1 Enoch

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Chapter 71

1 After that my spirit was taken up, and I ascended into the heavens. I saw the holy sons of God walking on flames of fire; their garments were white, and their faces shone like snow. 2 I saw two streams of fire, and the light from the fire was like hyacinth. Overwhelmed, I fell on my face before the Lord of Spirits.⁠ 3 The archangel Michael took me by my right hand, lifted me up, and led me through all the secrets, showing me all the secrets of righteousness. 4 He revealed to me all the secrets of the ends of heaven, and all the chambers of the stars and the lights, from where they come out before the holy ones. 5 My spirit was taken into the highest heaven, where I saw a structure built of crystals with tongues of living fire between them.⁠ 6 I saw the band of fire surrounding this fiery house, with streams of living fire on all four sides. 7 Around it were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophanim, who do not sleep and guard the throne of His glory. 8 There I saw countless angels, thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, surrounding the house.⁠ Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Phanuel, and the holy angels from above the heavens went in and out of the house. 9 They came out of that house, and along with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Phanuel came many holy angels beyond number. 10 With them was the Head of Days,⁠ whose head was white and pure as wool, and whose garments were beyond description. 11 Overcome, I fell on my face, my whole body went limp, and my spirit was transformed;⁠ I cried out with a loud voice, blessing, glorifying, and exalting Him. 12 These blessings from my mouth pleased the Head of Days.⁠ 13 The Head of Days came with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Phanuel, accompanied by thousands and tens of thousands of angels beyond number. 14 One of the angels came to me and said, 'This is the Son of Man who was born for righteousness. Righteousness dwells with him, and the righteousness of the Head of Days never leaves him.' 15 He told me, 'He proclaims peace to you in the name of the world to come. Since the creation of the world, peace has come from here, and so it will be for you forever.' 16 'All will follow his path because righteousness never leaves him. They will dwell with him, and their inheritance will be with him, never to be separated from him forever.' 17 'So the Son of Man will have long days,⁠ and the righteous will have peace and walk in upright ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits forever.'

Texts in conversation

Compare Deuteronomy 33:2 and 1 Enoch 71:8

Hebrew Bible · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

Summary

Deuteronomy 33 describes God’s appearance accompanied by ten thousand holy ones, a scene that later traditions interpreted as an army of angels. 1 Enoch 71 draws on this imagery, portraying vast multitudes of angels surrounding the heavenly temple.

Passages

Deuteronomy 33:2

Hebrew Bible

1 This is the blessing Moses the man of God pronounced upon the Israelites before his death. 2 He said: “The Lord came from Sinai and revealed himself to Israel from Seir. He appeared in splendor from Mount Paran, and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. With his right hand he gave a fiery law to them. 3 Surely he loves the people; all your holy ones are in your hand⁸. And they sit at your feet, each receiving your words. 4 Moses delivered to us a law, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob.

750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Deuteronomy

1 Enoch 71:8

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

6 I saw the band of fire surrounding this fiery house, with streams of living fire on all four sides. 7 Around it were Seraphim, Cherubim, and Ophanim, who do not sleep and guard the throne of His glory. 8 There I saw countless angels, thousands of thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand, surrounding the house. Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, Phanuel, and the holy angels from above the heavens went in and out of the house. 9 They came out of that house, and along with Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Phanuel came many holy angels beyond number. 10 With them was the Head of Days, whose head was white and pure as wool, and whose garments were beyond description.

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

References

"... As with chapter 32, this text is thought to be older than the earlier portions of Deuteronomy, and it has possible connections to Judges 5 and 2 Samuel 22. Deuteronomy 33:2 seems to be a reference to the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai, though commentators have suggested otherwise. Michalak views Deuteronomy 33:2-3 as alluding to military activity. Although the text of Exodus does not mention these heavenly beings at Sinai, the passage from Deuteronomy is alluded to in several later texts (Compare Psalm 68:16-18; Daniel 7:10; Jude 14-15; Revelation 5:11; 1 Enoch 1:17, 14:22, 71:8-9, 13. See also texts regarding the parousia: Matthew 24:30-31; Mark 8:38; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; Hebrews 12:18-24, etc.) and is apparently the basis for later claims that the law was given by angels. In Deuteronomy 33:2 קדש (here a noun) is in the singular where one might expect the word to be plural, as the number modifying קדש is רבבת in the plural. Indeed, many scholars believe that the text probably should be read as “holy ones” (taking the singular noun as a collective), not “Holy One,” or a place name. The Masoretic text reading here is the same as in the Samaritan Pentateuch, while the DSS is fragmentary (4Q45 f42_43:1). Both the LXX (Codices Alexandrinus and Vaticanus) and the Targums differ from the Masoretic tradition. The Targum says “ten thousand holy ones”. The LXX treats קדש as a place name (Καδης), but then adds “from his right, angels with him”. What is significant is that all of these textual traditions provide evidence of multiple lesser beings in the company of YHWH ..."

Joni Amanda McGuire-Moushon, “Angels and Sub-Divine Supernatural Beings: Their Characteristics, Function, and Relationship to God and Humanity in Deuteronomy-Kings” (diss., Andrews University, 2019), 32–33.

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

1 Enoch108 chapters

Compare Deuteronomy 33:2 and 1 Enoch 71:8

Summary

Passages

Deuteronomy 33:2

1 Enoch 71:8

References

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