the-book-of-enoch-r-h-charles - Fallen Angels

:
Sect. II] Chapters XLIX. 1—L. 2 97
Tie Glorification and Victori/ of the Mighteoiis : tJie Repentance
of the Gentiles,
L. 1. And in those days a change shall take place for the holy
and elect,
And the light of days shall abide upon them,
And glory and honour shall turn to the holy,
3. On the day of affliction on which evil shall have been
treasured up against the sinners.
And the righteous shall be victorious in the name of the
Lord of Spirits
And He will cause the others to witness (this)
That they may repent
L. It is very hard to decide on the
character of this chapter. It seems to
be an interpolation : if it is original,
the writer is inconsistent with himself,
and the incongruous details were due
to literary reminiscence. These details
belong to the same sphere of thought
as 83-90 and 91-104, where the judgement
of the sword forms the prelude
to the Messianic kingdom, which is
gradually established and attended by
the conversion of the heathen OC^"' '^
91^', and ultimately followed by the
final judgement. And yet there is an
echo of this judgement of the sword
in 48^. On the other hand 37-71
are strongly eschatological and cata-
strophic in character, and the kingdom
is ushered in by the sudden appearing
of the Son of Man, who inaugurates
his reign by the two tremendous acts
of the resurrection and the final jndgement.
This judgement is summary
and forensic, 62^. There is no place
of repentance; cf. 62-63. God's mercy
is shown in His dealings with the right-
eous, 61^'. AH sinners are forthwith
driven from off the earth ; heaven and
earth are transformed and become the
habitation of the righteous. Hence
there is no room for the period of the
1370 H
sword, or for the progressive conversion
of the heathen. The writer has not
taken into account the destiny of the
latter, save indirectly in teaching a
general judgement. These verses, then,
may be a later addition made with
the purpose of filling up a gap in the
Parables, On the other hand there
are greater inconsistencies in the Para-
bles and other apocalyptic writings.
1. The night of oppression will give
place to the sunshine of glory and
honour for the righteous with the
advent of the Messianic kingdom ; cf,
58^" '. Observe that there is no mention
of the Messiah in vv. 1-4, nor yet of
the kings and mighty ones, both of
which facts tend to confirm the con-
clusion we have above arrived at.
Holy and elect : cf. 628. 2. The
period of the sword when the righteous
slay the wicked is here referred to
cf. 90". 84 9112. On the day (a).
/3 ' and on the day '. Day of affliction
: cf. 481" 452 (note). On which
{gmt. > 5«, 0) evil {rj wrongly in ace.)
shall have been treasured up {gq ;
' shall be treasured up ' P-fy ;
. ;
' is trea-
sured up ' ill! 2). Cause the others . .
that they may repent : cf. 90. ^3. s4
91". 3, The Gentiles who repent