# The Prophecy \[Identify Biblical quote in movie\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377 "2001-11-09T05:50:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BigTimeGene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@BigTimeGene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigTimeGene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/1 "2001-11-09T05:50:47Z")
Here’s a nerd question: I was watching the movie “The Prophecy” and the lead character has an inner monologue where he says: “of all the Gospels I learned in seminary school, a verse from Saint Paul stays with me. It is perhaps the strangest passage in the Bible in which he writes: Even now in Heaven there were angels carrying savage weapons”. I’ve heard mixed reactions as to whether this quote actually exists in the Bible. Does it? ---
**Author:** ![cheezit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@cheezit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheezit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/2 "2001-11-09T07:15:49Z")
I have been through the New Testament at least 5 to 6 times and I have never seen that passage anywhere. So, in answer to your question, I would have to say – No it isn’t. Incidently, welcome to the boards. ---
**Author:** ![Gaspode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gaspode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaspode)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/3 "2001-11-09T07:20:19Z")
If you go [here](http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?) you can do a search that will pull out every time the word angel or angels is used in the Gospels. Nothing even remotely like that appears. Nor does it appear elsewhere in the Bible that might be attributed to Paul. The answer is no, and welcome to the boards. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/4 "2001-11-09T07:20:37Z")
Not that I could find, though if someone can provide chapter and verse, I’d be glad to hear it. From what I read off the net (been too long since I’ve seen the movie), the movie also deals with a “lost chapter” of the Book of Revelation so maybe it’s supposed to be in there. Of course, it’d be the wrong author since Revelation is by John, not Paul. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/5 "2001-11-09T07:24:55Z")
Incidentally, as I re-read your quote, there is no Biblical “Gospel of St. Paul”. You have Luke, Matthew, John and Mark. Paul wrote a lot of epistles that are in the Bible, but none of the Gospels. So I don’t know what kind of second rate seminary the character attended 🙂 I realize that “gospel” can apply more broadly, but it was capitalized in your quote so I took it to mean “the Biblical stories of the life of Christ”. ---
**Author:** ![cell\_420](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@cell\_420](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cell_420)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/6 "2001-11-09T07:31:47Z")
There is no refrence maid in any Bible about that quote. To look for yourself and find other answers you may have try this link, you can do detailed searches in many versions of the Bible. [http://unbound.biola.edu](http://unbound.biola.edu) ---
**Author:** ![titus\_andronicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@titus\_andronicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/titus_andronicus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/7 "2015-08-25T21:45:11Z")
The quote is from the Gnostic texts, The Book of Enoch.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/8 "2015-08-25T22:59:11Z")
> [@titus\_andronicus](#): > > The quote is from the Gnostic texts, The Book of Enoch.🙂 Welcome to the boards. Unfortunately, however, your assertion is wrong in every respect. I have checked online translations, and the quote is nowhere to be found. (Although there is one passage that’s somewhat similar.) Nor is the Book of Enoch a Gnostic text. For one thing, it was written before the Gnostic movement really began. And for another, some of the early Church Fathers considered it to be inspired–which they most assuredly would not have done if it were a Gnostic text. > **[Book of Enoch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch#Reception)** > > The Book of Enoch (also 1 Enoch;\[a\] > Hebrew: סֵפֶר חֲנוֹךְ, Sēfer Ḥănōḵ; Ge'ez: መጽሐፈ ሄኖክ, Maṣḥafa Hēnok) is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic religious text, ascribed by tradition to the patriarch Enoch who was the father of Methuselah and the great-grandfather of Noah. The Book of Enoch contains unique material on the origins of demons and Nephilim, why some angels fell from heaven, an explanation of why the Genesis flood was morally necessary, and a prophetic exposition of the thousand-year re The o... ---
**Author:** ![Bill7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Bill7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill7)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/9 "2019-04-15T00:42:46Z")
Unfortunately, the movie The Prophecy is a fantasy for at least two reasons. One there is nothing in the Bible both Old and New Testaments by anyone quoted as saying anything about any second war in heaven between angels. The Bible does say that Satan was defeated at the cross. However for those who do not believe that then Satan is still having a field day across the world. I like a decent fantasy story but to give a false quote implying Paul actually said it, nearly wrecked the movie for me. Lord of the Rings was better by far in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/10 "2019-04-15T00:59:22Z")
Lots of movies have entirely fake bible quotes. _Pulp Fiction_ comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/11 "2019-04-15T02:27:37Z")
[2 Enoch Chapter 10.](http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/enochs2.htm#Ch10) 1 And those two men led me up on to the Northern side, and showed me there a very terrible place, and (there were) all manner of tortures in that place: cruel darkness and unillumined gloom, and there is no light there, but murky fire constantly flaming aloft, and (there is) a fiery river coming forth, and that whole place is everywhere fire, and everywhere (there is) frost and ice, thirst and shivering, while the bonds are very cruel, **and the angels (spirits) fearful and merciless, bearing angry weapons, merciless torture,** and I said: 2 Woe, woe, how very terrible is this place. [From Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Enoch) 2 Enoch, or Second Book of Enoch (also known as Slavonic Enoch, Old Bulgarian Enoch or Secrets of Enoch), is a pseudepigraphic text in the apocalyptic genre dating from the first century CE. It describes the ascent of the patriarch Enoch, ancestor of Noah, through ten heavens in an Earth-centered cosmos. … Scholars generally attribute 2 Enoch to an author representing an unidentified Jewish sect, while others regard it as the work of first-century Christians.[2][3] Others consider it a later Christian work.[4] 2 Enoch is not included in the Jewish or Christian canons. So it’s a quote from an ancient text with a wrongful attribution. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/12 "2019-04-15T07:13:12Z")
> [@Bill7](#): > > Unfortunately, the movie The Prophecy is a fantasy for at least two reasons. One there is nothing in the Bible both Old and New Testaments by anyone quoted as saying anything about any second war in heaven between angels. The Bible does say that Satan was defeated at the cross. However for those who do not believe that then Satan is still having a field day across the world. I like a decent fantasy story but to give a false quote implying Paul actually said it, nearly wrecked the movie for me. Lord of the Rings was better by far in my opinion. Also I don’t think a giant mutated bear could survive that long to become that huge. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/13 "2019-04-15T10:40:18Z")
> [@Bill7](#): > > Unfortunately, the movie The Prophecy is a fantasy for at least two reasons. One there is nothing in the Bible both Old and New Testaments by anyone quoted as saying anything about any second war in heaven between angels. … Not sure what you mean by second war in heaven. If it’s referring to war on earth and a second one in heaven you have: > [@](#): > > Revelation 12:7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. Or do you mean a sequel to this one, where there is like a heaven war II. Though also you have: > [@](#): > > Matthew 18:18 “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Which might mean for every war on earth their is a corosponding war in the heavens. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/14 "2019-04-15T12:58:47Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Not sure what you mean by second war in heaven. If it’s referring to war on earth and a second one in heaven you have: The “Second War in Heaven” is pretty much [the basis for the plot of the movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophecy): > [@](#): > > Among the personal effects found on the body is an ancient, hand-written Bible, which includes an extra chapter of the Book of Revelation that describes a second war in heaven and prophecy that a “dark soul” will be found on Earth and used as a weapon. It’s pretty clear that this was made up by the movie writers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/15 "2019-04-15T13:46:28Z")
Although this thread is in GQ (dating from before there even was a Cafe Society), I want to say that I like the movie. It’s fun, with a small performance by Viggo Mortensen and a larger, scenery-chewing one by Christopher Walken. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/16 "2019-04-15T14:18:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > [2 Enoch Chapter 10.](http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/pseudepigrapha/enochs2.htm#Ch10) > > 1 And those two men led me up on to the Northern side, and showed me there a very terrible place, and (there were) all manner of tortures in that place: cruel darkness and unillumined gloom, and there is no light there, but murky fire constantly flaming aloft, and (there is) a fiery river coming forth, and that whole place is everywhere fire, and everywhere (there is) frost and ice, thirst and shivering, while the bonds are very cruel, **and the angels (spirits) fearful and merciless, bearing angry weapons, merciless torture,** and I said: > > 2 Woe, woe, how very terrible is this place. > > [From Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Enoch) > 2 Enoch, or Second Book of Enoch (also known as Slavonic Enoch, Old Bulgarian Enoch or Secrets of Enoch), is a pseudepigraphic text in the apocalyptic genre dating from the first century CE. It describes the ascent of the patriarch Enoch, ancestor of Noah, through ten heavens in an Earth-centered cosmos. … > Scholars generally attribute 2 Enoch to an author representing an unidentified Jewish sect, while others regard it as the work of first-century Christians.[2][3] Others consider it a later Christian work.[4] 2 Enoch is not included in the Jewish or Christian canons. > > So it’s a quote from an ancient text with a wrongful attribution. So, 16 and a half years from the original question to an actual answer. Is that a record for this board? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/17 "2019-04-15T14:21:02Z")
Funny, I just watched this again a few days ago. It’s a good movie for what it is. Christian theology is fun to play around with. Very effective use of very minimal special effects. And I always enjoy seeing Adam Goldberg and Amanda Plummer. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/18 "2019-04-15T16:03:26Z")
Title edited to better indicate subject. Note that this thread was started in 2001. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2019, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-prophecy-identify-biblical-quote-in-movie/92377/19 "2019-04-15T16:38:04Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Also I don’t think a giant mutated bear could survive that long to become that huge. +1 CMC fnord!