Texts in Conversation
1 Enoch 47 depicts a heavenly courtroom where books are opened for judgment. In Luke, Jesus echoes this tradition and refers to names written in heavenly books. Both are based on an ancient Near Eastern tradition of heavenly tablets that record destiny.
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1 Enoch 47:3
Pseudepigrapha
2 In those days, the holy ones who dwell above in the heavens shall unite with one voice to supplicate, pray, praise, give thanks, and bless the name of the Lord of Spirits on behalf of the blood of the righteous that has been shed, so that the prayers of the righteous may not be in vain before the Lord of Spirits, that justice may be done for them, and that they may not suffer forever. 3 In those days, I saw the Head of Days when He seated himself upon the throne of His glory, and the books of the living were opened before Him; and all His host which is in heaven above and His counselors stood before Him. 4 And the hearts of the holy were filled with joy because the number of the righteous had been offered, the prayer of the righteous had been heard, and the blood of the righteous had been required before the Lord of Spirits.
Date: 200-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Luke 10:20
New Testament
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you! 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades! 16 “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” 18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.”
Date: 75-85 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... your names stand written in heaven! Literally, 'your names have been written (and remain so) in the heavens.' Compare 1QS 7:2. Jesus' words allude to the Old Testament idea of the heavenly book of the living or of life, the registry of those who belong to God's upright people. The image is drawn from the ancient records of cities or kingdoms, which listed the citizens who belonged to them. For the Old Testament background, see Exodus 32:32-33; Psalms 69:28; 56:9; 87:6; Isaiah 4:3; 34:16; Daniel 12:1; Malachi 3:16-17. The idea is further reflected in several New Testament passages: Philippians 4:3; Hebrews 12:23; Revelation 3:5; 13:8. Compare the use of it in intertestamental literature: Jubilees 30:19-23; 1 Enoch 47:3; 104:1,7; 108:3 ..."
Fitzmyer, Joseph A.
The Gospel According to Luke: Introduction, Translation, and Notes
(p. 863) Doubleday, 1981
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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