The Second Parable

Chapter 45

1 This is the Second Parable concerning those who deny the name of the dwelling of the holy ones and the Lord of Spirits. 2 They shall not ascend into heaven, nor shall they come upon the earth: such is the fate of the sinners who have denied the name of the Lord of Spirits, who are set aside for the day of suffering and tribulation. 3 On that day, My Elect One shall sit on the throne of glory and shall judge their works, and their places of rest shall be innumerable.⁠ And their souls shall grow strong within them when they see My Elect Ones, and those who have called upon My glorious name. 4 Then I will cause My Elect One to dwell among them.⁠ And I will transform the heaven and make it an eternal blessing and light.⁠ 5 And I will transform the earth and make it a blessing; and I will cause My elect ones to dwell upon it. But the sinners and evildoers shall not set foot on it. 6 For I have provided and satisfied with peace My righteous ones and have caused them to dwell before Me. But for the sinners, there is judgment impending with Me, so that I shall destroy them from the face of the earth.⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 34:16 and 1 Enoch 45:6

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

Summary

Psalm 34 declares that the unrighteous will be opposed and their memory erased, and 1 Enoch uses the same language to describe the destruction of the unrighteous. Both teach that only a faithful remnant will endure from the larger community.

Passages

Psalm 34:16

Hebrew Bible

14 Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it. 15 The Lord pays attention to the godly and hears their cry for help. 16 But the Lord opposes evildoers and wipes out all memory of them from the earth. 17 The godly cry out and the Lord hears; he saves them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near the brokenhearted; he delivers those who are discouraged.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Enoch 45:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

4 Then I will cause My Elect One to dwell among them. And I will transform the heaven and make it an eternal blessing and light. 5 And I will transform the earth and make it a blessing; and I will cause My elect ones to dwell upon it. But the sinners and evildoers shall not set foot on it. 6 For I have provided and satisfied with peace My righteous ones and have caused them to dwell before Me. But for the sinners, there is judgment impending with Me, so that I shall destroy them from the face of the earth.

300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

References

"... unlike the writings of the Qumran community, the notion of ‘true Israel’ as associated with a particular group within the people of Israel does not appear in the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal books. Indeed, the Qumran community, which is usually identified with the Essenes, regard themselves as ‘the remnant’ of the ‘holy people’ of Israel, who, out of God’s mercy, was not let go astray from his Covenant (1QM 14). They are the ‘congregation of men of perfect holiness’ who enter a ‘New Covenant’ with God in the land of Damascus’ and, therefore, are the ‘redeemed’ who alone are ‘destined to live for ever’ to inherit the world to come while the rest of the children of Jacob perish (CD 3–15). This covenant is also called the ‘covenant of the everlasting Community’ and there is no remedy for those who do not partake in this new covenant as well as those who backslide from it (1QS 3). In the Gospels, on the other hand, while there is no mention of a remnant of Israel, it is still declared: ‘Although many are called, few are chosen’ (Matt. 20:16). Despite an overall emphasis on a combination of obedience, repentance, and God’s mercy, leading to salvation for all Israel, the idea of a ‘(righteous) remnant’ arises in the apocryphal and pseudepigraphical writings as well (Tobit 13:16; Sirach 47:22; 2 Baruch 40:2; 2 Esdras 13:48–9). There is an apparent acceptance that not all Israel is righteous or repentant, but rather that some among them are wicked and therefore will share the same fate as the gentiles, namely eternal damnation and destruction (1 Enoch 45:6; 81:8; Sirach 5:1–7; 21:10; 41:5–11; 2 Esdras 15:24-26) ..."

S. Leyla Gürkan, The Jews as a Chosen People: Tradition and Transformation, Routledge Jewish Studies Series (Abingdon: Routledge, 2009).

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

The Second Parable

1 Enoch108 chapters

Compare Psalm 34:16 and 1 Enoch 45:6

Summary

Passages

Psalm 34:16

1 Enoch 45:6

References

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