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1 Enoch

About this book
Chapter 48

1 In that place, I saw the fountain of righteousness which was inexhaustible; around it were many fountains of wisdom. All the thirsty drank from them, were filled with wisdom, and their dwellings were with the righteous, holy, and elect.⁠ 2 At that time, the Son of Man was named in the presence of the Lord of Spirits, and his name was acknowledged before the Head of Days. 3 Yes, before the sun and the signs were created, before the stars of heaven were made, his name was known before the Lord of Spirits. 4 He will be a staff for the righteous to lean on and not fall, and he will be the light of the Gentiles, and the hope for those who are troubled of heart.⁠ 5 All who dwell on earth shall bow and worship before him, and will praise, bless, and sing to celebrate the Lord of Spirits.⁠ 6 For this reason, he has been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world⁠ and forever.⁠ 7 The wisdom of the Lord of Spirits has revealed him to the holy and righteous; for he has preserved all of the righteous because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,⁠ and have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:⁠ for in his name they are saved, and it has been according to his good pleasure in regard to their life.⁠ 8 In these days, the kings of the earth who own the land will look downcast because of the works of their hands; for on the day of their trouble and affliction, they will not be able to save themselves.⁠ 9 And I will hand them over to the hands of my elect: as straw in the fire, they shall burn before the face of the holy; as lead in the water, they shall sink before the face of the righteous,⁠ and no trace of them shall be found anymore.⁠ 10 On the day of their affliction, there shall be peace on the earth. They shall fall before them and not rise again; and there shall be no one to help them up, for they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed.⁠ Blessed be the name of the Lord of Spirits.

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 48:6 and 1 Peter 1:20

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

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Summary

1 Peter says Jesus was known by God before the world was created and revealed later. 1 Enoch similarly describes a messianic figure hidden before creation who is later revealed as the hope of the righteous and a light for all the nations.

Passages

1 Enoch 48:6

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
4 He will be a staff for the righteous to lean on and not fall, and he will be the light of the Gentiles, and the hope for those who are troubled of heart. 5 All who dwell on earth shall bow and worship before him, and will praise, bless, and sing to celebrate the Lord of Spirits. 6 For this reason, he has been chosen and hidden before Him, before the creation of the world and forever. 7 The wisdom of the Lord of Spirits has revealed him to the holy and righteous; for he has preserved all of the righteous because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness, and have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits: for in his name they are saved, and it has been according to his good pleasure in regard to their life.
300 BCE – 100 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Enoch

1 Peter 1:20

New Testament
16 for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.” 17 And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. 18 You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
80–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Peter

References

"... there are two additional compelling reasons that Jewish messianic expectations cannot be treated as determinative for Christian Christology. First, Jewish messianic expectations were not uniform to begin with. The diversity of Jewish messianic expectation is a point on which scholars of early Judaism agree. The Qumran community expected the prophet of Deuteronomy 18 and two messiahs, one priestly and one kingly. These all seem to be human messianic figures. But 1 Enoch, by contrast, shows no interest in a human Davidic messiah and looked ahead to a heavenly angelic messiah built upon the “Son of Man” figure in Daniel 7. Smith claims that the promised descendant of David “is never described in the Hebrew Bible as already in existence.” But some Jews thought that the Messiah was already in existence, hidden in God’s presence in heaven prior to creation ..."
Charles Lee Irons et al., The Son of God: Three Views of the Identity of Jesus (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2015), 148–149.

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 48:6 and 1 Peter 1:20

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