mysteries.john.02 Chapter 1

I rose up and I followed him.

I walked through the Paradise, and I looked round about, and I saw the tree in the middle of Paradise;

now it had no fruit upon it, and thorns grew all over it, and the trunk went down into the ground a very long way.

And I answered and said to the Cherubim, 'Make me to understand the matter of this tree which hath no fruit on it,

and which is grown over with thorns.'

And the Cherubim said unto me, 'This is the tree [of the fruit] of which Adam ate and became naked.'

And I said unto him, 'There is no fruit on it;

where did he find the fruit which he ate?'

And he said unto me, 'A kind of fruit did grow on it, and it was not without fruit [at that time].'

And I said unto him, 'Of what kind was its fruit?'

He said unto me, 'It was a kind of apple.'

And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Shall it remain wholly without fruit, or not?'

And he said unto me, 'This is the order which God laid upon it from the beginning.'

Now whilst I was marvelling at these things I saw Adam.

He was coming along at a distance, and he was like unto a man who was weeping.

He was spreading out his garment, and he was carrying away in his garment [the leaves] which were under the tree, and pouring them out on the ground, and burying them.

And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Why is Adam spreading out his garment, and putting in it the dried leaves which have been blown off the tree, and digging a hole in the ground and burying them therein?'

And the Cherubim said unto me, 'From the moment when the Devil entered into Paradise, and seduced Adam, and Eve his wife, the trees, which up to that time had possessed a sweet smell, ceased to have any smell at all, and their leaves [began to] fall off.

And Adam used to dress himself in the leaves, and to make them be witnesses for him in the judgment because of what he had done.'

Then I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, by what means did the Devil enter into Paradise, and seduce Adam?

Unless this matter had been permitted by God he could not have entered in, for nothing can take place without [the consent of] God.'

Then the Cherubim said unto me, 'Four and twenty angels are appointed to Paradise daily,

and twelve go in there daily to worship God.

Now at the moment when the Devil went into Paradise, and seduced Adam, there was no angel at all in Paradise,

but an agreement took place [that they should remain outside it] until Adam had eaten of the tree.'

And I said to him, 'If they agreed to this, with the consent of God, then no sin rests upon Adam.' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'By no means. If Adam had been patient for a short time, God would have said to him, 'Eat thou of the tree.'

God removed the righteousness wherewith he was arrayed, and He cast him forth from Paradise, in order that the things which He spake might be fulfilled [when] He should send His Son into the world.'

And I said unto him, 'My Lord, of what kind was this righteousness wherein Adam was arrayed, and which he received from His hand?'

And he said unto me, 'On the day wherein God created Adam, he was twelve cubits in height,

and six cubits in width,

and his neck was three cubits long. And he was like unto an alabaster stone wherein there is no blemish whatsoever.

But when he had eaten [of the fruit] of the tree, his body diminished in size, and he became small, and the righteousness wherein he was arrayed departed and left him naked,

even to the tips of his fingers, that is to say, his very nails.

If he was not cold in the winter, he was not hot in the summer.

And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, at the time when God created Adam, He also created Eve with him from the heavens(?).

But, on the other hand, I have heard that God created Adam and Eve from the beginning,

and, again, I have heard that God brought a deep sleep upon Adam, and that when he was unconscious, He took one of the ribs from his side,

and made it into a woman, and that He filled up the place where the rib was in his side with flesh.

The Almighty did not then create two bodies,

there being [only] one body.'

And he answered and he said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will explain unto you everything.

At the time when God created Adam, He created Eve also with him, in one body,

for at the time when the Master was working at Adam, the thought concerning Eve was with Him.

For this reason two bodies came from one body,

but He did not separate them from each other immediately.

At the time when He brought slumber upon him, and he fell asleep,

and he slept heavily, He brought Eve forth from him, and she became his wife. She was, of a surety, hidden in the rib of the left side [of Adam] from the day wherein God created him.

Consider then, with great attention the sign which is in the sons of Adam.'

And I said unto him, 'O my Lord,

what is the sign which is in the sons of Adam?'

'And the Cherubim said unto me, 'At the moment when the ice (or, cold) was about to come upon the earth, the first things which went cold in the body of the man were his finger nails.

Because at the time when God deprived Adam of the righteousness wherein he was arrayed,

the first things which grew cold were his finger nails. And he wept, and cried out to the Lord,

saying, Woe is me, O my Lord. At the time when I kept the commandments of God,

and before I did eat of the [fruit of] the tree,

my whole body was white like my nails.

For this reason every time Adam looked upon his nails, he used to cry out and weep, even as Hezekiah, when he was sick, used to turn towards the wall, and weep.'

[And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'When Hezekiah] was weeping, why did he not look at a man [instead of] weeping?'

And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will make everything manifest to you,

O faithful virgin. Now it came to pass in the time of Solomon

that the king compelled all the demons

to describe to him all the various kinds [of sicknesses], and the remedies for [healing] them,

and the various kinds of herbs which must be used in relieving pains,

and Solomon wrote them all down upon the wall in the House of God.

And any man who was attacked by a sickness [or, disease], no matter of what kind, used to go into the temple, and look upon the wall, until he found there written the remedy which was suitable for his sickness;

then he would take that remedy, and would go into his house, ascribing glory to God.

And it came to pass that, after Solomon the king was dead, Hezekiah plastered over the walls of the temple with lime, and the prescriptions for the relief of sickness could no longer be found.

Now when Hezekiah the king had fallen sick, and was sick unto death, he could not find the prescription whereby to heal his sickness,

because it was he himself who had plastered over the walls of the temple with lime.

And when the prescriptions which had been written upon them could not be found again, he went into the house of the Lord,

and lay down there, and he looked upon the wall, and he wept,

saying, 'My Lord, let not that which I have done in the matter of plastering over with lime the walls, whereon were inscribed the prescriptions for healing, be held to be a sin [by Thee], for I said, Let men make supplication to God with hope, and they shall find healing.

Never shall I find a prescription for healing whereby I may be made whole.'

And the Lord heard [him], and had compassion upon him, and sent unto him Isaiah the Prophet, and he spake unto him, saying, 'Take the fruit(?) of the wild fig-tree, and plaster it over thy body, and thou shalt find relief.'

Now therefore, O John, God will never forsake the man who performeth [His commandments].'

And again I said unto the Cherubim,

My Lord, I would that thou didst make me to understand the matter of the Cherubim, whose voices cry so loudly

in heaven that mankind tremble upon earth (at the sounds thereof).'

And the Cherubim said unto me, Dost thou see these great winds which are shut up inside their storehouses, over which the angels are set?

When the trumpet soundeth inside the covering (or, veil), the gentle winds come forth, and they breathe upon the wings of the angel who is over the fountain of the dew; then the angel moveth his wings, and the dew cometh upon the earth, and the seed (or, grain) groweth in the earth,

and the trees, and the crops, and the fruit.

If the trumpet doth not sound, a harsh, strong noise cometh forth from heaven, and thereupon the waters of rain come upon the earth in great quantities, which make the fruits grow, and rain-storms,

and thunders of which men are afraid.

For it is the sound of the rustling of the wings of the Seraphim which governs the waters of rain,

until they come down into the firmament; and they fall on the earth gently,

for if they were to descend upon the earth in their (full) violence they would lay waste the earth just as did the waters of Noah and the lightnings which came with them.

(This would happen) if the Seraphim did not come down to govern the waters of the rain, for all the waters are in the sky and the heavens.

Behold, I have made clear to you all mysteries.'

And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, I would that thou didst make me to know what it is which supporteth the sky

and maketh it to be suspendeth thus.'

And he said unto me, 'It is suspended by faith, and by the ordinance of God.'

And I said unto him, 'What is it that supporteth the earth?'

And he said unto me, 'It is four pillars which support the earth, and they are sealed with seven seals.'

And I said unto him, 'My Lord, be not wroth with me

when I ask thee this matter also;

shew me, what it is that beareth up the four pillars?'

And he said unto me, 'He Who created them knoweth what appertaineth to them.'

And I said unto him, 'My Lord, what is the ordinance concerning the hours of the night and day?'

He said unto me, 'Hearken, I will shew thee.

God appointed twelve Cherubim to stand outside the curtain (or, inner veil) and they were not to toil in any way, but were to sing twelve hymns daily.

When the first Cherubim had finished (singing) his hymn, the first hour came to an end.

When the second Cherubim had finished (singing) his hymn, the second hour came to an end, and so on until the twelfth Cherubim.

When the twelfth (Cherubim had finished singing his hymn), the twelve hours were ended.'

I said to him, 'As concerning the twelve hours of the night: are there Seraphim appointed over them, or not?'

And he said unto me, 'Assuredly not, but when the beasts, and the birds, and the reptiles

pray, the first hour is ended.

When the second hour is ended, the beasts pray (again), and so on until the twelfth hour of the night;

it is the animals of God which set limits to them.'

And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Doth the sun know when the twelve hours have come to an end,

so that he may depart to the place where he setteth or riseth?'

And he said unto me, 'When the angels who blow the trumpets have finished, Michael knoweth that the twelfth hymn is finished, and he speaketh to the Angel of the Sun, who goeth and bringeth an end to his course.'

And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, is it God Who ordaineth the life of a man from the time when he was in his mother's womb, or not?'

And he said unto me, 'Know thou that (one) man is wont to perform very many superfluous works, (and another) very many acts of goodness, from the time when he is born to the end of his life.

God, however, setteth a sign on the righteous man before he fashioneth him,

for it is impossible to cause anything to happen without God.

But sin is an alien thing (or, stranger) to God,

for He Who created man was without sin.

It is man who himself committeth sin, according to his wish,

and according to the desire of the Devil.'

And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Man hath been born to suffering,

according to what Job said, 'My mother brought me forth for suffering.'

And he said unto me, 'God is a compassionate Being,

and He doth not forsake man utterly,

but He sheweth mercy upon him, for he is His own form, and His own image,

and the work of His own hands.

And now, O John, He will not forsake him that doeth the will of God, and he who doeth good things shall receive them doubled many times over in the House of God.'

And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, at the moment when God is about to create man, doth He give him the name 'righteous' or 'sinner,' or not?'

And he said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will shew thee.

At the moment when God is about to create a man, before He placeth him

in the womb of his mother, He calleth all the angels, and they come and stand round about.

If the Father blesseth the soul, the angels make answer 'Amen.'

If there come from His mouth the words 'This soul shall give Me rest,' the angels make answer, 'Amen.'

If the Father saith, 'This soul shall commit iniquity,'

the angels make answer, 'Amen.'

Whatsoever cometh forth from the mouth of the Father, that cometh to pass.'

And I said unto him, 'Is the matter of which man is fashioned more excellent than that of the beasts?'

He said unto me, 'Now when men die, each one of them is taken

to the place of which he is worthy,

but so far as beasts are concerned, whether they die,

or whether they live,

their place is the earth.

And I said unto him, 'Are there souls in them?'

He said unto me, 'Every created thing hath a soul in it.'

Now, therefore, the soul of every created thing is its blood.'

And I said unto him, 'Will they then be punished,

or will rest be given unto them?'

He said unto me, 'Let it not be that rest be not given unto them, and let them suffer not;

but man is a being who can suffer, and can enjoy rest.' And it came to pass that when I had heard all these things, I marvelled at the works which God performeth in connexion with man.

And I said unto him, 'Be not wroth with me if I ask this matter.

I would that thou didst inform me concerning the stars which we see in the firmament, and tell me why it is that we cease to see them when the sun hath risen.

I would that thou didst inform me where it is they go until it is time for them to perform their service.' And he said unto me, 'The stars are of different orders.

There are some stars which remain in the heavens until noon,

but they cannot be seen because of the light of the sun.

There are seven stars which come in the north of the world, and they remain there in the heavens always.

And there are seven stars in the heavens which are called 'the gods'; those which are there are not permitted

to emerge from their place of storehouse,

except when death cometh upon the earth.'

And I said unto him, 'Why is it that one star differeth from another?

And why is it that a star is wont to transfer itself from the place which it had originally (to another)?'

And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will make known unto you everything.

There are very many orders of stars which move from the place wherein they were placed originally,

but the decree of God which directeth them abideth forever.

Behold now, I have made manifest unto thee all things, O beloved one of God. Arise, get thee down into the world, and tell therein everything which thou hast seen.'

Then straightway he brought me down on the Mount of Olives, where I found the Apostles gathered together. And I told them of the things which I had seen, and when we had saluted (or, kissed) each other, each departed to his country, ascribing glory to God.

And they preached in the Name of the Christ, through Whom be glory to Him, and His Good Father, and the Holy Spirit for ever. Amen.