Texts in Conversation
Jesus in Matthew 25 echoes 1 Enoch in describing a fiery place of punishment for the unrighteous and rebellious angels. Both portray it as a prison of judgment, showing that Matthew may be drawing from established Jewish apocalyptic traditions.
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1 Enoch 10:13
Pseudepigrapha
12 And when their sons have killed each other, and they have seen the destruction of their loved ones, bind them fast for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth, until the day of their judgment and their ultimate end, until the judgment that lasts forever is completed. 13 In those days they will be taken to the abyss of fire: to the torment and the prison where they will be confined forever. And whoever is condemned and destroyed will henceforth be bound together with them till the end of all ages. 15 And destroy all the spirits of the corrupt and the children of the Watchers, because they have wronged mankind. Remove all evil from the face of the earth and let every wicked deed end: and let the plants of righteousness and truth emerge; and let them be a blessing. The deeds of righteousness and truth will be planted in truth and joy forevermore.
Date: 200-50 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Matthew 25:41
New Testament
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
Date: 70-90 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... This is strikingly similar to the theology put forth in (taken collectively) Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 20:15; 21:8, where the wicked unrighteous suffer the same fate in the same place as the beast, the devil, his angels, and the false prophet. Nevertheless, 1 Enoch is not consistent in this regard ..."
Heiser, Michael S.
A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary, Vol. 1
(pp. 122-123) Defender Publishing, 2019
* 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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