Could The Book of Jubilees hold the secret to defeating Michael?

I am a whore. Whoops, hold on, typo there. I meant to say I am a Lore Whore. Much better. And like any whore worth their cab fare, I like to hit it and hit it hard; the library that is. What did you think I’d say? Come now, get your mind out of the gutter you perverts.

And while I can’t speak for them, I think it is safe to say that there are a few people in the writing room who also share a fondness for provocative research. Again, not like that.

I have no other way to explain how the Book of Jubilees gets a casual mention in an way that counts as barely more than a passing sentence. To use such an interesting bit of text for a throwaway line must mean that someone in that writing room (presumably Davy Perez in this case) has been searching deep and hard for some tasty tidbits of biblical mythology.

But was it simply a casual reference? Or have we stumbled upon a breadcrumb that could lead us to the Gingerbread house of plot devices for the rest of Season 14?

Dating back to the 15^th and 16^th centuries, The Book of Jubilees details a unique classification of angels that historically had not been seen before. The primary concept is that angels are classified into four categories: “Angels of the presence, angels of sanctifications, guardian angels over individuals, and angels presiding over the phenomena of nature.”

Additionally, the book goes on to describe the rise of the Nephilim, and how those that survived the flood would lead mankind. While a cursory glance at the subject material might make it seem that very little is tied to Supernatural’s established lore. But after 14 years of new material, hard and soft retcons and reinterpretations, we should know better than to thing we know everything there is to know about this universe.

First, lets take a look at some of these angel classifications:

Guardian Angels Over Individuals – Castiel

With a name that literally translates to “Shield of God,” what is Castiel if not a Guardian angel? Resurrecting each of the brothers, protecting Chuck from Raphael at the cost of his own being, standing up to Lucifer, Dick Roman, Metatron, Heaven, Hell, a Cosmic Entity, even protecting Jack during his infancy when he was still an unknown threat to the world, the list goes on and on. Castiel more than any other angel depicted in the show has always been there to serve and protect, not just those he cares about, but anyone who needs help. While his more human nature can easily be attributed by his time spent on Team Free Will, Castiel better than any other angel embodies the concept of protector.

Angels Presiding Over the Phenomena of Nature – Joshua

An angel that had a direct one to one connection with God, Joshua was also the angel who took it upon himself to tend to the Garden of Heaven. He even refers to himself directly as a gardener and believes in letting things occur as they naturally will. He does not want Sam and Dean to fail in their fight against Lucifer and stopping the Apocalypse, but neither will he intervene. Without so much as a bit of reassurance, he sends them on their way after delivering God’s message and goes back to tending the flowers.

In many respects Joshua at this time represented nature. The natural order. That all things will play out as they should. That life begets death, and death begets new life. He does not want the world to end, nor to see the Winchesters fail. But he knows that if they do, the Apocalypse will also bring about paradise on Earth, a natural rebirth. At the same time, while this is a fortunate side effect of the end of days, he does not wish to force the issue like Zachariah and others. He will simply let what happens, happen.

Angels of Sanctifications – Metatron

According to the Book of Jubilees, Angels of Sanctification were one of the two highest orders of angels and created on the first day in order to “observe the Sabbath with God in heaven and on Earth.” While this may not sound like much, it is possible that the word “observe” here could mean more or less to take notes” something that the scribe of God would undoubtedly do without question. Metatron is called out by name as one of the Angels of Sanctification, a fact that would easily fit with the description of how he was chosen by God to observe and record everything he wished.

Angels of Presence – Michael

While the Book of Jubilees does not refer to a single angel by name, (instead referring to the entity as “one of God’s special agents”) it does say that the Angels of Presence are one of the two highest orders of Angels. With the Angels of Sanctification being the other highest order of which Metatron is a member it is safe to assume that Michael and the other Archangels are members of this final classification.

In many interpretations, the Presence of which we speak is that of God, his very power and essence and that he works through these angels. Much of our analysis this season has been the direct parallels to the events of Season 5 and how destiny itself may be trying to course correct and bring about the apocalyptic battle between brothers, though this time with a different flavor. Could this be a way in which Michael, unbeknownst to himself, is working to bring about Chuck’s plan?

Finally, there is the description of the birth of the Nephilim. The Book of Jubilees states that the Nephilim existed in the time of Noah, but were all destroyed by the great flood. After this, God allowed some of the Nephilim spirits to lead mankind after the flood. Taking a big step back away from the text, could this be a hint at the end game for Michael?

Jack is the only Nephilim in existence at the moment, and in a strictly metaphorical sense, both humanity and by extension the Hunters, are trying to survive an overwhelming flood of new and improved monsters. With Michael’s new sense of self-imposed godhood, and his classification as an Angel of Presence, could he be acting in a way to bring about a great catastrophe that would consume Jack? Would this once again turn the wheels of destiny to bring about a second Apocalypse that humanity once again survives? And what role might Jack play in it this time around?

Whether or not any of this comes to matter more than what color jacket Dean was wearing in Season 3, episode 9 (it was a grey blue for anyone who’s counting at home) no one can say. The important thing to take away from this thought exercise was how much detail, research, and work goes into even casual statements made throughout this show. For the writers to look up actual biblical lore and Judeo-Christian texts this late in the show’s lifespan is unprecedented, and something that none of us should take for granted. It was not necessary for them to do that, but they did it anyway because they like doing it. And that’s what it takes to be a good lore whore: passion…and no gag reflex. Supernatural airs on The CW, Thursdays at 8/7c, and available the next day on The CW App. 

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