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The Book of Enoch · 103 of 109

Chapter CII. Terrors of the Day of Judgement

1.In those days when He hath brought a grievous fire upon you,

Whither will ye flee, and where will ye find deliverance?

And when He launches forth His Word against you Will you not be affrighted and fear?

2.And all the luminaries shall be affrighted with great fear,

And all the earth shall be affrighted and tremble and be alarmed.

3.And all the angels shall execute their commands And shall seek to hide themselves from the presence of the Great Glory,

And the children of earth shall tremble and quake;

And ye sinners shall be cursed for ever,

And ye shall have no peace.

4.Fear ye not, ye souls of the righteous,

And be hopeful ye that have died in righteousness.

5.And grieve not if your soul into Sheol has descended in grief,

And that in your life your body fared not according to your goodness,

But wait for the day of the judgement of sinners

And for the day of cursing and chastisement.

6.And yet when ye die the sinners speak over you:

“As we die, so die the righteous,

And what benefit do they reap for their deeds?

7.Behold, even as we, so do they die in grief and darkness,

And what have they more than we?

From henceforth we are equal.

8.And what will they receive and what will they see for ever?

Behold, they too have died,

And henceforth for ever shall they see no light.”

9.I tell you, ye sinners, ye are content to eat and drink, and rob and sin, and strip men naked, and acquire wealth and see good days.

10.Have ye seen the righteous how their end falls out, that no manner of violence is found in them till their death?

11.“Nevertheless they perished and became as though they had not been, and their spirits descended into Sheol in tribulation.”

Asked of Guide

Why does the chapter reassure the righteous if it just describes terrifying judgment for sinners?

The chapter draws a firm distinction between the fate of sinners and the destiny of the righteous: sinners face “a grievous fire,” terror, and perpetual cursing, while the righteous are told “Fear ye not” and to “be hopeful” even if their bodies suffered. The text explains that apparent equality in death — sinners saying “As we die, so die the righteous” — is an illusion because a coming day of judgement will reveal divine justice and vindicate the righteous.

This chapter insists patience and hope for those who died righteously; their present descent into Sheol and lack of worldly reward will be reversed at judgement. That movement from present suffering to future vindication echoes themes in Revelation, where final restoration and the vindication of martyrs resolve the problem of righteous suffering.

Guide is the guide inside the Gnosis app, where every book on these shelves is free to read. Guide is the part you pay for — your guide has read all of them, and answers about the passage you’re actually on. Ask your guide your own question.