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1 Enoch

About this book
Chapter 40

1 After that I saw thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, a multitude beyond number and reckoning, who stood before the Lord of Spirits.⁠ 2 On the four sides of the Lord of Spirits I saw four presences, different from those that do not sleep, and I learned their names; for the angel who went with me made their names known to me and showed me all the hidden things. 3 I heard the voices of those four presences as they spoke praises before the Lord of glory. 4 The first voice blesses the Lord of Spirits forever and ever. 5 The second voice I heard blessing the Elect One and the elect ones who depend on the Lord of Spirits. 6 The third voice I heard praying and interceding for those who dwell on the earth and making requests in the name of the Lord of Spirits. 7 The fourth voice I heard fending off the Satans, forbidding them to come before the Lord of Spirits to accuse those who dwell on the earth.⁠ 8 After that I asked the angel of peace who went with me,⁠ who showed me everything that is hidden: 'Who are these four presences I have seen, whose words I have heard and written down?' 9 He said to me: 'The first is Michael, the merciful and patient; the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael; the third, who is set over all the powers,⁠ is Gabriel; and the fourth, who is set over the repentance that leads to hope for those who inherit eternal life,⁠ is named Phanuel.' 10 These are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits, and the four voices I heard in those days.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 40:1 and Daniel 7:10

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Daniel 7 describes the Ancient of Days on a throne and served by countless heavenly beings, echoed in 1 Enoch 40 with its crowded heavenly court. Both build on Deuteronomy 33, where God comes with an army of holy ones.

Passages

1 Enoch 40:1

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
1 After that I saw thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, a multitude beyond number and reckoning, who stood before the Lord of Spirits. 2 On the four sides of the Lord of Spirits I saw four presences, different from those that do not sleep, and I learned their names; for the angel who went with me made their names known to me and showed me all the hidden things. 3 I heard the voices of those four presences as they spoke praises before the Lord of glory.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

Daniel 7:10

Hebrew Bible
9 “While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was ablaze with fire, and its wheels were all aflame. 10 A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from his presence. Many thousands were ministering to him; many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. The court convened, and the books were opened. 11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into the flaming fire. 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their ruling authority had already been removed, though they were permitted to go on living for a time and a season.
200–101 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Daniel

References

"... The idea that these kingdoms 'shall serve the dominion of His Anointed' (verse 4) could well be a supplement from Daniel 7:14a. How these kingdoms will serve the Messiah and yet also subsequently be destroyed is not clear, although it may be that those among these kingdoms who have submitted to the messianic reign are pictured in verse 4. The portrayal of the earthly kingdoms as 'mountains' may have been thought of because the 'mountain' of Daniel 2:35 also represents a kingdom (i.e., a divine kingdom; compare Daniel 2:44). Especially striking is the fact that the 'revealed mystery' can be considered an eschatological mystery (Note the possible combination of the Daniel 2 mystery idea with Daniel 7:10 in 1 Enoch 40:1-2) as in Daniel 2, since it concerns God's defeat of the world kingdoms and the establishment of the divine kingdom. Thus, the Daniel 2 background stands behind the creative picture of 1 Enoch 52:2-6, although it is not certain whether there has been direct dependence on Daniel itself or on a Daniel tradition. Perhaps the extent of creativity points to the latter option ..."
G. K. Beale, The Use of Daniel in Jewish Apocalyptic Literature and in the Revelation of St. John (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010), 107–108.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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1 Enoch 40:1 and Daniel 7:10

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