1 Enoch

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Chapter 9

1 Then Michael, Uriel, Raphael, and Gabriel looked down from heaven⁠ and saw much blood being shed on the earth, and all the lawlessness being committed on the earth.⁠ 2 They said to one another: 'The earth, left without inhabitants, cries out, and the voice of their crying reaches the gates of heaven.'⁠ 3 'And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men plead, saying, "Present our case before the Most High."'⁠ 4 They said to the Lord of the ages:⁠ 'Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings,⁠ and God of the ages,⁠ the throne of Your glory stands through all generations,⁠ and Your name is holy and glorious and blessed through all ages!⁠ 5 You have created all things, and over all things You have power. All things are open and visible in Your sight, and You see everything, and nothing can hide from You.⁠ 6 You see what Azâzêl has done, who has taught all unrighteousness on the earth and revealed the eternal secrets that were kept in heaven,⁠ which men were eager to learn.⁠ 7 And Semjâzâ, to whom You gave the authority to rule over his companions. 8 They have gone to the daughters of men on the earth, have lain with the women, have defiled themselves, and revealed to them all kinds of sins. 9 The women have borne giants, and as a result the whole earth has been filled with blood and unrighteousness. 10 And now the souls of those who have died are crying out and pleading at the gates of heaven, and their laments have risen up; they cannot stop because of the lawless acts committed on the earth.⁠ 11 You know all things before they happen, and You see these things and allow them, and You do not tell us what we should do about them.'⁠

Texts in conversation

Compare 1 Enoch 9:5 and Hebrews 4:13

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · New Testament

Summary

1 Enoch 9 and Hebrews 4 teach that “all things are open and visible” to God, showing a common belief that nothing is hidden from divine judgment. 1 Enoch applies this to the Watchers, while Hebrews applies it to every person.

Passages

1 Enoch 9:5

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

3 'And now to you, the holy ones of heaven, the souls of men plead, saying, "Present our case before the Most High."' 4 They said to the Lord of the ages: 'Lord of lords, God of gods, King of kings, and God of the ages, the throne of Your glory stands through all generations, and Your name is holy and glorious and blessed through all ages! 5 You have created all things, and over all things You have power. All things are open and visible in Your sight, and You see everything, and nothing can hide from You. 6 You see what Azâzêl has done, who has taught all unrighteousness on the earth and revealed the eternal secrets that were kept in heaven, which men were eager to learn.

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

Hebrews 4:13

New Testament

11 Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. 14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.

80–90 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Hebrews

References

"... if these angels reside “in heaven” and are “always” in the presence of God, we must question whether they could be constantly present with the “little ones” on earth, invisibly protecting them. All the same, if they reside in heaven, then their primary function may be to watch God’s chosen, intercede for them, and perhaps request judgment against those who harm them (compare Rev 8:4; Job 5:1[LXX]; Tobit 12.12‑15; 1 Enoch 9:3; 15.2; Testament of Dan 6.1; Pseudo‑Philo L.A.B. 15.5; 1QS 2.9; Origen Stromata 5.14; 7:12; Augustine City of God 7.30; 10.25). Occasionally, I suppose that if God so chooses, such beings might be “sent” to assist, guide, or protect the faithful on earth. So what can we say about guardian angels? Although the term itself is not found in Scripture as such, angels do exist, but not necessarily as commonly described in popular and religious cultures. Even so, Matthew 18:10 describes angels in heaven who watch and perhaps intercede for believers. One way or another, then, God sees and knows what is happening to the faithful (see Hebrews 4:13) ..."

B. J. Oropeza, Do Guardian Angels Exist? (Patheos, 2021), 1–10.

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 1 Enoch 9:5 and Hebrews 4:13

Summary

Passages

1 Enoch 9:5

Hebrews 4:13

References

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