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In Daniel, the heavenly court opens its records for judgment. In 3 Enoch, the Prince of the World speaks for the world each day as the records open, adding a defender to the same scene of judgment.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Daniel 7:9
Hebrew Bible
9 “While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool. His throne was ablaze with fire, and its wheels were all aflame. 10 A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from his presence. Many thousands were ministering to him; many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him. The court convened, and the books were opened. 11 “Then I kept on watching because of the arrogant words of the horn that was speaking. I was watching until the beast was killed and its body destroyed and thrown into the flaming fire.
3 Enoch 30:1
Hebrew Book of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
R. Ishmael said: Metatron, the Angel, the Prince of the Presence, said to me: Whenever the Great Beth Din is seated in the Araboth Raqia' on high there is no opening of the mouth for anyone in the world save those great princes who are called H' by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. How many are those princes? Seventy-two princes of the kingdoms of the world besides the Prince of the World who speaks (pleads) in favour of the world before the Holy One, blessed be He, every day, at the hour when the book is opened in which are recorded all the doings of the world, according as it is written (Dan. vii. 10): "The judgement was set and the books were opened."
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Notes and References
“... The heavenly law court
Building on such biblical texts as 1 Kings 22:19-22, Psalm 82; Job 1:6-12, and especially
Daniel 7:9f., the rabbis taught that there is a heavenly law court (bet din Selema'aldh or
pamalyd' Selenufaldh, in its narrower sense) over which God presides (b.Sanh 38b; ExR
30:18; LevR 24:2). It was regarded as the heavenly counterpart of the earthly Sanhedrin
(b.Sanh 99b; b.Ber 16b/17a), and there was earnest discussion as to the relative jurisdictions
of the two courts (b.Makk 23b; Pesiqta
5 deRab Kahana 5:13, ed. Buber, 48a; cf. DeutR 5:5;
GenR 26:6). The heavenly law court is one of the main themes of 3 Enoch, and its sessions
are covered in detail. There are three main blocks of material: (1) 28:7-10; 30:1-33:2; (2)
26:12; and (3) 18:19-21. It is characteristic of 3 Enoch that the heavenly assize is not the
eschatological last judgment, after the resurrection of the dead (cf. b.Sanh 91b; LevR 4:5),
but a judgment that takes place daily (3En 28:7, 9; 26:12; cf. GenR 50:3). According to 3
Enoch 30: If. the court is made up of seventy-two princes of kingdoms and the Prince of the ...”
Philip S. Alexander
"3 (Hebrew Apocalypse of) Enoch" in James H. Charlesworth (ed.) The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, Volume 1
(p. 244) Doubleday, 1983
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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