Texts in Conversation
Revelation 16 introduces an angel in charge of the waters who announces that God’s judgments are just. This echoes 1 Enoch 66, where angels are given authority to control the cosmic waters beneath the earth which are used for judgment.
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1 Enoch 66:2
Pseudepigrapha
1 After that, he showed me the angels of punishment who are prepared to unleash all the powers of the waters beneath the earth to bring judgment and destruction upon all who dwell on the earth. 2 The Lord of Spirits commanded the angels who were about to go forth not to let the waters rise but to hold them back, as these angels had authority over the powers of the waters. 3 Then I left the presence of Enoch.
Date: 200-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Revelation 16:5
New Testament
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.” 2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then ugly and painful sores appeared on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. 3 Next, the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died. 4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Now I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are just—the one who is and who was, the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments, 6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets, so you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!” 7 Then I heard the altar reply, “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful, your judgments are true and just!”
Date: 92-96 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... The angel of water is an expression which is found nowhere else. In 7:1, we have four angels who control the four winds, and in 14:18, the angel who has power over fire. In Enoch 66:2, we read of angels who were over the powers of the waters and who had the power to hold back the waters. The voice of this angel proclaims the justice of God's judgments upon those who have shed the blood of those who were loyal to God. The judgment of those who have martyred the saints is suited to the evil they have done. This is only what men deserve ..."
Ladd, George Eldon
A Commentary on the Revelation of John
(p. 211) William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993
* 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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