Chronological timeline of texts tagged with Heavenly Tablets
About This Tag
The concept of heavenly tablets (later referred to as heavenly scrolls), found all throughout history from the ancient Near East, to the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and into the Rabbinic era is often described as a divine ledger, recording the fates of individuals, nations, and the cosmos itself. These divine records are believed to be maintained by celestial beings or a supreme authority, ensuring cosmic justice and order. Whether viewed as a book of life, a cosmic register, or an eternal archive, the heavenly tablets symbolize the ultimate record-keeping system of the universe, where nothing is forgotten, and all is weighed with divine precision.
Note: Dates shown in this timeline are approximate and based on scholarly estimates.
Back to Tag5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition)
Exodus 32:32
Hebrew Bible
31 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin, and they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32 But now, if you will forgive their sin…, but if not, wipe me out from your book that you have written.” 33 The Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me—that person I will wipe out of my book. 34 So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. See, my angel will go before you. But on the day that I punish, I will indeed punish them for their sin.”
5th Century B.C.E.
Malachi 3:16
Hebrew Bible
14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord of Heaven’s Armies? 15 So now we consider the arrogant to be blessed; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!’” 16 Then those who respected the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. 17 “They will belong to me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.
6th-3rd Centuries B.C.E.
Psalm 69:28
Hebrew Bible
26 For they harass the one whom you discipline; they spread the news about the suffering of those whom you punish. 27 Hold them accountable for all their sins. Do not vindicate them. 28 May their names be deleted from the scroll of the living. Do not let their names be listed with the godly. 29 I am oppressed and suffering. O God, deliver and protect me. 30 I will sing praises to God’s name. I will magnify him as I give him thanks.
2nd Century B.C.E.
Daniel 12:1
Hebrew Bible
1 “At that time Michael, the great prince who watches over your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress unlike any other from the nation’s beginning up to that time. But at that time your own people, all those whose names are found written in the book, will escape. 2 Many of those who sleep in the dusty ground will awake—some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting abhorrence. 3 But the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavenly expanse. And those bringing many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.
100-50 B.C.E.
Wisdom of Solomon 11:16
Deuterocanon
14 For though they had mockingly rejected him who long before had been cast out and exposed, at the end of the events they marveled at him, when they felt thirst in a different way from the righteous. 15 In return for their foolish and wicked thoughts, which led them astray to worship irrational serpents and worthless animals, you sent upon them a multitude of irrational creatures to punish them, 16 so that they might learn that one is punished by the very things by which one sins. 17 For your all-powerful hand, which created the world out of formless matter, did not lack the means to send upon them a multitude of bears, or bold lions,
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 47:3
Pseudepigrapha
2 In those days, the holy ones who dwell above in the heavens shall unite with one voice to supplicate, pray, praise, give thanks, and bless the name of the Lord of Spirits on behalf of the blood of the righteous that has been shed, so that the prayers of the righteous may not be in vain before the Lord of Spirits, that justice may be done for them, and that they may not suffer forever. 3 In those days, I saw the Head of Days when He seated himself upon the throne of His glory, and the books of the living were opened before Him; and all His host which is in heaven above and His counselors stood before Him. 4 And the hearts of the holy were filled with joy because the number of the righteous had been offered, the prayer of the righteous had been heard, and the blood of the righteous had been required before the Lord of Spirits.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 81:1
Pseudepigrapha
1 He said to me, 'Look closely, Enoch, at these heavenly tablets, read what is written on them, and pay attention to every detail.' 2 I examined the heavenly tablets, read everything written on them, understood it all, and read the book detailing all the actions of humankind and of all flesh that will exist on the earth for generations to come. 3 Immediately, I praised the great Lord, the King of glory, forever, for creating all the works of the world. I praised the Lord for His patience and blessed Him because of humanity.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 98:7
Pseudepigrapha
5 And barrenness has not been given to the woman, but because of the deeds of her own hands she dies without children. 6 I have sworn unto you, sinners, by the Holy Great One, that all your evil deeds are revealed in the heavens, and none of your deeds of oppression are concealed or hidden. 7 And do not think in your spirit nor say in your heart that you do not know or see that every sin is recorded every day in heaven in the presence of the Most High. 8 From now on you know that all your oppression with which you oppress is recorded every day until the day of your judgment. 9 Woe to you, fools, for through your folly you shall perish; and you transgress against the wise, and good fortune shall not be your lot.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 103:2
Pseudepigrapha
1 Now, therefore, I swear to you, the righteous, by the glory of the Great and Honored and Mighty One in dominion, and by His greatness I swear to you: 2 I know a mystery and have read the heavenly tablets, and have seen the holy books, and have found written therein and inscribed regarding them: 3 That all goodness, joy, and glory are prepared for them, and written down for the spirits of those who have died in righteousness, and that manifold good will be given to you in recompense for your labors, and that your lot is abundantly beyond the lot of the living.
200-50 B.C.E.
1 Enoch 108:3
Pseudepigrapha
2 You who have observed it will wait for these days until an end is made of those who do evil and the power of wrongdoers comes to an end. 3 You, however, wait until sin passes away; for their names will be erased from the book of life and from the books of the holy ones. And their seed will be destroyed forever. 4 And I saw there something like an invisible cloud; for by reason of its depth I could not look over, and I saw a flame of fire blazing brightly, and things like shining mountains circling and sweeping to and fro.
150-100 B.C.E.
Jubilees 3:31
Pseudepigrapha
30 But of all the animals and cattle he permitted Adam alone to cover his shame. 31 For this reason it has been commanded in the heavenly tablets regarding all those who know the judgment of the law that they cover their shame and not uncover themselves as the nations uncover themselves. 32 At the beginning of the fourth month Adam and his wife departed from the Garden of Eden. They lived in the land of Elda, in the land where they were created.
150-100 B.C.E.
Jubilees 4:32
Pseudepigrapha
31 At the conclusion of this jubilee Cain was killed one year after him. His house fell on him, and he died inside his house. He was killed by its stones for with a stone he had killed Abel and, by a just punishment, he was killed with a stone. 32 For this reason it has been ordained on the heavenly tablets: “By the instrument with which a man kills his fellow he is to be killed. As he wounded him so are they to do to him.”
150-100 B.C.E.
Jubilees 30:19
Pseudepigrapha
18 Levi’s descendants were chosen for the priesthood and as Levites to serve before the Lord as we do for all time. Levi and his sons will be blessed forever because he was eager to carry out justice, punishment, and revenge on all who rise against Israel. 19 So blessing and justice before the God of all are entered for him as a testimony on the heavenly tablets. 20 We ourselves remember the justice which the man performed during his lifetime at all times of the year. As far as a thousand generations will they enter it. It will come to him and his family after him. He has been recorded on the heavenly tablets as a friend and a just man’. 21 I have written this entire message for you and have ordered you to tell the Israelites not to sin or transgress the statutes or violate the covenant which was established for them so that they should perform it and be recorded as friends.
30 B.C.E - 70 C.E.
2 Enoch 22:10
Pseudepigrapha
10 And the Lord summoned one of his archangels by name Pravuil, whose knowledge was quicker in wisdom than the other archangels, who wrote all the deeds of the Lord; and the Lord said to Pravuil: Bring out the books from my storehouses, and a reed for writing, and give it to Enoch, and deliver to him the choice and comforting books out of your hand.
100 C.E.
Joseph and Aseneth 15:3
Pseudepigrapha
1 And she came back to the man; and when the man saw her he said to her, “Take now the veil off your head, for today you are a pure virgin and your head is like a young man’s.” 2 So she took it off her head; and the man said to her, “Take heart, Aseneth, for look, the Lord has heard the words of your confession. 3 Take heart, Aseneth, your name is written in the book of life, and it will never be erased. 4 From today you will be made new, and refashioned, and given new life; and you shall eat the bread of life and drink the cup of immortality, and be anointed with the anointing of incorruption. 5 Take heart, Aseneth: look, the Lord has given you to Joseph to be his bride, and he shall be your bridegroom.
60-70 C.E. (If authentic), 90-100 C.E. (If anonymous)
1 Corinthians 2:1
New Testament
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our offenses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 9 He did this when he revealed to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ—the things in heaven and the things on earth.
75-85 C.E.
Luke 10:20
New Testament
16 “The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” 17 Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” 18 So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” 21 On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will.
90-100 C.E.
Jude 1:4
New Testament
2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! 3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you about our common salvation, I now feel compelled instead to write to encourage you to contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men have secretly slipped in among you—men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe—ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I desire to remind you (even though you have been fully informed of these facts once for all) that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, later destroyed those who did not believe.
190-230 C.E.
Pirkei Avot 2:1
Rabbinic
1 Rabbi Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.