Texts in Conversation
Revelation describes two unnamed witnesses who prophesy against the beast and are martyred. The Apocalypse of Peter is the earliest text to identify them as Enoch and Elijah, sent to expose the deceiver before the world.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Revelation 11:3
New Testament
2 But do not measure the outer courtyard of the temple; leave it out because it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.) 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths and completely consumes their enemies. If anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way.
Apocalypse of Peter 1:8
Revelation of Peter
Early Christian
8 The Lord answered and said to me: Do you not understand that the fig tree is the house of Israel? It is like a man who planted a fig tree in his garden, and it bore no fruit. He sought its fruit for many years, and when he found none, he said to the keeper of his garden: Pull up this fig tree, so it does not make our ground unfruitful. And the gardener said to God: Let us rid it of weeds, dig the ground around it, and water it. If then it bears no fruit, we will at once remove its roots from the garden and plant another in its place. Have you not understood that the fig tree is the house of Israel? Truly I tell you, when its twigs have sprouted in the last days, false Christs will come and stir up expectation, saying: I am the Christ, who has now come into the world. And when Israel perceives the wickedness of their deeds, they will turn away from them and deny him, even the first Christ whom they crucified, and in this they sinned a great sin. But this deceiver is not the Christ. And when they reject him, he will slay with the sword, and there will be many martyrs. Then the twigs of the fig tree, that is, the house of Israel, will sprout forth: many will become martyrs at his hand. Enoch and Elijah will be sent to teach them that this is the deceiver who must come into the world and do signs and wonders to deceive. Therefore those who die at his hand will be martyrs, and will be counted among the good and righteous martyrs who have pleased God in their life.
Search:
Notes and References
“... Probably the first testimony of the identification of the two witnesses with Enoch and Elijah is contained in the Apocalypse of Peter (2nd century): ‘Enoch and Elijah will be sent to instruct them that this is the deceiver who must come into the world and do signs and wonders to deceive. And on account of this those who died by his hand will be martyrs (...).’ (2:11-13). In the beginning of the third century, Tertullian likewise mentions these two figures together, proving that death is the fate of all men: ‘Enoch was translated, and so was Elijah; nor did they experience death. It was postponed (and only postponed,) most certainly; they are reserved for the suffering of death, that by their blood they may extinguish Antichrist’ (A Treatise on the Soul 50). This is the first text that unambiguously denies what was held both in early Christianity and pre-Christian Judaism: that Enoch and Elijah did not die ...”
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.