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Revelation

About this book
Chapter 19

1 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 because his judgments are true and just. For he has judged the great prostitutewho corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and has avenged the blood of his servants poured out by her own hands!” 3 Then a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever. 4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: “Praise our Godall you his servants, and all you who fear him, both the small and the great!” 6 Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-Powerful, reigns! 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.⁠ 8 She was permitted to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!” He also said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 So I threw myself down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “Do not do this! I am only a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony about Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 11 Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse!⁠ The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war.⁠ 12 His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head.⁠ He has a name written that no one knows except himself.⁠ 13 He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God.⁠ 14 The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword so that with it he can strike the nations.⁠ He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful.⁠ 16 He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: “King of kings and Lord of lords.”⁠ 17 Then I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying high in the sky: “Come, gather around for the great banquet of God, 18 to eat your fill of the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of powerful people, the flesh of horses and those who ride them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 20 Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf—signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.⁠ 21 The others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh.

Texts in conversation

Compare Revelation 19:12 and 3 Enoch 17:8

New Testament · Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses

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Summary

In Revelation, Jesus appears wearing crowns and royal robes, riding a white horse, and accompanied by a heavenly army. 3 Enoch describes a similar moment, with angels in a heavenly army riding horses and chariots, wearing crowns.

Passages

Revelation 19:12

New Testament
11 Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war. 12 His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. 13 He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. 14 The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth extends a sharp sword so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful.
92–96 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in Revelation

3 Enoch 17:8

Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses · Hebrew Book of Enoch
8 And over them are SEVENTY-TWO PRINCES OF KINGDOMS on high corresponding to the 72 tongues of the world. And all of them are crowned with royal crowns and clad in royal garments and wrapped in royal cloaks. And all of them are riding on royal horses and they are holding royal sceptres in their hands. And before each one of them when he is travelling in Raqia', royal servants are running with great glory and majesty even as on earth they (princes) are travelling in chariot(s) with horsemen and great armies and in glory and greatness with praise, song and honour.
400–600 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 3 Enoch

References

“... A potential parallel for Christ's description in angelic categories in 3 Enoch might be promising, because some of the elements which are attributed to angels there seem to match with Apc 19. In 3 Enoch 17: 8, a certain group of angels (the 72 princes of kingdoms corresponding to the 72 nations of the world) are crowned with kingly crowns (cp. the diadem in Apc 19: 12 and the crown in Apc 14: 14). They wear special garments (cp. Apc 19: 13.16), ride horses (like Christ in Apc 19: 11-21). and hold a sceptre (cp. the staff in Apc 19: 15). Further, like Christ in Apc 19: 14, they are accompanied by heavenly armies. The number of parallels between the angels in 3 Enoch and Apc 19 seems to be rather impressive. However, the dating of 3 Enoch - written centuries after the Apocalypse - indicates that an influence of the angelological concepts on Apc 19 is entirely out of question. It can only be assumed that the author of 3 Enoch created his own angelological concept which coincidentialy matches the description of Christ in Apc 19, or that both passages draw on similar material for their representations. Such passages might involve Daniel 10: 5-6 (for the garment), Psalm 2 (for the staff/sceptre), or Daniel 10: 13.21; 12: 1 (for the leadership of a heavenly army). ...”
Matthias Reinhard Hoffmann, “Angelomorphic Christology and the Book of Revelation” (PhD diss., The University of Durham, 2003), 217.

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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Revelation 19:12 and 3 Enoch 17:8

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