished on earth and the righteous who apparently died peaceful deaths. Those who face unfinished business are the righteous who were unjustly killed and the wicked who apparently died in peace. This chapter reminds us that not all Jews looked to a general resurrection. Indeed, it is not clear that we should think of a bodily resurrection in this chapter at all.
Astronomical Book (72-82; ca. 200BC)
I can't think of any significant background that this portion of 1 Enoch provides for the NT.
The Apocalypse of Weeks (93:1-10; 91:11-17; ca. 200-170BC)
The NT does not directly interact with this historical apocalypse. It is significant generally in the fact that it does not consider the current temple legitimate yet has no sense of a coming messiah or resurrection. There is perhaps a sense that the fallen angels will be replaced after they are judged with new "powers of heaven." Not clear at all from this context that these are resurrected righteous.
The Dream Visions and Animal Apocalypse (83-90, esp. 85-90; ca. 160BC)
Again, no specific interaction with the NT. Now there does seem to be a somewhat messianic figure along with the new temple (90:37), but in my opinion there is still no resurrection. The fact that "all the sheep" are in that house is more likely a reference to the gathering of Israel from the Diaspora (90:29). I am not convinced that the abyss full of fire (90:26-27) is different from the Valley ge Hinnom, since bones burn.
The Epistle of Enoch (92-105; some parts 1st century BC)
An extensive part of the middle section of this part of 1 Enoch is not attested at Qumran, leading Gabriele Boccaccini to suggest it was written after the group went to the Dead Sea (ca. 100BC). One of the striking passages in this section for me is 103:4: "The souls of the pious who have died will come to life, and they will rejoice and be glad; and their spirits will not perish." This is not a bodily resurrection. It is some sort of strange resurrection of spirits, perhaps like 1 Enoch 22.
Where this datum potentially impacts our understanding of the NT is realizing that there may have existed a category of resurrection among the Enoch-Essene trajectory that was not physical resurrection--as in 2 Maccabees and perhaps the Pharisees--but spirit resurrection, whatever that might mean.
And here let me give my support for this translation of Acts 23:8: "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angelic or spirit resurrection, but the Pharisees confess both." Whether this datum sheds light on Paul's spiritual body or 1 Peter's, "having been made alive in spirit," I don't know. It does, however, correct the (I believe) misconception that the Sadducees did not believe in angels. That idea is based solely on a faulty translation of this verse.
Similitudes of Enoch (37-71; late 1st century BC)
Perhaps the most important background 1 Enoch provides for the NT comes from the Parables of Enoch. This section of the collection is not attested at Qumran and the mention of the Parthians may date it to around 40-30BC. The most important intersections with the NT are:
1. The "Son of Man" as the Messiah. Jesus of course regularly referred to himself as the Son of Man. But what did he mean by this phrase? It was probably as ambiguous to his audiences as it has proved difficult for scholars to agree on. At times Jesus seems to use it to say little more than he is a guy, a son of man (Foxes have holes... the son of man has nowhere...). At other times the phrase has all the significance of Daniel 7:13, such as when Jesus tells the high priest that he will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62).
2. The Son of Man seems pre-existent in some way. The Parables at times came into focus in the early 80's in the question of how Christians came to see Christ as pre-existent. The dating of the Parables was a significant factor in that equation. The Son of Man was named before the stars of heaven were made (48:3). This "light of the nations" (cf. the servant of Isaiah 42) "was chosen and hidden in his presence before the world was created and forever" (48:6). It is possible, however, that the Son of Man is portrayed here as Wisdom (cf. 42:1).
3. The third parable features the Son of Man seated on a throne of glory judging the angels and all humanity (61:8; 62:2, 5). Earlier it is said that Sheol would give up all its dead, our first sense of general resurrection in the Enoch corpus (51:1 in the second parable, which also involves the Chosen One sitting on a throne, 51:3).
The parallels of these images with Matthew in particular are strong. Matthew 25:31-46 speaks of the Son of Man sitting on a throne with his angels with him, as in the Parables. Matthew in general has more fire, weeping and wailing, etc. as we find in 1 Enoch. This imagery is not nearly so prevalent in other intertestamental literature. Further, Matthew seems to adjust various Q material to portray Jesus as divine wisdom.
Of course the idea of Jesus on a throne judging the world also appears in Revelation 20:11. And Jesus destroys the lawless one with the breath of his mouth in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, just as the Chosen One slays all the sinners with the word of his mouth in 1 Enoch 62:2.
Conclusion
All in all, it seems very likely that Jesus and the authors of the NT were aware of and influenced by the Enoch corpus. It of course goes beyond the evidence to suggest that Christianity might have grown significantly from the Essene tradition. But that doesn't stop me from wondering...
The book of Jude makes the relevance of 1 Enoch for the NT beyond question. Jude 14 quotes the first part of 1 Enoch, called the Book of the Watchers: "Enoch, the seventh from Adam, has also prophesied about these individuals, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand saints to effect judgment on all and to convict every soul in relation to all their deeds of ungodliness that they did and all the harsh things ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (quoting 1 Enoch 1:9). It seems reasonable to conclude that Jude considered some portion of 1 Enoch actually to come from Enoch and, perhaps, even to be Scripture.
Since Jude already quotes the Book of the Watchers, it is easy to hear Jude 6 in the light of 1 Enoch as well. Jude 6 says, "the angels who did not keep their beginning but left their first dwelling have been kept for the judgment of the great day in eternal chains under gloom" (2 Pet. 2:4 incorporates the same material). While Christians naturally understand this statement in the light of Satan's fall, it seems more likely that Jude has in mind the fall of the watchers in the days of Noah. The sons of God (angels) have sex with the daughters of men (human women) and giants are born of the union. But God has the angels Raphael and Michael bind these angels in the valleys of the earth (1 Enoch 10:4, 11-12) until the day of judgment.
1 Enoch 6-11 tells the story as it was commonly understood by many Jews and early Christians. Tertullian in fact believed that this story held the key to 1 Corinthians 11 and the veiling of women. Women praying and prophesying, interacting with the spiritual realm, should have a veil on their heads because of angels like the ones that slept with women before the Flood. I don't personally go with this interpretation of 1 Cor. 11, but it does shed some light on how the ancients understood angels.
First, the ancients conceptualized angels as males, including male organs. There are no female angel names in the Bible or ancient Jewish literature. Secondly, not all angels are good. Paul mentions that Christians will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). It is possible that he has these same angels in mind! The question at least arises whether Jesus' comment that all will be like the angels in resurrection pictures the resurrection body as angelic (cf. Thomas 104).
It also seems most likely that 1 Peter 3:19-20 has this story in view. Christ, "having been put to death in the flesh but made alive in spirit, in which also having gone he preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed formerly when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah..." What other Jewish tradition involves the binding of spirits who sinned in the days of Noah? The idea is that as part of the end of the age, the resurrected Christ proclaimed judgment to the spirits of the fallen angels.
There are some more general ways in which the Book of the Watchers might give background to the thought of the New Testament and Jesus' ministry. One of the hallmarks of Jesus' ministry was his casting out of demons. How is it that demons have come to rule the earth? For 1 Enoch 12-16 (not for 1 Enoch 10:15), demons emerged from the dead bodies of the giants. God tells Enoch to tell the fallen watchers: "you originally existed as spirits, living forever... The spirits of heaven, in heaven is their dwelling; But now the giants who were begotten by the spirits and flesh--they will call them evil spirits on the earth, for their dwelling will be on the earth. The spirits that have gone forth from the body of their flesh are evil spirits" (15:6-9--Nickelsburg's new translation).
Not of immediate importance to the New Testament, but important background as we consider Jewish understandings of the afterlife, is 1 Enoch 22. In this passage we find four compartments for the dead. Those in two compartments are set. These are criminals who were punished on earth and the righteous who apparently died peaceful deaths. Those who face unfinished business are the righteous who were unjustly killed and the wicked who apparently died in peace. This chapter reminds us that not all Jews looked to a general resurrection. Indeed, it is not clear that we should think of a bodily resurrection in this chapter at all.
Astronomical Book (72-82; ca. 200BC)
I can't think of any significant background that this portion of 1 Enoch provides for the NT.
The Apocalypse of Weeks (93:1-10; 91:11-17; ca. 200-170BC)
The NT does not directly interact with this historical apocalypse. It is significant generally in the fact that it does not consider the current temple legitimate yet has no sense of a coming messiah or resurrection. There is perhaps a sense that the fallen angels will be replaced after they are judged with new "powers of heaven." Not clear at all from this context that these are resurrected righteous.
The Dream Visions and Animal Apocalypse (83-90, esp. 85-90; ca. 160BC)
Again, no specific interaction with the NT. Now there does seem to be a somewhat messianic figure along with the new temple (90:37), but in my opinion there is still no resurrection. The fact that "all the sheep" are in that house is more likely a reference to the gathering of Israel from the Diaspora (90:29). I am not convinced that the abyss full of fire (90:26-27) is different from the Valley ge Hinnom, since bones burn.
The Epistle of Enoch (92-105; some parts 1st century BC)
An extensive part of the middle section of this part of 1 Enoch is not attested at Qumran, leading Gabriele Boccaccini to suggest it was written after the group went to the Dead Sea (ca. 100BC). One of the striking passages in this section for me is 103:4: "The souls of the pious who have died will come to life, and they will rejoice and be glad; and their spirits will not perish." This is not a bodily resurrection. It is some sort of strange resurrection of spirits, perhaps like 1 Enoch 22.
Where this datum potentially impacts our understanding of the NT is realizing that there may have existed a category of resurrection among the Enoch-Essene trajectory that was not physical resurrection--as in 2 Maccabees and perhaps the Pharisees--but spirit resurrection, whatever that might mean.
And here let me give my support for this translation of Acts 23:8: "For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angelic or spirit resurrection, but the Pharisees confess both." Whether this datum sheds light on Paul's spiritual body or 1 Peter's, "having been made alive in spirit," I don't know. It does, however, correct the (I believe) misconception that the Sadducees did not believe in angels. That idea is based solely on a faulty translation of this verse.
Similitudes of Enoch (37-71; late 1st century BC)
Perhaps the most important background 1 Enoch provides for the NT comes from the Parables of Enoch. This section of the collection is not attested at Qumran and the mention of the Parthians may date it to around 40-30BC. The most important intersections with the NT are:
1. The "Son of Man" as the Messiah. Jesus of course regularly referred to himself as the Son of Man. But what did he mean by this phrase? It was probably as ambiguous to his audiences as it has proved difficult for scholars to agree on. At times Jesus seems to use it to say little more than he is a guy, a son of man (Foxes have holes... the son of man has nowhere...). At other times the phrase has all the significance of Daniel 7:13, such as when Jesus tells the high priest that he will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (Mark 14:62).
2. The Son of Man seems pre-existent in some way. The Parables at times came into focus in the early 80's in the question of how Christians came to see Christ as pre-existent. The dating of the Parables was a significant factor in that equation. The Son of Man was named before the stars of heaven were made (48:3). This "light of the nations" (cf. the servant of Isaiah 42) "was chosen and hidden in his presence before the world was created and forever" (48:6). It is possible, however, that the Son of Man is portrayed here as Wisdom (cf. 42:1).
3. The third parable features the Son of Man seated on a throne of glory judging the angels and all humanity (61:8; 62:2, 5). Earlier it is said that Sheol would give up all its dead, our first sense of general resurrection in the Enoch corpus (51:1 in the second parable, which also involves the Chosen One sitting on a throne, 51:3).
The parallels of these images with Matthew in particular are strong. Matthew 25:31-46 speaks of the Son of Man sitting on a throne with his angels with him, as in the Parables. Matthew in general has more fire, weeping and wailing, etc. as we find in 1 Enoch. This imagery is not nearly so prevalent in other intertestamental literature. Further, Matthew seems to adjust various Q material to portray Jesus as divine wisdom.
Of course the idea of Jesus on a throne judging the world also appears in Revelation 20:11. And Jesus destroys the lawless one with the breath of his mouth in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, just as the Chosen One slays all the sinners with the word of his mouth in 1 Enoch 62:2.
Conclusion
All in all, it seems very likely that Jesus and the authors of the NT were aware of and influenced by the Enoch corpus. It of course goes beyond the evidence to suggest that Christianity might have grown significantly from the Essene tradition. But that doesn't stop me from wondering...
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