[Chapter Twenty-One] 

1. Then, I proceeded to where things were chaotic and void. 

2. And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible. 

3. And there I saw seven stars of heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire. 

4. Then I said: ‘For what sin are they bound, and on why have they been cast in here?’ 

5. Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them: ‘Enoch, why do you ask, and why art you eager for the truth?

6. These are some of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here until ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.’ 

7. And I went out from there to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw a terrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as far as the abyss, full of great falling columns of fire:

8. Neither its width or breadth could I see, nor could I see its source. 

9. Then I said: ‘I am afraid of this place and cannot stand to look at it.’ Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered and said to me: ‘Enoch, why are you so afraid?" 

10. And I answered: ‘Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the pain.’ And he said to me: ‘This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.’

[1 Enoch 21:1]

Then, I proceeded to where things were chaotic and void. 

There's a place where things are both chaotic and void, and Enoch made advancement by been there. Even as chaotic and void things are there, that place was still useful place in Enoch's journey and experiences, and the Lord still uses that place of chaos and void. Therefore, that place is chaotic and void, but not useless.

[1 Enoch 21:2]

And I saw there something horrible: I saw neither a heaven above nor a firmly founded earth, but a place chaotic and horrible.

Though things are void there, yet things are seen there. Things being void there does not mean things are nothing there. Something, but horrible, was there that made things there chaotic, horrible and void. Void and chaotic are not the absence of things, but the horrible state of things in the absence of both heaven and earth. This means the presence of heaven and earth is already a form of order, hope and grace, to living creatures. Some are suffering because they are in a place that's neither heaven nor on earth, which is horrible for living creatures.

[1 Enoch 21:3]

And there I saw seven stars of heaven bound together in it, like great mountains and burning with fire.

If there's no heaven there, are you expecting to see a star of heaven there? Behold seven Stars were seen there, bound with chain that immobilized them and burning with fire that was neither of their own fire nor for them, but against them.

Unfortunately, Seven Stars were trapped in that place, and were unable to escape from there. Those seven Stars were like great mountains that were great in size but under attack of burning fire. Those stars lost their freedom or movement in that place; and they have no helper or savior to deliver them from there.

[1 Enoch 21:4]

Then I said: ‘For what sin are they bound, and on why have they been cast in here?’ 

You see that when a damned soul or person is seen suffering in hell and bondage, people observing or watching would be more interested in knowing the story of the sins they committed that brought that damned soul or person into that place of torment. 

It's like, "What sin did this one or that one committed? Or, how did this one end up in this hell?" And then there will be a retelling of that person's evil deeds or sins in the past. Abraham reminded the rich man in hell that he received the goods in life, but left Lazarus to receive the evil things without helping him. Lord, when did we see You naked, hungry, suffering, and did not help You? You did not do so to My People, so you did do so to Me.

[1 Enoch 21:5]

Then said Uriel, one of the holy angels, who was with me, and was chief over them: ‘Enoch, why do you ask, and why art you eager for the truth?

Uriel is the Archangel in charge of Prisons and Prisoners among angels, spirit-beings, stars, etc. He's in charge over Bottomless Pits, Formless Hell, Tartarus, etc. Uriel is the lord of Prisons and Horrible Places or Correctional Facilities.

When Enoch asked to know the sin or crime those seven Stars were convicted for, Uriel began answering by questioning Enoch's curiosity or probing into their case.

We are not to question God's Judgment over His other Servants or Creatures, but we are to learn from them and to know the truth of those God already judged in order to learn more and trust more of God's righteous Judgment. As Abraham said to the LORD,

[Genesis 18:25] — "Far be it from You to do such a thing— to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”"

[1 Enoch 21:6]

These are some of the stars of heaven, which have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and are bound here until ten thousand years, the time entailed by their sins, are consummated.’ 

One of the shames of being in hell fire and seen by the saints, is that they may be discussing your past sins or retelling your foolish deeds that brought you into hell fire, while they are watching you from above but doing nothing to help you.

 [Isaiah 66:24] — "“As they go forth, they will see the corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm will never die, their fire will never be quenched, and they will be a horror to all mankind.”"

Imagine being very great on earth, but later end up in hell fire like these Seven Stars were celebrities who were seen in that: imagine how people would be mocking or discussing you. Imagine I being a pastor, and after all these preaching I was found in hell fire, how much people would smite me with wagging tongues.

[Isaiah 14:15-17,19] — "Yet you shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see you shall narrowly look on you, and consider you, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? … But you are cast out of your grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet."

According to Uriel in retelling the shameful story of these Seven celebrities or Stars, those seven Stars transgressed the Lord's Commandment. The Lord was angry against those Seven Stars and sentenced them to Ten Millenniums or 10 Millennia in that dungeon of a horrible place of hell. Let's say, it's like Purgatory to them, seeing after 10,000 years their sentence becomes over.

[1 Enoch 21:7]

And I went out from there to another place, which was still more horrible than the former, and I saw a terrible thing: a great fire there which burnt and blazed, and the place was cleft as far as the abyss, full of great falling columns of fire:

Enoch was neither trapped nor bound there like the Stars when he journeyed and beheld there, but he left there to even a more horrible place wherein he saw more terrible thing. This latter place is "Tartarus" and the worst prison yet revealed to Enoch.

A great fire was there that burnt and blazed: this description of the fire there means it's not a kind of fire for the burning bush Moses saw, neither was it kind of fire for lanterns and lambs, for this kind of fire burnt or consumed and kept blazing or exploding because it was not calm/peaceful fire but violent fire that raged.

The place could not hold together, but was cleft or divided asunder with a great Gulf as the Abyss in-between. The Gulf was express highway for one-way traffic of great falling columns or pillars fire that were joining the fire already there. Things were seen coming into it, but nothing was seen going out to escape it.

This Prison was not chaotic and void, neither said to be formless though it's bottomless. It was a prepared place, not formless place though it was bottomless place. Recall, God prepared a place for the devil and his angels. As it is written,

[Matthew 25:41] — "Then shall He said also to them on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"

[1 Enoch 21:8]

Neither its width or breadth could I see, nor could I see its source. 

Enoch or man could not fathom either the size or the source of the falling pillars, because it was hidden or invisible/mysterious even inside that invisible realm where Enoch beheld these things.

[1 Enoch 21:9]

Then I said: ‘I am afraid of this place and cannot stand to look at it.’ Then Uriel, one of the holy angels who was with me, answered and said to me: ‘Enoch, why are you so afraid?" 

Enoch could not endure to keep looking at that horrible and dreadful place, though he stood above the place. 

Learn this: In life heights and Positions do not always determine conquest or command of dreadfulness. There are things below that command dreadfulness more than many things above them; and there are things above that command dreadfulness more than things below them. There are certain heights you see from below and you become afraid of looking at such heights, and there are also certain depths or pits you see from above and you become afraid of looking at such depths or pits even though under you.

Those in the Bottomless Pits are struck with both the fear of depth or pit below them and at same time the fear of the height above them: For they are neither in the security of the height nor in the security of depth, inside the bottomless pit.

Again, Uriel began answering by questioning Enoch's fears there when he, Uriel, was there with him and was the Chief in charge of there. You may recall the Disciples of the Lord Jesus were also afraid of the depth of the Sea (like Enoch was afraid of the depth of the Abyss) while the Lord Jesus Christ was with them, and the Lord Jesus Christ asked them, Why are you fearful or afraid?

[1 Enoch 21:10]

And I answered: ‘Because of this fearful place, and because of the spectacle of the pain.’ And he said to me: ‘This place is the prison of the angels, and here they will be imprisoned for ever.’

Enoch answered he was afraid of the place because the place was made fearful and spectacle of pain. It was not just about the fears but also about the pains that filled there, which could enter through the eyes of one beholding them to some degree.

According to Uriel the Archangel, that place where Enoch could not endure to see for few minutes was actually an everlasting prison for angels who sinned against God.