The final chapters of 1 Enoch are advice to his children and follow a pattern not unlike the Old Testament wisdom literature. There is a general admonition to listen to the words of the father and walk in righteousness. What follows are a long series of “woe” statements condemning various sins and “unwise” activities. The rich, the deceitful, the idolater, the oppressor, the one who has luxury, the blasphemous, etc. are all warned of the judgment in store for them. Most of this material is in the format of “woe to the sinner because . . .” There are a few notable exceptions to this format which are eschatological in nature. Chapter 101 is another wisdom piece not unlike God’s speech in Job. It contains a series of rhetorical questions about nature intended to underscore God’s sovereign control of the universe.
In 99:3-10 there is a bit of non-woe material introduced with “in those days.” The righteous need to prepare to “raise a memorial” in prayer because of the wickedness of those days. Women will abort babies and commit infanticide, it will be a time of “unceasing blood.” There will be idolatry which “blindfolds” the sinner so that they will not be saved. This idea of a blindness in the last days which prevents sinners from perceiving the truth is found in 2 Thess. 2:11 – God sends a “spirit of delusion” which prevents people in the last days from seeing the truth. Matthew 24:4-13 describes people in the last days as believing lies, false prophets and increasing wickedness.
In 100:1-6 a final judgment is described. Fathers and sons will kill each other (100:2, cf. the less violent Luke 12:52, fathers against sons, etc.) The gore of the final battle is so deep a horse walks up to his chest in blood (100:3, cf. Ezek. 39:17; Rev 14:20). Angels will go into secret places and gather those who caused others to sin in order to execute them on the great judgment day (100:4). The righteous, however, will be protected by angels until sinners are judged. From that time on they will live in peace and “no one will make them afraid.” They are “saved” from the judgment because they gave heed to the words of “this book.”
In 102:1-11 the terror of the final judgment is described. “In those days” sinners will be unable to hide from the terrors as angels fulfill the orders of the Lord (cf. Rev. 6:16-17). Sinners will go down to Sheol in sorrow (102:5), but the righteous have no need to fear, there will be no righteous in Sheol (102:4, 11).
Chapters 103 and 104 use an oath motif along with the woe formula to describe the “two ways,” the way of the righteous and the way of the sinner. Verses 1-4 describes the lot of the righteous: those who die will live and rejoice, their spirits will not perish and they will be a memorial before the Lord. Sinners, however, are already dead (103:5). They may have died in prosperity and wealth, but now they are suffering terrible torments on account of their easy lives (103:4-5). The righteous have no need to hide in the coming judgment (104:1-6). The sinner thinks they have nothing to worry about on the great Day of Judgment (104:7), but in fact everything will be made known and judged. Chapter 105 is a brief benediction concluding this section.
The final chapters of 1 Enoch are fragments of other documents appended to the main text. Chapters 106 and 107 are a narrative of the birth of Noah which probably comes from a lost Noah Apocalypse (Charles, Commentary, 2:278). When Noah is born, he has white skin and hair as red as a rose; his eyes glowed like the sun. As soon as he was born, he spoke to the Lord. Lamech is naturally upset by this odd child and runs to his father Methuselah for advice. Methuselah in turn sends him to Enoch who predicts the flood as a judgment for sin and names the boy Noah. Enoch also predicts Noah will be the remnant for Lamech in the “oppression” to come. These predictions are confirmed because they were written on heavenly tablets (107:1-2).
The final chapter of 1 Enoch is described as “another book of Enoch” which was written for Methuselah (108:1). Enoch tells his son that those who observe the law ought to wait patiently (108:1-3). He describes a vision of an invisible burning cloud which is explained by an angel as the place where sinners go (108:4-7). Those who love God endure, although they suffer in the body, because God will make recompense for what they have suffered (108:8-10). The righteous who endure will eventually see the end of those who are unrighteous (108:11-15).
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