CHAPTER 4
The End of Prophecy?
THE PROPHETS WE HAVE BEEN STYDYING represent only a small group out of the more than forty-eight prophets, both men and women, whose lives and teachings are documented in the Bible. They are generally divided into “major” and “minor” prophets, grouped not according to their importance but to the length of their writings, which were preserved in scrolls. Those with the longest scrolls were considered major, and those with the shortest, minor.
By the third or second century BCE, sages and scribes were editing the writings of the prophets and compiling a canonized scripture. The sages were a nonpriestly group of elders who interpreted the Bible and provided guidance to the people. They declared that prophecy had ended with Malachi, in the fifth century BCE, and that afterwards any mystics and holy men who appeared could not have been of the same level. These sages maintained that the divine gift of prophecy was no longer active in Israel, and thus they chose not to include in their canon of scriptures most of the prophetic, esoteric, and apocalyptic literature written over the next few centuries, with the possible exception of the book of Daniel (parts of which were written in the second century BCE)*.
It is now believed by most scholars that this decision represents the ascendancy of a newly powerful group of sages, precursors to the Pharisees and the rabbis*, over the prophetic-priestly circles who continued to be active through the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.
In the early second century BCE, the priesthood of the lineage of Zadok (who had been high priest in the time of King David and who traced his lineage to Moses’ brother Aaron), was usurped by the new self-declared priestly house of the Hasmoneans. The Hasmoneans cooperated with the Seleucid Greek rulers and hellenized Jewish worship, which included installing statues of Greek deities in the Temple and adopting Greek festivals and the lunar calendar. To the Zadokite priesthood and their followers this was blasphemous. In particular, the solar calendar was considered to be divinely ordained and sacred because of its adherence to periods of time marked out by the earth’s rotation around the sun – the four seasons, years consisting of twelve months of 364 days, twelve astrological signs, seven days in a week, fifty-two weeks with fifty-two sabbaths divided into thirteen periods or “watches.” Each family of Zadokite priests would have been responsible for the Temple rites for specific watches. The lunar calendar, on the other hand, was dependent on man’s discernment of the moon to establish the new months, and so was seen as an invention of man. The choice of calendar was extremely important, especially for the priests who were entrusted with ensuring that the cycle of Jewish holy days and festivals was observed correctly and at the correct times.
Thus, it is now believed by some scholars that when the priests of the sons of Zadok were deposed, they settled by the shores of the Dead Sea, at Qumran, and tried to continue with their duties and observances according to the solar calendar, transforming their community into a “virtual” or substitute Temple. The library of 930 scrolls found in the nearby caves at Qumran in 1947 attests to the continuance of the prophetic tradition among the Zadokites. They clearly did not accept the edict of the sages that prophecy had ended.
Mystic masters at Qumran
Most of the scrolls found at Qumran were texts of the biblical
scrolls, many in earlier versions than were available at that time.
There were also commentaries on the scrolls, various documents giving
rules of the community and guidance for its members, as well as several
beautiful visionary, mystical documents.*
Many of these documents bear witness to the activity of at least one important spiritual master who guided the members and who was known as the Teacher of Righteousness (moreh ha-tsedek)*. We learn of his persecution by the Wicked Priest, sometimes called the Liar or the Scoffer, and his betrayal by unfaithful followers who believed the Liar. The Wicked Priest probably refers to the Hasmonean High Priest of the second century bce who persecuted the Zadokites. The Teacher and his loyal disciples fled to a place of refuge, called in the text “Damascus,” probably a cryptic reference to Qumran.* Ultimately, the Wicked Priest killed the Teacher of Righteousness. Scholars have speculated that the Teacher may be identified with Second Isaiah, who was persecuted by his followers and is mourned by his successor, Third Isaiah. It has also been conjectured that there may have been more than one Teacher of Righteousness, and that the term was used generically for a lineage or series of teachers who ministered to the sect.59
We will probably never know for certain who the Teacher was, but we can get an image of him from these texts, which include a collection of poems called the Thanksgiving Hymns, most of which are attributed to him. He seems to have been a devoted and pious lover of the Lord, a mystic, who had experienced within himself the light and word of God, the holy spirit, and who tried to raise his disciples to a level of spirituality that would ensure their salvation and divine forgiveness. Out of his love for God, he attended to his ministry at great inconvenience and pain to himself. He often refers to his followers as “the sons of light” who are in a battle with the “sons of darkness,” presumably the followers of the Wicked Priest.
Using the rich symbolism of the ancient biblical prophets, the Teacher of Righteousness thanks God for giving him an unending spiritual knowledge and allowing him to share it with others who, through it, would be united with “the everlasting spring” – God himself.
I [thank Thee, O Lord,*
For] Thou hast placed me beside a fountain of streams
in an arid land,
and close to a spring of waters in a dry land,
and beside a watered garden [in a wilderness].[For Thou didst set] a plantation
of cypress, pine, and cedar for Thy glory,
Trees of life beside a mysterious fountain
hidden among the trees by the water,
And they put out a shoot of the everlasting Plant.
But before they did so, they took root
and sent out their roots to the watercourse
that its stem might be open to the living waters
and be one with the everlasting spring.
THAKSGIVING HYMNS 1460
In the next selection, he again uses the image of “the everlasting Plant” to describe the spiritual knowledge that is unending and unbounded, the heritage of all mankind. It is a source of light, which becomes the “ever-flowing eternal fountain” or source of spiritual knowledge. But those who are evil will be consumed by its flames, not nourished by its waters.
They shall send out a bud [forever]
like a flower [of the fields],
and shall cause a shoot to grow
into the boughs of an everlasting Plant.It shall cover the whole [earth] with its shadow
[and its crown] (shall reach) to the [clouds];
Its roots (shall go down) to the Abyss
[and all the rivers of Eden shall water its branches]..… .… .… .… .… .… .… .… .… .… .
A source of light shall become
an eternal ever-flowing fountain,
And in its bright flames
all the [sons of iniquity] shall be consumed;
[it shall be] a fire to devour all sinful men
in utter destruction.
THAKSGIVING HYMNS 1061
The Teacher thanks God for the inner faith and strength he has received from him, which saved him from those who have attacked him. He is grateful that the Lord has made him a “father” to his disciples, who are the “sons of grace.” He says:
I thank Thee, O Lord,
for Thou hast upheld me by Thy strength.
Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit upon me
that I may not stumble.…
Thou hast made me a father to the sons of grace,
and as a foster-father to men of marvel;
They have opened their mouths like little babes …
like a child playing in the lap of its nurse.…
Thou hast lifted my horn above those who insult me,
and those who attack me
[sway like the boughs] (of a tree); …
And I shall shine in a seven-fold light
in [the Council appointed by] Thee for Thy glory;
for Thou art an everlasting heavenly light to me
and wilt establish my feet
[upon level ground for ever].
THAKSGIVING HYMNS 162
One of the important concepts taught in these poems and in other texts found at Qumran is the belief in absolute predestination. People are governed by a combination of both evil and good inclinations or spirits. He calls this the “rule of two spirits.” It is God who decides which will predominate in each person. Thus it is He who puts people on the path of good or the path of evil. The Teacher is thankful that he has been chosen for God’s work and that the inclination to good has predominated in him.
He says he knows this because God has revealed it to him: “Thou hast unstopped my ears to marvelous mysteries.” This phrase signals prophetic revelation. He ends the poem in deep humility, calling himself “a shape of clay, kneaded in water, a ground of shame and a source of pollution, … a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding.” He asks: “What can I say that is not foreknown, and what can I utter that is not foretold?”
[And] to the spirit of man
which Thou has formed in the world,
[Thou hast given dominion over the works of Thy hands]
for everlasting days and unending generations.
… in their ages
Thou hast allotted to them tasks
during all their generations,
and judgment in their appointed seasons
according to the rule [of the two spirits.
For Thou hast established their ways]
for ever and ever,
[And hast ordained from eternity]
their visitation for reward and chastisements;
Thou hast allotted it to all their seed
for eternal generations and everlasting years …
In the wisdom of Thy knowledge
Thou didst establish their destiny before ever they were.
All things [exist] according to [Thy will]
and without Thee nothing is done. These things I know by the wisdom
which comes from Thee,
For Thou hast unstopped my ears
to marvelous mysteries. And yet I, a shape of clay kneaded in water,
a ground of shame and a source of pollution,
A melting-pot of wickedness and an edifice of sin,
a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding,
fearful of righteous judgments,
What can I say that is not foreknown,
and what can I utter that is not foretold?
THANKSGIVING HYMN 1 63
In other selections, the Teacher thanks the Lord for giving him the heart and wisdom to discriminate between good and evil, so that he may choose the good. He also declares that through the understanding God has given him he understands that “it is not in mortals to direct their step” but that “the inclination of every spirit” is in his hand. As God has power over all, this means that everything is predestined, even whether we choose the good or the evil. He begs God to purify him by his holy spirit, the divine word, and to draw him close through his grace. Then he continues:
And I know that man is not righteous
except through Thee,
And therefore I implore Thee
by the spirit which Thou hast given [me]
to perfect Thy [favors] to Thy servant [forever],
Purifying me by Thy Holy Spirit,
and drawing me near to Thee by Thy grace
according to the abundance of Thy mercies.
THANKSGIVING HYMNS 2264
INNER ASCENT
Did the Qumranites have inner spiritual experiences under the
guidance of the Teacher of Righteousness? What were the “marvelous
mysteries” the Teacher heard when his ears were unstopped? A unique
discovery among the Qumran scrolls, which dates from the first century
BCE, has brought to light an early account of mystic ascent in the
merkavah (the chariot or vehicle which becomes the throne of
God in the supernal realms). It is reminiscent of Ezekiel’s description
of his inner ascent. It was a poem meant to be recited on one of the
sabbaths of the cyclical year. The presence of this document among the
Qumran scrolls confirms that the technique of chariot ascent was known
by that time. It is quite fitting that it should be found among
documents written in priestly circles, as it uses the symbolism of
priestly worship in the Temple’s Holy of Holies to convey the awesome
experience of God. This fragment may be an important missing link
joining Ezekiel’s prophetic vision with the documented experiences of
the merkavah mystics of several centuries later. It demonstrates that
the metaphor of the chariot for the inner spiritual journey was in use
by Jewish mystics many centuries earlier than had been realized. It also
suggests that there may have been a subterranean transmission of the
esoteric tradition that we still have not uncovered, as some scholars
have implied.65
The beauty and clarity of the account suggests that it represents the writings of a mystic who entered the spiritual regions and heard the inner sound and saw the inner light with the “eyes and ears of his soul.” The “still small voice” of 1 Kings 19:12, signifying God’s self-revelation to Elijah, is rendered here as the “sound of divine stillness” and the “still sound of blessing” that comes from the movement of the angels.*
The experience of spiritual light and sound is common to all mystics who have gone within to the spiritual realms, as these are the projection or manifestation of divine power on the spiritual and mind planes. Sometimes the sound is heard as the “sound of joyful praise” and singing of angels; Greek mystics have used the term “the music of the spheres” for this spiritual experience. Here is the account from the scrolls, recited on the twelfth sabbath of the year:
BY THE MASTER: SONG OF THE SACRIFICE
OF THE TWELFTH SABBATH
Praise the God of cycles of wonder and exalt him.
Glory is in the tabernacle of the God of knowledge.
The cherubim fall before him and bless him.
As they rise the sound of divine stillness [is heard].
There is a tumult of jubilation;
As they lift their wings
the sound of divine stillness is heard.
The cherubim bless the form of the chariot-throne,
[which is] above the firmament of the cherubim.
And they sing and praise the splendor
of the luminous firmament,
[which is] beneath His glorious seat.
When the ofanim [wheels] move, the holy angels return.
They emerge from his glorious wheels
like the appearance of fire,
Spirits of the holy of holies round about,
between the appearance of [mighty] streams of fire
like hashmal.66
And there is radiance,
embroidery of glorious and wonderful colors,
wondrously hued, a pure blend.
The spirits of living godlike beings which move perpetually
with the glory of the wondrous chariots.
There is a still sound of blessing
in the roar of their movement.
They praise His holiness as they return to their paths.
As they ascend, they ascend wondrously,
and when they settle, they stand still.
The sound of joyful praise falls silent.
There is a stillness of divine blessing
in all the camps of godlike beings;
sound of praises … [coming]
from among all their divisions.
On their sides each of their number in his turn praises
while passing by,
And all their mastered troops rejoice,
each one in his station.
SONGS OF THE SABBATH SACRIFICE67
1 Enoch
One of the most unusual documents to be found at Qumran is The
Apocalypse of Enoch, also called 1 Enoch,68 which was most
probably written in the Zadokite priestly circles. It gives an image of
how the spiritual master was viewed at this time – as a
quasi-supernatural being, a messiah, who could ascend to the spiritual
realms and return with lessons for mankind.
In the book of Genesis of the Bible, Enoch is only mentioned briefly, as the grandfather of Noah, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, who “walked with God” and did not die, but ascended to the heavens while alive (Genesis 5:18–24). Various legends and stories over the centuries cast him as a spiritual adept, a mystic traveler who had learned the secrets of God and the divine mystery. Mystics of much later periods used his character to tell the story of their own mystic journey. In this way, the secrecy that surrounded mystical experience in the late Second Temple era was maintained, and these accounts gained a certain acceptability within the Jewish tradition. This form of writing is called pseudepigraphic, and it became a common style for presenting mystical teachings from that time onwards.
It seems clear that writings like The Apocalypse of Enoch, while couched in terms of legends and myths about ancient persons, are not simply works of fiction by imaginative writers. Elliot Wolfson, a contemporary scholar, believes that these apocalyptic works reflect the experiences of mystic practitioners. In his interesting study of the vision of God in Jewish mystical texts, he writes:
The recorded visions of the enthroned form of God’s presence (or glory) and/or the angelic hosts in the heavenly realm result from otherworldly journeys that, one may presume, were induced by specific visionary practices, though the records of these visions were often expressed in conventional imagery drawn from the theophanic traditions in Hebrew Scripture.… It is evident that such visions, in the framework of apocalypticism, are part of the much larger phenomenon regarding the disclosure of divine secrets. That is, apocalyptic is the revelation of divine mysteries through the agency of visions, dreams, and other paranormal states of consciousness.69
Enoch’s visions during his journey to realms of higher consciousness cover such subjects as the history of the world, the coming of the messiah, the “Son of Man,” the messiah’s redemption of those who are good, the origin of evil through the activity of rebellious angels, salvation and immortality of the soul, and bodily resurrection. He refers to the Lord of the Spirits as the “glory of God.” In most of the selections below,70 Enoch places the messiah at the level of the Lord of Spirits. He uses terms like the “Elect One,” the “Chosen One,” and the “Son of Man” for the spiritual adept who can redeem souls, as he is an extension or manifestation of God. And in some later mystical traditions, Enoch, like Ezekiel, realizes that it is he himself, in his spiritual essence, who is seated on the divine throne.*
Enoch is also associated with the Zadokite priesthood, and he is characteristically credited with bringing the secrets of the solar calendar down from the spiritual realms and teaching them to mankind.
The Apocalypse of Enoch is interesting because it gives a sense of the attitudes that had evolved during the late Second Temple period about the spiritual master; it shows him divinely appointed to bestow spiritual as well as earthly salvation. In Enoch’s vision of the Son of Man in the presence of God, he acknowledges his own divine nature. This work also bears wit- ness to the persistence of legends about the transmission of spiritual knowledge from the divine realms to humanity: Enoch brings to earth the knowledge he gained in heaven. His disciples are portrayed as his children and grandchildren, to whom he imparts his wisdom. The selections that follow reveal a spiritual master seen as a living adept who could travel to inner regions, meet with spiritual beings there, understand their secrets, and then return to share the wisdom and understanding he had gained during his experience. The spiritual symbolism he employs is quite beautiful and complex, similar to Ezekiel’s prophecy.
In this first selection Enoch ascends to the heavens and sees the Lord seated on his throne. He calls the Lord the “great Glory” and the “excellent and glorious One.” The Lord calls him to hear his “holy word”:
And behold I saw the clouds: And they were calling me in a vision; and the mists were calling me; and the course of the stars and the lightnings were rushing me and causing me to desire; and in the vision, the winds were causing me to fly and lifted me up into heaven.
And I kept coming (into heaven) until I approached a wall which was built of white marble (or crystals) and surrounded by tongues of fire; and it began to frighten me.
And I came into the tongues of the fire and drew near to a great house which was built of white marble, and the inner wall(s) were like mosaics of white marble, the floor was also of crystal.
The ceiling was like the path of the stars and lightnings, between which (stood) fiery cherubim and their heaven was made of water; and flaming fire surrounded the wall(s), and its gates were burning with fire.
And I entered into the house, which was hot like fire and cold like ice, and there was no pleasures of life within. Fear covered me and trembling seized me. And as I shook and trembled, I fell upon my face and saw a vision!
And behold, there was a portal open before me: a second house, greater than the former, and built with tongues of fire!
And in every respect it excelled (the other) in glory and great honor, to the extent that I cannot recount to you the extent of its glory and greatness.
Its floor was made of fire and above it was lightning and the path of the stars. The ceiling was also flaming fire.
And I gazed and saw inside it a lofty throne – its appearance was like crystal and its wheels like the shining sun; and the voice of the cherubim; and from beneath the great throne flowed streams of flaming fire. It was difficult to look at it.
And the great Glory was sitting upon the throne – as for his gown, which was shining more brightly than the sun, it was whiter than any snow.
None of the angels was able to come in and see the face of the excellent and the glorious One; and no one of the flesh can see him – the flaming fire was round about him, and a great fire stood before him.
No one could come near unto him from among those that surrounded the tens of millions (that stood) before him.…
All this time I was prostrate on my face, covered and trembling. And the Lord called me with his own mouth and said to me, “Come near to me, Enoch, and hear my holy word.”
And he lifted me up and brought me near to the gate, but I (continued) to look down with my face.
1 ENOCH 14:8–25
Enoch then recounts his vision of the magnificent seven mountains of the northwest. It is significant that he sees seven magnificent mountains, as the number seven occurs frequently in Jewish mystical literature; it is understood symbolically as representing qualities or powers emanated from the divine unity. The precious stones also symbolize the divine qualities perceived as aspects of the supernal light. Then he encounters a beautiful and fragrant tree – the tree of life – which, through its spiritual fragrance, will nourish the good (tsadikim) and the humble pious (anavim) for eternity.*
From there I went to another place of the earth, and he showed me a mountain of fire which was flaming day and night.
And I went in its direction and saw seven magnificent mountains, all different one from the other, made of precious and beautiful stones, and all magnificent and glorious to see, and beautiful.
Three faced the east and three towards the south. These mountains had deep rough ravines between them.…
The seventh mountain was situated in the midst of them, and it was excellent in height, resembling the seat of a throne surrounded by fragrant trees.
And among them, there was one tree such as I have never at all smelled; there was not a single one among the other trees which is like it; among all the fragrances nothing could be so fragrant; its leaves, its flowers, and its wood would never wither in all eternity; its fruit is beautiful and resembles the clustered fruits of a palm tree.
At that moment I said, “How beautiful is this tree, and fragrant, with leaves so handsome and blossoms so magnificent in appearance.” Then Michael, the leader of the holy and revered angels, who was with me, responded:
And he said unto me, “Enoch, What are you asking me concerning the fragrance of this tree and why are you so inquisitive about it?”
At that moment, I answered: “I want to know about everything, but especially about this tree.”
Michael answered: “This tall mountain which you saw, whose summit resembles the throne of God, is indeed his throne, on which the holy and great Lord of Glory, the eternal King, will sit when he descends to visit the earth with goodness.
“And as for this fragrant tree, not a single human being has the authority to touch it until the great judgment, when he shall take vengeance on all and conclude everything forever.
“This tree will be given for the good and the devoted, the pious. And the elect will be presented with its fruit for life.
“He will plant it in the direction of the northeast, upon the holy place – in the direction of the house of the Lord, the eternal King.
“Then they shall be glad and rejoice in gladness and they shall enter into the holy (place); its fragrance shall (penetrate) their bones, long life will they live on earth, such as your fathers lived in their days.”
At that moment, I blessed the God of Glory, the eternal King, for he has prepared such things as gifts for the righteous people, as he had created (them) and given it to them.
1 ENOCH 24, 25
Enoch then travels to the home of the righteous, the pious, and of the angels, where he sees the elect one, the messiah, under whose wings he wants to dwell.
In those days, whirlwinds carried me off from the earth,
and set me down into the ultimate ends of the heavens.
There I saw another vision of the dwelling places of the holy
and the resting places of the righteous (tsadikim).…
And they interceded and petitioned and prayed
on behalf of the children of the people,
And righteousness flowed before them like water,
and mercy like dew upon the earth,
and thus it is in their midst forever and ever.
And in that place my eyes saw the Elect One of tsedek
[virtue] – and of faith,
And righteousness shall prevail in his days,
and the righteous and elect ones shall be without number
before him forever and ever.
And I saw his dwelling place underneath the wings
of the Lord of the Spirits;
And all the righteous and the elect before him
shall be as intense [or beautiful] as the light of fire.
Their mouth shall be full of blessing; and their lips
will praise the name of the Lord of the Spirits,
And righteousness before him will have no end;
and uprightness before him will not cease.
There (underneath his wings) I wanted to dwell;
and my soul desired that dwelling place.
Already my portion is there;
for thus has it been reserved for me
by the Lord of the Spirits.
1 ENOCH 39:3–8
Here Enoch sees the fountain of goodness. The fountain is the divine word, the spiritual bounty which has its source in the divine. It flows eternally to the realms of man. The pious will drink it and have wisdom and life. The “son of man” appears to him, “named by the Name in the presence of the Lord.”
Furthermore, in that place I saw the fountain of righteousness, which does not become depleted and is surrounded completely by numerous fountains of wisdom. All the thirsty ones drink (of the water) and become filled with wisdom. (Then) their dwelling places become with the holy, righteous, and elect ones.
At that hour, that son of man was named by the Name in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits, the Before-Time (the Head of Days); even before the creation of the sun and the moon, before the creation of the stars, he was given a name in the presence of the Lord of the Spirits.
He will become a staff for the righteous ones in order that they may lean on him and not fall.
He is the light of humanity and he will become the hope of those who are sick in their hearts.
All those who dwell upon the earth shall fall and worship before him; they shall glorify, bless, and sing the name of the Lord of the Spirits.
For this purpose he became the chosen one; the Lord of the Spirits concealed him by his own presence prior to the creation of the world, and for eternity.
1 ENOCH 48:1–6
The “son of man” is described in terms used in many writings of this period – as a staff for the righteous, the light of humanity, the hope of those who are sick in their heart. This is the messiah. He is also described as having been created prior to the creation and hidden until such time as God wants to reveal him to the world. Later rabbinic legends also identify the tsadik (the virtuous or righteous one, i.e., the spiritual adept) with Adam and other mythic characters of the dawn of human life, and describe him as having pre-existed the creation of the world.
Enoch’s vision of the infinite spiritual wisdom and glory flowing into the creation is breathtaking. He looks into the future, at a time when the messiah, the elect or chosen one, displays his might, which is the foundation of all righteousness and virtue, and when oppression “will vanish like a shadow” without reality and no one will be able to speak falsehood.
So wisdom is poured out like water
and glory is measureless before him forever and ever.
For his might is in all the mysteries of righteousness,
and oppression will vanish like a shadow
having no foundation.
The Elect One stands before the Lord of the Spirits;
his glory is forever and ever
and his power is unto all generations.
In him dwells the spirit of wisdom,
the spirit which gives thoughtfulness,
the spirit of knowledge and strength, and the spirit
of those who have fallen asleep to righteousness.
He shall judge the secret things.
And no one will be able to utter vanity or falsehood
in his presence.
For he is the Elect One before the Lord of the Spirits
according to his good pleasure.
1 ENOCH 49:1–4
In another section Enoch evocatively recounts how he has been carried off and transfigured into a divine being. Led through the heavens by the angel Michael, he has another vision of God (the Head of Days) on his throne, his spirit is transfigured, and all he can do is extol and praise God with a powerful voice.
And it came to pass after this that my spirit was translated
and it ascended into the heavens:
And I saw the holy sons of God.
And the angel Michael seized me by my right hand,
and lifted me up and led me forth into all the secrets,
and he showed me all the secrets of righteousness.
And he showed me all the secrets of the ends of the heaven,
and all the chambers of all the stars,
and all the luminaries,
whence they proceed before the face of the holy ones.
And he translated my spirit into the heaven of heavens,
and I saw there as it were a structure built of crystals,
and between those crystals tongues of living fire.…
And with them the Head of Days,
his head white and pure as wool,
and His raiment indescribable.
And I fell on my face,
and my whole body became relaxed,
and my spirit was transfigured;
And I cried with a loud voice,
… with the spirit of power,
And blessed and glorified and extolled.
1 ENOCH 71:1, 3–5, 10–11
There is a beautiful section at the end of the book in which Enoch gives instructions to his son Methuselah – a symbolic reference to the author’s advice to his disciples and perhaps even to all humanity. Using language that has obvious mystical overtones, he says he is giving them “wisdom,” the wisdom that “passeth all thought,” meaning that it transcends intellectual knowledge, that will be tastier and more nourishing than good food, and they will not need (physical) sleep.
In the last selection he tells them that he has received the divine knowledge (by the spirit that has been “poured” on him), of everything that will happen throughout history. He knows everyone’s destiny and will share that knowledge with them.
And now, my son Methuselah, all these things
I am recounting to thee and writing down for thee,
and I have revealed to thee everything,
and given thee books concerning all these:
so preserve, my son Methuselah,
the books from thy father’s hand, and (see)
that thou deliver them to the generations of the world.
I have given wisdom to thee and to thy children,
[and thy children that shall be to thee],
that they may give it to their children for generations,
This wisdom (namely) that passeth their thought.
and those who understand it shall not sleep,
But shall listen with the ear
that they may learn this wisdom,
And it shall please those that eat thereof
better than good food.
ENOCH 82:1–3
Enoch continues by exhorting Methuselah to assemble his fam- ily to receive the divine spirit or word:
And now, my son Methuselah, call to me all thy brothers,
and gather together to me all the sons of thy mother,
For the word calls me, and the spirit is poured out upon me,
That I may show you everything
that shall befall you forever.
So Methuselah called his brothers and assembled his relatives. And he spoke to all the children of righteousness and said:
Hear, ye sons of Enoch, all the words of your father,
and hearken aright to the voice of my mouth;
For I exhort you and say unto you, beloved:
Love uprightness and walk therein.
and draw not nigh to uprightness with a double heart,
and associate not with those of a double heart,
But walk in righteousness, my sons.
and it shall guide you on good paths,
and righteousness shall be your companion.
1 ENOCH 91:1–4
The Apocalypse of Enoch gives a taste of the nature of prophecy in priestly circles, and of the stress laid on personal, mystical experience of God through access to the divine supernal realms. The hope for a worldly leader who would bring peace and harmony has become merged with the concept of the spiritual master or messiah.
Concept of the messiah at Qumran
There is another important fragment found among the Dead Sea Scrolls,
which was translated and published as late as the 1990’s. It reveals the
qualities that the Jews of the late Second Temple period expected in a
messiah and demonstrates the persistence of the prophetic tradition. It
draws on the language of the prophet Isaiah as well as the prayers
collected in the Shemoneh Esrei (Eighteen Benedictions), one of the
oldest Jewish prayers in the liturgy (probably fourth century BCE).
Called by its translators “The Apocalyptic Messiah,” or “The Messiah of
Heaven and Earth,” the text reads:
The heavens and the earth will listen to His messiah,
and none therein will stray from the commandments
of the holy ones.
Seekers of the Lord, strengthen yourselves in His service!
All you hopeful in [your] heart,
will you not find the Lord in this?
For the Lord will consider [visit] the pious [hasidim]
and call the righteous [tsadikim] by name.
Over the poor His spirit will hover
and will renew the faithful with His power.
And He will glorify the pious on the throne
of the eternal Kingdom.
He who liberates the captives,
restores sight to the blind, straightens the bent,
And forever I will cling to Him
and I will hope in His mercy;
And His fruit – his goodness – he will not delay.
And the Lord will accomplish glorious things
which have never been …
For He will heal the wounded, and revive the dead,
and bring good news to the poor.
… He will lead the uprooted and shepherd them.71
These lines are reminiscent of Isaiah 61:1–2, probably written a few centuries earlier, in which the prophet describes the mission given to him:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me;
because the Lord has anointed me to announce
good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
… to comfort all who mourn.
ISAIAH 61:1–2
In the Eighteen Benedictions, these qualities of mercy are assigned to God himself:
You are eternally mighty, my Lord, who revives the dead,
who bestows your salvation abundantly,
Who sustains the living with kindness,
revives the dead with abundant mercy,
supports the fallen, heals the sick,
releases the captives,
and maintains his faith to those asleep in the dust.72There must have been an oral and written tradition that was the basis for both the descriptions of God and the hoped-for messiah. The lines from Isaiah are repeated in the Gospel according to Luke (4:18), in which they are associated with the messiahship of Jesus. The same phrasing is repeated in Matthew and elsewhere in Luke after Jesus gives his talk called the Beatitudes, in which the salvation he was sent to bring is described.73
Professor James Tabor, an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, argues that this definition of the messianic identity is identical with what is presented about Jesus in the Gospels.74 Tabor also discusses the conception of the messiah in the Scrolls and in other ecstatic mystical groups active in Judaism of the time:
Through this Dead Sea Scroll fragment, … we are taken back to a very early common tradition within Palestinian Judaism regarding the “signs of the Messiah.” We are in a better position to speak of the common expectations of a variety of interrelated apocalyptic, sectarian, baptist groups which have fled to the “wilderness” to prepare the “Way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3; Luke 3:4; 1QS 8,9). They appear to share a specific set of expectations, and they draw in strikingly similar ways upon a common core of prophetic texts from the Hebrew Bible and related Jewish literature.75End of prophecy? A postscript
By looking at some of these documents written in priestly circles in the last few centuries before the Common Era, we have seen that although the sages had declared that prophecy had ended with the prophet Malachi in the fifth century, there is enough evidence to show that it continued. Indeed, it would appear that to the people living at Qumran, the concept of an “end to prophecy” was alien or irrelevant at best.Historically, the idea that there would be no more prophecy, no more direct communion between the divine and the human, seems to have arisen from a struggle between those who sought to establish the authority of human interpretation of past revelation as presented in texts and those for whom revelation was a continuing process.
There were however, some differences between the prophetic experiences of the classical prophets and those of the last few centuries bce – the exilic and post-exilic periods. As we have seen, in these later periods, prophecy was focused on the material future – on a hope for a messiah who would end the suffering of exile and subjugation, as well as who would bring spiritual liberation.
Another significant difference is that in the later prophecies, the identities of the mystics is kept hidden by their anonymity. They were no longer linked with a particular “named” individual and his unique personality, like Jeremiah, Amos, Ezekiel, or Zechariah, but rather with someone from a lineage or school – like Third Isaiah or Malachi (whose name simply means “my messenger”) – or with a great biblical figure of the past, under whose name the work was written, like Enoch, Ezra, or the scribe Baruch. Another change is that now the prophecies are intended only for a select few – the “wise,” the elect, the qualified. The mystic experience has become esoteric, secret, no longer for public consumption.
And because the prophetic teachings were no longer recognized as a valid form of communion with God, it is probable that people began to lose the capacity to understand or accept them. The scholar Elliot Wolfson comments that the vision of the enthroned form of God, recounted first in 1 Enoch and later in other texts, created a dilemma for traditional heirs to the faith. From the time of Moses, who sensed that he could not see “the face of God” and still live, it was considered beyond human capacity to see God in his glory. Yet some of the prophets as well as these later anonymous mystics did have such visions. Thus there was a “clash between the vision of the enthroned form … and the overwhelming sense that such a vision is impossible.”76
The mystic experience threatened the very assumptions of the religion concerning the accessibility of God, and – by extension – the possibility of unio mystica (mystic union). These experiences were considered dangerous, likely to confuse the ordinary person. Those who engaged in the practices that led to such experiences felt that only their small coterie of fellow-mystics and disciples were ready for them. So the mystics knew that they had to keep their experiences secret and teach them only to their select disciples.
In later times, however, there were numerous philosophers and religious luminaries who attested to the continuance of prophecy as the means for the divine to enter and guide people’s lives. Moses Maimonides, the highly venerated twelfth-century philosopher, wrote that the level of prophecy could be achieved by anyone at any period, not only the biblical prophets. He believed it described a state of consciousness that could be attained through inner, mystic experience. He wrote explicitly of the limitations of intellect and of the potential for superior spiritual knowledge through prophecy, which he described as “the vital energizing condition that established the channel linking man with God.”77 Maimonides saw a link between the level of prophecy achieved by the prophets of the Bible and the spiritual state that can be achieved by people of all times through mystic practice. “In the thought of Maimonides, prophecy ceased to be a singular phenomenon of God’s revelation vouchsafed to chosen individuals, and became instead an episode in a larger category of man’s encounter of the divine; it became a phase of mystical experience.”78
It is true that in the later period, the intense, raw relationship with God which the classical prophets had enjoyed and which prompted them to minister to their flocks with such dedication and selflessness, was mostly portrayed as a relationship with the divine realm through a hierarchy of angels and other intermediate forms. The earlier prophets received God’s word in a revelation direct from God himself, not through intermediaries, and they transmitted that “word” boldly and publicly.
Maimonides tended to evaluate the level of prophecy of the earlier and later prophets according to how they received their message: whether directly, through an angel, in a night vision, in the daytime, while asleep, while conscious, and so forth.79 There were some teachers, however, at different periods, who understood the phenomenon of encounters and revelation through angels as metaphorical, a literary device used by these later prophets in a world culturally very different from that of the classical prophets, to convey the concept of a graduated revelation or series of revelations. The philosopher Philo of Alexandria in the first century wrote that angels were not “beings” but rather devices or metaphors to express the extension of God’s power to humanity.80 Even Saadia Gaon, the tenth-century philosopher and grammarian, referred to the divine power, the “glory of God” which reveals itself to man, as an angel. Similarly, in later periods the kabbalist mystics expressed the nature of revelation and the creative activity of God through the symbol of the sefirot (gradations of the divine power), which were sometimes also called angels. So the differences may be attributed to historical and cultural conditions, or to differences in the symbolism and language being used to express the awesome, supernatural phenomenon the mystics were experiencing.