1 Enoch 93

XCIII, XCI. 12-17. The Apocalypse of Weeks.

1And after that Enoch both †gave† and began to recount from the books.*1-10. An account of the great events of the world during the first seven weeks of its history, which are already past. The three last weeks of xci. 12-17 belong to the future. This Apocalypse of weeks refers to the Dream-visions, lxxxiii-xc, but not being by the same author is irreconcilable with them. The ten weeks are not definite and equal periods, but of varying length, each marked, especially towards its close, by some great event, e.g. the first by Enoch's birth, the third by Abraham's call, the seventh by the publication of Enoch's writings. In the eighth the Messianic kingdom is established and lasts to the close of the tenth week. The final judgement in xci. 15 is held at the close of the Messianic kingdom. 2And Enoch said: ‘Concerning the children of righteousness and concerning the elect of the world, And concerning the plant of uprightness, I will speak these things, Yea, I Enoch will declare (them) unto you, my sons: According to that which appeared to me in the heavenly vision, And which I have known through the word of the holy angels, And have learnt from the heavenly tablets.’*These disclosures are for the children of righteousness. Cf. xcii. 1.*Here only in Enoch. 3And Enoch began to recount from the books and said: ‘I was born the seventh in the first week, While judgement and righteousness still endured.*Cf. 'seventh from Adam', Jude 14; also Gen. v. 24 where he is the seventh of the patriarchs. This does not imply that each week = Exactly seven generations, as the sixth and seventh must = fourteen or more.*i.e. goodness still prevailed. Or we may render 'were still held back', i.e. the Deluge was not yet. 4And after me there shall arise in the second week great wickedness, And deceit shall have sprung up; And in it there shall be the first end. And in it a man shall be saved; And after it is ended unrighteousness shall grow up, And a law shall be made for the sinners.*This growth of wickedness should belong to Jared's days as in vi. 6 and cvi. 13. The Deluge and the covenant with Noah (a law for the sinners) occur in this week. 5And after that in the third week at its close A man shall be elected as the plant of righteous judgement, And his posterity shall become the plant of righteousness for evermore.*Abraham and his seed are chosen to reveal God's righteous judgements. Cf. x. 16 (note) and xciii. 2, 10.*Text reads 'after him (or 'it') it shall come' (or 'become'). 6And after that in the fourth week, at its close, Visions of the holy and righteous shall be seen, And a law for all generations and an enclosure shall be made for them.*Divine manifestations in favour of Israel in Egypt.*given on Sinai, binding for all time. Cf. xcix. 2.*i.e. Palestine. Cf. lxxxix. 2. 7And after that in the fifth week, at its close, The house of glory and dominion shall be built for ever.*The Temple will stand for ever, though one form of it may give place to another. In xci-civ proper, there appears to be no Temple after the final judgement. The risen righteous enjoy a purely spiritual existence like the angels. Cf. Jub. and possibly Pss. Sol. 8And after that in the sixth week all who live in it shall be blinded, And the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake wisdom. And in it a man shall ascend; And at its close the house of dominion shall be burnt with fire, And the whole race of the chosen root shall be dispersed.*The divided kingdoms, Elijah (lxxxix. 52), the Temple's fall and the Captivity. 9And after that in the seventh week shall an apostate generation arise, And many shall be its deeds, And all its deeds shall be apostate.*From the captivity to the author's time an apostate period. Cf. lxxxix. 73 75. 10And at its close shall be elected The elect righteous of the eternal plant of righteousness, To receive sevenfold instruction concerning all His creation.*The writer's own disclosures are to be made known at the end of the seventh week. For the extravagant claims he makes cf. Sir. xxiv. 28-32. 11[For who is there of all the children of men that is able to hear the voice of the Holy One without being troubled? And who can think His thoughts? and who is there that can behold all the works of heaven?*i.e. the thunder. Cf. Job xxxvii. 4, 5; Ps. xxix.*11-14. These verses are quite out of place in their present context, and suit rather the Book of the Heavenly Luminaries lxxii-lxxix, lxxxii; but are foreign to the whole tone of this book, xci-civ. 12And how should there be one who could behold the heaven, and who is there that could understand the things of heaven and see a soul or a spirit and could tell thereof, or ascend and see all their ends and think them or do like them?*i.e. of the things of heaven. But the text may be corrupt for 'their causes'.*Enoch's journey through heaven and Hades is referred to. 13And who is there of all men that could know what is the breadth and the length of the earth, and to whom has been shown the measure of all of them?*Not given in Enoch. Cf. Job xxxviii. 4, 5. 14Or is there any one who could discern the length of the heaven and how great is its height, and upon what it is founded, and how great is the number of the stars, and where all the luminaries rest?]*Not given in Enoch. Jer. xxxi. 37; Job xi. 8.