Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 512

THE RED GOSPEL

THE MOTHER OF GOD


THE RED GOSPEL
THE BEGINNING OF THE 21 CENTURY,
THE THIRD DAY OF THE LORD

2010
© 2010 the Church of Christ
This book is in copyright; all rights belong to the owner.
“I will proceed to do a marvelous work among
this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the
understanding of their prudent men will be hidden…”
“I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that you have hidden these things from the
wise and learned, and revealed them to little
children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in
your sight.”
Table of Contents
THE HOLY TRINITY........................................................................... 1
PART ONE: THE LABOR................................................................... 2
THE BEGINNING ................................................................................. 2
THE GARDEN ..................................................................................... 4
THE FIRST DISOBEDIENCE .................................................................. 5
THE SECOND DISOBEDIENCE .............................................................. 7
ENOCH .............................................................................................. 8
THE FIRST COVENANT ...................................................................... 10
SODOM AND GOMORRAH .................................................................. 13
THE LAWLESSNESS OF SODOM .......................................................... 14
THE TEST OF ABRAHAM .................................................................... 16
THE SECOND COVENANT .................................................................. 18
THE LAW ......................................................................................... 20
REMEMBER YOUR LORD.................................................................... 22
NOT BECAUSE OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS ........................................... 23
THE PENANCES OF MOSES ................................................................ 25
WHY DO YOU BECOME PROUD SO EASILY?.......................................... 26
FACE TO FACE WITH THE LORD .......................................................... 28
THE PRAYER BY MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD ......................................... 29
THE PROPHETS OF THE LORD ........................................................... 30
WHO IS WHO?.................................................................................. 30
THE TRANSFIGURATION .................................................................... 32
ELIJAH ............................................................................................ 33
ELISHA ............................................................................................ 40
THE LAMBS OF GOD ......................................................................... 42
ISAIAH ............................................................................................. 44
MAKE STRAIGHT PATH TO THE LORD! ................................................. 45
DANIEL ............................................................................................ 45
NEBUCHADNEZZAR’S DREAM ............................................................. 47
THE SON OF GOD ............................................................................ 51
THE VISION OF DANIEL ...................................................................... 54
THE SECOND VISION OF DANIEL ......................................................... 56
THE CALCULATIONS OF DANIEL .......................................................... 59
THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS ......................................................... 60
THE LORD’S SERVANT ...................................................................... 63
THE PRINCE OF PEACE ..................................................................... 65
i
THE FIRSTBORN OF THE LORD........................................................... 68
WALKING WITH THE LORD ................................................................. 70
SEEK THE LORD! .............................................................................. 72
THE TRUE WORSHIP.......................................................................... 73
WICKEDNESS AND HYPOCRISY........................................................... 75
THE KING OF ISRAEL ........................................................................ 77
THE RIGHTEOUS PERISHES ............................................................... 78
THE LAMB ....................................................................................... 79
REWARDS OF THE LORD ................................................................... 82
THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD ALMIGHTY ............................................. 84
THE JUST ONE................................................................................. 85
THE THIRD COVENANT ..................................................................... 87
PART TWO: THE WORD OF GOD.................................................. 88
THE BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT ................................................. 88
THE SON OF MAN ............................................................................. 88
1 COMING OF THE SAVIOR ................................................................ 90
COME, EAT MY BREAD AND DRINK MY WINE ......................................... 95
THE BEGINNING OF WISDOM ............................................................. 96
THE WISDOM AND HER PEOPLE ......................................................... 98
THE WORD OF GOD ....................................................................... 100
SOWING THE WORD ....................................................................... 101
CALL OF THE WISDOM .................................................................... 103
THE GOOD NEWS .......................................................................... 105
ARE YOU REALLY RICH? .................................................................. 107
THE RANSOM FOR THE LIFE ............................................................. 109
THE DESTINY OF THE WICKED .......................................................... 111
THE NARROW GATE........................................................................ 113
IS THE LAW NOT ENOUGH?.............................................................. 114
THE REDEEMED BY JESUS .............................................................. 115
THE WORKMANSHIP OF THE LORD ................................................... 116
THE SONG OF THE LORD ................................................................ 117
THE LETTER AND THE SEAL............................................................. 118
THE EVERLASTING CROWN ............................................................. 119
IT IS TIME ....................................................................................... 120
NO SERVANT CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS........................................... 120
IT IS WORTH TO RECEIVE THE WORD OF TRUTH PERFECTLY ............... 122
THE SIN OF THE WORLD .................................................................. 123
THE REDEMPTION BY THE TRUTH .................................................... 124
THE REFUGE IN THE LORD .............................................................. 125

ii
PUREST DEEDS .............................................................................. 126
IT IS YOU WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE .................................................... 127
THE ETERNAL FIRE ........................................................................ 128
IS IT TOO HARSH?........................................................................... 128
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT ............................................................. 130
POWER CORRUPTS......................................................................... 132
THE LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS .............................................................. 133
KNOW FROM WHERE YOU ARE ......................................................... 135
WHO IS THE BEST OF MEN? ............................................................. 136
DON’T CLAIM YOUR OWN GREATNESS ............................................... 137
THE WORDS OF VANITY .................................................................. 138
THE ANOINTED OF THE LORD .......................................................... 141
THE WORDS OF WISDOM................................................................. 142
DON’T UPSET YOURSELF ................................................................. 146
THE LORD OF HEARTS .................................................................... 148
THE STRONG TOWER OF YAHWEH ................................................... 150
INTEGRITY ..................................................................................... 153
CHARM IS DECEITFUL...................................................................... 154
THE FACES OF WICKEDNESS ........................................................... 154
DAVID’S SONG OF PRAISE............................................................... 155
THE PERFECT LAW ........................................................................ 158
THE TEMPLE OF YAHWEH ............................................................... 158
TAKE COURAGE! ............................................................................ 159
THE FEAR OF THE LORD ................................................................. 160
THE LORD IS FAITHFUL! .................................................................. 161
THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID ............................................................ 162
ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!’..................................................... 163
PURITY OF HEARTS ........................................................................ 164
THE TEMPLE OF THE BODY .............................................................. 167
PROUD WILL BE HUMBLED ............................................................... 168
THE SABBATH IS FOR MAN............................................................... 169
DON’T REPLACE SUPERIOR WITH INFERIOR ....................................... 170
SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO GOD ......................................................... 175
THE PURITY OF A PEARL .................................................................. 176
NEW AND OLD ................................................................................ 177
CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEART ............................................................... 179
WHY THE SON WAS SENT SO LATE ................................................... 180
THE NEW TEACHING ...................................................................... 181
THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE CHRISTIANS .............................................. 186
TO GIVE AND TO TAKE ..................................................................... 187
iii
THE BLESSINGS THAT FLOW FROM FAITH .......................................... 188
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH ......................................................... 190
FAITH WITHOUT DEEDS IS DEAD ....................................................... 191
THE HYPOCRISY ............................................................................ 194
CLOTHED WITH CHRIST................................................................... 197
BAPTIZING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT........................................................ 199
THE LIVING GOD ............................................................................ 200
THE GARDEN OF EDEN ................................................................... 203
THE CHILDREN OF GOD .................................................................. 204
THE MISERABLE STATE OF MEN BEFORE COMING OF THE WORD ......... 205
THE REDEMPTION OF ADAM............................................................. 206
FREEDOM AND SLAVERY ................................................................. 207
THE PRAYER OF JESUS ................................................................... 210
PRAISE TO THE LORD! .................................................................... 212
YAHWEH REIGNS! ........................................................................... 213
THE SONS OF GOD ........................................................................ 214
THE MOUNT ZION .......................................................................... 216
THE RESURRECTION ...................................................................... 218
3 REBIRTH IN THE SPIRIT ................................................................ 220
THE LIGHT WITHIN .......................................................................... 223
THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD .......................................................... 230
THE LORD’S WILL BE DONE .............................................................. 233
THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLE PAUL ........................................... 234
THESE THINGS ARE WORTHY TO BE KNOWN AND BELIEVED ................. 236
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE FOR TRUE SPIRITUAL LIFE.............. 237
NOT TO DESTROY ........................................................................... 238
THE TEMPTATIONS BY THE DEVIL ..................................................... 241
OVERTURNING THE WORLD ............................................................. 242
LOVE FOR THE WORLD .................................................................... 244
THE SABBATH ................................................................................ 244
THE WORLD AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD .......................................... 246
THE RELATION OF CHRISTIANS TO THE WORLD .................................. 251
THE KINGDOM OF GOD ................................................................... 251
DETACHMENT ................................................................................ 255
REPENT OR YOU WILL PERISH .......................................................... 256
THE LORD REBUKES DAVID ............................................................. 257
THE REPENTANCE OF DAVID............................................................ 258
PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS ............................................................ 259
THE GRACE OF THE LORD ............................................................... 260
REPENTANCE................................................................................. 261
iv
ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE CONSUMES ME ........................................... 265
FORGIVENESS................................................................................ 267
FORGIVE TO OTHERS AND YOU WILL BE FORGIVEN ............................. 268
FAITH ............................................................................................ 269
TEST OF THE FAITH ........................................................................ 271
THE FAITH OF THE WOMAN .............................................................. 275
THE FIG TREE ................................................................................ 276
HALLELUJAH! ................................................................................. 277
THE POWER OF PRAYER ................................................................. 278
GOD’S CARE FOR HIS CHILDREN ...................................................... 280
SELF-CONTROL .............................................................................. 282
TAMING THE TONGUE ...................................................................... 284
DON’T JUDGE ................................................................................. 286
LOVE ONE ANOTHER ....................................................................... 287
TWO KINDS OF LOVE ....................................................................... 288
LOVE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY ............................................................. 289
THE GOOD SAMARITAN .................................................................. 290
BE GOOD ....................................................................................... 291
THE PARABLE OF THE SHREWD MANAGER ........................................ 292
NON BELIEVE ................................................................................. 293
CAN THE KINGDOM DIVIDE AGAINST ITSELF STAND? ........................... 296
JERUSALEM, THE CITY OF PROPHETS ............................................... 297
THE PARABLE OF A VINEYARD ......................................................... 298
ADDRESS TO THE DISCIPLES............................................................ 298
LITTLE ONES OF THE LORD .............................................................. 301
THE ASSEMBLY .............................................................................. 302
THE POOR WIDOW.......................................................................... 302
GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS HIS .............................................................. 303
1THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS .................................................... 304
THE LAMB OF GOD ......................................................................... 305
2 THE FIRST MIRACLE?................................................................... 306
3 TESTIMONY OF JOHN BAPTIZER ABOUT JESUS ............................... 307
4 THE LIVING WATER ...................................................................... 308
PRAISE TO THE LORD! .................................................................... 310
IT IS TIME ....................................................................................... 311
5 .................................................................................................. 312
VALIDITY OF THE TESTIMONY ........................................................... 314
6 THE TRUE BREAD OUT OF HEAVEN ............................................... 315
THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING.......................................................... 319
7 MY TEACHING IS NOT MINE ........................................................... 320
v
8 WHO IS WITHOUT SIN? ................................................................. 323
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.............................................................. 324
9 DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE SON OF GOD? ......................................... 327
10 THE GOOD SHEPHERD............................................................... 329
SANCTIFIED BY THE FATHER............................................................ 330
11 THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS ............................................... 332
12 “MY CUP RUNS OVER” ................................................................ 335
FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR NAME!....................................................... 337
THE UNBELIEF ................................................................................ 338
THE WILL OF THE FATHER .............................................................. 338
13 THE LAST SAPPER ..................................................................... 339
14 I AM THE WAY ........................................................................... 341
THE COUNSELOR ........................................................................... 342
15 THE TRUE VINE .......................................................................... 343
LOVE ONE OTHER ........................................................................... 344
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH .................................................................... 345
16 ................................................................................................ 345
A LITTLE WHILE .............................................................................. 346
17 FATHER, GLORIFY YOUR SON! .................................................... 347
ONE THROUGH YOUR NAME ............................................................ 348
18 THE ARREST ............................................................................. 349
THE TRIAL ..................................................................................... 350
19 THE KING OF ISRAEL.................................................................. 353
THE CRUCIFIXION........................................................................... 354
20 THE RESURRECTION.................................................................. 356
VAIN IS REASONING OF THE WICKED ................................................. 358
PART THREE: THE DIALOGUES.................................................. 361
THE SECRET BOOK OF JAMES ......................................................... 361
THE BOOK OF THOMAS CONTENDER................................................ 372
THE DIALOGUE OF THE SAVIOR ....................................................... 381
JESUS AND MARY........................................................................... 394
JESUS AND SALOME ....................................................................... 396
CAME IN THE FLESH, BUT LEFT IN THE SPIRIT’ ................................... 397
THE CROSS ................................................................................... 402
THE GLORY OF THE PERFECT POWER ............................................. 406
PART FOUR: THE GREAT MOTHER............................................ 410
TO THE RULERS ............................................................................. 410
PANARETOS SOPHIA ...................................................................... 411

vi
EXCELLENCE OF THE WISDOM ......................................................... 413
THE MOTHER OF ALL...................................................................... 414
GLORY OF THE GREAT MOTHER ...................................................... 416
THE PRAYER FOR WISDOM .............................................................. 417
THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING ...................................................... 419
PART FIVE: THE END OF TIME.................................................... 421
THE SECOND COMING .................................................................... 421
THE HOUR THAT YOU DON’T EXPECT ................................................ 423
RETURN OF THE KING ..................................................................... 426
THE SHEEP AND GOATS ................................................................. 427
THE PARABLE OF THE DARNEL WEED .............................................. 428
THE MOUNTAIN OF YAHWEH’S HOUSE ............................................. 430
THE KINGDOM OF OUR LORD ........................................................... 431
COVENANT WITH THE DEATH CANCELED ........................................... 431
‘THE DAY OF THE LORD’ ................................................................. 433
THE PLAN “A”: SODOM AND GOMORRA ............................................ 434
THE STRONG CITY .......................................................................... 435
THE VINEYARD OF YAHWEH ............................................................ 437
THE END OF THE TIME .................................................................... 438
THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD................................................... 439
THE FIRSTBORN OF THE DEAD ......................................................... 440
THE WOMAN CLOSED WITH THE SUN ................................................ 441
THE LEVIATHAN ............................................................................. 442
THE BEAST OF THE SEA .................................................................. 444
BABYLON THE GREAT ..................................................................... 445
BABYLON HAS FALLEN!.................................................................... 448
PRAISE TO THE LORD! .................................................................... 452
THE WORD OF GOD ....................................................................... 452
THE VIRGIN MOTHER...................................................................... 453
NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH .................................................... 455
THE HOLY JERUSALEM ................................................................... 457
ELIJAH AND ELISHA ........................................................................ 460
JOHN AND DOMITIAN ...................................................................... 461
THE DEPARTURE OF JOHN............................................................... 467
THE LAST PRAYERS OF JOHN........................................................... 468
2010 ............................................................................................ 472
21 ................................................................................................ 473
THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE ...................................................... 482
THE PLAN “B”: THE REPENTANCE OF NINEVEH ................................. 482

vii
THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT .................................................... 486
THE DOVE AND THE MESSIAH .......................................................... 488
ON TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS ...................................................... 488
DELIGHT IN GOD’S LOVE ................................................................. 490
PRAISE TO THE LORD! .................................................................... 492
THE LORD REIGNS!......................................................................... 493
TO ASSEMBLIES OF CHURCH........................................................... 494
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS ................................................. 497
LAST WHO WILL BE FIRST; AND FIRST WHO WILL BE LAST .................... 498
THE SEAL IS BROKEN...................................................................... 500
TO BE CONTINUED... ................................................................... 500

viii
The Holy Trinity

Jesus said to His disciples, “Compare me to someone and tell


me to whom I am alike.” Simon Peter said to him, “You are like a
righteous messenger.” Matthew said to Him, “You are like a wise
philosopher.” Thomas said to Him, “Teacher, my mouth is wholly
incapable of comparing you with anyone I know.”
Jesus said, “I am not teacher of yours. Because you have drunk
from the bubbling spring which I have measured out, you have
become intoxicated by it.”
And He took Thomas away from them and told him three
things.
Jesus said, “I am the Father, I am the Mother, I am the Son. I
am the undefiled and incorruptible One.”
When Thomas returned to his companions, they asked him,
“What did Jesus told to you?” Thomas said to them, “If I tell you any
of the sayings which he has told to me, you will pick up stones and
stone me; a fire will come out of the stones and devour you.”
Jesus said, “Where there are three gods, they are gods. Where
there are 2 or 1, I am with him.”
Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the children of
Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you;’
and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM 1,” and He said, “You shall
tell the children of Israel this: ‘’One Who was and who is, and who will
be forever, the God of your fathers has sent me.”

1
In the text Yahweh stands instead of ‘I am that I am’;
1
PART ONE: THE LABOR

The Beginning

The disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us how our end will


be.” Jesus answered, “Have you discovered the beginning
then, that you asking for the end? For where the beginning
is, there the end will be also. Blessed is he, who will take his
place in the beginning, for he will know the end and will not
taste death. Blessed is one who is before he comes into
being! For it is he who is, was and will be forever. When you
see one, who was not born of woman, prostrate yourselves
on your faces and worship him. That one is your Father.”
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made through him.
Without him was not anything made that has been made.
Jesus said, “When the Father established the world for
Himself, He left much over to the Mother of All. Therefore,
He speaks and She does.”
“By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By
understanding, he established the heavens. By his
knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop
down the dew.”
“God possessed me in the beginning of his work, before
his deeds of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the
beginning, before the earth existed. When he established the
heavens, I was there; when he set a circle on the surface of
the deep, when he established the clouds above, when the
springs of the deep became strong, when he gave to the sea
its boundary, that the waters should not violate his
2
commandment, when he marked out the foundations of the
earth; then I was the craftsman by his side. I was a delight
day by day, always rejoicing before him, rejoicing in his
whole world. My delight was with the sons of men.”
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was
on the surface of the deep. God’s Spirit was hovering over
the surface of the waters. God said, “Let there be light,” and
there was light. God saw the light, and saw that it was good.
God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light
“day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was evening
and there was morning, first day.
After all created things were made, God created man in
his own image. God formed body of man from the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and
man became a living soul. At that time man was more like a
spirit then like a flesh. In the day that God created man, in
the likeness of God made He him; male and female created
He them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in
the day when they were created. God saw everything that
He had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was
evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
The heavens and the earth were finished, and their
entire array. On the seventh day God finished his work which
he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his
work. God blessed the seventh day, which He called ‘Day of
Rest’ and made it holy, because He rested in it from all his
work which He had created and made.
“Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the
earth, who has set your glory above the heavens! From the
lips of babes and infants you have established strength,
because of your adversaries, that you might silence the
enemy and the avenger.
When I consider the work of your fingers, your heavens,
the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is
3
man, so that you think of him? What is the son of man, so
that you care for him? For you have made him a little lower
than God, and crowned him with glory and honor. You make
him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all
things under his feet: All sheep and cattle, yes, and the
animals of the field, the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea
and whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the
earth!”

The Garden

God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he


put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground God
made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and
good for food; he planted the Tree of Life in the middle of the
garden, and the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil
outside of the Garden. God took the man, and put him into
the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. God
commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden
you may freely eat; but of the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of
good and evil’, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you
eat of it, surely you will die.”
God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man He made,
and he took aside the left side of his body, and then made
both halves complete from themselves. From the part he has
taken from the man, He made a woman, and brought her in
front of the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my
bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken out of man.” They both were naked,
the man and his wife, but they were not ashamed.

4
The First Disobedience

Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of


the field which God had made, so by its craftiness, it
deceived both of them to eat fruits of the forbidden tree.
Since then, that fruit get struck into the throat of Adam, and
their eyes at once became turned outwards, and they have
realized that they were naked. Therefore, they sewed fig
leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
They heard the voice of God walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of God among the trees of the garden.
God called them, “Where are you?”
The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I
was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have
you eaten from the tree that I told you not to eat from?” The
man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and I ate.
God said to Adam, “Because both of you have eaten of
the ‘Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil’, of which I told
you not to eat, the earth is cursed for your sake. There is the
Law in the Garden of God that no one there can eat from the
Tree of Life and from the Tree of Death at the same time,
and to be there, one must be sinless, because Yahweh your
God is holy. From now on, the darkness of time will take hold
upon you, for by your disobedience you have made
yourselves subjected to it and its laws. In the Garden of God
you were having only One Law, but now you will be
subjected to many laws and powers, which will rule you from
above. From now, secret things belong to Yahweh your God;
but the things that are revealed belong to you and to your
offspring.

5
Because two of you were made from two parts of the
same body, from now you will start lacking each other to be
in completeness of former days. Therefore a man will leave
his Father and his Mother, and will join with his wife, and
they will become like one flesh. Because you cast
yourselves from the Tree of Life, and its fruits therefore, from
now in hard work you will eat of it all the days of your life.
The earth will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will
eat the herb of the field. By the sweat of your face will eat
your bread until you return to the earth, from which your
bodies were made.”
“But don’t be upset and disheartened, for it is in
accordance with my plan that I have ordained on this earth
days and years for you, and you and your seed shall dwell
and walk in it, until the days and years are fulfilled. Go and
multiply your progeny, so that Word of God, which I have
placed as seed into you, also could be multiplied. I will pour
my Holy Spirit on your seed, and my blessing on your
offspring and they will spring up among the grass, as willows
by the watercourses.
Verily I say unto you, this darkness will pass away from
you, after every day I have determined for you will be
fulfilled; then I will save you and bring you back again into
My Garden, into the abode of light you longing for, where
there is no darkness. I will bring there also your numerous
offspring, and the Kingdom of God, will be established then
on the whole Earth. In order to save you, I myself will come
down from heaven, and will become as one of your seed,
and I will take upon me the inconvenience from which you
have to suffer from now, and I am, who is without years, will
be reckoned as one of sons of men, in order to save you.”
God made coats of skins for Adam and for his wife, and
clothed them. Now, they could not to stay any more in the
Garden of God, because along with knowledge of good they
came to know bad also, and so they became departed from
6
the Whole. Therefore God sent them out from the Garden of
Eden, to cultivate the ground from which they were taken. So
the humans were drown out of Eden, and so spirit became
entangled in matter. And God placed Cherubs at the east of
the Garden of Eden, and the sword of flame, which turned
every way, protecting the way to the Tree of Life from
wicked. There was an order that ‘if even an animal touches
the mountain of the Living God, it shall be stoned’. And
Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the
mother of all living.

The Second Disobedience

The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave
birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s
help.” Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was
a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. As
time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to
Yahweh from the fruit of the ground. Abel also brought some
of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected
Abel and his offering, but he didn’t respect Cain and his
offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his
face fell. Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why
has the expression of your face fallen? If you do well, will it
not be lifted up? If you don’t do well, sin crouches at the
door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it.”
Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” It
happened when they were in the field, that Cain rose up
against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
The angels of God saw happened from heavens. They
spoke amongst themselves, “A new thing has happened
today under Heaven, a man killed a man. Verily, the crafty
enemy of the humans now fully overpowered the children of
Adam and became their master. How it is strange that
7
people turned their faces from the Life and loved more
wrathful wisdom of the viper, by whom they were deceived
into outer darkness? They recklessly left their Father and
took the darkness of the death as their only teacher,
mistakenly thinking it to be their friend. Look around, and
see, how the gaze of the ‘evil eye’ caused corruption of
everything upon the earth and in heavens, and every single
thing became afflicted with its sickness. Verily, now the man,
who once was glory of the Lord’s creation, became heavy
because of burden of his sins, and those who were formerly
subservient to him, became his masters.”
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his
blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man.”

Enoch

Adam became the father of Seth. Seth became the


father of Enosh. Enosh became the father of Kenan. Kenan
became the father of Mahalalel. Mahalalel became the father
of Jared. Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, when he
became the father of Enoch. Enoch was seventh from Adam.
Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight
hundred years, and became the father of sons and
daughters. All the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two
years, then he died.
Enoch was sixty-five years old, when he became the
father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he
became the father of Methuselah three hundred years, and
became the father of sons and daughters. All the days of
Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked
with God, and he was not, for God took him.
And so human were multiply on the surface of the
earth, and so Children of God became fathers of humanity.
Time was passing, generation after generation and slowly
8
they have forgotten from where they came, and who their
Father was.
Yahweh said, “My Spirit will not strive with man forever,
because he now became flesh; yet will his days be one
hundred twenty years.”
“Ignorance appeared like a blind man; and like foam of
a sea, and they supposed of that vain thing that it was
something great. And they too came in likeness of it and
became vain. But those who have understood, who have
known and meditated, they were not corrupted in their
imagination, for they were in the Mind of the Lord. And they
rebuked those that were walking in error; and they
proclaimed the Truth from the inspiration which the Most
High breathed into them. Praise and great comeliness to His
Name! Hallelujah!”

9
The First Covenant

Jesus said, “Verily, this saying is true, ‘One sows, and


another reaps.’ For, I sent you to reap that for which you
haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have entered
into their labor.”
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh
appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty.
Walk before me, and be blameless. I will make my covenant
between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”
Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, “As
for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the
father of a multitude of nations. Neither will your name any
more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I
have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will
make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you.
Kings will come out of you. I will establish my covenant
between me and you and your seed after you throughout
their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to
you and to your seed after you. I will give to you and to your
seed after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land
of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their
God.”
God said to Abraham, “As for you, you will keep my
covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their
generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep,
between me and you and your seed after you. Every male
among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in
the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant
between me and you. He who is eight days old will be
circumcised among you, every male throughout your
generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with
money from any foreigner who is not of your seed. He who is
born in your house, and he who is bought with your money,
10
must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an
everlasting covenant. The uncircumcised male who is not
circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut
off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

Another time Yahweh appeared to Abraham by the

oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the


day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three
men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet
11
them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, and
said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please
don’t go away from your servant. Now let a little water be
fetched, wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. I
will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh your heart.
After that you may go your way, now that you have come to
your servant.”
They said, “Very well, do as you have said.”
Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said,
“Quickly prepare three measures of fine meal, knead it, and
make cakes.” Abraham ran to the herd, and fetched a tender
and good calf, and gave it to the servant. He hurried to dress
it. He took butter, milk, and the calf which he had dressed,
and set it before them. He stood by them under the tree, and
they ate.
They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?”
He said, “See, in the tent.”
He said, “I will certainly return to you when the season
comes round. Behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.”
Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in
age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah
laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I
have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
Yahweh said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh,
saying, ‘Will I really bear a child, yet I am old?’ Is anything
too hard for Yahweh? At the set time I will return to you,
when the season comes round, and Sarah will have a son.”
Then Sarah denied, saying, “I didn’t laugh,” for she was
afraid.
He said, “Yes, you did laugh.”
And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward
Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the
way.

12
Yahweh said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am
about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and
powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed
through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his
children and his household after him to keep the way of the
Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will
bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

Sodom and Gomorrah

Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and


Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, I
will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad
as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.”
The two men turned from there, and went toward
Sodom, but Abraham stood yet before Yahweh. Abraham
drew near, and said, “Will you consume the righteous with
the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous within the city?
Will you consume and not spare the place for the fifty
righteous who are in it? Be it far from you to do things like
that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the
righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from
you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”
Yahweh said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within
the city, then I will spare all the place for their sake.”
Abraham answered, “See now, I have taken it on
myself to speak to the Lord, who am but dust and ashes.
What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous? Will you
destroy all the city for lack of five?”
He said, “I will not destroy it, if I find forty-five there.”
He spoke to him yet again, and said, “What if there are
forty found there?”
He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”

13
He said, “Oh Lord don’t be angry, and I will speak.
What if there are thirty found there?”
He said, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”
He said, “See now, I have taken it on myself to speak to
the Lord. What if there are twenty found there?”
He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”
He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will
speak just once more. What if ten are found there?”
He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”
Yahweh went his way, as soon as he had finished
communing with Abraham, and Abraham returned to his
place.

The lawlessness of Sodom

The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in


the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them.
He bowed himself with his face to the earth, and he said,
“See now, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s
house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up
early, and go on your way.”
They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and
entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked
unleavened bread, and they ate. But before they lay down,
the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old,
all the people from every quarter surrounded the house.
They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who
came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may
have sex with them.”
Lot went out to them to the door, and shut the door after
him. He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly.
See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring
them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good
14
to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they
have come under the shadow of my roof.”
They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one
fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself
a judge. Now will we deal worse with you, than with them!”
They pressed hard on the man Lot, and drew near to break
the door. But the men reached out their hand, and brought
Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. They struck
the men who were at the door of the house with blindness,
both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find
the door.
The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here?
Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whoever you
have in the city, bring them out of the place: for we will
destroy this place, because the outcry against them has
grown great before Yahweh that Yahweh has sent us to
destroy it.”
Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were
pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of
this place, for Yahweh will destroy the city.”
But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking.
When the morning came, then the angels hurried Lot,
saying, “Get up! Take your wife, and your two daughters who
are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.”
But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his
wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Yahweh being
merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside of
the city. It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that
he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and
don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains,
lest you be consumed!”
Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord.
See now, your servant has found favor in your sight,
and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you
have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the
15
mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. See now, this city
is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh let me escape there
(isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”
He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request
concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of
which you have spoken. Hurry, escape there, for I can’t do
anything until you get out of there.” Therefore the name of
the city was called Zoar (little).
The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar.
Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah
sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky. He overthrew
those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and
that which grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife looked back
from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where
he had stood before Yahweh. He looked toward Sodom and
Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and looked,
and saw that the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of
a furnace. It happened, when God destroyed the cities of the
plain, that God remembered pledge of Abraham to spare
righteousness, and sent Lot out of the middle of the
overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.

The test of Abraham

It happened after these things, that God tested


Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Now take your son, your only son, whom you
love, even Isaac, and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him
there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will
tell you of.”
Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his
donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac
16
his son. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up,
and went to the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw
the place far off.
Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the
donkey. The boy and I will go yonder. We will worship, and
come back to you.”
Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it
on Isaac his son. He took in his hand the fire and the knife.
They both went together.
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and said, “My
father?”
He said, “Here I am, my son.”
He said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the
lamb for a burnt offering?”
Abraham said, “God will provide himself the lamb for a
burnt offering, my son.” So they both went together.
They came to the place which God had told him of.
Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order,
bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, on the wood.
Abraham stretched out his hand, and took the knife to
kill his son.
The angel of Yahweh called to him out of the sky, and
said, “Abraham, Abraham!”
He said, “Here I am.”
He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy, neither do
anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you
have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and saw that
behind him was a ram caught in the thicket by his horns.
Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a
burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham called the name
of that place Yahweh Will Provide. As it is said to this day,
“On Yahweh’s mountain, it will be provided.”

17
The angel of Yahweh called to Abraham a second time
out of the sky, and said, “I have sworn by myself, says
Yahweh, because you have done this thing, and have not
withheld your son, your only son, that I will bless you greatly,
and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the
heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your
seed will possess the gate of his enemies. In your seed will
all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have
obeyed my voice.”

The Second Covenant

God have chosen Moses as His voice to the people.


Moses said to God, “Behold, when I come to the
children of Israel, and tell them, ‘The God of your fathers has
sent me to you;’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What
should I tell them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,” and he said,
“You shall tell the children of Israel this: ‘’One Who is’ has
sent me to you.’ God said moreover to Moses, “You shall tell
the children of Israel this, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and
this is my memorial to all generations.
Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent,
neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your
servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who
makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I,
Yahweh? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth,
and teach you what you shall speak.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the
mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the tables of

18
stone with the Law and the Commands that I have written,
that you may teach them.”
Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses
went up onto God’s Mountain. Moses went up on the
mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of
Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six
days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of
the cloud. The appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like
devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the
children of Israel. Moses entered into the midst of the cloud,
and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the
mountain forty days and forty nights. He was there with
Yahweh forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread, nor
drank water. He wrote on the tablets the words of the
covenant, the Ten Commandments.
It happened, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai
with the two tablets of the testimony in Moses’ hand, when
he came down from the mountain that Moses didn’t know
that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with
him. When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses,
behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to
come near him.
Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of
the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
Afterward all the children of Israel came near, and he gave
them all of the commandments that Yahweh had spoken
with him on Mount Sinai. When Moses was done speaking
with them, he put a veil on his face. But when Moses went in
before Yahweh to speak with him, he took the veil off, until
he came out; and he came out, and spoke to the children of
Israel that which he was commanded. The children of Israel
saw Moses’ face that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and
Moses put the veil on his face again, until he went in to
speak with him.

19
The Law

These are the words of the covenant which Yahweh


commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel.
“Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the
congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘Sanctify
yourselves and be holy; for I Yahweh your God am holy.
Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart
of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, that you may live. Yahweh your God
will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the
fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the
fruit of your ground, for good: for Yahweh will again rejoice
over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers; if you
shall obey the voice of Yahweh your God, to keep his
commandments and his statutes which are written in this
book of the law; if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your
heart, and with all your soul.
God spoke all these words, saying, “I am Yahweh your
God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.
“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of
anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not
bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh
your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth
generation of those who hate me, and showing loving
kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my
commandments. You shall not take the name of Yahweh
your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who
takes his name in vain.
Remember the seventh day of week, to keep it holy.
You shall labor six days, and do all your work, but the

20
seventh day is a Day of rest to Yahweh your God. You shall
not do any work in it, you, nor your son, nor your daughter,
your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your
livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; for in
six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore
Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may
be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.
“You shall not murder.
“You shall not commit adultery.
“You shall not steal.
“You shall not give false testimony against your
neighbor.
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male
servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey,
nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the
things that are revealed belong to us and to our children
forever, that we may do all the words of this law. For this
commandment which I command you this day, it is not too
hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you
should say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to
us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it?” Neither is it
beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who shall go over the
sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we
may do it?” But the word is very near to you, in your mouth,
and in your heart, that you may do it. Behold, I have set
before you this day life and good, and death and evil; But if
your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but shall be
drawn away, I call heaven and earth to witness against you
this day, that I have set before you life and death, the
blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may
live, you and your seed.”
21
Remember your Lord

“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one: and


you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your might. These words, which I
command you this day, shall be on your heart; and you shall
teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them
when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall
bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for
symbols between your eyes. You shall write them on the
door posts of your house, and on your gates.”
“You shall remember all the way which Yahweh your
God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he
might humble you, to prove you, to know what was in your
heart, whether you would keep his commandments, or not.
He humbled you, and allowed you to be hungry, and fed you
with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers
know; that he might make you know that man does not live
by bread only, but man lives by everything that proceeds out
of the mouth of Yahweh. Your clothing didn’t grow old on
you; neither did your foot swell, these forty years. You shall
consider in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so
Yahweh your God chastens you. You shall keep the
commandments of Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways,
and to fear him.
For Yahweh your God brings you into a good land, a
land of brooks of water, of springs, and underground water
flowing into valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and
vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees
and honey; a land in which you shall eat bread without
scarceness, you shall not lack anything in it; a land whose
stones are iron, and out of whose hills you may dig copper.

22
You shall eat and be full, and you shall bless Yahweh your
God for the good land which he has given you.
Beware lest you forget Yahweh your God, in not
keeping his commandments, and his ordinances, and his
statutes, which I command you this day: lest, when you have
eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses, and lived
therein; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and
your silver and your gold is multiplied, and all that you have
is multiplied; then your heart be lifted up, and you forget
Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of
Egypt, out of the house of bondage; who led you through the
great and terrible wilderness, with fiery serpents and
scorpions, and thirsty ground where there was no water; who
brought you forth water out of the rock of flint; who fed you in
the wilderness with manna, which your fathers didn’t know;
that he might humble you, and that he might prove you, to do
you good at your latter end: and lest you say in your heart,
“My power and the might of my hand has gotten me this
wealth.”
But you shall remember Yahweh your God, for it is he
who gives you power to get wealth; that he may establish his
covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day. It
shall be, if you shall forget Yahweh your God, and walk after
other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify
against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the
nations that Yahweh makes to perish before you, so you
shall perish; because you wouldn’t listen to the voice of
Yahweh your God.”

Not because of your righteousness

“Hear, Israel: you are to pass over the Jordan this day,
to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than
yourself, cities great and fortified up to the sky, a people
23
great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and
of whom you have heard say, “Who can stand before the
sons of Anak?” Know therefore this day, that Yahweh your
God is he who goes over before you as a devouring fire; he
will destroy them, and he will bring them down before you:
so you shall drive them out, and make them to perish
quickly, as Yahweh has spoken to you.
Don’t say in your heart, after Yahweh your God has
thrust them out from before you, saying, “For my
righteousness Yahweh has brought me in to possess this
land;” because Yahweh drives them out before you because
of the wickedness of these nations. Not for your
righteousness, or for the uprightness of your heart, do you
go in to possess their land; but for the wickedness of these
nations Yahweh your God does drive them out from before
you, and that he may establish the word which Yahweh
swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Know therefore, that Yahweh your God doesn’t give you this
good land to possess it for your righteousness; for you are a
stiff-necked people.”
“When you have come into the land which Yahweh your
God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the
abominations of those nations. There shall not be found with
you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices
sorcery, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a
consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For whoever does these things is an abomination to
Yahweh: and because of these abominations Yahweh your
God does drive them out from before you. You shall be
perfect with Yahweh your God.”

24
The penances of Moses

Moses said, “When I was gone up onto the mountain to


receive the tables of stone, even the tables of the covenant
which Yahweh made with you, then I stayed on the mountain
forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank
water. Yahweh delivered to me the two tables of stone
written with the finger of God; and on them were all the
words which Yahweh spoke with you on the mountain out of
the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. It came to
pass at the end of forty days and forty nights, that Yahweh
gave me the two tables of stone, even the tables of the
covenant.
Yahweh said to me, “Arise, get down quickly from here;
for your people whom you have brought out of Egypt have
corrupted themselves; they have quickly turned aside out of
the way which I commanded them; they have made them a
molten image.”
Furthermore Yahweh spoke to me, saying, “I have seen
this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people: let me
alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from
under the sky; and I will make of you a nation mightier and
greater than they.”
So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the
mountain was burning with fire: and the two tables of the
covenant were in my two hands. I looked, and behold, you
had sinned against Yahweh your God; you had made
yourselves a molten calf: you had turned aside quickly out of
the way which Yahweh had commanded you. I took hold of
the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and
broke them before your eyes. I fell down before Yahweh, as
at the first, forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor
drank water; because of all your sin which you sinned, in
doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke

25
him to anger. For I was afraid of the anger and hot
displeasure, with which Yahweh was angry against you to
destroy you, but Yahweh listened to me that time also.
Yahweh was very angry with Aaron to destroy him: and
I prayed for Aaron also at the same time. I took your sin, the
calf which you had made, and burnt it with fire, and stamped
it, grinding it very small, until it was as fine as dust: and I
cast its dust into the brook that descended out of the
mountain. At Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth
Hattaavah, you provoked Yahweh to wrath.
When Yahweh sent you from Kadesh Barnea, saying,
“Go up and possess the land which I have given you;” then
you rebelled against the commandment of Yahweh your
God, and you didn’t believe him, nor listen to his voice. You
have been rebellious against Yahweh from the day that I
knew you. So I fell down before Yahweh the forty days and
forty nights that I fell down, because Yahweh had said he
would destroy you. I prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Lord
Yahweh, don’t destroy your people and your inheritance, that
you have redeemed through your greatness, that you have
brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your
servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; don’t look to the
stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to
their sin, lest the land you brought us out from say, ‘Because
Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land which he
promised to them, and because he hated them, he has
brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.’ Yet they are
your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by
your Great Power and by your outstretched arm.”

Why do you become proud so easily?

Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the


Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a
26
Cushite woman. They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken
only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And
Yahweh heard it.
Now the man Moses was very humble, above all the
men who were on the surface of the earth. Yahweh spoke
suddenly to Moses, to Aaron, and to Miriam, “You three
come out to the Tent of Meeting!”
The three of them came out. Yahweh came down in a
pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the Tent, and called
Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forward. He said,
“Hear now my words. If there is a prophet among you, I
Yahweh will make myself known to him in a vision. I will
speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so. He
is faithful in all my house. With him I will speak mouth to
mouth, even plainly, and not in riddles; and he shall see
Yahweh’s form. Why then were you not afraid to speak
against my servant, against Moses?”
The anger of Yahweh was kindled against them; and he
departed. The cloud departed from over the Tent; and
behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked
at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.
Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, please don’t count
this sin against us, in which we have done foolishly, and in
which we have sinned. Let her not, I pray, be as one dead,
of whom the flesh is half consumed when he comes out of
his mother’s womb.” Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “Heal
her, God, I beg you!”
Yahweh said to Moses, “If her Father had but spit in her
face, shouldn’t she be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut
up outside of the camp seven days, and after that she shall
be brought in again.”
Miriam was shut up outside of the camp seven days,
and the people didn’t travel until Miriam was brought in
again.

27
Face to face with the Lord

Yahweh spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks


to his friend. He turned again into the camp, but his servant
Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, didn’t depart out of
the Tent.
Moses said to Yahweh, “Behold, you tell me, ‘Bring up
this people:’ and you haven’t let me know whom you will
send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and
you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I
have found favor in your sight, please show me now your
ways, that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your
sight: and consider that this nation is your people.”
Yahweh said, “My presence will go with you, and I will
give you rest.”
He said to him, “If your presence doesn’t go with me,
don’t carry us up from here. For how would people know that
I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Isn’t it in
that you go with us, so that we are separated, I and your
people, from all the people who are on the surface of the
earth?”
Yahweh said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you
have spoken; for you have found favor in my sight, and I
know you by name.”
Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
Yahweh said, “I will make all my goodness pass before
you, and will proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. I will
be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy
on whom I will show mercy.”
Yahweh said to Moses, “You cannot see my face, for
man may not see me and live.”

28
The prayer by Moses, the man of God

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all


generations. Before the mountains were brought forth,
before you had formed the earth and the world, even from
everlasting to everlasting, you are God. You turn man to
destruction, saying, “Return, you children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are just like
yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night. You
sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout
like new grass. In the morning it sprouts and springs up, by
evening, it is withered and dry. For we are consumed in your
anger, we are troubled in your wrath. You have set our
iniquities before you; our secret sins in the light of your
presence, for all our days have passed away in your wrath.
We bring our years to an end as a sigh. The days of our
years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty
years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes
quickly, and we fly away. Who knows the power of your
anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?
So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of
wisdom.
Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your
servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad
for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years
as we have seen evil. Let your work appear to your servants;
your glory to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God
be on us; establish the work of our hands for us; yes,
establish the work of our hands.”

29
The Prophets of the Lord

Moses said, “Yahweh your God will raise up to you a


prophet from the midst of you, of your brothers, like me. You
shall listen to him. This is according to all that you desired of
Yahweh your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly,
saying, “Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God,
neither let me see this great fire any more that I not die.”
Yahweh said to me, “They have well said that which
they have spoken. I will raise them up a prophet from among
their brothers, like you; and I will put my words in his mouth,
and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him. It
shall happen that whoever will not listen to my words which
he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. But the
prophet, who shall speak a word presumptuously in my
name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who
shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet
shall die.”
If you say in your heart, “How shall we know the word
which Yahweh has not spoken?” when a prophet speaks in
the name of Yahweh, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen,
that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken: the prophet
has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of
him.”

Who is who?

“Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he


died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. The
children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty
days: so the days of weeping in the mourning for Moses
were ended. Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of
wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands on him: and the

30
children of Israel listened to him, and did as Yahweh
commanded Moses. There has not arisen a prophet since in
Israel like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face, in all the
signs and the wonders, which Yahweh sent him to do in the
land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all
his land, and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great
terror, which Moses worked in the sight of all Israel.”
Jesus said, “A little while, and you will not see me, a
little while, and you will see me again, for I am going away
and I am coming back to you. I know my own, and I’m known
by my own, for I know where I came from, and where I am
going; even as the Father knows me, so I know the Father.
I lay down my life for the sheep; therefore the Father
loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it
again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by
myself. Father has no hold on me, but the world must learn
that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father
has commanded me. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again. I received this commandment from
my Father. O Father! Glorify me with the glory which I had
with you before the world existed!”
“The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those
who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words
him who is weary: he wakens morning by morning, he
wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught.
Fear not; I am the first and the last: I was dead, and
behold, I am alive for evermore, the Living one, Amen, the
Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation, who
has the Seven Spirits of God.”
“In fact, he who knows the real freedom becomes
enslaved by his love for those, who have not yet been able
to attain the knowledge of Truth. Verily, not once, but only
the Holy Spirit knows, how many times, the Son of Man
walked amongst people to accomplish the works of the
Father.”
31
Jesus said, “I have come as a light into the world, that
whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.”

The Transfiguration

Jesus took aside Peter, James, and John, and brought


them up onto a high mountain. There he was changed into
another form in front of them; His clothing became glistening,
exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth
can whiten them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them, and
they were talking with Jesus.
Peter told Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here.
Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one
for Elijah”, for he didn’t know what to say, because they were
very afraid. A cloud came, overshadowing them, and a voice
came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to
him.”
Suddenly looking around, they saw no one with them
any more, except Jesus only. As they were coming down
from the mountain, he commanded them that they should tell
no one what things they had seen, until after the Son of Man
had risen from the dead. They kept this saying to
themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead”
meant. They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say
that Elijah must come first?” He said to them, “Elijah indeed
comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about
the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be
despised?”
This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not
the Christ.”
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
32
Elijah

Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the foreigners of Gilead,


said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before
whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years,
but according to my word.”
The Word of Yahweh came to him, saying, “Go away
from here, turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook
Cherith, so that is before the Jordan. It shall be, that you
shall drink of the brook. I have commanded the ravens to
feed you there.”
So he went and did according to the Word of Yahweh;
for he went and lived by the brook Cherith that is before the
Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and flesh in the
morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank
of the brook. It happened after a while, that the brook dried
up, because there was no rain in the land. The Word of
Yahweh came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which
belongs to Sidon, and stay there. Behold, I have
commanded a widow there to sustain you.”
So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came
to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering
sticks: and he called to her, and said, “Please get me a little
water in a vessel, that I may drink.”
As she was going to get it, he called to her, and said,
“Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” She said,
“As Yahweh your God lives, I don’t have a cake, but a
handful of meal in the jar, and a little oil in the jar. Behold, I
am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and bake it for me
and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go and do as you
have said; but make me of it a little cake first, and bring it out
to me, and afterward make some for you and for your son.
For thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal

33
shall not empty, neither shall the jar of oil fail, until the day
that Yahweh sends rain on the earth.’”
She went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and
she, and he, and her house, ate many days. The jar of meal
didn’t empty, neither did the jar of oil fail, according to the
word of Yahweh, which he spoke by Elijah. It happened after
these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the
house, fell sick; and his sickness was so severe, that there
was no breath left in him. She said to Elijah, “What have I to
do with you, you man of God? You have come to me to bring
my sin to memory, and to kill my son!”
He said to her, “Give me your son.” He took him out of
her bosom, and carried him up into the room where he
stayed, and laid him on his own bed.
He cried to Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh my God, have
you also brought evil on the widow with whom I stay, by
killing her son?”
He stretched himself on the child three times, and cried
to Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh my God, please let this
child’s soul come into him again.”
Yahweh listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of
the child came into him again, and he revived. Elijah took the
child, and brought him down out of the room into the house,
and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “Behold,
your son lives.”
The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a
man of God, and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is
truth.”
It happened after many days, that the word of Yahweh
came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself
to Ahab; and I will send rain on the earth.”
Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. The famine was
severe in Samaria. Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the
household. (Now Obadiah feared Yahweh greatly: for it was
so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Yahweh, that
34
Obadiah took one hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in
a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land, to all the
springs of water, and to all the brooks. Perhaps we may find
grass and save the horses and mules alive, that we not lose
all the animals.” So they divided the land between them to
pass throughout it: Ahab went one way by himself, and
Obadiah went another way by himself. As Obadiah was in
the way, behold, Elijah met him: and he recognized him, and
fell on his face, and said, “Is it you, my lord Elijah?”
He answered him, “It is I. Go, tell your lord, ‘Behold,
Elijah is here!’”
He said, “Wherein have I sinned, that you would deliver
your servant into the hand of Ahab, to kill me? As Yahweh
your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom, where my lord
has not sent to seek you. When they said, ‘He is not here,’
he took an oath of the kingdom and nation, that they didn’t
find you. Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold, Elijah is
here.”’ It will happen, as soon as I am gone from you, that
the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you I don’t know where; and
so when I come and tell Ahab, and he can’t find you, he will
kill me. But I, your servant, have feared Yahweh from my
youth. Wasn’t it told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed
the prophets of Yahweh, how I hid one hundred men of
Yahweh’s prophets with fifty to a cave, and fed them with
bread and water? Now you say, ‘Go, tell your lord, “Behold,
Elijah is here;”’ and he will kill me.”
Elijah said, “As Yahweh of Armies lives, before whom I
stand, I will surely show myself to him today.”
So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab
went to meet Elijah. It happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that
Ahab said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”
He answered, “I have not troubled Israel; but you, and
your father’s house, in that you have forsaken the
commandments of Yahweh, and you have followed the
35
Baals. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to
Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal,
and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at
Jezebel’s table.”
So Ahab sent to all the children of Israel, and gathered
the prophets together to Mount Carmel.
Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long
will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God,
follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.”
The people answered him not a word.
Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left a
prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred
fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bulls; and let them
choose one bull for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay
it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the
other bull, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under it.
You call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name
of Yahweh. The God who answers by fire, let him be God.”
All the people answered, “It is well said.”
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for
yourselves, and dress it first; for you are many; and call on
the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”
They took the bull which was given them, and they
dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning
even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no
voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar
which was made. It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked
them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is
musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or
perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with
knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. It
was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until
the time of the offering of the offering; but there was neither
voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.
36
Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me;” and all
the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of
Yahweh that was thrown down. Elijah took twelve stones,
according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to
whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, “Israel shall be
your name.” With the stones he built an altar in the name of
Yahweh. He made a trench around the altar, large enough to
contain two measures of seed. He put the wood in order,
and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said,
“Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering,
and on the wood.” He said, “Do it a second time;” and they
did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they
did it the third time. The water ran around the altar; and he
also filled the trench with water.
It happened at the time of the offering of the offering,
that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, “Yahweh, the
God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this
day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant,
and that I have done all these things at your word. Hear me,
Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you,
Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back
again.”
Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and consumed the burnt
offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and
licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the
people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh,
he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”
Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t
let one of them escape!”
They seized them. Elijah brought them down to the
brook Kishon, and killed them there.
Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is
the sound of abundance of rain.”
So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to
the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth,
37
and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant,
“Go up now, look toward the sea.” He went up, and looked,
and said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven
times. It happened at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold,
a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He
said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the
rain doesn’t stop you.’”
It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and
went to Jezreel. The hand of Yahweh was on Elijah; and he
tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the
entrance of Jezreel. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had
done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the
gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the
life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”
When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and
came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his
servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the
wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree:
and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It
is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not
better than my fathers.”
He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold,
an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!” He
looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on
the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down
again. The angel of Yahweh came again the second time,
and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the
journey is too great for you.” He arose, and ate and drank,
and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty
nights to Horeb the Mount of God. He came there to a cave,
and lodged there; and behold, the word of Yahweh came to
him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

38
He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God
of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your
covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets
with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life,
to take it away.”
He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before
Yahweh.”
Behold, Yahweh passed by, and a great and strong
wind tore the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks
before Yahweh; but Yahweh was not in the wind. After the
wind an earthquake; but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake a fire passed; but Yahweh was not in
the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. It was so, when
Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and
went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. Behold, a
voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here,
Elijah?”
He said, “I have been very jealous for Yahweh, the God
of Armies; for the children of Israel have forsaken your
covenant, thrown down your altars, and slain your prophets
with the sword. I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life,
to take it away.”
Yahweh said to him, “Go, return on your way to the
wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive, you shall anoint
Hazael to be king over Syria. You shall anoint Jehu the son
of Nimshi to be king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha
the son of Shaphat of Abel Meholah to be prophet in your
place. It shall happen, that he who escapes from the sword
of Hazael, Jehu will kill; and he who escapes from the sword
of Jehu, Elisha will kill. Yet will I leave seven thousand in
Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and
every mouth which has not kissed him.”

39
Elisha

So he departed there, and found Elisha the son of


Shaphat, who was plowing, with twelve yoke of oxen before
him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed over to him,
and cast his mantle on him. He left the oxen, and ran after
Elijah, and said, “Let me please kiss my father and my
mother, and then I will follow you.”
He said to him, “Go back again; for what have I done to
you?”
He returned from following him, and took the yoke of
oxen, and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the
instruments of the oxen, and gave to the people, and they
ate. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and served him.
It happened, when Yahweh would take up Elijah by a
whirlwind into heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from
Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh
has sent me as far as Bethel.”
Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I
will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The sons of
the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and
said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will take away your
master from your head today?”
He said, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh
has sent me to Jericho.”
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came
near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh
will take away your master from your head today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has
sent me to the Jordan.”

40
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you.” They both went on.
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood
opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the
Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and
struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so
that they two went over on dry ground.
It happened, when they had gone over, that Elijah said
to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken
from you.”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be
on me.”
He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me
when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it
shall not be so.”
It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that
behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the
chariots of Israel and its horsemen!”
He saw him no more: and he took hold of his own
clothes, and tore them in two pieces. He took up also the
mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood
by the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that
fell from him, and struck the waters, and said, “Where is
Yahweh, the God of Elijah?” When he also had struck the
waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha went
over. When the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho
over against him saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah
rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him, and bowed
themselves to the ground before him. They said to him, “See
now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let
them go and seek your master. Perhaps the Spirit of
Yahweh has taken him up, and put him on some mountain,
or into some valley.
41
He said, “You shall not send them.” When they urged
him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” They sent
therefore fifty men; and they searched for three days, but
didn’t find him. They came back to him, while he stayed at
Jericho; and he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t go?’”
The men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, please, the
situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees; but the
water is bad, and the land miscarries.”
He said, “Bring me a new jar, and put salt in it.” They
brought it to him. He went out to the spring of the waters,
and threw salt into it, and said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘I have
healed these waters. There shall not be from there any more
death or miscarrying.’” So the waters were healed to this
day, according to the word of Elisha which he spoke. He
went up from there to Bethel. As he was going up by the
way, some youths came out of the city and mocked him, and
said to him, “Go up, you baldy! Go up, you baldhead!” He
looked behind him and saw them, and cursed them in the
name of Yahweh. Two female bears came out of the woods,
and mauled forty-two of those youths. He went from there to
Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

The Lambs of God

There were many more Saints, Prophets and Kings


anointed by God, on whom He poured His Holy Spirit. They
returned to that from which they came, and they were not.
They have listened call of their Father, and were accepted
by Him as His Sons, and they became messengers of His
Light and voices of His Law amongst people.
Jesus said to his disciples, “If you want to offer all
praises in one prayer, then pray like this: ‘O Father, hear our
prayer, as you heard prayer of your only-begotten son, and
received him, and gave him rest from all labors of this world.
42
You are the Almighty One, your armor made of light full of
the living touch of the Word. Our repentance is the Life into
you, and complete merging into your essence is the peace of
saints and solitary. Hear our prayer as you listened prayers
of those, who were anointed by you before us. They have
entered to your Kingdom by sacrificing themselves into You,
and by their good works, they saved their souls from the
prison of ignorant flesh, and were taken by you to the eternal
life. Amen!”
“Wisdom has delivered from sorrow them that attend
upon Her. She conducted the just, when he fled from his
brother's wrath, through the right ways, and showed him the
Kingdom of God, and gave him the knowledge of the holy
things, made him honorable in his labors, and accomplished
his labors. In the deceit of them that overreached him, she
stood by him, and made him honorable. She kept him safe
from his enemies, and she defended him from seducers, and
gave him a strong conflict, that he might overcome, and
know that Wisdom is mightier than all. She forsook not the
just when he was sold, but delivered him from sinners; she
went down with him into the pit. And in bands she left him
not, till she brought him the scepter of the Kingdom, and
power against those that oppressed him; and showed them
that had accused him to be liars, and gave him everlasting
glory.
She delivered the just people, and blameless seed from
the nations that oppressed them. She entered into the soul
of the servant of God, and stood against dreadful kings in
wonders and signs. And she rendered to the just the wages
of their labors, and conducted them in a wonderful way; and
she was to them for a covert by day, and for the light of stars
by night. And they sung to your Holy Name, O Lord, and
they praised with one accord your victorious hand. For
Wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the
tongues of infants eloquent. Hallelujah!”
43
Isaiah

“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting
on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
Above him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings.
With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet.
With two he flew.
One called to another, and said,
“Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies!
The whole earth is full of his glory!”
The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of
him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I
said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of
unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal
in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the
altar. He touched my mouth with it, and said, “Behold, this
has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and
your sin forgiven.”
I heard the Lord’s voice, saying, “Whom shall I send,
and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here I am. Send me!”
He said, “Go, and tell this people, ‘You hear indeed, but
don’t understand; and you see indeed, but don’t perceive.’
Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and
shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with
their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again,
and be healed.”

44
Make straight path to the Lord!

“Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, whose right hand I


have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of
their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates
shall not be shut. “I will go before you, and make the rough
places smooth. I will break the doors of brass in pieces, and
cut apart the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of
darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may
know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, even
the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel
my chosen, I have called you by your name, I have
surnamed you, though you have not known me. I am
Yahweh, and there is none else, besides me, there is no
God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;
that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the
west, that there is none besides me, I am Yahweh, and there
is no one else. I form the light, and create darkness; I make
peace, and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all
these things.”

Daniel

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah


came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and
besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his
hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he
carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god:
and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his
god.
The king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs,
that he should bring in certain of the children of Israel, even
of the seed royal and of the nobles; youths in whom was no

45
blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and
endowed with knowledge, and understanding science, and
such as had ability to stand in the king’s palace; and that he
should teach them the learning and the language of the
Chaldeans. The king appointed for them a daily portion of
the king’s dainties, and of the wine which he drank, and that
they should be nourished three years; that at its end they
should stand before the king.
Now among these were, of the children of Judah,
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The prince of the
eunuchs gave names to them: to Daniel he gave the name
of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to
Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. But
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank:
therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he
might not defile himself.
Now God made Daniel to find kindness and
compassion in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs. The
prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king,
who has appointed your food and your drink: for why should
he see your faces worse looking than other youths of your
age? By this you would endanger my head with the king.”
Then Daniel said to the steward whom the prince of the
eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah, “Test your servants, I beg you, ten days; and let
them give us vegetables to eat, and water to drink. Then let
our faces be looked on before you, and the face of the
youths who eat of the king’s dainties; and as you see, deal
with your servants.”
So he listened to them in this matter, and proved them
ten days. At the end of ten days their faces appeared fairer,
and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths who ate of
the king’s dainties. So the steward took away their dainties,
and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.
46
Now as for these four youths, God gave them
knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel
had understanding in all visions and dreams. At the end of
the days which the king had appointed for bringing them in,
the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them; and among
them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and
Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. In every matter
of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king
inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the
magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm. And so
Daniel continued even to the first year of King Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream

In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar,


Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was
troubled, and his sleep went from him. Then the king
commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and
the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams.
So they came in and stood before the king. The king said to
them, ‘I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to
know the dream.’ Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in
the Syrian language, ‘O king, live forever: tell your servants
the dream, and we will show the interpretation.’
The king answered the Chaldeans, ‘The thing is gone
from me: if you don’t make known to me the dream and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses
shall be made a dunghill. But if you show the dream and its
interpretation, you shall receive of me gifts and rewards and
great honor: therefore show me the dream and its
interpretation.’
They answered the second time and said, ‘Let the king
tell his servants the dream, and we will show the
47
interpretation.’ The king answered, ‘I know of a certainty that
you would gain time, because you see the thing is gone from
me. But if you don’t make known to me the dream, there is
but one law for you; for you have prepared lying and corrupt
words to speak before me, until the time be changed:
therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can
show me its interpretation.’
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said,
‘There is not a man on the earth who can show the king’s
matter, because no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a
thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. It is a rare
thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can
show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is
not with flesh.’
For this cause the king was angry and very furious,
and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So
the decree went forth, and the wise men were to be slain;
and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain.
Then Daniel returned answer with counsel and prudence to
Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to
kill the wise men of Babylon; he answered Arioch the king’s
captain, ‘Why is the decree so urgent from the king?’ Then
Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. Daniel went in, and
desired of the king that he would appoint him a time, and he
would show the king the interpretation.
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing
known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
that they would desire mercies of the God of heaven
concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions
should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
Then was the secret revealed to Daniel in a vision of
the night. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. Daniel
answered, “Blessed is the name of God forever and ever; for
wisdom and might are His. He changes the times and the
seasons; He removes kings, and sets up kings; He gives
48
wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have
understanding; He reveals the deep and secret things; He
knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
I thank you, and praise you, you God of my fathers, who
have given me wisdom and might, and have now made
known to me what we desired of you; for you have made
known to us the king’s matter.”
Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had
appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and
said thus to him: “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon;
bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the
interpretation.” Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king
in haste, and said thus to him, I have found a man of the
children of the captivity of Judah, who will make known to
the king the interpretation. The king answered Daniel, whose
name was Belteshazzar, ‘Are you able to make known to me
the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?’
Daniel answered before the king, and said, ‘The secret
which the king has demanded can neither wise men,
enchanters, magicians, nor soothsayers, show to the king;
but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He
has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be
in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head
on your bed, are these: as for you, O king, your thoughts
came into your mind on your bed, what should happen
hereafter; and He who reveals secrets has made known to
you what shall happen. But as for me, this secret is not
revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any
living, but to the intent that the interpretation may be made
known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of
your heart. You, O king, saw, and behold, a great image.
This image, which was mighty, and whose brightness was
excellent, stood before you; and its aspect was awesome.
As for this image, its head was of fine gold, its breast and its
arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of brass, its legs of iron,
49
its feet part of iron, and part of clay. You saw until a stone
was cut out without hands, which struck the image on its feet
that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then
was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold,
broken in pieces together, and became like the chaff of the
summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away,
so that no place was found for them: and the stone that
struck the image became a great mountain, and filled the
whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tell its interpretation
before the king. You, O king, are king of kings, to whom the
God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the
strength, and the glory; and wherever the children of men
dwell, the animals of the field and the birds of the sky has he
given into your hand, and has made you to rule over them
all: you are the head of gold. After you shall arise another
kingdom inferior to you; and another third kingdom of brass,
which shall bear rule over all the earth. The fourth kingdom
shall be strong as iron, because iron breaks in pieces and
subdues all things; and as iron that crushes all these, shall it
break in pieces and crush. Whereas you saw the feet and
toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, it shall be a
divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the
iron, because you saw the iron mixed with miry clay. As the
toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. Whereas
you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle
themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cling to
one another, even as iron does not mingle with clay.
In the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set
up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its
sovereignty be left to another people; but it shall break in
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand
forever. Because you saw that a stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron,
50
the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God
has made known to the king what shall happen hereafter:
and the dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, and
worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an
offering and sweet odors to him. The king answered to
Daniel, and said, ‘Of a truth your God is the God of gods,
and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you
have been able to reveal this secret.’”
Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and
lavished many gifts on him. He made him ruler over the
entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all its
wise men. Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego administrators over the
province of Babylon, while Daniel himself remained at the
royal court.

The Son of God

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, ninety


feet high and nine feet wide, and set it up on the plain of
Dura in the province of Babylon. He then summoned the
satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges,
magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to
the dedication of the image he had set up. So the satraps,
prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges,
magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled
for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar
had set up, and they stood before it. Then the herald loudly
proclaimed, “This is what you are commanded to do, O
peoples, nations and men of every language: As soon as
you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes
and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the
image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.
51
Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be
thrown into a blazing furnace.”
Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn,
flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the peoples,
nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped
the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. At
this time some astrologers came forward and denounced the
Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live
forever! You have issued a decree, O king, that everyone
who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the
image of gold, and that whoever does not fall down and
worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. But there are
some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the
province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—
who pay no attention to you, O king. They neither serve your
gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before
the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true,
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve
my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now
when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp,
pipes and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and
worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not
worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing
furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my
hand?”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king,
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves
before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing
furnace, God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will
rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not,
we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your
gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Then
52
Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and
Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He
ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual
and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army
to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them
into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes,
trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown
into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent
and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the
soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego,
and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in
amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three
men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied,
“Certainly, O king.” He said, “Look! I see four men walking
around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth
looks like a son of the gods.” Nebuchadnezzar then
approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted,
“Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most
High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps,
prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around
them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies,
nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not
scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. Then
Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach,
Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and
rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the
king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather
than serve or worship any god except their own God.
Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language
who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned
into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”

53
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego
in the province of Babylon.

The vision of Daniel

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel


had a dream and visions of his head on his bed: then he
wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. Daniel
spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the
four winds of the sky broke forth on the great sea. Four great
animals came up from the sea, diverse one from another.
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I saw until its
wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and
made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was
given to it. Behold, another animal, a second, like a bear;
and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its
mouth between its teeth: and they said thus to it, Arise,
devour much flesh. After this I saw, and behold, another, like
a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird; the
animal had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, a fourth
animal, awesome and powerful, and strong exceedingly; and
it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces, and
stamped the residue with its feet: and it was diverse from all
the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns. I
considered the horns, and behold, there came up among
them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first
horns were plucked up by the roots: and behold, in this horn
were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking
great things.
I saw until thrones were placed, and one who was
ancient of days sat: his clothing was white as snow, and the
hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came
54
forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered to
him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him:
the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I saw at
that time because of the voice of the great words which the
horn spoke; I saw even until the animal was slain, and its
body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire. As
for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away:
yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with
the clouds of the sky one like a son of man, and he came
even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near
before him. There was given him dominion, and glory, and a
kingdom that all the peoples, nations, and languages should
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which
shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed.
As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved in the midst of
my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came
near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth
concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the
interpretation of the things. These great animals, which are
four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth. But the
saints of the Most High shall receive the Kingdom, and
possess the Kingdom forever, even forever and ever. Then I
desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which
was diverse from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose
teeth were of iron, and its nails of brass; which devoured,
broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet; and
concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the
other horn which came up, and before which three fell, even
that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke great
things, whose look was more stout than its fellows.
I saw, and the same horn made war with the saints, and
prevailed against them; until the ancient of days came, and

55
judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the
time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom.
Thus he said, The fourth animal shall be a fourth
kingdom on earth, which shall be diverse from all the
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread
it down, and break it in pieces. As for the ten horns, out of
this kingdom shall ten kings arise: and another shall arise
after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he
shall put down three kings.
He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall
wear out the saints of the Most High; and he shall think to
change the times and the law; and they shall be given into
his hand until a time and times and half a time. But the
judgment shall be set, and they shall take away his
dominion, to consume and to destroy it to the end. The
kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdoms under the whole sky, shall be given to the people
of the saints of the Most High: His Kingdom is an Everlasting
Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. Here
is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts
much troubled me, and my face was changed in me: but I
kept the matter in my heart.”

The second vision of Daniel

“In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a


vision appeared to me, even to me, Daniel, after that which
appeared to me at the first. I saw in the vision; now it was so,
that when I saw, I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the
province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the
river Ulai. Then I lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold,
there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and
the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other,
and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing
56
westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals
could stand before him, neither was there any who could
deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and
magnified himself. As I was considering, behold, a male goat
came from the west over the surface of the whole earth, and
didn’t touch the ground: and the goat had a notable horn
between his eyes. He came to the ram that had the two
horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran on him
in the fury of his power. I saw him come close to the ram,
and he was moved with anger against him, and struck the
ram, and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the
ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the
ground, and trampled on him; and there was none who could
deliver the ram out of his hand. The male goat magnified
himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn
was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable
horns toward the four winds of the sky. Out of one of them
came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward
the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land.
It grew great, even to the army of the sky; and some of the
army and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and
trampled on them. Yes, it magnified itself, even to the prince
of the army; and it took away from him the continual burnt
offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. The
army was given over to it together with the continual burnt
offering through disobedience; and it cast down truth to the
ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. Then I heard a
holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain
one who spoke, ‘How long shall be the vision concerning the
continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes
desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be
trodden under foot?’ He said to me, ‘To two thousand and
three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the
sanctuary be cleansed.’ It happened, when I, even I Daniel,

57
had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and
behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man.
I heard a man’s voice between the banks of the Ulai,
which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to
understand the vision. So he came near where I stood; and
when he came, I was frightened, and fell on my face: but he
said to me, ‘Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs
to the Time of the End.’ Now as he was speaking with me, I
fell into a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he
touched me, and set me upright. He said, ‘Behold, I will
make you know what shall be in the latter time of the
indignation; for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.
The ram which you saw, that had the two horns, they are the
kings of Media and Persia. The rough male goat is the king
of Greece: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the
first king. As for that which was broken, in the place where
four stood up, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation,
but not with his power. In the latter time of their kingdom,
when the transgressors have come to the full, a king of fierce
face, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. His
power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he
shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper and do his
pleasure; and he shall destroy the mighty ones and the holy
people. Through his policy he shall cause craft to prosper in
his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and in
their security shall he destroy many: he shall also stand up
against the prince of princes; but he shall be broken without
hand. The vision of the evenings and mornings which has
been told is true: but seal up the vision; for it belongs to
many days to come.’ I, Daniel, fainted, and was sick certain
days; then I rose up, and did the king’s business: and I
wondered at the vision, but none understood it.”

58
The calculations of Daniel

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the


seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of
the Chaldeans, in the first year of his reign I, Daniel,
understood by the books the number of the years about
which the Word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet,
for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even
seventy years. I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by
prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.
While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my
sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my
supplication before Yahweh my God for the Holy Mountain of
my God; yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man
Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the
evening offering. He instructed me, and talked with me, and
said, “Daniel, I am now come forth to give you wisdom and
understanding. At the beginning of your petitions the
commandment went forth, and I have come to tell you; for
you are greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and
understand the vision. Seventy weeks are decreed on your
people and on your Holy City, to finish disobedience, and to
make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Know
therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem to the
Anointed One, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and sixty-
two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even
in troubled times. After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed
One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people
of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the
sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the

59
end shall be war; desolations are determined. He shall make
a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of
the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to
cease; and on the wing of abominations shall come one who
makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that
determined, shall wrath be poured out on the desolate.”

The Voice in the wilderness

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was


John. The same came as a witness, that he might testify
about the light, that all might believe through him. He was
not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the
light. The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into
the world. This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent
priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are
you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.
What do you say about yourself?”
He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet
said.”
“Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.
“Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her
that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is
pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh’s hand double
for all her sins.”
The voice of one who calls out,
“Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness!
Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
Every valley shall be exalted,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low.
The uneven shall be made level,
and the rough places a plain.
The glory of Yahweh shall be revealed,
60
and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it.”
The voice of one saying, “Cry!”
One said, “What shall I cry?”
“All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower
of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because
Yahweh’s breath blows on it. Surely the people are like
grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of
our God stands forever.”
“You who tell good news to Zion, go up on a high
mountain. You who tell good news to Jerusalem, lift up your
voice with strength. Lift it up. Don’t be afraid. Say to the
cities of Judah, “Behold, your God!” Behold, the Lord
Yahweh will come as a mighty one, and his arm will rule for
him. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense
before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will
gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom.
Who has directed the Spirit of Yahweh,
or has taught him as his Counselor?
Who did he take counsel with,
and who instructed him,
and taught him in the path of justice,
and taught him knowledge,
and showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket,
and are regarded by him as less than nothing, and
vanity.
Haven’t you known?
Haven’t you heard?
The everlasting God, Yahweh,
The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint.
He isn’t weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak.
He increases the strength of him who has no might.
61
Even the youths faint and get weary,
and the young men utterly fall;
But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their
strength.
They will mount up with wings like eagles.
They will run, and not be weary.
They will walk, and not faint.”

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the


way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly
come to His Temple; and the messenger of the covenant,
whom you desire, behold, he comes!” says Yahweh of
Armies. “But who can endure the day of his coming? And
who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s
fire, and like launderer’s soap; and he will sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and
refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to
Yahweh offerings in righteousness. Then the offering of
Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the
days of old, and as in ancient years.
I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers,
and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress
the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and
who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says
Yahweh of Armies. “For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore
you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of
your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and
have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,”
says Yahweh of Armies.”

62
The Lord’s servant

“I am Yahweh. That is my name. Behold, the former


things have happened, and I declare new things. I tell you
about them before they come up. Sing to Yahweh a new
song and his praise from the end of the earth, you who go
down to the sea and all that is therein, the continents and
their inhabitants.”
“Have a look at my servant, whom I uphold; my chosen,
in whom my soul delights, I have put my Spirit on him. He
will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout, nor raise
his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street. He won’t
break a bruised reed; he won’t put out a dimly burning wick.
He will faithfully bring justice. He will not fail nor be
discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and his law
has reached all continents.”
“Thus says God Yahweh, he who created the heavens
and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and
that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people
and His Holy Spirit to those who walk in it. “I, Yahweh, have
called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand, and will
keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a
light for the nations; to open the blind eyes, to bring the
prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness
out of the prison.”
“I have been silent a long time. I have been quiet and
restrained myself. Now I will cry out like a travailing woman. I
will bring the blind by a way that they don’t know. I will lead
them in paths that they don’t know. I will make darkness light
before them, and crooked places straight. I will do these
things, and I will not forsake them. “Those who trust in
engraved images, who tell molten images, ‘You are our
gods’ will be turned back. They will be utterly disappointed.”

63
“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
Who is as blind, as my servant, or who is as deaf as my
messenger whom I send? Who is as blind as he, who is at
peace, the servant of Yahweh? You see many things, but
you don’t observe. His ears are open, but he doesn’t listen,
his eyes are open but he didn’t see, for he is not. It pleased
Yahweh, for his righteousness’ sake, to magnify the Law,
and make it honorable.
The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, speaks, and calls the
earth from sunrise to sunset. Out of Zion, the perfection of
beauty, God shines forth. Our God comes, and does not
keep silent. A fire devours before him. It is very stormy
around him. He calls to the heavens above, to the earth, that
he may judge his people: “Gather my saints together to me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.”
The heavens shall declare his righteousness, for God
himself is judge. “Hear, my people, and I will speak; Israel,
and I will testify against you. I am God, your God. I don’t
rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are
continually before me. I have no need for a bull from your
stall, nor male goats from your pens. For every animal of the
forest is mine, and the livestock on a thousand hills. I know
all the birds of the mountains. The wild animals of the field
are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world
is mine, and all that is in it. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or
drink the blood of goats? Offer to God the sacrifice of
thanksgiving, pay your vows to the Most High. Call on me in
the day of trouble, and I will deliver you, and you will honor
me.”
But to the wicked God says, “What right do you have to
declare my statutes, that you have taken my covenant on
your lips, since you hate instruction, and throw my words
behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him,
and have participated with adulterers. “You give your mouth
to evil, your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against
64
your brother, you slander your own mother’s son. You have
done these things, and I kept silent. You thought that I was
just like you. I will rebuke you, and accuse you in front of
your eyes. “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I
tear you into pieces, and there be no one to deliver.
Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and
prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”
But this is a robbed and plundered people. All of them
are snared in holes, and they are hidden in their own
prisons. They have become a prey, and no one delivers; and
a spoil, and no one says, ‘Restore them!’
Who is there among you, who will pay attention to this?
Who will listen and understand about the time to come? Who
gave Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t
Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned? For, they would
not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed His Law.
Therefore he poured the fierceness of His anger on
him, and the strength of battle; and it set him on fire all
around, but he didn’t know; and it burned him, but he didn’t
take it to heart. “You are my witnesses,” says Yahweh, “With
my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and
believe me, and understand that I am he.”

The Prince of Peace

“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the


government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of
peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on
His Kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and
with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal
of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

65
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who
brings Good News, who publishes peace, who brings good
News of Good, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion,
“Your God reigns!” The voice of your watchmen! They lift up
the voice, together do they sing; for they shall see eye to
eye, when Yahweh returns to Zion. Break forth into joy, sing
together, you waste places of Jerusalem; for Yahweh has
comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
Yahweh has made bare His Holy arm in the eyes of all
the nations; and all the ends of the earth have seen the
salvation of our God. Depart, depart, go out from there, and
touch no unclean thing! Go out of the midst of Her! Cleanse
yourselves, you who bear the vessels of God. For you shall
not go out in haste, neither shall you go by flight: for Yahweh
will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rear
guard.
Behold, my servant shall deal wisely, he shall be
exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Like as many
were astonished at you (his appearance was marred more
than any man, and his form more than the sons of men), so
shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths
at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see;
and that which they had not heard shall they understand.
Who has believed our message?
To whom has the arm of Yahweh been revealed? For,
he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of
dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see
him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He was
despised, and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and
acquainted with sickness. He was despised as one from
whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. Surely
he has borne our sickness, and carried our suffering; yet we
considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.”

66
“Hear, Yahweh, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul, for I am godly.
You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you.
Be merciful to me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to the soul of your servant,
for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive;
abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on
you.
Hear, Yahweh, my prayer.
Listen to the voice of my petitions.
In the day of my trouble I will call on you,
for you will answer me.
There is no one like you among the gods, Lord,
nor any deeds like your deeds.
All nations you have made will come and worship
before you, Lord.
They shall glorify Your Name.
For you are great, and do wondrous things.
You are God alone.
Teach me your Way, Yahweh.
I will walk in your Truth.
Make my heart undivided to fear Your Name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with my whole heart.
I will glorify Your Name forevermore.
For your loving kindness is great toward me.
You have delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
God, the proud have risen up against me.
A company of violent men have sought after my soul,
and they don’t hold regard for you before them.
But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, slow to
anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth. Turn to
me, and have mercy on me! Give your strength to your
67
servant. Save the son of your handmaid. Show me a sign of
your goodness, so that those who hate me may see it, and
be shamed, because you, Yahweh, have helped me, and
comforted me.”

The Firstborn of the Lord

“I have bestowed strength on the warrior.


I have exalted a young man from the people.
I have found David, my servant.
I have anointed him with my Holy Oil,
with whom my hand shall be established.
My arm will also strengthen him.
No enemy will tax him.
No wicked man will oppress him.
I will beat down his adversaries before him,
and strike those who hate him.
But my faithfulness and my loving kindness will be with
him.
In my Name, his horn will be exalted.
I will set his hand also on the sea,
and his right hand on the rivers.
He will call to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, and the rock of my salvation!’
I will also appoint him my firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
I will keep my loving kindness for him forevermore.
My covenant will stand firm with him.”

“Listen to me, continents; and listen, you peoples, from


far: Yahweh has called me from the womb; from the bowels
of my mother has he made mention of my name: and he has
made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his
hand, he has hidden me: and he has made me a polished
68
shaft; in his quiver has he kept me close: and he said to me,
“You are my servant; Anointed, in whom I will be glorified.”
But I said, “I have labored in vain, I have spent my
strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely the justice due to
me is with Yahweh, and my reward with my God.”
Now says Yahweh who formed me from the womb to
be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, and that Israel
be gathered to him (for I am honorable in the eyes of
Yahweh, and my God has become my strength); yes, he
says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to
raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of
Israel: I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you
may be my salvation to the ends of the earth.”

“How blessed is the one who treats the poor properly!


When trouble comes, the Lord delivers him.
May the Lord protect him and save his life!
May he be blessed in the land!
Do not turn him over to his enemies!
The Lord supports him on his sickbed;
you completely heal him from his illness.
As for me, I said:
“O Lord, have mercy on me!
Heal me, for I have sinned against you!
My enemies ask this cruel question about me,
'When will he finally die and be forgotten?'
When someone comes to visit, he pretends to be
friendly;
he thinks of ways to defame me,
and when he leaves he slanders me.
All who hate me whisper insults about me to one
another;
they plan ways to harm me.
They say, 'An awful disease overwhelms him,
and now that he is bed-ridden he will never recover.'
69
Even my close friend whom I trusted,
he who shared meals with me, has turned against me.
As for you, O Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up,
so I can pay them back!”
By this I know that you are pleased with me,
for my enemy does not triumph over me.
As for me, you uphold me because of my integrity;
allow me permanent access to Your Presence!
The Lord God of Israel deserves praise
in the future and forevermore!
We agree! We agree!”

“Thus says Yahweh, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy


One, says to him whom man despises, to him whom the
nation abhors, to a servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise
in respect, princes will bow down, because of Yahweh who
is faithful, even the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

Walking with the Lord

“The Lord Yahweh has given me the tongue of those


who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words
him who is weary: he wakens morning by morning; he
wakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord
Yahweh has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious,
neither turned away backward. I gave my back to the
strikers, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair; I
didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord
Yahweh will help me; therefore I have not been confounded:
therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I
shall not be disappointed.
He is near who justifies me; who will bring charges
against me? Let us stand up together: who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord Yahweh will help
70
me; who is he who shall condemn me? Behold, all they shall
wax old as a garment, the moth shall eat them up. Who is
among you who fears Yahweh, who obeys the voice of his
servant? He who walks in darkness, and has no light, let him
trust in the Name of Yahweh, and rely on his God.
Behold, all you, who kindle a fire, who adorn yourselves
with torches around yourselves; walk in the flame of your
fire, and among the brands that you have kindled. You shall
have this of my hand; you shall lie down in sorrow.”
“Attend to me, my people; and give ear to me, my
nation: for a law shall go forth from me, and I will establish
my justice for a light of the peoples. My righteousness is
near, my salvation is gone forth, and my arms shall judge the
peoples; the continents shall wait for me, and on my arm
shall they trust.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on the earth
beneath; for the heavens will vanish away like smoke, and
the earth will wax old like a garment; and those who dwell
therein will die in the same way: but my salvation will be
forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”
“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people
in whose heart is my Law; don’t fear the reproach of men,
neither be dismayed at their insults. For the moth shall eat
them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like
wool; but my righteousness shall be forever, and my
salvation to all generations.”
“I, even I, am he who comforts you: who are you, that
you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man
who shall be made as grass; and have forgotten Yahweh
your Maker, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the
foundations of the earth; and fear continually all the day
because of the fury of the oppressor, when he makes ready
to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? The
captive exile shall speedily be freed; and he shall not die and
go down into the pit, neither shall his bread fail.
71
Shake yourself from the dust! Arise, sit up, Jerusalem!
Release yourself from the bonds of your neck, captive
daughter of Zion! For thus says Yahweh, “You were sold for
nothing; and you shall be redeemed without money.” “Now
therefore, what do I do here,” says Yahweh, “seeing that my
people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over
them mock,” says Yahweh, “and my name continually all the
day is blasphemed. Therefore my people shall know my
name. Therefore they shall know in that day that I am he
who speaks; behold, it is I.”
“Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he
who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come; buy wine and
milk without money and without price. Why do you spend
money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that
which doesn’t satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat you
that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul
shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David.
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a
leader and commander to the peoples. Behold, you shall call
a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know
you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for
the Holy One of Israel; for He has glorified you.”

Seek the Lord!

“Seek Yahweh while He may be found; call on him


while He is near: let the wicked forsake their ways, and the
unrighteous man their thoughts; and let them return to
Yahweh, and he will have mercy on them; and to our God,
for he will abundantly pardon.”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither my
ways are your ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are
72
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts are above of your thoughts.”
Thus says Yahweh, “Keep justice, and do
righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my
righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does
this, and the son of man who holds it fast; who keeps the
Sabbath from profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing
any evil. Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to
Yahweh, speak, saying, “Yahweh will surely separate me
from his people;” neither let the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a
dry tree.”
For thus says Yahweh, “To the eunuchs who keep my
Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold
fast my covenant: to them I will give in My House and within
my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of
daughters; I will give them an Everlasting Name, the Word
that can not be cut off.
Also the foreigners, who join themselves to Yahweh, to
minister to him, and to love the name of Yahweh, to be his
servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it,
and holds fast my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy
mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their
burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted on my
altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all
peoples.”
The Lord Yahweh, who gathers the outcasts of Israel,
says, “Yet will I gather others to him, besides his own who
are gathered.”

The true worship

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like


a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the
house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and
73
delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness,
and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me
the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to
God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and you see not?
Wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and you take no
notice? Behold, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and
exact all your labors. Behold, your fast for strife and debate,
and to smite with the fist of wickedness: you should not fast
as you do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Is it such a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to
afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and
to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this
a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Is not this the fast
that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to
undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free,
and that you break every yoke? Is it not to give your bread to
the hungry, and bring in the poor that are cast out to your
house? Is it not when you see the naked, that you cover him;
and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your
healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go
before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for
help, and he will say: Here am I. Behold, Yahweh’s hand is
not shortened, that it can’t save; neither his ear heavy, that it
can’t hear: but your iniquities have separated you from your
God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he
will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your
fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue
mutters wickedness.

74
Wickedness and hypocrisy

“None sues in righteousness, and none pleads of those


who are in truth. But they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they
conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. They hatch
adders’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he who eats of
their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a
viper. Their webs shall not become garments; neither shall
they cover themselves with their works: their works are
works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.
Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent
blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and
destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they don’t
know; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made
crooked their paths; whoever goes therein does not know
peace.”

The Lord says:


“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
Therefore once more I will astound these people
with wonder upon wonder;
the wisdom of the wise will perish,
the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.”
Woe to those who go to great depths
to hide their plans from the Lord,
who do their work in darkness and think,
“Who sees us? Who will know?”
You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,

75
“He did not make me”?
Can the pot say of the potter,
“He knows nothing”?
In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll,
and out of gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind will see.
Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord;
the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
The ruthless will vanish,
the mockers will disappear,
and all who have an eye for evil will be cut
down—
those who with a word make a man out to be guilty,
who ensnare the defender in court
and with false testimony deprive the innocent of
justice.
Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed
Abraham, says to the house of Jacob:
“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;
no longer will their faces grow pale.
When they see among them their children,
the work of my hands,
they will keep my name holy;
they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy
One of Jacob,
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Those who are wayward in spirit will gain
understanding;
those who complain will accept instruction.”

76
The King of Israel

“So shall they fear the name of Yahweh from the west,
and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come as a
rushing stream, which the breath of Yahweh drives.”
“Behold, your King comes to you!
He is righteous, and having salvation;
lowly, and riding on a donkey,
even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to preach Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;”
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

77
And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.”

The Righteous perishes

The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart; and


merciful men are taken away, none considering that the
righteous is taken away from the evil.
He enters into peace; they rest in their beds, each one
who walks in his uprightness. “But draw near here, you sons
of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the prostitute.
Against whom do you sport yourselves? Against whom do
you make a wide mouth, and stick out your tongue? Aren’t
you children of disobedience, a seed of falsehood, you who
inflame yourselves among the oaks, under every green tree;
who kill the children in the valleys, under the clefts of the
rocks? Among the smooth stones of the valley is your
portion; they, they are your lot; you have even poured a drink
offering to them. You have offered an offering. Shall I be
appeased for these things?
On a high and lofty mountain you have set your bed;
there also you went up to offer sacrifice. Behind the doors
and the posts you have set up your memorial:
for you have uncovered to someone besides me,
and have gone up; you have enlarged your bed,
and made you a covenant with them:
you loved their bed where you saw it.
You became wearied with the length of your way; yet
you didn’t say, ‘It is in vain.’ You found a reviving of your
strength; therefore you weren’t faint.
“Of whom else have you been afraid and in fear, that
you lie, and have not remembered me, nor laid it to your
78
heart? Haven’t I held my peace even of long time, and you
don’t fear me?
I will declare your righteousness; and as for your works,
they shall not profit you. When you cry, let those who you
have gathered deliver you; but the wind shall take them, a
breath shall carry them all away: but he who takes refuge in
me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my Holy
Mountain.”
He will say, “Cast up, cast up, prepare the way, take up
the stumbling-block out of the way of my people.”
For thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits
eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy
place, with him also who is of a contrite and humble spirit, to
revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the
repentant. For I will not contend forever, neither will I be
always angry; for the spirit would faint before me, and the
souls which I have made.
For the iniquity of his covetousness was I angry, and
struck him; I hid myself and was angry; and he went on
backsliding in the way of his heart.
I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him
also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.
I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace, to him who is
far off and to him who is near,” says Yahweh; “and I will heal
them.”
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest,
and its waters cast up mire and dirt. “There is no peace,”
says my God, “for the wicked.”

The Lamb

“But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was


crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our
peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. All we
79
like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his
own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn’t open
his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a
sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he didn’t open his
mouth. He was taken away by oppression and judgment;
and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off
out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience
of my people? They made his grave with the wicked and with
a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence,
neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused
him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he
will see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the
pleasure of Yahweh shall prosper in his hand. After the
suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My
righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of
himself; and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and
he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured
out his soul to death, and was numbered with the
transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.”
“Before me there was no God formed, neither will there
be after me. I myself am Yahweh; and besides me there is
no Savior. I have declared, I have saved, and I have shown;
and there was no strange god among you.
Therefore you are my witnesses,”
says Yahweh, “and I am God.
Yes, since the day was I am he;
and there is no one who can deliver out of my hand.
I will work, and who can hinder it?”
“Distil, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour
down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may bring

80
forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up
with it.
I, Yahweh, have created it.
Woe to him who strives with his Maker—
a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth!
Shall the clay ask him who fashions it,
‘What are you making?’
or your work, ‘He has no hands?’
Woe to him who says to a Father,
‘What have you become the father of?’
or to a Mother, ‘To what have you given birth?’”
Thus says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, and his
Maker: “You ask me about the things that are to come,
concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the
work of my hands! I have made the earth, and created man
on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and
I have commanded all their army. I have raised him up in
righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall
build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, neither for
price nor reward,” says Yahweh of Armies.

“Don’t remember the former things,


and don’t consider the things of old.
Behold, I will do a new thing.
It springs forth now.
“Come near to me and hear this:
“From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from
the time that it was, there am I.”
“Now the Lord Yahweh has sent me, with his Spirit.
Thus says Yahweh, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I
am Yahweh your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads
you by the way that you should go. Oh, if you had obeyed
my commandments, then your peace would have been like a
river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea: your
seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of your
81
body like its grains: his name would not be cut off nor
destroyed from before me. “There is no peace,” says
Yahweh, “for the wicked.”

Rewards of the Lord

“Justice is far from us, neither does righteousness


overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for
brightness, but we walk in obscurity. Yes, truth is lacking;
and in this world he, who departs from evil makes himself a
prey. Yahweh saw it, and it displeased him that there was no
justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that
there was no intercessor: therefore his own arm brought
salvation to him; and his righteousness, it upheld him. He put
on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation
on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for
clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay,
wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the
continents he will repay recompense.”

“Yahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs,


you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth.
Rise up, you judge of the earth.
Pay back the proud what they deserve.
Yahweh, how long will the wicked,
how long will the wicked triumph?
They pour out arrogant words.
All the evildoers boast.
They break your people in pieces, Yahweh,
and afflict your heritage.
They kill the widow and the alien,
and murder the fatherless.
They say, “the Lord will not see,
82
neither will Jacob’s God consider.”
Consider, you senseless among the people;
you fools, when will you be wise?
He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear?
He who formed the eye, won’t he see?
He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish?
He who teaches man knows.
Yahweh knows the thoughts of man,
that they are futile.
Blessed is the man whom you discipline, the Lord,
and teach out of your Law;
that you may give him rest from the days of adversity,
until the pit is dug for the wicked.
For Yahweh won’t reject his people,
neither will he forsake his inheritance.
For judgment will return to righteousness.
All the upright in heart shall follow it.
Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Unless Yahweh had been my help,
my soul would have soon lived in silence.
When I said, “My foot is slipping!”
Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me,
your comforts delight my soul.
Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with
you, which brings about mischief by statute?
They gather themselves together against the soul of the
righteous,
and condemn the innocent blood.
But Yahweh has been my high tower,
my God, the Rock of my refuge.
He has brought on them their own iniquity,
and will cut them off in their own wickedness.
Yahweh, our God, will cut them off.”
83
The Vineyard of the Lord Almighty

“The vineyard of the Lord Almighty


is the House of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are the garden of his delight.
And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?


Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering
that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
in the day of his fierce anger?
“From on high he sent fire,
sent it down into my bones.
He spread a net for my feet
and turned me back.
He made me desolate,
faint all the day long.
“My sins have been bound into a yoke;
by his hands they were woven together.
They have come upon my neck
and the Lord has sapped my strength.
He has handed me over
to those I cannot withstand.
“The Lord has rejected
all the warriors in my midst;
he has summoned an army against me
to crush my young men.
In his winepress the Lord has trampled
the Virgin Daughter of Judah.
“This is why I weep

84
and my eyes overflow with tears.
No one is near to comfort me,
no one to restore my spirit.
My children are destitute
because the enemy has prevailed.”

Thus says Yahweh, “Where is the bill of your Mother’s


divorce, with which I have put her away? Or which of my
creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your
wickedness were you sold, and for your transgressions was
your Mother put away.
Why, when I came, there was no man? Why when I
called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at
all, that it can’t redeem or have I no power to deliver?
Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a
wilderness: their fish stink, because there is no water, and
die for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I
make sackcloth their covering.”

The Just One

“For I, Yahweh, love justice, I hate robbery with iniquity;


and I will give them their recompense in truth, and I will
make an everlasting covenant with them. Their seed shall be
known among the nations, and their offspring among the
peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge them, that they
are the seed which Yahweh has blessed.”
“I will greatly rejoice in Yahweh, my soul shall be joyful
in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of
salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride
adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth
its bud, and as the garden causes the things that are sown in
it to spring forth; so the Lord Yahweh will cause
85
righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the
nations.
For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for
Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go
forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns.
The nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings
your glory, and you shall be called by a New Name, which
the mouth of Yahweh shall name. You shall also be a crown
of beauty in the hand of Yahweh, and a royal diadem in the
hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken;
neither shall your land any more be termed Desolate: but
you shall be called ‘My delight’, and your land ‘Married’; for
Yahweh delights in you, and your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin, so your sons shall
marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so
your God will rejoice over you. I have set watchmen on your
walls, Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day nor
night: you who call on Yahweh, take no rest, and give him no
rest, until he establishes, and until he makes Jerusalem a
praise in the earth.
Go through, go through the gates! Prepare the way of
the people! Cast up, cast up the highway! Gather out the
stones! Lift up a banner for the peoples.”
Behold, Yahweh has proclaimed to the end of the earth,
“Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation
comes. Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense
before him.’”
They shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of
Yahweh: and you shall be called Sought out, ‘A city not
forsaken’.”

86
The Third Covenant

“Behold, the days come,” says the Lord, “that I will


make a new covenant with the House of Israel and with the
House of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made
with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in
my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.
“For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House
of Israel. After those days,” says the Lord; “I will put my laws
into their mind, I will also write them on their heart; and I will
be their God, and they shall be my people: and they shall
teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, Know Yahweh; for they shall all know me,
from their least to their greatest, says Yahweh: for I will
forgive their iniquity, and their sin will I remember no more.”

87
PART TWO: THE WORD OF GOD

The Blood of the New Covenant

“Look, here comes the Lamb of God, who takes away


the sin of the world!”
Disciples said to Jesus, “Twenty-four prophets have
spoken in Israel, and all of them spoke about you.” He
answered them, “When you have the Living One in front of
you, why you are so concerned with sayings of those, who
are already dead? The law and the prophets were until John.
From that time the Good News of the Kingdom of God is
preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.”
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he
had blessed, he broke it, and gave to disciples, and said,
“Take, eat. This is my body.”
He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he
gave to them. They all drank of it.
He said to them, “This is my blood of the new covenant,
which is poured out for many. Most certainly I tell you, I will
no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I
drink it anew in the Kingdom of God.”

The Son of man

“As the impulse of anger against evil, so is the impulse


of joy over what is lovely, and brings in of its fruits without
restraint. My joy is the Lord and my impulse is toward Him,
and this path of mine is excellent, for I have a helper, the
Lord. He has caused me to know Himself, without grudging,
by His simplicity, His kindness has humbled His greatness.
88
He became like me, in order that I might receive Him, He
was reckoned like myself in order that I might put Him on.
And I trembled not when I saw Him, because He was
gracious to me. Like my nature He became, so that I might
learn Him and like my form, so that I might not turn back
from Him.
The Father of knowledge is the Word of knowledge, He
who created wisdom is wiser than His works; and He who
created me when yet I did not knew what I should do, when I
came into being. Wherefore He pitied me in His abundant
grace and granted me to ask from Him and to receive from
His sacrifice; because He is that which is incorrupt, the
fullness of the ages and the Father of them.
He has given Him to be seen of them that are His, in
order that they may recognize Him that made them, and that
they might not suppose that they came of themselves. For
knowledge He has appointed as its way, He has widened it
and extended it and brought to all perfection. And set over it
the traces of His Light, and I walked therein from the
beginning even to the end.
For by Him it was shaped, and He was resting in the
Son, and for its salvation He will take hold of everything. And
the Most High shall be known in His Saints, to announce to
those that have songs of the Coming of the Lord, so that
they may go forth to meet Him, and may sing to Him with joy
and with the harp of many tones. The seers shall come
before Him and they shall be seen before Him, and they
shall praise the Lord for His love, because He is near and
behold.
And hatred shall be taken from the earth, and along
with jealousy it shall be drowned, for ignorance has been
destroyed, because the knowledge of the Lord has arrived.
They who make songs shall sing the grace of the Lord Most
High; and they shall bring their songs, and their heart shall
be like the day, and like the excellent beauty of the Lord their
89
pleasant song. And there shall neither be anything that
breathes without knowledge, nor any that is dumb, for He
has given a mouth to His creation, to open the voice of the
mouth towards Him, to praise Him. Confess His Power, and
show forth His grace! Hallelujah!”

1 Coming of the Savior

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the
beginning with God. All things were made through him.
Without him was not anything made that has been made. In
him was Life, and the Life was the light of men. The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.
The True Light that enlightens everyone was coming into the
world. He was in the world, and the world was made through
him, and the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own,
and those who were his own didn’t receive him.
Jesus said, “I took my place in the midst of the world,
and I appeared to them in flesh. I found all of them
intoxicated; I found none of them thirsty. And my soul
became afflicted for the sons of men, because they were
blind in their hearts and do not have sight; for empty they
came into the world, and empty too they seek to leave it. But
for a moment they are intoxicated. When they will shake off
their wine, they will repent.”
But as many as received him, to them he gave the right
to become God’s Children, to those who believe in His
Name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus said, “I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and
learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for
so it was well-pleasing in your sight.”
90
The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw
his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the
Father, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we all
received grace upon grace. For the Law was given through
Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son,
who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
Jesus said, “No one has ever gone into heaven except
the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as
Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man
must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may
have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his
one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son
into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but
whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and
only Son.”
Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”
They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say
Elijah, but others: one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Anointed One.”
He commanded them that they should tell no one about
him.
“I was crowned by my God, my crown is living. And I
was justified in my Lord, my incorruptible salvation is He. I
was loosed from vanity, and I was not condemned. The
choking bonds were cut off by her hands; I received the face
and the fashion of a new person, and I walked in it and was
saved, and remembrance of the Truth led me on. And I
walked after it and did not wander, and all that have seen me
were amazed; and I was regarded by them as a strange
person. And He who knew and brought me up is the Most
91
High in all His perfection; He glorified me by His kindness,
and raised my thoughts to the height of His Truth. And from
thence He gave me the way of His precepts, and I opened
the doors that were closed, and broke in pieces the bars of
iron; my iron melted and dissolved before me.
Nothing appeared closed to me, because I was the
Door of everything. And I went over all my bondmen to loose
them; that I might not leave any man bound or binding. And I
imparted my knowledge without grudging: and my prayer
was in my love. And I sowed my fruits in hearts, and
transformed them into myself, and they received my blessing
and lived. And they were gathered to me and were saved;
because they were to me as my own members and I was
their head. Hallelujah!”
Jesus went about all the cities and the villages of Israel,
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News
of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every
sickness among the people. He took all of them by surprise,
for he did not appear them as he was, but in the manner in
which they were able to see him. He came neither as a King
anointed by God, nor like an angel from heaven. He
appeared to them all as they were, as flesh. Those who were
large in heart, they were able to recognize his greatness:
Jesus said, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things
that you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings
desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see
them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear
them.”
Those who perceived everything as small, supposed
him also to be small. He appeared to the angels as an angel,
and to the men as a man. There were many who after
seeing him, were thinking that he was like one of them, by
comparing him with themselves.
“O faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be
with you? How long will have to I bear with you? This is the
92
verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved
darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come
into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But
whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may
be seen plainly that what he has done has been done
through God.”
“To what shall I compare this generation? It is like
children sitting in the marketplaces, who call to their
companions and say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you
didn’t dance. We mourned for you, and you didn’t lament.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they
say, ‘He has a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they
say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of
tax collectors and sinners!’ But Wisdom is justified by Her
children.”
Jesus said, “Many times you asked me to speak with
you, but when I spoke, I found none of you listening. How
many times I found myself being alone in midst of you,
seeking to enter your hearts, but finding all of them locked?
The days will come, when you will desire to see one of the
days of the Son of Man, and you will not find it. Woe to you,
for there will be days when you will seek me badly, but you
will be unable to reach me, and you will die under the burden
of your sins, for neither you allowed me come to you, nor
were you ready to follow me where I am going.”
“They don’t know, neither do they understand. They
walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the
earth are shaken. I said, “You are gods, all of you are sons
of the Most High. Nevertheless you shall die like men, and
fall like one of the rulers.” Arise, God, judge the earth, for
you inherit all of the nations.”
He took all of them by surprise, for the people of Israel
were waiting for the king anointed by God, who will redeem
93
their country from its oppressors, but he came as the Word
of God and as redeemer of all nations from their slavery.
People were calculating in accordance with they narrow
measure, waiting for limited and temporary benefits, but he
has given them without any measure and of things of
eternal.
He came not to impress them, but to give living
example by his own life, and to make path straight for those,
who will follow after him. He did and he told, he told and he
deed, and so the road to the Kingdom of God was made.
“Again Grace appeared and forsook corruption, and
descended down in Him to bring it to naught. And He
destroyed perdition before His face, and devastated all its
order. And He stood on a high peak and uttered His voice
from one end of the earth to the other. He drew to Him all
those who obeyed Him, for he did not appear as an evil
person; but there stood a perfect virgin who was proclaiming
and calling and saying, “O sons of men, return, and you
daughters of men, come and forsake the ways of that
corruption and draw near me, and I will enter into you, and
will bring you forth from perdition. I will make you wise in the
ways of the Truth, so that you will be not destroyed nor
perish; hear me all of you and be redeemed. For the grace of
God I am telling among you; and by my means you shall be
redeemed and become blessed. I am your judge, and they
who have put me on shall not be injured, but they shall
possess the New World that is incorrupt. My chosen ones
walk in me, and my ways I will make known to them that
seek me, and I will make them trust in My Name. Hallelujah!”

94
Come, eat my bread and drink my wine

Wisdom has built her house.


She has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her bread.

95
She has mixed her wine.
She has also set her table.
She has sent out her maidens.
She cries from the highest places of the city:
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
As for him who is void of understanding,
She says to him, “Come, eat some of my bread,
Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!
Leave your simple ways, and live.
Walk in the way of understanding.”
He who corrects a mocker invites insult.
He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.
Don’t reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you.
Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Instruct a wise man, and he will become wiser.
Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

The Beginning of Wisdom

“The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom.


The knowledge of the Holy One is true Understanding.
Wisdom calls aloud in the street.
She utters her voice in the public squares.
She calls at the head of noisy places.
At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?
How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?
Turn at my reproof.
Behold, I will pour out My Spirit on you.
I will make known my words to you.
Because I have called, and you have refused;
I have stretched out my hand,
and no one has paid attention;
96
but you have ignored all my counsel,
and wanted none of my reproof;
I also will laugh at your disaster.
I will mock when calamity overtakes you;
when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind;
when distress and anguish come on you.
Then will they call on me, but I will not answer.
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;
because they hated knowledge,
and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.
They wanted none of my counsel.
They despised all my reproof.”

“My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my


commandments within you, and open your ear to wisdom,
and apply your heart to understanding; if you call out for
discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you
seek Her as silver, and search for Her as for hidden
treasures, then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and
find the knowledge of God. For Yahweh gives Wisdom, out
of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He lays
up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who
walk in integrity, so that He may guard the paths of justice,
and preserve the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
equity and every good path. For Wisdom will enter into your
heart, knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Her discretion
will watch over you, her understanding will keep you, to
deliver you from the way of evil. From the men who speak
perverse things; who forsake the paths of uprightness, and
chose to walk in the ways of darkness. Who rejoice to do
evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil, which are
crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths.

97
That you may walk in the way of good men, and keep
the paths of the righteous, for the upright will dwell in the
land, the perfect will remain in it. But the wicked will be cut
off from the land; the treacherous will be rooted out of it. The
perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is
with the upright. Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the
wicked, but he blesses the habitation of the righteous. Surely
he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble.
The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of
fools.”

“My Son, don’t forget my teaching;


but let your heart keep my commandments:
Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you.
Bind them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor,
and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,
and don’t lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight.
Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline,
neither be weary of his reproof:
for whom Yahweh loves, He reproves;
even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.”

The Wisdom and Her people

Jesus said, “Do not give what is holy to dogs, because


they will throw it on a dung-heap. Don't throw your pearls to

98
pigs, otherwise, they will trample them and then turn on you,
and tear you to pieces”.
Jesus said, “Do not entrust wisdom to those who are
unworthy of it, for by doing so you will disgrace it; and do not
refuse to pass it on to those who deserved it, for if you not
give it to them, you will dishonor them. Be like a kindly doctor
who applies medicine in accordance with diseases of his
patients. He who entrusts wisdom to those who are unworthy
of it is foolish, and he who refuse to give it to those who are
worthy of it betrays them. Verily wisdom has its rights and its
people, who belong to it, therefore let those who have the
rights get what is theirs.”
“In the same way as undesired objects obtained without
any charge, have no value in the eyes of those to whom they
were gifted, wisdom revealed to those, who didn’t incline for
it, doesn’t work in their hearts. For thinking of it as worthless,
they pay no heed to it, and dispose it in the dark corner of
their minds the very moment they have obtained it.
You may put in best your efforts, trying to help a self
conceit person, but at last your will see all your noble
intentions ending in vain, for darkness of ignorance is much
comfortable for those, whose nature is gloom; and shining of
light is much distressful to their eyes. Look around and tell
me, how many people have shut themselves in the houses
of their deliberate narrowness, which they always carry
around, in the same way as a snail carries shell on its back?
It is possible to restore sight to a blind man, but what one
can do with those who voluntary chosen to be deprived from
the light?
Don’t reveal wisdom to those, who didn’t ask you about
it with respect, for no one could be changed if he is not
willing for it. Those who are thirsty of Truth, they will come to
its source by themselves, for Holy Spirit will lead them. They
will ask and listen with reverence, and they will learn and
keep obtained deep in their hearts. He who seeks will find,
99
and he who knocks will be let in. Verily, it is to those, who
are worthy of my mysteries that I reveal my mysteries. And I
tell you the truth, it is more easy for me to bring dead back to
life, then to apply remedy for fools. Therefore, don’t waste
your time with those who voluntary chosen to be ignorant, for
the wisdom of the Word means nothing for them.”
Jesus said, “All things have been revealed to me by my
Father. No one knows the Son, except the Father; neither
does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and he to
whom the Son chooses to reveal him, for my mystery is for
me and for the Sons of my House. Verily, the one, who will
drink from my mouth will become like me. I myself shall
become he, and things that are hidden will become revealed
to him.”
“Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under
a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand? For there is nothing hidden,
except that it should be made known; neither was anything
made secret, but that it should come to light. If any man has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
“All you, who are thirsty, fill for yourselves waters from
the living fountain of the Lord, for it is opened to you. Come
and take a draught, and rest by the fountain of the Lord, for it
is fair and pure and gives rest to the soul. Its waters are
much more pleasant than honey; the honeycomb of bees is
not to be compared with it. For it flows forth from the lips of
the Lord and its Name is from the heart of the Lord. And it
came infinitely and invisibly; and until it was set in the midst
they did not know it. Blessed are they who have drunk from it
and have found rest thereby! Hallelujah!”

The Word of God

“He has filled me with words of Truth, so that I may


speak the same. Like the flow of waters flows Truth from my
100
mouth, so my lips show forth His fruit. And He has caused
His knowledge to abound in me, because the mouth of the
Lord is the true Word, and the door of His Light. And the
Most High has given it to His words, which are the
interpreters of His own beauty, and the repeaters of His
praise, and the confessors of His counsel, and the heralds of
His thought, and the chasteners of His servants. For the
swiftness of the Word is inexpressible, and like its
expression is its swiftness and force; and its course knows
no limit. Never does it fail, but it stands sure, and it knows
not descent, nor the way of it. For as its work is, so is its end,
for it is light and the dawning of thought; and by it the worlds
talk one to the other, and in the Word there were those that
were silent.
And from it came Love and Harmony; and they spoke
one to other whatever was theirs; and they were penetrated
by the Word. And they knew Him who made them, because
they were in harmony, for the mouth of the Most High spoke
to them; and His explanation ran by means of it. For the
dwelling-place of the Word is man; and its Truth is Love.
Blessed are they who by means of it have understood
everything, and have known the Lord in His Truth.
Hallelujah!”

Sowing the Word

“Many saw as the Truth was sown, but few are those
who saw as it was reaped.”
When Jesus was teaching by the lake, the crowd that
gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat
and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along
the shore at the water’s edge. From boat he taught them by
parables, “Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow, and it
happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the
101
birds came and devoured it. Others fell on rocky ground,
where they have little soil, and immediately they sprang up,
because they had no depth of earth. When the sun had
risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it
withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns
grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. Others fell into
the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and
increasing. Some brought forth thirty times, some sixty
times, and some one hundred times as much. Whoever has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
When he was alone, the disciples came, and said to
him, “Why do you speak to multitude in parables?”
He answered them, “To you it is given to know the
mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to
them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have
abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be
taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to
them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and
hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand. In them
the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says,
‘By hearing you will hear,
and will in no way understand;
Seeing you will see,
and will in no way perceive:
for this people’s heart has grown callous,
their ears are dull of hearing,
they have closed their eyes;
or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and should turn again;
and I would heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears,
for they hear. For Verily I tell you that many prophets and
righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and
102
didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and
didn’t hear them.
Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the
multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the
prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter
things hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Jesus said to the disciples, “Don’t you understand this
parable? How then will you understand any parable? The
farmer sows the Word. Some people are like seed along the
path, where the Word is sown. As soon as they hear it,
Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in
them. Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word
and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root,
they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution
comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Still
others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the
worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the
desires for other things come in and choke the word, making
it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the
word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a
hundred times what was sown.
Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you
measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given
to you who hear. For whoever has, to him will more be given,
and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be
taken away from him.”

Call of the Wisdom

“Doesn’t wisdom cry out?


Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?
On the top of high places by the way,
where the paths meet, she stands.
103
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city,
at the entry doors, she cries aloud:
“To you men, I call!
I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
You simple, understand prudence.
You fools, be of an understanding heart.
Hear, for I will speak excellent things.
The opening of my lips is for right things.
For my mouth speaks truth.
Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness.
There is nothing crooked or perverse in them.
They are all plain to him who understands,
right to those who find knowledge.
Receive my instruction rather than silver;
knowledge rather than choice gold.
For wisdom is better than rubies.
All the things that may be desired
can’t be compared to it.
“I, Wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling.
Find out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.
I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way,
and the perverse mouth.
Counsel and sound knowledge are mine.
I have understanding and power.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
in the midst of the paths of justice;
That I may give wealth to those who love
me and fill their treasuries.”

104
The Good News

Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of


God is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,


because he has anointed me
to preach Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release to the captives,
recovering of sight to the blind,
to deliver those who are crushed,
and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor.”

“Blessed are the poor in Spirit,


for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall be threatened with mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called Children of God.
Blessed are those who have been
persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

105
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily
burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and
you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.”
“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its
flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing,
but to be cast out and crushed under the feet of men. Have
salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another. You
are the light of the world. A city built on a high hill and
fortified, neither can be hidden from enemies, nor can they
overtake it.
No one lights a candle, and put it under a bushel, but
on a candlestick, and it gives light to all that are in the house.
Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see
your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
As for grapevine that has been planted apart from the
Father? Since its root was not strong, it will be easily pulled
out and perish.”
“Woe to you, whose richness in this world, for you
already received what was yours. Woe to you, you who are
full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you, when multitude
speak well of you, for same their fathers did to the false
prophets. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates
his life in this world will keep it to eternal life. Don’t you know
that friendship with the world is enmity with God and the love
of money is the root of all evils?”
“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth,
where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break
through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where
thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

106
“Blessed are those, who abandon their present desire
for a distant promise, of things they did not saw. O Children
of God, be pleased with things which are foolishness in the
eyes of the world, and treat the Kingdom of God as your only
wealth, in the same way as the people of the world are
pleased with things which are worthless in eyes of the Lord,
and treat the world as their only wealth.”

Are you really rich?

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my


brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an
arbiter between you?” Then he said to people, “Watch out!
Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life
does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. Do
not become lured astray by the splendor of the wealth of this
world, for its shinning may outshine the light of your faith.”
And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain
rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What
shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said,
‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger
ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And
I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for
many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life
will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have
prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with anyone
who stores up things for himself, but is not rich toward God.”
“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will
go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business
and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will
happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that
appears for a little while and then vanishes. Don’t boast
107
about tomorrow; for you don’t know what a day may bring
forth. No man knows when his hour will come: as fish caught
in a cruel net or birds are taken in a snare, so men are
trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them.”
Jesus said, “There was a rich man, who earned so
much money that he did not know what to do with it. Then he
thought, 'I shall again put this money into use, so that I may
once more multiply them. I will sow, reap, plant, and will
enlarge storehouse and fill it with produce, and when I will
accomplish all these, I will lack nothing for rest of my life,
and then I will rest and be happy. Such were his intentions,
but that very night he was cut away from all that was his, for
he died. Let him, who has ears hear.”
Jesus said, “Now there was a certain rich man, and he
was clothed in purple and fine linen, living in luxury every
day. A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was laid at his gate,
full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell
from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and
licked his sores. It happened that the beggar died, and that
he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.
The rich man also died, and was buried. In Hades, he lifted
up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far off, and
Lazarus at his bosom. He cried and said, ‘Father Abraham,
have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the
tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am in
anguish in this flame.’
But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you, in your
lifetime, received your good things, and Lazarus, in the same
way, bad things. But now here he is comforted and you are
in anguish. Besides all this, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed, that those who want to pass from here to
you are not able, and that none may cross over from there to
us.’ He said, ‘I ask you therefore, father, that you would send
him to my father’s house; for I have five brothers that he may

108
testify to them, so they won’t also come into this place of
torment.’
But Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the
prophets. Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if one goes to them
from the dead, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the
prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rises from the
dead.’”
“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of
the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted,
and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are
corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your
flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the Last Days.
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed
your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the
harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You
have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have
fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have
condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not
opposing you.”

The ransom for the Life

“Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this
world, low and high, rich and poor alike. My mouth will speak
words of Wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give
understanding. I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I
will expound my riddle. Why should I fear when evil days
come, when wicked deceivers surround me— those who
trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? No man
can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for
him— the ransom for the Life is costly, no payment is ever
enough— that he should live on forever and not see decay.
109
For all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the
senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. Their
tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for
endless generations, though they had named lands after
themselves. But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who
trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their
sayings. Like sheep they are destined for the grave, and
death will feed on them. The upright will rule over them in the
morning; their forms will decay in the grave, far from their
princely mansions. But God will redeem my life from the
grave; he will surely take me to Himself.
Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the
splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with
him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him.
Though while he lived he counted himself blessed— and
men praise you when you prosper— he will join the
generation of his fathers, who will never see the Light of Life.
A man who has riches without understanding is like the
beasts that perish.”
“But the souls of the just are in the protective hand of
God, and the torment of death shall not touch them. In the
sight of the unwise they seemed to die; and their departure
was thought for misery, and their going away from us, for
utter destruction, but they are in peace. And though in the
sight of men they suffered torments, their hope is full of
immortality. Afflicted in few things, in many they shall be well
rewarded; because God has tried them, and found them
worthy of Himself. As gold in the furnace He has proved
them, and as a victim of a holocaust He has received them,
and in time there shall be respect to them. The just shall
shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds.
They shall judge nations, and rule over people, and their
Lord shall reign for ever. They that trust in Him, they shall

110
understand the Truth; and they that are faithful in their love
shall rest in Him, for grace and peace is to his elect.
But the wicked who have neglected the Just, and have
revolted from the Lord, shall be punished according to their
own devices, for those who rejected Wisdom of the Holy
Spirit, and Her discipline, are unhappy; all their hopes are in
vain, and all their labors are without fruit, and most
unsuccessful. Their have foolish women as their wives, and
their children grow up wicked, all their offspring is cursed.
But the barren and undefiled that has not known bed in
sin is happy; she shall have fruit in the visitation of holy
souls. And the eunuch that has not wrought iniquity with his
hands, nor thought wicked things against God; for the
precious gift of faith shall be given to him, and a most
acceptable lot in the Temple of God. For the fruits of good
labor are glorious, and the Root of Wisdom never fails. But
the children of adulterers shall not come to perfection, and
the seed of the unlawful bed shall be rooted out. And if they
live long, they shall be nothing regarded, and their last old
age shall be without honor. And if they die quickly, they shall
have neither hope, nor speech of comfort in the Day of Trial,
for dreadful are the ends of a wicked race.”

The destiny of the wicked

“Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in


heart, but as for me, my feet were almost gone. My steps
had nearly slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant, when I
saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no struggles
in their death, but their strength is firm. They are free from
burdens of men, neither are they plagued like other men.
Therefore pride is like a chain around their neck. Violence
covers them like a garment. Their eyes bulge with fat. Their
minds pass the limits of conceit. They scoff and speak with
111
malice. In arrogance, they threaten oppression. They have
set their mouth in the heavens. Their tongue walks through
the earth. Therefore their people return to them, and they
drink up waters of abundance. They say, “How does God
know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” Behold, these
are the wicked. Being always at ease, they increase their
riches.
Surely in vain I have cleansed my heart, and washed
my hands in innocence, for all day long have I been plagued,
and punished every morning. If I had said, “I will speak thus;”
behold, I would have betrayed the generation of your
children. When I tried to understand this, it was too painful
for me; until I entered God’s Sanctuary, and considered their
latter end, for surely you set them in slippery places. You
throw them down to destruction, and how suddenly it comes!
They are completely swept away with terrors, as a dream
when one wakes up, so, Lord, when you awake, you will
despise their fantasies.
For my soul was grieved, I was embittered in my heart.
I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before
you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. I am grateful to
you, for you have held my right hand. You will guide me with
your counsel, and afterward receive me to your glory. Whom
do I have in heaven? There is no one on the earth whom I
desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fails, but God is
the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, behold,
those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed
all those who are unfaithful to you. But it is good for me to
come close to God. I have made the Lord Yahweh my refuge
that I may tell of all your works.”

112
The Narrow gate

Pharisees came to Jesus, testing him, and saying, “Is it


lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?”
He answered, “Haven’t you read that he who made
them from the beginning made them male and female, and
said, ‘For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother,
and shall join to his wife; and the two shall become one
flesh?’ So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What
therefore God has joined together, don’t let man tear apart.”
They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to
give her a bill of divorce, and divorce her?”
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of
your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the
beginning it has not been so. I tell you that whoever divorces
his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another,
commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is
divorced commits adultery.”
Then disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a
husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!”
But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this
saying, but those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs
who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there
are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are
eunuchs, who choose to be eunuchs for the sake of
Kingdom of Heaven. He who is able to receive it, let him
receive it. Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate
and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are
those who enter in by it. How narrow is the gate, and
restricted is the way that leads to Life! Few are those who
find it.”

113
Is the Law not enough?

As Jesus was going by the way, a young person ran to


him, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall
I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is
good except one—God. You know the commandments: ‘Do
not murder,’ ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not
give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father
and mother.’”
He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these
things from my youth.”
Jesus looked at him and liked him, so he said to him,
“One thing you still lack. If you want to be perfect, go, sell
whatever you have, and give money to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the
cross.”
At that saying his face fade away, and he left sorrowful,
for he was very rich.
Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How
difficult it is for rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God!”
The disciples were amazed at these his saying. But
Jesus told them again, “Children, how hard is it for those
who trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! It is
easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a
rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly
astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
Looking at them, Jesus said, “With men it is impossible,
but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all, and
have followed you.”
Jesus said to them, “Verily I tell you, those who has left
house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or

114
children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good
News, will receive one hundred times more of what they left,
now in this time, and in the age to come eternal life. But
many who are first will be last; and the last first.”
Jesus said, “I choose for myself the most worthy, they
are those whom my Father in heaven has given me.”

The Redeemed by Jesus

I saw angel ascend from the sunrise, having the Seal of


the Living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels
to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, saying,
“Don’t harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we
have sealed the bondservants of our God on their
foreheads!” I heard the number of those who were sealed,
one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of
the children of Israel.
After these things I looked, and behold, a great
multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation
and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before
the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with
palm branches in their hands. They cried with a loud voice,
saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and
to the Lamb of God!”
One of the elders told me, “These who are arrayed in
white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?”
I told him, “My lord, you know.”
He said to me, “These are those who came out of the
great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them
white in the Lamb’s blood. Therefore they are before the
throne of God; they serve him day and night in His Temple.
He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over
them. They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more;
neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb
115
who is in the midst of the throne shepherds them, and leads
them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes.”
“I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on Mount Zion,
and with him a number, one hundred forty-four thousand,
having His Name, and the Name of his Father, written on
their foreheads. I heard a sound from heaven, like the sound
of many waters, and like the sound of a great thunder. The
sound which I heard was like that of harpists playing on their
harps. No one could learn the song except the one hundred
forty-four thousand, those who had been redeemed out of
the earth. These are those who were not defiled with
women, for they are virgins. These are those who follow the
Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed by Jesus
from among men, the first fruits to God and to the Lamb. In
their mouth was found no lie, for they are blameless.”

The Workmanship of the Lord

“Listen, all of you! Open your hearts to the joy of the


Lord; and let your love be multiplied from the heart and even
to the lips, to bring forth holy fruit to the Lord, and to talk with
watchfulness in His light. Rise up, and stand erect, you who
sometime were brought low; tell forth you who were in
silence, that your mouth has been opened. You that were
despised previously be lifted up from now, because your
righteousness has been exalted. For the right hand of the
Lord is with you, He is your helper. And peace was prepared
for you, before ever your war was started.
Hear the Word of Truth, and receive the knowledge of
the Most High. Your flesh has not known what I am saying to
you, neither have your hearts known what I am showing to
you. Keep my secret, you who are kept by it; keep my faith,
you who are kept by it. And understand my knowledge, you
116
who know me in truth. Love me with affection, you who love,
for I will not turn away my face from them that are mine. For I
know them, and before they came into being I took
knowledge of them, and on their faces I set my seal. I
fashioned their members; my own breasts I prepared for
them, that they might drink my holy milk and live thereby. I
took pleasure in them and am not ashamed of them, for my
workmanship are they and the strength of my thoughts.
Who then shall rise up against my handiwork, or who is there
that is not subject to them? I willed and fashioned mind and
heart, and they are mine, and by my own right hand I set my
elect ones. And my righteousness goes before them and
they shall not be deprived of My Name, for it is with them.
Ask, and abound, and abide in the love of the Lord, and yet
beloved ones in the Beloved; those who are kept, in Him that
lives. And they that are saved in Him that truly were saved.
And you shall be found incorrupt in all ages to the Name of
your Father. Hallelujah!”

The Song of the Lord

“I poured out praise to the Lord, for I am His, and I will


speak His Holy Song, for my heart is with Him, for His harp
is in my hands, and the Odes of His rest shall not be silent. I
will cry unto him from my whole heart, I will praise and exalt
Him with all my members. For from the east and even to the
west is His praise, and from the south and even to the north
is the acknowledgment of Him, and from the top of the hills
to their utmost bound is His perfection.
Who can write the Psalms of the Lord, or who read
them? Or who can train his soul for Life, so that his soul may
be saved, or who can rest on the Most High, so that with His
mouth he may speak? Who is able to interpret the wonders
of the Lord? For he who could interpret would be dissolved
117
and would become that which is interpreted. For it suffices to
know and to rest, for in rest the singers stand, like a river
which has an abundant fountain, and flows to the help of
them that seek it. Hallelujah!”

The Letter and the Seal

“Joy is of the saints! And who shall put it on, but they
alone? Grace is of the elect! And who shall receive it except
those who trust in it from the beginning? Love is of the elect?
And who shall put it on except those who have possessed it
from the beginning? Walk in the knowledge of the Most High
without reluctance; to His joy and to the perfection of His
knowledge.
And His thought was like a letter, His will descended
from on high, and it was sent like an arrow which is violently
shot from the bow. And many hands rushed to the letter to
seize it and to take and read it, but it escaped their fingers
and they were afraid of it and of the seal that was on it.
Because they were not permitted to loose its seal, for the
power that was over the seal was greater than they. But
those who saw it falling, went after the letter in hope that
they might know where it would land, and who should read it
and who should hear it. But a wheel received it and came
over it, and there was with it a sign of the Kingdom and of
the Government. And it gathered the multitude of
adversaries, but everything which tried to move the wheel, it
mowed and cut down. It bridged the rivers and crossed over,
and rooted up many forests and made a broad path. The
head went down to the feet, for down to the feet ran the
wheel, and that which was a sign upon it.
The letter was one of command, and it has authority
over all the Earth. And there was seen at its head, the head
which was revealed; even the Son of Truth from the Most
118
High Father, and He inherited and took possession of
everything. And the thought of many was brought to naught
and all the apostates rush and fled away. And those who
persecuted and were enraged became extinct. And the letter
was a great volume, which was wholly written by the finger
of God; and the Name of the Father was on it, and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, to rule for ever and ever.
Hallelujah!”

The Everlasting Crown

“Open your ears and I will speak to you. Give me your


souls that I may also give you my soul, The Word of the Lord
and His good pleasures, the holy thought which He has
devised concerning his Messiah. For in the will of the Lord is
your salvation, and His thought is everlasting life; and your
end is immortality.
Be enriched in God the Father, and receive the thought
of the Most High, be strong and be redeemed by His grace.
For I announce to you peace, to you His saints; that none of
those who hear may fall in war, and that those again who
have known Him may not perish, and that those who receive
may not be ashamed. An Everlasting Crown for ever is
Truth. Blessed are they who set it on their heads, a stone of
great price is it; and there have been wars on account of the
crown.
And righteousness has taken it and has given it to you.
Put on the crown in the True Covenant of the Lord. And all
those who have conquered shall be written in His book, for
their book is victory which is yours. And she sees you before
her and resolves that you shall be saved. Hallelujah!”

119
It is time

Jesus saw a Samaritan carrying a lamb and going to


Judea. He said to his disciples, “That person, why he carries
around the lamb?” They said to him, "So that he may kill it
and eat it." He said to them, “He will not eat it while it is alive,
but only after he has killed it and it has become a carcass.”
They said, "Otherwise he can't do it."
He said to them, “So you also, seek for yourselves a
place within the Kingdom, while you are alive, so that you
may not became corpses and be eaten. Take heed of the
Living One while you are still have time, lest you die and
seek to see Him, and be unable to do so. “
Jesus said, “The life consists of three days: yesterday
which already has passed, from which nothing remained in
your control; tomorrow about which you do not know whether
you will meet it or not; and today in which you are right now.
Therefore reserve today for yourself and make the best use
of it.”

No servant can serve two masters

Someone asked Jesus, “I want to follow you wherever


you go, Lord.”
Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes, and the birds
of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to
lay his head.”
He said to another, “Follow me!”
But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my
father.”
But Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their
own dead, but you go and announce the Kingdom of God.”

120
Another also said, “I want to follow you, Lord, but first
allow me to say good-bye to those who are at my house.”
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to
the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus said to disciples, “Verily I tell you, no prophet is
acceptable in his hometown.”
His mother and his brothers came, and standing
outside, they sent to him, calling him. A multitude was sitting
around him, and they told him, “Behold, your mother, your
brothers, and your sisters are outside looking for you.”
He answered them, “Who are my mother and my
brothers?” Looking around at those who sat around him, he
said, “Here my mother and my brothers, for whoever does
the will of Father, who is in heaven, he is my brother, and
sister, and mother.”
Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t hate
his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters,
yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. Whoever
doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my
disciple.
He who loves father or mother more than me is not
worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than
me isn’t worthy of me. Whoever does not hate his father and
mother as I do, cannot be my. And whoever does not love
his Father and Mother as I do, cannot become disciple of
mine. For my parents taught me only falsehood they have
learned from others, but my Heavenly Mother, the Holy Spirit
taught me the Life and Truth.”
A woman from the crowd said to Jesus, “Blessed are
the womb which bore you and the breasts which nourished
you.” He answered her, “Blessed are those, who have heard
the Word of the Father and who earnestly kept it. For there
will be days when you will say, ‘blessed is the womb, which
has not conceived, and the breasts, which have not given
milk.’”
121
Jesus said, “Blessed are those, whose lack is in the
spirit, and not of this world, for when there is lack, it could be
filled; and blessed are those, who humbled themselves by
their own will, for they have found the Kingdom.”
Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone desires to come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it,
and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. For what
will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits
himself? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with
his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to
his deeds.”

It is worth to receive the Word of Truth perfectly

Jesus said, “It is worth for you to receive the Word of


Truth, only if you will receive it perfectly. But as for those
who are in ignorance, it is much difficult for them to diminish
the works of darkness undertaken by them. However, those,
who have known Imperishable, became empowered by it to
struggle against passions of the body. I repeat once more,
“Do not build nor gather for yourselves in the world, where
the thief comes and steals, but store your wealth in the
Heaven with the Father.”
“For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first
sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to
complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and
is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him,
saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’
Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in
war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able
with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with

122
twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way
off, he sends an envoy, and asks for conditions of peace.
Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless,
with what do you season it? It is fit neither for the soil nor for
the manure pile. It is thrown out. He who has ears to hear,
let him hear.
Therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that
he has, he can’t be my disciple.”

The sin of the World

Peter asked Jesus, “Since you have explained


everything to us, tell us this also: ‘What is the sin of the
world?”
The Savior said, “There is no sin of the world, but it is
you who make a sin when you do the things that are like the
nature of adultery to what you really are, which is called sin.
That is why Good came into midst of you, in order that
essence of every nature may be restored to its roots, earth
to earth and spirit to spirit.
The reason why you become sick and die is that you
are deprived from the Only One, who can heal you. He, who
has a mind to understand, let him understand. Matter gave
birth to passion that has no equal, which proceeded from
something contrary to nature of the Whole, and which
disturbs the whole body. That is why I said to you, ‘Be of
good courage, and don’t become disheartened because of
different forms of nature and material objects around you.’
He, who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when
he has been approved, he will receive the Crown of Life,
which the Lord promised to those who love him. Let no man
say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God,” for God
can’t be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. But
123
each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own
lust, and enticed. Then the lust, when it has conceived,
bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth
death. Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor
turning shadow. Of his own will he brought us forth by the
Word of Truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his
creatures.”

The Redemption by the Truth

“I went up to the Light of Truth as if into a chariot. And


the Truth took me and led me, and carried me across pits
and gulley. And she preserved me from rocks and waves,
and became a Haven of Salvation for me, and set me in
grasp of immortal life. And she went with me and made me
rest, and because of her I am not wandered; because it was
the Truth herself, I ran no risk, for I walked in her company.
And I was spared from an error in anything because I
obeyed the Truth. For Error flees away from her, and meets
her not, but the Truth proceeds by the right path, and
whatever I did not knew, she made clear to me. She showed
me all the poisons of error, and the plagues of death which
considered by many to be sweetness.
And I saw the destroyer of the destruction, when the
bride who is corrupted is adorned, and the bridegroom who
is corrupted and who corrupts. And I asked the Truth ‘Who
are these?’ And she said to me, ‘This is the deceiver and the
error, they are alike in the beloved and in his bride, and they
lead astray and corrupt the whole world. They invite many to
their banquet, and give them to drink the wine of their
intoxication, and make them vomit their wisdom and
knowledge, and take away their intelligence. And afterward
124
they leave them to go around corrupted, like madmen, for
even after seeing that they are without heart, they do not
acknowledge for it!
And I was made wise so that not to fall into the hands of
the deceiver; and I counted myself amongst blessed,
because the Truth went with me. And I was established and
lived and was redeemed, and my foundations were laid in
the hand of the Lord, because He established me. For He
set the root and watered it and fixed it and blessed it; and its
fruits are for ever. It struck deep and sprung up and spread
out, and was full and enlarged; and the Lord alone was
glorified in His planting and in His husbandry. By His care
and by blessing of His lips, by the beautiful planting of His
right hand; and by discovery of His planting, and by the
thought of His mind, Lord brought forth His grace.
Hallelujah!”

The Refuge in the Lord

Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover


Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing
and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust
himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s
testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man...
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come
from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven
and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches
over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over
Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over
you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will
not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will
keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the
Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and
forevermore.”
125
“Out of my distress, I called on the Lord; the Lord
answered me with freedom. Yahweh is on my side, I will not
be afraid. What can man do to me? Yahweh is on my side
among those who help me; therefore I will look in triumph at
those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in Yahweh,
than to put confidence in man. You pushed me back hard, to
make me fall, but Yahweh helped me. The Lord is my
strength and song, He has become my salvation. I will not
die, but live, and declare His works. The Lord has punished
me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open to
me the gates of righteousness, I will enter into them, I will
give thanks to the Lord. This is the Gate of Yahweh; the
righteous will enter into it. I will give thanks to you, for you
have answered me, and have become my salvation. The
stone which the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone. This is Yahweh’s doing, it is marvelous in our
eyes. This is the Day that Yahweh has made; we will rejoice
and be glad in it!”

Purest deeds

“Am I seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I


striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I
wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.”
The disciples asked Jesus, “Which of deeds are purest
in this world?”
He replied, “The deeds of one, who obeys orders of
God and works for His sake, without desiring approval for
that of anyone else excluding Him.
Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking
after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes
in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?
Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself
ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you
126
may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he
did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have
done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are
unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

It is you who are responsible

Jesus said, “Those who came to know themselves as


Children of the Living One and who are still in need, should
know that they lack came out of their own deficiency. For if
their neighbor chosen to sin, it is because they themselves
have sinned; for if they had sincerely devoted themselves to
the authority of the Word, they neighbor would by away of
his way of life and he would not have fallen into sin.”
“Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to Yahweh’s Law.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes,
who seek him with their whole heart.
Yes, they do nothing wrong.
They walk in his ways.
You have commanded your precepts,
that we should fully obey them.
Oh that my ways were steadfast
to obey your statutes!
Then I wouldn’t be disappointed,
when I consider all of your commandments.
I will give thanks to you with uprightness of heart,
when I learn your righteous judgments.
I will observe your statutes.
Don’t utterly forsake me.”
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your Word.
With my whole heart, I have sought you.
Don’t let me wander from your commandments.
127
I have hidden your Word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Blessed are you, Yahweh.
Teach me your statutes.”

The Eternal Fire

“If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is


better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having
your two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable
fire, ‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not
quenched.’
If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter into life lame, rather than having your two
feet to be cast into Gehenna, into the fire that will never be
quenched—‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not
quenched.’
If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out. It is better
for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye, rather
than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire,
‘where their worm doesn’t die, and the fire is not quenched.’”

Is it too harsh?

“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth


and someone should bring him back, remember this:
Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save
him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
The disciples asked Jesus, “Teacher you teach us to be
good and to love everyone. At the same time you speak
without any regards for things of the world and the
sentiments of the people. Many feel themselves offended

128
because of yours harshness. From where did this
disagreement has come?
Jesus answered, “When you see that someone’s house
is on fire, is it proper to try to awaken its owner, or even to
drag him out? For one, who was saved in such manner,
latter will be grateful to his savior for doing this. To make
patients well, doctor gives them sometimes the bitter
medicines also; to save, surgeon cuts flesh and causes pain.
Do they do these to make people suffer even more or in
hope to bring them relive? Those who are really wise, they
will accept their medication and become cured by it, but self
conceit persons, turn their faces away from the things that
could become remedy for them.
Truly I tell you, I speak of the things that I know, and
testify about what I have seen, for I know the place where I
came from, and where I am going. I am not a moralist, but
my sayings have practical nature; for I know the place of
light and the reasons causing darkness; the keys of Heaven
and of Hades are in my hands. Therefore I tell you, ‘I came
not to judge the world, but to save those who have chosen to
be saved, for those who believe in my word, believe in the
One, who send me, and inherit eternal life.’ The world
doesn’t know the Father, and because of this, those who are
in the world deprived from the healing touch of His Holy
Spirit. By their ignorance, the people made themselves
separated from their own, from the source of Life they came
from. Their eyes became blind to see, and they made
themselves unconscious by the intoxication of the sweet vine
of death, so that they may try to see and understand things,
which are not alike to anything known to them.
World and those, who are in the world, don’t know their
Father, and because of this, their ignorance killing them.
When someone walks by the road leading to death, is it
inappropriate to alert him, and tell him that there is the road
to life also? Don’t you know that people suffering and dying
129
only because they separated themselves from the Tree of
Life and stepped aside from the Garden of Eden, and have
deprived themselves from their own perfection and
immortality? It is not God, who made Himself distant from
the people, but it is people, who have chosen to be
separated from Him; therefore it is upon them to return to
their Father, whose descendants they are.
How then I am wrong in telling that those, who cling to
the flesh, have chosen death for themselves, and those, who
followed call of the Spirit, have found their life? Where have I
mistaken, in telling people to love life instead of death?
These teaching of mine, it is not new, but very old indeed,
and it is not mine or created by me, but of the One without
beginning, who trough His Own Image, made all things
possible, you and this world. Truly I tell you, any one who
listens my words and doing accordingly, he will be blessed
through it, and will find favor of the Father, for words I speak
are not my own, but came from One, who is above all.
I tell you of Truth, and if you follow my words, they will
lead you near to the place from where they came from. How
much near, it is upon you to chose, for to have everything,
one have to give everything, to have much one have to give
much, and to have little, one have to give little. As for the
greediest, there is an option for them also, “One don’t need
to give anything to have nothing! Stay where you always
were.”

Practice makes perfect

You have asked, how is it possible to love your brother


and to renounce everything without concern at the same
time, or how these two seemingly opposite things came out
from the same source? Small children have to sustain on
milk first, and solid food is given to them only when their
130
teeth became enough strong to deal with it. In the same way
as different food is given to people in accordance with their
age, so different knowledge is given to them in accordance
with level of their understanding. Those who are simple they
were told to start from small and simple things, and those,
who became able to stand on they own, they were given
greater and more difficult tasks.
Any how, by putting this teaching into practice, any one
of you will become disciplined by it for their own better.
Therefore, be steady and keep continue in your efforts, to
the point when Truth will become part of your nature, for
without fulfilling this condition, no one will be able to stand in
the Kingdom of God, which rests upon the Truth.
It is so easy to say, if Truth is there, then the Kingdom
of God is there, and the moment it disappears, everything is
gone. And it is so difficult to do, for temptations are great
indeed, and spirit is willing, but flesh is weak. How many
people are starting demonstrate worst sides of their nature,
once they were lifted up above others, and how few are
those, who continue remain in their goodness? How then it
could be possible that one, who so easily becomes tempted
by the power from bellow, will be able to withstand the
temptation of the power from above? The person who so
easily changes his nature because of things of man, what
will be his conditions, if he will be entrusted with the Spirit of
the Lord Almighty?
And how many people, who were extremely polite
before, starting behaving as wild beasts once they became
intoxicated with wine, and how few are those, who continue
to remain in their integrity, even after much drinking? If the
wine of this world is so easily intoxicating them, to the point
where they lose all their reasoning, then what would be their
conditions, if the wine of God’s wisdom would be poured on
them?

131
And now explain me please, from where all these
dualities came? And how this division was created, and from
where that devil inside of you has sprung out? Where it was
hiding before, and which of you is real you? And where is
your love and goodness have disappeared?
Therefore first find out where is the beast inside of you
hiding, and then tame it, so that there will be one master of
the house, and not two. Tame the beast, and become owner
of the house, and rule with the King, instead of being ruled.
The doors to the Kingdom are standing opened wide, but
few are those who made themselves ready to face shining of
its splendor. Therefore I tell you, “Spiritually you are still
babies before you have made yourselves perfect.”

Power corrupts

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts even


more, especially those, who are of dubious mind, and who
were not disciplined by the Holy Spirit first. Truly I tell you, if
an impure creature touches the Mountain of God, it must be
stoned. Verily, blessing becomes a curse, and healing touch
turns into a slap; the Holy Spirit becomes a malignant ghost,
and the angel turns into a demon, for those, who are wicked.
For such person will have tendency to slip into the wicked
side of his nature, and to become even more exited in his
wickedness, if he will be entrusted with more power. His ego
will blind and deceive him, and instead of being an angel of
God in the Kingdom of Heaven, he will become as wrathful
demon with fire of hell around him. Lo, and I saw Satan
falling as lighting from the heaven, to the bottom of Hades he
fell—and great was his falling. For as you know, any one will
be judged with judgment, he judged others, and will be given
back double measure, he measured for others, and no one
is excluded of this rule amongst the Children of God.
132
The beast, never goes far from such dubious man,
seeking rest, and finding none, it says, ‘I will try to return into
my house from which I was thrown out,’ and when he comes
back, he finds it of guard, unprotected and even more
attractive then before. Therefore, he breaks in, and easily
overpowers weak resistance of the owner of the house.
Then he goes out, and brings with himself seven other spirits
more evil than he is, and they plunder the house and take
that person to the hell, which is their natural place. And earth
was burning under his feet, and Hades followed him...
Therefore I tell you, ‘If you are not became perfect in
simple things first, how then could you proceed with greater
things?’ Practice makes perfect, and without practice no one
can grow up. For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man,
inexperienced in marshal arts, who knew that he have to
contest with a person skilled in fencing. In his own house he
drew his sword and practiced by piercing the walls, till his
hand became hardened by his practice. Then when time of
contest has come, he was able to slew his powerful
opponent.

The Love without limits

The command of God which I have given to you is the


Life eternal, but how you can proceed with the things of God,
if you still not perfected the things of men? How you will be
able to love distant things from heaven, if you not learned
first how to love your neighbor, who is near to you?
Are you still not understood that to love God, and to
obey his commands is to love your own soul? And that it is
not Him, but it is you, who really need it? If you placed your
love amongst things of the world, then it is still small, for then
you will divide everything on yours and of others. But if you
will love your Father in Heaven so much that you will be able
133
exalt yourself high and reach Him; then along with it, you will
also receive love, which will be called great, for then there
will be no others, but only yours. Without renouncing the
world, no one can know the Father, and without knowing the
Father, no one’s love can be truly true, for the Truth is not
from earth, but from heaven. The love of this world is always
short-lived and impermanent, for all its foundations are
untrue. For the love of this world is not love towards others,
but the love towards own sensual self, that is why it is so
unsteady and have tendency to become turned into hatred
so easily. However, it is not so with the Divine love, which is
everlasting, which is unselfish and full of mercy, of self-
sacrificing and forgiveness.
Therefore once more, I am repeating to you, ‘Don’t be
lost amongst things which are fading in front of your face,
don’t become one of those, who have chosen to perish, but
be witness of eternity with One who is above all, and who
makes every single thing happening. Don’t be blinded by
narrowness of affection for transitory things, but bring forth
the eternal Kingdom of God within yourself, so that your love
may become truly love without any limits.”
“If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but
don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a
clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all
mysteries and all knowledge, and I have enough faith to
move mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I dole
out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be
burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. Love is
patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is
not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek
its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil;
doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the
truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.

134
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they
will be done away with. Where there are various languages,
they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done
away with. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; but
when ‘that which is complete’ has come, then ‘that which is
partial’ will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke
as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I
have become a man, I have put away childish things. For
now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I
know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also
fully known.”
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the
lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—
comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and
its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God
lives forever.”

Know from where you are

Jesus said to his disciples: “Don’t judge yourself as


small, don’t think of anyone as superior to you, for in flesh all
are different, but in spirit all are one. All flesh one day is
going to fade away like grass, but the Spirit will stand
forever, and no thing of this world can be compared in
greatness with the Father. Call no man on the earth your
teacher, for you have one Teacher, the Christ. Call no man
on the earth your father, for you have One Father, who is in
the heaven, and all of you are brothers amongst themselves,
for you descendants of the same Father. O light of the world!
Verily my brothers and my true disciples are those, who
obey the will of their Heavenly Father. For what is use for
you, if you gained the praise of the world and sacrificed your
135
soul for this? When you were in the darkness of ignorance,
you used to call many “father,” because you were ignorant of
your true Father, who is in heaven. But since now, know this
as the greatest error, leading you into sins and ensued by
death. For if you believe the testimony of others, who try to
convince you that you are flesh, they will make you abide in
misery, and surely your end will be in weeping and gnashing
of teeth. Cling to your Father, who is in Heaven, and become
Children of the Living One and heirs of the Life eternal.
Do not waste your time, trying to compare yourself with
others, do not think of any one as superior or inferior to you,
for judgment and pride, both came from the same root, and
they will take you far from the Kingdom of God. After all,
there is no one on the whole earth and under heaven, who is
above of the Lord of All Souls. Spare your time and leave
this world and all who are in it, in their peace, and stay in
peace of your Father.”

Who is the best of men?

Some one asked Jesus, “Who is the best of men?”


Then he took two handfuls of earth and said, “Which of these
two parts is better one? Men are made from earth, so the
most praiseworthy of them will be those, who fears most of
the One, who has made them, and obey His commands.
Surely men of low degree are just a breath, and men of
high degree are a lie. In the balances they will go up.
Together they are lighter than a breath. Many men claim to
be men of unfailing love, but who can find a faithful man?
Who can say, “I have made my heart pure. I am clean and
without sin?” Differing weights and differing measures, both
of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.”

136
Jesus came to Capernaum, and when he was in the
house he asked disciples, “What were you arguing among
yourselves on the way?”
But they remained silent, for they had disputed one with
another on the way about who was the greatest.
He sat down, and called the twelve; and he said to
them, “If any man wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and
servant of all.
Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in their
midst, and said, “Verily I tell you, unless you turn, and
become as little children, you will in no way enter into the
Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself as
little child, he will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and
their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be
so among you, but whoever desires to become great among
you shall be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among
you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man
came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a
ransom for many. For everyone who exalts himself above
others will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
exalted.”

Don’t claim your own greatness

Jesus said, “When you are invited to a marriage feast,


don’t try to take the best seat, since perhaps someone more
honorable than you might be invited by him, and he who
invited both of you would come and tell you, ‘Make room for
this person.’ Then you would begin, with shame, to take the
lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the
lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes, he
may tell you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be
honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you.
137
Don’t claim your high position by your words or by your
actions, least you will find yourself caught into controversy or
even being insulted, but let your integrity speak instead of
you. Then without demanding you will be given and without
asking you will be listened, for true virtue never remains
without reward.”
“Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king, or
claim a place among great men; for it is better that it be said
to you, “Come up here,” than that you should be put lower in
the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen. Let
another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a
stranger, and not your own lips. When pride comes, then
disgrace comes along with it, but with humility comes
wisdom. Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but
before honor humility comes. Like snow in summer, and as
rain in harvest, so honor is not fitting for a fool.”
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him
show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that
comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the
truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but
is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy
and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil
practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of
all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of
mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers
who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”

The words of Vanity

“My son, eat honey, for it is good; the droppings of the


honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste: so you shall
know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then
there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off. Have
138
you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest
you eat too much, and vomit it, for it is not good to eat much
honey; nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.”
“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in
Jerusalem: “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of
vanities, all is vanity.” What does man gain from all his labor
in which he labors under the sun? I, the Preacher, was king
over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my heart to seek and to
search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the
sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of
men to be afflicted with. I have seen all the works that are
done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing
after wind. That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and
that which is lacking can’t be counted.
I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself
great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem.
Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and
knowledge. I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know
madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing
after wind. For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who
increases knowledge increases sorrow.
I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I
planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and parks,
and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit. I made myself
pools of water, to water from it the forest where trees were
reared. I bought male servants and female servants, and
had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions
of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in
Jerusalem; I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and
the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male
and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—
musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased more than all who were
before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.
Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t
139
withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced
because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my
labor. Then I looked at all the works that my hands had
worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and
behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there
was no profit under the sun.
So I hated life, because the work that is worked under
the sun was grievous to me; for all are vanity and a chasing
after wind. I hated all my labor in which I labored under the
sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.
Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he
will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored,
and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This
also is vanity.
This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that
there is one event to all; as one came forth from his
mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and
shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in
his hand. This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he
came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who
labors for the wind? All the labor of man is for his mouth, and
yet the appetite is not filled. For what advantage has the
wise more than the fool? The wise man’s eyes are in his
head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived
that one event happens to them all...
Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your
wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your
works. Let your garments be always white, and don’t let your
head lack oil. Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the
days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the
sun, all your days of vanity: for that is your portion in life, and
in your labor in which you labor under the sun. Whatever
your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol,
where you are going.
140
Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so
will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?”
Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. For of the
wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever,
since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten.
Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!”
“Solomon had seven hundred wives, princesses, and
three hundred concubines; and his heart was not perfect
with Yahweh his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and
didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father. Being
the man to whom God gave wisdom, and knowledge, and
largeness of mind, and riches, and much glory, beyond all
men, yet this same man, through women, came to ruin, and
departed from the Lord.”
“Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught
the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and
set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out
acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly,
words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads; and like
nails well fastened are words from the masters of
assemblies, which are given from One Shepherd.”

The Anointed of the Lord

When Samuel looked at Eliab, son of Jesse, he


thought, “Surely he is Yahweh’s anointed.”
But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or
on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For
I see not as man sees; man looks at the outward
appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart. The Lord
doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no
pleasure in the legs of a man. Yahweh takes pleasure in

141
those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving
kindness.”
“I waited patiently for Yahweh. He turned to me, and
heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out
of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a
firm place to stand. He has put a new song in my mouth,
even praise to our God. Many shall see it, and fear, and shall
trust in Yahweh. Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his
trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn aside
to lies. Many, Yahweh, my God, are the wonderful works
which you have done, and your thoughts which are toward
us. They can’t be declared back to you. If I would declare
and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire. You have
opened my ears. You have not required burnt offering and
sin offering. Then I said, “Behold, I have come. It is written
about me in the book in the scroll. I delight to do your will,
my God. Yes, your Law is within my heart.”

The words of Wisdom

“Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who


hates reproof is stupid. Listen to counsel and receive
instruction, that you may be wise in your latter end. Whoever
despises instruction will have to pay for it, but he who
respects a command will be rewarded. He who refuses
correction despises his own soul, but he who listens to
reproof acquires understanding. The one who is often
rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly,
with no remedy, for poverty and shame come to him who
refuses discipline, but he who heeds correction will be
honored. A scoffer doesn’t love to be reproved; he will not go
to the wise, but the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. The

142
ear that listen reproof will live, the heart of the discerning
gets knowledge, and he will be at home among the wise.
Don’t speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the
wisdom of your words, because the way of a fool is right in
his own eyes, but he who is wise listens to counsel. The
foolishness of man subverts his way, for his heart rages
against Yahweh; pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is
with ones who take advice. Wisdom is before the face of one
who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the
ends of the earth. A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find
it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
A single rebuke enters deeper into one who has
understanding than a hundred lashes into a fool. Though you
grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with grain, yet his
foolishness will not be removed from him. Wisdom rests in
the heart of one who has understanding, and is even made
known in the inward part of fools. When the mocker is
punished, the simple gains wisdom; when the wise is
instructed, he receives knowledge. Answer a fool according
to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. A whip is for the
horse, a bridle for the donkey, and a rod for the back of
fools! Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain
knowledge.”
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those
who love it will eat its fruit. A man’s stomach is filled with the
fruit of his mouth; with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
The heart of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,
but the mouths of fools feed on folly, by the fruit of his lips, a
man enjoys good things; but the unfaithful crave violence.
The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back, but the lips of the
wise protect them.”
“The words of the wicked are about lying in wait for
blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them. The one
who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the
143
tongue of the wise heals. Verily, one who guards his mouth
and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles. A gentle
answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word only stirs up
anger. A gentle tongue is a Tree of Life, but deceit in it
crushes the spirit. He who guards his mouth guards his soul,
but one who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. A fool’s lips
come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. A fool’s
mouth is his destruction, and his lips are a snare to his soul.
Word from a wise man’s mouth is gracious, but a fool is
consumed by his own lips. At the beginning his words are
folly; at the end they are wicked madness- in such way the
fool multiplies his words. When wickedness comes,
contempt also comes, and with shame comes disgrace. And
so shame comes to him, who gives answer before he hears.
The tongue of wise commends knowledge, but the
mouth of fools gush out folly. Verily, he who spares his
words has knowledge; one who is even tempered is a man
of understanding. Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is
counted amongst wise, for when he shuts his lips, he is
thought to be discerning. A prudent man keeps his
knowledge, but the hearts of fools loudly proclaim their folly,
for fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing
his own opinion. As a dog that returns to its vomit, so is a
fool who repeats his folly.”
“A wrathful man stirs up contention, but one who is slow
to anger appeases strife. A prudent man sees danger, and
hides himself; but the simple pass on, and suffer for it. One
who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules
his spirit, than he who takes a city. The discretion of a man
makes him slow to anger; it is his glory to overlook an
offense. A fool shows his annoyance the same day, but one
who overlooks an insult is prudent. Hatred stirs up strife, but
love covers all wrongs. He who covers an offense promotes
love; but he who repeats a matter separates best friends. He

144
who is quick to become angry will commit foolishness, and a
crafty man is hated.”
“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but
he who has a quick temper displays folly. A stone is heavy,
and sand is a burden; but a fool’s provocation is heavier than
both. Don’t answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also
be like him, for fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man
brings himself under control. An angry man stirs up strife,
and a wrathful man abounds in sin. Like a city that is broken
down and without walls is a man whose spirit is without
restraint.”
“A servant can’t be corrected by words. Though he
understands, yet he will not respond. That which makes a
man to be desired is his kindness. Do you see a man who is
hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for
him. The merciful man does good to his own soul, but he
who is cruel troubles his own flesh. The life of the body is a
heart at peace, but envy rots the bones.
Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will never depart
from his house. Like a fluttering sparrow, like a darting
swallow, so the undeserved curse doesn’t come to rest. He
who is wise wins souls, he who pampers his servant from
youth will have him become a son in the end. The wise in
heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips
promotes instruction. Love and faithfulness keep the king
safe. His throne is sustained by love.”
“Don’t be hasty in bringing charges to court. What will
you do in the end when your neighbor shames you?
Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it
will come back on him. He who pleads his cause first seems
right; until another comes and questions him; confidence in
someone unfaithful in time of trouble is like a bad tooth, or a
lame foot. The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels:
they go down into a person’s innermost parts. A brother
offended is more difficult than a fortified city; and disputes
145
are like the bars of a castle; starting a quarrel is like
breaching a dam, therefore drop the matter before dispute
breaks off. Debate your case with your neighbor, and don’t
betray the confidence of another; lest one who hears it put
you to shame, and your bad reputation never depart. One
who despises his neighbor is void of wisdom, but a man of
understanding holds his peace. One who brings gossip
betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is
one who keeps a secret. For lack of wood a fire goes out.
Without gossip, a quarrel dies down.”

Don’t upset yourself

“Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will


render to the man according to his work.” Don’t say, “I will
pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and He will save you.
Yahweh detests differing weights, and dishonest scales are
not pleasing Him, the refining pot is for silver, and the
furnace for gold, but Yahweh tests the hearts. Don’t rejoice
when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he
is overthrown; lest Yahweh sees it, and it displeases him,
and he turns away His wrath from him.
Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be
envious of the wicked, for there will be no reward to the evil
man and the lamp of the wicked shall be snuffed out. Don’t
let your heart envy sinners; but rather fear Yahweh all the
day long. Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your
hope will not be cut off.”
“Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious
against those who work unrighteousness. For they shall
soon be cut down like the grass, and wither like the green
herb. Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and
enjoy safe pasture. Also delight yourself in Yahweh, and he
will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to
146
Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this: he will make
your righteousness go forth as the light, and your justice as
the noon day sun. Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for
him.
Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way,
because of the man who makes wicked plots happen. Cease
from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret, for it leads only to
evildoing; for evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for
Yahweh shall inherit the land. For yet a little while, and the
wicked will be no more, yes, though you look for his place,
he isn’t there, but the humble shall inherit the land, and shall
delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked
plots against the just, and gnashes at him with his teeth. The
Lord will laugh at him, for he sees that his day is coming.
The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their
bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are
upright in the way. Their sword shall enter into their own
heart. Their bows shall be broken. Better is a little that the
righteous has, than the great abundance of the wicked, for
the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds
the righteous.
Yahweh knows the days of the perfect. Their
inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be disappointed
in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be
satisfied. But the wicked shall perish. The enemies of
Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields. They will
vanish—vanish like smoke. The wicked borrow, and don’t
pay back, but the righteous give generously. For such as are
blessed by him shall inherit the land. Those who are cursed
by him shall be cut off. A man’s goings are established by
Yahweh. He delights in his way. Though he stumble, he shall
not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not
seen the righteous forsaken, nor His Children begging for
bread. All day long he deals graciously, and lends. His seed
147
is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good, and live securely
forever, for Yahweh loves justice, and doesn’t forsake his
saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the
wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land,
and live in it forever. The mouth of the righteous talks of
wisdom, his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in
his heart, none of his steps shall slide.
The wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to kill
him. Yahweh will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn
him when he is judged. Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land. When the wicked are
cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great
power, spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
But he passed away, and behold, he was not. Yes, I sought
him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and
see the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. As
for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The
future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the
righteous is from Yahweh. He is their stronghold in the time
of trouble. Yahweh helps them, and rescues them. He
rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because
they have taken refuge in him.”

The Lord of hearts

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but


Yahweh weighs the hearts. The way of the wicked is an
abomination to Yahweh, but he loves him who follows after
righteousness. Even the sacrifice of the wicked is an
abomination: how much more, when he brings it with a
wicked mind! The sacrifice made by the wicked is an
abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his
delight, for to do righteousness and justice is more
acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice. Yahweh is far from the
148
wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. When a
man’s ways please Yahweh, he makes even his enemies to
be at peace with him.
A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his
steps. Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked, but
pleased by the thoughts of the pure. There are many plans
in a man’s heart, but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail. The
plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the
tongue is from Yahweh. The heart of the wise instructs his
mouth, and adds learning to his lips. The heart of the
righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked
gushes out evil. The wicked flee when no one pursues; but
the righteous stands bold as a lion, the evil bows down
before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the
righteous.”
“I have proclaimed Good News of righteousness in the
great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you
know. I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart.
I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation. I have
not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the
great assembly. Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me,
Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually
preserve me, for evils surrounding me are innumerable. My
iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to lift my
head, they are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has
failed me, be pleased, O my Lord, to deliver me. Hurry to
help me, Yahweh. Let them be disappointed and confounded
together who seek to destroy my soul, let them be turned
backward and brought to dishonor who seek delight in
hurting me. Let them be desolate by reason of their shame
that tell me, “Aha! Aha!” Let all those who seek you rejoice
and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say
continually, “Let Yahweh be exalted!” But I am poor and
needy, may the Lord think about me. You are my help and
my deliverer, don’t delay, my God.”
149
The Strong Tower of Yahweh

“The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek


the life of the upright. Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against
the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting
place: for a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up
again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. He who
heeds the Word finds prosperity; whoever trusts in Yahweh
is blessed. The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in
death, the righteous has a refuge. The Name of Yahweh is a
strong tower, the righteous run to him, and are safe. In the
fear of Yahweh is a secure fortress and He will be a refuge
for His Children. The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
turning people from the snares of death.
Fools mock at making atonement for sins, but among
upright there is good will. By mercy and truth iniquity is
atoned for, by the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil. The
fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom, for before honor is humility.
The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests
and will not be touched by trouble. The result of humility and
the fear of Yahweh is wealth, honor, and life. He who walks
in his uprightness fears Yahweh, but he who is perverse in
his ways despises him. A wise man fears, and shuns evil,
but the fool is hotheaded and reckless in his wickedness.
A man’s pride brings him low, but one of lowly spirit
gains honor. The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an
unshakable wall in his own imagination. There is no fear of
God before his eyes, for he flatters himself in his own eyes,
too much to detect and hate his sin. The words of his mouth
are iniquity and deceit, for he has ceased to be wise and to
do good. He plots iniquity on his bed, he sets himself in a
way that is not good, and he doesn’t abhor evil. Yes, before
destruction the heart of man is proud, but before honor is

150
humility. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit
before a fall.
There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have
nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have
great wealth. A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one
who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished. The plans of
the diligent surely lead to profit; and everyone who is hasty
surely rushes to poverty. A stingy man hurries after riches,
and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him, for misfortune
pursues sinners, but prosperity rewards the righteous. One
who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in Yahweh
will prosper. Riches don’t profit in the day of wrath, but
righteousness delivers from death.
Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to
Yahweh, but those whose ways are blameless are his
delight. And the fruit of the righteous is the Tree of Life.
Yahweh has made everything for its own end—yes, even the
wicked for the day of evil, for everyone who is proud in heart
is an abomination to Yahweh: they shall certainly not be
unpunished. The proud and haughty man, “scoffer” is his
name; he works in the arrogance of pride. An arrogant look,
and proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, is sin. A wicked
man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes
his ways. The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of
the innocent is upright.
Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord; but one
who hardens his heart falls into trouble. One who trusts in
himself is a fool; but one who walks in the light of Lord’s
wisdom is kept safe. The rich and the poor have this in
common: Yahweh is the maker of them all. There is no
wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against Yahweh. A
man’s steps are from Yahweh; how then can man
understand his way? The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp,
searching all his innermost parts. Yahweh’s eyes are
everywhere, keeping watch on the evil and the good. Sheol
151
and Abaddon are before Yahweh—how much more then the
hearts of the children of men! As water reflects a face, so a
man’s heart reflects the man. Sheol and Abaddon are never
satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied. All the ways
of a man are clean in his own eyes; but Yahweh weighs the
motives. If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this;” doesn’t he
who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul,
doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man
according to his work?
Commit your deeds to Yahweh, and your plans shall
succeed. The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of
fools crowns them with folly. Yes, the ignorant inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. Wisdom is
found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is
for the back of him who is void of understanding. Penalties
are prepared for scoffers, and beatings for the backs of
fools. Folly is joy to one who is void of wisdom, but a man of
understanding keeps his way straight. Understanding is a
fountain of life to one who has it, but the punishment of fools
is their folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There
is more hope for a fool than for him.”
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are
corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one amongst them
who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the
sons of men to see if there is any who understand, any who
seek God. But all have turned aside, all together they have
become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even
one. Will evildoers never learn—those who devour my
people as men eat bread and who do not call on the Lord?
There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present
in the company of the righteous. You evildoers frustrate the
plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. Oh, that
salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord
restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice and
Israel be glad!”
152
Integrity

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture,


“Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if
you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as
lawbreakers.”
“To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong
for a piece of bread. A poor man is better then liar. He who
justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh. One who
gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes
will have many curses. He who despises his neighbor sins,
but blessed is he who has pity on the poor. He who
oppresses the poor shows contempt for his Maker, but he
who is kind to the needy honors him. He who has pity on the
poor lends to Yahweh; surely He will reward him. Whoever
mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at
calamity of his neighbor will not go unpunished.”
“It is better to be of a lowly spirit with the poor, than to
divide the plunder with the proud. Better is little, with the fear
of Yahweh, than great treasure with trouble after it. He who
is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates
bribes will live. Better is a dinner of herbs, where love is,
than a fattened calf with hatred. Better is a dry morsel with
quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife. Better is a
little with righteousness, than great revenues with injustice.
Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than one he who
is rich, and perverse in his ways.”
“Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man’s justice comes
from Yahweh. For the king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like
the watercourses, He turns it wherever He desires.
When you sit to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what
is before you; put a knife to your throat, if you are a man
given to appetite. Don’t be desirous of his dainties, since

153
they are deceitful food. Don’t weary yourself to be rich, in
your wisdom, show restraint. Why do you set your eyes on
that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle
and flies in the sky. Don’t eat the food of him who has a
stingy eye, and don’t crave his delicacies: for as he thinks
about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but
his heart is not with you. The morsel which you have eaten
you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.”

Charm is deceitful

“It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than


to share a house with a contentious woman. A continual
dropping on a rainy day and contentious wife are alike:
restraining her is like restraining the wind, or like grasping oil
in his right hand. The lips of an adulteress drip honey, her
mouth is smoother than oil, but in the end she is as bitter as
wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go
down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol. She gives
no thought to the Way of Life. Her ways are crooked, and
she doesn’t know it. None who go to her return again,
neither do they attain to the Paths of Life. For a prostitute is
a deep pit; and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Yes, she
lies in wait like a robber, and increases the unfaithful among
men. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout, is a beautiful woman
who lacks discretion. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.”

The Faces of wickedness

“As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, so is a


contentious man to kindling strife. A malicious man disguises
himself with his lips, but he harbors evil in his heart. He who
154
hides hatred has lying lips. When his speech is charming,
don’t believe him; for there are seven abominations in his
heart. A lying tongue hates those it hurts; and a flattering
mouth works ruin. His malice may be concealed by
deception, but his wickedness will be exposed later in the
assembly.
Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; but who is
able to stand before jealousy? A worthless man devises
mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire. A perverse man
stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends. A man of
violence entices his neighbor, and leads him in a way that is
not good. One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, one
who compresses his lips, is bent on evil. An evildoer heeds
wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked;
whoever guards his soul stays away from them. One who
walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools
suffers harm. Let a bear robbed of her cubs meet a man,
rather than a fool in his folly. Drive out the mocker, and strife
will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.”

David’s Song of Praise

“I love you, Yahweh, my strength. Yahweh is my rock,


my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I
take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high
tower. I call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised; and I
am saved from my enemies. The cords of death surrounded
me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The cords of
Sheol were around me, the snares of death came on me. In
my distress I called on Yahweh, and cried to my God. He
heard my voice out of His Temple, my cry before him came
into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled, the
foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken,
155
because He was angry. Smoke went out of his nostrils,
consuming fire came out of his mouth and coals were
kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet. He rode on a cherub, and
flew, yes; He soared on the wings of the wind. He made
darkness his hiding place, his pavilion around him, darkness
of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed,
hailstones and coals of fire. Yahweh also thundered in the
sky. The Most High uttered his voice; hailstones and coals of
fire. He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; yes, great
lightning bolts, and routed them. Then the channels of
waters appeared. The foundations of the world were laid
bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, at the blast of the breath of
your nostrils. He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me
out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh
was my support. He brought me forth also into a large place,
He delivered me, because he delighted in me. Yahweh has
rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to
the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me. For I
have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly
departed from my God. For all his ordinances were before
me, I didn’t put away his statutes from me. I was also
blameless with Him; I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore
Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
With the merciful you will show yourself merciful, with
the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. With the
pure, you will show yourself pure, with the crooked you will
show yourself shrewder then they are. For you will save the
afflicted people, but the haughty eyes you will bring down.
For you will light my lamp, Yahweh, My God will light up
my darkness. For by you, I advance through a troop, by my
156
God, I leap over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the
Word of Yahweh is tried. He is a shield to all those who take
refuge in him. For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a
rock, besides our God, God who arms me with strength, and
makes my way perfect? He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to
war, so that my arms bend a bow of bronze. You have also
given me the shield of your salvation, Your right hand
sustains me, Your gentleness has made me great. You have
enlarged my steps under me, my feet have not slipped. I will
pursue my enemies, and overtake them; neither will I turn
again until they are consumed. I will strike them through, so
that they will not be able to rise, they shall fall under my feet.
For you have armed me with strength to the battle, You have
subdued under me those who rose up against me. You have
also made my enemies turn their backs to me, so that I
might cut off those who hate me. They cried, but there was
none to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn’t answer them.
Then I beat them small as the dust before the wind, I cast
them out as the mire of the streets.
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations. A people whom
I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of
me they shall obey me, the foreigners shall submit
themselves to me. The foreigners shall fade away, and shall
come trembling out of their close places. Yahweh lives; and
blessed be my rock. Exalted be the God of my salvation,
even God who executes vengeance for me, and subdues
peoples under me, He rescues me from my enemies. Yes,
you lift me up above those who rise up against me; You
deliver me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks
to you, Yahweh, among the nations, and will sing praises to
Your Name. He gives great deliverance to his king, and
shows loving kindness to his Anointed, to David and to his
seed, forevermore.”
157
The Perfect Law

“The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse


shows his handiwork. Day after day they pour forth speech,
and night after night they display knowledge. There is no
speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their
voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the
end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which
is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man
rejoicing to run his course. His going forth is from the end of
the heavens, his circuit to its ends; there is nothing hidden
from its heat. Yahweh’s Law is perfect, restoring the soul.
Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple.
Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s
Commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of
Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they
than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey
and the extract of the honeycomb. Moreover by them is your
servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. Who
can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors. Keep
back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them
not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be
blameless and innocent of great transgression. Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be
acceptable in your sight, Yahweh, my rock, and my
redeemer.”

The Temple of Yahweh

“Yahweh is my light and my salvation, whom shall I


fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life, to whom shall I be
afraid? When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even

158
my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. Though
an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear.
Though war should rise against me, even then I will be
confident. One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek
after, that I may dwell in the House of Yahweh all the days of
my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in His
Temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in
his pavilion, in the covert of His Tabernacle He will hide me.
He will lift me up on a rock. Now my head will be lifted up
above my enemies around me. I will offer sacrifices of joy in
his tent, I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh.
Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice, have mercy
also on me, and answer me. When you said, “Seek my
face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your Face, Yahweh.”
Don’t hide your Face from me; don’t put your servant away
in anger. You have been my help, don’t abandon me, neither
forsake me, God of my salvation. When my father and my
mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. Teach me
your way, Yahweh; lead me in a straight path, because of
my enemies. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my
adversaries; for false witnesses have risen up against me,
such as breathe out cruelty. I am still confident of this: I will
see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. Wait
for Yahweh, be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes,
wait for Yahweh.”

Take courage!

“Oh how great is your goodness, which you have laid


up for those who fear you, which you have worked for those
who take refuge in you, before the sons of men! In the
shelter of your presence you will hide them from the plotting
of man. You will keep them secretly in a dwelling away from

159
the strife of tongues. Praise to Yahweh, for he has shown
me his marvelous loving kindness in a strong city.
As for me, I said in my haste, “I am cut off from before
your eyes.” Nevertheless you heard the voice of my petitions
when I cried to you. Now I know that Yahweh saves his
Anointed. He will answer him from His Holy Heaven, with the
saving strength of his right hand. Yahweh looks from
heaven, He sees all the sons of men. From the place of his
habitation he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he
who fashions all of their hearts and he considers all of their
works.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust
the Name of Yahweh our God. They are bowed down and
fallen, but we rise up, and stand upright. There is no king
saved by the multitude of an army, a mighty man is not
delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety;
neither does he deliver any by his great power. Behold,
Yahweh’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope
in his loving kindness; to deliver their soul from death, to
keep them alive in famine. Our soul has waited for Yahweh,
He is our help and our shield, for our heart rejoices in him,
because we have trusted in His Holy Name. Let your loving
kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you.
Oh love Yahweh, all you his saints! Yahweh preserves the
faithful, and fully recompenses him who behaves arrogantly.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope
in Yahweh.”

The Fear of the Lord

“I will praise Yahweh at all times; His praise will always


be in my mouth. My soul shall boast in Yahweh, the humble
shall hear of it, and rejoice. Oh magnify Yahweh with me; let
us exalt His Name together. I sought Yahweh, and he
160
answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. They who
looked for Him, became radiant, their faces shall never be
covered with shame. This poor man cried, and Yahweh
heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The Angel
of Yahweh encamps around those who fear him, and
delivers them. Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good,
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh fear
Yahweh, you his saints, for there is no lack with those who
fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger, but
those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the
fear of Yahweh. Who is someone who desires life, and loves
many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from
evil, and your lips from speaking lies. Depart from evil, and
do good, seek peace, and pursue it. Yahweh’s eyes are
toward the righteous; His ears listen to their cry. Yahweh’s
face is against those who do evil, to cut off their memory
from the earth. The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and
delivers them out of all their troubles. Yahweh is near to
those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a
crushed spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
Yahweh delivers him out of them all. He protects all of his
bones. Not one of them is broken. Evil shall kill the wicked.
Those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. Yahweh
redeems the soul of his servants. None of those who take
refuge in Him shall be condemned.”

The Lord is Faithful!

“Faithful is the Lord to them that love Him in truth, to


them that endure His chastening, to them that walk in the
righteousness of His commandments, in the Law which He
commanded us that we might live. The pious of the Lord
shall live by it for ever; the Paradise of the Lord, the Trees of
161
Life, are His pious ones. Their planting is rooted for ever;
they shall not be plucked up all the days of heaven, for the
portion and the inheritance of God is Israel.
But not so are the sinners and transgressors, who love
the brief day spent in companionship with their sin; their
delight is in fleeting corruption, and they remember not God.
The ways of men are known before Him at all times, and He
knows the secrets of the heart before they come to pass.
Therefore their inheritance is Sheol and darkness and
destruction and they shall not be found in the day when the
righteous obtain mercy, but the pious of the Lord shall inherit
life in gladness.”

The last words of David

“David the son of Jesse says, the man who was raised
on high says, the Anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet
psalmist of Israel: “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me, His
Word was on my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of
Israel spoke to me, ‘One who rules over men righteously,
who rules in the fear of God, shall be as the light of the
morning, when the sun rises, a morning without clouds,
when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through clear
shining after rain.’ Most certainly my house is not so with
God, yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things, and sure, for it is all my salvation, and
all my desire, although he doesn’t make it grow.
But all of the ungodly shall be as thorns to be thrust
away, because they can’t be taken with the hand, but the
man who touches them must be armed with iron and the
staff of a spear. They shall be utterly burned with fire in their
place.”

162
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!’

“Yahweh is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He


makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside
still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths
of righteousness for His Name’s sake. Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my
enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the
days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s House forever...
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are
you so far from helping me, and from the words of my
groaning? My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t
answer; in the night season and I am not silent. But you are
holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel. Our fathers
trusted in you, they trusted, and you delivered them. They
cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and
were not disappointed. But I am a worm, and no man; a
reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who
see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake
their heads, saying, “He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver
him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
But you brought me out of the womb. You made me
trust at my mother’s breasts. I was thrown on you from my
mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.
Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near, for there is none to
help. Many bulls have surrounded me; strong bulls of
Bashan have encircled me. They open their mouths wide
against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.
I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax; it is melted within me. My strength is
dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my

163
mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death, for dogs
have surrounded me, a company of evildoers have enclosed
me. They have pierced my hands and feet, I can count all of
my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my
garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
But don’t be far off, Yahweh, You are my help, hurry to
help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life
from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth!
Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered
me. I will declare your name to my brothers, in the midst of
the assembly, I will praise you. You who fear Yahweh, praise
Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him! Stand in awe
of Him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of
the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him, but
when he cried to him, he heard. Of you comes my praise in
the great assembly, I will pay my vows before those who fear
him. The humble shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise
Yahweh who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever, all
the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh.
All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you,
for the kingdom is Yahweh’s, He is the ruler over the nations.
All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those
who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who
can’t keep his soul alive. Posterity shall serve him. Future
generations shall be told about the Lord. They shall come
and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be
born, for he has done it.”

Purity of Hearts

Some people asked Jesus, “O man of God, please


guide us how we can build a perfect temple where we can
worship the Lord!” He replied, “Go and build it on water.”
164
They said, “How is it would be possible for a building to
stand on water?” He replied, “Then how is it would be
possible that the worship of God would stand side by side
with the love for this world? It was revealed to you that the
Kingdom of God is within you, why then you are trying to find
so many excuses for not receiving it, and flee from the
worship in the Temple of your Heart?”
“He who kills an ox is as he who kills a man; he who
sacrifices a lamb, as he who breaks a dog’s neck; he who
offers an offering, as he who offers pig’s blood; he who
burns frankincense, as he who blesses an idol. Yes, they
have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their
abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and will
bring their fears on them; because when I called, no one
answered; when I spoke, they didn’t listen; but they did that
which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t
delight.”
“Hear the Word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom! Listen
to the Law of our God, you people of Gomorrah! “What is the
multitude of your sacrifices to me?” says Yahweh. “I have
had enough of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed
animals. I don’t delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of
male goats. When you come to appear before me, who has
required this at your hand, to trample my courts? Bring no
more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me; new
moons, Sabbaths, and convocations: I can’t bear with evil
assemblies. My soul hates your New Moons and your
appointed feasts. They are a burden to me; I am weary of
bearing them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide
my eyes from you. Yes, when you make many prayers, I will
not hear, for your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves, make yourself clean. Put away the
evil of your doings from before my eyes, cease to do evil.
Learn to do well, seek justice and relieve the oppressed.”

165
“Thus says Yahweh, “Heaven is my throne, and the
earth is my footstool: what kind of house will you build to me
and what place shall be my rest? For all these things has my
hand made, and so all these things came to be,” says
Yahweh: “but to this man will I look, even to him who is poor
and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.”

“O my Lord, no man can corrupt your Holy Place; no


one can change it or to move it in another place; because no
one has power over it. For Your Sanctuary you have
designed before you have made all other places; that which
is without beginning can not be altered by created things
which came after it. You have given your heart, O Lord, to
your believers; never will it fail, nor be without fruits, for one
hour of your Faith is more precious than all days and years.”

As Jesus went out of the temple, one of his disciples


said to him, “Teacher, see what kind of stones and what kind
of buildings!”
Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings?
There will not be left here one stone on another, which will
not be thrown down.”
The disciples said to the Jesus, “Look at this temple,
how beautiful it is!” Then he said, “O Children of God, verily I
say unto you, God will not leave one stone of this temple
standing on another, but will destroy it for the sins of the
people. Verily God does not pay any attention to gold, or
silver, or to these stones, which appear so charming to your
eyes. The things, which dear to the Lord are pure hearts of
His devotees. It is by purity of hearts that the Earth stands,
and on contrary, their corruption destroys everything.”
Jesus said, “Why do you come to me disguised as
ascetics, while your hearts are like the hearts of ravenous
wolves? Better throw away your ascetic robes and put on the

166
garments of kings, and instead of molesting your external
appearance, humble yourselves within your hearts.”
Jesus said, “Blessed is one, to whom God reveals His
Word, for he would not die proud.”

The Temple of the body

Jesus found in the Temple those who sold oxen, sheep,


and doves, and the changers of money sitting. He made a
whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the
sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’
money, and overthrew their tables. To those who sold the
doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make
my Father’s house a marketplace!”
His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for
your house will eat me up.”
The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you
show us, seeing that you do these things?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this Temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.”
The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build
this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”
But he spoke of the Temple of his body.
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his
disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed
the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

“I am a priest of the Lord, and to Him I do priestly


service; and to Him I offer the sacrifice of His thought. For
His thought is not like the thought of the world, nor the
thought of the flesh, nor like them that serve carnally. The
sacrifice of the Lord is righteousness, and purity of heart and
lips. Present your reins before Him blamelessly; and let not
your heart do violence to heart, nor your soul to soul. You
167
shall not acquire a stranger by the price of your silver,
neither shall you seek to devour your neighbor; neither shall
you deprive him of the covering of his nakedness. But put on
the grace of the Lord without stint; and come into His
Paradise and make you a garland from its Tree, and put it on
your head and rejoice. And recline on His rest, and glory
shall go before you, and you shall receive of His kindness
and of His grace; and you shall be flourishing in Truth in the
praise of His holiness. Praise and honor be to His Name.
Hallelujah!”

Proud will be humbled

Jesus told disciples, “This very night you will all fall
away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But
after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I
never will.”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “this very night,
before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”
But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will
never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid
came to him, saying, “You were also with Jesus, the
Galilean!”
But he denied it before them all, saying, “I don’t know
what you are talking about.”
When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else
saw him, and said to those who were there, “This man also
was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Again he denied it with an oath, “I don’t know the man.”

168
After a little while those who stood by came and said to
Peter, “Surely you are also one of them, for your speech
makes you known.”
Then he began to curse and to swear, “I don’t know the
man!” Immediately the rooster crowed. Peter remembered
the word which Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster
crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and wept
bitterly.
When Jesus revealed himself to his disciples for the
third time after resurrection, he asked Peter, “Simon, son of
Jonah, do you love me more than others?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I have
affection for you.”
He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
He asked him again a second time, “Simon, son of
Jonah, do you love me?”
He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love for
you.”
He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do
you love me?”
Peter was grieved because he asked him the third time,
“Do you have affection for me?” He said to him, “Lord, you
know everything. You know that I have affection for you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

The Sabbath is for man

It happened that Jesus with disciples was going through


the grain fields on the Sabbath day, and his disciples began,
as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.
The Pharisees saw it and said him, “Behold, why do
they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day?”

169
He said to them, “Did you never read what David did,
when he had need, and was hungry—he, and those who
were with him? How he entered into the house of God when
Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which is
not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to
those who were with him?”
He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not
man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is lord even
of the Sabbath.”

Don’t replace superior with inferior

The Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from


Jerusalem, saying, “Why do your disciples disobey the
tradition of elders? For they didn’t wash their hands when
they were eating bread.”
He answered them, “First tell me what is more
important, the Commandment of God or tradition of the
elders?” “Of course, the Commandment of God”, they
answered to him. “Then whose crime is bigger, those who
disobey the Commandment of God or tradition of the elders?
“Of course, of those, who neglect the Commandment of
God”, they said.
“Then why do you also disobey the Commandment of
God because of your tradition? For you are, who have made
the main commandments of God void because of your
traditions. And which commandment is the greatest of all?
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your
soul, and with your entire mind, and with all your strength.’
This is the first commandment, and most important of all.
The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than
these two, the whole Law and the prophets are in these two
commandments.
170
But you cling to the routine customs invented by you,
and by overemphasizing many secondary rules left you by
your predecessors, you set aside the main commandments
of God, for the less important things of men. You hypocrites!
Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
‘These people draw near to me with their mouth,
and honor me with their lips;
but their heart is far from me.
And in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”
Of course, it is proper to wash your hands before taking
food, but it not because of the tradition, but to make them
clean. These traditions of yours became like a rope binding
both legs of people together, so that one constrained in such
manner can’t properly walk anymore; like a bandage on the
eyes of those who are already half-blind, to make them
completely deprived of their sight. Can the blind guide the
blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?
He addressed to multitude around, “Hear me, all of you,
and understand. There are rules of primary and secondary
importance. My disciples defiled themselves in the view of
the Pharisees, because they had eaten their food without
ritually washing their hands. The Pharisees are washing their
hands and doing many more likewise rituals, and they think
that they became pure by observing all these. But they have
forgotten which cleanness is more important in the eyes of
the Lord, external or internal, for it is said, ‘I desire mercy,
and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings.’ My disciples didn’t pay so mach attention to the
formalities created by people, but surely they have washed
themselves from inside, for their hearts are clean and full of
light. On contrary, the Pharisees thought themselves to be
clean by washing their hands, but they forget to wash along
with it their hearts, which are still full of filth and darkness.
Truly I tell you, in the eyes of the Father it is purity of a heart,
171
which counted first, and not freshness of the skin. And yet,
these hypocrites dare to blame my disciples for their
impurity? Verily it is not my disciples, but the Pharisees, who
defiled themselves and disobeyed both main
commandments of the Father.
You hypocrites! Why do you see the speck that is in
your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in
your own eye? Or how you dare to tell your brother, ‘Let me
remove the speck from your eye;’ and behold, there is beam
is in your own eye? First remove the beam out of your own
eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of
your brother’s eye.
I am and my disciples came not to handicap people and
burden them even more, but to unbind all bounds of
wickedness and to make slaves go free. But the Pharisees
by their misleading notions want to make people even more
miserable, so that they may keep them in constant fear and
manipulate them in accordance with their whims. By their
demonstrative piety they try to make others fill themselves
guilty and impure in front of them, for they created so many
useless rules and valueless rituals that no one can follow all
of them.
Verily, instead of being light for their people, they
became servants of the darkness and waivers of the nets of
ignorance around themselves, for they wronged those who
followed them and taken them by the way to death instead of
the road to life. They spread their traditions as traps for the
people, in the same way as spider spreads its webs in hope
to catch its prey. Not only they shut the road to salvation in
faces of the people, but they also stoning to death people for
trespassing least of their traditions, neglecting the main
commandments of God. Is it how He taught them to love
their neighbor?
Woe to you, hypocrites, for you clean the outside of the
cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-
172
indulgence. Blind people! First clean the inside of the cup
and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.
Woe to you, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed
tombs, which look beautiful from the outside, but inside are
full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the
same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous
and obeying formalities, but inside you are full of insincerity
and wickedness.”
The disciples asked Jesus, “Do you want us to fast?
How should we pray? Should we give to charity? What diet
should we observe?” Jesus replied them, “If you fast, you will
bring sin upon yourselves, and if you pray, you soul will be
condemned, and if you give to charity and worry about your
diet, you will harm to your spirits. Don’t become caught into
the net of rules created by men, for they will take you far
from the Kingdom of God. Rather be sincere in your actions,
do not tell lies and do not do what your heart hates, for all
things are plain in the sight of Heaven. After all, there is
nothing hidden that remains undisclosed, and there is
nothing concealed that remains uncovered.”
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by
‘the Law that gives freedom’, because judgment without
mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
Mercy triumphs over judgment! He who has knowledge of
the Truth is a free man, but the free man does not sin, for he
who sins is the slave of sin”
Jesus said, “May peace, be within you. Receive my
peace into yourselves. Beware that no one lead you astray
saying Lo he is here or lo look there! For the Son of Man is
within you. Follow after Him, and those who seek Him will
find Him. Go then and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Do not lay down any rules beyond of those, which I
appointed you, and do not make laws like the lawmakers, for
they will constrain you.”

173
Jesus said, “Strive for perfection, but always keep in
mind that no one becomes ‘just right’ in a single day.
Remember that the road to righteousness is long and
winding; therefore take a good amount of patience and
perseverance along with you. As matter of fact, this road is
full of thorns and weeds, so have a strong faith and don’t
lose you heart by the way. Also consider well the difference
between strategy and tactic, and don’t be dishearten
mistakenly thinking a lost battle for a lost war. After all, even
raising a plant, takes its time, what to say about raising your
spirit.”
Jesus said, “O children of God, all things in this world
can be divided into three kinds: first, which are obviously
virtuous, so follow them; of the second kind, vices of which
are obvious, so avoid them; and of the third kind, which are
neither of these two and which are doubtful to your
judgment. Therefore, commit them to Him, who knows better
then you, for no one in this world can learn without acting.
And while acting, no one can escape making mistakes, and
no one can truly repent without mistaking first. Consider how
a small child is prevented by his parents from hurting
himself, would they patiently sit and watch how he puts
himself in troubles? Sometimes a mother even brings hand
of her child close to a fire, in order that he became aware of
its danger. By doing this, she doesn’t mean to cause him an
injury, but she doing it to prevent him from hurting himself in
future.
Therefore be like a child to your Father, and try to be
sincere in your actions. Remember that He loves you, and if
you acknowledge Him as your Father, He will correct your
errors and take you by the safe path. Verily it is through our
personal experience that we are learning, and it is through
correcting of our mistakes that knowledge becomes part of
our nature. Therefore let no fear of action paralyzes you and
become hindrance in your progress. And yet, who will call
174
wise a person, who makes the same mistakes again and
again? And always remember that one, who could be called
truly wise, rather will be able to learn from countless
examples of others, then to try to break own neck.”

Submit yourselves to God

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t


they come from your desires that battle within you? You
want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you
cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do
not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you
do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that
you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You
adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the
world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you
think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused
to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace.
That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come
near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your
hearts, you double-minded. Grieve mourn and wail. Change
your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
“Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge. My soul,
you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord. Apart from you
I have no good thing.” As for the saints who are in the earth,
they are the excellent ones in whom is all my delight. Their
sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god;
their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their
175
names on my lips. Yahweh assigned my portion and my cup,
you made my lot secure. The lines have fallen to me in
pleasant places. Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will praise
Yahweh, who has given me counsel. Yes, my Heart instructs
me in the night seasons. I have set Yahweh always before
me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body
shall also dwell in safety. For you will not leave my soul in
Sheol, neither will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the Path of Life. In your presence is
fullness of joy, in your right hand there is bliss forevermore.”

The purity of a pearl

“When the pearl is cast down into the mud, it does not
lose its value in the eyes of its owner, for he will pick it up
and make it clean again. Nor it becomes more valued, if it
was anointed with balsam oil, for in both cases its value
remains the same. In the same way it with the Sons of God,
wherever they may be, they value remain the same in the
eyes of their Father.”
Consider the example of the Apostle Paul; verily, when
he stood besides cloaks at the stoning of Stephen, and was
approving his murder by doing this, he was sincere in his
zeal for the Lord. His truthfulness remained the same, when
he went around persecuting members of the Church, for he
sincerely believed that what he was doing was for God’s
sake. Nor his devotion towards the Lord become declined
when the Holy Spirit of Truth has descended upon him, and
he became ‘a fool of the Lord’, and walked through the fire of
suffering and the darkness of misunderstanding. “He is my
chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and
kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how
many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
176
The Truth was not alien to him since very beginning,
and stayed with him till his last hour. He knew not from a
second hand source, what ‘Faith, Hope and Love’ mean.
Verily those, who are sincere in their hearts, they are
cherished by their Heavenly Father as His sons without
regard for their circumstances, and He has all means to
correct their ways and to gather them to Himself; besides,
sincerity required for this. And yes, one needs to be enough
mature to be able to distinguish between sincerity and
stupidity, and innocence and idiocy.
“The Lord has directed my mouth by His Word, and He
has opened my heart by His light. And He has caused to
dwell in me His deathless life, and gave me that I might
speak the fruit of His peace. To convert the souls of them
who are willing to come to Him; and to lead captive to good
captivity for freedom. I was strengthened and made mighty
and took the world captive; and it became to me for the
praise of the Most High, and of God my Father. And the
Gentiles were gathered together who were scattered abroad.
And I was unpolluted by my love for them, because they
confessed me in high places: and the traces of the light were
set upon their hearts. And they walked in my life and were
saved and became my people for ever and ever. Hallelujah!”
Jesus said, “O Paul, Paul, my chosen and dear one.
And yet, there is time for sowing and there is time for
reaping, for when one sowed, he came with a plough and
sowed seeds, but when time to reap has come, he came
with a sickle in his hand. Those who have understanding let
them consider the differences.”

New and old

Jesus said, “No one repairs an old garment with piece


from a new garment, or else he will have to spoil new one for
177
this, and the piece from the new will not match the old. No
one puts a piece of new, unshrunk cloth on an old garment;
for when the patch will shrink, it would be torn away from the
old garment, and increase the hole. No one will like taste of
new wine immediately after he drank old mature wine, for he
will say, ‘The taste of old is better.’ No one puts new wine
into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins,
and pour out, and both the wine and the skins will be
destroyed. But new wine must be put into new wineskins,
which not became dried and hardened yet, and will be able
to expand themselves to fit the pressure of the new wine.”
The Law of the Old Covenant was purposed to
discipline men and to make better human out of them, but
the New Law, which was brought from Heaven by Jesus
Christ, made the children of man into the Children of the
Living One, and heirs of His Kingdom. The Old Law was
intermediate, but the New Law is the final one. For if there
had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place
would have been sought for another.
The main problem with the Old Law was that it doesn’t
provided ultimate solutions, and because of this, those who
were under it were to some extend constrained by it. For
even best amongst the sons of Adam were still subjugated to
all kinds of limitations, they were still subjects of decay and
suffering, dependence on fate, and death, and uncertainty
after it was waiting them for sure. As such, it was totally
hopeless, for all under it were subjugated to time and its
death, and there was no way to escape. And yet, without
enforcing the first law it was impossible to proceed with the
following one, for without preparing the soil, it is impossible
to sow seeds.
It is not that the new law totally replaced the old one, for
principles and laws it was based remained the same, rather
its approach itself was changed. From bound slaves and
helpless puppets, people were made full pledged members
178
of one family, and understanding and hope were given to
those, who once were in the darkness. Along with freedom
and understanding, responsibility was given side by side, for
before it was God, who was liable for the people, but now
they were made accountable for themselves. The two paths,
one of salvation, and other of destruction were placed in
front of them, and choice to choose by which of them to
proceed, by the ‘Road to Death’ or by the ‘Road to Life’.
Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that
those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may
become blind.”
The Pharisees asked him, “Are we also blind?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would be no
responsible; but now you say, ‘We see,’ therefore you are
responsible.”
And after all, what was the main and principal
difference in both laws? It is that the Old Law was treating
man as earthy part of him, but new one was taking him as
portion of the Spirit.
Jesus said, “There are two on the same couch; one will
die, and one will live.”
“The Old Law was based on descend from flesh, but
the New Law proclaimed humans as heirs of the Spirit. The
Old Law was concerned with things of men and of flesh, but
new one with things of God and His Holy Spirit.”

Circumcise your heart

The disciples asked Jesus, “From now, circumcision


necessary or not?” He answered them, “If it was necessary,
then Father would produce children already circumcised
from the wombs of their mothers. Rather, the true
circumcision of yourselves by the Holy Spirit has become
profitable for you in every respect.”
179
Already it was told long time before, “Sanctify
yourselves and be holy; for I Yahweh your God am holy.
Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart
of your seed, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, that you may live!”
“By the New Law, relation from the Spirit was
proclaimed as superior to relation of the flesh, and
unconditioned love was declared as superior to conditional.”

Why the Son was sent so late

“As long then as the former time endured, He permitted


us to be borne along by unruly impulses, being drawn away
by the desire of pleasure and various lusts. This was not that
He at all delighted in our sins, but that He simply endured
them; nor that He approved the time of working iniquity
which then was, but that He sought to form a Mind conscious
of righteousness, so that being convinced in that time of our
unworthiness of attaining life through our own works, it
should now, through the kindness of God, be vouchsafed to
us; and having made it manifest that in ourselves we were
unable to enter into the Kingdom of God, we might through
the Power of God be made able.
But when our wickedness had reached its height, and it
had been clearly shown that its reward, punishment and
death, was impending over us; and when the time had come
which God had before appointed for manifesting His own
kindness and Power, how the one love of God, through
exceeding regard for men, did not regard us with hatred, nor
thrust us away, nor remember our iniquity against us, but
showed great long-suffering, and bore with us, He Himself
took on Him the burden of our iniquities, He gave His own
Son as a ransom for us, the Holy One for transgressors, the
blameless One for the wicked, the righteous One for the
180
unrighteous, the incorruptible One for the corruptible, the
immortal One for them that are mortal. For what other thing
was capable of covering our sins than His righteousness? By
what other one was it possible that we, the wicked and
ungodly, could be justified, than by the only Son of God?
O sweet exchange! O unsearchable operation! O
benefits surpassing all expectation! So that the wickedness
of many should be hid in a single righteous One, and that the
righteousness of One should justify many transgressors!
Having therefore convinced us in the former time that our
nature was unable to attain the Life, and having now
revealed the Savior who is able to save even those things
which it was impossible to save, by both these facts He
desired to lead us to trust in His kindness, to esteem Him our
Nourisher, Father, Teacher, Counselor, Healer, our Wisdom,
Light, Honor, Glory, Power and Life, so that we should not
be anxious concerning clothing and food.”

The New Teaching

“Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the


prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill. Verily, I tell
you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one
smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass
away from the law, until all things are accomplished.
Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least
commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called
least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and
teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds
that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will
enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

181
“You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones,
‘You shall not murder;’ and ‘Whoever shall murder shall be in
danger of the judgment.’
But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his
brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment;
and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Worthless fellow!’ shall
be in danger of the council; and whoever shall say, ‘You
fool!’ shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.”
“If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and
there remember that your brother has anything against you,
leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First
be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your
gift.
Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with
him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the
judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be
cast into prison. Verily I tell you, you shall by no means get
out of there, until you have paid the last penny.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit
adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman
to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in
his heart.
If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and
throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that
one of your members should perish, than for your whole
body to be cast into Gehenna.
If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and
throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that
one of your members should perish, than for your whole
body to be cast into Gehenna.”
“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let
him give her a writing of divorce,’ but I tell you that whoever
puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual
immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries
her when she is put away commits adultery.”
182
“Again you have heard that it was said to them of old
time, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the
Lord your vows,’ but I tell you, don’t swear at all: neither by
heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is
the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of
the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you
can’t make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be
‘Yes’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Whatever is more than these is
of the evil one.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor, and hate your enemy.’
But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who
mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of
your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise
on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the
unjust. Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also
merciful.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to
you? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you do
good only to those who do good for you, what credit is that to
you? Even sinners do the same. If you only greet your
friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the
tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect,
just as your Father in heaven is perfect. Do good, and not
expect anything back from anyone; and your reward in
Heaven will be great, for such are Children of the Most
High.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye,
and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is
evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him
the other also.”
“If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him
have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile,
go with him two. Give to him who asks you, don’t turn away
183
him, who desires to borrow from you, and don’t ask to return
borrowed things back to you.”
“If you have extra money, don't lend it at interest.
Rather, give it to someone from whom you not expect to get
it back. For if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the
same. When you make a dinner or a supper, don’t call your
friends, or your brothers, or your kinsmen, or rich neighbors,
in hope that they might also return the favor you made for
them. But when you make a feast, invite the poor, the
maimed, the lame, or the blind; and you will be blessed,
because they don’t have the resources to repay you, and
you will be rich in the heaven.”
“But be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving
before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward
from your Father who is in heaven. Therefore when you do
merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they
may get glory from men. Verily I tell you, they have received
their reward. But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your
left hand know what your right hand does, so that your
merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees
in secret will reward you openly.”
“When you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad
faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen
by men to be fasting. Verily I tell you, they have received
their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and
wash your face; so that you are not seen by men to be
fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father,
who sees in secret, will reward you.”
“When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for
they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily,
I, they have received their reward. But you, when you pray,
enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray
184
to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in
secret will reward you openly. In praying, don’t use vain
repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be
heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them,
for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask
him.
Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be
kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as
in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring
us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For
yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.
Amen!’
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not
forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive you your
sins.”
“Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Why do you see
the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the
beam that is in your own eye? Or how will you tell your
brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye;’ and
behold, the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First
remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see
clearly to remove the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
“Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set
free, and you will be set free. For with whatever judgment
you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure
you measure, it will be measured to you. Don’t do others
what you don’t want to be done to you, and treat them as
you want to be treated; for how you did for others, so will be
done with you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken
together and running over, will be given back to you.”
“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine,
and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his
house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and
185
the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for
it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these
words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish
man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down,
the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that
house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
“O Yahweh, who shall dwell in your Sanctuary? Who
shall live on your Holy Hill? He who walks blamelessly and
does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart. He who
doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend,
nor casts slurs against his fellow man; in whose eyes a vile
man is despised, but who honors those who fear Yahweh;
he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t
change; he who doesn’t lend out his money for usury, nor
take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things
shall never be shaken.”

The way of life of the Christians

“The Christians are distinguished from other men


neither by their country, nor by their language, nor by the
customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities
of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead
a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of
conduct which they follow has not been devised by any
speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they,
like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely
human doctrines. But, inhabiting their cities, according as the
lot of each of them has determined, and following the
customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the
rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their
wonderful and confessedly striking method of life.
They dwell in their own countries, but simply as
sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others,
186
and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land
is to them as their native country, and every land of their
birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others;
they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring.
They have a common table, but not a common bed. They
are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They
pass their days on earth, but they are Citizens of Heaven.
They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time
surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are
persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they
are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet
make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet
abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very
dishonor are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are
justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and
repay the insult with honor; they do good, and yet punished
as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened
into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are
persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are
unable to assign any reason for their hatred.”

To give and to take

“A man is not justified by observing the old law, but by


faith in Jesus Christ, for faith receives, and love gives. No
one will be able to receive without faith. No one will be able
to give without love.”
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born
of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as
well. This is how we know that we love the Children of God:
by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love
for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not
burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the

187
world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even
our faith.”
Jesus said, “One who loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him. If a
man loves me, he will keep my Word. My Father will love
him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him.
He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. And I tell
you, ‘Now that you know all these things, you will be blessed
if you do them, for it is only if you hold to my teaching that
you are really my disciples.’”
“Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word
but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his
face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who
looks intently into ‘the Perfect Law that gives freedom’, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but
doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.”
The Lord said: “Even if you were gathered together with
me close to my very bosom, and yet if you would not kept
my commandments, I will cast you away and say to you:
Depart from me, you are workers of wickedness, I know not
where you came from.”

The blessings that flow from faith

“If you also desire this faith, you likewise shall receive
first of all the knowledge of the Father. For God has loved
mankind, on whose account He made the world, to whom He
rendered subject all the things that are in it, to whom He
gave reason and understanding, to whom alone He imparted
the privilege of looking upwards to Himself, whom He formed
after His own image, to whom He sent His only-begotten
Son, to whom He has promised a Kingdom in Heaven, and
188
will give it to those who have loved Him. And when you have
attained this knowledge, with what joy do you think you will
be filled? Or, how will you love Him who has first loved you
so?
And if you love Him, you will be an imitator of His
kindness. And do not wonder that a man may become an
imitator of God. He can, if he is willing. For it is not by ruling
over his neighbors, or by seeking to hold the supremacy
over those that are weaker, or by being rich, and showing
violence towards those that are inferior, that happiness is
found; nor can any one by these things become an imitator
of God. But these things do not at all constitute His majesty.
On the contrary he who takes upon himself the burden
of his neighbor; he who, in whatsoever respect he may be
superior, is ready to benefit another who is deficient; he who,
whatsoever things he has received from God, by distributing
these to the needy, becomes a god to those who receive, he
is an imitator of God. Then you shall see, while still on earth,
that it is God in the heavens who rules over; then you will
start to speak out the mysteries of God; then shall you both
love and admire those that suffer punishment because they
will not deny God. Then will you condemn the deceit and
error of the world, when you will came to know what it is to
live truly in heaven, when you will despise that which is here
esteemed to be death, when you will start fear of that which
is truly death, which is reserved for those who will be
condemned to the Eternal Fire, which shall afflict those even
to the end that are committed to it. Then will you admire
those who for righteousness’ sake endure the fire that is but
for a moment, and will start count them happy when you will
know that fire.”

189
Practice what you preach

Jesus told to his disciples: “O Children of God, be


perfect in your ways and first practice yourself what you
going to preach for others. In the case if you act in the
manner contrary to this, be ready to reap what you have
sowed by yourselves.”
Jesus said to his disciples, “I do not teach you so that
you may wonder upon my sayings and make others wonder;
I teach you so that you may act accordingly with my words.
The real wisdom is not in excessive studies and skillful
conversations, but in practical implementing through your
lives of that small amount of it, which you have learned.”
Jesus said, “One sincere action is hundred times more
profitable then abundance of of good intentions, and one
generous act of helping those, who are really in need of it,
hundred times more gracious then scores of of polite
condolences.”
Jesus said, “He who acquires knowledge and does not
act upon it is like a woman, who practices immorality in
secret. After she becomes pregnant and when her
pregnancy becomes apparent to others, at last she becomes
covered with shame. In the same way on the Day of
Resurrection, Lord will cover with shame, in the sight of
many witnesses, those who did not act upon their
knowledge.”
The disciples asked Jesus “O teacher, is there anyone
today in the world, who can be compared with you?” He
replied, “Yes, of course, the one whose speeches are always
glorifying God, whose silence filled with the Word of God,
and whose actions make you remember the Lord, he is like
me. For every word which is not accompanied by
remembrance of God, is vanity; and every silence which is
not accompanied by meditation is negligence; and every

190
speculation which is not accompanied by action is deception.
And so blessed is one, whose speeches are always
glorifying the Lord, whose silence is full of the Word, and
whose actions precede his speeches.”
“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my
brothers, because you know that we who teach will be
judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. If anyone
is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to
keep his whole body in check.”
“My heart was lifted up and enriched in the love of the
Most High, so that I might praise Him by my name. My
members were strengthened, that they might not fall from
His Power. Sickness was removed from my body, and it
stood firm for the Lord by His will, for His Kingdom is firm.
O Lord for the sake of them that are deficient, do not
cast me off from your Word, nor withhold from me your
perfection for the sake of their works. Let not light be
conquered by darkness, let not truth be ashamed in front of
falsehood. You will appoint me to victory; our Salvation is
your right hand. And you will receive men from all quarters;
you will preserve those who surrounded by wickedness. You
are my God—falsehood and death are not in your mouth,
only perfection is your will. And vanity you know not, neither
does it know you; and error you know not, neither does it
know you.”

Faith without deeds is dead

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has


faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? And if a
brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one
of you tells them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled;” and
yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what
good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself.
191
Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I by my works will
show you my faith. You believe that God is one. You do well.
The demons also believe, and shudder. But do you want to
know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? Wasn’t
Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up
Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his
works, and by works faith was perfected; and the Scripture
was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him as righteousness;” and he was called the
friend of God. You see then that by works, a man is justified,
and not only by faith. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the
prostitute also justified by works, in that she received the
messengers, and sent them out another way? For, as the
body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is
dead.”
Jesus said, “Woe to you, slaves of the world! What is
use for a blind man to carry around a lamp while only others
get light from it? And what is use of a house which is dark
within and having a lamp on its roof? Similarly, the
abundance of learned man's knowledge is of no use to him,
when he does not act upon it.
How many trees are there, yet all of them do not bear
fruit; and how many fruits are there, yet all of them are not
good; and how many sciences are there, and yet all of them
are not useful. And how many learned men are there, and
yet all of them do not benefited from what they had learned!
So be on your guard against the false prophets whose
speeches disagree with their actions, and who come to you
distinguished as ships, but who inwardly like ferocious
wolves.
The tree is recognized by its fruits, and who can plucks
grapes from thorns and figs from thistles? Good tree
produces good fruits, and bad tree produces fruits in
accordance with its nature. A bad tree can not produce good
192
fruit; similarly the speeches of false prophets produce no
good fruits, but only falsehood. For when owner of the camel
leave it untied in the desert, it departs to its home and to its
people; similarly when one who possesses knowledge and
does not act upon it, it departs from him and leaves him
empty and wasted. As seeds are useless without water and
soil, so is faith useless without knowledge and acting upon it.
Woe to you hypocrites, who willingly became enslaved by
the world! O you, who have placed good words on your
tongues, but thrown good deeds under your feet! Don’t you
know that road to the hell paved from the good intentions?
Everything has its qualities and signs by which it is
recognized; similarly true religion has three signs by which it
is to be known: faith, knowledge, and action.”
“In the same way as children in their games replacing
real things, with objects to be imagined for them, the false
prophets replace God and His discipline, with things they are
breeding in their imagination. For neither their eloquence
based on the knowledge of the Whole, nor do they really
understand the matter they speak about. In the same way as
children are happy in their games, so are the false prophets
happy in playing with terms and speculations fabricated in
their minds. And who says that the blind can’t be leaded by
the blind? The blind educator is much convenient for those
who chose to learn how to be blind, for he feeds them with
food suiting to their expectations.”
Jesus said, “Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruits
is cut down, and thrown into the fire. Not everyone who says
to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,
but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy
in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your
name do many mighty works?’
Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me,
you whose works are wickedness.’”
193
The Hypocrisy

Disciples said to Jesus, “Who are you that you say all
these things to us?” Jesus answered, “You don't understand
who I am from what I say to you, for you yourselves have
become like Pharisees, who either love the tree, but hate its
fruit, or love the fruit, but hate the tree that bore them.
Disciples asked him, “How is it?”
Jesus said, “For, they like to demonstrate how is great
they love for their Lord, but they hate to follow His Law, and
kill those whom He sends to reprove them; and they teach
others to detest the world, but they love its wealth more then
their lives.”
Jesus said, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees,
which is their hypocrisy.”
Some one asked Jesus, “Teacher, why are you against
Pharisees, for you are always speaking against them?”
Jesus answered, “Am I against Pharisees? Not at all,
rather I am against hypocrisy in all its forms.”
Jesus with disciples came to Jerusalem, and when he
entered into the temple, he found there those who were
selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money
sitting. He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the
temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the
changers’ money, and overthrew their tables and the seats
of those who sold the doves. He would not allow anyone to
carry a container through the temple. To those who sold the
doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make
my Father’s house a marketplace! Isn’t it written, ‘My house
will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you
have made it a den of robbers!”
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The
teachers of the law sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey
194
them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what
they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie
up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they
themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.”
“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make
their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments
long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most
important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted
in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Teacher.’”
Jesus said, “O you, of double standards, who are evil
from within, but pious from without. You are trying to earn
adoration of the people by praying and giving alms in
crowded places, and even your fasting is not for the sake of
the Lord, but to increase your own fame. You don’t obey
what you were commanded, and you preach to others what
you yourselves do not practice, what evil choices you have
made! You repent only in speeches and intentions, while
your actions motivated by your sinful desires. What benefit it
will bring for you, to clean your skins, while your hearts
remain full of filth? Verily I say unto you, do not be like a
sieve from which the good flour goes out and in which only
siftings retain. Similarly, you utter the God’s laws from your
mouths, while malice retains inside of your hearts. O slaves
of the world, how can you attain the Kingdom of God, while
you placed all your hopes and cravings in this verily world?
Truly I tell you, your souls weep by seeing what you have
done with them.
O hypocrites, you have placed good words on your
tongues, but thrown good deeds under your feet. Verily I say
unto you, keys of the Kingdom of God, were in your hands,
but you traded them for the welfare of this world. Woe to
you, for you deceived only themselves, and who else in this
world can be called greater losers than you! O impious
souls, if only you could know what you have missed and
what you reserved for themselves! O Hypocrites, you have
195
sat on the Road to Life, but you have not walked a step, so
that you may reach there, nor have you allowed others to do
this; curses of those who were beguiled by you are not
ceasing from their lips! How long will you guide others the
way to the Kingdom of God, but yourselves restrain from
reaching there, as if you were wishing to send away all the
people of the earth and leave their world for you?
Woe to you Pharisees! What use in placing a lamp on
the roof of the house, which full with darkness from within?
Similarly the abundance of a learned man's knowledge is of
no use to him, when he does not act upon it.”
Jesus said, “Woe to you, slaves of the world! Your
speeches are like remedies which could heal any disease,
but your actions are like incurable diseases. Why are you not
like the vine, whose leaves are beautiful, whose fruits are
good, and whose growth is easy? Why you are like the
acacia tree, whose leaves are few, whose thorns are many,
and whose growth is difficult. Woe to you hypocrites, who
have thrown action under your feet; whoever wishes may
take it away from you. You have placed the world as burden
over your heads and now it cannot be removed away. Woe
to you, who willingly sold yourselves into slavery to the
world, you are neither sincere as its slaves, nor you worthy
to be honored as the free men. Woe to you, the offspring of
the evil, for you took rewards, for the work which was spoiled
by you!
The one day, you will face that of which you are fear
most, when the Master of the House will come back, and
consider the works which were spoiled by you, and recon
His rewards which were stolen by you. The time is coming,
when the world will uproot you and throw down upon your
faces; then your sons will sit upon your backs and push your
noses to the ground, they would shuddering you for your
forelocks, until they hand over you, naked and ruined to the

196
Royal Judge. Then He will make you repent for your
wickedness and will give you rewards for your evil deeds.”
Jesus said, “Woe to the Pharisees, for you are like a
dog sleeping in the cattle manger, the dog neither eats from
there, nor it let the cattle eat. You have taken the keys of
Knowledge and hidden them. You yourselves have not
entered, nor have you allowed others to enter.”
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and
cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters
of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have
practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind
guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Clothed with Christ

“So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we
may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the
law, because by observing the old law no one will be saved.
Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the
supervision of the old law. You are all Sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into
Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither
Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are
all one in Christ Jesus. Now you who live together with the
Son of God, love not the world, but love the Lord, in order
that you may be not counted amongst dead, but become
truly alive.
Die to the world, repudiating the madness that is in it.
Live to God, and by staying in Him lay aside your old nature.
We were not created to die, but we die by our own fault. Our
free-will has destroyed us; we who were free have become
slaves; we have been sold through sin. Nothing evil has
been created by God; we ourselves have manifested
197
wickedness; but we, who have manifested it, are able again
to reject it.”
“And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when
he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him
at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that
everyone who does what is right has been born of him. How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called Children of God! And that is what we are!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not
know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and
what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know
that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies
himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the
law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he
appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is
no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one
who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who
does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He
who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has
been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God
appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is
born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed
remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has
been born of God. This is how we know who the Children of
God are and who the Children of the Devil are: Anyone who
does not do what is right is not a Child of God; nor is anyone
who hates his brother.”
“I was rescued from my bonds and unto you, my God, I
fled, for you are the right hand of my Salvation and my
helper. You have restrained those that rise up against me,
and I shall see him no more; because your face was with
me, which saved me by your grace. But I was despised and

198
rejected in the eye of many, and I was in their eyes like lead,
and all my help and strength was from you.
You set a lamp at my right hand and at my left, so that
in me will remain nothing that is not bright. And I was clothed
with the covering of your Spirit, and you did remove from me
my raiment of skin, for your right hand lifted me up and
removed sickness from me. And I became mighty in the
Truth and holy by your Righteousness; and all my
adversaries were afraid of me. And I became admirable by
the Name of the Lord, and was justified by His gentleness,
and His rest is for ever and ever. Hallelujah!”

Baptizing in the Holy Spirit

“The dew of the Lord in quietness He distilled upon me,


and the cloud of peace He caused to rise over my head,
which guarded me continually. It was to me for salvation,
everything was shaken and they were affrighted; and there
came forth from them a smoke and a judgment; and I was
keeping quiet in the order of the Lord. More than shelter was
He to me, and more than foundation. And I was carried like a
child by His mother, and she gave me milk, the dew of the
Lord. And I grew great by His bounty, and rested in His
perfection, and I spread out my hands in the lifting up of my
soul; and I was made right with the Most High, and I was
redeemed with Him. Hallelujah!”
“If one goes down into the water and comes up without
having received anything, and says “I am a ‘Christian’ (that
means follower of Christ),” he has borrowed this name at
interest. But if he receives the Holy Spirit along with it, than
he has this name as his own, as gifted to him. He who has
received a gift does not have to give it back, but he who has
borrowed, has to give it back with an interest.”

199
“We know that we have come to know him if we obey
his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does
not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in
him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made
complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
Jesus said, “If you love me, and keep my
commandments, I will pray to the Father, and he will give
you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever, —
the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it
doesn’t see him, neither knows him.”
“Blessed are those, who truly came to know the Holy
One within selves, for they will newer experience death. O
Children of the Living God! Rather be baptized in the
holiness of the Holy Spirit then merely pouring water over
your skin! For indeed, blessed are those who can stand in
the Tabernacle of the Lord’s presence without trembling!”

The Living God

“Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.


You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive
my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying
down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not
a word on my tongue, but, behold, Yahweh, you know it
altogether. You put a hem on me in behind and before; You
laid your hand on me. This knowledge is beyond me, it is
lofty then I can attain. Where could I go from your Spirit? Or
where could I flee from your presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, you are there. If I make my
bed in Sheol, behold, you are there! If I take the wings of the
dawn, and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there
your hand will lead me, and your right hand will hold me. If I
say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me; the light
200
around me will be night; even the darkness doesn’t hide from
you, but the night shines as the day. The darkness is like
light to you.
For you formed my inmost being, You knit me together
in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well. My frame wasn’t hidden from
you, when I was made in secret, woven together in the
depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my body. In your book
they were all written, the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there were none of them. How precious to me
are your thoughts, God! How vast is their sum! If I would
count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I
wake up, I am still with you.
Search me, God, and know my heart.
Try me, and know my thoughts.
See if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the Everlasting Way.”

“We know that anyone born of God does not continue


to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the
evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are Children of
God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil
one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has
given us understanding, so that we may know him who is
true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus
Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
“As long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a
slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to
guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So
also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the
basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full
rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of
201
his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,
Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since
you are a son, God has made you also an heir. Formerly,
when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who
by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or
rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back
to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be
enslaved by them all over again?”
“There are many names in the world, but all of them are
misleading, for they are not the Truth, but only reflection of it.
The One single name is not uttered in the world; the name
which the Father gave to the Son, for this Word is above of
all things, the Name of the Father. For, how it would be
possible for the Son, to inherit the Kingdom of the Father,
unless he wore the Name of the Father? Verily, those who
came to know this name, unable to tell it to others, for it can’t
be known only by those, who has earned it by themselves.”
Jesus said, “O You, who have joined the Perfect Light
with the Holy Spirit, unite also the angels with yourselves, as
trough they are images of your ideal. Do not despise the
lamb, for without it, it is not possible to see the King. No one
will be able to go in to the King if he is naked.”
Jesus said, “The wedding was filled with guests. But
when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a
man who didn’t have on wedding clothing, and he said to
him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding
clothing?’ He was speechless. Then the king said to the
servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw
him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and
grinding of teeth will be.’ For many are called, but few are
chosen.”

202
The Garden of Eden

“My heart was cloven and its flower appeared; and


grace sprang up in it; and it brought forth fruit to the Lord, for
the Most High clave my heart by His Holy Spirit and
searched my affection towards Him, and filled me with His
Love. And His opening of me became my salvation; and I
ran in His way in His peace, even in the Way of Truth. From
the beginning and even to the end I acquired His knowledge;
and I was established upon the Rock of Truth, where He had
set me up.
And speaking waters touched my lips from the fountain
of the Lord plenteously, and I drank and was inebriated with
the Living Water of drinking which one does not die. And my
inebriation was not one without knowledge, and I forsook
vanity and turned to the Most High my God. And I was
enriched by His bounty, and I forsook the folly which is
diffused over the earth; and I stripped it off and cast it from
me. And the Lord renewed me in His raiment, and
possessed me by His Light, and from above He gave me
rest in incorruption. And I became like the land which
blossoms and rejoice in its fruits; and the Lord was like the
sun shining on the face of the land. He lightened my eyes,
and my face received the dew; and my nostrils enjoyed the
pleasant odor of the Lord. And He carried me to His
Paradise, where is the abundance of the pleasure of the
Lord. And I worshipped the Lord on account of His glory; and
I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in your
land and those who have a place in your Paradise; and they
grow by the fruits of the trees. And they have changed from
darkness to light.
Behold! All your servants are fair, who do good works,
and turn away from wickedness to the pleasantness that is
yours. And they have turned back the bitter fruits of the trees

203
from them, when they were planted in your land. And
everything became like a relic of you, and memorial for ever
of your faithful works. For there is abundant room in your
Paradise, and nothing is useless therein; but everything is
filled with fruit. Glory be to you, O God, the delight of
Paradise for ever! Hallelujah!”

The Children of God

“Those who are heirs of the dead are themselves dead,


for they inherit only the dead. Those, who inherit the Life,
became truly alive, being heirs of both: the living and the
dead, for they inherit the blessings of Abraham trough their
flesh, and the Kingdom of God through their spirit. In truth,
the dead do not inherit anything, for how is it possible for
those, who never knew the Life to inherit something? But
when those, who were counted amongst dead,
acknowledged their Father and became heirs of the Living
One, they will not die, but will live as if they never were
born.”
“Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he, who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Those who not
believe in Christ don’t need to be afraid to die, for because of
their unbelief, they never will be able to find the Way to the
Life, so that they may be deprived from it. In reality it makes
little difference when such person dies, for he never was
born to life actually; just saw one more restless dream
always with the same sad end. But it is one, who believed in
the Truth and found the Life, who is in danger to be deprived
from it, for his life is truly of Life.”
Jesus said, “Attention of the people, distracted by the
external objects, and this how the Light within them becomes
hidden by the images that are in the light of the Father. He
will become revealed, for His image is hidden by his own
204
light. Recognize what is concealed from your sight, and that
which is hidden will be revealed to you. Seek and you will
find, for there is nothing hidden that couldn’t be revealed.
How you become delighted by images of your own
likeness, but when you will come to know images of yours
that came into being before you and that neither die nor
become apparent, how much more happiness you will have
to bear!
Adam came from great power and great wealth, but he
not became worthy of you. For had he been worthy of you,
he would never experienced death. Truly I tell you, among
those born of women, no one has appeared, who is greater
than John the Baptist. And yet, I tell you, whoever among
you will become like a small Child in the Kingdom of Heaven,
he will become superior to the John.”

The miserable state of men before coming of the Word

For, who of men at all understood before His coming


what God is? Do you accept of the vain and silly doctrines of
those who are deemed trustworthy philosophers? Of whom
some said that fire was God, calling that God to which they
themselves were by and by to come; and some water; and
others some other of the elements formed by God. But if any
one of these theories be worthy of approbation, every one of
the rest of created things might also be declared to be God.
But such declarations are simply the startling and erroneous
utterances of deceivers; and no man has either seen Him, or
made Him known, but He has revealed Himself. And He has
manifested Himself through faith, to which alone it is given to
behold God. For God, the Lord and Fashioner of all things,
who made all things, and assigned them their several
positions, proved Himself not merely a friend of mankind, but
also long-suffering. Yes, He was always of such a character,
205
and still is, and will ever be, kind and good, and free from
wrath, and true, and the only one who is absolutely good;
and He formed in His mind a great and unspeakable
conception, which He communicated to His Son alone. As
long, then, as He held and preserved His own wise counsel
in concealment, He appeared to neglect us, and to have no
care over us. But after He revealed and laid open, through
His beloved Son, the things which had been prepared from
the beginning, He conferred every blessing all at once upon
us, so that we should both share in His benefits, and see and
act in free will. Who of us would ever have expected these
things? He was aware, then, of all things in His own mind,
along with His Son, according to the relation subsisting
between them.”

The redemption of Adam

“I stretched out my hands and approached my Lord, for


the stretching of my hands is His sign, my expansion is the
outspread tree which was set up on the way of the
Righteous One. And I became of no account to those who
did not take hold of me; and I shall be with those who love
me. All my persecutors are dead; and they sought after me
who hoped in me, because I was alive. And I rose up and
am with them; and I will speak by their mouths. For they
have despised those who persecuted them; and I lifted up
over them the yoke of my love. Like the arm of the
bridegroom over the bride, so was my yoke over those that
know me. And as the couch that is spread in the house of
the bridegroom and bride, so is my love over those that
believe in me.
And I was not rejected though I was reckoned to be so;
I did not perish, though they devised it against me. Sheol
saw me and was made miserable, death cast me up, and
206
many along with me. I had gall and bitterness, and I went
down with him to the utmost of his depth; and the feet and
the head he let go, for they were not able to endure my face.
And I made a congregation of living men amongst his dead
men, and I spoke with them by living lips, because my word
shall not be void. And those who were dead ran towards
me, and they cried and said, Son of God, have pity on us,
and do with us according to your kindness, and bring us out
from the bonds of darkness, and open to us the Door by
which we shall come out to you. For we see that our death
has not touched you, let us also be redeemed with you, for
you are our Redeemer. And I heard their voice, and my
Name I sealed upon their heads, for they are free men and
they are mine. Hallelujah!”

Freedom and slavery

“A man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. The


whole world is a prisoner of sin.”
“The slaves seek only to be free, and they does not
have hope to acquire the estate of they master. But the
Children of God are not slaves, but legitimate heirs of the
inheritance of their Father. Whatever the Father possesses
belongs at the same time to His Children, but as long as they
are not deserved it, they are not entrusted with what
rightfully belongs to them. But when they become enough
grown-up to be able to face the entire responsibility, the
Father joyfully passes them all that He possesses.”
“He, who is enslaved against his will, will be able to
become free. But he, who has become free by favor of his
master, and later by his own will has sold himself into
slavery, will no longer be able to be free. And how we can
claim to be free, if we are still bound and forced to do things
which we actually don’t want to do? How we can say that we
207
are free, when our soul is still in slavery of the ignorant
flesh?
They call it ‘natural’, but is it natural for the soul, which
is immortal to die? God created men in His Own Image not
to make him suffer, or to torment his soul by all kinds of
troubles. The Lord placed His Holy Spirit into humans not to
punish them, but to bless. How then we can pretend to be
free, when we made our souls puppets of destiny and slaves
of the death; we, who are Children of our Father in Heaven?
There are many kinds of the obvious bondage and slavery in
this world, and no one here likes to bear them, but what to
do with the chains which are not visible? Concealed bounds
are most dangerous, for who can break the chains, which no
one can touch or even see? And who can fight against the
skillful enemy, which has concealed itself and convinced
others that he doesn’t exist, or even that he is their best
friend?”
Jesus said, “Indeed how miserable is the body, which
depends upon another body, and how miserable is the soul
which depends on these both. If one sows into flesh, of flesh
he shall reap corruption, but if one sows into spirit, of spirit
he shall reap the Life Eternal.”
Jesus said, “The Children of God are like those who
look into the hidden things of the world, when rest of the
world delights in its most apparent things. They forgotten
about their present and concerned with their hereafter, while
all others look at their present and turned their backs to their
future. They have killed what they knew would kill them, and
have abandoned what they knew would abandon them. They
have brought to life the remembrance of death, and they
have mortified the remembrance of life. They despised what
is loved by most of the men, and made peace with what is
hated by multitude.
The Kingdom of God is for them, and they are in the
Kingdom of God. The scriptures speak about them, and
208
words of scriptures are on their lips. They have knowledge of
right action, and they are acting in accordance with it. They
see no other aims apart from one that they strive for, and
have no other fears apart from what they already conquered.
They find their delight in remembrance of death and able to
find rejoice in their misfortunes. Whatever was below them,
they lifted it up, and whatever was above them they brought
it down. The world is bad in their sight and they do not try to
renew it. It became ruined amongst them, and they do not try
to rebuild it. It has died in their breasts and they do not try to
bring it back to life. Instead, they have built their Kingdom of
God upon its ruins. They have given everything what was
theirs to God, and God has given everything what was His to
them. The love for the Father is in their hearts, and He is
with them for eternity.”

209
The prayer of Jesus

One day, Jesus was caught by a stormy rain on the


way, so he started to search for a place, where he could take
shelter. At some distance he saw a tent, but when he
reached there, he found that only a lonely woman was in it,
so he turned away. Then he saw a cave on a hill, but after

210
reaching there he found that it was already occupied by a
lion. Then he said, “O Father, You has provided place for
everyone in this world, but it seems that you have forgotten
about me, who is your only son.” Then God has answered
him, “Your abode, my Son, is in dwelling upon my mercy”.
Then Jesus prayed to God, “Unable to bring forth what I
yearn for, or to draw away what I despise, bound by my
works, I am verily not belonging to myself and roam around
with all my affairs handled by others. Indeed, there is no
poor man poorer than Me. Foxes have their holes and birds
of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man has no place
to lay his head and rest. When night comes I have nothing
for another day, and in the morning I have nothing for
evening, and yet there is no one on the whole Earth, who is
richer than me. O God, let not my enemy triumph over me,
and let not those whom I love, will be displeased with my
sincerity; and do not let me be taken astray from my faith by
worldly matters. O Father, make straight my path, and don’t
place me in power of those, who will have not mercy upon
me, O Living One, O Everlasting One, let your will always
prevail!”
“How lovely are your dwellings, Yahweh of Armies! My
soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh. My
heart and my flesh cry out for the Living God. Yes, the
sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for
herself, where she may have her young, near your altars,
Yahweh of Armies, my King, and my God. Blessed are those
who dwell in Your House, they are always praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set
their hearts on a pilgrimage. Passing through the Valley of
Weeping, they make it a place of springs. Yes, the autumn
rain covers it with blessings; they go from strength to
strength, every one of them appears before God in Zion.
Yahweh, God of Armies, Hear my prayer. Listen, God of

211
Jacob. Behold, God our shield, look at the face of your
anointed.”
“I cry with my voice to Yahweh, with my voice, I ask
Yahweh for mercy. I pour out my complaint before him, I tell
him about my troubles. When my spirit was overwhelmed
within me, you knew my path. In the way in which I walk,
they have hidden a snare for me. Look on my right, and see;
for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled
from me; no one cares for my soul. I cried to you, Yahweh, I
said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need. Deliver me from
my persecutors, for they are stronger than me. Bring my soul
out of prison that I may give thanks to Your Name. The
righteous will surround me, for you will be good to me.”
Jesus said, “If you are able to be as innocent as a dove
concerning the Lord, then be it so; nothing is more innocent
than dove. You may take two its young babies from under it
and kill them, and it will still return to that very place and try
to bring forth others in it.”

Praise to the Lord!

“He who dwells in the Secret Place of the Most High will
rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of Yahweh, “He
is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust, for he
will deliver you from the snare of the fowler; and from the
deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers; under
his wings you will take refuge. His faithfulness is your shield
and rampart, you shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor
of the arrow that flies by day; nor of the pestilence that walks
in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at
your right hand; but it will not come near you. You will only
look with your eyes, and see the recompense of the wicked.
212
Because you have made Yahweh your refuge, and the Most
High your dwelling place, no evil shall happen to you; neither
shall any plague come near your dwelling.
For He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you
in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, so that
you won’t dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on
the lion and cobra, you will trample the young lion and the
serpent underfoot.”

Yahweh reigns!

“Yahweh reigns!
He is clothed with majesty!
Yahweh is armed with strength.
The world also is established.
It can’t be moved.
Your throne is established from long ago.
You are from everlasting.
Your statutes stand firm.
Holiness adorns Your House,
Yahweh, forevermore.”
“The heavens will praise your wonders, O Lord; your
faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in
the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the
sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh, a very awesome
God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all
those who are around him? Yahweh, God of Armies, who is
a mighty one, like you? The Lord, your faithfulness is around
you, righteousness and justice are the foundation of your
throne.
Loving kindness and truth go before your face. Blessed
are the people who learn to acclaim you, for they walk in the
Light of your Presence, Yahweh. In your Name they rejoice
all day. In your righteousness, they are exalted. For you are
213
the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be
exalted.”

The Sons of God

“If you live according to the sinful nature you will die.
But if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of body,
you will live, because, those who are led by the Spirit of God
are Sons of God.”

“Yahweh, the God of my salvation,


I have cried day and night before you.
Let my prayer enter into your presence.
Turn your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles.
My life draws near to Sheol.
I am counted among those who go down into the pit.
I am like a man who has no help,
set apart among the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more.
They are cut off from your hand.
You have laid me in the lowest pit,
in the darkest depths.
Your wrath lies heavily on me.
You have afflicted me with all your waves.
You have taken my friends from me.
You have made me an abomination to them.
I am confined, and I can’t escape.
My eyes are dim from grief.
I have called on you daily, Yahweh.
I have spread out my hands to you.
Do you show wonders to the dead?
Do the dead rise up and praise you?
214
Is your loving kindness declared in the grave?
Or your faithfulness in Destruction?
Are your wonders made known in the dark?
Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But to you, Yahweh, I have cried.
In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
Yahweh, why do you reject my soul?
Why do you hide Your Face from me?
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.
While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
Your fierce wrath has gone over me.
Your terrors have cut me off.
They came around me like water all day long.
They completely engulfed me.
You have put lover and friend far from me,
and my friends into darkness.”

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,


and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as
sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are
not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then
you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we
have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we
respected them for it. How much more should we submit to
the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us
for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us
for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline
seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it
produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those
who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your
feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your

215
feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather
healed.
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be
holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that
no one misses the Grace of God and that no bitter root
grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one
is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single
meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward,
as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he
was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind,
though he sought the blessing with tears.”

The Mount Zion

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has


conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
Jesus said, “I will give you what no eye has seen and
what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and
what human mind is incapable to imagine. The heavens and
the earth will be rolled up in front of you, and those who
received Life from the Living One will not see death.”
Jesus said, “Even now did my Mother, the Holy Spirit
took me by one of my hairs, and carried me away on the
Great Mountain.”
Jesus said, “For by now, the fearful place of crossing is
right before you. But you, with single mind, pass it over! Its
depth is great; its height is enormous, but if you walk over it
with single mind, its fire will not harm you, and all its powers
will not affect you, for they subordinate to the authority of the
Father, because they came forth from the Soul of souls in
everyone. But if you will become afraid and because of fear
forget whose children you are, definitely you will perish.”
“There is a way which seems right to a man, but in the
end it leads to death. The highway of the upright is to depart
216
from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.
Righteousness guards the way of integrity, but wickedness
overthrows the sinner. The Path of Life leads upward for the
wise, to keep him from going downward to Sheol. There is
stern discipline for one who forsakes the Way: whoever
hates reproof shall die.”
“You have not come to a mountain that can be touched
and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;
to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that
those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to
them, because they could not bear what was commanded:
“If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.”
The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling
with fear.”
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly
Jerusalem, the City of the Living God. You have come to
thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to
the ‘Church of the Firstborn’, whose names are written in
heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the
spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator
of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a
better word than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not
refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they
refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will
we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At
that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has
promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also
the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing
of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what
cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are
receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be
thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and
awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
“I offer my thanks to you, O Lord, because I love you, O
Most High, you will not forsake me, for in you are my hope.
217
Freely I have received your grace, by it I shall live. My
persecutors will come and not see me, for a cloud of
darkness will fall on their eyes; and an air of thick gloom
shall darken them. And they shall have no light to see, they
may not take hold upon me. Let their counsel become thick
darkness, and what they have cunningly devised, let it return
upon their own heads, for they have devised a counsel, but it
did not succeed. For my hope is upon the Lord, and I will not
fear, yes because the Lord is my salvation, I will not fear.
And He is as a Crown on my head and I shall not be moved;
even if everything should be shaken, I stand firm. Even if all
things visible should perish, I shall not die; because the Lord
is with me and I am with Him. Hallelujah!”

The Resurrection

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place for all


generations. Before the mountains were brought forth,
before you had formed the earth and the world, even from
everlasting to everlasting, you are God. You turn man to
destruction, saying, “Return to dust, you children of men.”
For a thousand years in your sight are just like
yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night. You
sweep them away as they sleep. In the morning they sprout
like new grass. In the morning it sprouts and springs up. By
evening, it is withered and dry.”
The disciples asked Jesus, “When the resurrection of
the dead will take place, and when the new world will
come?” He answered them, “That you look forward to have
already come, but you did not recognize it.”

When King Herod heard about Jesus he said, “John the


Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these
powers are at work in him.”
218
But others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a
prophet, or like one of the prophets.”
But Herod said, “This is John, whom I beheaded. He
has risen from the dead.”
One day some Sadducees, who say there is no
resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. They asked
him, “Teacher, Moses said unto us, If a man die, not having
children, let his brother take his wife, and raise up seed for
his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers: and the
first took a wife, and died without children; and the second
took his wife, and died without children; and the third also
took her; and in like manner all seven of them died without
leaving children. And last of them all the woman died. At the
resurrection, then, which of these seven shall have this
woman? Since all of them were married to her”.
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not
know the Scriptures or the Power of God. The sons of this
world take wives, and the women become the men's; but
those that have become worthy of that world, and the
resurrection from among the dead, do not take wives, and
the women also do not become the men's. Nor is it possible
that they should die; but they are like the angels, and are the
Children of God, because they have become the Children of
the Resurrection”.
“But someone will say, “How are the dead raised?” and,
“With what kind of body do they come?”
The Resurrection is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural
body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and
there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, “The first
man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a
life-giving spirit. However that which is spiritual isn’t first, but
that which is natural, then that which is spiritual. The first
man is of the earth, made of dust. The second man is the
219
Lord from heaven. Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and
blood can’t inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does
corruption inherit incorruption.
And don’t be confused between two kinds of
resurrection, the first of which is the rebirth of the soul from
old flesh into new flesh, and second is the rebirth from flesh
into spirit.”
Jesus said, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who
believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives
and believes in me will never die.

3 Rebirth in the Spirit

Jesus said, “The man old in days will not hesitate to ask
a small child seven days old about the Place of Life, and he
will live. Those who have ears let them listen.”
Some women came with little children to Jesus, so that
he may lay his hands on them and bless, but the disciples
rebuked them.
But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and
he said to them, “Allow the little children, and don’t forbid
them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to
such like these.”
Once, Jesus saw some babies nursing. He said to his
disciples, “These infants being suckled are like those who
are in the Kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, unless you
not change yourselves, and become like them, it is not
possible for you to enter there.”
Then they asked him, “Tell us how we can enter the
Kingdom of God as babies?”
Jesus said to them, “When you will make the two into
one, and the inside like the outside and the outside like the
inside, and the above like the below, and bellow like the
above. And when you will unite male and female into a
220
single One, so that the male will not be male nor the female
be female, and when you will place eye in the place of an
eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a
foot, and so complete image will become in its place, then
will you see the Kingdom.”
Jesus said, “If flesh came into being because of spirit, it
is a big wonder. But if spirit came into being because of
body, it is a wonder of wonders. Indeed, I am amazed how
this great wealth has made its home in this poverty.”
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews. The same came to Jesus by night, and
said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come
from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless
God is with him.”
Jesus answered him, “Verily, I tell you, unless one is
born anew, he can’t see the Kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when
he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s
womb, and be born?”
Jesus answered, “Verily I tell you, unless one is born of
water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must
be born anew.’ The wind blows where it wants to, and you
hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and
where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel,
and don’t understand these things? Verily I tell you, we
speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have
seen, and you don’t receive our witness. If I told you earthly
things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you
heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he
who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in
heaven.”
221
“I rested in the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirit raised
me on high. The Holy Spirit made me stand on my feet in the
height of the Lord, in front of His perfection and His glory,
while I was praising Him by singing His songs. The Spirit
brought me forth before the Face of the Lord, and although a
son of man, I was named the ‘Anointed One’, the Son of
God, praised amongst the praised, and great amongst the
mighty ones. For according to the greatness of the Most
High, so He shaped me, in His own newness He renewed
me. And He anointed me from His own perfection, and I
became one with Him. My mouth was opened, like a cloud of
dew, and my heart poured out, as if it was a gushing stream
of righteousness, And my ascend to Him was full of peace,
for I was established by the government of His Holy Spirit.
All those will be astonished that see me, for from another
race I am, for the Father of Truth remembered me, He who
possessed me from the beginning. For His bounty begat me,
and the thought of His heart, and His Word is with us in all
our way.”
“The Savior is one who makes alive and does not reject
our souls; the man who was humbled, and exalted by His
own righteousness. The Son of the Most High appeared in
the perfection of His Father, and light dawned from the Word
that existed before beginning of time in Him. The Messiah is
Truly One; and He was known before the foundation of the
world, that He might save souls for ever by the Truth of His
name, a new song arises from those who love Him.
Hallelujah!”
Jesus said, “The one, who has come to know the world,
has discovered only the body, and the moment he
discovered this, he became superior to it. The one, who went
to seek the world, has found only the corpse, and when he
saw it, he turned back to the place from where he came
from. Verily, the world is not worthy of him, who has found
himself.”
222
Disciples asked Jesus, “How could be spirit separated
from flesh and man from the world?”
He said, “How could be a fish, which lives in water, be
separated from water when it is still in it? Could be this
possible? Now, consider how flesh is born from flesh, could
be birth of a child possible without intervene of both, his
mother and father? Then how is that you thinking, that the
Son of God could be born without intervene of his Divine
Mother? Blessed are those who came to know their Father in
Heaven, but thrice blessed are those who were reborn in
Him from the grace of the Great Mother of the Universe.
For those who went seek for their Father, without
acknowledging for their Great Mother first, either became
lost by the way, or have to return back to the place from
where they have started, for how could be fish separated
from water or spirit from matter? But I tell you, ‘That which is
impossible with a man becomes possible with help of the
Living God.’ Seek your Great Mother and she will take you
beyond of life and death. Beyond of life, for you will not live
in the same way as you were before, and beyond of death,
for you will never die again.”

The Light within

The high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed?”
Jesus said, “Yes, I am. You will see the Son of Man
sitting at the Right Hand of Power, and coming with the
clouds of the sky.”
Jesus said, “Do not disregard the Lamb, for without him
it is not possible to see the Kingdom, for no one of those
who didn’t saw the Lamb first will be able to enter there.
Those who have ears let them listen.”

223
Jesus said, “Let him who seeks continue seeking until
he finds. When he will find, he would be astonished. After
being astonished, he will be troubled. And after the period of
trouble is over, he will rule over all. And after he will
renounce his power, he would find the place of eternal rest
for his soul.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those, who have suffered and
found their Life. Blessed are those, who have been
persecuted within themselves, for it is they, who truly came
to know the Father. Blessed are those, who are hungry of
Truth, for when there is need, it can be filled.”
Jesus said, “If you will bring forth that which is within
you, it will become cause of your redemption, but if you do
not bring it forth, it will be cause of your destruction.”
Jesus said, “Whoever knows the Father will be called
‘knower of a spirit’. Whoever knows the Father and the
Mother will be called ‘the child of completeness’. Whoever
knows the Father, the Mother and the Child will be called
‘the child of perfect virgin’.”
Jesus said, “This heaven will pass away, and the one
above it will pass away. The dead are not alive, and the
living will not die. In the days when you consumed what is
dead, you made it what is alive. But when you come to dwell
in the light, what will you do? On the day when you were one
you became two, but when you become two, what will you
do?”
Jesus said, “It is not possible for anyone to enter the
house of a strong man and take it over, unless he binds
hands of its owner; then only he will be able to ransack his
house. Blessed are those who know from where the
adversary will try to enter, for they will become alert before
its arrival, and will be ready to face him with all their might.
And this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus said, “If your ♂ causes you to sin, pluck it out and
throw it away, for it is more profitable for you, if one part of
224
your body will perish than whole your body will be cast into
fiery Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off,
and throw it away, for it is more profitable for you, if one part
of your body will perish, than your whole body will be cast
into fiery Gehenna.”
“Do you desire then, to be a virgin? If it is so, then,
conquer the body; conquer the appetites of the flesh;
conquer the world by the Holy Spirit of God; conquer these
vain things of time, which grow old and pass away; conquer
the Dragon; conquer the lion; conquer the serpent; conquer
Satan;—through Jesus Christ.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those, in whom lion was
consumed by man, for they will become blissful then; but
woe to that man to whom the lion has consumed, for he will
be curse for himself.”
Jesus said, “Be ready in face of everything. Blessed is
the man, who has found peace in the contest of his eyes.
Neither did he kill, nor was he killed, but he came forth
victorious.”
Jesus said, “Get rid from the wretch inside you, who is
going to die, and live for eternity above live and death.
Blessed are those who offered themselves as lambs to their
Lord and left nothing for themselves, for they found the Life.
Blessed are those, from whom the Great Mother has taken
everything that was theirs, for they became one with their
Father, who is above existence. Blessed are those who were
not afraid of non-existence, for the Kingdom of God is like a
woman, which was carrying jar full of meal on her shoulders.
While she was still some distance from her home, the handle
of the jar broke and the meal started spilling behind her on
the road. She didn't know about the accident, and it
remained unnoticed by her till she reached home. When she
entered her house, she put the jar down and discovered that
it was already empty, but when she looked back and
considered her loss, she found it as worthless and did not
225
grieve about left behind. And I tell you the truth, no one who
have put his hand to the plow, and looking back, fit for the
Kingdom of God.”
Jesus said, “Light and darkness, life and death, left and
right, they are like brothers, for they can’t exist without each
other. Because everything here became mixed, neither is
good of this world absolutely good, nor is its bad absolutely
bad. For life here is not true Life, but more like a long dream,
which has its beginning and its end; and death here doesn’t
mean the end of existence, for the soul is immortal. This is
the reason, why everything in this world perishes and returns
to its previous state, and again dissolves into the elements
by which it was formed. And yet, those who made
themselves exalted above the world and separated the light
from the darkness, while they still were in their body,
became immortal and found the place of blissful rest for
eternity.”
Jesus said, “If a man walks in the light, he doesn’t
stumble, because he sees in the light. But if a man walks in
the darkness, he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
Jesus said, “The lamp of the body is the eye. If
therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of
light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of
darkness. Therefore, if light that in you is darkness, how
great is that darkness!”
“A happy face means happy heart, a sad face means a
breaking heart. When a man is gloomy, everything seems to
go wrong; when he is cheerful, everything goes right.”
His disciples said to Him, “Show us the place where
you are, for we must seek it.”
He said to them, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.
There is Light within a person of Light, and this Light
illuminates the whole world. If it does not shine, then it is
darkness.”

226
“I am the light that shines over all lights. I am all: from
me everything came forth, and in me everything is
withdrawn. Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up a
stone, and you will find me there. Take up bread and eat,
and I am in it.”
Matthew said, “Lord, I want to see that place of life,
where there is no wickedness, but rather, where there is
pure light!”
The Lord said, “Brother Matthew, you will not be able to
see it as long as you are carrying your flesh around.”
Matthew said, “Lord, even if I will not be able to see it,
let me know it!”
The Lord said, “Everyone who has known himself, has
seen this light in everything he do, and those who saw it,
came to it by their goodness.”
Judas said, “How spirit becomes apparent?” The Lord
said, “How sword becomes apparent?”
Judas said, “How the light becomes apparent?” The
Lord said, “Stay in it.”
Disciples asked him, “Teacher, you have told us that
everything is inside of the man of Light, then what would be
outside?”
Jesus replied, “What is outside of the Man of the Light?
Nothing is outside of him, but you may call it ‘the outer
darkness’.”
Jesus said, “If they ask you, 'Where have you come
from?' say to them, 'We have come from the light, from the
place where light came into being by itself, established itself,
and appeared in its own image.'
If they say to you, 'Is that light you?' say, 'We are its
children, and we are chosen of the Living Father.'
If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your Father in
you?' say to them, 'it is rest in motion.'“
His disciples said, “When you will become revealed to
us and when we will be able to see you?”
227
Jesus said, “When you will disrobe yourselves without
filling ashamed and will take off your closes and through
them under your feet, and trample on them like little children,
then you will see the Son of the Living One, and you will not
be afraid.”
Jesus said, “I came to make the things below like the
things above, and the things outside like those inside. I came
to unite them in the place.”
Jesus said, “When you will make two into one, and
become their child, you will say, 'Mountain, move away,' and
it will move away. Blessed is the one, who is before he came
into existence. If you truly become My disciples and obey My
words, these stones will serve you. For there are five trees in
the Paradise for you; they do not change, summer or winter,
and their leaves do not fall. Whoever becomes acquainted
with them will not taste death.”
Disciples asked Jesus, “Tell us more about these five
trees of the Paradise, for we must find them out.”
Jesus answered, “You have asked a good question, for
without knowing its answer it is impossible to be within the
Kingdom. The answer is very easy, and it is right in front of
your face, but you can’t see it simply because, you made
yourselves occupied with many less important things. Ask
your Father in heaven and He will open your eyes and ears,
and those who acquired their eyesight, let them stay in His
light; and those who acquired their hearing, let them be in
His Word. Truly I tell you, you may wander here and there,
but at last you have to come to these five trees, and find
your rest in their midst, for salvation is there, and they will
take you beyond of life and death. Those who have ears let
them listen.”
Some learned man came to Jesus and said to Him,
“Reveal us yourself so that we may believe in You.” He said
to them, “You read the face of the sky and numbered all
things of the earth, but you were unable to recognize the one
228
who is facing you, for you know neither yourselves, nor
recognize things that in front of your face. Recognize what is
concealed from your sight, and that which is hidden will be
revealed to you. Seek and you will find, for there is nothing
hidden that couldn’t be revealed. In the past, I did not tell you
the things about which you wanted to know, and now when I
am willing to tell them, you are not interest to listen. Do you
have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?”
“Behold! The Lord is our mirror, open the eyes and see
them in Him and learn the manner of your face. Sing praise
to His Spirit and wipe off the filth from your face! Love His
Holiness and clothe yourselves with it, and be without stain
at all times before Him. Hallelujah.”
Jesus said, “If two in one house will make peace with
each other, the owner of the house will say to the mountain,
'Move Away,' and it will move.”
“As the sun is the joy to them that seek for its
daybreak, so my joy is the Lord. Because He is my Sun and
His rays have lifted me up, and His light has dispelled all
darkness from my face. In Him I have acquired eyes and
have seen His Holy Day, ears have become mine and I have
heard His Truth. The thought of knowledge has been mine,
and I have been delighted through Him.
The way of error I have left, and have walked towards
Him and have received salvation from Him, without grudging.
And according to His bounty He has given to me, and
according to His excellent beauty He has made me. I have
put of corruption by His grace and have put on incorruption
through His Name. Death has been destroyed before my
face, and Sheol has been abolished by my Word. And there
has gone up deathless life in the Lord’s land, and it has been
made known to His faithful ones, and has been given without
stint to all those that trust in Him. Hallelujah.”
“My arms I lifted up to the Most High, even to the
Grace of the Lord: because He had cast off my bonds from
229
me: and my Helper had lifted me up to His Grace and to His
salvation: and I put off darkness and clothed myself with
light, and my soul acquired a body free from sorrow or
affliction or pains. And increasingly helpful to me was the
thought of the Lord, and His fellowship in incorruption: and I
was lifted up in His Light; and I served before Him, and I
became near to Him, praising and confessing Him. My heart
ran over and was found in my mouth: and it arose upon my
lips; and the exultation of the Lord increased on my face and
His praise likewise. Hallelujah.”

The discipline of the Lord

Jesus said, “I have cast fire upon the world, and see, I
am guarding it until it blazes. He who is near Me is near the
fire, and he who is far from Me is far from the Kingdom.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten. Be zealous
therefore, and repent.”
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who
hates correction is his own enemy. He who ignores discipline
comes to misery and disgrace, but who heeds correction
rises to grace and honor. For sincere desire of discipline is
the beginning of Wisdom. And care of discipline is love: and
love is keeping of Her laws: and keeping of Her laws is the
firm foundation of incorruption: And incorruption brings us
near to God.”
Mary asked Jesus, “With whom your disciples could be
compared?” He answered, “They are like children, who have
settled in a field which is not theirs. When the owners of the
field come, they will say, 'Give us back our field.' Therefore
they will undress in their presence in order to let them have
back their field and give it back to them.
Therefore, I say to you, if the owner of a house knows
that the thief is coming, he will be on guard before the thief
230
arrives, and will not let the thief break into their house and
steal their possessions. As for you, then, be on guard
against the world. Prepare yourselves with great strength, so
that the robbers couldn't find a way to come to you, for the
difficulties, which you expect surely will materialize. Let there
be among you a man of understanding. When the grain
ripened, he came quickly with his sickle in his hand and
reaped it. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Jesus said, “Fear of God and love for His Kingdom
produce patience in distress for those who seeks them, and
prevent them from temptations of this world. Verily I say unto
you, surviving on merely barley and sleeping on dunghills,
side by side with dogs are small matters for one who seeks
entrance into the Kingdom of God. Verily you can obtain
what you like, only by your patience with what you dislike.
Those who want to follow in my way must to know that I
have two friends, poverty and distress, he who loves them
loves me, and he who hates them hates me.”
Jesus said, “There are four things in this world, which
are obtained with great difficulty; the silence as worship of
the Lord, the constant remembrance of His anger for acts of
disobedience, the personal modesty and satisfaction with
bare minimum one possess”.
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, delicious food appear
tasteless to a sick man who is distracted from its taste by the
severity of his pain. Similarly those who love the world take
no delight in the Kingdom of God and do not discover its
sweetness, being distracted from it by the pleasures of the
world.
Verily I say unto you, if a riding-beast is not ridden and
taken into service, after some time it becomes stubborn and
its nature changes for worst; in the same way, when the
hearts of people are not tamed by constant remembering of
death and disciplined by the Lord, they slowly become
hardened and coarse. And verily I say unto you, as long as a
231
wine skin is not torn, it may also serve as a vessel for honey;
similarly human hearts, as long as they not became torn by
desires, or defiled by greed, or hardened by comfort, may
become vessels for the Lord’s Wisdom.”
One day, when Jesus was passing a man distressed by
disease, he felt pity upon him and asked Father to heal him.
Then the Father answered him from heaven, “Why are
you asking me to take away from this noble person the only
remedy I have to cure him?”
Jesus said, “How can a man, who seeks to enter into
the Kingdom of God, be called wise, if he not bears with
patience illnesses, which entered into his body, and not
rejoice calamity which came upon his wealth, for by both of
these he becomes distracted from the world, and obtains
remission of his sins.”
Once Jesus was passing a man who was afflicted by
multitude of terrible diseases, and who was singing, “Praise
to merciful God, who has kept me free from disease from
which suffering so many of His creatures!” Then Jesus said,
“O man, about which else disease you are telling?” He
replied, “O Son of David, I am singing praise to the Lord
because He has put in my heart knowledge and fear of
Himself, which prevented me from the love for this world, by
which so many of Lord’s creatures are afflicted.” Jesus told
him, “You have spoken truth, my friend, and now your sins
are forgotten.” He placed his hand upon him, and at once all
his diseases were removed from him by mercy of the Lord
and he became one of the most beautiful men.
Once, Jesus came upon a man, who was stricken with
terror. He asked him, “What are the reasons of your fear?”
He answered, “The fear that I will fell into the Hell makes me
tremble.” Jesus said: “You have right to ask your Lord that
He may relive you from your fears.” Little bit further Jesus
saw another man, who was looking even more afraid and full
of sorrow. He asked him, “And what is the reason of
232
wretched conditions of yours?” He said, “I worry that I may
miss the Kingdom of God.” Jesus said, “It is your right to ask
God to guide you, so that your hopes may be fulfilled.” Then
after walking for some more distance, Jesus saw another
man, who also appeared as much frightened. He asked,
“What is the reason of your despair?” He answered, “I fear of
anger of the Living One, Almighty and Glorious God for acts
of my disobedience of His orders.” Jesus said to him: “Verily,
you are near of the Kingdom of God, near of the Kingdom of
God, near of the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus said, “How bitter is taste of patience, and how
sweet are its fruits, for in patience God abides. One
thousand years of man is one Day of the Lord; yes, His
compassion and patience are beyond of any comparison in
this world. It is by your endurance that you will win your lives;
it is your goodness and patience that will take to the
Kingdom of God. And may your faith and faithfulness be like
guardian angels around you, and let your love and integrity
prevail above all!”

The Lord’s will be done

Prophet named Agabus came to Paul down from


Judea. Coming over, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands
and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way
the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will
hand him over to the Gentiles.’ “ When the people there
heard this, they pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking
my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in
Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” When he would
not be dissuaded, they gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be
done.”

233
Jesus said, “God reveals His presence to those who
have faith in Him, and so their faith and His presence in their
lives increases day by day. Blessed are those who have
renounced all other supports of this world and relied on the
will of their Lord only, for they truly came to know Him.”

The testimony of the Apostle Paul

“I wish that you would bear with me in a little


foolishness, but indeed you do bear with me, for I am jealous
over you with a godly jealousy. I say it again, ‘let no one
think me to be foolish’. But if it is so, then receive me as
foolish, that I also may boast a little. Seeing that many boast
after their flesh, I will also boast, for you bear with the foolish
gladly, being wise.
Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside
himself) I am more so; in labors more abundantly, in prisons
more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths often.
Five times from the Jews I received forty stripes minus one.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned.
Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a
day in the deep. I have been in travels often, perils of rivers,
perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the
Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in
the sea, perils among false brothers; in labor and travail, in
watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, and in
cold and nakedness. Besides those things that are outside,
there is that which presses on me daily, anxiety for all the
assemblies. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is
caused to stumble, and I don’t burn with indignation?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my
weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, he
who is blessed forevermore, he knows that I don’t lie. It is
doubtless not profitable for me to boast, for I will come to
234
visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ,
fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I don’t know, or
whether out of the body, I don’t know; God knows), such a
one caught up into the third heaven. I know such a man, how
he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable
words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. By reason of
the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not
be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not
be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the
Lord three times that it might depart from me.
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my
weaknesses, that the Power of Christ may rest on me.
Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.
For when I am weak, then am I strong. And I will not be a
burden to you; for I seek not your possessions, but your
souls. And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your
souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?”
“God chose the foolish things of the world that he might
put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak
things of the world, that he might put to shame the things
that are strong; and God chose the lowly things of the world,
and the things that are despised, and the things that are not,
that he might bring to nothing the things that are: that no
flesh should boast before God. But of him, you are in Christ
Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and
righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that,
according as it is written, ‘He who boasts, let him boast in
the Lord.’”
“Brothers, I couldn’t speak to you as to spiritual, but as
to fleshly, as to babies in Christ. I fed you with milk, not with
meat; for you weren’t yet ready. Indeed, not even now are
235
you ready, for you are still fleshly. For insofar as there is
jealousy, strife, and factions among you, aren’t you fleshly,
and don’t you walk in the ways of men?
Don’t you know that you are a Temple of God, and that
God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys the Temple of
God, God will destroy him; for God’s Temple is holy, which
you are. Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he
is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that
he may become truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God. For it is written, “He has taken the
wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows the
reasoning of the wise, that it is worthless.” Therefore let no
one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul, or
Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things
present, or things to come. All are yours, and you are
Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.”

These things are worthy to be known and believed

“I do not speak of things strange to me, nor do I aim at


anything inconsistent with right reason; but having been a
disciple of the Apostles, I am become a teacher of the
Gentiles. I minister the things delivered to me to those that
are disciples worthy of the Truth. For who that is rightly
taught and begotten by the loving Word, would not seek to
learn accurately the things which have been clearly shown
by the Word to His disciples, to whom the Word being
manifested has revealed them, speaking plainly, not
understood indeed by the unbelieving, but conversing with
the disciples, who, being esteemed faithful by Him, acquired
a knowledge of the Mysteries of the Father? For that reason
He sent the Word that He might be manifested to the world;
and He, being despised by his own people, when preached
by the Apostles, was believed on by the Gentiles.”
236
“This is He who was from the beginning, who appeared
as if new, and was found old, and yet who is ever born
afresh in the hearts of the saints. This is He who, being from
everlasting, is today called the Son; through whom the
Church is enriched and increases in the saints, and grace
widely spread, through whom furnishing understanding,
revealing mysteries, announcing times, rejoicing over the
faithful, giving to those that seek, by whom the limits of faith
are not broken through, nor the boundaries set by the fathers
passed over. Then the fear of the Law is chanted, and the
grace of the prophets is known, and the faith of the gospels
is established, and the tradition of the Apostles is preserved,
and the grace of the Church exults. By that grace, if you
grieve not, when He pleases, you shall know those things
which the Word by whom He wills teaches. For whatever
things we are moved to utter by the will of the Word
commanding us, we communicate to you with pains, and
from love of the things that have been revealed to us.”

The importance of knowledge for true spiritual life

“When you have read and carefully listened to these


things, you shall know what God bestows on those who
rightly love Him, being made a paradise of delight,
presenting in yourselves a tree bearing all kinds of produce
and flourishing well, being adorned with various fruits. For in
this place the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life have
been planted; but it is not the ‘Tree of knowledge that
destroys’— it is disobedience that proves itself destructive.
Nor are those words without significance, which are written,
how God from the beginning planted the Tree of Life in the
midst of paradise, revealing through knowledge the Way to
Life. And when those who were first formed did not follow
this properly, they were stripped naked through the fraud of
237
the Serpent. For neither can life exist without knowledge, nor
is knowledge secure without life, for both were planted close
together.
The Apostle, perceiving the Power and blaming that
knowledge, which without true doctrine is admitted to
influence life, declares, “Knowledge puffs up, but love
edifies.” For he who thinks he knows anything without true
knowledge, and such as is witnessed to by life, knows
nothing, but is deceived by the Serpent, as not loving Life.
But he who combines knowledge with fear, and seeks after
Life, plants in hope and looking for fruit.
Let then your heart be your wisdom; and let your life be
inwardly received true knowledge. Bearing this tree and
displaying its fruit, you shall always gather in those things
which are desired by God, which the Serpent cannot reach,
and to which deception does not approach; nor is Eve then
corrupted, but is trusted as a virgin; and salvation is
manifested, and the Apostles are filled with understanding,
and the Passover of the Lord advances, and the choirs are
gathered together, and are arranged in proper order, and the
Word rejoices in teaching the saints,—by whom the Father is
glorified: to whom be glory for ever. Amen!”

Not to destroy

Once John has asked Jesus, “What is the most horrible


thing in this world?” “God's anger,” he replied. “Then what
comes next to God's anger?” John asked. “When you
yourself became angry,” Jesus answered. “Then what
causes anger, and what makes it increase?” continued John.
“Boastfulness arising from pride causes it, and resentment
arising from the filling of self-importance increases it.”
The Lord said to the disciples, “Fill house of the Father
from every house. But do not think any thing as yours and
238
don’t carry out from the House of the Father. For there were
many of those, who were laughing when they entered there,
and who came out crying. It is worth for one, who became
wealthy after he has made his home there, to give up the
wealth, and for one, who became powerful to renounce his
power. For many of those, who were begotten by the Holy
Spirit, also went astray because of Her. Verily, by the
blowing of the same breath, the fire may be kindled and
extinguished. O disciples, verily I tell you, how many lamps
have wind put off, and how many worshippers went astray
from their path because of their pride and greed!”
The Word of Yahweh came again to me, saying,
“Son of man, tell the prince of Tyre, thus says the Lord
Yahweh: ‘Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said,
I am a God, I sit in the Seat of God, in the midst of the seas;
yet you are man, and not God, though you set your heart as
the Heart of God— behold, you are wiser than Daniel; there
is no secret that is hidden from you; by your wisdom and by
your understanding you have gotten yourself riches, and
have gotten gold and silver into your treasures; by your great
wisdom and by your traffic you have increased your riches,
and your heart is lifted up because of your riches— therefore
thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have set your
heart as the Heart of God, therefore, behold, I will bring
strangers on you, the terrible of the nations; and they shall
draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom, and
they shall defile your brightness. They shall bring you down
to the pit; and you shall die the death of those who are slain,
in the midst of the seas. Will you then say before him who
kills you, I am God? But you are man, and not God, in the
hand of him who wounds you.
You shall die the death of the uncircumcised by the
hand of strangers: for I have spoken it, says the Lord
Yahweh. Moreover the Word of Yahweh came to me, saying,
Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and
239
tell him: Thus says the Lord Yahweh: You seal up the sum,
full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the
garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: ruby,
topaz, emerald, chrysolite, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise,
and beryl. Gold work of tambourines and of pipes was in
you. In the day that you were created they were prepared.
You were the anointed cherub who covers: and I set you, so
that you were on the Holy Mountain of God; you have
walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You
were perfect in your ways from the day that you were
created, until unrighteousness was found in you.
By the abundance of your traffic they filled the midst of
you with violence, and you have sinned: therefore I have
cast you as profane out of the mountain of God; and I have
destroyed you, covering cherub, from the midst of the stones
of fire. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you
have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your brightness: I
have cast you to the ground; I have laid you before kings,
that they may see you.’”
When the village of the Samaritans didn’t receive
Jesus, because he was going to Jerusalem, his disciples,
James and John, seeing this, said, “Lord, do you want us to
command fire to come down from the sky, and destroy them,
just as Elijah did?”
But he turned and rebuked them, “You don’t know of
what kind of spirit you are. For the Son of Man didn’t come to
destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
Jesus called the twelve disciples together, and gave
them power and authority over all demons, and to cure
diseases. He sent them forth to preach the Kingdom of God,
and to heal the sick. They departed, and went throughout the
villages, preaching the Good News, and healing everywhere.
Some time after, the Lord also appointed seventy two others,
and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and
place, where he was about to come.
240
When the seventy two returned with joy, they were
saying, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us in your name!”
He said to them, “I saw Satan having fallen like
lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you authority to walk on
serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you. Nevertheless, don’t
rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice
that your names are written in heaven.”

The temptations by the Devil

When Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the


Jordan, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness where for
forty days he ate nothing and been tempted by the devil.
Afterward, forty days were completed, he was hungry.
The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God,
command this stone to become bread.”
But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him into the Holy City. He set him
on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the
Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put
his angels in charge of you.’ and, ‘On their hands they will
bear you up, so that you don’t dash your foot against a
stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not
test the Lord, your God.’”
Then the devil took him on High Mountain, and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. He said to
him, “I will give you all of these things, for it is belong to me;
and I can give it to whomever I want. If you therefore will fall
down and worship me, it all will be yours.”

241
Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is
written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall
serve him only.’”
The time came when Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from
the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and the
third day be raised up.
Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him, saying,
“Be it far from you, O Lord! This will never be done to you.”
But he turned, and said to Peter, “Get behind me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, for you are not
setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of
men.”
Once Satan appeared to Jesus, and said to him, “Say,
There is no God, but God.” Then Jesus replied him, “These
words appear as truth, but I will not repeat them at your
request, for beneath what is good, there is also some hidden
ambiguity in it.”

Overturning the world

Jesus said “O disciples, I have overturned the world for


you on its face, so do not raise it up after me. For
wickedness of this world is disobedience of God’s Laws in it;
and another aspect of its wickedness is that the Kingdom of
God can be attained only by abandoning it. Is it not so?
Therefore pass through the world, but do not stop in it; and
know that the root of all sin lay in the love for the world. The
desire of pleasure for an hour often leaves those who were
overpowered by it with inheritance of grief, which lasts for
long.”
The Jesus said to the disciples, “I am the one who has
overturned the world; therefore I have no relatives to die and
no house to be destroyed.” And he added, “I have thrown
242
down the world for you and you sat on its back, but don’t
become involved in disputes with kings or women about this.
As regards kings, do not argue with them about the things of
the world, for they will not oppose you as long as you are
leaving their world to them, instead protect yourselves
against them by fasting and prayers. As regards woman,
until you became firm established in the spirit, beware of
glance of their eyes, and of staring at them, for both of these
have power to sow desire in hearts of men.
Preserve your flesh, so that you may become partakers
of the spirit. And I tell you, ‘Gluttony and idle talkativeness,
which both arise from the tip of your tongue, are the roots of
all kinds of transgressions and indulgences. Conquer your
tongue, and the world would be conquered side by side with
it. Conquer yourself by your mind and your mind by your
spirit, and be master of the house.’”
Jesus said to disciples, “Now the world is not yours, so
do not became again enchanted by the multitude and beauty
of its forms, or think that you may profit out of it; rather
recognize it as harmful and as punishment for the soul.
Receive now the teaching of one, who was reproached, as
an advantage and a profit for the soul, and learn from His
living example. For till you remain in the imprisonment of the
flesh, it is through His image alone that you may know Him,
who exists in the presence of the Father, the Word and their
height, and be prevented by it from fading astray. I have
made myself small, for this very reason, so that through my
smallness I may lift you up to the great height, from where
you had descended. If now you believe in me, I shall bear
you upon my shoulders and take you above, through this
image of mine that you saw. Enter through the rib whence
you came from, and by this hide yourself from the beasts.
Know that the burden that you bear, since now is not yours,
but Mine”.

243
Jesus said, “The man slips only because of three
things: the smallness of his thanks to the Lord for His gifts,
the fear of something other than God, and when he placing
his hopes in that which is not.”

Love for the world

Jesus said, “Woe to those, whose love is for this world!


How painful is for them, to die and leave it along with
everything what is in it! The world deceives them again and
again, but they still trust in it, and place all their hopes
amongst its perishable things, which finally they have to
abandon or which will abandon them.
And woe to those who were deceived in such manner!
What they disliked has caused trouble among them, and
what they loved so much has left them, and what they feared
most has come to them!
And woe to those, who passionate with the world, and
whose work is sins! How they will be covered with shame in
the coming days for such error! And blessed are those who
abandoned the world before it abandoned them, for the
Kingdom of God was opened for them.”
Jesus said, “Fast from the world, and do not cease your
fasting till your last breathing, as one who treats his sore with
medicines, out of fear that it may become worse. And
constantly fear the Lord and remember death; for death
brings no evil for believer, with only better after it, but brings
trouble for wicked with only worst after it.”

The Sabbath

Jesus said, “If you do not fast from the world, you will
not find the Kingdom, and if you will not observe the Sabbath
244
as a Sabbath, you will not be with the Father. Also, it is good
to understand the difference between two Sabbaths; one of
which is the actual place the Father have chosen as place of
His rest, and other, the seventh day of week, symbolizing the
same, ordained by Him as the day of rest for His people.
Use your understanding and don’t be confused at this point,
by displacing the primary matter with secondary.”
“As the work of the husbandman is the ploughshare
and the work of the steersman is the guidance of the ship, so
also my work is the Psalm of the Lord; my craft and my
occupation are in His praises. Because He nourished my
heart with shower of love, and even to my lips He poured out
His fruits. The Lord is my love, and therefore I will sing unto
Him, for I am made strong in His praise, and I have faith in
Him.
I will open my mouth and His Spirit will utter in me the
glory of the Lord and His beauty; the work of His hands and
the operation of His fingers, the multitude of His mercies and
the strength of His Word. For the Word of the Lord searches
out all things, both the invisible and that which reveals His
thought, for the eye sees His works and the ear hears His
thought. He spread out the earth and He settled the waters
in the sea, He measured the heavens and fixed the stars,
and He established the creation and set it up. And He rested
from His works. And created things run in their courses, and
do their works, and they know not how to stand and be idle,
and His heavenly hosts are subject to His Word.
The treasure-chamber of the light is the sun, and the
treasury of the darkness is the night. And He made the sun
for the day that it may be bright, but night brings darkness
over the face of the land, and their alternations speak the
beauty of God one to the other. And there is nothing that is
without the Lord, for He was before any thing came into
being. And the worlds were made by His Word, and by the

245
thought of His heart. Glory and honor to His Name!
Hallelujah!”

The World and the Kingdom of God

Jesus said, “The world is both seeking and sought. It


seeks those, who look for God until their provision in it is
complete; as for those, who seek the world, God seeks them
until death comes and seizes them by necks.”
The Soul says to men, “When you were young, I
desired you, but you despised me and liked the world; and I
moaned because of you, but you used to make fun of my
tears. Now, when you are in your fifties, consider what have
you left behind and what await you ahead! O you of sixties!
Know that your hour comes near. O you seventy years old,
come to me to give account of your deeds.”
Jesus said, “The love for the world can be compared
with one, who has made his house on the bank of an ocean,
in closeness of coming waves. One day, a big wave came
and broke his home; and swept him away, and drowned him
in the ocean. Therefore do not try to be like that unwise
person, and don’t make the world your abiding place, least
you also will be swept away in the same way.”
Some people asked Jesus, “Summarize for us in one
phrase the knowledge for which God will love us.” He
replied, “Detest the world, and God will love you.”
Jesus said, “One who has found the world and saw the
splendor of its wealth, let him renounce the world.”
Disciples asked Jesus, “Please, explain us, why for
attaining the Kingdom of God we must first renounce our
possessions?”
Jesus said: “The wealth of this world harmful because
of three main reasons, the first of which is that many times,
thirst for it makes people, who seek it, acquire it by dishonest
246
way and by causing harm to others. The second is that even
if one has acquired it by honest means, still there is
tendency that he will spend it in such ways, which will bring
the God’s anger upon his head. The third mischief is that
even in case, if acquiring of the wealth and its spending,
both were lawful in the sight of the Lord, still attachment to it
will cause its owner disregard the Lord’s gift, and to miss His
Kingdom.”
Jesus said, “The love for this world and for God cannot
stay together at one heart, in the same way as water and fire
cannot stay together in one vessel. A person cannot mount
two horses or bend two bows at the same time. At the same
way, no servant can serve two masters: for either he will
hate the one, and love the other; or else he will prefer the
one, and look down on the other. And so you also cannot
serve God and money, for you will have to neglect one for
attending other.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and
were sneering at Jesus.
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify
yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.
And I tell you the truth, “What is highly valued among men is
detestable in God’s sight.”
Jesus said, “Know that the relation of the Kingdom of
God to the world is like relation of the east to the west. Then
more you approach the east, then farther you become from
the west; and then more you advance towards the west, then
more distant you become from the east.”
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain
noble man, who has arranged a marriage feast for his son,
and sent invitations to those, whom he invited, but no one
them has come. Again he sent a servant to them, trying to
persuade them, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My
cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready.
Come and rejoice with us!”
247
But all of those who were invited started make excuses
one by one. When servant went to the first of them and said
to him, “My master invites you.' He answered, 'I have claims
against some merchants. They are coming to me this
evening. I must go and settle this matter first. I ask to be
excused from the dinner.' He went to other and said, 'My
master has invited you.' He said to him, 'I have just bought a
house and am very busy with it. I shall not have any spare
time.' He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites
you.' He said to him, ‘I have recently married a wife, and
therefore I can’t come. I ask to be excused from your dinner.'
He went to another and said to him, 'My master invites you.'
He said to him, 'I have just bought a farm, and I am on my
way to collect the rent. I shall not be able to come. I ask to
be excused.' The servant returned and said to his master,
'All of those whom you invited to your dinner have asked to
be excused from attending it, because of some reasons.'
Then the master said to his servant, ‘The wedding was
ready, but those, who were invited weren’t worthy of it’. Go
outside to the streets and invite all those whom you happen
to meet, and let any one, who accepts our invitation, come
and celebrate with us.'
Verily I say into you, many were called, but few are
have entered; for none of those, who neglected my call
because of something else, will enter the Place of My
Father. Many are standing at the entrance, but it is elect and
solitary, who will enter the bridal chamber.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are elect and solitary, for they will
find the Kingdom. They came forth from it, and there they will
return.”
Jesus said, “O you, who are trying to acquire merit by
being charitable with the wealth of the world, know that by
leaving it alone you will acquire more merit. By being
engaged with the world’s affairs, you are replacing superior
with inferior, and missing the Kingdom of God, which is
248
much greater than anything of this world. Therefore become
first charitable to yourself, and when you will receive your
inheritance as gift within you, you may become even more
generous then you could imagine.”
Jesus said, “The one who rushes after the world is like
one who drinks sea-water; then more he drinks, then more
his thirst increases, until at last it kills him.”
Jesus said, “Father, how is it possible? I can see many
around appearing as drinking, but there is no water in well.”
“An ass tired to a millstone, walked day long around it.
When in the evening it was loosed, it found itself still at the
same place. There are people, who undertake many
journeys through their life, but when their last night came,
they still have reached to nowhere. When darkness covered
them, they found no place of their rest, for they reached
neither city nor village, nor found shelter made by human, or
natural, and saw nor power, nor an angel. In vain wretches
did their labor.”
“It isn’t worthy to have zeal without knowledge; nor
being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way. It is wise,
before you going to do something, to consider carefully, what
you going to do and why; otherwise you may put in many
efforts, but at last you will end in vain. Take making a water-
well as an example. When one has to dig a well, he must
first choose a right place, where he is going to make it, for it
must have water in it. To make efforts work, one must first to
know proper place where to apply them, and then keep
continue with determination and patience. Therefore, out of
all things available in the world, seek the well of the living
water, and never live it once you have found it, so that you
may never be thirsty again.”
Jesus said, “Woe to the flesh that take advantage of the
soul; and woe to the soul that depends on the flesh. Fear not
the flesh nor love it. If you fear it, it will gain mastery over
you. If you love it, it will swallow and paralyze you.”
249
Once, in vision, the world appeared to Jesus as an old
toothless woman, lavishly decorated with every kind of
ornaments and jewelry. Jesus asked her, “How many times
have you been married?” “I have lost count of it,” she replied.
“Did all your husbands left you when they died, or did they
take divorce from you?” She answered, “Neither of these, I
killed all of them one by one.” Then Jesus said, “What a pity
for your husbands, who didn’t learn a lesson from those who
precede them, and were killed by you, before they came.
How it is strange that they didn’t become alarmed against
being married to you, even after knowing about your
treacherous nature”. Then he added, “O my disciples, the
world is the place of transmigrations, full of life examples of
those who passed through it before you; be as pilgrims
therein, and make your course being warned by the traces of
their footsteps”.
Jesus said, “The world can be compared with a bridge,
all pass over it, but no one able to make permanent dwelling
there. Therefore after considering this, you also don’t treat it
as permanent place of your dwelling, but be passersby.
Verily using the world like a bridge, you can reach the
Kingdom of God, so pass over it, but don’t be lost in the
middle of your way.
The world can be compared with a boat used to reach
to another bank of river. Once you have reached it, you have
to abandon the boat, for in order to continue your way
neither can you remain in it, nor can you take it along with
you. Verily using the world like a boat, one can reach the
Kingdom of God. Truly I tell you, using this body of flesh one
can make his soul go free. Therefore while you are still in the
world, do not mistake an instrument which you are using to
accomplish your work for your aim.”

250
The relation of Christians to the world

“To sum up all in one sentence— what the soul is in the


body, so are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed
through all the members of the body, and Christians are
scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells
in the body, yet it is not of the body; and Christians dwell in
the world, yet they are not of the world. The invisible soul is
guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known
indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains
invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it,
though itself suffering no injury, but because it is prevented
from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians,
though by no means injured by them, but because they
abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and
the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them.
The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves that very
body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison,
and yet they are the preservers of the world. The immortal
soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as
sojourners in corruptible, looking for an incorruptible dwelling
in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and
drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though
subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in
number. God has assigned them this illustrious position,
which it would be unlawful for them to forsake.”

The Kingdom of God

Jesus said, “I tell you that many will come from the east
and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

251
Being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of
God would come, Jesus answered them, “The Kingdom of
God doesn’t come with observation; neither will they say,
‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the Kingdom of
God is within you.”
Disciples asked Jesus, “When the Kingdom of God will
come?” Jesus replayed, “It will not come by waiting for it.
The Kingdom of God doesn’t come with observation; neither
will they say, ‘Look, here!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ for behold, the
Kingdom of God is within you. Rather the Kingdom of the
Father is spread out upon the earth, but people have no
sight to see it. Truly I tell you, ‘There are some of those who
stand here, who will in no way taste of death, until they see
the Kingdom of God.’”
Jesus said, “If those who lead you say, 'Look, the
Kingdom of God is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky will
precede you. If they say to you, 'Look, it is in the sea,' then
the fishes will precede you. Rather, the Kingdom of God is
within you and it is outside you. When you will come to know
yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize
that it is you who are the sons of the Living Father. But if you
will not know yourselves, you dwell in eternal poverty and it
is you, who are that poverty”.
Jesus said, “Beware that no one lead you astray saying
Lo here or lo there! For the Son of Man is within you. Follow
after Him, and those who seek Him will find Him.”
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a wise
fisherman, who cast his net into the sea and drew it up full of
fishes. Among other fishes he discovered a superb large
fish. He threw all other fishes back into the sea, and kept
that large fish for himself. Let those, who have ears listen!”
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like a shrewd
merchant, who had shipment merchandise, and who one
day came upon priceless pearl. That merchant was wise, so
when he saw that pearl, he loved it. He sold his merchandise
252
and bought the pearl in exchange for everything he had.
That precious pearl alone, he kept for himself. You too, try to
find his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth
comes near to devour and no worm destroys.”
Jesus said, “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In
his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.”
Jesus said, “Who will call wise the person, which
exchanged thing of great value, for worthless things? But so
it is in this world, where the Kingdom of God is disregarded
for the folly of the world. And who will call wise a person,
who paid great amount for precious pearl and afterwards
keep it hidden in a coarse box till his death’s hour? But
consider the Kingdom of God, which is priceless thing
neglected because of love for this bestial body.”
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a man who had
a hidden treasure in his field, without knowing about it. When
he died, all his possessions passed on to his son. The son
did not know about hidden treasure. After he inherited the
field, he sold it. And the one who bought it went plowing and
found the treasure. He became so reach that he began lend
money at interest to whomever he wished.”
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like shepherd, who
had hundred sheep. One of them, largest, went astray and
became lost. To find it, he left his ninety-nine sheep, and
searched for the lost one, until he found it. When after much
efforts, at last he has found it, he said, 'I love you so much
that I left my others ninety-nine sheep uncared to find you
only.’”
Jesus said, “How will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or
with what parable will we illustrate it? It’s like a grain of
mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it
is less than all the seeds that are on the earth, yet when it is
sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs,

253
and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can
lodge under its shadow.”
Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast,
which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal,
until it was all leavened.”
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is like a certain
woman. She took little leaven, mixed it in little flour, and
when dough rose up, she made out of it huge loaves of
bread. Let those, who have ears listen!”
One day Jesus was passing near place outside the city,
where dyers used to bleach their closes. He stopped beside
them and said, “Do you think that when you have washed
and whitened these clothes, it would be right for their owners
to putting them on, while their bodies are dirty with blood,
urine, excrement and the other kinds of filthiness?” They
replied, “No, one who will do that would be foolish.” He said,
“But, you yourselves have done this.” They said, “Tell us
how?” He said, “Because you have whitened your clothes
and purified your bodies from outside, while your hearts are
remain dirty with the rottenness of covetousness and self
conceit, full of the filthiness of evil thoughts and envy
towards your brothers, blind with ignorance and dumbness,
and impure, because of the craftiness and deceit with which
you pursuit your sinful desires. Do you know O wretches,
that you are willingly placed yourself into slavery, from which
there is no escape, till death comes and takes you to the
darkness of graves?”
Then they said, “Then how should we act? We are like
all around us, is there any escape from seeking a
livelihood?”
Jesus said, “Such state of things is usual in this world of
deficiency, but consider the Kingdom of God, where there is
no illness and decay followed by death, no hunger and thirst,
and where there is no pain, no fear and grief. Where
amongst its people there is no need arising from poverty, no
254
affliction or tiredness, no envy and hatred caused by pride
and boasting. But, on contrary, where all are the brothers
amongst themselves, glad and rejoicing in each other
company, and delighted with God’s favor upon them. Where
everyone is walking in the vastness of the spheres, and in
the wideness of the heavens, and seeing the Kingdom of the
Lord of the worlds in all its magnitude. Where all are as
angels around Lord’s throne, where everyone is pure, and
rejoice and praise their Lord with melodies and tunes of
which no one amongst mortals or demons have ever heard.
And once you reached there, you will be there forever, not
affected by illness, old age and death, by hunger and thirst,
by fear and sorrow.”
Jesus said to his disciples: “Be of good courage and
rest in me. Verily I say unto you, your rest shall be from
above, in the place where there is neither eating nor
drinking, nor joy nor sorrow, nor passing away of them that
are therein: for you will have no part in the perishable things
of this world, but will be received in the everlastingness of
my Father. So as I am in Him, so you also will be in me.”

Detachment

Someone asked Jesus, “Why do not you buy a donkey


to ride?” Then he replied, “I am too dear to my Father that
He may allow me to be occupied with an ass instead of
remembrance of Him.”
The disciples said to Jesus, “O teacher, we pray as you
pray, and we fast as you fast, and we glorify God as you
have taught us, yet we are unable to perform miracles as
you do.” Then he said, “Tell me how great your love for
things of the world is.” They replied, “Verily, we still love
them much.” Then Jesus has shown them piece of gold in
the one of his hand and some soil in the other, and asked,
255
“Appearance of which of them is sweeter to your hearts?”
They answered, “Of gold of course.” He said, “Consider this;
they appear to me as made from the same substance.”

Repent or you will perish

Some one told Jesus about the Galileans, whose blood


Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
Jesus answered them, “Do you think that these
Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans,
because they suffered such things? I tell you, no, but unless
you repent, you will all perish in the same way. Or those
eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them;
do you think that they were worse offenders than all the men
who dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but, unless you
repent, you will all perish in the same way.”
“Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven, whose
sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh doesn’t
impute iniquity, in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I
kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all
day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My
strength was sapped in the heat of summer. I acknowledged
my sin to you, I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess
my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity
of my sin. For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a
time when you may be found. Surely when the Great Waters
overflow, they shall not reach to Him. You are my hiding
place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround
me with songs of deliverance.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you
shall go. I will counsel you with my eye on you. Don’t be like
the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding,
who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not
come near to you. Many sorrows come to the wicked, but
256
loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh. Be
glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous! Shout for joy, all
you who are upright in heart!”

The Lord rebukes David

Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and


said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich,
and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and
herds, but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe
lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together
with him, and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank
of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him like a
daughter. A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to
take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the
wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor
man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man who had come to
him.”
David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and
he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done
this is worthy to die! He shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!”
Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what
Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over
Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. I gave you
your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your
bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and
if that would have been too little, I would have added to you
many more such things. Why have you despised the Word of
Yahweh, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck
Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to
be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the
children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword will never

257
depart from your house, because you have despised me,
and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
“This is what Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil
against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives
before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he
will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it
secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before
the sun.’”

The repentance of David

When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of


the family of the house of Saul came out, whose name was
Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out, and cursed still as he
came. He cast stones at David, and at all the servants of
king David, and all the people and all the mighty men were
on his right hand and on his left. Shimei said when he
cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and base
fellow! Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the
house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned! Yahweh
has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your
son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because
you are a man of blood!”
Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why
should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me
go over and take off his head.”
The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of
Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said
to him, ‘Curse David;’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you
done so?’”
David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold,
my son, who came forth from my bowels, seeks my life. How
much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let
him curse; for Yahweh has invited him. It may be that
258
Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh
will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” So David
and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the
hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw dust and
stones at him.”

Prayer for forgiveness

“Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving


kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies,
blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my
iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. For I know my
transgressions, my sin is constantly before me. Against you,
and you only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in
your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak,
and justified when you judge. Behold, I was brought forth in
iniquity, in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire
truth in the inward parts. You teach me wisdom in the inmost
place. Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me,
and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness
that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. Hide
your face from my sins, and blot out all of my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within
me. Don’t throw me from your presence, and don’t take your
Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach
transgressors your ways, sinners shall be converted to you.
Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my
salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
Lord, open my lips, my mouth shall declare your praise. For
you don’t delight in sacrifice, or else I would give it. You have
no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will
not despise.”
259
The Grace of the Lord

“The Great Power always belonged to you alone, and


who shall resist the strength of your arm? For the whole
world before you is as the least grain of the balance, and as
a drop of the morning dew, that falls down on the earth. But
you have mercy upon all, because you do all things, and
overlook the sins of men for the sake of their repentance.
For you love all things that are, and hate none of the things
which you have made; for you did not designed, or make any
thing hating it. And how could any thing endure, if you would
not? Or be preserved, if not acknowledged by you? But you
spare all, because they are yours, O Lord, who loves souls.
O how good and sweet is your Spirit, O Lord, in all
things! And therefore you chase them that err, little by little;
and admonish them, and speak to them, concerning their
transgressions, so that leaving their wickedness, they may
believe in you, O Lord. Not that you was unable to bring the
wicked under the just by war, or by cruel beasts, or to
destroy them at once with one rough word. But executing
your judgments by degrees you gave them chance of
repentance, not being ignorant that they were a wicked
generation, and their malice is natural, and that their thought
could never be changed, for it was a cursed seed from the
beginning.
Neither did you give pardon to their sins for fear of any
one. For who shall say to you, “What have you done?” Or
who will be able to withstand your judgment? Or who shall
come before you to revenge wicked men? Or who shall
accuse you, if the nations perish, which you have made? For
there is no other God but you, who care for all, that you shell
prove that you does not give judgment unjustly. Neither shall
king, nor tyrant in your sight inquire about them whom you
have destroyed. Because you are just, you order all things

260
justly, thinking that it not agreeable to Your Power, to
condemn those who not deserve to be punished. For Your
Power is the beginning of justice, and because you are the
Lord of all, you make yourself gracious to all. For you have
shown your Power, when men will not believe you to be
Absolute in Power, and you convince the boldness of them
that know you not. But being Master of Power, you judge
with tranquility; and with great favor dispose us, although
your power is always at hand when you wish.”
“But all men are vain, in whom there is not the
knowledge of God, and who by these good things that are
seen, could not understand Him that is, neither by attending
to the works have acknowledged who was the workman. But
have imagined either the fire, or the wind, or the swift air, or
the circle of the stars, or the great water, or the sun and
moon, to be the gods that rule the world. But you, our God,
are gracious and true, patient, and ordering all things in
mercy. For if we are still in sin, we are yours, remembering
your greatness, and if we sin not, we know that we are
counted with you. For to know you is Perfect Justice; and to
know your Justice, and Your Power, is the root of
immortality.”

Repentance

One day, Jesus was passing through Jericho. There


was a man named Zacchaeus he was a chief tax collector,
and he was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, and
couldn’t because of the crowd, because he was short. He
ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see
him, for he was to pass that way. When Jesus came to the
place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him,
“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at
your house.”
261
He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
When multitude saw it, they all murmured, saying, “He has
gone in to lodge with a man who is a sinner.”
Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord,
half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully
exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much.”
Jesus said to him, “Today, salvation has come to this
house, because he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of
Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Pharisees asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher
eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are
healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick
do. But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy,
and not sacrifice,’ for Son of Man came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance, to save that which was
lost. What do you think? A man had two sons, and he came
to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’ He
answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind,
and went. He came to the second, and said the same thing.
He answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but he didn’t go. Which of the two
did the will of his father?”
They said to him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Verily I tell you that the tax
collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom
of God before you. For, John came to you in the way of
righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax
collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it,
you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe
him.”
He spoke also this parable about the people, who were
convinced of their own righteousness, and because of it
were despising others. “Two men went up into the temple to
pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I
262
thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortionists,
unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast
twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax
collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to
heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me,
a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went back to his house justified
rather than the first; for everyone who is self conceit will be
humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make
him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives.”
Jesus said, “Verily, as seed grows on soil and does not
grow on rock; similarly wisdom works in the hearts of those
who made themselves humble, but ceases act in the hearts
of proud. Do not you see that if one raises his head to the
roof he gets hurt; but if he keeps it down, the same roof
provides him with shelter?”
Jesus said, “Verily I tell you, there will be more joy in
heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine
righteous people who think that they need no repentance.
What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and
one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine,
go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? If
he finds it, Verily I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over
the ninety-nine, which have not gone astray. Even so it is not
the will of your Father, who is in heaven that one of these
little ones should perish.
Or what woman, if she had ten coins, and if she lost
one of them, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and
seek diligently all corners until she found it? When she will
find it, she will rejoice over it more then with nine coins she
already has, for such is joy of finding that which was lost.

263
Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels
of God over one sinner repenting.”
He continued, “A certain man had two sons. The
younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share
of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them.
Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this
together and traveled into a far country. There he wasted his
property with disorderly living. When he had spent all of it,
there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to
be in need. He went and joined himself to one of the citizens
of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.
He wanted to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but
no one gave him any. But when he came to himself he said,
‘How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough
to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! I will get up and go to
my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called
your son. Make me as one of your hired servants. He arose,
and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his
father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran,
and fell on his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I
am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father
said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on
him. Put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. Bring the
fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat, and celebrate; for this, my
son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’
They began to celebrate. Now his elder son was in the field.
As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was
going on. He said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your
father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received
him back safe and healthy.’ But he was angry, and would not
go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. But
he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have
264
served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of
yours, but you never gave me a goat that I might celebrate
with my friends. But when this, your son, came, who has
devoured your living with prostitutes; you killed the fattened
calf for him.’ He said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me,
and all that is mine is yours. But it was appropriate to
celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and
is alive again. He was lost, and is found.”

Zeal for Your House consumes me

“Save me, God, for the waters have come up to my


neck! I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold. I have
come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am
weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking
for my God. Those who hate me without a cause are more
than the hairs of my head. Mighty are those who want to cut
me off, being my enemies wrongfully; I have to restore what I
didn’t take away. God, you know my foolishness, my sins
aren’t hidden from you. Don’t let those who wait for you be
shamed through me, Lord Yahweh of Armies. Don’t let those
who seek you be brought to dishonor through me, God of
Israel.
Because for your sake, I have borne reproach, shame
has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my
brothers; an alien to my mother’s children, for the zeal of
your house consumes me. The reproaches of those who
reproach you have fallen on me. When I wept and I fasted,
that was to my reproach, when I made sackcloth my
clothing, I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the
gate talk about me; I am the song of the drunkards. But as
for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time.
God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me
in the truth of your salvation. Deliver me out of the mire, and
265
don’t let me sink. Let me be delivered from those who hate
me, and out of the deep waters. Don’t let the flood waters
overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Don’t let
the pit shut its mouth on me, answer me, O Yahweh, for your
loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your
tender mercies, turn to me. Don’t hide your face from your
servant, for I am in distress. Answer me speedily! Draw near
to my soul, and redeem it, ransom me because of my
enemies. You know my reproach, my shame, and my
dishonor. My adversaries are all before you. Reproach has
broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness. I looked for
some to take pity, but there was none; for comforters, but I
found none. They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst,
they gave me vinegar to drink.
Let their table before them become a snare, may it
become a retribution and a trap. Let their eyes be darkened,
so that they can’t see, let their backs be continually bent.
Pour out your indignation on them; let the fierceness of your
anger overtake them. Let their habitation be desolate, let no
one dwell in their tents. For they persecute him whom you
have wounded, they tell of the sorrow of those whom you
have hurt. Charge them with crime upon crime; don’t let
them come into your righteousness. Let them be blotted out
of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous.
But I am in pain and distress. Let your salvation, God,
protect me. I will praise the name of God with a song, and
will magnify him with thanksgiving. It will please Yahweh
better than an ox, or a bull that has horns and hoofs. The
humble have seen it, and are glad. You who seek after God,
let your heart live. For Yahweh hears the needy, and doesn’t
despise his captive people. Let heaven and earth praise him;
the seas, and everything that moves therein! For God will
save Zion, and build the cities of Judah. They shall settle
there, and own it. The children also of his servants shall
inherit it. Those who love his name shall dwell therein.”
266
Forgiveness

One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him. He


entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table.
Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she
knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, she
brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind at his
feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and
she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet,
and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the
Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he thought to himself,
“This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who
and what kind is this woman, who touches him, for she is a
sinner.”
Jesus told him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
He said, “Teacher, say on.”
“A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five
hundred denari, and the other fifty. When they couldn’t pay,
he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him
most?”
Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave
the most.”
Jesus said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see
this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no
water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears,
and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no
kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to
kiss my feet. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has
anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins,
which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to
whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”
He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has
saved you. Go in peace.”

267
Forgive to others and you will be forgiven

Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother


sin against me, and I forgive him? Is it until seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I don’t tell you until seven times, but,
until seventy times seven.
For, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who
wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. When he
had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed
him ten thousand talents. But because he couldn’t pay, his
lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children,
and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant
therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord,
have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ The lord of
that servant, being moved with compassion, released him,
and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out, and
found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred
denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat,
saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’
So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged
him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’
He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he
should pay back that which was due. So when his fellow
servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry,
and came and told to their lord all that was done. Then his
lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I
forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn’t
you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I
had mercy on you?’ His lord was angry, and delivered him to
the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him.
So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each
forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.”

268
Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”


The Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard
seed, you would tell this sycamore tree, ‘Be uprooted, and
be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”
Jesus got into a boat, and his disciples followed him.
Behold, a violent storm came up on the sea, so much that
the boat was covered with the waves, but he remained
asleep peacefully, as if nothing was happening. They came
to him, and woke him up, saying, “Save us, Lord! We are
dying!”
He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little
faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and
there was a great calm.
Jesus said to his disciples, “The Kingdom of Heaven is
like a child, who found himself alone in his room, at night.
When he awakened, he looked around and started crying,
being afraid of being alone, and of the dark shadows around
him. His mother has noticed his cry and came swiftly, took
him into her hands and comforted. When he found himself
into the lap of his mother, he stopped crying and looked at
the same world around him with a smile, for now it appeared
to him as beautiful and full of peace. Those who have ears
let them listen.”
“My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not
haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things
too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my
soul within me. O Children of God! Put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.”
“No way is hard where there is a simple heart, nor is
there any wound where the thoughts are upright. Nor is there
any storm in the depth of the illuminated thought, where one

269
is surrounded on every side by beauty, there is nothing that
is divided. The likeness of what is below is that which is
above; for everything is above: what is below is nothing but
the imagination of those that are without knowledge. Grace
has been revealed for your salvation. Believe and live and
be saved. Hallelujah!”
In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus came to them,
walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on
the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It’s a ghost!” and they
cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them,
saying “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid.”
Peter answered him and said, “Lord, if it is you,
command me to come to you on the waters.”
He said, “Come!”
Peter stepped down from the boat, and walked on the
waters to come to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was
strong, he was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out,
saying, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand, took hold of
him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”
“Great rivers are the Power of the Lord, and they carry
headlong those who despise Him and entangle their paths;
and they sweep away their fords, and catch their bodies and
destroy their lives, for they are swifter and faster than
lightning. But those who cross them in faith are not moved,
and those who walk on them without blemish shall not be
afraid. For the sign in them is the Lord; and the sign is the
way of those who cross in the Name of the Lord. Put on,
therefore, the Name of the Most High, and know Him, and
you shall cross without danger, for the rivers will be subject
to you.
The Lord has bridged them by His Word; and He
walked and crossed them on foot; and His footsteps stand
firm on water, and not injured; they are as firm as a tree that
is truly set up. And the waves were lifted up on this side and
270
on that, but the footsteps of our Lord Messiah stand firm and
are not obliterated and are not defaced. And a way has been
appointed for those who cross after Him and for those who
adhere to the course of faith in Him and worship His name.
Hallelujah.”

Another time, he left them, and again entering into the


boat, departed to the other side. They forgot to take bread;
and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with
them. He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the
yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because
we have no bread.”
Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason
that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet,
neither understand? Is your heart still hardened? Having
eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you
remember? When I broke the five loaves among the five
thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you
take up?”
They told him, “Twelve.”
“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how
many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”
They told him, “Seven.”
He asked them, “Don’t you understand, yet?”

Test of the Faith

Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about


sixty-two years old. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom
one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the
whole kingdom; and over them three presidents, of whom
Daniel was one; that these satraps might give account to
them, and that the king should have no damage.
271
Then this Daniel was distinguished above the
presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was
in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.
Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find occasion
against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find
no occasion nor fault, because he was faithful, neither was
there any error or fault found in him. Then these men said,
We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except
we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then
these presidents and satraps assembled together to the
king, and said thus to him, King Darius, live forever. All the
presidents of the kingdom, the deputies and the satraps, the
counselors and the governors, have consulted together to
establish a royal statute, and to make a strong decree, that
whoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty
days, except of you, O king, he shall be cast into the den of
lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the
writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the
Medes and Persians, which doesn’t alter. Therefore king
Darius signed the writing and the decree.
When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went
into his house (now his windows were open in his room
toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times
a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he
did before. Then these men assembled together, and found
Daniel making petition and supplication before his God.
Then they came near, and spoke before the king
concerning the king’s decree: “Haven’t you signed an
decree, that every man who shall make petition to any god
or man within thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast
into the den of lions? The king answered, The thing is true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which
doesn’t alter. Then answered they and said before the king,
That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah,

272
doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have
signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Then the king, when he heard these words, was very
displeased, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and
he labored until the going down of the sun to rescue him.
Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to
the king, Know, “O king, that it is a law of the Medes and
Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king
establishes may be changed.”
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel,
and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and
said to Daniel, “Your God whom you serve continually, he
will deliver you.” A stone was brought, and laid on the mouth
of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and
with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed
concerning Daniel.
Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night
fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before
him: and his sleep fled from him. Then the king arose very
early in the morning, and went in haste to the den of lions.
When he came near to the den to Daniel, he cried with a
lamentable voice; the king spoke and said to Daniel, “Daniel,
servant of the Living God, is your God, whom you serve
continually, able to deliver you from the lions?”
Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever. My
God has sent His angel, and has shut the lions’ mouths, and
they have not hurt me; because as before him innocence
was found in me; and also before you, O king, have I done
no hurt.”
Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded
that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel
was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found
on him, because he had trusted in his God. The king
commanded, and they brought those men who had accused
Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their
273
children, and their wives; and the lions mauled them, and
broke all their bones in pieces, before they came to the
bottom of the den.
Then king Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and
languages, who dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to
you. I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom
men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the
living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which
shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the
end. He delivers and rescues, and he works signs and
wonders in heaven and in earth, who has delivered Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in
the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

“Be merciful to me, God, be merciful to me, for my soul


takes refuge in you. Yes, in the shadow of your wings, I will
take refuge, until disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most
High, to God who accomplishes my requests for me. He will
send from heaven, and save me, he rebukes the one who is
pursuing me. God will send out his loving kindness and his
truth. My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set
on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and
arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, God,
above the heavens! Let your glory be above all the earth!
They have prepared a net for my steps. My soul is
bowed down. They dig a pit before me. They fall into its
midst themselves. My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is
steadfast. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises. Wake up, my
glory! Wake up, psaltery and harp! I will wake up the dawn. I
will give thanks to you, Lord, among the peoples. I will sing
praises to you among the nations. For your great loving
kindness reaches to the heavens, and your truth to the skies.
Be exalted, God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over
all the earth!”
274
The faith of the woman

Jesus went, and a great multitude followed him, and


they pressed upon him from all sides. A certain woman, who
had an issue of blood for twelve years, and had suffered
many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she
had, and was no better, but rather grew worse, having heard
the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the
crowd, and touched his clothes. For she thought, “If I just
touch his clothes, I will be made well.” Immediately the flow
of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she
was healed of her affliction.
Jesus perceiving in himself that the power had gone out
from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who has
touched me?”
His disciples said to him, “You see the multitude
pressing against you, and yet you ask, ‘Who has touched
me?’”
But Jesus said, “Someone has touched me, for I filled
that power went out of me.” He looked around trying to find
out who did this. When the woman saw that what she has
done was disclosed, she came out with fear and trembling,
and fell down before him. She told him the reason why she
had touched him, and how she was healed.
He said to her, “Daughter, stand up. It is your faith has
made you well. Go in peace.”
When they continue walking, he said to his disciples,
“Look at this multitude around us. How many of those, who
surround us and touching me, have various diseases, but no
one of them was healed as that woman, for no one’s faith is
like hers. Verily I tell you, it is not me who healed her, but it
is she, who by her faith cured herself.”

275
The fig tree

In the morning, on the way from Bethany to Jerusalem,


Jesus became hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he
came to it, and found nothing on it, but leaves, for it was not
the season for figs. Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit
from you again!” and his disciples heard it.
When evening came, he was returning from the city
along with disciples. As they passed by the same place, they
saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
Peter, remembering the morning incident, said to him,
“Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered
away.”
Jesus answered to Peter and to other disciples who
were with them, “Have faith in God. If you can believe, all
things are possible to him who believes. Verily I tell you, if
you have faith as small as grain of mustard seed, nothing will
be impossible for you, and you will tell this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there,’ and it will move. For whoever doesn’t
doubt in his heart, but believes in what he says, he will have
happening whatever he says. If you have faith, and don’t
doubt, things you ask for would be done.”
When they were alone, Peter has asked him, “Teacher,
but for God’s sake, why did you curst that poor tree?”
Jesus has answered him, “O Peter, now you are unable
to understand this, but later you will come to know why. It is
not because of my hunger or annoyance that I have done
this, but for benefit of all of you.”
“The abysses were dissolved before the Lord: and
darkness was destroyed by His appearance. Error went
astray and perished at His hand, and folly found no path to
walk in, and was submerged by the truth of the Lord. He
opened His mouth and spoke grace and joy; and He spoke a
new song of praise to His Name. And He lifted up His voice

276
to the Most High, and offered to Him the sons that were with
Him. And His face was justified, for thus His Holy Father had
given to Him. Come forth, you that have been afflicted and
receive joy, and possess your souls by His grace; and take
to you immortal life.”
Jesus said, “And they made me a debtor when I rose
up, me who had been a debtor; and they divided my spoil,
though nothing was due to them. But I endured and held my
peace and was silent, as if not, moved by them. But I stood
unshaken like a firm rock which is beaten by the waves and
endures. And I bore their bitterness for humility’s sake, in
order, that I might redeem my people, and inherit it and that I
might not make void my promises to the fathers, to whom I
promised the salvation of their seed. Hallelujah!”

Hallelujah!

Jesus said, “As the wings of doves over their nestlings;


and the mouth of their nestlings towards their mouths, so
also are the wings of the Holy Spirit over my heart. My heart
is delighted and exults; like the babe who exults in the womb
of his mother. I believed, therefore I was at rest, for faithful is
He in whom I have believed. He has richly blessed me and
my head is with Him; and nothing can separate me from
Him, neither the sword, nor the scimitar. For I am ready
before destruction comes; and I have been set on His
immortal pinions. And He showed me His sign, forth and
given me to drink, and from that life is the spirit within me,
and it cannot die, for it lives.
They who saw me, marveled at me, because I was
persecuted, and they supposed that I was swallowed up, for
I seemed to them as one of the lost. And my oppression
became my salvation; and I was their reprobation because
there was no zeal in me. Because I did good to every man I
277
was hated, and they came round me like mad dogs, which
ignorantly attack their masters, for their thought is corrupt
and their understanding perverted.
But I was carrying water in my right hand, and their
bitterness I endured by my sweetness; and I did not perish,
for I was not their brother nor was my birth like theirs. And
they sought for my death and did not find it, for I was older
than the memorial of them. And vainly did they make attack
upon me and those who came after me; in vain they sought
to destroy the memories of him who was before them. For
the thought of the Most High cannot be anticipated; and His
Heart is superior to all wisdom. Hallelujah!”

The Power of prayer

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you


ask in prayer, believe that you already received them, and
you shall have them. Whenever you stand for praying,
forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your
Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your
transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your
Father in heaven forgive your transgressions. When you
pray, say,
‘Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we ourselves also forgive
others who is indebted to us.
Bring us not into temptation,
And deliver us from the evil one.’”

278
Jesus said, “Which of you, if you go to a friend at
midnight, and tell him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of
bread, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey,
and I have nothing to set before him,’ and he from within will
answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give it to
you’? I tell you, although he will not rise and give it to him
because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he
will get up and give him as many as he needs.”
“There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God,
and didn’t respect man. A widow was in that city, and she
often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’
He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself,
‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, yet because
this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will
wear me out by her continual coming.’”
The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge
says. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying
out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with
them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly.”
Jesus said to his disciples, “Which of yours fathers, if
your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks
for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will
he? Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion,
will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep
seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be
opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who
seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.”
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who
gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given
to him. But let him ask with faith, without any doubting, for he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and
279
tossed. Let such man not thinks that he will receive anything
from the Lord, for he is a double-minded man, unstable in all
his ways.”
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray for
deliverance. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the
church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name
of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick
person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he
will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other
and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The
prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah
was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not
rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years.
Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth
produced its crops.”

God’s care for His children

Jesus said, “When Lord created the world He made


decree for it, “Whoever serves Me, serve him as if he is your
master, and whoever serves you, treat him as if he is your
slave.”
Jesus said, “Verily life of a man in this world is divided
in four periods, in three of which he is innocent and secured
by his innocence, but in the fourth of which he becomes
vulnerable because of losing it.
The first is the period of the darkness: the darkness of
belly, the darkness of womb and the darkness of placenta; at
that time God provides him with food in the womb of his
mother. Then, when he comes out of it, he enters into the
second period of his life, when he is sustained by the milk of
his mother. He does not have to go out to work for his food,
or to beg for it, or to steal and rob it; on contrary, he is forced
280
to take it even against his inclination, and he is taken care in
such manner until he becomes bigger. Then when he left
milk of his mother, he comes into the third period of his life,
when his food is provided by his parents, who feed him with
best food they can afford. At this period even if by misfortune
his parents have died, other people are still would be kindly
disposed towards him, and will provide him everything what
he may needed, because of his innocence. Some one still
gives him food and drink, someone provide him with shelter
and someone with clothes.
Then when he comes into the fourth period of his life
and become mature, he loses his innocence and become
hunted by insatiable desires and by the filling of insecurity.
So now he goes out to work for his food, or to beg for it, or
even to sin for it. He attacks other men and betrays their
trust, and steals their goods and takes their possessions by
force out of fear that God have abandoned him.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat; or about your body, how you will cover it. Life is
more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Do not
store food for the morrow, for the tomorrow comes bringing
along with it its provision. Look at the ants and one who
provides them with food. But if you say, the bellies of the
ants are small, look at the birds of the sky: they do not sow
or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds all of
them. And if you say, the birds have their wings, look at the
wild beasts, how fleshy and fat they are, isn’t God take care
of all of them? And how much more valuable you to Him
than they are, you who are His children! Can you add a
single hour to your life by your worries? Since you cannot do
this very little thing, why to you worry at all? Consider how
the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you the
truth, not even Solomon in his entire splendor was dressed
like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the
281
fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not
worry about it. For it is unbelievers, who run after such
things, and your Father knows better then you what you
needed. Instead seek entrance into His kingdom, and all
these things will be provided to you as well. Aren’t two
sparrows sold for a penny coin? But not one of them is
forgotten by God. I tell you, the very hairs of your head are
all numbered. Therefore don’t be afraid, for you are of more
value than many sparrows.
Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been so
kind to you that He made you heirs of His kingdom, why then
you worry that he will deprave you of smaller things? Sell
your possessions and give money to the poor, and you will
have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. Keep your
treasure in heaven where it will not be exhausted, where no
thief comes and steals, and no moth destroys. For every
man's heart is where his wealth is; so place your wealth in
heaven so that your hearts also may be in heaven.”
A man said to Jesus, “Give me some advice.” He
replied, “Try to learn from where your bread came from.”
One day disciple asked the Lord for something of this world.
He said to him, “Ask your Mother, and she will give you of
things of others.”

Self-control

Jesus said, “When someone reprimand you about


something concerning you, which is true, thank God for this,
for it will help you to amend your ways. And when
someone’s accusation is false, don’t be annoyed, but
increase your thanks to Him, for in such way the Lord
disciplines you. Verily, everything is plain in the sight of the
One who is above you, and he will reward each accordingly
282
with their deeds. If you listen as somebody speaking bad
about you, don’t give rise to your anger, don’t start thinking
bad about that person in return, rather use it as the
opportunity to find the place of peace inside you. It is easy to
experience temporary felling of peace at quite and solitary
place, but is there such thing as true peace in this world?
Therefore, learn how to turn misfortune into chance and
disadvantage into gain, for without this, no one will be able to
enter in the Kingdom. Become awaken from your day
dreaming, and discover how to learn from the situations of
life, for life is your good teacher.
Blessed are those who are not blind and can see
themselves, for they will be able to amend their ways and to
become masters of the house. Therefore I tell you, turn the
light of your mind upon yourself, and don’t blame anyone
else for your misfortunes, but rather ask from yourself first,
where your ways went wrong. After all, wherever you go, you
will see only the reflection of yourself, and there is no such
thing as the place of rest for the wicked. Don’t judge the
world, don’t waste your precious time for it, instead make
better yourself and world will become better place side by
side with it. Take responsibility for your own actions and
soul, for if you will not help yourself, no one else will be able
to do this for you. For when there is will, there is way, and if
there is no will, there is no any chance.
And I tell you the truth; Kingdom of God is not far from
one who has become master of self. Therefore, fight better
with your own self then with others, for one who has
conquered himself, is the only one who is truly free. After all,
wickedness does not last for long, and righteousness and
patience newer will be left without reward. ‘For lack of wood
a fire goes out; without gossip, a quarrel dies down.’
Therefore leave all judgments on God, for He knows about
everything better then you, and you will be spared from

283
being judged; and leave His people in their peace, and you
will be able to find your peace.”
“Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but
those who are righteous will go free.”
“So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift
to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of
man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God. Therefore,
putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness,
receive with humility the implanted Word, which is able to
save your souls.”
Jesus said, “What is the forbearance of him who has
not been patient with a foolish person, and what is the
strength of him who has was unable to prevent his anger,
and what is the worship of him, who has not humbled himself
before the Lord? The wise man stays always alert, but
worship of the fools limited to the periods of time fixed by
them, and concerned mostly with the things, useless in the
sight of the Lord. When real need for it arises, all their
counsel disappears, and they lose both their patience and
their reasoning. Verily I say into you, if you will be able to
bear patiently one word from a foolish person you will profit
ten times out of it.”
“If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not
keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his
religion is worthless. Self-control means controlling the
tongue!”

Taming the tongue

“Either make the tree good, so that its fruit also be


good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the
tree is known by its fruit. You offspring of vipers, how can
you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good man
284
out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil
man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things.
I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will
give account of it in the Day of Judgment. For by words
issued from your mouth you will be justified, and by your own
words you will be condemned.”
Someone asked Jesus, “Direct us to do some work by
which we can be near to the Kingdom of God.” He
answered, “Never say anything.” They said, “We are not able
to accomplish this.” So he said, “Then never say anything
else, but what is good.”
Once a pig passed close to Jesus, and he said, “So
you pass in peace.” When someone said, “O Son of God,
why do you say this to a pig?” He replied, “I avoid to
accustoming my tongue to evil.”
“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make
them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships
as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by
strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder
wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a
small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider
what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The
tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the
body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of
his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the
sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no
man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly
poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and
with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s
likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing.
My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and
salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig
tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt
spring produce fresh water.”
285
Don’t judge

“Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who


speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the
law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not
keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one
Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and
destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?”
Jesus asked his disciples, “What will you do if you saw
that your brother asleep and the wind had blown off his
cloak?” They said, “We would cover him and conceal his
nakedness.” He said, “O hypocrites, rather you would
uncover him and make him disgraced even more.” They
said, “God forbid us from doing so! Why would we be acting
like this?” Then he said, “Why then when one of you hears
something bad about his brother, instead of silencing it, he
first listens it with great delight, and then passes it on even
more exaggerated?”
“A man who lacks judgment making remarks of his
neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.”
Jesus said, “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged.
For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged;
and with whatever measure you measure, it will be
measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your
brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your
own eye? Or how will you tell your brother, ‘Let me remove
the speck from your eye;’ and behold, the beam is in your
own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your
own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck
out of your brother’s eye.”

286
Love one another

“This is the message you heard from the beginning: We


should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged
to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he
murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his
brother’s were righteous.
Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates
you. We know that we have passed from death to life,
because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love
remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a
murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in
him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid
down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for
our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees
his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love
of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words
or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we
know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts
at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For
God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have
confidence before God and receive from him anything we
ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases
him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his
Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he
commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him,
and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us:
We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes
from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and
knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love. This is how God showed his love
among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that

287
we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved
God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen
God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love
is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he
in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have
seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the
Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is
the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we
know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love.
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this
way, love is made complete among us so that we will have
confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we
are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives
out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one
who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he
first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his
brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his
brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has
not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever
loves God must also love his brother.”

Two kinds of love

Jesus said to his disciples, “The sign by which you are


to be recognized as my disciples is you love. Love your Lord
God with all your heart and with all your soul, and love your
neighbor as you love yourself.” They asked him, “O teacher,
please explain to us what is the difference between these
two kinds of love, so that in future we can be certain about
these.” He said, “You love your brother for yourself, and you
love yourself for your Lord; so when you take care of your

288
brother, you do it for yourself, and when you are restrain
yourself, you are doing this for your Lord.”
Jesus said: “Never, be delighted in anything of this
world, excluding the moments when you look at your
brothers with love. Love your brother like your own soul, and
look for him like if he was one of your own.”
“Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates his
brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother
lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him
stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness
and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where
he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”
“See how good and how pleasant it is
for brothers to live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
that ran down on the beard,
even Aaron’s beard;
that came down on the edge of his robes;
like the dew of Hermon,
that comes down on the hills of Zion:
for there Yahweh gives the blessing,
even life forevermore.”

Love without hypocrisy

“Let our love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is


evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be
tenderly affectionate one to another; in honor preferring one
another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the
Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing
steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints;
given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
289
Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your
mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be
wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil.
Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is
possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all
men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place
to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I
will repay, says the Lord.”
Therefore If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is
thirsty, give him a drink; and don’t even think that in doing so
you will heap coals of fire on his head, for God knows better
hearts of man, and surely He will reward every one in
accordance with their deeds. Remember that Lord your God
is always merciful for your mistakes, so have mercy upon
stumbling of others. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Let
your captives go free and you will be left unbound. Be of big
heart and not of small, and remember that you are
responsible for you own actions in the face of the Lord as
any one else. Don’t be deceived, for God is not mocked, and
whatever a man sows, that he will reap also. Therefore don’t
try to overcome evil by evil, but rather pass through the
darkness within the light of your integrity.”
Jesus said, “One, who asks forgiveness for those, who
wronged him, tears away roots of evil.”

The Good Samaritan

Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus,


saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you
read it?”
He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with
all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
290
He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this,
and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is
my neighbor?”
Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from
Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both
stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half
dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way.
When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the
same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and
saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain
Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he
saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and
bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him
on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two
denari, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take
care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay
you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think
seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the
robbers?”
He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Be good

“This is the message we have heard from him and


declare to you: God is Light; in him there is no darkness at
all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in
the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all
sin.”

291
“Bring forth the light from within of your heart and be
light for others, for it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Let not righteousness and faith leave you, bind them on your
neck, place them in your heart, and so you will find favor for
yourself. Bring forth good things before God and before
people.”
Jesus said, “Seek a great amount of what fire cannot
consume.” Someone asked, “And what is that?” He said,
“Goodness.”
Jesus said, “Grapes are not harvested from thorns, nor
are figs gathered from thistles, for neither of them able to
bear good fruits. A good person brings forth good out of his
excess of goodness. An evil man sows wickedness around
himself and brings forth evil out of the overflow of evils he
has stored in his heart, for it is from excess and not from
deficiency that one may share.”
Once, when Jesus was passing near a company of
people, they addressed to him in bad manner, but he replied
them with smile and very politely. Then someone asked him,
“Why you were speaking well with them, while they were
speaking evil of you.” He answered, “Everyone can spend
only from what one possesses.”
Jesus said, “If one likes tell many lies, his reputation
departs; and if one becomes habitual to quarrel with people,
his respect goes down; and if one became troubled by many
worries resulting from such behavior, his body becomes ill
duty this. In such way, one who accustomed himself to bad
manners punishes himself.”

The Parable of the shrewd manager

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose


manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he
called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you?
292
Give an account of your management, because you cannot
be manager any longer.’ The manager said to himself, ‘What
shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not
strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what
I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome
me into their houses.’ So he called in each one of his
master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe
my master?’ ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.
The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and
make it four hundred.’ Then he asked the second, ‘And how
much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he
replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight
hundred.’ The master commended the dishonest manager
because he had acted shrewdly, for the people of this world
are shrewder in dealing with their own kind than are the
people of the light.
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for
yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed
into eternal dwellings.”

Non believe

Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you


will in no way believe.”
Jesus said, “I am bread of Life, for I have come down
from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who
sent me.”
The Jews therefore murmured concerning him,
because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of
heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph,
whose father and mother we know? How then does he say,
‘I have come down out of heaven’?”
Therefore a division arose again among the Jews
because of his words. Many of them said, “He has a demon,
293
and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” Others said,
“These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It
isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is
it?”
After Jesus has appointed apostles amongst his
disciples, he accompanied by huge crowd of people came to
his home town. When Jesus entered into someone’s house
there, the crowd gathered around was such enormous that
he and his disciples were unable to eat their food, for there
was no place to seat. When his friends who knew him from
his childhood saw this and heard that he declared himself to
be a prophet, they came in order to bind him, thinking that he
went mad.
He came into his own country, and his disciples
followed him. When the Sabbath had come, he began to
teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were
astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things?”
and, “What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such
mighty works come about by his hands? Isn’t this the
carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses,
Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They
were offended at him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor,
except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and
in his own house.”
He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid
his hands on a few sick people, and healed them. He
marveled because of their unbelief. For even his brothers
didn’t believe in him.
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up. He entered, as it was his custom, into the synagogue on
the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. The book of the
prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and
read from the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the
Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good
294
news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the
blind, to deliver those who are crushed, and to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord.”
When he finished reading, he closed the book, gave it
back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the
synagogue were fixed on him.
He told them, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in
your presence.”
All started murmuring about him, for they were
astonished because of his teaching, for his spoken with
authority, and they said amongst themselves, “Where did
this man get such wisdom, and these mighty works? Isn’t
this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and
his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all of
his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all of these
things?”
Seeing their unbelief, he said to them, “Doubtless you
will tell me this parable, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever
we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your
hometown.’”
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor,
except in his own country, and in his own house. But truly I
tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of
Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six
months, when a great famine came over all the land. Elijah
was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of
Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. There were many
lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one
of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian.”
They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they
heard these things. They rose up, threw him out of the city,
and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on,
that they might throw him off the cliff. But he, passing
through their midst, went his way.
295
Can the kingdom divide against itself stand?

Pharisees said, “This man does not cast out demons,


except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.”
Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against
itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house
divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan,
he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom
stand? How can one enter into the house of the strong man,
and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man?
Then only he will able to plunder his house. If I cast out
demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them
out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I by the Spirit
of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come
upon you.
Jesus said, Therefore I tell you, every sin and
blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against
the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks against
the Son of Man, it will be forgiven to him; but whoever
speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him,
neither in this age, nor in that which is to come, neither on
earth nor in heaven.”
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone who
doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we
forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”
But Jesus said, “Don’t forbid him, for there is no one
who will do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly
to speak evil of me. For whoever is not against us is on our
side.”

296
Jerusalem, the city of prophets

Some Pharisees came, saying to Jesus, “Get out of


here, and go away, for Herod wants to kill you.”
He said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast
out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the
third day I complete my mission. Nevertheless I must go on
my way today and tomorrow and the next day, for it can’t be
that a prophet perish outside of Jerusalem.’
“Woe to you, teachers of the law, you hypocrites! You
build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the
righteous. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our
forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in
shedding the blood of the prophets.’ So you testify against
yourselves that you are the descendants of those who
murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin
of your forefathers! “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How
will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am
sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of
them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your
synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you
will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of
Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between
the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come
upon this generation.”
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets
and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to
gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks
under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house
is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me
again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the Name
of the Lord.’”

297
The Parable of a vineyard

Jesus said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall


around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower.
Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away
on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the
tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-
handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck
this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent
still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others;
some of them they beat, others they killed. “He had one left
to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,
saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But the tenants said to
one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the
inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him,
and threw him out of the vineyard. “What then will the owner
of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and
give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
“Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken
away from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its
fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but
on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

Address to the disciples

Jesus said, “I will choose you, one from a thousand and


two out of ten thousand, and you will stand as a single one.”

298
Jesus said to disciples, “The Good News must first be
preached to all nations. Come after me, and I will make you
into fishers of men. The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the
laborers are few. Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest
will send out laborers into his harvest. Go into the world, and
preach the Good News to the whole creation. He who
believes and baptized will be saved, but he who disbelieves
will be condemned.”
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Therefore be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.
Beware of men and watch yourselves, for they will deliver
you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge
you. Yes, and you will be brought before governors and
kings for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the
nations. But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how
or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what
you will say, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit of
your Father who speaks in you.”
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant
above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be like his
teacher, and the servant like his lord. If they have called the
master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his
household! Therefore don’t be afraid of them, for there is
nothing covered that will not be revealed; and hidden that
will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in
the light; and what you hear whispered in the ear, proclaim
on the housetops.
Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in Gehenna. If anyone desires to come
after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow
me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.
For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world,
and loses or forfeits his own self?”
299
“Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace
upon the world. They do not know that it is dissension which
I have come to cast upon the earth: fire, sword, and war. For
there will be five in a house: three will be against two, and
two against three, the father against the son, and the son
against the father. Brother will deliver up brother to death,
and the father his child. Children will rise up against parents,
and cause them to be put to death. And they will stand
solitary.”
“Blessed are you when people reproach and say all
kinds of evil against you falsely, because of me, for that is
how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they
shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as
evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice, and be exceedingly
glad, for great is your reward in heaven. If you were of the
world, the world would love its own. But because you are not
of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the
world hates you. Blessed are you when you are hated and
persecuted, for on day when I will come no place will be
found, wherever you were persecuted. You will be hated by
all men for my name’s sake, but he who endures to the end
will be saved.”
“Everyone therefore who confesses me before men,
him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny
before my Father who is in heaven. For whoever will be
ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man
be ashamed, when he comes in his glory, and the glory of
the Father, and of the holy angels.
Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever
rejects you rejects me. He who receives you receives me,
and he who receives me receives Him who sent me. He who
receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a
prophet’s reward. He who receives a righteous man in the
300
name of a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s
reward. Whoever gives one of these little ones just a cup of
cold water to drink in the name of a disciple, Verily I tell you
he will in no way lose his reward.”
Jesus said, “The saints and the preachers will come to
you to return you what belongs to you. You, in turn, willingly
return them what belongs to them, and say to yourselves,
'When will they come and take what is theirs?”

Little ones of the Lord

Jesus took a little child, and set him in midst of his


disciples. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever
receives one such little child in my name, receives me, and
whoever receives me, doesn’t receive me, but him who sent
me. Whoever receives one such little child in my name
receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones
who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that
a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that
he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.”
“Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling!
For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that
person through whom the occasion comes! If your hand or
your foot causes you to sin, cut it off, and cast it from you. It
is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather
than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal
fire. If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out, and cast it
from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye,
rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of
fire.
See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I
tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my
Father who is in heaven, for the Son of Man came to save
that which was lost.”
301
The Assembly

“Be careful. If your brother sins against you, rebuke


him. If he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven
times in the day, and seven times returns, saying, ‘I repent,’
you shall forgive him.
If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault
between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have
gained back your brother. But if he doesn’t listen, take one or
two more with you, that at the mouth of two or three
witnesses every word may be established. If he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the assembly. If he refuses to hear the
assembly also, treat him as a Gentile or a tax collector.
Verily I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth will
have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you
release on earth will have been released in heaven. Again,
assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree on earth
concerning anything that they will ask, it will be done for
them by my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three
are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst.”

The Poor widow

Jesus sat down opposite the treasury of the Temple,


and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury.
Many who were rich cast in much. A poor widow came, and
she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans
coin. He called his disciples to himself, and said to them,
“Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all
those who are giving into the treasury, for they all gave out
of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that
she had to live on.”

302
Give to God what is His

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard


parables of Jesus, they perceived that he spoke about them.
When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes,
because they considered him to be a prophet. Then the
Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him
in his talk. They sent their disciples to him, along with the
Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest,
and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you
teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone. Tell us therefore, what
do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why
do you test me, you hypocrites? Show me the tax money.”
They brought to him a denarius. He asked them,
“Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him,
“Caesar’s.”
Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are
God’s.” When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished
at his teaching.

303
1The Voice in the Wilderness

There came a man, sent from God, whose name was


John. The same came as a witness, that he might testify
about the light, that all might believe through him. He was
not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the
light. The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into
the world.
This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests
and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not
the Christ.”
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an
answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say
about yourself?”
He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet
said.”
The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees,
they asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the
Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among
you stands one whom you don’t know. He is the one who
comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal
strap I’m not worthy to loosen.”
These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.

304
The Lamb of God

The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said,


“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the
world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who
is preferred before me, for he was before me.’ I didn’t know
him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water that he
would be revealed to Israel.”
John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit
descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on
him. I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in
water, he said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit
descending, and remaining on him, the same is he who
baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen, and have testified
that this is the Son of God.”
Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his
disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God!”
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed
Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to
them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being
interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”
He said to them, “Come, and see.”
They came and saw where he was staying, and they
stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him,
“We have found the Messiah!” He brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of
Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by
interpretation, Peter).

305
On the next day, he was determined to go out into
Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew
and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We
have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the
prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about
him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when
you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of
God! You are King of Israel!”
Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you
underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater
things than these!”
He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you, hereafter you
will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending
and descending on the Son of Man.”

2 The First miracle?

The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee.


Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus also was invited, with his
disciples, to the marriage. When the wine ran out, Jesus’
mother said to him, “They have no wine.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do
with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to
you, do it.”

306
Now there were six water pots of stone set there after
the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes
apiece.
Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.”
They filled them up to the brim.
He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to
the ruler of the feast.” So they took it.
When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now
become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the
servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the
feast called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Everyone
serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk
freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good
wine until now!” This beginning of his signs Jesus did in
Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples
believed in him.

3 Testimony of John Baptizer about Jesus

Jesus with his disciples came into the land of Judea. He


stayed there with them, and baptized.
John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because
there was much water there. They came, and were baptized,
for John was not yet thrown into prison. There arose
therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with
some Jews about purification. They came to John, and said
to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to
whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and
everyone is coming to him.”
John answered, “A man can receive nothing, unless it
has been given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that
I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before
him.’ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend
of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices
307
greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy,
therefore is made full. He must increase, but I must
decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is
from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth.
He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen
and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his
witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to
this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the
words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. The
Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who
disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God
remains on him.”

4 The Living water

Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had


heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples
than John (although Jesus himself didn’t baptize, but his
disciples), he left Judea, and departed into Galilee.
He needed to pass through Samaria, so he came to a
city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that
Jacob gave to his son, Joseph. Jacob’s well was there.
Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by
the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria
came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”
For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it
that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan
woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and
who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have
asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

308
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw
with, and the well is deep. From where then have you that
living water? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who
gave us the well, and drank of it himself, as did his children,
and his livestock?”
Jesus answered her, “Everyone who drinks of this
water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I
will give him will never thirst again; but the water that I will
give him will become in him a well of water springing up to
eternal life.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that
I don’t get thirsty, neither come all the way here to draw.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come
here.”
The woman answered, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’
for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have
is not your husband. This you have said truly.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a
prophet. Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you
Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought
to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour
comes, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will
you worship the Father. You worship that which you don’t
know. We worship that which we know; for salvation is from
the Jews. But the hour comes, and now is, when the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the
Father seeks such to be his worshippers. God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah comes,”
(he who is called Christ). “When he has come, he will
declare to us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to
you.”
309
Praise to the Lord!

“As the hand moves over the harp, and the strings
speak, so speaks in my members the Spirit of the Lord, and I
speak by His love. For it destroys what is foreign, and
everything that is bitter; for thus it was from the beginning
and will be to the end, that nothing should be His adversary,
and nothing should stand up against Him. The Lord has
multiplied the knowledge of Himself, and is zealous that
these things should be known, which by His grace have
been given to us. And the praise of His name He gave us,
our spirits praise His Holy Spirit.
For there went forth a stream and became a river great
and broad; for it flooded and broke up everything and it
brought to the Temple. And the restrainers of the children of
men were not able to restrain it, nor the arts of those whose
business it is to restrain waters. For it spread over the face
of the whole earth, and filled everything; and all the thirsty
upon earth were given to drink of it. And thirst was relieved
and quenched, for from the Most High the draught was
given.
Blessed then are the ministers of that draught who are
entrusted with that water of His; they have assuaged the dry
lips, and the will that had fainted they have raised up. And
souls that were near departing they have caught back from
death; and limbs that had fallen they straightened and set
up. They gave strength for their feebleness and light to their
eyes, for everyone knew them in the Lord, and they lived by
the Water of Life for ever. Hallelujah!”

310
It is time

At this moment, his disciples came. They marveled that


he was speaking with a woman; yet no one said, “What are
you looking for?” or, “Why do you speak with her?”
So the woman left her water pot, and went away into
the city, and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told
me everything that I did. Can this be the Christ?”
They went out of the city, and were coming to him. In
the meanwhile, the disciples urged him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you don’t
know about.” The disciples therefore said one to another,
“Has anyone brought him something to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who
sent me, and to accomplish his work. Don’t you say, ‘There
are yet four months until the harvest?’ Behold, I tell you, lift
up your eyes, and look at the fields, that they are white for
harvest already. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers
fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps
may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true, ‘One
sows, and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which
you haven’t labored. Others have labored, and you have
entered into their labor.”
From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him
because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told
me everything that I did.”
So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him
to stay with them. He stayed there two days. Many more
believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “Now
we believe, not because of your speaking; for we have heard
for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the
Savior of the world.”
After the two days he went out from there and went into
Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no

311
honor in his own country. So when he came into Galilee, the
Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did
in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also went to the feast.
Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he
made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman
whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that
Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him,
and begged him that he would come down and heal his son,
for he was at the point of death.
Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you see signs
and wonders, you will in no way believe.”
The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my
child dies.”
Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The
man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went
his way.
As he was now going down, his servants met him and
reported, saying “Your child lives!” So he inquired of them
the hour when he began to get better. They said therefore to
him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him.” So
the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to
him, “Your son lives.” He believed, as did his whole house.
This is again the second sign that Jesus did, having come
out of Judea into Galilee.

After these things, there was a feast of the Jews, and


Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the sheep
gate, there is a pool, which is called in Hebrew, “Bethesda,”
having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of those
who were sick, blind, lame, or paralyzed, waiting for the
moving of the water; for an angel went down at certain times
into the pool, and stirred up the water. Whoever stepped in
312
first after the stirring of the water was made whole of
whatever disease he had.
A certain man was there, who had been sick for thirty-
eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that
he had been sick for a long time, he asked him, “Do you
want to be made well?”
The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put
me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I’m
coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.”
Immediately, the man was made well, and took up his
mat and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. So the
Jews said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath. It is not
lawful for you to carry the mat.”
He answered them, “He who made me well, the same
said to me, ‘Take up your mat, and walk.’”
Then they asked him, “Who is the man who said to you,
‘Take up your mat, and walk’?”
But he who was healed didn’t know who it was, for
Jesus had withdrawn, a crowd being in the place.
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to
him, “Behold, you are made well. Sin no more, so that
nothing worse happens to you.”
The man went away, and told the Jews that it was
Jesus who had made him well. For this cause the Jews
persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he did
these things on the Sabbath.
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is still working,
so I am working, too.”
For this cause therefore the Jews sought all the more to
kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath, but also
called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
Jesus therefore answered them, “Most certainly, I tell
you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the
Father doing. For whatever things he does, the Son also
313
does likewise. For the Father has affection for the Son, and
shows him all things that He himself does. He will show him
greater works than these that you may marvel. For as the
Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son
also gives life to those whom he desires. For the Father
judges no one, but he has given all judgment to the Son that
all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He
who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who
sent him.”
“Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and
believes Him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t
come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
Most certainly, I tell you, the hour comes, and now is, when
the dead will hear the Son of God’s voice; and those who
hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, even so
he gave to the Son also to have life in himself. He also gave
him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of
man. Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes, in which all
that are in the tombs will hear his voice, and will come out;
those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and
those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge, and my
judgment is righteous; because I don’t seek my own will, but
the will of my Father who sent me.”

Validity of the testimony

“If I testify about myself, my witness is not valid. It is


another who testifies about me. I know that the testimony
which He testifies about me is true. You have sent to John,
and he has testified to the truth. But the testimony which I
receive is not from man. However, I say these things that
you may be saved. He was the burning and shining lamp,
and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the
314
testimony which I have is greater than that of John, for the
works which the Father gave me to accomplish, the very
works that I do, testify about me, that the Father has sent
me. The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about
me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen
his form. You don’t have his word living in you; because you
don’t believe him whom he sent.”
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in
them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify
about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have
life. I don’t receive glory from men. But I know you, that you
don’t have God’s love in yourselves. I have come in my
Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If another comes
in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe,
who receive glory from one another, and you don’t seek the
glory that comes from the only God?”
“Don’t think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is
one who accuses you, even Moses, on whom you have set
your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me;
for he wrote about me. But if you don’t believe his writings,
how will you believe my words?”

6 The True Bread out of Heaven

Some time after this, Jesus went to the other side of the
sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. A
great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs
which he did on those who were sick. Jesus went up into the
mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. Now the
Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Jesus
therefore lifting up his eyes, and seeing that a great
multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we
to buy bread that these may eat?” This he said to test him,
for he himself knew what he would do.
315
Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of
bread is not sufficient for them, that everyone of them may
receive a little.”
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother,
said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves
and two fish, but what are these among so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was
much grass in that place. So the men sat down, in number
about five thousand. Jesus took the loaves; and having
given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the
disciples to those who were sitting down; likewise also of the
fish as much as they desired. When they were filled, he said
to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces which are left
over, that nothing be lost.”
So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets
with broken pieces from the five barley loaves, which were
left over by those who had eaten. When therefore the people
saw the sign which Jesus did, they said, “This is truly the
prophet who comes into the world.” Jesus therefore,
perceiving that they were about to come and take him by
force, to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by
himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the
sea, and they entered into the boat, and were going over the
sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not
come to them. The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing.
When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty
stadia, they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing near
to the boat; and they were afraid.
But he said to them, “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat.
Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other
side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there,
except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that
316
Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his
disciples had gone away alone. However boats from Tiberias
came near to the place where they ate the bread after the
Lord had given thanks. When the multitude therefore saw
that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves
got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they
asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
Jesus answered them, “Verily I tell you, you seek me,
not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the
loaves, and were filled. Don’t work for the food which
perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which
the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has
sealed him.”
They said therefore to him, “What must we do, that we
may work the works of God?”
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that
you believe in him whom he has sent.”
They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a
sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you
do? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness. As it is
written, ‘He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’”
Jesus therefore said to them, “Verily, I tell you, it wasn’t
Moses who gave you the bread out of heaven, but my Father
gives you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God
is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the
world.”
They said therefore to him, “Lord, always give us this
bread.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who
comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me
will never be thirsty. But I told you that you have seen me,
and yet you don’t believe. All those whom the Father gives
me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way
throw out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my
317
own will, but the will of him who sent me. This is the will of
my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I
should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day.
This is the will of the one who sent me that everyone who
sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life;
and I will raise him up at the last day.”
The Jews therefore murmured concerning him,
because he said, “I am the bread which came down out of
heaven.” They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph,
whose father and mother we know? How then does he say,
‘I have come down out of heaven?’”
Therefore Jesus answered them, “Don’t murmur among
yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who
sent me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day. It
is written in the prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’
Therefore everyone who hears from the Father, and has
learned, comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father,
except he who is from God. He has seen the Father. Verily, I
tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. I am the
bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness,
and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of
heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living
bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for
the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews therefore contended with one another,
saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
Jesus therefore said to them, “Verily I tell you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
don’t have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the
last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in
me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also
318
live because of me. This is the bread which came down out
of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna, and died. He
who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things in
the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

The flesh profits nothing

Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this,


said, “This is a hard saying! Who can follow it?”
But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples
murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to
stumble? Then what if you would see the Son of Man
ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit who gives
life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you
are spirit, and are life. But there are some of you who don’t
believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were
who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him.
He said, “For this cause have I said to you that no one
can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.”
At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no
more with him. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t
also want to go away, do you?”
Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we
go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to
believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.”
Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve,
and one of you is a devil?” Now he spoke of Judas, the son
of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being
one of the twelve.

319
7 My teaching is not mine

After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he


wouldn’t go in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.
Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand.
His brothers therefore said to him, “Depart from here, and go
into Judea, that your disciples also may see your works
which you do. For no one does anything in secret, and
himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things,
reveal yourself to the world.”
For even his brothers didn’t believe in him.
Jesus therefore said to them, “My time has not yet
come, but your time is always ready. The world can’t hate
you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works
are evil. You go up to the feast. I am not yet going up to this
feast, because my time is not yet fulfilled.”
Having said these things to them, he stayed in Galilee.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he
also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.
The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said,
“Where is he?”
There was much murmuring among the multitudes
concerning him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others
said, “Not so, but he leads the multitude astray.”
Yet no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.
But when it was now the midst of the feast, Jesus went
up into the temple and taught.
The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How does this
man know letters, having never been educated?”
Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not
mine, but His who sent me. If anyone desires to do His will,
he will know about the teaching, whether it is from God, or if
I am speaking from myself. He who speaks from himself
seeks his own glory, but he who seeks the glory of him who

320
sent him is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Didn’t
Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law?
Why do you seek to kill me?”
The multitude answered, “You have a demon! Who
seeks to kill you?”
Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all
marvel because of it. Moses has given you circumcision (not
that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath
you circumcise a boy. If a boy receives circumcision on the
Sabbath, that the Law of Moses may not be broken, are you
angry with me, because I made a man completely healthy on
the Sabbath? Don’t judge according to appearance, but
judge with righteous judgment.”
Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he
whom they seek to kill? Behold, he speaks openly, and they
say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that
this is truly the Christ? However we know where this man
comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know
where he comes from.”
Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and
saying, “You both know me, and know where I am from. I
have not come of myself, but He who sent me is true, whom
you don’t know. I know Him, because I am from Him, and He
sent me.”
They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a
hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said,
“When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs than those
which this man has done, will he?”
The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these
things concerning him, and the chief priests and the
Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
Then Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer,
then I go to Him who sent me. You will seek me, and won’t
find me; and where I am, you can’t come.”
321
The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where
will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the
Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What
is this word that he said, ‘You will seek me, and won’t find
me; and where I am, you can’t come’?”
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus
stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me
and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said,
from within him will flow rivers of living water.”
But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing
in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given,
because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
Many of the multitude therefore, when they heard these
words, said, “This is truly the prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What,
does the Christ come out of Galilee?
Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the
seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David
was?”
So there arose a division in the multitude because of
him. Some of them would have arrested him, but no one
dare to laid hands on him. The officers therefore came to the
chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why
didn’t you bring him?”
The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this
man!”
The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t
also led astray, are you? Have any of the rulers believed in
him, or of the Pharisees? But this multitude that doesn’t
know the law is accursed.”
Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of
them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man, unless it first
hears from him personally and knows what he does?”
They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee?
Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
322
Everyone went to his own house, but Jesus went to the
Mount of Olives.

8 Who is without sin?

Very early in the morning, Jesus came again into the


temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down, and
taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a
woman taken in adultery. Having set her in the midst, they
told him, “Teacher, we found this woman in adultery, in the
very act. Now in our law, Moses commanded us to stone
such. What then do you say about her?” They said this
testing him, that they might have something to accuse him
of.
But Jesus stooped down, and wrote on the ground with
his finger. But when they continued asking him, he looked up
and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him
throw the first stone at her.” Again he stooped down, and
with his finger wrote on the ground.
They, when they heard it, being convicted by their
conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the oldest,
even to the last. Jesus was left alone with the woman where
she was, in the middle. Jesus, standing up, saw her and
said, “Woman, where are your accusers? Did no one
condemn you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way.
From now on, sin no more.”

323
The Light of the World

Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am


the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the
darkness, but will have the light of life.”
The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about
yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
Jesus answered them, “Even if I testify about myself,
my testimony is true, for I know where I came from, and
where I am going; but you don’t know where I came from, or
where I am going. You judge according to the flesh. I judge
no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for I am not
alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. It’s also written
in your law that the testimony of two people is valid. I am one
who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me
testifies about me.”
They said therefore to him, “Where is your Father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither me, nor my Father.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” Jesus
spoke these words in the treasury, as he taught in the
temple. Yet no one arrested him, because his hour had not
yet come. Jesus said therefore again to them, “I am going
away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins.
Where I go, you can’t come.”
The Jews therefore said, “Will he kill himself, that he
says, “‘Where I am going, you can’t come?’”
He said to them, “You are from beneath. I am from
above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. I said
therefore to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you
believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
They said therefore to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to
you from the beginning. I have many things to speak and to

324
judge concerning you. However he who sent me is true; and
the things which I heard from him, these I say to the world.”
They didn’t understand that he spoke to them about the
Father.
Jesus therefore said to them, “When you have lifted up
the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do
nothing of myself, but as my Father taught me, I say these
things. He who sent me is with me. The Father hasn’t left me
alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.”
As he spoke these things, many believed in him. Jesus
therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you
remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will
know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
They answered him, “We are Abraham’s seed, and
have never been in bondage to anyone. How do you say,
“‘You will be made free?’”
Jesus answered them, “Verily I tell you, everyone who
commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn’t
live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore
the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that
you are Abraham’s seed, yet you seek to kill me, because
my word finds no place in you. I say the things which I have
seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you
have seen with your father.”
They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill
me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from
God. Abraham didn’t do this. You do the works of your
father.”
They said to him, “We were not born of sexual
immorality. We have one Father, God.”
Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father,
you would love me, for I came out and have come from God.
For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me. Why don’t you
325
understand my speech? Because you can’t hear my word.
You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the
desires of your father. He was a murderer from the
beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is
no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own;
for he is a liar, and its father. But because I tell the truth, you
don’t believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell
the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God
hears the words of God. For this cause you don’t hear,
because you are not of God.”
Then the Jews answered him, “Don’t we say well that
you are a Samaritan, and have a demon?”
Jesus answered, “I don’t have a demon, but I honor my
Father, and you dishonor me. But I don’t seek my own glory.
There is one who seeks and judges. Verily, I tell you, if a
person keeps my word, he will never see death.”
Then the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you
have a demon. Abraham died, and the prophets; and you
say, “‘If a man keeps my word, he will never taste of death.’”
Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who died?
The prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing.
It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is
our God. You have not known him, but I know him. If I said, ‘I
don’t know him,’ I would be like you, a liar. But I know him,
and keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my
day. He saw it, and was glad.”
The Jews therefore said to him, “You are not yet fifty
years old, and have you seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Verily, I tell you, before Abraham
came into existence, I AM.”
Therefore they took up stones to throw at him, but
Jesus was hidden, and went out of the temple, having gone
through their midst, and so passed by.

326
9 Do you believe in the Son of God?

As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His


disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither did this man sin, nor his
parents; but, that the works of God might be revealed in him.
I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day.
The night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in
the world, I am the light of the world.”
When he had said this, he spat on the ground, made
mud with the saliva, anointed the blind man’s eyes with the
mud, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”
(which means “Sent”). So he went away, washed, and came
back seeing. Therefore the neighbors, and those who saw
that he was blind before, said, “Isn’t this he who sat and
begged?” Others were saying, “It is he.” Still others were
saying, “He looks like him.”
He said, “I am he.” They therefore were asking him,
“How were your eyes opened?”
He answered, “A man called Jesus made mud,
anointed my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam,
and wash.’ So I went away and washed, and I received
sight.”
Then they asked him, “Where is he?”
He said, “I don’t know.”
They brought him who had been blind to the Pharisees.
It was a Sabbath when Jesus made the mud and opened his
eyes. Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he
received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my
eyes, I washed, and I see.”
Some therefore of the Pharisees said, “This man is not
from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath.” Others
said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” There

327
was division among them. Therefore they asked the blind
man again, “What do you say about him, because he
opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that
he had been blind, and had received his sight, until they
called the parents of him who had received his sight, and
asked them, “Is this your son, whom you say was born
blind? How then does he now see?”
His parents answered them, “We know that this is our
son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees, we
don’t know; or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. He is of
age. Ask him. He will speak for himself.”
His parents said these things because they feared the
Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would
confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the
synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age. Ask
him.” So they called the man who was blind a second time,
and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man
is a sinner.”
He therefore answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner.
One thing I do know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
They said to him again, “What did he do to you? How
did he open your eyes?”
He answered them, “I told you already, and you didn’t
listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t also
want to become his disciples, do you?”
They insulted him and said, “You are his disciple, but
we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to
Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes
from.”
The man answered them, “How amazing! You don’t
know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We
know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is a
worshipper of God, and does his will, he listens to him. Since
328
the world began it has never been heard of that anyone
opened the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not
from God, he could do nothing.”
They answered him, “You were altogether born in sins,
and do you teach us?” They threw him out.
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding
him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
He answered, “Who is he, Lord, so that I may believe in
him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have both seen him, and it is
he who speaks with you.”
He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that
those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may
become blind.”
Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these
things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have
no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin
remains.”

10 The Good Shepherd

Jesus said, “Verily I tell you, one who doesn’t enter by


the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way,
he is a thief and a robber. But one who enters in by the door
is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the
gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his
own sheep by name, and leads them out. Whenever he
brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the
sheep follow him, for they know his voice. They will by no
means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t
know the voice of strangers.”

329
Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn’t
understand what he was telling them.
Jesus therefore said to them again, “Verily I tell you, I
am the sheep’s door. All who came before me are thieves
and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the
door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go
in and go out, and will find pasture. The thief only comes to
steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and
may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired
hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn’t own the sheep, sees
the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf
snatches the sheep, and scatters them. The hired hand flees
because he is a hired hand, and doesn’t care for the sheep. I
am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by
my own; even as the Father knows me, and I know the
Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have other sheep, which are not of this fold. I must
bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will
become one flock with one shepherd. Therefore the Father
loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it
again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by
myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take
it again. I received this commandment from my Father.”

Sanctified by the Father

Therefore a division arose again among the Jews


because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a
demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?” Others
said, “These are not the sayings of one possessed by a
demon. It isn’t possible for a demon to open the eyes of the
blind, is it?”

330
It was the Feast of the Dedication at Jerusalem. It was
winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon’s
porch. The Jews therefore came around him and said to him,
“How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the
Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you don’t
believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, these
testify about me. But you don’t believe, because you are not
of my sheep, as I told you. My sheep hear my voice, and I
know them, and they follow me. I give eternal life to them.
They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of
my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater
than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s
hand. I and the Father are one.”
Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good
works from my Father. For which of those works you going
to stone me?”
The Jews answered him, “We don’t stone you for a
good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man,
make yourself God.”
Jesus answered them, “Isn’t it written in your law, ‘I
said, you are gods?’ If he called them gods, to whom the
word of God came (and the Scripture can’t be broken), do
you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the
world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of
God?’ If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me.
But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the
works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in
me, and I in the Father.”
They sought again to seize him, and he went out of
their hand. He went away again beyond the Jordan into the
place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed.
Many came to him. They said, “John indeed did no sign, but

331
everything that John said about this man is true.” Many
believed in him there.

11 The resurrection of Lazarus

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus from Bethany, of


the village of Mary and her sister, Martha. It was that Mary
who had anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet
with her hair, whose brother, Lazarus, was sick. The sisters
therefore sent to him, saying, “Lord, behold, he for whom
you have great affection is sick.”
But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not
to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be
glorified by it.”
Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two
days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to
the disciples, “Let’s go into Judea again.”
The disciples told him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying
to stone you, and are you going there again?”
Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight?
If a man walks in the day, he doesn’t stumble, because he
sees the light of this world. But if a man walks in the night,
he stumbles, because the light isn’t in him.”
He said these things, and after that, he said to them,
“Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep, but I am going so
that I may awake him out of sleep.”
The disciples therefore said, “Lord, if he has fallen
asleep, he will recover.”
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought
that he spoke of taking rest in sleep. So Jesus said to them
plainly then, “Lazarus is dead. I am glad for your sakes that I
was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless, let’s
go to him.”
332
Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said to his
fellow disciples, “Let’s go also, that we may die with him.”
So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the
tomb four days already. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem,
about fifteen stadia away. Many of the Jews had joined the
women around Martha and Mary, to console them
concerning their brother. Then when Martha heard that
Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary stayed
in the house. Therefore Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you
would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even
now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give
you.”
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the
resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.
He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever
lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that
you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
When she had said this, she went away, and called Mary,
her sister, secretly, saying, “The Teacher is here, and is
calling you.” When she heard this, she arose quickly, and
went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was in the place where Martha met him. Then the Jews
who were with her in the house, and were consoling her,
when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out,
followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep
there.”
Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and
saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you
would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews
weeping who came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and
was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?”
333
They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus wept.
The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he
had for him!” Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who
opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this
man from dying?”
Jesus therefore, again groaning in himself, came to the
tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus
said, “Take away the stone.”
Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him,
“Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead
four days.” Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you
believed, you would see God’s glory?”
So they took away the stone from the place where the
dead man was lying. Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said,
“Father, I thank you that you listened to me. I know that you
always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands
around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with
wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.
Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.”
Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and
saw what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them went
away to the Pharisees, and told them the things which Jesus
had done. The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees
gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this
man does many signs. If we leave him alone like this,
everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and
take away both our place and our nation.”
But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest
that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you
consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should
die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
334
Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest
that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather
together into one the children of God who are scattered
abroad. So from that day forward they took counsel that they
might put him to death. Jesus therefore walked no more
openly among the Jews, but departed from there into the
country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim. He
stayed there with his disciples.
Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went
up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to
purify themselves. Then they sought for Jesus and spoke
one with another, as they stood in the temple, “What do you
think—that he isn’t coming to the feast at all?” Now the chief
priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone
knew where he was, he should report it, that they might
seize him.

12 “My cup runs over”

Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to


Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he
raised from the dead. So they made him a supper there.
Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the
table with him. Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of
pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and
wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the
fragrance of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,
one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, “Why
wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and
given to the poor?” Now he said this, not because he cared
for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the
money box, used to steal what was put into it.

335
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for
the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you,
but you don’t always have me.”
A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was
there, and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they
might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,
because on account of him many of the Jews went away and
believed in Jesus.
On the next day a great multitude had come to the
feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to
Jerusalem, they took the branches of the palm trees, and
went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is
he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is
written, “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King
comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but
when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these
things were written about him, and that they had done these
things to him. The multitude therefore that was with him
when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from
the dead, was testifying about it. For this cause also the
multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had
done this sign. The Pharisees therefore said among
themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the
world has gone after him.”
Now there were certain Greeks among those that went
up to worship at the feast. These, therefore, came to Philip,
who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying,
“Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew,
and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.

336
Father, glorify Your Name!

Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son
of Man to be glorified. Verily I tell you, unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone.
But if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life will
lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to
eternal life. If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I
am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the
Father will honor him.
“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father,
save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this
time. Father, glorify your name!”
Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have
both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said
that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to
him.”
Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake,
but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world. Now
the prince of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up
from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” But he said
this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the
law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The
Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light
is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness
doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t
know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in
the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said
these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.

337
The unbelief

But though he had done so many signs before them,


yet they didn’t believe in him, that the word of Isaiah the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has
believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been
revealed?” For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah
said again, “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their
heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with
their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and
spoke of him. Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed
in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it,
so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue, for they
loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.

The Will of the Father

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me,


believes not in me, but in Him who sent me. He who sees
me sees Him who sent me. I have come as a light into the
world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the
darkness. If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t
believe, I don’t judge him, for I came not to judge, but to
save the world. He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my
sayings, has one who judges him. The Word that I spoke,
the same will judge him in the last day. For I spoke not from
myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a
commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things
therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me,
so I speak.”

338
13 The Last sapper

Now before the feast of the Passover, Jesus, knowing


that his time had come that he would depart from this world
to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world,
he loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having
already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to
betray him. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all
things into his hands, and that he came forth from God, and
was going to God, arose from supper, and laid aside his
outer garments. He took a towel, and wrapped a towel
around his waist. Then he poured water into the basin, and
began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the
towel that was wrapped around him. Then he came to Simon
Peter. He said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”
Jesus answered him, “You don’t know what I am doing
now, but you will understand later.”
Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I don’t wash you, you have no
part with me.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but
also my hands and my head!”
Jesus said to him, “Someone who has bathed only
needs to have his feet washed, but is completely clean. You
are clean, but not all of you.”
For he knew him who would betray him, therefore he
said, “You are not all clean.”
So when he had washed their feet, put his outer
garment back on, and sat down again, he said to them, “Do
you know what I have done to you? You call me, ‘Teacher’
and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. If I then, the
Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also
ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an
example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

339
Verily I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither
one who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know
these things, blessed are you if you do them. I don’t speak
concerning all of you. I know whom I have chosen. But that
the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats bread with me
has lifted up his heel against me.’ From now on, I tell you
before it happens, that when it happens, you may believe
that I am he. Verily I tell you, he who receives whomever I
send, receives me; and he who receives me, receives him
who sent me.”
When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in spirit, and
testified, “Verily I tell you that one of you will betray me.”
The disciples looked at one another, perplexed about
whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved,
was at the table, leaning against Jesus’ breast. Simon Peter
therefore beckoned to him, and said to him, “Tell us who it is
of whom he speaks.”
He, leaning back, as he was, on Jesus’ breast, asked
him, “Lord, who is it?”
Jesus therefore answered, “It is he to whom I will give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had
dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of
Simon Iscariot. After the piece of bread, then Satan entered
into him.
Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Now no man at the table knew why he said this to him.
For some thought, because Judas had the money box,
that Jesus said to him, “Buy what things we need for the
feast,” or that he should give something to the poor.
Therefore, having received that morsel, he went out
immediately. It was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of
Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If
God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in
himself, and he will glorify him immediately. Little children, I
340
will be with you a little while longer. You will seek me, and as
I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you can’t come,’ so
now I tell you. A new commandment I give to you, that you
love one another, just like I have loved you; that you also
love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?”
Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you can’t follow
now, but you will follow afterwards.”
Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I
will lay down my life for you.”
Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for
me? Verily I tell you, the rooster won’t crow until you have
denied me three times.”

14 I am the Way

“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God.


Believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many homes. If
it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a
place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you
may be there also. Where I go, you know, and you know the
way.”
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you
are going. How can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father, except through me. If you had
known me, you would have known my Father also. From
now on, you know him, and have seen him.”
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that
will be enough for us.”
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you such a long
time, and do you not know me, Philip? He who has seen me
341
has seen the Father. How do you say, ‘Show us the Father?’
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in
me? The words that I tell you, I speak not from myself; but
the Father who lives in me does his works. Believe me that I
am in the Father, and the Father in me; or else believe me
for the very works’ sake. Verily I tell you, he who believes in
me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do
greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.
Whatever you will ask in my name, that will I do, that the
Father may be glorified in the Son. If you will ask anything in
my name, I will do it.”

The Counselor

“If you love me, keep my commandments. I will pray to


the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he
may be with you forever, — the Spirit of Truth, whom the
world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him, neither knows him.
You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you. I will
not leave you orphans. I will come to you. Yet a little while,
and the world will see me no more; but you will see me.
Because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know
that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. One who
has my commandments, and keeps them, that person is one
who loves me. One who loves me will be loved by my
Father, and I will love him, and will reveal myself to him.”
Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, what has
happened that you are about to reveal yourself to us, and
not to the world?”
Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep
my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him,
and make our home with him. He who doesn’t love me
doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine,
but the Father’s who sent me. I have said these things to
342
you, while still living with you. But the Counselor, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach
you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the
world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled,
neither let it be fearful. You heard how I told you, ‘I go away,
and I come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have
rejoiced, because I said ‘I am going to my Father;’ for the
Father is greater than I. Now I have told you before it
happens so that, when it happens, you may believe. I will no
more speak much with you, for the prince of the world
comes, and he has nothing in me. But that the world may
know that I love the Father, and as the Father commanded
me, even so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”

15 The true vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. Every


branch in me that doesn’t bear fruit, he takes away. Every
branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already pruned clean because of the word which I
have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the
branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine,
so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine.
You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him,
the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do
nothing. If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a
branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them
into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and
my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire,
and it will be done for you.”
“In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit;
and so you will be my disciples. Even as the Father has
loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. If you
343
keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even
as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in
his love. I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may
remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Love one other

“This is my commandment, that you love one another,


even as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this
that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my
friends, if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I
call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord
does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I
heard from my Father, I have made known to you. You didn’t
choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you
should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain;
that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it to you. “I command these things to you, that you may
love one another.”
If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me
before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would
love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I
chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not
greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also
persecute you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours
also.
But all these things will they do to you for my name’s
sake, because they don’t know him who sent me. If I had not
come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but
now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me,
hates my Father also. If I hadn’t done among them the works
which no one else did, they wouldn’t have had sin. But now
have they seen and also hated both me and my Father. But
344
this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was
written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

The Spirit of Truth

“When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to


you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from
the Father, he will testify about me. You will also testify,
because you have been with me from the beginning.

16

“These things have I spoken to you, so that you


wouldn’t be caused to stumble. They will put you out of the
synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will
think that he offers service to God. They will do these things
because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have
told you these things, so that when the time comes, you may
remember that I told you about them. I didn’t tell you these
things from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I
am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me,
‘Where are you going?’ But because I have told you these
things, sorrow has filled your heart.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage
that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t
come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he has
come, he will convict the world about sin, about
righteousness, and about judgment; about sin, because they
don’t believe in me; about righteousness, because I am
going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; about
judgment, because the prince of this world has been
judged.”

345
“I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear
them now. However when he, the Spirit of Truth, has come,
he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from
himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare
to you things that are coming. He will glorify me, for he will
take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. All things
whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he
takes of mine, and will declare it to you.”

A little while

“A little while, and you will not see me. Again a little
while, and you will see me.”
Some of his disciples therefore said to one another,
“What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you won’t
see me, and again a little while, and you will see me;’ and,
‘Because I go to the Father?’”
They said therefore, “What is this that he says, ‘A little
while?’ We don’t know what he is saying.”
Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him,
and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves
concerning this that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see
me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’ Verily I tell
you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice.
You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her
time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she
doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a
human being is born into the world. Therefore you now have
sorrow, but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you. In that day you
will ask me no questions. Verily I tell you, whatever you may
ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until

346
now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will
receive, that your joy may be made full.
I have spoken all these things to you in figural
language, but the time is coming when I will no more speak
to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the
Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I don’t say
to you, that I will pray to the Father for you, for the Father
himself loves you, because you have loved me, and have
believed that I came forth from God. I came out from the
Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the
world, and go to the Father.”
His disciples said to him, “Behold, now you speak
plainly, and speak no figures of speech. Now we know that
you know all things, and don’t need for anyone to question
you. By this we believe that you came forth from God.”
Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold,
the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be
scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me
alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I
have told you these things, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you have oppression; but cheer up! I have
overcome the world.”

17 Father, glorify your Son!

Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to


heaven, he said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your
Son, that your Son may also glorify you; even as you gave
him authority over all flesh, he will give eternal life to all
whom you have given him. This is eternal life, that they
should know you, the only true God, and him whom you
sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on the earth. I have
accomplished the work which you have given me to do.

347
Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory
which I had with you before the world existed.
I revealed your name to the people whom you have
given me out of the world. They were yours, and you have
given them to me. They have kept your Word. Now they
have known that all things whatever you have given me are
from you, for the words which you have given me I have
given to them, and they received them, and knew for sure
that I came forth from you, and they have believed that you
sent me. I pray for them. I don’t pray for the world, but for
those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All
things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am
glorified in them. I am no more in the world, but these are in
the world, and I am coming to you.”

One through your Name

“Holy Father, keep them through your Name which you


have given me, so that they may be one, even as we are.
While I was with them in the world, I kept them in your name.
Those whom you have given me I have kept. None of them
is lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture
might be fulfilled. But now I come to you, and I say these
things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in
themselves. I have given them your Word. The world hated
them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of
the world. I pray not that you would take them from the
world, but that you would keep them from the evil one. They
are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify
them in your Truth. Your Word is Truth. As you sent me into
the world, even so I have sent them into the world. For their
sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be
sanctified in truth.

348
Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who
believe in me through their word, that they may all be one;
even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also
may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent
me. The glory which you have given me, I have given to
them; that they may be one, even as we are one; I in them,
and you in me, that they may be perfected into one; that the
world may know that you sent me, and loved them, even as
you loved me. Father, I desire that they also whom you have
given me be with me where I am, that they may see my
glory, which you have given me, for you loved me before the
foundation of the world.”
“Righteous Father, the world hasn’t known you, but I
knew you; and these knew that you sent me. I made known
to them your name, and will make it known; that the love with
which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

18 The arrest

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with


his disciples over the brook Kidron, where there was a
garden, into which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas,
who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met
there with his disciples. Judas then, having taken a
detachment of soldiers and officers from the chief priests
and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and
weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were
happening to him, went forth, and said to them, “Who are
you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus said to them, “I am he.”
Judas also, who betrayed him, was standing with them.
When therefore he said to them, “I am he,” they went
backward, and fell to the ground.
349
Again therefore he asked them, “Who are you looking
for?”
They said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If therefore
you seek me, let these go their way,” that the word might be
fulfilled which he spoke, “Of those whom you have given me,
I have lost none.”
Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, and
struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The
servant’s name was Malchus.
Jesus therefore said to Peter, “Put the sword into its
sheath. The cup which the Father has given me, shall I not
surely drink it?”
So the detachment, the commanding officer, and the
officers of the Jews, seized Jesus and bound him, and led
him to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who
was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who advised
the Jews that it was expedient that one man should perish
for the people.

The trial

Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another disciple.


Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and entered
in with Jesus into the court of the high priest; but Peter was
standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, who was
known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept
the door, and brought in Peter. Then the maid who kept the
door said to Peter, “Are you also one of this man’s
disciples?” He said, “I am not.”
Now the servants and the officers were standing there,
having made a fire of coals, for it was cold. They were
warming themselves. Peter was with them, standing and
warming himself.
350
The high priest therefore asked Jesus about his
disciples, and about his teaching.
Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I
always taught in synagogues, and in the temple, where the
Jews always meet. I said nothing in secret. Why do you ask
me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them.
Behold, these know the things which I said.”
When he had said this, one of the officers standing by
slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the
high priest like that?”
Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, testify of
the evil; but if well, why do you beat me?”
Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself.
They said therefore to him, “You aren’t also one of his
disciples, are you?”
He denied it, and said, “I am not.”
One of the servants of the high priest, being a relative
of him whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you in
the garden with him?”
Peter therefore denied it again, and immediately the
rooster crowed.
They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the
Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter
into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might
eat the Passover. Pilate therefore went out to them, and
said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we
wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.”
Pilate therefore said to them, “Take him yourselves,
and judge him according to your law.”
Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to
put anyone to death,” that the word of Jesus might be
fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he
should die.
351
Pilate went again into the building, and spoke with
Jesus privately, and said to Him: “So you are the king of the
Jews?”
Jesus answered to Pilate: “Do you ask this on you own
behalf, or because others have told you this on account of
me?”
Pilate answered Jesus: “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your own
nation and the chief priests delivered you to me. What have
you done?”
Jesus answered: “My Kingdom is not of this world; for
be it of this world, my servants would fight in order that I
should not be given up to the Jews: but since I am in front of
you, you can judge that my Kingdom is not from here.”
Pilate said to Him, “Are you a king then?”
Jesus answered him, “You say that I am a king. For this
reason I have been born, and for this reason I have come
into the world, that I should testify to the truth. Everyone who
is of the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him: “What is truth?”
Jesus answered: “The truth is from heaven.” Pilate
asked: “Do you mean to say that there is no truth upon the
earth?” Jesus replied to Pilate: “I am the Truth, so you can
see how it is treated upon the earth by those who have
power here.”
When he had said this, Pilate went out again to the
Jews, and said to them, “I find no basis for a charge against
him.
But you have a custom, that I should release someone
to you at the Passover. Therefore do you want me to release
to you the King of the Jews?”
Then they all shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but
Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

352
19 The King of Israel

So Pilate then took Jesus, and flogged him.


The soldiers twisted thorns into a crown, and put it on
his head, and dressed him in a purple garment.
They kept saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and they
kept slapping him. Then Pilate went out again, and said to
them, “Behold, I bring him out to you, that you may know that
I find no basis for a charge against him.” Jesus therefore
came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
garment. Pilate said to them, “Behold, the man!” When
therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they
shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!”
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves, and crucify
him, for I find no basis for a charge against him.” The Jews
answered him, “We have a law, and by our law he ought to
die, because he made himself the Son of God.” When
therefore Pilate heard this saying, he was more afraid.
He entered into the Praetorium again, and said to
Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no
answer.
Pilate therefore said to him, “Aren’t you speaking to
me? Don’t you know that I have power to release you, and
have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered, “You would have no power at all
against me, unless it was given to you from above.
Therefore those who delivered me to you have greater sin.”
At this, Pilate was seeking to release him, but the Jews
cried out, saying, “If you release this man, you aren’t
Caesar’s friend! Everyone who makes himself a king speaks
against Caesar!” When Pilate therefore heard these words,
he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at
a place called “The Pavement,” but in Hebrew, “Gabbatha.”

353
Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, at
about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold, your
King!” They cried out, “Away with him! Away with him!
Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?”
The chief priests answered, “We have no king but
Caesar!” So then he delivered him to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus and led him away.

The Crucifixion

He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The


Place of a Skull,” which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha,”
where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either
side one, and Jesus in the middle.
Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. There
was written, “JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE
JEWS.”
Therefore many of the Jews read this title, for the place
where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was
written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate,
“Don’t write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘he said, I am King
of the Jews.’” Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have
written.” Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus,
took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a
part; and also the coat. Now the coat was without seam,
woven from the top throughout.
Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but
cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture
might be fulfilled, which says,
“They parted my garments among them, for my cloak
they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things. But
there were standing by the cross of Jesus his mother, and
354
his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Magdalene.
Therefore when Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple
whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother,
“Woman, behold your son!”
Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”
From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home. After
this, Jesus, seeing that all things were now finished, that the
Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I am thirsty.”
Now a vessel full of vinegar was set there; so they put a
sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop, and held it at his
mouth.
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he
said, “It is finished.” He bowed his head, and gave up his
spirit. Therefore the Jews, because it was the Preparation
Day, so that the bodies wouldn’t remain on the cross on the
Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a special one), asked of
Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be
taken away.
Therefore the soldiers came, and broke the legs of the
first, and of the other who was crucified with him; but when
they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they
didn’t break his legs. However one of the soldiers pierced his
side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came
out.
He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is
true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe.
For these things happened, that the Scripture might be
fulfilled, “A bone of him will not be broken.”
Again another Scripture says, “They will look on him
whom they pierced.” After these things, Joseph of
Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of
the Jews, asked of Pilate that he might take away Jesus’
body. Pilate gave him permission. He came therefore and
took away his body.
355
Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also
came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a
hundred Roman pounds.
So they took Jesus’ body, and bound it in linen cloths
with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.
Now in the place where he was crucified there was a
garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had
ever yet been laid.
Then because of the Jews’ Preparation Day (for the
tomb was near at hand) they laid Jesus there.

20 The Resurrection

Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went


early, while it was still dark, to the tomb, and saw the stone
taken away from the tomb. Therefore she ran and came to
Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved,
and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the
tomb, and we don’t know where they have laid him!”
Therefore Peter and the other disciple went out, and they
went toward the tomb.
They both ran together. The other disciple outran Peter,
and came to the tomb first. Stooping and looking in, he saw
the linen cloths lying, yet he didn’t enter in. Then Simon
Peter came, following him, and entered into the tomb. He
saw the linen cloths lying, and the cloth that had been on his
head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place
by itself. So then the other disciple who came first to the
tomb also entered in, and he saw and believed. For as yet
they didn’t know the Scripture, that he must rise from the
dead.
So the disciples went away again to their own homes.
But Mary was standing outside at the tomb weeping. So, as
she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb, and she
356
saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at
the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
They told her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my
Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw
Jesus standing, and didn’t know that it was Jesus. Jesus
said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you
looking for?”
She, supposing him to be the gardener, said to him,
“Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have
laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned and said to him, “Rabboni!” which is to say,
“Teacher!” Jesus said to her, “Don’t hold me, for I haven’t yet
ascended to my Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them,
‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God
and your God.’” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples
that she had seen the Lord, and that he had said these
things to her.
When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day
of the week, and when the doors were locked where the
disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came
and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be to you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his
side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the
Lord.
Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you.
As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.”
When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said
to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s
sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s
sins, they have been retained.”
But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, wasn’t
with them when Jesus came.

357
The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have
seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print
of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
After eight days again his disciples were inside, and Thomas
was with them. Jesus came, the doors being locked, and
stood in the midst, and said, “Peace be to you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, and
see my hands. Reach here your hand, and put it into my
side. Don’t be unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered
him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because
you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those
who have not seen, and have believed.”
Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence
of his disciples, which if they would all be written, I suppose
that even the world itself wouldn’t have room for the books
that would be written.

Vain is reasoning of the wicked

“The vain is reasoning of the wicked, especially their


persecution of the just, the Son of God. For they were
reasoning with themselves, but not right: ‘The time of our life
is short and tedious, and in the end of a man there is no
remedy, and no man has been known to have returned from
Hades. We are born of nothing, and after this we shall be as
if we had not been, for the breath in our nostrils is smoke
and speech a spark to move our heart, which being put out.
Our body shall be reduced to ashes, and our spirit shall be
poured out as soft air, and our life shall pass away as the
trace of a cloud, and shall be dispersed as a mist, which is
driven away by the beams of the sun, and overpowered with
the heat thereof. And our name in time will be forgotten, and
no man will have memory of our works. For our time is as
358
the passing of a shadow, and our end inevitable, for it is fast
sealed and no man returned from Hades yet.
Come therefore, and let us enjoy the good things that
are present around us, and let us speedily use the creatures
as in youth. Let us fill ourselves with costly wine and
ointments, and let not the flower of the day pass by us. Let
us crown ourselves with roses, before they withered away;
let no meadow escape our riot. Let none of us go without his
part in luxury, let us everywhere leave tokens of joy, for this
is our portion, and this our lot. Let us oppress the poor just
man, and not spare the widow, let us nor honor the ancient
grey hairs of the aged. But let our strength will be our law of
justice, for that which is weak is not worthy of life.
Let us therefore lie in wait for the Just, for he is not
accordance with our liking, because he is in contrary with our
deeds. He reprimands us with transgressions of the Law,
and he testifies against us by revealing the sinful way of our
life. He boasts that he has the knowledge of God, and calls
himself the Son of God. He has become a censurer of our
thoughts, he is severe to us, even to behold, for his life is not
like other men's, and his ways are different from ours.
We are esteemed by him as triflers, and he abstains
from our ways as from filthiness, and he prefers the final end
of the just, and claims that he has God for his Father. Let us
see then if his words be true, and let us prove what shall
happen to him, and we shall know what his end shall be. For
if he be the true Son of God, as he claims, God will defend
him, and will deliver him from the hands of his enemies. Let
us examine him by outrages and tortures, so that we may
know his meekness and try out his patience. Let us
condemn him to a most shameful death, so that we may
destroy respect he earned amongst people by his words.’
These things they thought, but they were deceived, for
their own malice blinded them. And they knew not the
secrets of God, nor hoped for the wages of justice, nor
359
esteemed the honor of holy souls. For God created man
incorruptible and to the image of his own likeness he made
him. But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world,
and those who follow him are on his side.”

360
PART THREE: THE DIALOGUES

Jesus said to his disciples, “The secret of the Kingdom


of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside
everything is said in parables so that, “they may be ever
seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never
understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!”

The Secret Book of James

The disciples asked Jesus, “We know that you are


going to leave us. Who will be then our leader?”
Jesus answered, “No matter where you are you are to
go to James the Righteousness, for whose sake heaven and
earth came into being.”
James writes to you. Peace be with you from the Peace
of the Lord, love from His Love, grace from His Grace, faith
from the faith in Him and life from His holy life!
Since you asked me to send you in a letter the secret
conversation, which was revealed to me and Peter by the
Lord, I could neither refuse you, nor speak directly to you,
therefore I have written it in Hebrew letters and have sent it
to you - and to you alone. But since you are a minister of the
salvation of the saints, try solemnly and take care not to
disclose this book for many, because the Savior himself did
not wanted to tell these even in front of all his closest
disciples. But blessed are those who will be saved through
faith in this discourse.
Ten months ago I sent you another secret book based
on my conversation with the Savior. But that one you have to
regard as revealed to me, James.
361
Now the disciples were sitting all together at the same
time, and remembering what the Savior had said to each
one of them, whether secretly or openly, and they were
setting it down in books. I was writing what was in my book -
and lo, the Savior appeared, after he had departed from us
while we gazed at him. And five hundred and fifty days after
he arose from the dead, we asked him: “Have you gone and
departed from us?”
And Jesus said: “Not yet, but now I shall go to the place
from which I have come. Therefore if you desire to follow
me, then come with me.”
They all answered: “If you will take us, we are willing to
follow you.” He said: “Truly I say to you, no one of you will be
able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven because I will take him,
but rather you will enter there when you will become full of
spirit by your own grace. Let me take James and Peter
away, in order that I may fill them.” And he called these two;
he took them aside, and commanded the rest be busy with
what they already were doing.
The Savior said; “You have received favor form the
Father and the Son, which no human in this world has
received prior you, why then you are still so inert and
reluctant to walk on your path?
Knowledge of the Holy Spirit was revealed to you, why
then you do not wish to be filled with it? And by now, your
hearts became intoxicated with pride; why you do not desire
to be sober? Shame is upon you! Since now, waking or
sleeping, remember that you have seen the Son of Man, and
have spoken with Him, and that his teaching was impaired to
you. Woe to those who have seen the Son of Man, for it is
better for them, if they remained ignorant of him, since then
they would not be guilty of their sins. But now, when their
eyes were opened, their guilt would be increased manifold.
Blessed are those who never seen the Son of Man, and who

362
never spoken with him, and not became associated with him,
for the life of this world is for them!
Know, therefore, that he healed you when you were ill,
in order that you may reign in the Kingdom of God. But woe
to those, who found rest from their works, thinking that they
were healed already, because they will relapse into their
illness again! But blessed are those who became watchful
against their illness, and who have found the place of rest
before it could seize them, for the Kingdom of God is theirs!
Therefore I say to you, become full and leave no place within
you empty, since you have to answer to the Coming One for
your deeds.”
Then Peter answered: “Lord, three times you have said
to us 'Become full', but we are already full.”
The Lord answered: “Therefore, once more I will repeat
to you, become full of spirit, in order that you may not fell
astray, for those, whose spirit became weakened, can’t be
saved. When you constantly full of spirit, it will lead you
towards salvation, but if it will diminish, you will be taken
astray from your goal. For when you are full, you are
complete, and no illnesses of this world may enter into you,
but when there is emptiness within you, it immediately
becomes filled with the filth of the world. Therefore, in order
that you may become perfect, it is worthy for you to humble
yourself while you still can be filled, and to maintain your
fullness, while it is still can be diminished. Therefore become
full of spirit, and become humbled because of the situation,
for situation comes from your own Soul; and it is the Soul.”
And I said to him: “Lord, we have proved our
determination to follow you, for we have forsaken the religion
of our forefathers and houses of our parents, and our
homeland and followed you. But can you grant us that we
will be not be tempted by the wicked Devil?”
The Lord said: “If you will not be tempted by Satan
while you fulfill the will of the Father and receiving His gift,
363
then what would be your own merit? But if you by your free
will be oppressed by Satan and persecuted while you
accomplish the Father's will, I say that He will love you and
will make you equal with me, and will make you His beloved
through His providence. Will you not cease, then, being
lovers of the flesh and being afraid of sufferings? You, who
are not yet been mistreated and have not yet been accused
unjustly by the evil one, nor have you been shut up in prison,
nor yet have you been condemned lawlessly, nor have you
been crucified without reason, nor have you been buried
without respect, as was I myself? Do you still want to spare
your flesh, by which your spirit is encircled in the walls of a
prison? Try to contemplate about the world, how long it
existed before you, and how long it will remain after you, and
you will find that your life is equal to one single day, and all
your sufferings, to one single hour. Remember that good will
never enter this world, and that nothing of this world can
enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore despise that what
brings you to death, and become turned with all your being
to the Life. Remember my cross and my death and you will
live.”
And I answered to him: “Lord, do not mention to us the
cross and the death, for they are far in past.”
The Lord said: “Truly I say to you, no one could be
saved unless they believe in my cross. But those who have
believed in my cross, theirs is the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, become seekers of the death, which was
revealed to you, in the same way as those, who are dead
craving for their life, which is revealed to them, for they have
nothing else to be concerned with. When you will turn
yourselves towards death, you will be known as my beloved.
Truly I say to you, none of those who are afraid of death
could be saved, for the Kingdom of God belongs to those,
who have put themselves to death. Make yourselves like the
Son of the Holy Spirit, and become even better than me.”
364
Then I asked him: “Lord, please teach us how we can
prophesy to those who ask us about future? For there are
many, who ask us about it, and who want to hear an oracle
from us.”
The Lord answered: “Do not you know that the head of
prophecy was cut off with John?”
And I said: “Lord, it is not possible to remove the head
of prophecy, isn’t it?”
The Lord said to me: “When you will come to know
what 'head' means, and that prophecy comes out from head,
then you will understand what 'Its head was removed'
means. Before I used to speak with you in parables, and you
were unable to understand. Now, when I speak with you
plainly, you are still unable to understand. But it is you who
were to me as parable in parables and as what is apparent
in what is open.”
“Be zealous to be saved without being urged for this by
others. Rather, be ready on your own accord, and if you can,
try even to supersede me in your deeds, for the Father will
love you for this. Become haters of hypocrisy and evil
thought, for hypocrisy is born from thoughts, and hypocrisy is
far from the Place of Truth.
Let not the Kingdom of Heaven wither away from you,
for it is like the shoot of a seasonal plant, which dropped its
seeds around itself. By the moment when productivity of the
womb, which bore them, came to the end, the seeds
sprouted from themselves new leaves, and after some time
they became developed into many new plants each one like
its parent. The same is also with the fruits, which came forth
from a single root; the day the root was picked, its fruits were
numerous. Indeed, it would be good for you, if you will
produce these new plants now; for by doing this you will find
the entrance to the Kingdom.”
“Since I have been glorified in this manner in front of
this generation, why do you all restrain me when I am eager
365
to go? You have constrained me to remain with you eighteen
more days for the sake of parables. It sufficient for some
persons to pay attention to the teaching and understand 'The
Shepherds' and 'The Seed' and 'The Building' and 'The
Lamps of the Virgins' and 'The Wage of the Workers' and
'The Double Drachma' and 'The Woman'.
“Become keen about the Word. For the Word's first
condition is faith; the second is love; the third is works. And
when all of them are fulfilled, from these comes Life. For the
Word is like a grain of wheat. When someone sowed it, he
believed in it; and when it sprouted, he loved it, because he
looked forward for many grains in place of one; and when he
worked it, he was saved trough this, for it provided him with
food and with spare grains for future crop. This how it is
possible for all of you to receive the Kingdom of Heaven;
unless you receive it through this knowledge, you will not be
able to find it”.
“Therefore I say to you, be sober and do not go astray.
And many times I have said to you all together - and also to
you alone, James, I have said - 'Be saved!' And I have
commanded you to follow me, and I have taught you how to
respond in presence of rulers. Therefore try to learn from my
example! Contemplate on how I voluntary descended for
your rescue, and what I have spoken, and how I put myself
in trouble, and how I have received my crown for doing
these! For I have descended to dwell amongst you in order
that you may ascend to dwell with me. And when I found that
your houses had no ceilings over them, I descended there
and dwelt amongst you, who were able to receive me.”
“Therefore, obey my words, my brothers, and try to
understand what the Great Light is. The Father does not lack
me, for the Father does not need a son or anything of this
world, but it is the son who needs the Father, this is reason
why I am going to Him. In the same way, the Father of the

366
Son is not in need of any one of you, but it is you, who are in
need of Him.”
“Cling to the Word and try to understand its Knowledge,
Love and Life. And you will come to know that no one is here
to persecute you; no one is here to oppress you, other then
you yourselves.”
“O you wretches! O you most unfortunates! O you
dissemblers of truth! O you falsifiers of knowledge! O you
sinners against spirit! How you still dare to listen, when you
must start to speak long time ago? And how you still dare to
sleep, when you must be awaken long time ago, in order that
the Kingdom of Heaven may receive you? Truly I say into
you, it is easier for the Holy One to sink into corruption, and
for a man of light to sink into darkness, than for you to reign
in the Kingdom, even not to reign, but merely to have
glimpse of it! I was moved by your tears and by your grief
and sorrow, but from now they will not affect me any more. O
you, who keep proclaiming to others that which is good,
being themselves outside of inheritance of the Father, weep
now and grieve for it is proper for you, since the Son is
ascending appropriately. Verily, I say unto you, would I been
sent to those, who would listened me properly, and would I
told them that much as I have spoken to you, I would never
have to come down to the earth again. Therefore, be
ashamed on account of these and consider how I am
departing from you. For I am going because I am not desire
any more to remain with you at the place where you are, in
the same manner as you not desired be with me at the place
where I am.
Now, follow me quickly. Therefore I say to you, for your
sake I have descended, you are beloved; you are those who
will become a cause of life for many. Ask the Father, pray to
Him often, and He will give to you what you have asked.
Blessed are those, who will see you with the Son, when he is
proclaimed among angels and glorified among saints, for the
367
Life is yours! Rejoice and be happy as the Children of God.
Keep His will in order that you may be saved. Take this
reproach from me and use it as means to save yourselves.
Also I will plead on your behalf to the Father, and he will
forgive you many of your faults.”
And when we heard these things, we became
overjoyed, for we have been depressed on account of what
he said earlier.
Now when he saw our rejoicing, he said: “Woe to those
who are in need of an advocate on account of their deeds!
And woe to those who are lacking of their own grace and
relay on the merit earned by others! And blessed are those
who able to answer without shame for themselves, and who
have earned their own grace by their own deeds. Why you
behave like strangers in your own city? Why are you become
troubled, when you exiled yourselves and departed from
your city on your own accord? Why you abandoned your
dwelling place of your own accord, leaving it ready for those,
who desire to occupy it? Woe to you, O exiles and fugitives,
for you will not run far and will be caught by your enemy!
Or perhaps you imagine that the Father is lover of
human weaknesses? Do you really think that He will be
persuaded by your murmuring? Or that He will listen one,
who will speak on behalf of you? Or that He may
compromise with those, who seek the favors, which they not
deserved?
For, Father knows both, the desire and that which
makes flesh to follow it. Because, it is not flesh which yearns
for the soul, but it is the soul which by its free will chooses
flesh. For without approval of the soul, the body unable to sin
on its own behalf, in the same way as without willing of the
soul, the Spirit is unable to save it. But, if the soul chooses to
be saved by putting end to its sins, the Spirit also will be
saved, and the body will become sinless. For, it is the spirit,
which is the Life for the soul, and it is its love for the body
368
which is its death, because by choosing flesh instead of spirit
the soul kills itself. Truly I say to you, the Father will not
forgive the sins of those, who sinned against their souls at
all, nor the wickedness of the flesh will be spared, for a
simple reason that none of those who are in flesh can be
saved from death. Do you imagine that many have found the
Kingdom of Heaven? Blessed is one, who saw himself as
fourth in the Heaven.”
When we heard these things, we became distressed
again. Now when he saw our distress, he said: “I say all
these to you so that you may know yourselves, by
yourselves. For, the Kingdom of Heaven is like an ear of
grain, which grows in a field. When it ripened, it scattered its
seeds around and by abundance it produced, it filled the field
with the ears of grain for another year. Therefore in order
that you may be complete within the Kingdom of God, you
also become zealous to produce from yourselves an ear of
life. As long as I am with you, listen to me and obey what I
telling to you. But when I will depart from you, keep
remembering me even more and try to understand me,
because I was with you without your actual knowing me.
Blessed are those, who came to know me within themselves,
for they found the Kingdom of God! But woe to those, who
have heard me and not believed in my word, for I am not, but
they themselves, who have condemned their souls! And
thrice-blessed are those who have not seen me, but who
believed in me, for the Kingdom of God is awaits them!”
“And now, once more I am trying to convince you. For I
am revealed you how to build the house, which is of great
value for you, since you may take eternal shelter into it; in
the same way it will be able to give support to the houses of
your neighbors, when theirs houses will be in danger of
falling. Truly I say to you, woe to those on whose behalf I
was sent down to this place! But blessed are those, who by
their own efforts ascended to the Father. And again I reprove
369
you. O You, who are still so much are, make yourselves like
those, who are not, in order that you may come to dwell with
Him, who is not. Let not the Kingdom of Heaven become
desolate amongst you. And become aware of the danger of
arousal arrogance on account of the light which illumines.
Rather, be to yourselves in the same manner, as I was for
you. For I have placed myself under the curses of many, in
order that you may be saved.”
And Peter answered to this: “Sometimes you urge us to
proceed to the Kingdom of Heaven, and other times you turn
us away, O Lord. Sometimes you persuade us and push us
to faith and promise of life, and other times you expel us
from the Kingdom of Heaven.”
And the Lord said: “I have encouraged you faith many
times, moreover, I have revealed myself to you in person, O
James, and yet you still do not know me. Now again, I see
you rejoicing many times, and yet, when you are so
overwhelmed with joy over promise of the Life, why are you
becoming glum so easy? Why you, who through faith and
knowledge already have received the Life, become
distressed so easily, when you testify about the Kingdom?
Don’t become dishearten by the rejection of unbelievers, but
rather rejoice with those, who will accept your promise. Truly
I say to you, the one who will receive life and believe in the
Kingdom will never leave it - not even if the Father desires to
banish him!”
“These things I shall say to you for the present. But now
time came for me to ascend to the place from which I have
come. It is you, who when I was eager to go, have driven me
out of the place of my rest, and instead of accompanying me
there, forced me remain amongst you. But from now, try to
observe the glory which awaits me there, and try to open
your hearts, so that you also may listening the hymns, which
await me up in the heaven. For by now, my time is over, and
I am obliged to take my place at the right hand of my Father.
370
Now, I have said my last words to you, and it is time to part
our ways. For a chariot of wind has taken me up, and from
now on, I shall strip myself of the body in order that I may
clothe myself. But now, listen attentively, ‘Blessed are those
who have preached the Son before he descended, in order
that, when I have come, I may ascend'. And thrice blessed
are those, who are before their coming into being, and who
were proclaimed to you by the Son, in order that you may
have a portion with them.”
When he said these things, he went away. And we knelt
down, I and Peter, and gave thanks, and sent our hearts up
to heaven. We heard with our ears and saw with our eyes
the sound of wars and trumpet call and great commotion.
And when we passed beyond that place, we sent out
minds up further. And we saw with our eyes and heard with
our ears hymns and angelic praises and angelic jubilation.
And heavenly majesties were hymning, and we ourselves
were jubilant.
After this, we also desired to send our spirits above to
the Majesty. And when we ascended, we were permitted
neither to see nor to hear anything. For the rest of the
disciples called to us and questioned us: “What is it that you
have heard from the Master?” And, “What has he said to
you?” And, “Where has he gone?”
And we answered them: “He has ascended.” And, “He
has given us a pledge and has promised us all life and
disclosed to us children, who are to come after us, since he
has bid us to love them, inasmuch as we will be saved for
their sake.”
And when they heard, they believed the revelation, but
became annoyed after learning about the generations to
come. Then I, not desiring to entice them to scandal, sent
each one of them to different places. And I myself went up to
Jerusalem, praying that I may obtain a portion with the
beloved, who are to be revealed.
371
And I pray that the beginning may come from you, for
thus I can be saved. Because they will be enlightened
through me, through my faith and through another's which is
better than mine, for I desire that mine become lesser.
Endeavor earnestly, therefore, to make yourself like them,
and pray that you may obtain a portion with them. For apart
from what I have recounted, the Savior did not disclose
revelation to us. For their sake we proclaim, indeed, a
portion with those for whom it was proclaimed, those whom
the Lord has made his children.

The Book of Thomas Contender

These are the secret sayings, which the Savior spoke


to Judas Thomas, and which were written down by Matthias,
who overheard their conversation while he was walking
along with them.
The Savior said, “Brother Thomas while you still have
time in this world, listen to me, and I will reveal to you about
the things, which you was pondering in your mind. Since I
told to you that you are my twin and true companion, try to
examine yourself, and learn who you are, in what way you
exist, and what you have to become. Since you will be called
my brother in the Spirit, it is not fitting to you that you will be
ignorant of yourself. And I know that you have understood,
because already you come to know that I am the Knowledge
of the Truth. So while you accompany me, although you are
not aware of this, you already know yourself, and you will be
called 'one who knows himself'. For he who has not known
himself has known nothing, but he who has known himself
has at the same time already achieved the knowledge about
the depth of rest things. Therefore, my brother Thomas, you
already have beheld that which is obscure to men, that
which they ignorantly stumble against unable to see.”
372
Now Thomas said to the Lord, “Therefore I beg you to
answer questions, which I will ask you before your
ascension, so that I will be able to reveal others about things
which are hidden, after I learn about them from you. For by
now, it is obvious to me that truth is difficult to perform before
men.”
The Savior answered, “If the things that are visible to
you, appear obscure to you, how then can you learn about
those things which are not apparent? If the deeds of truth
that are visible in this world are difficult for you to perform,
then how indeed, you will perform those deeds that require
to be exalted to certain height by the things which are not
evident? Then what point for you to be called 'laborers'?
Verily, in this respect you have not reached the height of
required perfection yet, and you are rather apprentices of
laborers.”
Now Thomas again said to the Savior, “Tell us about
these things that you say are not visible, but are hidden from
us.”
The Savior said, “All bodies begotten in bestial manner
are most evident, and easy to recognize, while bodies that
above of visible things are not so obviously apparent, but
also can be perceived, in they their own roots. The bodies
from above are unchangeable, for they nourished from their
own essence, while these solid bodies survive by devouring
creatures similar to them with the result that their bodies also
change. It is natural law that things, which are transient, will
be corrupted and must perish, and for them there is no hope
of life after their time is over. Since, body of flesh is bestial
by its nature, so human bodies also will perish in the same
way as the bodies of beasts perish. Were they not originated
from intercourse like that of beasts? And that which came
into existence as result of intercourse, how can it beget
anything different from beasts? Therefore, you are babes
until you became perfect.”
373
And Thomas answered, “Therefore I say to you, O
Lord, ‘Those who speak about things, which are invisible and
difficult to explain, are like those who shoot their arrows at
night. Of course, they shoot their arrows in the same manner
as anyone else, who is in darkness would be, for their
targets are not visible them. And it is only when light comes
forth and dispels darkness, we can see how correct their
aiming was. Therefore, enlighten us, O lord, from your light,
for you are full of light.”
Jesus answered, “The light exists in the light.”
Thomas spoke, “Lord, why does this visible light that
shines above rises and sets, is it on behalf of men?”
The Savior said, “O blessed Thomas, of course this
visible light shines on your behalf, but not in order that you
may wonder about it, but rather that you may come forth to
the place where all elected of God, who abandoned their
bestiality abide. Then this light will withdraw itself up in the
Essence it came from, and the Essence will welcome it,
since it is good servant.”
Then the Savior continued and said, “O unsearchable
love of the light of outer darkness! O bitterness of the fire
that burns in the bodies of men and in their marrow, kindling
in them day and night, and burning the limbs of men and
making their minds become intoxicated and their souls
become disturbed by it. It burns within both, males and
females day and night, and pushing them around,
unnoticeably and obviously. For males push themselves
upon females, and females upon males. Therefore it is said,
“Everyone, who seeks the Truth from the True Wisdom, will
make himself wings to fly, fleeing the lust that scorches the
spirits of men.” And he will make himself wings which will
raise him to heights, where he will be able to escape from
every visible spirit of flesh.”

374
And Thomas answered, saying, “Lord, this is exactly
what I am asking you about, since I have understood that
you are one who is beneficial to all us, as you say.”
Again the Savior answered, “The things which I am
revealing to you, know them as ‘the Doctrine of Perfect’.
Therefore if you desire to become perfect, you shall observe
these things; if not, your name will be 'Ignorant', for it is
impossible for intelligence to dwell within a fool, and man
called intelligent would also be perfect in practice of his
wisdom. To the fool, however, good and bad are same, but
the wise man indeed, will find his nourishment from the
Truth, and “will be like tree planted by the streams of water,”
for it will guiding that which having wings, from rushing itself
upon the visible things, which are far from the Truth. For that
fire of lust, which guides ignorant, will give them only illusion
of the Truth, and will captivate them by its impermanent
beauty, and imprison them in its dark odor and sweetness of
its pleasures. And it will blind them and burn their souls with
insatiable lust and will become for them like a stake stuck in
their hearts, which they never would be able to remove. And
in the same way as through the bit attached to the mouth of
a horse, it will change their direction by its impulses and lead
them in accordance with its own desire. It has fettered them
by its chains and bound their limbs with the bitterness of the
bondage of lust for those visible things, which are subjected
to decay and change. Therefore, the bodies of those, who
always have been attracted downwards, after they were
killed by it, become assimilated in the manner similar to all
the beasts of the perishable realm.”
Thomas told, “It is obvious and has been said that
‘numerous are ranks of those, who did not recognize their
soul.'“
And the Savior answered, “Blessed is the wise man
who sought after the Truth, and when he found it, he rested
upon it forever and was unafraid of those, who wanted to
375
disturb him. On contrary, woe to that ignorant person, who
all his life was running after things, which were not his, and
who was willingly neglecting for them the only one thing,
which was his own. When he died, he has lost everything,
even his body, along with that one thing, which rightfully
belonged to him. What a devastating bankruptcy he has to
pass trough, for if he would prefer the Word while he was still
alive, he would never taste death.”
Thomas said, “Therefore, is it beneficial for us, O lord,
to rest with that which is our own?”
The Savior said, “Yes, of course, what else could be
beneficial for you, for all other things apparent to the sight of
men with time will be dissolved in their nature, even the
vessel of flesh itself will be dissolved. For when bodies of
those, who were not purified by the Holy Spirit, will became
nothing, their soul will find itself surrounded with visible
objects; things which it will be able to see, but will be unable
to touch or to grasp. And then it will be burnt in the fire,
which will arise from that which it sees, and will be tormented
in pain on account of its love for the things it believed and
formerly possessed, and so it would be gathered back to that
state, which is visible. Even those, who gained the sight of
not evident things, will perish in concerns for this life and the
scorching of its fire, if they will abolish their First Love. Only
a little while longer, and that which is visible will be
dissolved; then shapeless shades will emerge, and in the
midst of tombs they will dwell forever, upon corpses, in pain
arisen from the soul which is corrupted.”
Thomas said, “But what shall we say in the face of
these things? What shall we say to men, who are blinded in
such manner? Which doctrine should we preach to those,
who are happy in their ignorance, and who say, “We came to
do good and not to curse,” and yet claim, “It is because we
were begotten in flesh that we have sinned, for sin is natural
for the `flesh.”
376
The Savior said, “Your concern is true, and those, who
are of this kind are more like beasts then like humans, for
just as beasts devour one another, so also the men of this
kind devour each other. But by doing so, by their love to the
sweetness of the fire, by their rush to the works of
corruption, they deprived themselves from the Kingdom of
Heaven, and made themselves willful servants of the death.
They still want to fulfill the lust of their forefathers; the lust,
which never could be satisfied. As result of their evil works,
they will be thrown down to the abyss, and suffer torments
on the account of bitterness of their evil nature. And they will
be afflicted to such extent that it will make them rush
backwards, which they do not know where, and they will
withdrawn from the body not patiently, but with much
despair. But for now, they rejoice by both, by their madness
and by their derangement. They pursue this derangement
without realizing their madness, thinking themselves to be
wise. Because they mistaken their body for themselves, their
minds are always obsessed with thoughts about it and its
demands. Verily, it is their own fire, which will consume
them.”
Then Thomas said, “O Lord, but what about us, who
have to go amongst them? For I am most anxious about
them, for there are many of those, who try to fight us.”
In replay the Savior asked, “What is your own opinion?”
On what Judas, the one called Thomas said, “Amongst
two of us, it is you, O Lord, for whom it is proper to speak,
and it is me for whom it is appropriate to listen.”
The Savior replied, “Listen to what I am going to tell you
and believe in the Truth. That which sows, and that which
sown, both will be burned in fire and dissolved in water, and
will be hidden in the tombs of darkness. And after long time,
by the light that shines above, they will be shown the fruits of
the evil trees they themselves have planted; being punished,
being slain in the mouth of beasts and in the hands of men,
377
and being afflicted by the natural calamities such as rains
and storms.”
Thomas replied, “Of course, Lord, you have certainly
persuaded us, for we have realized in our hearts, and it
became obvious to us, that what you say is true, and your
words are sufficient to convince us. But the same words that
you have spoken to us appearing as ridiculous and
distasteful to the world, since its multitudes can’t understand
them. So please explain me, how we can preach it to them,
while we are not esteemed in the world?”
The Savior answered, “Truly I tell you, ‘those who will
listen your word and will turn their faces away, or scorn it, or
grin at these things, they will be handed over to the Ruler
above, who rules over all powers as their king, and He will
turn them around and cast them from the heaven where they
were, down to the depth of abyss, where they will be
imprisoned in a narrow dark place. Not only they will be
trapped there, unable to escape on account of the extreme
depth of Tartaros, but also the heavy bitterness of Hades
there will become steadfast for them, in the same way as
their scorn and envy were steadfast towards your preaching.
There they will be handed over to the Lord of Tartaros,
whose fire will purse them with fiery scourges cast as the
shower of sparks into their faces. If one of them tries to flee
westward, he finds the fire there. If he turns southward, he
finds the fire there as well. If he turns northward, even there
is no escape, for the fire already awaits him. Nor does could
he flee and be saved by the way towards the east, for the
same fire waits him there. And indeed, how it could be
possible for one, who did not find his way to salvation in the
days when he still was in the body, to find it in the Day of
Judgment of the dead?”
Then the Savior continued, “Woe to you, godless ones,
for there is no hope for those, who rely on things that will
never happen! Woe to you, who have placed all their hopes
378
in the flesh, the prison which is going to perish! How long will
you remain in the darkness of ignorance, and suppose that
the everlasting will also perish along with perishable? O you,
whose hopes are set upon this world and whose God is this
life, why are you corrupting your souls? Woe to you, who are
within the fire that burns in you, for it is insatiable. Woe to
you because of its wheel, which rotates in your minds! Woe
to you, who are within the grasp of its burning, for it will
devour your flesh outwardly, and corrupt your souls inwardly,
and prepare you for your companions! Woe to you captives,
for you are bound in caverns! You laugh! In mad laughter
you rejoice! You neither understood the reasons of your
perdition, nor you were able to reflect upon your
circumstances, nor have you understood that you dwell in
darkness and death! On contrary, you became intoxicated
with its fire and filled yourselves with its bitterness. Your
mind is disturbed on account of the burning within you, and
how are sweet to you the poison and the blows of the
enemies of your soul! The darkness appears to you like the
light, for you surrendered your freedom for slavery, you
darkened your hearts and surrendered your mind to the folly
thoughts, which like the smoke of the fire, which burns in
you! And the light within you became hidden in the clouds of
ignorance, and the garment that was placed upon you, you
mistaken for yourselves, and you were seized by the hope
that does not exists. And where are gone those to whom you
believed? Do not you know that you also will have to dwell
amongst those, who preceded and guided you? Woe to you,
who baptized your souls in the water of darkness! Woe to
you, who walked in accordance with your own whims!”
“Woe to you who dwell in the error on account of that
the light of the Sun, which looks down upon all and judges,
and enslaves its enemies, for all things are encircled by it.
You do not even notice the Moon, how by night and day it
looks down, looking at the bodies of your slaughters! Woe to
379
you, who love intimacy with womankind and polluted by the
intercourses with them! Woe to you, who are in the hold of
the powers of your body, for they will become reason of your
affliction! Woe to you, who subjected themselves to the evil
demons! Woe to you who are delighted in fascinating your
limbs with the fire of passion!
Who is there that will rain a refreshing stream on you to
extinguish the mass of the fire you are burning in? Who is
there that will cause the sun to shine upon you, to disperse
the darkness of your ignorance and to wash away the
darkness of water in which you have baptized yourselves?
The sun and the moon give their fragrance to you together
with the spirit and the air and the water and the earth. If the
sun does not shine upon all these bodies, they will wither
and perish just like weeds or grass.
Verily your future is like that of weeds growing side by
side with a grapevine; the same sun shines on both of them
equally, and in the beginning, the weeds try to prevail, for
they hope to overshadow the grapevine and choke it off. But
woe to the weeds, when the grapevine grows up, for it
overshadows with its leaves those weeds along with all the
other brush growing alongside, and spreads itself above
them and flourishes; and it alone inherits the land in which it
grows; and in every place it has shaded, it dominates. And
when it becomes fully grown up, it overtakes all the land and
becomes plentiful for its master, and this pleases him even
more, for otherwise he would have suffered great pains on
account of uprooting those weeds. But it is the grapevine
alone, which removed them and choked them, and they died
and became the soil.”
Then Jesus continued and said, “Woe to you, who did
not welcome the Doctrine, and rejected those, who labored
at its preaching. And woe to you, who rushed themselves
against them, for the Father will send many more of them

380
down to you, so that you may kill them daily in order that
they may rise from death.
Blessed are those, who knew where stumbling blocks
would intercept their way, for they fled things, which were
alien to them. And blessed are those, who despised the
world, and not became entangled in it, on account of their
love for their Lord. Blessed are those, who weep and who
oppressed by those, who are without hope, for it is they, and
not second, who will be released from all kinds of oppression
and bondage.
Watch and pray that you will not be caught in the flesh,
but rather that you may come forth from its bondage and the
bitterness of this life. And as you pray, you will find rest for
your soul, and you will leave behind the suffering and
disgrace, for when you will come out from the sufferings and
passions of the body, you will receive rest from the Good
One, and you will reign with the King. And from now on, you
are joined with Him, and He is with you, for ever and ever,
Amen!”
The end of the Book of Thomas Contender, ‘Writing to
the Perfect’; remember me also, my brothers, in your
prayers, and may saints and those, who are from the Spirit,
find their peace.

The Dialogue of the Savior

The Savior said to his disciples, “Already the time has


come, brothers, for us to abandon all our labors and be
established at the place of our rest, because those, who
raised themselves there will be at rest forever. And I say to
you, always be above of the time you live, and don’t be
afraid of those who persecute you, for their anger is fearful,
but it is even more fearful for those in whom it aroused, for it
will consume them.
381
Those to whom was given the Law have accepted it
with fear and trembling, and this made them to be subjects
of the Governors above them, and so nothing good was
coming out of it. But when I came, I opened for them the
Path of the Life, and taught them the Road to salvation, by
which elect and solitary, those who have believed the Truth
and found the Father have to pass.
Jesus said, “If you want to offer all praises in one
prayer, pray like this: ‘O Father, hear our prayer, as you
heard prayer of your only-begotten son, and received him,
and gave him rest from all labors of this world. You are the
Almighty One, your armor made of the light, full of the living
touch of the Word. Our repentance is the Life into you, and
complete merging in your essence is the peace for the
solitary. Hear our prayer as you listened prayers of those,
who were anointed by you before us. They have entered to
your Kingdom by sacrificing themselves into you, and by
their good works, they saved their souls from the prison of
ignorant flesh, and were taken by you to the eternal life.
Amen!”
“Now, I will teach you. When the time of dissolution
arrives, the first power of darkness will come upon you. Do
not be afraid and say “Behold! The time has come!”
When the Governors will come upon you to persecute,
at that time know that your fear is the power of death. So if
you are going to be afraid of what is about to come upon
you, it definitely will overwhelm you, for there would be no
one among them, who will spare you or to show you mercy.
But in this way, try to find the peace in it, since you have
mastered every word on the earth. Your steadiness and
patience will take you up to the place of rest, where there is
no rule of tyrant. When you rise, you will see those, who
above and they will bestow on you the reasoning power of
the Word. The reasoning power of God is place of the
Eternal Truth, but its path is very high. But you who are of
382
the Truth, this Truth are living in you and your joy is in it. So
let the truth will become natural for you, in order that you
may find the rest for your souls, for lest you will be departed
from the Word, and give raise Governors above you.”
Jesus said, “Woe to those, who of double mind, who
doubt in their heart and say, ‘All these things have we heard
even in the times of our fathers; but though we have waited
day by day, we have seen no proof of them.’ O fools! No tree
bears fruits since moment it was planted. Take, for example,
the vine. First of all it sheds its leaves, then the bud appears;
after that the sour grape, and then only the fully-ripened fruit.
In the same way, my people first have to pass trough
disturbances and afflictions, but afterwards they will receive
their good things.
For by now, the fearful place of crossing is right before
you. But you, with single mind, pass it over! Its depth is
great; its height is enormous, but if you walk over it with a
single mind, its fire will not harm you, and all its powers will
not affect you, for they subordinate to the authority of the
Father, because they came forth from the Soul of souls in
everyone. But if you will become afraid and because of fear
forget whose children you are, definitely you will perish.”
Matthew said, “How is it?”
The Savior said “If the things inside of you mind will
remain in peace, you will cross.”
Judas said, “Lord, after the works of these souls of
yours, after these little ones finished and they will die, where
they will be? Will be they in the spirit?”
The Lord said, “I will receive them and they will not die,
for they that came to know their consort and Him who would
receive them could not be destroyed. For in the same way
as the wise and righteous seek for the truth, the Truth seeks
for them.”
The Savior said, “The lamp of the body is the mind. As
long as the things inside of your mind are set in order, your
383
bodies are luminous. But when your hearts became dark, the
luminosity you anticipate disappears. I have to leave you, but
when I will go, I will send my Word to shine upon you.”
The disciples said, “Lord, who is one who seeks, and
who is one who reveals?” The Lord said to them, “The one
who seeks is the one who reveals.”
Matthew said, “Lord, when I listen and when I speak,
who is that who speaks and who listens?”
The Lord said, “The one who speaks is the one who
listens, and the one who sees, is the one who reveals.”
Mary said, “O Lord, behold! Then which part of me
weeps when I weep, and which laughs when I laugh?”
The Lord said, “The body weeps on account of its
works which remain, and the mind laughs at the holiness
and height of the Spirit, for if one is not in the darkness, he
will be able to see the light. So I tell you, seek the light in the
darkness and become able to stand in it, for if you not in the
light, then you lie below in the darkness. For the body
dragged the spirit down from above, but if you will be able to
give yourself up, you will find existence forever, ever and
ever. Then all the powers which are above, as well as those
which are below, will obey you. But in the place bellow, there
always will be weeping and gnashing of teeth over the end of
all these things.”
Judas said, “Tell us, Lord, what was there before the
heaven and earth existed.”
The Lord said, “There were darkness and water, and
the spirit upon water. And I say to you that which you seek
after and that which you inquire about is already within you.
Know the Power and Mystery of the Holy Spirit, for it is from
ignorance that wickedness have entered in the mind,
therefore consider all these.”
Mary said, “Lord, tell us where the Truth is established,
and where the true mind exists.”

384
The Lord said, “The fire of the spirit became enkindled
because of both. On this account, the truth became
established, and the true mind came into existence within
them both. If someone will be able to set his soul high up,
then he will be exalted.”
And Matthew asked him, “The one who took place in
the Truth, is it he who rules?”
The Lord said, “There is stronger and more intelligent
than you, to follow you and all the works of your hearts. For
just as your hearts will be, so will be the means to overcome
the powers above, as well as those below you. Verily I say
into you, let him who possesses power renounce it and
repent. And let him, who repented seek and find, and
rejoice.”
Judas said, “Behold! I see that all things exist in the
world like the signs of Zodiac upon sky. On which account
did they happen so?”
The Lord said, “When the Father established the world,
he separated water from it, and his Word came forth from
Him, and it inhabited many bodies. In the beginning its path
was higher than the path of planets in the heaven, higher
then the stars, which surround the earth. It started living in
the bodies formed from collected water, but at first it was
separate from them. Around the water, a great fire encircled
them like a wall. With passing time many had become
separated from what was inside them and forget from where
they came. In contrary, they loved that kind of enjoyment
which their watery bodies were providing them, and the
sweetness of that fire, and with time they became
imprisoned in them. When the world was thus established,
he looked at man, and said to him, 'Go, and bear from
yourself, in order that he will be in want from generation to
generation, and from age to age.' Then it cast forth from
itself the fountains of milk and the fountains of honey, and oil
and wine and good fruits, and sweet flavor and good roots,
385
in order that it might not be deficient from generation to
generation, and from age to age.
And that Word, from which all started, it is still stands
hidden above, eternal and beyond of all descriptions. And
outside them, there was a great light, powerful and
resembling the Light of Life, for it ruler rules over all the
regions of above and below. It was taken from the fire in the
middle and scattered itself in the regions above and below it.
All the works are depend on the Seven Governors, and it is
they who took over the heaven above and the earth below. It
is on them that all works depend.”
And when Judas heard these things, he bowed down,
and he prayed, and he offered praise to the Lord.
Mary hailed her brothers, saying, “Where are you going
to keep all these things about which you ask the son of the
Holy One?”
The Lord said to her, “Sister, no one will be able to
inquire about these things excluding someone, who has
place in his heart to keep them. They must to know from
where they came forth, to be able to enter the Kingdom, so
that they might not hold back to this impoverished world.”
Matthew said, “Lord, I want to see that Place of Life,
where there is no wickedness, but rather, where there is
pure light!”
The Lord said, “Brother Matthew, you will not be able to
see it as long as you are carrying your flesh around.”
Matthew said, “Lord, even if I will not be able to see it,
let me know it!”
The Lord said, “Everyone who has known himself, has
seen this light in everything he do, and those who saw it,
came to it by their goodness.”
Judas responded, saying, “Tell me, Lord, how it is that
Word which shakes the earth moves.”
The Lord picked up a stone and said, “What am I
holding in my hand?”
386
He said, “It is a stone.”
Jesus said to them, “That which supports the earth is
that which supports the heaven. When the Word comes forth
from the Greatness, it will come on what supports the
heaven and the earth, for the earth does not move. Would it
move, it would fall. But it neither moves nor falls, in order
that the First Word may not fail. For it was that which
established the world and inhabited it, and became
intoxicated by inhaling its fragrance. Verily, that which does
not move, I am giving to the sons of men, for you are
descendants from that place. In the hearts of those, who
speak out of joy and truth, it exists. Even if it comes among
men, from the body of the Father, and is not received, still it
will return to its place.
The one, who does not know the Work of Perfection,
knows nothing, for if one will be unable to stand in the
darkness, he will not be able to see the light. If one does not
understand how the fire came into existence, he will burn in
it, being unable to extinguish it without understanding
reasons causing it. If one does not understand water first, he
knows nothing, for what then use for him to be baptized in it?
If one does not understand how blowing of wind came into
existence, he will be blown away with it. If one does not
understand how body, which he wears, came into existence,
he will perish along with it. And how it will be possible for
one, who does not know the Son first, to know the Father?
Verily, all things will remain obscure for one, who will not
understand their roots first. And one, who will not know the
root of all wickedness, how he will be able to become
separated from it? Whoever will not understand first, how he
came, will not understand also, how he will go, and one who
thinks that he of this world, first will be humiliated by it, and
then will perish in it.”
Then Jesus took Judas, Matthew and Mary to the edge
of heaven and earth. He was placing his hand upon them,
387
one by one and they hoped that they might see a vision. This
was what Judas saw. When he raised his eyes he saw an
exceedingly high place, and he saw the place of the abyss
below. Judas said to Matthew, “Brother, who will be able to
climb up to such a height or down to the bottom of the
abyss? For there is a tremendous fire there, and something
very fearful!”
At that moment, a Word came forth from it. As it stood
there, he saw how it has come down. Then he said to it,
“Why have you descended down?”
And the Son of Man greeted them back and said to
them, “The seed of the power was deficient, and it went
down to the abyss of the earth. But the Greatness from
above remembered it, and He sent His Word to it. It brought
it up into His presence, so that the First Word might not fail.”
Then his disciples were amazed to see illustration of all
the things he had said them before, and they believed. And
they concluded that it is useless to regard wickedness of the
world.
Then he said to his disciples, “Have I not told you that
like a visible voice and a flash of lightning will the good be
taken up to the light?”
Then all his disciples offered him praise and said, “Lord,
before you appeared here, who was it who offered you
praise? For all praises exist on your account. Or who is it
who will bless you? For all blessing derives from you.”
As they stood there, he saw two spirits bringing a single
soul with them in a great flash of lightning. And the Word
came forth from the Son of Man, saying, “Give them their
garment!” And the small one became like the big one. They
were in those who received them, like each in other. Then
the disciples bowed down and prayed, and offered praise to
the Lord.
Mary said, “Now I see that evil separated them from the
first state in each other.
388
The Lord said, “The moment when you see them to
become huge, they will astonish you, but when you will see
the Eternal Existent that is the great vision.”
They all said to him, “Tell us about it!”
He said to them, “How do you wish to see it, as the
transitory vision I revealed to you, or as the eternal vision of
your own?”
He went on and said, “Strive to seek out and save that
which can follow you, and when you are still in midst of your
journey, try to speak as if you speak from midst of it, so that
everything within and outside you might be in harmony with
you. For truly I say to you, the Living God is in you and you
are in Him.”
Judas said, “Truly, I want Life.”
The Lord said to him, “Verily, the Living and abundant
subjected to the rule of the Governors in this world of
deficiency.”
Judas said, “Who are they?”
The Lord said to him, “Governors of all the works which
are still remand, it is they after whom you have to follow.”
Judas said, “Behold! The Governors dwell above us, so
it is they who rule over us!”
The Lord said, “But it is you, who destined to rule over
them! But when you rid yourselves of jealousy, then you will
clothe yourselves in light and enter the bridal chamber.”
Judas said, “How will our garments be brought to us?”
The Lord said, “There are some, who will receive you
and provide for you, and there are some who will give you
your garments, for who will be able to reach the Place of
reward on his own? The garments of life were given to
human, so that they may know the path by which they will
leave. And it is difficult even for me to reach there!”
Mary said, “Thus with respect to 'the wickedness of
each day,' and 'the laborer is worthy of his food,' and 'the

389
disciple resembles his teacher.'“ She uttered this as a
woman who had understood completely.
The disciples said to him, “What is the fullness, and
what the definition of deficiency is?”
He said to them, “You came from the fullness, and you
dwell in the place where the deficiency is. And lo! His light
has poured down upon me!”
Matthew said, “Tell me, Lord, how the dead die, and
how the living live.”
The Lord said, “You asking me about things, which no
eye has seen, nor have I heard such a question from any
one, except you. But I say to you that when that which is
alive in man is taken away from him, that will be called 'the
death of the dead'. And when that, which is alive raises itself
up and separates itself from that which is dead, that will be
called ‘the life of the living’.”
Judas said, “For the sake of truth, why then God not
created all to be immortal from the beginning?”
The Lord said, “Whatever is born of the Truth does not
die, but whatever is born of woman have to perish.”
Mary said, “Tell me, Lord, why I have come to this place
to profit or to forfeit.”
The Lord said, “It is upon you to make clear the
abundance of the revealer!”
Mary said to him, “Lord, is there then a place which is
devoid or lacking truth?”
The Lord said, “The place where I am not!”
Mary said, “Lord, you are fearful and wonderful, for
those who do not know you.”
Matthew said, “Why do we not rest at once?” The Lord
said, “Do you really ready to lay down these burdens? Truly I
tell you, the moment you will do this, you will be in the
Kingdom of God.”
Matthew said, “How does it that the small join itself to
the big?”
390
The Lord said, “When you abandon the works which will
not be able to follow you, then you will find the place of rest
for your soul.”
Mary said, “I want to understand all things, just as they
are!”
The Lord said, “Verily, this is the only wealth of those,
who seek out the Life, for the wealth of this world is
deceiving, and its gold and its silver are misleading.”
His disciples said to him, “What should we do to ensure
that our work will be perfect?”
The Lord said to them, “Be ready in face of everything.
Blessed is the man, who has found peace in the contest of
his eyes. Neither did he kill, nor was he killed, but he came
forth victorious.”
Judas said, “Tell me, Lord, what the beginning of the
Path is.”
He said, “Love and goodness. For, if one of these
existed among the Governors, wickedness would never have
come into existence.”
Matthew said, “Lord, you have spoken about the end of
everything without concern.”
The Lord said, “For now, you have understood by mind
all things I have told to you, and you have accepted them on
faith. But they will become yours only if you will know them
within yourselves by yourselves. If it is not so, then they are
still not yours.”
They said to him, “What is the place to which we are
going?”
The Lord said, “Verily, you stand in the place you are
trying to reach!”
Mary said, “Everything established thus is seen.”
The Lord said, “I have already told you that the one who
sees is the one who reveals.”

391
Judas said to Matthew, “We want to understand the sort
of garments we to be clothed with, when we depart after the
decay of the flesh.”
The Lord said, “The greatest of this world possess
garments granted only for a time, which will not last for long.
But you, as Children of Truth, will not be clothed with such
transitory garments. Verily I say into you, you will become
blessed rather when you will strip yourselves, for it is no
great thing which is outside, but that seed which is inside of
it.”
Mary said, “Of what sort is that seed? Is it something
from the heaven or is it something from the earth?”
The Lord said, “When the Father established the world
for Himself, He left much over to the Mother of the All.
Therefore, He speaks and She does.”
Judas said, “You have told us all these out of the Mind
of Truth. Please tell us, how should we worship?”
The Lord said, “Worship in the place where there is no
woman.”
Matthew said, “'Worship in the place where there is no
woman,' he tells us, which means 'Stay away from the
company of woman,' not because that woman are bad, but
because nearness to them will prevent us to be reborn from
the Holy Spirit.”
Judas said to Matthew, “The presence of womanhood
will dislocate the Word from its place and the Governors
would prevail. But if we distant themselves from female, then
we will be ready to face them.”
The Lord said, “You are right. For how they will be able
to see you, when they are unable to see that which will
receive you? Now consider! The Word of Truth is
descending forth from the Father to the abyss, in silence, full
of the flashes of lightning, giving birth to its children. Do the
Governors capable to understand or to overpower it? And it
is you, who are more aware of this path, then any angel or
392
authority, who ever have been before you. And it is you, who
will go by the path revealed to you, the path which belongs
to the Father and the Son, which are One. Even if the
Governors try their best, they will not be able to reach there.
But listen, I tell you that even for me it is difficult to reach it!”
Mary said to the Lord, “It will be accomplished only
when ‘the work by which all works are dissolved’ will be
perfected?”
The Lord said, “You are correct, for you have
understood by now that if I will discontinue all my works I will
rest at His place.”
Judas said, “How spirit becomes apparent?” The Lord
said, “How sword becomes apparent?”
Judas said, “How the light becomes apparent?” The
Lord said, “Stay in it.”
Judas said, “Who forgives the works of the world, and
to whom they are forgiven.”
The Lord said, “Who forgives and to whom forgiven? It
is of those, who have understood well the only one work- to
do well the will of the Father. And as for you, strive to rid
yourselves of anger and jealousy, and strip yourselves of
your pride and filling of self importance, and put all your
efforts not to fade astray from the path which was revealed
to you. And I have told all these to you, in attempt to prevent
you from leading your souls and spirits into error.”
And again disciples asked Jesus, “O, Lord, already we
are ashamed that we asked you so many questions and
burdened you. And he answered them: I know that you are
questioning me in good faith and with your whole hearts;
therefore I rejoice over your questions, and verily I say unto
you: I rejoice, and my Father rejoice along with me because
of yours questions; and your importunity is delight for me,
and for you it gives life.”
And when he said this to us, they were glad that they
have questioned him, and they said to him: “O Lord, you
393
have shown mercy on us in all things, and Life was revealed
to us by you. Will you now declare to us that which we
should ask from you, but which we didn’t ask?” Then he
asked them: “Is it flesh that passes away, or is it spirit?”
Disciples said to him, “It is flesh that passes away.”
Then he said to them, “That which has fallen shall rise again,
and that which was lost will be found, and that which was
weak will recover, so that in these things that created thus,
the glory of my Father may be revealed. As He has done for
me, so will I do for all those that believe in me.”

Jesus and Mary

It happened as they went on their way, Jesus entered


into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha
received him into her house. She had a sister called Mary,
who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha
was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him,
and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve
alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”
Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious
and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away
from her.”
Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Let Mary leave us, for
women are not worthy of Life.”
Jesus said, “I myself shall guide her in order to make
her male, so that she too may become a living spirit
resembling you males. For every female, which will make
herself male will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
It happened that Jesus went about through cities and
villages, preaching and bringing the Good News of the
Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve, and certain
women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities:
394
Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons
had gone out; and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s
steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from
their possessions.
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised
from the dead. So they made him a supper there. Martha
served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table
with him. Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure
nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and
wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the
fragrance of the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son,
one of his disciples, who would betray him, said, “Why
wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and
given to the poor?” Now he said this, not because he cared
for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the
money box, used to steal what was put into it.
But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for
the day of my burial. For you always have the poor with you,
but you don’t always have me.”
Now when he had risen early on the first day of the
week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he
had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who
had been with him, as they mourned and wept. When they
heard that he was alive, and had been seen by her, they
disbelieved...
As for the Wisdom which is called “Sterile,” she is the
mother of the angels. Mary Magdalene was companion of
the Savior. He loved her more than all other disciples, and
used to kiss her often on her forehead. The rest of the
disciples objected on this. They said to him “Why do you
favor her more than us?” The Savior replied to them, “Why I
do not love you like her? When a blind man and one who
can see are both in darkness, they are no different from one
another. But, when the light comes, then he who can see will
395
see the light, but those who are blind will see only the
darkness.”

Jesus and Salome

Salome (not mother of James and John) asked Jesus:


“How long shall death prevail over children of Adam?” The
Lord answered, “As long as women will bear children, for
death is inevitable for everybody, who was born of flesh.
Verily I came to destroy the works of the women and to
relive them from their burden.”
Salome enquired, “I have done well then, by not
bringing forth children?'
The Lord answered: “From every plant you may eat in
the garden of God, but avoid fruit which has bitterness in it.”
Salome asked, “When the things concerning which I
asked you would be revealed to me?”
The Lord said: “When you have trampled on the
garment of shame, and when two become one, and the male
with the female is neither male nor female”.
Jesus said, “There are two on the same couch; one will
die, and one will live.”
Salome said, “Who are you? You have entered in my
house, sat on my couch and eaten from my table, as if you
know me, but I don’t recognize you.”
Jesus said to her, “I am the one who comes from
completeness, and who was granted from the things of my
Father.”
“I am your disciple.”
“For this reason I say, if one is complete, he will be
filled with light, but if one is divided, he will be filled with
darkness.”

396
Came in the flesh, but left in the Spirit’

“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has
come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the
Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. For many
deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t
confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh.”
“Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the
unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to
death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit. Christ suffered
for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind;
for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin;
that you no longer should live the rest of your time in the
flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”
As Saul traveled to Damascus, suddenly a light from
the sky shone around him. He fell on the earth, and heard a
voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
He said, “Who are you, Lord?”
The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Drusiana has said, “The Lord appeared to me in the
tomb in the likeness of John, as a youth.” Those around,
who heard these, became perplexed, for they were not
mature in their faith yet, and didn’t know how to react on
such statement.
John bearing this patiently, has said, “Brothers and
sisters, there is nothing strange or unusual in your
perception of the lord, because we also, whom He has
chosen to be His apostles, were tried in many ways. I
myself, neither able to express to you nor to write the things
which I both saw and heard, but now it is necessary that I
should try to impart some of them for your hearing. And if
you will be able to become hearers, I will pass on to you

397
those things in according with your ability to contain them, so
that glory of Him, which was and is, both now and forever,
could be revealed to you.
After choosing brothers Peter and Andrew, Lord has
come to me and James my brother, saying: “I need both of
you, come to me.” And my brother hearing that, said, “John,
what this child that is upon the sea-shore and called us could
have?” And I said, “What a child? And he said to me again,
“That which called us.” And I answered, “Because of our
long watch at sea, you sight is not all right, my brother
James, don’t you see the man that stands there, comely and
fair and of a cheerful countenance?” But he said to me, “Him
I see not, brother; but let us go forth and we will see why he
is calling us.”
And so when we had brought the ship to land, we saw
him helping us to settle the ship; and when we departed from
that place, willing to follow him, again he was seen by me as
rather bald, but with beard thick and flowing, but to James as
a youth whose beard was newly come. Therefore, both of us
were perplexed, about what that which we have seen could
mean. And after that, as we followed him, both of us became
even more perplexed concerning this matter.
Yet, later I have noticed even more wonderful thing, for
I would try to see him blinking, and I never at any time saw
his eyes closed, but only open. Sometimes he would appear
to me as an ordinary uncomely man, and after some time as
one who is reaching to heaven. Also there was in him
another marvel, when I sat at meat I would lean upon his
breast; and sometimes his breast was felt of me to be
smooth and tender, and sometimes hard like stone, so that I
was perplexed and said in myself, “Why is this appearing to
me so?”
And at another time he has taken us with him, me,
James and Peter, on the mountain where he wanted to pray,
and we saw in him a light, such that it is not possible to
398
express or to describe by means of human speech what it
was alike. Another time in the same manner he brought
three of us on the mountain, saying, “You also accompany
me.” And we went again, and we were watching him praying
from some distance. Because he loved me, I therefore,
moved close to him softly, trying to be quite, so that he could
not notice me, and stood behind him looking upon him. And I
saw that he was not clad with garments, but was appearing
as naked, and not in any wise as a man, for his feet were
whiter than snow, so that the earth there was lightened up by
light coming out of them, and his head touched the heaven.
Seeing this I became afraid and cried out, and he, turning
around, appeared as a man of small stature, and caught
hold on my beard, pulled it and said to me, “John, be not
faithless and curious, but become believing and faithful.” And
I said to him, “But what have I done, O Lord?” And I tell you,
brothers, I suffered so great pain in that place, when he took
hold on my beard, and that pain stayed with me for thirty
days, so that I said to him, “O Lord, if your friendly twitch has
given me so great pain, then what would be happened if you
has given me a buffet? And he said to me, “Let it be yours,
from now on, ‘do not tempt Him that could not be tempted.’”
Peter and James were annoyed, seeing me speaking
with the Lord, and called me, so that I should leave Him
alone and come to them. And I went, and they both said to
me, “He that was speaking with the Lord upon the top of the
mountain, who was he, for we heard both of them
speaking?” And I, having in mind his great grace, and his
unity which has many faces, and his wisdom which without
ceasing looks upon us, said, “That you can learn by inquiring
from him.”
Again, once when all of disciples were at Gennesaret
sleeping in one house, I watched from beneath of my mantle
what he will do; and first I heard him say, “O John, you go to
sleep.” And after some time, I feigning to sleep saw another
399
like him whom I heard to say to my Lord, “Jesus, they whom
you have chosen, they believe not on you yet?” And my Lord
answered to him, “You have said well, for they are men.”
Another glory I also will tell you, brothers, ‘Sometimes
when I would lay hold on him, I met with a material and solid
body, and at other times, again, when I felt him, the
substance was immaterial and as if it existed not at all. And if
at any time he was bidden by some one of the Pharisees
and went to the bidding, we went with him, and there was set
before each one of us a loaf by them that had bidden us, and
with us he also received one; and his own he would bless
and part it among us: and of that little every one was filled,
and our own loaves were saved whole, so that they which
bade him were amazed.
And many times when I walked with him, I desired to
see the imprint of his foot, whether it appeared on the earth;
for I saw him as he was lifting himself up from the earth, and
I never saw it. All these things I speak to you, brothers, for
the encouragement of your faith in him, for at the present we
must keep silence concerning his mighty and wonderful
works, because they are unspeakable and can be neither
uttered nor heard at all’.
Now, before Savior was taken by those who were under
rule of the lawless serpent, he gathered all of us together
and said, “Before I am delivered to them, let us sing a hymn
to the Father, and so let us proceed forth to that which
awaits us.” He bade us therefore form a ring, by holding
each others hands, and himself standing in the midst he
said, “Answer Amen to me.” He began, then, to sing a hymn,
“Glory be to you, O Father!
And we, going around in a ring, answered him, “Amen!”
“Glory be to you, O Word!
Glory be to you, O Grace! Amen!
Glory be to you, O Spirit!
Glory be to you, O Holy One!
400
Glory be to your Glory. Amen!
We praise you, O Father; we give thanks to you, O
Light, where darkness dwells not. Amen!
Now whereas we give thanks, I say:
I would be saved, and I would save. Amen!
I would be loosed, and I would loose. Amen!
I would be wounded, and I would wound. Amen!
I would be born, and I would bear. Amen!
I would eat, and I would be eaten. Amen!
I would hear, and I would be heard. Amen!
I would be thought, being wholly thought. Amen!
I would be washed, and I would wash. Amen!
Grace dances, I would pipe; dance you all. Amen!
I would mourn, lament you all. Amen!
The Number Eight sings praise with us. Amen!
The Number Twelve dances on high with us. Amen!
The Whole on high participate in our dancing. Amen!
Who so dances not, knows not what comes to pass.
Amen!
I would flee, and I would stay. Amen!
I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amen!
I would be united, and I would unite. Amen!
A house I have not, and yet I have houses. Amen!
A place I have not, and yet I have places. Amen!
A temple I have not, and yet I have temples. Amen!
I am a lamp to you that regard me. Amen!
I am a mirror to you that perceives me. Amen!
I am a door to you that knocks at me. Amen!
I am a way to you a traveler by the Way.
Now you respond to my dancing. Observe yourself into
me who speak and me in yourself. Seeing what I do, keep
silence about my mysteries. You that dance, perceive what I
do, for yours is this passion of the manhood, which I am
about to suffer. For you could not at all have understanding
about what you suffer, if I had not been sent to you, as the
401
Word of the Father. You that have seen what I suffer saw me
as suffering, and seeing it you did not put up with me, but
were wholly moved, moved to become wise; have me as a
bed, take a rest upon me.
Who I am, you will come to know after I will depart, for
what now I am appearing to be, that I am not. But, you shall
see me by yourselves when you will come to me. If you have
learned what causes suffering, then you will be able not to
suffer. If you will come to know time, you also will be able to
learn what timelessness means. Therefore learn how to
suffer, so that you may go beyond of it. What you know not, I
myself will teach you, for your God I am, not the God of the
traitor. I will always keep my tune with the holy souls; know
the Word of wisdom in me.
Again say with me, ‘Glory be to you, the Father; glory to
you, the Word; glory to you, the Holy Spirit. And if you will
come to know what I am in truth, you will know that the world
was deceived by my bodily appearance, not recognizing the
Word in me, but I myself was no small amount deceived. I
have leaped, but do you understand the Whole, and having
understood it, say, ‘O Father, glory be to you.’ Amen!’”
“And so my beloved, after danced with us, the Lord
went forth. And we as men gone astray or dazed with sleep
fled this way and that. Then, when I saw him suffer, I was
unable to withstand the seen of it, but fled unto the Mount of
Olives, weeping at that which had occurred in front of my
eyes. And when he was crucified on the Friday, at the sixth
hour of the day, darkness came upon all the earth.”

The Cross

And my Lord standing in the midst of the cave and


illuminating it, has said: “John, for the multitude below in
Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and
402
reeds, and gall and vinegar was given to me to drink. But
with you I speak, and what I speak, you hear attentively. I
put it into your mind to come up on this mountain, so that
you may hear those things which are necessary for a
disciple to learn from his teacher and for a man from his
God.”
And having thus spoken, he revealed me fixed cross of
light, and about the cross a great multitude of different forms:
and in it was one form and one likeness. And the Lord
himself I beheld above the cross, not having any shape, but
only a voice: and a voice not such as was familiar to us, but
one sweet and kind and truly Divine, saying unto me, “John,
it is needful that one should hear these things from me, for I
have need of one that will hear them. This cross of light is
sometimes called the Word by me for your sakes,
sometimes Mind, sometimes Jesus, sometimes Christ,
sometimes a door, sometimes a way, sometimes bread,
sometimes a seed, sometimes resurrection, sometimes the
Son, sometimes the Father, sometimes the Holy Spirit,
sometimes the Life, sometimes the Truth, sometimes the
Faith, sometimes the Grace.
And by these names it is recognized amongst men, but
that which it is in truth, as conceived in itself and as revealed
now to you, it is the marking-off of all things, and the firm
uplifting of things fixed out of things unstable, and the
harmony of wisdom, and indeed ‘the Wisdom in Harmony’.
There are the right hand and the left, powers also,
authorities, lordships and demons, works, fears, wraths,
devils, Satan, and the lower root whence the nature of the
things that come into being proceeded.
This cross, then, is that which joined all things unto
itself by the Word, and separate off the things from birth and
below it, and then also, being one, streamed forth into all
things. Don’t compare it with the cross of wood which you
will see when you go down from here, neither mistaken me
403
with the one that is on the cross, me to whom now you can
not see, but can only hear a voice. Don’t be deluded as
others, for I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not
being what I appeared for them, for they will say of me
something else, which is vile and not worthy of me. For the
Place of rest is neither could be reached, nor could be
described by words, much more shall I, Lord of it, to be
seen.
Now the uniform crowd around the Cross is the Lower
Nature, but those whom you sees in the Cross, if they have
not also one form it is because every Limb of the One who
came down has not yet been gathered together. But when
the upper nature is taken up into ‘the race which draws near
unto me and obeys my voice’, he that now hears me shall be
united therewith, and shall no more be that which now he is,
but above them, as I am now. For so long as you don’t call
yourself mine, I am not that which I am, but if you hear me,
you, hearing, will be as I am, and I shall be that which I am,
when I you as I am with myself, for through me you are that.
Therefore care not for the many who despise my mystery
and them that are outside of it, for you know that I am wholly
with the Father, and the Father is with me.
Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of
me have happened to me, neither that which I showed unto
you and the rest in the dance. How is that possible? I am
willing that it would be called ‘a mystery’, for you saw what
you are, `I showed it to you, but what I am I alone know, and
no one else.’ Experience me then, to keep that which is
mine, and that which is yours behold you through me, watch
me in truth what I am, and not what I said, but what you will
be able to know, because you are similar to it.
Now, you have heard that I have suffered, and yet I did
not suffer; that I suffered not, and yet I did suffer; that I was
pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not
hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not; and
404
what they say of me that happened not, but what they say
not, that did happened. Now what those things are I signify
unto you, for I know that you will understand.
Perceive therefore in me the slaying of the Word, the
piercing of the Word, the blood of the Word, the wound of
the Word, the hanging up of the Word, the suffering of the
Word, the nailing of the Word, the death of the Word, for I
am the Word. And by saying so, I am separating off from my
manhood. Perceive me therefore, in the first place as the
Word; then as the Lord, and in the third place as the man,
and what he has suffered.”
“When he had spoken these things to me, and many
others which I don’t know how to express them in the same
way as he has revealed them to me, he was taken up, no
one of the multitudes having beheld him. And when I went
down I laughed at them all in scorn, because he has told me
the things, which they have said concerning him, wondering
and keeping firm this one thing in myself, how the Lord
arranged all things symbolically by his kind dispensation
toward men, for their changing and salvation.
Therefore brothers, after considering the Grace of the
Lord and his kindly affection toward us, let us worship him as
those to whom he has shown mercy, not with our fingers, nor
with our mouth, nor with our tongue, nor with any part
whatsoever of our body, but with the disposition of our soul:
‘as of him who became a man apart from this body’.
And we shall find that now also he keeps ward over
prisons for our sake, and over tombs, in bonds and
dungeons, in reproaches and insults, by sea and on dry
land, in scourging, condemnations, conspiracies, frauds,
punishments, and in a Word, he is with all of us, and himself
suffers with us when we suffer, brothers. When he is called
upon by each one of us, he did not shut his ears to it, but
being everywhere he hears all of us; and now both to me

405
and to Drusiana, because he is the God of them that are
shut upbringing us help by his own compassion.
Therefore, I hope that you also persuaded, beloved,
that it is not a man to whom I preach you to worship, but God
unchangeable, God invincible, God higher than all authority
and all powers, and elder and mightier than all angels and
creatures that are named, and all existence. If then you
abide in Him, and build yourselves up in him, you will
possess your soul indestructible.”

The Glory of the Perfect Power

The teaching of the Savior, and the revelation of the


mysteries and the things hidden in silence, which he has
taught to his disciple John.
It happened one day, when John, the brother of James
- who are the sons of Zebedee - had come up to the temple,
that a Pharisee named Arimanius approached him and said
to him, “Where is your master whom you followed?” And he
said to him, “He has gone to the place from which he came.”
The Pharisee said to him, “With deception did this Nazarene
deceive you, and he filled your ears with lies, and closed
your hearts and turned you from the traditions of your
fathers.”
When I, John, heard these things I turned away from
the temple to a desert place. And I grieved greatly in my
heart, saying, “How then was the savior appointed, and why
was he sent into the world by his Father, and who is his
Father who sent him, and of what sort is that being to which
we shall go? For what did he mean when he said to us,
“’This existence to which you will go is of the type of the
imperishable existence’, but he did not teach us concerning
the latter, of what sort it is.”

406
Straightway, while I was contemplating these things,
behold, the heavens opened and the whole creation which is
below heaven shone, and the world was shaken. I was
afraid, and behold I saw in the light a youth who stood by
me. While I looked at him, he became like an old man. And
he changed his likeness (again), becoming like a servant.
There was not a plurality before me, but there was a likeness
with multiple forms in the light, and the likenesses appeared
through each other, and the likeness had three forms.
He said to me, “John, John, why do you doubt, or why
are you afraid? You are not unfamiliar with this image, are
you? That is, do not be timid! I am the one who is with you
always. I am the Father, I am the Mother, I am the Son. I am
the undefiled and incorruptible One. Now I have come to
teach you what is and what was and what will come to pass,
that you may know the things which are not revealed and
those which are revealed, and to teach you concerning the
unwavering race of the perfect Man. Now, therefore, lift up
your face, that you may receive the things that I shall teach
you today, and may tell them to your fellow spirits who are
from the unwavering race of the perfect Man.”
And I asked to know it, and he said to me, “The God is
an authority with nothing above it. It is he who exists as God
and Father of everything, the invisible One who is above
everything, who exists as incorruption, which is in the pure
light into which no eye can look.”
“He is the invisible Spirit, of whom it is not right to think
of Him as a god, or something similar, for He is more than a
god, since there is nothing above him, for no one is lord over
Him. He does not exist in something inferior to him, since
everything exists in him, for it is he who establishes himself.
He is eternal, and since he does not need anything, he
is immaculate perfection. He did not lack anything, that he
might be completed by it; rather he is always completely
perfect in light. He is illimitable, since there is no one prior to
407
him to set limits to him. He is unsearchable, since there
exists no one prior to him to examine him. He is
immeasurable, since there was no one prior to him to
measure him. He is invisible, since no one saw him. He is
eternal, since he exists eternally. He is ineffable, since no
one was able to comprehend him to speak about him. He is
unnamable, since there is no one prior to him to give him a
name.”
“He is immeasurable light, which is pure, holy and
immaculate. He is ineffable, being perfect in incorruptibility.
He is not in perfection, nor in blessedness, nor in divinity, but
he is far superior. He is not corporeal nor is he incorporeal.
He is neither large nor is he small. There is no way to say,
'What is his quantity?' or, 'What is his quality?', for no one
can know him. He is not someone to be counted among
beings, rather he is far superior. Even superior is not proper
word for Him, for his essence neither partakes of creation
nor in time, being preceding to those who partake in
creation. Time was not apportioned to him, since he does
not receive anything from another, for it would be received
on loan. He who precedes someone does not lack, that he
may receive from him, for rather, it is the latter that looks
expectantly at him in his light.”
“For the perfection is majestic. He is pure,
immeasurable mind. He is non-existence bringing forth
existence. He is Life-giving life. He is a blessedness-bringing
forth ‘Blessed One’. He is knowledge-giving knowledge. He
is goodness-giving goodness. He is mercy and redemption-
giving mercy. He is Grace-giving grace, not because he
possesses it, but because he gives the immeasurable,
incomprehensible light.”
“With which words can I express His majesty? How am
I to speak with you about him? His realm is indestructible, at
rest and existing in silence, reposing and being prior to
everything, for he is the head of existence, and it is he who
408
gives strength to all in his goodness. For we know not the
ineffable things, and we do not understand what is
immeasurable, except for him who came forth from him,
named the Father. It is he who told it to us alone, for it is he
who looks at himself in his light which surrounds him, namely
the spring of the Water of Life. And it is he who gives to all
the existence and in every way, and who gazes upon his
image which he sees in the spring of the Spirit. It is he who
puts his desire in his water-light which is in the spring of the
pure light-water which surrounds him.”
“And his thought performed a deed and she came forth,
namely ‘she who had appeared before him in the shine of his
light’. This is the First Power which was before all of them,
which came forth from his mind, She is the forethought of the
All - her light shines like his light - the Perfect Power which is
the image of the invisible, virginal Spirit who is perfect. The
First Power, the Glory of the Firstborn, the Perfect Glory of
the creation, the Glory of the Revelation, she glorified the
virginal Spirit and it was she who praised him, because
thanks to him she had come forth. And the invisible one
gave to him a spiritual, invincible Power. And he spoke and
glorified and praised the invisible Spirit, saying, 'It is for your
sake that everything has come into being and everything will
return to you. I shall praise and glorify you and the Self-
begotten and the Word, and the three as one: the Father, the
Mother, and the Son, the Perfect Power.’”

409
PART FOUR: THE GREAT MOTHER

“Some said, ‘Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit.’ They


are in error. They do not know what they are saying. When
did a woman ever conceive by a woman? Mary is symbol of
the virgin whom no power defiled. She is a great anathema
to the Hebrews, who are the apostles of superiority of men.
This virgin whom no power defiled because, it is the powers
which defile themselves.”

To the rulers

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot a vain


thing? The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers
take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his
Anointed, saying, “Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast
their cords from us.”
He who sits in the heavens will laugh. The Lord will
have them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his
anger, and terrify them in his wrath: “Yet I have set my King
on my Holy Hill of Zion. I will tell of the Decree.”
Yahweh said to me, “You are my son. Today I have
become your Father. Ask of me, and I will give the nations
for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your
possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You
shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
Now therefore be wise, you kings. Be instructed, you
judges of the earth. Serve Yahweh with fear, and rejoice with
trembling, give sincere homage to His Son, lest He will be
angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath will soon be
kindled. Blessed are all those who take refuge in Him.”
410
“The Wisdom of the Lord is better than strength in this
world, and a wise man is better than a strong man. Hear
therefore, O kings, and understand; learn you, who are
judges of the ends of the Earth. Give ear, you that rule the
people, and that please yourselves in multitudes of nations,
for the power is given to you by the Lord and strength by the
Most High, who will examine your works, and search out
your thoughts. Because being ministers of His kingdoms,
you have not judged rightly, nor kept the Law of Justice, nor
walked according to the will of God, horribly and speedily will
he appear to you; for a most severe judgment shall be for
them that bear the rule.
For to him that is little, mercy is granted: but distress of
the mighty also will be mighty. For God will not make
exception for any one, neither will he stand in admiration of
any man of greatness, for he has made both, the little and
the great, and he takes equal care of all. But more mighty
earn for themselves a greater punishment, for they have
more potential for doing wickedness, and vain their hopes
that they aren’t responsible.
To you, therefore, O kings, are these my words, so that
you may learn Wisdom, and not fall astray from it. For they
that have kept just things justly, will be treated justly: and
they that have learned these things, shall find what to
answer at hour of judgment. Therefore, conduct yourselves
to my words, and love them, and you shall have instruction.

Panaretos Sophia

Wisdom is glorious, and never fades away, and she is


easily seen by them that love her, and is found by them that
seek her. She prevents them that longing for her, so that she
first reveals herself unto them. He that awakes early to seek
her, shall not labor, for he shall find her sitting at his door. To
411
think therefore upon her, is perfect understanding, and he
that watches for her, quickly will be secure. For She goes
about seeking those who are worthy of her, and she shows
herself to them cheerfully in the ways, and meet them with
Her providence.
The beginning of Wisdom is the sincere desire of
discipline. And the care of discipline is love, and love is the
keeping Her laws, and the keeping of Her laws is the firm
foundation of incorruption. And incorruption brings us near to
God. Therefore the desire of Wisdom leads to the
everlasting Kingdom of God. If you find your delight in
thrones, and scepters, O you kings of the people, love the
Lord’s Wisdom, so that your reign may last forever. Love the
light of the Wisdom, all you that bear` rule over peoples.”
“Love justice, you who are judges of the earth. Think of
the Lord in goodness, and seek him in simplicity of heart. For
he is found by them that tempt him not; and he reveals
Himself to them that have faith in Him. For perverse thoughts
separate from God and His Power, when it is tried, reproves
the unwise. For Wisdom will neither enter into a malicious
soul, nor will it dwell in a body which is subjected to sins. For
the Holy Spirit of God’s discipline will flee from the deceitful,
and will withdraw herself from the minds of those, who are
without understanding, and she will not be present with them
to guide them on right path.
For the Spirit of Wisdom is benevolent, and will not
acquit the evil speaker from Her lips, for God is witness of
his reins, and he is a true searcher of his heart, and a hearer
of his tongue. For the Spirit of the Lord has filled the whole
world; and that, which contains all things, also has
knowledge of the voice. Therefore deeds of those, which
speak unjust things cannot be hidden form Her, neither shall
they escape Her judgment.
For inquisition shall be made into the thoughts of the
ungodly: and the hearing of his words shall come to God, to
412
the chastising of his iniquities, for the ear of jealousy hears
all things, and the tumult of murmuring shall not be hid.
Keep yourselves therefore from murmuring, which
profits nothing, and refrain your tongue from detraction, for
an obscure speech shall not go for naught; and know that
the mouth that belies, kills the soul.
Seek not death in the errors of your life, and don’t
procure your destruction by the works of your hands. For
God made not death, neither He finds pleasure in the
destruction of the living. For He created all things in such
way that they may exist; and He made the nations of the
Earth for goodness. And there is no poison of destruction in
His creation, nor was Kingdom of Hell upon the earth made
by Him.
For justice is everlasting and immortal, but it is the
wicked, who by their deeds and words have called
destruction upon themselves; and thinking it as a friend they
have fallen astray, and have made a covenant with it:
because they are worthy to be of the part thereof.”

Excellence of the Wisdom

“Now what Wisdom is, and what was Her origin, I will
declare. I will not hide from you the mysteries of God, but will
seek Her out from the beginning of Her birth, and bring the
knowledge of Her to light, and will not pass over the truth.
Neither will I go with consuming envy, for such a man shall
not be partaker of Wisdom. Now, the multitude of the wise is
the welfare of the whole world and a wise king is the savior
of his people. Receive therefore instruction by my words,
and it shall be profitable to you.”
“I myself also a mortal man, like all others, and of the
race of him, that was first made of the earth. In the womb of
my mother I was fashioned to be flesh, in the time of nine
413
months I was compacted in blood, of the seed of man, and
the pleasure of sleep concurring. And being born I breathed
the common air, and fell upon the earth, which is alike for all,
and the first voice which I uttered was crying, as all others
who come in this world do. I was nursed in swaddling
clothes, and with great cares, for none of the kings had any
other beginning of birth. For all men have same entrance
into life, and the same going out.
Wherefore I wished, and understanding was given to
me; and I called upon God, and the Holy Spirit of Wisdom
came on me. And I preferred Her alone instead of all the
kingdoms of the world, and their glory, for all riches of this
world is nothing in comparison to Her. Neither I could
compare Her with any of precious stones: and all gold of this
world in comparison with Her, is as a little sand, and silver in
comparing with Her appears as a dirt. I loved Her above my
own health and beauty, and chose to have Her instead of
shining of the world, for Her light cannot be put out.”

The Mother of All

“And now, all good things came to me together with


Her, and immeasurable riches through Her hands, and I
rejoiced in all these: for this Wisdom went ahead of me, and
I knew not that She was the Mother of them all. I have
learned this without cunningness, and communicate this
without envy, and Her riches I hide not. For She is an infinite
treasure to men, and those, who came to know Her, became
the friends of God, and highly praise Her for the gift of
discipline.
And it is God, who has made me to speak as I would,
and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are
given to me: because he is the guide of Wisdom, and the
director of the wise, for in His hands are both we are, and all
414
our words, and all our Wisdom, and the knowledge and skill
of all works.
And it is She, who has given me the true understanding
of the things that are; the knowledge of disposition of the
whole world, and the virtues of the elements; The knowledge
of beginning, and end, and midst of the times, the alterations
of their courses, and the changes of seasons; The
knowledge revolutions of the year, and the dispositions of
the stars, the natures of living creatures, and rage of wild
beasts, the force of winds, and reasoning of men, the
diversities of plants, and the virtues of roots. And all such
things, which are hidden and not foreseen, I have learned:
for Wisdom, which is the worker of all things, taught me.
For the Spirit of Understanding is in Her: the Holy One,
manifold, subtle, eloquent, active, undefiled, sure, sweet,
loving that which is good, quick, which hindering nothing,
beneficent, gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having
all power, overseeing all things, and containing all spirits,
intelligible, pure and gentle.
For Wisdom is more active than all active things: and
reaches everywhere by reason of Her purity. For She is a
vapor of the Power of God, and a certain pure emanation of
the glory of the Almighty God: and therefore no defiled thing
comes into Her. For, she is the brightness of the Eternal
Light, and the unspotted mirror of God's majesty, and the
image of his goodness. And being but one, she can do all
things: and remaining in herself the same, she renews all
things, and through nations conveys herself into holy souls,
she makes the friends of God and prophets, for God loves
none, but him that dwells with His Wisdom.
For she is more beautiful than the sun, and above all
the order of the stars: being compared with the light of the
day, she is found before it. For after day comes night, but no
evil can overcome Wisdom.”

415
Glory of the Great Mother

“She reaches therefore from end to end mightily, and


orders all things sweetly. Her have I loved, and have sought
Her out from my youth, and have desired to take Her for my
spouse, and I became a lover of Her beauty. She glorifies
Her nobility by being conversant with God; yes, the Lord of
all things has loved Her, for it is She that teaches the
knowledge of God, and is the chooser of His works.
And if riches be desired in life, what is richer than one
who is with the Mother of all, who makes all things
happening? And if sense do work desired, then who is a
more artful worker than She of whom all things that are?
And if a man loves justice, her labors have great
virtues, for she teaches self-control, and good sense, and
justice, and fortitude, which are such things as men can
have nothing more profitable in life.
And if a man desires much knowledge: she knows
things of past, and judges of things to come; she knows the
subtitles of speeches, and the solutions of arguments: she
knows signs and wonders before they have happened, and
the events of all times and ages. Therefore I purposed Her to
take me and to live with me; knowing that she will
communicate to me of Her good things, and will be a comfort
in my cares and grief.
For Her sake I shall have glory among the multitude,
and be honored on equal terms with the ancients, although I
am still young; and I shall be found of a quick conceit in
judgment, and shall be admired in the sight of the mighty,
and the faces of princes shall wonder at me. They shall wait
for me when I hold my peace, and they shall look upon me
when I speak, and if I talk much they shall lay their hands on
their mouths.

416
Moreover by the means of Her I shall have immortality
and shall leave behind me an everlasting memory to them
that come after me. I shall set the people in order, and
nations shall be subject to me. Terrible kings hearing shall
be afraid of me; among the multitude I shall be found good,
and valiant in war.
When I go into my house, I shall repose myself with
Her, for Her conversation has no bitterness, nor Her
company any tediousness, but joy and gladness. Thinking
these things with myself, and pondering them in my heart,
that to be allied to Wisdom is immortality,
And that there is great delight in Her friendship, and
inexhaustible riches in the works of Her hands, and in the
exercise of conference with Her, Wisdom, and glory in the
communication of Her words: I went about seeking, that I
might take Her to myself.
And I was a witty child and had received a good soul.
And whereas I was more good, I came to a body
undefiled. And as I knew that I could not otherwise be
continent, except God gave it, and this also was a point of
Wisdom, to know whose gift it was: I went to the Lord, and
besought him, and said with my whole heart:

The prayer for Wisdom

“God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, who has made


all things with your Word, and by your Wisdom has
appointed man that he should have dominion over all
creatures that were made by you, so that he should order
the world according to equity and justice, and execute justice
with an upright heart.
Give me Wisdom, that sits by your throne, and cast me
not off from your children, for I am your servant, and the son
of your handmaid, a weak man, and of short time, and falling
417
short of the understanding of judgment and laws. For even if
one be perfect among the Sons of men, yet if yours divine
Wisdom be not with him, he shall be regarded as nothing.
You have chosen me to be a king of your people, and a
judge of your sons and daughters. And you commanded me
to build a temple on your Holy Mount, and an altar in the City
of Your Dwelling Place, a resemblance of your Holy
Tabernacle, which you have prepared from the beginning.
And your Wisdom is with you, which knows your works,
which then also was present when you made the world, and
knew what was agreeable to your eyes, and what was right
in your commandments. Send Her out of your Holy Heaven,
and from the throne of your majesty, so that She may be
with me, and may labor with me, that I may know what is
acceptable with you. For She knows and understands all
things, and shall lead me soberly in my works, and shall
preserve me by Her Power.
And so shall be my works acceptable, and I shall
govern your people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne
of my Father. For who among men is he that can know the
counsel of God or who can think what the will of God is? For
the thoughts of mortal men are fearful, and our counsels are
uncertain.
For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the
earthly habitation presses down the mind to ponder upon
many things. And hardly do we guess aright at things that
are upon earth: and with labor do we find the things that are
before us. But the things that are in heaven, who shall
search out? And who shall know your thought, except one to
whom you has given your Wisdom, and send your Holy Spirit
from above. And so the ways of them that are upon earth
may be corrected, and men may learn the things that please
you? For by your Wisdom they were healed, whosoever
have pleased you, O Lord, from the beginning.”

418
“And where can wisdom be found? Where does
understanding dwell? Man does not comprehend its worth; it
cannot be found in the land of the living. The deep says, ‘It is
not in me’; the sea says, ‘It is not with me.’ It cannot be
bought with the finest gold, nor can its price be weighed in
silver. Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, nor can it
be had for jewels of gold. Coral and jasper are not worthy of
mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
Where then does wisdom come from? Where does
understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every
living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air.
Destruction and Death say, ‘Only a rumor of it has reached
our ears.’ God understands the way to it and he alone knows
where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees
everything under the heavens. When he established the
force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he
made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm,
then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; he confirmed it
and tested it. And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord—that
is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.’”

The Prayer of Thanksgiving

“We give thanks to You! O Undisturbed Name, honored


with the name 'God' and praised with the name 'Father', may
every heart and soul be lifted up to You. Everyone and
everything come out of you fatherly kindness, affection and
love, as well as any teaching that may be sweet and plain. It
is by you that mind, speech and knowledge were given to us:
mind, so that we may know You, speech, so that we may
expound You, and knowledge, so that we may be with You.
We rejoice, being illuminated by the light of Your knowledge,
we rejoice because You revealed us Yourself, for it is You,

419
who made us divine through You knowledge, while we still
were in our bodies.”
“The thanksgiving of those, who came to know You is
the one thing: that they may always stay in the knowledge of
You. O Light of Wisdom, O Life of Life, you were revealed to
us. O Womb of every creature, O Womb pregnant with the
nature of the Father, we came to know You. We have
worshiped Your goodness as Eternal permanence of the
begetting the Father, there is one petition that we dare to ask
from you: let us always stay firm in the light of being with
you. And there is one protection that we needed: protect us
from slipping in that kind of life, which is devoid of you.”
And when they ended their prayer, they embraced each
other and went to eat their holy food, which has no blood in
it.
“A cup of milk was offered to me, and I drank it in the
sweetness of the delight of the Lord. The Son is the cup, and
He who was milked is the Father; and the Holy Spirit is She
who milked Him, because His breasts were full, and it was
necessary for Him that His milk should be sufficiently
released. And the Holy Spirit opened Her bosom and
mingled milk from the two breasts of the Father; and She
gave the mixture to the world without their knowing; and they
who receive in its fullness’ are the ones on the right hand.
The Spirit opened the womb of the Virgin and She
received conception and brought forth; and the Virgin
became a mother with many mercies. And she travailed and
brought forth a Son, without incurring pain. And because she
was not sufficiently prepared, and she had not sought a
midwife (for He brought her to bear) she brought forth, as if
she was a man, of her own will; And She brought Him forth
openly, and acquired Him with great dignity, and loved Him
in His swaddling clothes and guarded Him kindly, and
showed Him in Majesty. Hallelujah!”

420
PART FIVE: THE END OF TIME

The Second coming

“Justice is far from us, neither does righteousness


overtake us: we look for light, but, behold, darkness; for
brightness, but we walk in obscurity. Yes, truth is lacking;
and in this world he, who departs from evil makes himself a
prey. Relent, Yahweh! How long? Have compassion on your
servants! Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad
for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years
as we have seen evil. Let your work appear to your servants;
your glory to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God
be on us; establish the work of our hands for us; yes,
establish the work of our hands.”
“Yahweh saw that there was no justice and it
displeased him. He saw that there was no man, and
wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his own
arm brought salvation to him; and his righteousness, it
upheld him. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a
helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of
vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to
his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the
continents he will repay recompense.”
“Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will
see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of
the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen!”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,
“who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
421
Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, and the Living
one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen!”
“The Kingdom of God is like a man who cast seed on
the earth, and went away, and the seed spring up and grow,
he doesn’t need to know how. For the earth bears fruit: first
the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. It is
unwise to come to the field in hope to gather crop before the
time of harvest has come, for it will be unripe then. Of
course, in mean time the farmer has to come to his field for
watering soil, and to protect his crop, but he will not come
with a sickle in his hand. But when the fruit is ripe,
immediately he puts forth his sickle, for delay is not proper
when the harvest is ready.”
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See
how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop
and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You
too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is
near. Don’t grumble against each other, brothers, or you will
be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!”
“In the last days there will be plenty of the false
prophets, who will teach others to abstain from the world, but
themselves will not, who will teach people to take delight in
the things of God, but themselves will despise them, and
who will warn men against coming before rulers, but
themselves will indulge in doing the same. They will favor
those who are rich and powerful, but look down on those
who are poor; they will be pleased with company of the
celebrities of their time, but will distant themselves from
those who are humble. They are like brothers of the
Antichrist and the enemies of the Lord.”
“If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look,
there!’ don’t believe it. For there will arise false Christ and
false prophets, and will show signs and wonders, that they
may lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. But you
watch. Behold, I have told you all things beforehand. They
422
will tell you, ‘Look, here!’ or ‘Look, there!’ Don’t go away, nor
follow after them, for as the lightning, when it flashes out of
the one part under the sky, shines to the other part under the
sky; so will the Son of Man be in his day.”
“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on
the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of
the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for
expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for
the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see
the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great
glory. Then he will send out his angels, and will gather
together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends
of the earth to the ends of the sky. But when these things
begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because
your redemption is near.”
“Now from the fig tree, learn this parable. When the
branch has now become tender, and puts forth its leaves,
you know that the summer is near; even so you also, when
you see these things coming to pass, know that the Kingdom
of God is near.”

The hour that you don’t expect

Disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, are you now restoring the


kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or
seasons which the Father has set within His own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
When he had said these things, as they were looking,
he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.
While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went,
behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also
423
said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the
sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky
will come back in the same way as you saw him going into
the sky.”
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my
words will not pass away. But of that day or that hour no one
knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only
the Father. Watch, be alert, and pray; for you don’t know
when the time is.”
Jesus said, “As the days of Noah were, so will be the
coming of the Son of Man. They ate, they drank, they
married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered into the ship, and the flood came, and destroyed
them all. Likewise, even as it happened in the days of Lot:
they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted,
they built; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it
rained fire and sulfur from the sky, and destroyed them all. It
will be the same way in the day that the Son of Man is
revealed. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken
and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will
be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore, for you don’t
know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the
master of the house had known in what watch of the night
the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not
have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore also be
ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man
will come.”
“It is like a man, traveling to another country, having left
his house, and given authority to his servants, and to each
one his work, and also commanded the doorkeeper to keep
watch. Watch therefore, for you don’t know when the lord of
the house is coming, whether at evening, or at midnight, or
when the rooster crows, or in the morning; lest coming
suddenly he might find you sleeping. What I tell you, I tell all:
Watch.”
424
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his
lord has set over his household, to give them their food in
due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds
doing so when he comes. Verily I tell you that he will set him
over all that he has. But if that evil servant should say in his
heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his
fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, the
lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t
expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, and will
cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites.
There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.”
“So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with
carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day
will come on you suddenly, for it will come like a snare on all
those who dwell on the surface of all the earth. Therefore be
watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted
worthy to escape all these things that will happen and to
stand before the Son of Man. For when they are saying,
“Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on
them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in
no way escape.”
“Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of
the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the
seat of scoffers; but his delight is in Yahweh’s Law. On His
Law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree
planted by the streams of water, that brings forth its fruit in
its season, whose leaf also does not wither. Whatever he
does shall prosper. The wicked are not so, but are like the
chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked shall
not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of
the righteous. For Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked shall perish.”

425
Return of the king

“A certain nobleman went into a distant country to be


proclaimed as a king. Before leaving, he called his servants,
and entrusted some of his goods to them. To one he gave
five talents, to another two, to another one; to each
according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. Also
there were some people in the city, who were conspiring
against him. Therefore they sent an envoy after him, saying,
‘We don’t want this man to reign over us, don’t make him our
king.’
The one who received the five talents went and traded
with them, and made another five talents. In the same way,
he also who got the two gained another two. But he who
received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his
lord’s money. Now after some time, the lord of those
servants returned after being anointed as a king, and
reconciled accounts with them. He who received five talents
came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you
delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another
five talents besides them.’
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be
trusted with much, you have been faithful over few things,
and I will set you over many things. From now you shall have
authority over five cities.’ Enter into the joy of your lord,
which you have earned by your good works.’
“The second came, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me
two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents
besides them.’
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant. You have proved that you can be trusted with small
things, now I know that you can be trusted with bigger things
also. Right now, I have received the kingdom, and I need

426
many of those in whom I can trust. From now I will entrust
two cities in your care. Rejoice and enter into the joy of your
lord.’
“He also who had received the one talent came and
said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping
where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not
scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid given by you in
the earth. Therefore, you have back what is yours.’
“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful
servant. If you knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and
gather where I didn’t scatter, why then you didn’t deposited
my money with the bankers, so that at my return I could
receive back my own with interest? Whoever can be trusted
with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest in small things also will be dishonest in big
matters. Take away therefore the talent from him and give it
to the one who has the ten talents, and threw this worthless
person out from my presence, for I don’t want to see him any
more.
I tell you the truth, ‘Everyone who has earned will be
given even more, but from him, who didn’t handle properly
what was entrusted to him, even that small which he has will
be taken away.’ Then he called his guards and ordered
them, “As for those who were conspiring against me, bind
their hands and legs and throw them into outer darkness, for
eternal punishment which they deserved.”

The Sheep and Goats

Jesus said, “But when the Son of Man comes in his


glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the
throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be
gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a
shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the
427
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the
King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my
Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me
food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a
stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed
me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you
came to me.’”
“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord,
when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and
give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger, and
take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you
sick, or in prison, and come to you?’”
“The King will answer them, ‘Verily I tell you, inasmuch
as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did
it to me.’ Then he will say also to those on the left hand,
‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is
prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and
you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave
me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in;
naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you
didn’t visit me.’”
“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or
in prison, and didn’t help you?’”
“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Verily I tell you,
inasmuch as you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you
didn’t do it to me.’ These will go away into eternal
punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The Parable of the Darnel Weed

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who


sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept, his
428
enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the
wheat, and went away. But when the blade sprang up and
brought forth fruit, then the darnel weeds appeared also. The
servants of the householder came and said to him, ‘Sir,
didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where did this darnel
come from?’ “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and gather
them up?’ “But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather
up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them. Let
both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I
will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and
bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into
my barn.”
Disciples asked Jesus, “Explain to us the parable of the
darnel weeds of the field.”
He answered them, “He who sows the good seed is the
Son of Man, the field is the world; and the good seed, these
are the children of the Kingdom; and the darnel weeds are
the children of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is
the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers
are angels. As therefore the darnel weeds are gathered up
and burned with fire; so will it be at the end of this age. The
Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out
of his Kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and those
who do iniquity, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping and the gnashing of teeth. Then the
righteous will shine forth like the sun in the Kingdom of their
Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that
was cast into the sea, and gathered some fish of every kind,
which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach. They
sat down, and gathered the good into containers, but the bad
they threw away. So will it be in the end of the world. The
angels will come forth, and separate the wicked from among

429
the righteous, and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.”

The Mountain of Yahweh’s House

“It shall happen in the latter days that the Mountain of


Yahweh’s House shall be established on the top of the
mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and all
nations shall flow to it. Many peoples shall go and say,
“Come, let’s go up to the Mountain of Yahweh, to the House
of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and
we will walk in his paths.” For out of Zion the Law shall go
forth, and the Word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations, and will decide
concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation
shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn
war any more. House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the
light of Yahweh.
“The time comes when I will gather all nations and
languages; they shall come and see my glory. “I will set a
sign among them, and I will send such as escape of them to
the nations and to the continents that far off, who have not
heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall
declare my glory among the nations.
They shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations
for an offering to Yahweh, Of them also will I take for priests
and for Levites,” says Yahweh.
“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will
make, shall remain before me,” says Yahweh, “so your seed
and your name shall remain. It shall happen, that from one
new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another,
shall all flesh come to worship before me,” says Yahweh.

430
“They shall go forth, and look on the dead bodies of the
men who have transgressed against me: for their worm shall
not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they will be
loathsome to all mankind.”

The Kingdom of our Lord

The seventh angel sounded, and great voices in


heaven followed, saying, “The kingdom of the World has
become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ. He will
reign forever and ever!”
The twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before
God’s throne, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying:
“We give you thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the one who is
and who was; because you have taken your Great Power,
and reigned. The nations were angry, and your wrath came,
as did the time for the dead to be judged, and to give your
bondservants the prophets, their reward, as well as to the
saints, and those who fear Your Name, to the small and the
great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
God’s Temple that is in heaven was opened, and the
Ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in His Temple.
Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail
followed.

Covenant with the Death canceled

“In that day, Yahweh of Armies will become a crown of


glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the residue of his people;
and a Spirit of Justice to him who sits in judgment, and
strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate. They
also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest
and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed
431
up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in
vision. They stumble in judgment. For all tables are
completely full of filthy vomit and filthiness.
Whom will he teach knowledge? To whom will he
explain the message? Those who are weaned from milk, and
drawn from the breasts? For it is precept on precept, precept
on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little.
But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in
another language; to whom he said, “This is the resting
place. Give rest to weary;” and “This is the refreshing;” yet
they would not hear.
Therefore the Word of Yahweh will be to them precept
on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here
a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be
broken, be snared, and be taken. Therefore hear the Word
of Yahweh, you scoffers that rule this people in Jerusalem:
“Because you have said, ‘We have made a covenant
with death, and with Sheol are we in agreement. When the
overflowing scourge passes through, it won’t come to us; for
we have made lies our refuge, and we have hidden
ourselves under falsehood.’”
Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Behold, I lay in
Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious
cornerstone of a sure foundation. He who believes shall not
act hastily. I will make justice the measuring line, and
righteousness the plumb line. The hail will sweep away the
refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.
Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your
agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing
scourge passes through, then you will be trampled down by
it. As often as it passes through, it will seize you; for morning
by morning it will pass through, by day and by night; and it
will be nothing but terror to understand the message.”
For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the
blanket is too narrow to wrap oneself in. For Yahweh will rise
432
up as on Mount Perazim. He will be angry as in the valley of
Gibeon; that he may do his work, his unusual work, and
bring to pass his act, his extraordinary act. Now therefore
don’t be scoffers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have
heard a decree of destruction from the Lord, Yahweh of
Armies, on the whole earth.
Give ear, and hear my voice! Listen, and hear my
speech! Does he who plows to sow plow continually? Does
he keep turning the soil and breaking the clods? When he
has leveled its surface, doesn’t he plant the dill, and scatter
the cumin seed, and put in the wheat in rows, the barley in
the appointed place, and the spelt in its place?
For his God instructs him in right judgment, and
teaches him. For the dill are not threshed with a sharp
instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned over the cumin; but
the dill is beaten out with a stick, and the cumin with a rod.
Bread flour must be ground; so he will not always be
threshing it. Although he drives the wheel of his threshing
cart over it, his horses don’t grind it. This also comes forth
from Yahweh of Armies, who is wonderful in counsel, and
excellent in wisdom.”

‘The Day of the Lord’

“You should remember the words which were spoken


before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of us,
the apostles of the Lord and Savior: knowing this first, that in
the last days mockers will come, walking after their own
lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For,
from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens
from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid
water, by the Word of God; by which means the world that
433
then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the
heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same Word
have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the Day
of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But don’t
forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord
as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some
count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any
should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
“For, behold, the day comes, it burns as a furnace; and
all the proud, and all who work wickedness, will be stubble;
and the day that comes will burn them up,” says Yahweh of
Armies, “that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But
to you who fear my name shall the sun of righteousness
arise with healing in its wings. You will go out, and leap like
calves of the stall. You shall tread down the wicked; for they
will be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I
make,” says Yahweh of Armies.”
“Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I
commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and
ordinances. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before
the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes. He will turn the
hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the
children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with
a curse.”
“Behold, I come like a thief. Blessed is he who watches,
and keeps his clothes on, so that he doesn’t have to walk
naked in the shame.”

The Plan “A”: Sodom and Gomorra

The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in


which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth
434
and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore
since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of
people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking
for and earnestly desiring the coming of the Day of God,
which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and
the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to
his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in
which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, seeing that
you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace,
without blemish and blameless in his sight. Regard the
patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved
brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him,
wrote to you; as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of
these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to
understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they
also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. You
therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand,
beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked,
you fall from your own steadfastness.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever.
Amen!

The Strong city

“In that day, this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
“We have a strong city. God appoints salvation for walls and
bulwarks. Open the gates that the righteous nation may
enter: the one which keeps faith. You will keep whoever’s
mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.
Trust in Yahweh forever; for in the Lord, Yahweh, is an
everlasting Rock, for he has brought down those who dwell
on high, the lofty city.

435
He lays it low. He lays it low even to the ground. He
brings it even to the dust. The foot shall tread it down; Even
the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy.” The way of
the just is uprightness. You who are upright make the path of
the righteous level. Yes, in the way of your judgments,
Yahweh, have we waited for you. Your Name and your
renown are the desire of our soul. With my soul have I
desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me will I
seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the
earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. Let
favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn
righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal
wrongfully, and will not see Yahweh’s majesty.
Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but
they will see your zeal for the people, and be disappointed.
Yes, fire will consume your adversaries. Yahweh, you will
ordain peace for us, for you have also worked all our works
for us. Yahweh our God, other lords besides you have had
dominion over us, but by you only will we make mention of
your name.
The dead shall not live. The deceased shall not rise.
Therefore have you visited and destroyed them, and caused
all memory of them to perish. You have increased the nation,
O Yahweh. You have increased the nation! You are glorified!
You have enlarged all the borders of the land. Yahweh, in
trouble they have visited you. They poured out a prayer
when your chastening was on them.
Like as a woman with child, who draws near the time of
her delivery, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; so we
have been before you, Yahweh. We have been with child.
We have been in pain. We gave birth, it seems, only to wind.
We have not worked any deliverance in the earth; neither
have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Your dead shall live.
My dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell

436
in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the
earth will cast forth the dead.
Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your
doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the
indignation is past. For, behold, Yahweh comes forth out of
his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their
iniquity. The earth also will disclose her blood, and will no
longer cover her slain.”

The Vineyard of Yahweh

“In that day, Yahweh with his hard and great and strong
sword will punish leviathan, the fleeing serpent, and
leviathan the twisted serpent; and He will kill the Dragon that
is in the sea.
In that day, sing to her, “A pleasant vineyard! I,
Yahweh, am its keeper. I will water it every moment. Lest
anyone damage it, I will keep it night and day. Wrath is not in
me, but if I should find briers and thorns, I would do battle! I
would march on them and I would burn them together. Or
else let him take hold of my strength, that he may make
peace with me. Let him make peace with me.
In days to come, Jacob will take root. Israel will
blossom and bud. They will fill the surface of the world with
fruit. Has he struck them as he struck those who struck
them? Or are they killed like those who killed them were
killed? In measure, when you send them away, you contend
with them. He has removed them with his rough blast in the
day of the east wind. Therefore, by this the iniquity of Jacob
will be forgiven, and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin:
that he makes all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that
are beaten in pieces, so that the Asherim and the incense
altars shall rise no more. For the fortified city is solitary, a
habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness. The
437
calf will feed there, and there he will lie down, and consume
its branches.
When its boughs are withered, they will be broken off.
The women will come and set them on fire, for they are a
people of no understanding. Therefore he who made them
will not have compassion on them, and he who formed them
will show them no favor.”

The End of the Time

“In the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I


was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel, I lifted
up my eyes, and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen,
whose thighs were adorned with pure gold of Uphaz; his
body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance
of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms
and his feet like burnished brass, and the voice of his words
like the voice of a multitude. I, Daniel, alone saw the vision;
for the men who were with me didn’t see the vision; but a
great quaking fell on them, and they fled to hide themselves.
So I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there
remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned
in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I
the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his
words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with
my face toward the ground.
Behold, a hand touched me, which set me on my
knees and on the palms of my hands. He said to me,
“Daniel, you man greatly beloved, understand the words that
I speak to you, and stand upright; for am I now sent to you.”
When he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling.
Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first
day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble
yourself before your God, your words were heard: and I have
438
come for your words’ sake.” He said to me, “Daniel, you man
greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you,
and stand upright; for am I now sent to you. Now I have
come to make you understand what shall happen to your
people in the latter days; for the vision is yet for many days.”
And when he had spoken to me according to these
words, I set my face toward the ground, and was mute.
Behold, one in the likeness of the sons of men touched my
lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke and said to him
who stood before me, “My lord, by reason of the vision my
sorrows are turned on me, and I retain no strength. For how
can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord?” As for
me, immediately there remained no strength in me, neither
was there breath left in me. Then there touched me again
one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me.
He said, “Greatly beloved man, don’t be afraid: peace
be to you, be strong, yes, be strong.”
When he spoke to me, I was strengthened, and said,
“Let my lord speak; for you have strengthened me.”
“At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
who stands for the children of your people; and there shall
be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a
nation even to that same time: and at that time your people
shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in
the book.”

The Resurrection of the dead

“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall


awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and
everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine as the
brightness of the expanse; and those who turn many to
righteousness as the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel,
shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the Time of
439
the End: many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall
be increased.”
Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood,
one on the river bank on this side, and the other on the river
bank on that side. One said to the man clothed in linen, who
was above the waters of the river, ‘How long shall it be to the
end of these wonders?’ I heard the man clothed in linen, who
was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right
hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who
lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and
when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the
power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
I heard, but I didn’t understand: then I said, “My lord,
what shall be the issue of these things?”
He said, “Go your way, Daniel; for the words are shut
up and sealed until the Time of the End. Many shall purify
themselves, and make themselves white, and be refined; but
the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall
understand; but those who are wise shall understand. From
the time that the continual burnt offering shall be taken away,
and the abomination that makes desolate set up, there shall
be one thousand two hundred ninety days. Blessed is he
who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred
thirty-five days. But go you your way until the end; for you
shall rest, and shall stand in your lot, at the end of the days.”

The Firstborn of the dead

Jesus said, “He, who brought me down from height,


also lifted me up from the regions below. And he who
gathers together the things that are between is one who cast
me down. He who scattered my enemies and my
adversaries had existed from ancient. It is He who gave me
authority over bonds that I might loose them; it is He that
440
overthrew by my hands the Dragon with seven heads. And it
is you who have set me over his roots that I might destroy
his seed. You were there and did help me, and in every
place Your Name was my fortification. Your right hand
destroyed his wicked venom; and your left hand leveled the
way for those who believe in you. And you did choose them
from the graves and did separate them from the dead. You
did take dead bones and covered them with bodies. They
were motionless, and you did give them energy for life. Your
way was without corruption, and your Face; you did bring
your world to corruption; that everything might be dissolved,
and then renewed, and so that the foundation for everything
might be your rock. And on it you did build your Kingdom;
and it became the dwelling place of the saints. Hallelujah!”

The Woman closed with the sun

A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with


the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a
crown of twelve stars. She was with child. She cried out in
pain, laboring to give birth. Another sign was seen in
heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads
and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. His tail drew
one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth.
The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give
birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child.
She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the
nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God,
and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where
she has a place prepared by God, that there they may
nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.
There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made
war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war.
They didn’t prevail, neither was a place found for him any
441
more in heaven. The great dragon was thrown down, the old
serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of
the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him. I heard a loud voice in
heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the
Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has
come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown
down, who accuses them before our God day and night.
They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and
because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their
life, even to death. Therefore, rejoice heavens, and you who
dwell in them. But woe to the earth and to the sea, because
the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing
that he has but a short time.”
When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the
earth, he persecuted the woman, who gave birth to the male
child. Two wings of the great eagle were given to the her,
that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that
she might be nourished for a time, and times, and half a
time, from the face of the serpent. The serpent spewed
water out of his mouth after the woman like a river that he
might cause her to be carried away by the stream. The earth
helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and
swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his
mouth. The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went
away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep God’s
commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony...

The Leviathan

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook, or press


down tongue of the fleeing serpent with a cord? Can you put
a rope into nose of the twisted serpent, or pierce jaw of the
dragon that is in the sea through with a hook? Will he make
442
many petitions to you, or will he speak soft words to you?
Will he make a covenant with you that you should take him
for a servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird?
Or will you bind him for your girls? Will traders barter for
him? Will they part him among the merchants? Can you fill
his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears? Lay
your hand on him. Remember the battle, and do so no more.
Behold, the hope of him is in vain. Won’t one be cast down
even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that he dare stir
him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has
first given to me, that I should repay him? Everything under
the heavens is mine.”
“I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, nor his
mighty strength, nor his goodly frame. Who can strip off his
outer garment? Who shall come within his jaws? Who can
open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. Strong
scales are his pride, shut up together with a close seal. One
is so near to another that no air can come between them.
They are joined one to another. They stick together, so that
they can’t be pulled apart. His sneezing flashes out light. His
eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go
burning torches. Sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils a
smoke goes, as of a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His
breath kindles coals. A flame goes forth from his mouth.
There is strength in his neck. Terror dances before him. The
flakes of his flesh are joined together. They are firm on him.
They can’t be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone, yes,
firm as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up, the
mighty are afraid. They retreat before his thrashing. If one
attacks him with the sword, it can’t prevail; nor the spear, the
dart, nor the pointed shaft. He counts iron as straw; and
brass as rotten wood. The arrow can’t make him flee. Sling
stones are like chaff to him. Clubs are counted as stubble.
He laughs at the rushing of the javelin. His undersides are
like sharp potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a
443
threshing sledge. He makes the deep to boil like a pot. He
makes the sea like a pot of ointment. He makes a path shine
after him. One would think the deep had white hair. On earth
there is not his equal that is made without fear. He sees
everything that is high. He is king over all the Sons of Pride.”

The Beast of the sea

“Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast


coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven
heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads,
blasphemous names. The beast which I saw was like a
leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his
mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his
power, his throne, and great authority. One of his heads
looked like it had been wounded fatally. His fatal wound was
healed, and the whole earth marveled at the beast. They
worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the
beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the
beast? Who is able to make war with him in this world?”
A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was
given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was
given to him. He opened his mouth for blasphemy against
God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who
dwell in heaven. It was given to him to make war with the
saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe,
people, language, and nation was given to him.
All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone
whose name has not been written from the foundation of the
world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been killed. If
anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into
captivity, he will go into captivity. If anyone is to be killed with
the sword, he must be killed. Here is the endurance and the
faith of the saints.
444
I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. He had
two horns like a lamb, and he spoke like a dragon. He
exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence.
He makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the
first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.
He performs great signs, even making fire come down
out of the sky to the earth in the sight of people.
He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth
because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the
beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they
should make an image to the beast who had the sword
wound and lived. It was given to him to give breath to it, to
the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should
both speak, and cause as many as wouldn’t worship the
image of the beast to be killed.
He causes all, the small and the great, the rich and the
poor, and the free and the slave, to be given marks on their
right hands, or on their foreheads; and that no one would be
able to buy or to sell, unless he has that mark, the name of
the beast or the number of his name.
Here is wisdom. He who has understanding, let him
calculate the number of the beast 666. For it is the number
of men.”

Babylon the Great

I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal


Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and
to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He said with a
loud voice, “Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the Hour
of His Judgment has come. Worship him who made the
heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!”

445
Another, a second angel, followed, saying, “Babylon the
great has fallen, which has made all the nations to drink of
the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality.”
Another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a
great voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image,
and receives a mark on his forehead, or on his hand, he also
will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared
unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with
fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the
presence of the Lamb. The smoke of their torment goes up
forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those
who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives
the mark of his name.
Here is the patience of the saints, those who keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”
I heard the voice from heaven saying, “Write, ‘Blessed
are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’”
“Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their
labors; for their works follow with them.”
I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and on the cloud
one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden
crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another angel came
out from the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat
on the cloud, “Send forth your sickle, and reap; for the hour
to reap has come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe!” He
who sat on the cloud thrust his sickle on the earth, and the
earth was reaped.
Another angel came out from the temple which is in
heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. Another angel came out
from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called
with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying,
“Send forth your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the
vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!” The
angel thrust his sickle into the earth, and gathered the

446
vintage of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God.
The winepress was trodden outside of the city, and
blood came out from the winepress, even to the bridles of
the horses, as far as one thousand six hundred stadia.
I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of
the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false
prophet, three unclean spirits, something like frogs; for they
are spirits of demons, performing signs; which go forth to the
kings of the whole inhabited earth, to gather them together
for the war of that great day of God, the Almighty.
“Come here. I will show you the judgment of the great
prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of
the earth committed sexual immorality, and those who dwell
in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her sexual
immorality.”
John said, “He carried me away in the Spirit into a
wilderness. I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored
animal, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and
ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet,
and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the
impurities of the sexual immorality of the earth.
And on her forehead a name was written, “MYSTERY,
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE
PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE
EARTH.”
I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints,
and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I
wondered with great amazement. The angel said to me,
“Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the
woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the
seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was,
and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss and to
go into destruction. Those who dwell on the earth and whose
447
names have not been written in the book of life from the
foundation of the world will marvel when they see that the
beast was, and is not, and shall be present. These will war
against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for he
is Lord of lords, and King of kings. They also will overcome,
who are with him, who were called and chosen and faithful.”
He said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the
prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and
languages. The ten horns which you saw, and the beast,
these will hate the prostitute, and will make her desolate,
and will make her naked, and will eat her flesh, and will burn
her utterly with fire. For God has put in their hearts to do
what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their
kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be
accomplished. The woman whom you saw is the great city,
which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Babylon has fallen!

After these things, I saw another angel coming down


out of the sky, having great authority. The earth was
illuminated with his glory.
He cried with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen is
Babylon the great, and she has become a habitation of
demons, a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of
every unclean and hateful bird! For all the nations have
drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality, the
kings of the earth committed sexual immorality with her, and
the merchants of the earth grew rich from the abundance of
her luxury.”
Jesus said, “Come out of her, my people, that you have
no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her
plagues, for her sins have reached to the sky, and God has
remembered her iniquities.”
448
The kings of the earth, who committed sexual
immorality and lived wantonly with her, will weep and wail
over her, when they look at the smoke of her burning,
standing far away for the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe,
woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For your
judgment has come in one hour.’ The merchants of the earth
weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their
merchandise any more; merchandise of gold, silver, precious
stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet, all expensive
wood, every vessel of ivory, every vessel made of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble; and
cinnamon, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil,
fine flour, wheat, sheep, horses, chariots, and people’s
bodies and souls. The fruits which your soul lusted after
have been lost to you, and all things that were dainty and
sumptuous have perished from you, and you will find them
no more at all. The merchants of these things, who were
made rich by her, will stand far away for the fear of her
torment, weeping and mourning; saying, ‘Woe, woe, the
great city, she who was dressed in fine linen, purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and
pearls! For in an hour such great riches are made desolate.’
Every shipmaster, and everyone who sails anywhere, and
mariners, and as many as gain their living by sea, stood far
away, and cried out as they looked at the smoke of her
burning, saying, ‘What is like the great city?’ They cast dust
on their heads, and cried, weeping and mourning, saying,
‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had their ships in
the sea were made rich by reason of her great wealth!’ For in
one hour is she made desolate.
I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the
key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized
the dragon, the old serpent, which is the devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole inhabited earth, and bound him for a
thousand years, and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and
449
sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no
more, until the thousand years were finished. After this, he
must be freed for a short time. I saw thrones, and they sat on
them, and judgment was given to them. I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus,
and for the word of God, and such as didn’t worship the
beast nor his image, and didn’t receive the mark on their
forehead and on their hand. They lived, and reigned with
Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead didn’t live
until the thousand years were finished. This will be the first
resurrection.
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first
resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power,
but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign
with him one thousand years. And after the thousand years,
Satan will be released from his prison, and he will come out
to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war;
the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. They went up
over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of
the saints, and the beloved city. Fire came down out of
heaven from God, and devoured them. The devil that
deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur,
where the beast and the false prophet are also. They will be
tormented day and night forever and ever.
I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was
found no place for them. I saw the dead, the great and the
small, standing before the throne, and they opened books.
Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The
dead were judged out of the things which were written in the
books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead
who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who
were in them. They were judged, each one according to his
works. Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.
450
This is the second death, the lake of fire. If anyone was not
found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of
fire.
After these things I heard something like a loud voice of
a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation,
power, and glory belong to our God: for true and righteous
are his judgments. For he has judged the great prostitute,
who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he
has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
A second said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke goes up forever
and ever.” The twenty-four elders and the four living
creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the
throne, saying, “Amen! Hallelujah!”
A voice came forth from the throne, saying, “Give praise
to our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, the small
and the great!”
I heard something like the voice of a great multitude,
and like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of
mighty thunders, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God,
the Almighty, reigns! Let us rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the
Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.”
It was given to her that she would array herself in
bright, pure, fine linen: for the fine linen is the righteous acts
of the saints.
He said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are
invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” He said to me,
“These are true words of God.”
I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to
me, “Look! Don’t do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you
and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of
Prophecy.”

451
Praise to the Lord!

“Yahweh, you are my God. I will exalt you! I will praise


your Name, for you have done wonderful things, things
planned long ago, in complete faithfulness and truth, for you
have made a city into a heap; a fortified city into a ruin, a
palace of strangers to be no city. It will never be built.
Therefore a strong people will glorify you. A city of awesome
nations will fear you. For you have been a stronghold to the
poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from
the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the
dreaded ones is like a storm against the wall. As the heat in
a dry place will you bring down the noise of strangers; as the
heat by the shade of a cloud, the song of the dreaded ones
will be brought low.
He will destroy in this mountain the surface of the
covering that covers all peoples, and the veil that is spread
over all nations. He has swallowed up death forever! The
Lord Yahweh will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will
take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth,
for Yahweh has spoken it. It shall be said in that day,
“Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will
save us! This is Yahweh! We have waited for him. We will be
glad and rejoice in his salvation!” For in this mountain the
hand of Yahweh will rest.”

The Word of God

I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse,


and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In
righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a
flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has
many names written and a name written which no one

452
knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled
with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.”
The armies which are in heaven followed him on white
horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth
proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he
should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod.
He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of
God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a
name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
I saw an angel standing in the sun. He cried with a loud
voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the sky, “Come! Be
gathered together to the great supper of God, that you may
eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of
mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on
them, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, and
small and great.”
I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him who sat
on the horse, and against his army. The beast was taken,
and with him the false prophet who worked the signs in his
sight, with which he deceived those who had received the
mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns
with sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword of him who
sat on the horse, the sword which came forth out of his
mouth. All the birds were filled with their flesh.

The Virgin Mother

“Sing, barren, you who didn’t bear; break forth into


singing, and cry aloud, you who did not travail with child: for
more are the children of the desolate than the children of the
married wife,” says Yahweh. “Enlarge the place of your tent,
and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations;
453
don’t spare: lengthen your cords, and strengthen your
stakes. For you shall spread out on the right hand and on the
left; and your seed shall possess the nations, and make the
desolate cities to be inhabited.”
“Don’t be afraid; for you shall not be ashamed: neither
be confounded; for you shall not be disappointed: for you
shall forget the shame of your youth; and the reproach of
your widowhood you shall remember no more. For your
Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is His name: and
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the
whole earth shall He be called.
For Yahweh has called you as a wife forsaken and
grieved in spirit, even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,”
says your God. “For a small moment have I forsaken you;
but with great mercies will I gather you. In overflowing wrath
I hid my face from you for a moment; but with everlasting
loving kindness will I have mercy on you,” says Yahweh your
Redeemer.”
“For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have
sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the
earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor
rebuke you. For the mountains may depart, and the hills be
removed; but my loving kindness shall not depart from you,
neither shall my covenant of peace be removed,” says
Yahweh who has mercy on you.”
“You afflicted, tossed with storms, and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in beautiful colors, and lay your
foundations with sapphires. I will make your pinnacles of
rubies, and your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls
of precious stones. All your children shall be taught of
Yahweh; and great shall be the peace of your children. In
righteousness you shall be established: you shall be far from
oppression, for you shall not be afraid; and from terror, for it
shall not come near you.

454
Behold, they may gather together, but not by me:
whoever shall gather together against you shall fall because
of you. Behold, I have created the smith who blows the fire
of coals, and brings forth a weapon for his work; and I have
created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed
against you will prevail; and you will condemn every tongue
that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of Yahweh, and their
righteousness which is of me,” says Yahweh. For as the rain
comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return
there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud,
and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall
my Word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For you shall
go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains
and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all
the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the
thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall
come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a
Name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

New heavens and a new earth

“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;


and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come
into mind. But be you glad and rejoice forever in that which I
create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her
people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my
people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of
weeping and the voice of crying.”
“There shall be no more there an infant of days, nor an
old man who has not filled his days; for the child shall die

455
one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred
years old shall be accursed.”
“It shall happen that, before they call, I will answer; and
while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the
lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the
ox; and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt
nor destroy in all my Holy Mountain,” says Yahweh.”
“I have shown you new things from this time, even
hidden things, which you have not known. They are created
now, and not from of old; and before this day you didn’t hear
them; lest you should say, ‘Behold, I knew them.’
I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him; I have
brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.
Thus says Yahweh, “In an acceptable time have I
answered you, and in a day of salvation have I helped you;
and I will preserve you, and give you for a covenant of the
people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the
desolate heritage: saying to those who are bound, ‘Come
out!’; to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves!’
“They shall feed in the ways, and on all bare heights
shall be their pasture. They shall not hunger nor thirst;
neither shall the heat nor sun strike them: for he who has
mercy on them will lead them, even by springs of water he
will guide them. I will make all my mountains a way, and my
highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from
far; and behold, these from the north and from the west; and
these from the land of Sinim.
Sing, heavens; and be joyful, earth; and break forth into
singing, mountains: for Yahweh has comforted his people,
and will have compassion on his afflicted.”

I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first


heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is
no more. I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for
456
her husband. I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying,
“Behold, God’s dwelling is with people, and he will dwell with
them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be
with them as their God. He will wipe away from them every
tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there
be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things
have passed away.”
He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all
things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are
faithful and true.”
He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him
who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life. He who
overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and
he will be my Son. But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners,
abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with
fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, who
were loaded with the seven last plagues came, and he
spoke with me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the wife,
the Lamb’s bride.”

The Holy Jerusalem

He carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high


mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming
down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God. Her
light was like a most precious stone, as if it were a jasper
stone, clear as crystal; having a great and high wall; having
twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names
written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of
the children of Israel. On the east were three gates; and on

457
the north three gates; and on the south three gates; and on
the west three gates.
The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on
them twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. He
who spoke with me had for a measure, a golden reed, to
measure the city, its gates, and its walls. The city lies
foursquare, and its length is as great as its breadth. He
measured the city with the reed, Twelve thousand twelve
stadia. Its length, breadth, and height are equal. Its wall is
one hundred forty-four cubits, by the measure of a man, that
is, of an angel.
The construction of its wall was jasper. The city was
pure gold, like pure glass. The foundations of the city’s wall
were adorned with all kinds of precious stones. The first
foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third,
chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the
sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the
ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth;
and the twelfth, amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve
pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The
street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. I saw
no temple in it, for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the
Lamb, are its temple. The city has no need for the sun,
neither of the moon, to shine, for the very glory of God
illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk
in its light. The kings of the earth bring the glory and honor of
the nations into it. Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for
there will be no night there), and they shall bring the glory
and the honor of the nations into it so that they may enter.
There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one
who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are
written in the Lamb’s book of life.
He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the
middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was
458
the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit
every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations. There will be no curse any more. The throne of
God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants serve
him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their
foreheads. There will be no night, and they need no lamp
light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign
forever and ever. He said to me, “These words are faithful
and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his
angel to show to his bondservants the things which must
happen soon.”
“Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the
words of the prophecy of this book.”
Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these
things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before
him, who had shown me these things.
He said to me, “O, you don’t do it! I am a fellow
bondservant of yours and of your brothers, the prophets, and
with those who keep the words of this book. Worship the
Lord your God.”
He said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy
of this book, for the time is at hand. He who acts unjustly, let
him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He
who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is
holy, let him be holy still.”
“Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay
to each man according to his work. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Blessed are those who do His commandments because they
may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in by
the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers,
the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and
everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have
sent my angel to testify these things to you for the

459
assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the
Bright and Morning Star.”

Elijah and Elisha

It happened, when Yahweh would take up Elijah by a


whirlwind into heaven that Elijah went with Elisha from
Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Please wait here, for Yahweh
has sent me as far as Bethel.”
Elisha said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I
will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
The sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out
to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh will
take away your master from your head today?”
He said, “Yes, I know it; hold your peace.”
Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please wait here, for Yahweh
has sent me to Jericho.”
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you.” So they came to Jericho.
The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came
near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that Yahweh
will take away your master from your head today?”
He answered, “Yes, I know it. Hold your peace.”
Elijah said to him, “Please wait here, for Yahweh has
sent me to the Jordan.”
He said, “As Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, I will
not leave you.” They both went on.
Fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood
opposite them at a distance; and they both stood by the
Jordan. Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and
struck the waters, and they were divided here and there, so
that they two went over on dry ground. It happened, when
they had gone over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I
shall do for you, before I am taken from you.”
460
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be
on me.”
He said, “You have asked a hard thing. If you see me
when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it
shall not be so.”
It happened, as they still went on, and talked, that
behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
Elisha saw it, and he cried, “My father, my father, the
chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” He saw him no more:
and he took hold of his own clothes, and tore them in two
pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from
him, and went back, and stood by the bank of the Jordan. He
took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and struck the
waters, and said, “Where is Yahweh, the God of Elijah?”
When he also had struck the waters, they were divided here
and there; and Elisha went over...

John and Domitian

Once, John slept during the time when Jesus was


performing worship. Jesus wanted to awake him, but the
Father prevented him from doing this and told to Jesus, “O
son, verily John's spirit is within me, in My Holy Presence,
and his body is before me in My Word. Know that I have
made him excel in beauty the most noble of my angels.”
When Agrippa was king of the Jews, Vespasian
Caesar, came with a great army, and invested Jerusalem; he
slew some and took some as prisoners of war, others he
destroyed by famine in the siege, and most of them he
banished, and at length scattered up and down. And having
destroyed the temple, and put the holy vessels on board a
ship, he sent them to Rome, to make for himself a temple of
peace, and adorned it with the spoils of war.
461
And when Vespasian was dead, his son Domitian, have
got possession of the kingdom. Along with his other wrongful
acts, he also set himself to make a persecution against the
righteous men. For, having learned that the city was filled
with Jews, remembering the orders given by his father about
them, he purposed casting them all out of the city of the
Romans. And some of the Jews took courage, and gave
Domitian a letter, in which was written as follows:—
“O Domitian, Caesar and king of all the world, as many
of us as are Jews entreat you, as suppliants we beseech of
your power not to banish us from your divine and benignant
countenance; for we are obedient to you, and the customs,
and laws, and practices, and policy, doing wrong in nothing,
but being of the same mind with the Romans. But there is a
new and strange nation, neither agreeing with other nations
nor consenting to the religious observances of the Jews,
uncircumcised, inhuman, lawless, subverting whole houses,
proclaiming a man as God, all assembling together under a
strange name, that of Christian. These men reject God,
paying no heed to the law given by Him, and proclaim to be
the Son of God a man born of ourselves, Jesus by name,
whose parents and brothers and all his family have been
connected with the Hebrews; whom on account of his great
blasphemy and his wicked fooleries we gave up to the cross.
And they add another blasphemous lie to their first one: him
that was nailed up and buried, they glorify as having risen
from the dead; and, more than this, also they falsely assert
that he has been taken up by clouds into the heavens.”
At all this, the king, being affected with rage, ordered
the senate to publish a decree that they should put to death
all who confessed themselves to be Christians. Those, then,
who were found in the time of his rage, and who reaped the
fruit of patience, and were crowned in the triumphant contest
against the works of the devil, received the repose of
incorruption.
462
At that time, the fame of the teaching of John has
reached to Rome; and it came to the ears of Domitian that
there was a certain Hebrew in Ephesus, John by name, who
spread a report about the seat of empire of the Romans,
saying that it would quickly be rooted out, and that the
kingdom of the Romans would be given over to another. And
Domitian, concerned with this, sent a centurion with soldiers
to summon John to Rome. After coming to Ephesus, the
soldiers soon have reached the place where John lived, by
inquiring road from public. When they come up to his gate,
they saw him standing in front of the door; but thinking him to
be the porter, they inquired from him where John lived. And
he answered them, “I am he.” But they didn’t believe him,
because of his common and poor appearance, so they
threatened him and said, “Tell us the truth.” And when he
declared again that he was the man they sought, and the
neighbors conformed his statement, he was told that he has
to go with them at once to the king of Rome. And being
urged by them to take provisions for the journey, he took few
dates, and straightway went forth.
And the soldiers, using the public conveyances,
traveled fast, having him seated in the midst of them. And
when they came to the first change of horses, it was the hour
of breakfast, so they entreated him to be of good courage,
and to take bread and eat with them. And John said, “I
rejoice in soul indeed, but in the meantime I do not wish to
take any food.” And they started, and were carried along
quickly. And when it was evening they stopped at a certain
inn; and as, besides, it was the hour of supper, the centurion
and the soldiers being most kindly disposed towards him,
invited John to have food with them. But he said that he was
very tired, and in want of sleep more than any food. And as
he was repeating this each day, all the soldiers became
struck with amazement and afraid that John would die by the
way, and by this put them in danger. But the Holy Spirit
463
showed him to them as more cheerful, and so they were
pacified. And on the seventh day, which was the Lord's Day,
he said to them, “Now it is time for me also to partake of
food.” And having washed his hands and face, he prayed,
and brought out the linen cloth, and took one of the dates,
and ate it in the sight of all.
And after long journey, during which John was fasting in
the same way, they have reached Rome. And when they
brought him before the king, they said, “Worshipful king, we
bring to you John, who is not a man, but a god. For from the
hour in which we apprehended him, to the present moment,
he has not tasted bread. At this Domitian being amazed,
stretched out his mouth on account of the wonder, wishing to
salute him with a kiss; but John bent down his head, and
kissed his breast. And Domitian said, “Why have you done
this? Did you not think me worthy to kiss you?” And John
said to him, “It is right to adore the hand of God first of all,
and by this, kiss the mouth of the king; for it is written in the
holy books, ‘The heart of a king is in the hand of God.’”
And the king said to him, “Are you John, who said that
my kingdom soon would be uprooted, and that another king,
Jesus by name, will be reign instead of me?”
And John answered to him, “You also shall reign for
many years assigned to you by God, and after you many
others; and when the times of the things upon earth have
been fulfilled, out of heaven shall come a King, who is
eternal and true Judge of living and dead, to whom every
nation and tribe shall confess, through whom every earthly
power and dominion shall be brought to nothing, and every
mouth speaking great things shall be shut. This is the mighty
Lord and King of everything that has breath and flesh, the
Word and Son of the living One, who is Jesus Christ.”
On this Domitian said to him, “What is the proof of your
sayings? Because I am not persuaded by merely words, for
words are a sight of unseen. What can you show me in this
464
material world by the Power of him, ‘who is destined to
reign’, as you say, for he can do it, if he is the Son of God?”
And immediately John asked for a deadly poison. They
brought it on the instant and the king ordered poison to be
given to John. John therefore, having taken it, put it into a
large cup, and filled it with water, and mixed it, and cried out
with a loud voice, and said, “In Your name, Jesus Christ,
Son of God, I drink the cup which You will sweeten; and the
poison in it do You mingle with Your Holy Spirit, and make it
become a draught of life and salvation, for the healing of
soul and body, for digestion and harmless assimilation, for
faith not to be repented of, for an undeniable testimony of
death as the cup of thanksgiving.”
And when he had drunk the cup, those standing beside
Domitian expected that he was going to fall to the ground in
convulsions. And when John stood, cheerful, and talked with
them safe, Domitian was enraged against those who had
given the poison, as having spared John. But they swore by
the fortune and health of the king, and said that there could
not be a stronger poison than this. And John, understanding
what they were whispering to one another, said to the king,
“Do not take it ill, O king, but let a trial be made, and you
shall learn the power of the poison. Make some condemned
criminal be brought from the prison.” And when he had
come, John put water into the cup, and swirled it round, and
gave it with all the dregs to the condemned criminal. And he,
having taken it and drunk, immediately fell down and died.
And when all wondered at the signs that had been
done, and when Domitian had started for his palace, John
said to him, “O Domitian, king of the Romans, did you
contrive this, that in your presence and witness, I might
today become a murderer? What is to be done about the
dead body which is lying?” And he ordered it to be taken and
thrown away. But John, came up to the dead body and said,
“O God, Maker of the heavens, Lord and Master of angels,
465
of glories, of powers, in the name of Jesus Christ, Your only
begotten Son, give to this man who has died for this
occasion a renewal of life, and restore him his soul, that
Domitian may learn that the Word is much more powerful
than poison, and is the Ruler of life.” And having taken him
by the hand, he raised him up alive. And when all around
were glorifying God on account of this miracle, and
wondering at the faith of John, Domitian said to him, “I have
put forth a decree of the senate, that all persons like you,
should be instantly put to death without trial; but since I find
from you that they are innocent, and that their religion is
rather beneficial, I banish you to an island, that I may not
seem myself to do away with my own decrees.” John asked
then that the condemned criminal should be let go; and
when he was let go, he said, “Depart, give thanks to God,
who has this day delivered you from prison and from death.”
And while they were standing, a certain home-born
slave of Domitian's, of those in the bed-chamber, was
suddenly seized by the unclean demon, and lay dead; and
report about it has reached the king. And the king was
moved, and requested John to help her. And John said, “It is
not in man will to do this, but since you know how to reign,
but do not know from whom you have received your power,
learn who has the power over both, you and your kingdom.”
And he prayed thus, “O Lord, the God of every kingdom, and
master of every creature, give to this maiden the breath of
life.” And after he prayed, she was raised up. And Domitian,
astonished at all these wonders, appointing for him a
sentence, ordered to send him away to an island. And
straightway John sailed to Patmos, where also he was
deemed worthy to see the Revelation of the End. And when
Domitian was dead, Nerva succeeded the kingdom, and
recalled all who had been banished; and having kept the
kingdom for a year, he made Trajan his successor. And
when Trajan was king over the Romans, John went to
466
Ephesus, and regulated all the teaching of the Church,
holding many conferences, and reminding them of what the
Lord had said to them, and what duty he had assigned to
each. And when he has become old and changed, he
appointed Polycarp to be bishop over the Church.

The departure of John

Jesus said to Peter, “Follow me.”


Then Peter, turning around, saw a disciple following.
This was the disciple whom Jesus loved most, the one who
had also leaned on Jesus’ breast at the supper and asked,
“Lord, who is going to betray You?” Peter seeing him, said to
Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
Jesus said to him, “If I desire that he stay until I come,
what is that to you? You follow me.”
This saying therefore went out among the brothers that
this disciple wouldn’t die. Yet Jesus didn’t say to him that he
wouldn’t die, but, “If I desire that he stay until I come, what is
that to you?” This is the disciple who testifies about these
things, and wrote these things. We know that his witness is
true.
And what like his end was, or his departure from men,
who can give an account of it? For on the Lord's day, and in
the presence of the brothers, he addressed to them,
“Brothers, and fellow-servants, and co-heirs, and copartners
of the Kingdom of the Lord, know the Lord in miracles He
has shown you through me: what wonders, what cures, what
signs, what gracious gifts, teachings, rulings, rests, services,
glories, graces, gifts, faiths, communions; how many things
that ear has not heard, you have seen with your own eyes!
Therefore, be strong in Him, and keep remembering Him in
all your doings, knowing the mystery of the dispensation that
has come to men, for the sake of which the Lord has
467
worked. He then, through me, exhorts you, “Brothers, I wish
to remain without grief, without insult, without treachery,
without punishment.” For He also knows insult from you, He
knows also dishonor, He knows also treachery, He knows
also punishment from those that disobey His
commandments.
Let not therefore our God be grieved, the good, the
compassionate, the merciful, the holy, the pure, the
undefiled, the only, the One, the immutable, the sincere, the
guileless, the slow to anger, He that is higher and more
exalted than every name that we speak or think of— our
God, Jesus Christ. Let Him rejoice along with us because we
conduct ourselves well; let Him be glad because we live in
purity; let Him rest because we behave reverently; let Him be
pleased because we live in fellowship; let Him smile because
we are sober-minded; let Him be delighted because we love.
These things, brothers, I communicate to you, pressing on to
the work set before me, already perfected for me by the
Lord. For what else have I to say to you? Keep the
faithfulness of your God; keep His presence, so that it shall
not be taken away from you. And if then you sin no more, He
will forgive you what you have done in ignorance; but if after
He had compassion upon you and you have known Him, you
will return to the same, even your former offenses will be laid
to your charge, and you shall have no portion or compassion
before His face.”

The last prayers of John

And when he had said this to them, he thus prayed:


“Jesus, who wreathed this crown by Your twining, who has
inserted these many flowers into the everlasting flower of
Your countenance, who has sown these words among them,
be You Yourself the protector and healer of Your people.
468
You alone are benignant and not haughty, alone merciful
and kind, alone a Savior, and just. You who always sees
what belongs to all, and are in all, and everywhere present,
God Lord Jesus Christ; who with Your gifts and Your
compassion covers those that hope in You; who know
intimately those that everywhere speak against us, and
blaspheme Your Holy Name, do You alone, O Lord, help
Your servants with Your watchful care. So be it, Lord.”
And having asked bread, he gave thanks thus, saying:
“What praise, or what sort of offering, or what thanksgiving,
shall we, breaking the bread, invoke, but You only? We
glorify the Name by which You have been called by the
Father; we glorify the Name by which You have been called
through the Son; we glorify the resurrection which has been
manifested to us through You. Of You we glorify the seed,
the Word, the grace, the true pearl, the treasure, the plough,
the net, the majesty, the diadem, Him called Son of man for
our sakes, the Truth, the rest, the knowledge, the freedom,
the Place of refuge in You. For You alone are Lord, the root
of immortality, and the fountain of incorruption, and the seat
of the ages; You who has been called all these for our
sakes, that now we, calling upon You through these, may
recognize Your illimitable majesty, presented to us by Your
presence, that can be seen only by the pure, seen in Your
only Son.”
And having broken the bread, he gave it to us, praying
for each of the brothers, that he might be worthy of the
Eucharist of the Lord. He also therefore, having likewise
tasted it, said, “To me also let there be a portion with you,
and peace, O beloved.” And having thus spoken, and
confirmed the brothers, he said to Eutyches, also known as
Verus, “Behold, I appoint you a minister of the Church of
Christ, and I entrust to you the flock of Christ. Be mindful,
therefore, of the commandments of the Lord, and if you
should fall into trials or dangers, be not afraid, for you shall
469
fall under many troubles, and you shall be shown to be an
eminent witness of the Lord. Therefore, Verus, attend to the
flock as a servant of God, until the time appointed for your
testimony.”
And when John had spoken this, and more than this,
having entrusted to him the flock of Christ, he says to him,
“Take some brothers, with baskets and vessels, and follow
me.” And Eutyches, without considering, did what he was
told. And the blessed John having gone forth from the
house, went outside of the gates, having told the multitude to
stand off from him. And having come to the tomb of one of
our brothers, he told them to dig. And they dug. And he said,
“Let the trench be deeper.” And as they dug, he conversed
with those who had come out of the house with him, building
them up, and furnishing them thoroughly into the majesty of
the Lord. And when the young men had finished the trench,
as he had wished, while we knew nothing, he takes off the
clothes he had on, and throws them, as if they were some
bedding, into the depth of the trench; and, standing in only
his drawers, stretched forth his hands, and prayed.
“O God, who has chosen us for the mission of the
Gentiles, who has sent us out into the world, who has
declared Yourself through the apostles; who has never
rested, but always saves from the foundation of the world;
who has made Yourself known through all nature; who has
made our wild and savage nature quiet and peaceable; who
has given Yourself to it when thirsting after knowledge; who
has put to death its adversary, when it took refuge in You;
who has given it Your hand, and raised it from the things
done in Hades; who has shown it its own enemy; who has in
purity turned its thoughts upon You, O Christ Jesus, Lord of
things in heaven, and law of things on earth, the course of
things aerial, and guardian of things ethereal, the fear of
those under the earth, and grace of Your own people,

470
receive also the soul of Your John, which has been certainly
deemed worthy by You.
You who has preserved me also till the present hour
pure to Yourself, and free from intercourse with woman;
who, when I wished in my youth to marry, appeared to me,
and say, “I am in need of you, John;” who strengthened for
me beforehand my bodily weakness; who, when a third time
I wished to marry, said to me at the third hour, in the sea,
“John, if you were not mine, I would let you marry;” who has
opened up the sight of my mind, and has favored my bodily
eyes; who, when I was looking about me, called even the
gazing upon a woman hateful; who delivered me from
temporary show, and preserve me for that which endures for
ever; who separated me from the filthy madness of the flesh;
who stopped up ‘the secret disease of the soul’, and cut out
its open actions; who afflicted and banish ‘him who rebelled
in me’; who established my love to You spotless and
unimpaired; who gave me undoubting faith in You; who has
drawn out for me pure thoughts towards You; who has given
me the due reward of my works; who has set it in my soul to
have no other possession than You alone: for what is more
precious than You?
Now, O Lord, when I have accomplished Your
stewardship with which I was entrusted, make me worthy of
Your repose, having wrought that which is perfect in You,
which is ineffable salvation. And as I go to You, let the fire
withdraw, let darkness be overcome, let the furnace be
slackened, let Gehenna be extinguished, let the angels
follow, let the demons be afraid, let the princes be broken in
pieces, let the powers of darkness fall, let the places on the
right hand stand firm, let those on the left abide not, let the
devil be muzzled, let Satan be laughed to scorn, let his
madness be tamed, let his wrath be broken, let his children
be trodden under foot, and let all his root be uprooted; and
grant to me to accomplish the journey to You, not insulted,
471
not despitefully treated, and to receive what You have
promised to those that live in purity, and that have loved a
holy life.”
And gazing towards heaven, he glorified God; and
having sealed himself altogether, he stood and said to us,
“Peace and grace be with you, brothers!” And he sent the
brothers away. And when they went on the next day, they
did not find him, but his sandals, and a fountain welling up.
And after that they remembered what had been said to Peter
by the Lord about him, “For what does it concern you if I
should wish him to remain until I come?” And they glorified
God for the miracle that had happened. And having thus
believed, they retired praising and blessing the benignant
God; because to Him is due glory now and ever, and to ages
of ages. Amen!

2010

John asked Jesus, “Please explain me meaning of


these your words, ‘He who has understanding, let him
calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a
man. His number is six hundred sixty-six.’”
Jesus said, “O John, it is you who wrote this book, and
yet you asking me about such things? Isn’t was it told that
the wisdom of God is hidden from the wise and learned and
open to the small children of the Father? Therefore the
answer would be very easy, and it is right in front of you as it
always was. It was told, “It is the number of a man.” And
here is the answer, “It is the number of man.” As you can
see, simple and obvious things are most difficult to
understand. Do you remember the account of creation?
Please tell me, on which day humans were created?”
John said, “On the six day of creation, of course.”

472
Jesus said, “Now, can you see, why this is imperfect
number? On six day God created a man, and on the same
day the spirit became mixed with the earth. Such
combination polluted the spirit, and the serpent become able
to venom that which could not by affected by any poison. In
the same way as the Seal of David without its center would
be incomplete, the six days of the creation without its
Seventh Day appear as full of vanity and hopelessness; for
everything under the number six is cursed and under
dominion of the Death. The Seventh Day is the only place of
perfection of the Father; find therefore His Word and be with
your Lord for eternity.”

21

“O John, the number seven by itself is a perfect


number, but have a look at the number 21, which formed by
triple 7. It seems that you also favor the same number, for
you have divided your Gospel into 21 parts; did you done
this to make it complying with the Revelation or to
demonstrate that it was written for the 21 century? Or for the
Day when two will became one? Verily, you were exalted
high in the Spirit when you have put all these together. Any
how, it was a good choice, for the triple seven is a wonderful
number, containing within itself the kindness and authority of
the Father, the wisdom and power of the Mother and the
being of the Son.”
John said, “Art so ‘the Trice Great’?”
Jesus said, “You may call it in this way.”
John said, “Now I can see. From triple seven you can
easily recon how triple six came forth, for 666 stands for
thrice deficient 777. Therefore, the Greatness became
hidden by mist, the God-head was cut away, and the Master
of the House became enslaved by the enemy. The dark
473
water has covered up everything, and how deep its depth is,
and how dark is its darkness! Verily, those who are not with
Christ, they are with the Anti-Christ, and it is so simple.”
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who saw the Father in
His glory, for they never would be like they were before.
Twice blessed are those who came to know both, the Mother
and the Father, for they have entered the path of no return.
And thrice blessed are those, who came to know the Mother
and the Father as their Child, for they are in the Kingdom of
God.”
John asked, “But what about this new creation account
of yours?”
Jesus said, “O John! Are words capable to express the
greatness of the Father, or could our thoughts comprehend
it? The words are like merely bubbling on the surface of an
ocean, and mind is like a crippled worm, which is daring to
climb a mountain. No one can describe the creation of the
Lord in all its glory by the means of words; neither is human
mind capable to comprehend it. That is reason, why this
account of mine is not an attempt to define the virtual
process of creation in all its aspects or to make one more
theory of creation; rather it purposed to remind the Children
of Adam the source from where they came from, so that they
may return to it. In the same way it was written even before.”
John said, “In the Moses account, it was Eve who was
blamed for the seducing of Adam, but you seems divided
their responsibility equally. What was the reason behind
this?”
Jesus said, “What was the reason? As you know I
follow the course of natural action, or you may call it
‘spontaneous response to the situation’. The Mother creating
the situation for me and I make myself available to it, and try
to do my best in accordance with time and place. Moses was
not against women when he wrote his account, neither he
was wrong, but he did what was appropriate for his time and
474
the generations to come. Now, the time is different, and let
those who have understanding consider the differences.
Therefore, I tell you, don’t try to make scapegoats out of
women, don’t blame them for their seduction, but rather ask
from yourself about the reasons of your own vulnerability to
the spells of the viper. Is it comes from outside or from within
you? Did not Adam have eaten from the forbidden tree in his
good will, and later blamed Eve for this?”
John asked, “As you have mentioned earlier, you also
have another sheep, which are not of this sheepfold, which
of them are yours then?”
Jesus answered, “A tree is to be recognized by its
fruits; the good tree produces good fruits, and the bad tree
can bear only bad fruits. Have a look around with your own
eyes, use your own mind and you will have the right answer.
There is one God, and there is one Religion; all those who
claim that there are yet another God and another religion are
mistaken, being either confused by the multiplicity of terms
or by the crafty adversary of humans, which takes many
forms.”
John asked, “What are meanings of these ‘the Great
Time’ and ‘the End of Time’?”
Jesus said, “This means coming of the period of
inevitable changes for the Human civilization, which can’t be
avoided or postponed by any means. Congratulations to you,
for we are in the Great Time right now!”
John said, “Does it mean that the Human civilization
going to its end?”
Jesus said, “Not necessary that it will perish, but
definitely it will not continue in its present form, for with its
present state of mentality, it will not be able to go through.”
John said, “Are you going to destroy it then?”
Jesus said, “Why do you want to push me into the
hands of the evil one? Isn’t it was told that I came to save
those who have chosen to be saved, and not to destroy?
475
The Seal was broken at the time appointed for it, and there
is no way to seal it back. All the foundations of the earth are
shaken; the Abysses stand open and the Dragon is hungry
for his food, and now, who can stop him? The destruction of
the humanity is not what I am anticipating, although it is the
easiest thing for me to do, for to accomplish this I have to do
merely nothing; just to give up and live everything in the
hands of the evil one, so that he will be able to finalize
creating the Kingdom of Hell on the Earth. Besides,
everyone knows of his craftiness and his proposals to me,
should I also follow example of others and enjoy sweetness
of his poisonous fruits? The fruits which are so easy to
swallow, but impossible to digest? In the same way as the
Son of man is striving to bring the Kingdom of God on the
Earth, the evil one is eager to create the Kingdom of Hell at
the same place. And tell me, which gardener would sit and
watch patiently how the enemy tries to destroy the harvest
planted by him?”
John asked, “Are you going then, to judge ‘the children
of the devil’ then, as it was prophesied about you?”
Jesus answered, “It is their own soul, the cry and
mourning of which they despised, who will be their judge and
witness against them at the same time. And behold! The
hour of the Great Tribulation is knocking at the door!”
John asked, “What would be your advice about how to
pass through the Great Time?”
Jesus said, “Don’t built for yourselves hardened
shelters from concrete and steel, for no one will be able to
escape from the wrath of the Lord there; rather built for
yourselves shelter within your hearts, so that He may
become your shelter. Do not build nor gather for yourselves
in this world, where the thief comes and steals, but store
your wealth in the Heaven with the Father. Repent and flee
into the Lord, and shut tightly the door behind you.”

476
John asked, “Is there any hope or future for the
humanity then?”
Jesus said, “Use your own understanding, open your
eyes wide and have a look around. Also consider the history
of humanity and you will see what children of Adam are
capable for, and it is as clear for me as 1, 2, 3. No a person
of sound mind would sleep peacefully in the house built over
explosives, but look at the people around you, they are so
happy in their sleep, so blinded by their proud that no one of
them seems least worried. Is there any such thing as the
filling of collective responsibility amongst them? Or people at
last became masters of the earth, space and time?
In the same way as cancer disease kills those on whom
it feeds, and dies along with them, not realizing that it kills
itself, the human civilization kills the Earth only to perish
along with it. People are so found of speaking about the
natural laws, but do they aware that the Earth also is the
body, which has its own natural laws? And after all, are
people capable for destroying the Earth? I would rather say,
‘It is the Earth, which is able to shake them off from her skin,
for she is not as helpless as it appears’.
As you know there are the seven Governors, who are
watching the Earth from above, and the Mars is one
amongst them. Those who live by the Laws of Time, the time
will consume them as it consumed those who came before
them. Look back into history of the humanity, and see how
with increasing population, the destructive power of the
weapons was growing side by side, and have notice that it
never remain idle for a long time. When vessel is full, water
starts overflowing; when the measure of measures has
reached its limits, then the situation created automatically.
You can try to repair breaches as many times as it is
possible, but at last pot is going to be cracked one way or
another, and all its contents would be released at once; and
if the ♂ is not enough to convince you, then consider the ▼
477
also. People believe that they can control everything, but as
matter of fact they are puppets in the hands of the Devil. And
what makes them dance under his flute? It is by their free
will and by their own actions that they made themselves
subservient to him and his laws.”
John said, “Then what comes next?”
Jesus said, “There already were many great
civilizations, and all of them perished in no time without any
trace left of them. The same sad story with the same sad
end, seems repeats itself once more. Of course, God can
create the children of Adam from these stones, but what a
wastage it would be! However, no souls would be destroyed,
for souls are immortal, but what kind of place and which kind
of bodies will be left for them to abide? Only God Father
knows what could be the final outcome of all these.
Water can carry a boat, and water can swallow it, the
same things may demonstrate two opposite qualities, in
dependence on a particular situation. Therefore I repeat you
once more, cling to that which can’t be shaken, for the
people seems willing to go through the fire of hell, reserved
for them by their crafty adversary; but woe to those, who
have chosen him as their ally and adviser, for he makes no
friends with any one, but only captives and slaves.
In the same way as we were not sitting with folded
hands, but were doing our work, the crafty one also did not
waste his time. For by now, everything is ready for the
human civilization to proceed through the Great Fire
prepared for them. And consider this also: in the complete
history of humanity, there was no better opportunity for mass
annihilation of the human race then it is available nowadays.
The power is nothing without understanding how to use it;
the sword is fatal for those who don’t know how to handle it.
Those who take the sword will die by the same sword. Those
who have chosen to be the servants of the devil, to his
kingdom they will go; but woe to those who sold their souls
478
to him, for he is the Lord of Hades, and to Hades he will take
them. As matter of fact, I much astonished to see, how close
we have reached to the line.”
John asked, “Before you use to say that it is God who
will punish humanity, but now you are blaming for everything
the same ancient snake?”
Jesus said, “See John, Father has made this universe
in accordance with His laws, for without laws, chaos would
be there. He put His laws in order, and so that order stands
unshakable until now. Is anything of His creation faulty? Is
not fire hot or is not water flowing? Is not wind blowing or is
not sun shining? Are planets gone of their courses or stars in
heaven felt from their places? Everything in this universe is
subservient and obedient to His laws, but there is only one
known exception out of the rule. Out of all multiplicity of the
created objects of the Universe, as of material as well as of
nonmaterial sphere, only beings to whom God created in His
Own Image have ability and freedom of will to follow or to
transgress the Laws of their Maker. But take a notice; it is
only the people who have this kind of freedom, but not those
who were designated to watch them from above.
What would be creator, if He is not just to His own
creatures, and what would be creation without institution of
the Divine Justice? Each action has its equal and opposite
reaction, as you know; as you sow, so you will reap and not
otherwise. Sodom and Gomorrah are nice illustration how
does this works on practice. That is why, the Evil one has
become everything for those who have chosen to follow him,
their main adviser in their transgressions and their main
accuser in the Court of the Divine Justice at the same time,
and yes, he has no mercy on those who believed him.”
John asked, “Is there any solution then?”
Jesus said, “There is no any new solution, but only the
old one, to follow the Word of God. Ask advice from the
people of Nineveh and they will guide you by the right path.
479
O Children of God! Don’t remain guests in this world; don’t
behave as if you were alien on this planet. Shake of your
sleep and accept your personal responsibility for everything
you are doing and everything what is going to happen to
you. Remember that there are no such things as free lunch
in this world, and here one has to pay for everything. Choose
your side, for who is not with God, he is with the Devil. There
only two alternatives to be chosen from; to be with your
Father or with crafty adversary of humans, and there no third
left in between. The time is over and there is no more ‘a
middle option’ left; therefore either proceed to the feast of
the Father or be the guests at the banquet of the Devil!”
John asked, “Does it mean, ‘No more the Kingdom of
the Flesh?’ Is it your ultimatum to the humanity?”
Jesus said, “See John, this is not ultimatum of mine,
rather it is the declaration of obvious things. As I already
have mentioned before, the Seal was broken and we are
living in the Great Time, for now we are standing at the edge
of the worlds; Heaven and Hell stand open and much near. If
humanity passes through this period in its good will, then it
will emerge out of it to new heights it newer could imagine
before. But if it stumbles by the way and fells down to the
bottom of the pit, what is appearing as most likely by now,
then it will be thrown to millions years back of its history.”
John said, “Are you trying to frighten people?”
Jesus said, “Not at all, rather I am trying to address to
the understanding of those who have understanding. No one
will be saved by closing their eyes in front of the approaching
danger; ignorance isn’t safe place to take refuge in it.
Therefore, people are given this knowledge not to constrain
them, but to give them an idea, how things work actually, so
that they may choose their path not in darkness, but in broad
day light. O Children of God! Awake and arise from the dead
you who sleep; and let the Holy Spirit shine on you!

480
Remember that good and evil are both within you; therefore
be careful in choosing to which of them to obey!”
John said, ‘Are you aware that many will be
disappointed by your teaching and will despise you along
with it?”
Jesus said, “Did I leave an open area for mockers? It
could be so... Let then they mock, for everyone has their
right to choose, even if they have made choice for their own
worst. And tell me, should I also try to imitate the false
prophets, who feed people with the food, which is much
sweet to their ears, should I also try to distort the truth to
make it sweeter? One, two, three, how it is loose and handy,
and profitable for the flesh?
As I already have told before, this is not my teaching at
all, and it does not depend on the things of man. When the
Father created the world, he left a back door, so that His Son
may come in his time with his holy angels, and reign as a
king, even if he doesn’t wish this. Secondly, I am not judging
them; otherwise should I try to copy Hitler and start doing
horrific things in hope for good? However those who will
despise the Word and chose to step out from ‘the secure
circle’ of its Power, described here, they will be rejected by
the Holy Spirit and welcomed by the outer darkness, where
they by their free will have chosen to torment their souls for
eternity. And keep in mind that the Holy Spirit will never be
mistaken or confused on account of them and the choice
they have made. And for them there will be no end of
weeping and gnashing of teeth; and their worm will never
die; and they fire will never be quenched, for they
themselves have chosen all these.”
John said, “Is there any another way of redemption?”
Jesus said, “There are no any others ways, besides the
one described here, redemption through the grace of the
Holy Spirit of Truth.”
John said, “And what is your personal role in all these?”
481
Jesus said, “Of course, it is to do the will of Him who
has sent me, and to accomplish His Work assigned to me;
and no more, and no less.”

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Jesus said, “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his


vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none.
He said to the vine dresser, ‘Behold, these three years I
have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and found none.
Cut it down. Why does it waste the soil?’ He answered,
‘Lord, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it, and
fertilize it. If it bears fruit, fine; but if not, after that, you can
cut it down.’”

The Plan “B”: The repentance of Nineveh

The Jews asked Jesus, “What sign do you show us,


seeing that you do these things?”
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up.”
Pharisees asked Jesus, “Teacher, we want to see a
sign from you.”
But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous
generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but
the sign of Jonah the prophet. For even as Jonah became a
sign to the Ninevites, so will also the Son of Man be to this
generation. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in
the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days
and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of
Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation,
and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of
Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.”
482
Now the Word of Yahweh came to Jonah the son of
Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and
preach against it, for their wickedness has come up before
me.”
But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence
of Yahweh. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going
to Tarshish; so he paid its fare, and went down into it, to go
with them to Tarshish from the presence of Yahweh. But
Yahweh sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a
mighty storm on the sea, so that the ship was likely to break
up. Then the mariners were afraid, and every man cried to
his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the
sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone down into the
innermost parts of the ship, and he was laying down, and
was fast asleep. So the shipmaster came to him, and said to
him, “What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God!
Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”
They all said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots, that we
may know who is responsible for this evil that is on us.” So
they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they asked
him, “Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us.
What is your occupation? Where do you come from? What is
your country? Of what people are you?”
He said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Yahweh,
the God of heaven, who has made the sea and the dry land.”
Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said to him,
“What is this that you have done?” For the men knew that he
was fleeing from the presence of Yahweh, because he had
told them. Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you,
that the sea may be calm to us?” For the sea grew more and
more stormy. He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me
into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; for I know
that because of me this great storm is on you.”

483
Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to
the land; but they could not, for the sea grew more and more
stormy against them. Therefore they cried to Yahweh, and
said, “We beg you, Yahweh, we beg you, don’t let us die for
this man’s life, and don’t lay on us innocent blood; for you,
Yahweh, have done as it pleased you.” So they took up
Jonah, and threw him into the sea; and the sea ceased its
raging. Then the men feared Yahweh exceedingly; and they
offered a sacrifice to Yahweh, and made vows. Yahweh
prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in
the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah
prayed to Yahweh, his God, out of the fish’s belly. He said,
“I called because of my affliction to Yahweh.
He answered me.
Out of the belly of netherworld I cried.
You heard my voice.
For you threw me into the depths,
in the heart of the seas.
The flood was all around me.
All your waves and your billows passed over me.
I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight;
yet I will look again toward your Holy Temple.’
The waters surrounded me,
even to the soul.
The deep was around me.
The weeds were wrapped around my head.
I went down to the bottoms of the mountains.
The earth barred me in forever:
yet have you brought up my life from the pit, Yahweh
my God.
“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered
Yahweh.
My prayer came in to you, into your Holy Temple.
Those who regard lying vanities forsake their own
mercy.
484
But I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving.
I will pay that which I have vowed.
Salvation belongs to Yahweh.”
Yahweh spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah on
the dry land. The word of Yahweh came to Jonah the second
time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and
preach to it the message that I give you.”
So Jonah arose, and went to Nineveh, according to the
Word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great
city, three days’ journey across. Jonah began to enter into
the city a day’s journey, and he cried out, and said, “In forty
days, Nineveh will be overthrown!”
The people of Nineveh believed God; and they
proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from their greatest
even to their least. The news reached the king of Nineveh,
and he arose from his throne, and took off his royal robe,
covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He made a
proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree
of the king and his nobles, saying, “Let neither man nor
animal, herd nor flock, taste anything; let them not feed, nor
drink water; but let them be covered with sackcloth, both
man and animal, and let them cry mightily to God. Yes, let
them turn everyone from his evil way, and from the violence
that is in his hands. Who knows whether God will not turn
and relent, and turn away from his fierce anger, so that we
might not perish?”
God saw their works that they turned from their evil
way. God relented of the disaster which he said he would do
to them, and he didn’t do it.
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.
He prayed to Yahweh, and said, “Please, Yahweh,
wasn’t this what I said when I was still in my own country?
Therefore I hurried to flee to Tarshish, for I knew that you are
a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant
in loving kindness, and you relent of doing harm. Therefore
485
now, Yahweh, take, I beg you, my life from me; for it is better
for me to die than to live.”
Yahweh said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”
Then Jonah went out of the city, and sat on the east
side of the city, and there made himself a booth, and sat
under it in the shade, until he might see what would become
of the city. Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to
come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head,
to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was
exceedingly glad because of the vine. But God prepared a
worm at dawn the next day, and it chewed on the vine, so
that it withered. It happened, when the sun arose, that God
prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s
head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he
might die, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”
God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about
the vine?”
He said, “I am right to be angry, even to death.”
Yahweh said, “You have been concerned for the vine,
for which you have not labored, neither made it grow; which
came up in a night, and perished in a night. Shouldn’t I be
concerned for Nineveh, that great city, in which are more
than one hundred twenty thousand persons who can’t
discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also
much livestock?”

The works of the Holy Spirit

“This was no mere earthly invention which was


delivered to us, nor is it a mere human system of opinion,
which we judge it right to preserve so carefully, nor has a
dispensation of mere human mysteries been committed to
us, but truly God Himself, who is almighty, the Creator of all
things, and invisible, has sent from heaven, and placed
486
among men, the Truth, and the holy and incomprehensible
Word, and has firmly established it in their hearts.
He did not, as some might have imagined, send to men
any servant, or angel, or ruler, or any one of those who bear
sway over earthly things, or one of those to whom the
government of things in the heavens has been entrusted, but
the very Creator and Fashioner of all things—by whom He
made the heavens—by whom he enclosed the sea within its
proper bounds—whose ordinances all the stars faithfully
observe—from whom the sun has received the measure of
his daily course to be observed— whom the moon obeys,
being commanded to shine in the night, and whom the stars
also obey, following the moon in her course; by whom all
things have been arranged, and placed within their proper
limits, and to whom all are subject—the heavens and the
things that are therein, the earth and the things that are
therein, the sea and the things that are therein—fire, air, and
the abyss—the things which are in the heights, the things
which are in the depths, and the things which lie between.
His own Son He sent to them.
Was it then, as one might conceive, for the purpose of
exercising tyranny, or of inspiring fear and terror? By no
means not, but this was done under the influence of
clemency and meekness. As a king sends his son, who is
also a king, so sent He Him; as God He sent Him; as to men
He sent Him; as a Savior He sent Him, and as seeking to
persuade, not to compel us; for violence has no place in the
character of God. As calling us He sent Him, not as
vengefully pursuing us; as loving us He sent Him, not as
judging us. For He will yet send Him to judge us, and who
shall endure His appearing?
Do you not see them exposed to wild beasts, that they
may be persuaded to deny the Lord, and yet not overcome?
Do you not see that the more of them are punished, the
greater becomes the number of the rest? This does not
487
seem to be the work of man: this is the Power of God; these
are the evidences of His manifestation.”

The Dove and the Messiah

“The Dove fluttered over the Messiah, because He was


her head. And she sang over Him and her voice was heard,
and the inhabitants were afraid and the sojourners were
moved; the birds dropped their wings and all creeping things
died in their holes. And the abysses were opened which had
been hidden; and they cried to the Lord like women in travail
for food. But no food was given to them, because it did not
belong to them; and abysses were sealed up with the Seal of
the Lord.
And they perished, in the thought, those that had
existed from ancient times; for they were corrupt from the
beginning; and the end of their corruption was Life. And
every one of them that was imperfect perished, for it was not
possible to give them the Word that they might remain in it.
And the Lord destroyed the imaginations of all them that had
not the Truth with them, for they who in their hearts were
lifted up were deficient in their wisdom, and so they were
rejected, because the Truth was not with them. For the Lord
disclosed His way, and spread abroad His grace; those who
understood it, know His holiness. Hallelujah!”

On transmigration of souls

John asked the Savior, “Lord, will then be all souls


brought safely into Pure Light?”
Jesus said, “Great things have arisen into your mind,
for it is difficult to explain them to others except to those who
are from ‘the immovable race’. Those on whom the Spirit of
488
Life will descend and will be with power, they will be saved
and become perfect, and be worthy of its greatness and be
purified in that place from all kinds of wickedness and all
involvements in evil.
Then they have no other care than the incorruption
alone, to which they direct their attention from here on,
without anger or envy or jealousy or desire and greed of
anything. They are not affected by anything except the state
of being in the flesh alone, which they bear while looking
expectantly for the time when they will be met by the
receivers. Such then are worthy of the calling of the
Imperishable and the Eternal Life. For they endure
everything and bear up under everything, that they may
finish the good fight and inherit Eternal Life.”
John said, “Lord, what about the souls of those who did
not undertake these works, but on whom the Power and the
Spirit descended?”
Jesus said, “If the Holy Spirit will descend upon them, in
any case they will be saved, for they will be changed for they
better. For the Power should descend on every man, for
without it no one can withstand temptations of the counter
spirit. And after they are reborn, when the Spirit of Life
increases and its Power will come and strengthen that soul,
then no one can lead them astray with works of evil. But
those who under the counterfeit spirit are drawn by it and
they go astray.”
John said, “Lord, where will the souls of these go when
they have come out of their flesh?”
Jesus smiled and answered, “The soul in which the
Divine Power will become stronger than the counterfeit spirit,
is strong and it flees from evil and through the intervention of
the Incorruptible One, it is saved, and it is taken up, above
the rest of the powers.”
John said, “Lord, those, however, who have not known
to whom they belong, where their souls will be?”
489
Jesus said, “In those, in whom the despicable spirit has
gained strength when they went astray from the Word, it
burdens their soul and draws it to the works of evil, and
casts it down into forgetfulness. And after it comes out, it is
handed over to the authorities, who came into being through
they Ruler, and they bind it with chains and cast it into
prison, and consort with it until it is liberated from the
forgetfulness and acquires knowledge. And the only way
from this it to become perfect, for then only one could be
saved.”
And I said, “O Lord, how the soul of man becomes
smaller and returns into the nature of its mother?”
Then he rejoiced when I asked him this, and he said to
me, “Truly, you are blessed, for you have understood! That
soul is made to follow Another One, and since the Spirit of
Life is in it, it is saved through this. It is not cast into another
flesh again.”
And I said, “Lord, these also who did not know, but
have turned away, where their souls will go?”
Then he said to me, “They will be taken to that place
where the angels of poverty go, the place where there is no
repentance. And they will be kept for the Day on which those
who have blasphemed the Holy Spirit will be tortured, and
they will be punished with eternal punishment.”

Delight in God’s love

John and Simon were amongst the favorite disciples of


Jesus. John never sat in any company without laughing and
making all around him laugh; and Simon never sat in any
company without weeping and making all around him weep.
One day Simon rebuked John, “How often I see you
laughing, as if you fell astray from the work commanded you
by the Lord!” John replied to him, “How often I see you
490
weeping, as if you became departed from the love of your
Father!” Then Father revealed to Jesus, “Both of them are
dear to me, but I am pleased most with what John is doing”.
“It is good to mourn and constantly remember about the
death, for this will bring you near your Father. But if you able
to be exalted in His love instead, then better be it. For both
of these feelings came out of the same source, and as two
opposite sides of the same coin, both are leading to the
Lord. And yet, one have to be enough mature, to be able to
distinguish the divine love from the love of the world, for
nothing can be worse than to mistook one for another. For
understanding of the God’s love gives you fulfillment and
establishes you in His Kingdom, but the love of the world
makes you feel miserable first, and finally sends your soul to
the fire of eternal punishment. Die for the world, and accept
as a gift the Kingdom of God, but keep in mind that sorrow
have tendency to make hearts heavy, and bring down, while
exaltation in the God’s love illuminates them, and lifts up.
Open your eyes and see, how is great His love for His
children, for indeed it is great, beyond of comparison with
anything of this world. Verily, the love for the Father and His
Kingdom, consumes the love for this world, in those who
came to know Him in truth, and there is no doubt about this.”
“The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Pleasant words
are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul. A glad heart makes a
cheerful face; but an aching heart breaks the spirit. A man’s
spirit will sustain him in sickness, but a crushed spirit, who
can bear? A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a
crushed spirit dries up the bones. All the days of the afflicted
are wretched, but one who has a cheerful heart enjoys a
continual feast.”

491
Praise to the Lord!

“Praise to the Lord! Praise Yahweh from the heavens!


Praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels! Praise
him, all his army! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all
you shining stars! Praise him, you heavens of heavens, You
waters that are above the heavens. Let them praise the
Name of Yahweh, for he commanded, and they were
created.
He has also established them forever and ever, He has
made a decree which will not pass away. Praise Yahweh
from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths!
Lightning and hail, snow and clouds; stormy wind, fulfilling
his Word; mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars;
wild animals and all livestock; small creatures and flying
birds; kings of the earth and all peoples; princes and all
judges of the earth; both young men and maidens; old men
and children: let them praise the Name of Yahweh, for His
Name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the
heavens. He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise
of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near
to him. Praise the Lord!”
“Praise the Lord! Praise God in His Sanctuary! Praise
him in his heavens for his acts of power! Praise him for his
mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with
harp and lyre! Praise him with tambourine and dancing!
Praise him with stringed instruments and flute! Praise him
with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals! Let
everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

492
The Lord reigns!

‘Yahweh reigns! Let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude


of islands be glad! Clouds and darkness are around him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his
throne. A fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries
on every side, His lightning lights up the world. The earth
sees, and trembles. The mountains melt like wax at the
presence of Yahweh, at the presence of the Lord of the
whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness. All the
peoples have seen his glory. For you, Yahweh, are most
high above all the earth. You are exalted far above all gods.
You who love Yahweh, hate evil. He preserves the souls of
his saints. He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright
in heart. Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous people! Give
thanks to His Holy Name.”
“Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done
marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm, have
worked salvation for him. Yahweh has made known his
salvation. He has openly shown his righteousness in the
sight of the nations. He has remembered his loving kindness
and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends
of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a
joyful noise to Yahweh, all the earth! Burst out and sing for
joy, yes, sing praises! Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of melody. With trumpets and
sound of the ram’s horn, make a joyful noise before the King,
Yahweh. Let the sea roar with its fullness; the world, and
those who dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands. Let
the mountains sing for joy together. Let them sing before
Yahweh, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the
world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”

493
Jesus said, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man
comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

To Assemblies of Church

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,


“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
“He who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand, he
who walks among the seven golden lamp stands, the first
and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says these
things.
He who has the sharp two-edged sword, the Son of
God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are
like burnished brass, says these things.
He who has the Seven Stars, who is holy and true, he
who has the key of David, he who opens and no one can
shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says these things.
He who has the Seven Spirits of God, the Amen, the
Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation, says
these things. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the assemblies.”
“I know your works, and your toil and perseverance,
and that you have endured for my name’s sake, and have
not grown weary. I know your works, your love, faith, service,
patient endurance, and that your last works are more than
the first. I will give to each one of you according to your
deeds. I am not putting any other burden on you,
nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.
He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the
end, to him I will give authority over the nations. He will rule
them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots; as I
also have received of my Father: and I will give him the
morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the assemblies.”
494
“But I have this against you, that you left your First
Love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and
repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you
swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless
you repent. He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to
eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of my God.”
“I know your works behold, I have set before you an
open door, which no one can shut, that you have a little
power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name.
Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep
you from the Hour of Testing, which is to come on the whole
world, to test those who dwell on the earth. I am coming
quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one
takes your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a
pillar in the Temple of my God, and he will go out from there
no more. I will write on him the Name of my God, and the
Name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which
comes down out of heaven from my God, and my own New
Name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says
to the assemblies.”
“I know your works that you have a reputation of being
alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and keep the things that
remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have
found no works of yours perfected before my God.
Remember therefore how you have received and heard,
keep it, and repent.
If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and
you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.
Nevertheless you have a few names in that did not
defile their garments. They will walk with me in white, for
they are worthy. He who overcomes will be arrayed in white
garments, and I will in no way blot his name out of the Book
of Life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and

495
before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the assemblies.”
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm,
and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have gotten riches, and
have need of nothing;’ and you don’t know that you are the
wretched one, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; I advice
you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may
become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe
yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be
revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may
see.”
“I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s
throne is. Repent therefore, and let he who has an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who
overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will
give him a white stone, and on the stone a New Name
written, which no one knows but he who receives it.”
Jesus said, those whom I love, I reprove and chasten.
Be zealous therefore, and repent. Be faithful to death, and I
will give you the Crown of Life. He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who
overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears
my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and
will dine with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will
give to him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also
overcame, and sat down with my Father on his throne. He
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
assemblies.”

496
The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten


virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no
oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all
slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry,
‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. The
foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if
there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those
who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ While they went away to
buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord,
open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Verily I tell you, I don’t know
you.’
Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the
hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?”
He said to them, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door,
for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.
When once the Master of the House has risen up, and has
shut the door, and you begin to stand outside, and to knock
at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will
answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come
from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your
presence, and you taught in our streets.’ He will say, ‘I tell
you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all
you workers of iniquity.’

497
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you
see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, in the
Kingdom of God, and yourselves being thrown outside. They
will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit
down in the Kingdom of God. Behold, there are some who
are last who will be first, and there are some who are first
who will be last.”

Last who will be first; and first who will be last

Jesus said, “But many will be last who are first; and first
who are last. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, who
was the master of a household, who went out early in the
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. When he had
agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them
into his vineyard. He went out about the third hour, and saw
others standing idle in the marketplace.
To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and
whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,
and did likewise. About the eleventh hour he went out, and
found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you
stand here all day idle?’ “They said to him, ‘Because no one
has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the
vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’ When
evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his
manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning from the last to the first.’
When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour
came, they each received a denarius. When the first came,
they supposed that they would receive more; and they
likewise each received a denarius. When they received it,
they murmured against the master of the household, saying,
‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them
498
equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the
scorching heat!’
But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you
no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? Take
that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give
to this last just as much as to you. Isn’t it lawful for me to do
what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because
I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last. For
many are called, but few are chosen.”
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He, who hears, let
him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who is
lost, let him come. He, who desires, let him take the water of
life freely. You were sold for nothing; and you shall be
redeemed without money. I testify to everyone who hears
the words of this book, if anyone adds to them, or takes
away from the words of this book, may God take away his
part from the Tree of Life, and out of the Holy Place, which
are written in this book. He who testifies these things says,
“Yes, I come quickly.”
Amen! The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all
the saints. Amen!

499
The Seal is broken...

Jesus said, “I will destroy the House, and no one will be


able to rebuild it.”
I saw, in the right hand of him who sat on the throne, a
book written inside and outside, sealed shut with seven
seals. I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice,
“Who is worthy to open the book, and to break its seals?” No
one in heaven above, or on the earth, or under the earth,
was able to open the book, or to look in it. And I wept much,
because no one was found worthy to open the book, or to
look in it. One of the elders said to me, “Don’t weep. Behold,
the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
overcome; he is one, who opens the book and its seven
seals.” I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living
creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing,
as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven
eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the
earth. Then he came, and he took it out of the right hand of
him who sat on the throne...

To be continued...

500

Вам также может понравиться