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This is not meant to be all encompassing, but some of the passages in Enoch which allude to our notion of Hell. Enoch is an interesting book, and one of those circulating among the Jewish communities of the day. I have this in two parts, with one to be published later. It was been in my draft folder for a while, and I thought that I might go ahead and share, inviting discussion.
1st Enoch 10.13;
And to Michael he said: “Go and reveal to Semiaza and to those remaining with him who have mixed with the women, to defile themselves in their uncleanness.
“And when their sons will slay (one another) and they see the destruction of their beloved ones, bind them for seventy generations in the valleys of the earth until the day of their judgment and consummation, until the judgment of the age of eternity is completed. Then they will be lead away into the chasm of fire and to the torture and to the prison of eternal confinement. And whoever will be burned up and destroyed from the present, they will be bound with them together until the end of the generation. (1EN 10:11-14 OPE)
First, there appears to be an intermediary state before the ultimate judgment. I don’t get the mixing of the two, those who suffer now and those who will suffer. But, it does appear that at least on, if not both, see the punishment as ending at the and of the”generation”.
48.8-10;
In these days downcast in countenance shall the kings of the earth have become, And the strong who possess the land because of the works of their hands,For on the day of their anguish and affliction they shall not (be able to) save themselves. And I will give them over into the hands of Mine elect: As straw in the fire so shall they burn before the face of the holy: As lead in the water shall they sink before the face of the righteous, And no trace of them shall any more be found. And on the day of their affliction there shall be rest on the earth, And before them they shall fall and not rise again:And there shall be no one to take them with his hands and raise them: For they have denied the Lord of Spirits and His Anointed. The name of the Lord of Spirits be blessed. (1EN 48:8-10 OTP)
Ahhhh annihilationism…
100.7-9;
Woe to you, Sinners, on the day of strong anguish, Ye who afflict the righteous and burn them with fire: Ye shall be requited according to your works.
Woe to you, ye obstinate of heart, Who watch in order to devise wickedness: Therefore shall fear come upon you And there shall be none to help you.
Woe to you, ye sinners, on account of the words of your mouth, And on account of the deeds of your hands which your godlessness has wrought, In blazing flames burning worse than fire shall ye burn. (1EN 100:7-9 OTP)
No end, but there is the since of fire, ain’t there?
108.4-7;
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.
And I asked one of the holy angels who was with me and said unto him: ‘What is this shining thing ? for it is not a heaven but only the flame of a blazing fire, and the voice of weeping and crying and lamentation and strong pain.’
And he said unto me: ‘This place which thou seest–here are cast the spirits of sinners and blasphemers, and of those who work wickedness, and of those who pervert everything that the Lord hath spoken through the mouth of the prophets–(even) the things that shall be.
For some of them are written and inscribed above in the heaven, in order that the angels may read them and know that which shall befall the sinners,and the spirits of the humble, and of those who have afflicted their bodies, and been recompensed (1EN 108:4-7 OTP)
Good. Hell again, but… what about the “recompense”. If you have afflicted your body for 70 years, would you suffer hell for all eternity?
We know that Enoch was used by the early Church writers, especially Tertullian who no doubt drew heavily from it, at least spiritually.
Related articles
- Enoch, Patriarchal Prophet of Faith (fellowshiproom.org)
- The man who walked with Jehovah Elohim (namesofthelord.wordpress.com)
- Enoch’s Book (melonpops.wordpress.com)
