This particular Coptic tale is quite interesting. It is an ascension text, but then dives into a question and answer narrative. John the Theologian/Evangelist is taken up into the heavens by Jesus. There, John is handed over to a Cherubim, whom he questions rigorously. There are some interesting dialogue that is presented here. I find the Eucharist dialogue to be really fascinating. The manuscript from which this story originates is dated to about 1000AD, though like texts of this nature, an earlier date is most probable. This is a decently length read, and like always, I “modernized” some of the wording to make it a bit easier to read for the modern viewer. The original translation was done by E. A. Wallis Budge in 1913.

ALPHA OMEGA JESUS CHRIST

THESE ARE THE MYSTERIES OF JOHN THE APOSTLE, THE HOLY VIRGIN, WHICH HE LEARNED IN HEAVEN. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. AMEN.

And it came to pass that when the Savior had risen from the dead, He came on to the Mount of Olives, and sat down. And He made a cloud to envelop all the countries wherein were the Apostles, and it gathered them together into the presence of the Savior upon the Mount of Olives. And John answered and said unto the Savior, “My Lord, behold Thou did say unto me: ‘Thou are My beloved one, and thou has found grace before Me.’ Now therefore, my Lord, I wish Thee to take me into heaven, and show me all the mysteries so that I may know them.” And the Savior made answer and said unto him, “John, enquire thou of Me fully, and I on My part will hide nothing from you. Rise up, and let us pray to My Father, Who is blessed, and He shall hear us.”

Then the Savior and the Apostle John rose up, and He prayed a long, blessed prayer. And when He had said ‘Amen’, the heavens moved away upon this side and on that, and they opened out one beyond the other even to the seventh heaven. And behold, a great Cherubim came out from heaven, and the whole place shone with bright light, and the whole of his body was full of eyes, and flashes of lightning shot out from him.

Then the Apostles became like unto dead men, and they fell down upon the earth through fear; but the Savior took hold of their hands, and raised them up, and removed the fear from them, and established their hearts for them. And John answered, “My Lord, explain to me the order of the Cherubim, which is exceedingly terrible.” The Savior made answer and said unto John, “Hearken unto Me, and I will show you everything. Thou sees the Cherubim. The words of the Father are hidden within him, from their beginning until their fulfillment. Behold, I will make him to come to you so that he may explain everything, O My beloved John.”

And the Savior turned Himself towards the Cherubim, and He said unto him, “I tell you to take My beloved John into heaven. And you shall explain onto him every question which he shall ask you.” Then straightway the Cherubim lifted up John upon his wing of light, and he bore him up unto heaven. And when he arrived at the first gate, the gatekeepers opened the door to him with readiness and fear. Now I, John, saw great mysteries in the First Heaven. I saw twelve men seated upon twelve thrones, within the great gate, in great glory and dignity. And I said unto the Cherubim, “Master, who are these who are seated in such majestic dignity?” The Cherubim said unto me, “See these twelve men? These are the twelve Rulers of the worlds of light, and each one of them rules for one year at a time; but Michael is he who orders their operations, so that the earth brings forth its fruit all the same.” And I said, “There does come a year sometimes when there is a famine in one place or another.” The Cherubim answered and said unto me, “Behold, I have shown you that which you did ask me.” And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, there comes a year when water is scarce, and yet there is plenty, and there comes a year when water is exceedingly plentiful, yet there is a famine; how is this?” The Cherubim answered and said unto me, “See thou that the water is under the feet of the Father? If the Father lifts up His feet, the water rises upwards; but if at the time when God is about to bring the water up, man sins against Him, He is wont to make the fruit of the earth to be little because of the sins of men. Now if at the time when He is about to bestow a little fullness, and men keep guard over themselves so as not to commit sin, the Father is wont to bless the earth so that it may bring forth fruit, and abundance comes through the supplication of Michael. It only men were to know of the supplications of Michael at the time when the water should come upon the earth, they would never commit sin at all. However, Michael takes with him twelve times ten thousand angels, and they go into the presence of the Father, and they cast themselves down before Him, and they do not rise up again until God sends the waters down upon the world.”

Then I answered and said unto the Cherubim, “I have heard one say that ‘God created the heavens and the earth’, and again, that ‘God created the waters from the beginning.'” And the Cherubim said unto me, “Hearken, and I will inform you concerning everything. Before ever God created the heavens and the earth, water was in existence, and there is no one whatsoever who knows anything about the creation of water except God Himself. For this reason whosoever shall take an oath which is false, in the name of water, shall never receive forgiveness. And whosoever shall take an oath which is false by the wheat-plant, shall also never receive forgiveness, for the same ordinance applies to both the water and the wheat-plant.”

And I said to the Cherubim, “My Lord, I wish that you would inform me concerning the matter of the wheat-plant, and tell me where, in the beginning, before the earth had been cultivated, it was found that man might live upon it.”

The Cherubim said unto me, “Hearken, and I will inform you concerning everything. Now it came to pass that God having created Adam placed him in the Paradise of joy, and He gave him a command saying thus: ‘Of every tree which is in Paradise thou shall eat, with the exception of the tree of knowledge of that which is good and of that which is evil; of that thou shall not eat. And on that day wherein thou shall eat thereof, thou shall certainly die.’ Now the Devil was jealous of Adam when he saw with what great glory he was surrounded. The Sun and the Moon, the two great luminaries, used to come daily and worship Adam before they rose above the earth. And the Devil went and led astray Adam and his wife, until at length they were cast forth out from Paradise; and they were banished to the land of Eueilat, where Adam lived a life of care and anxiety. Now after all these things, Adam was hungered, and he could not find food to eat similar to that which they were wont to eat daily in Paradise. And he cried out to the Lord in grief and in tribulation of heart. And the Son of graciousness, Who acted as sponsor for him, had compassion upon him, and He spoke unto His Good Father, the Lord of the Angels and of the Spirits, saying, ‘Behold, the man whom We have created in Our image and likeness is hungered, and I am sorrowful on his account, O My Father. Now, if it be Thy will, do not let him die before Thy face.’

And in this wise did His Father of Compassion answer and say unto His beloved Son, ‘If it be that Thou are moved with compassion for the man whom We have created, and who has cast My commandment behind him, go Thou and give him Thy flesh and let him eat thereof, for it is Thou who has undertaken to act as his advocate.’

And the Son of Goodness made answer and said unto His Father, ‘Blessed by Thy word. That which Thou has said I will do.’ Then the beloved Son came forth from the presence of His Good Father, and He took a little piece of His right side, of His divine flesh, and He rubbed it down into small pieces, and brought it to His Holy Father. His Father said unto Him, ‘What is this?’ And He said, ‘This is My flesh, according to what Thou did say unto Me.’ His Father answered and said unto him, ‘Yea, certainly, My Son. Wait, and I will give unto Thee some of My own flesh, which is invisible.’

Then His Father took out a portion of His own body, and He made it into a grain of wheat, and He brought forth the seal of light wherewith He set a seal upon the worlds of light, and He sealed the grain of wheat in the middle thereof. And He said unto His beloved Son, ‘Take this, and give Thou it unto Michael, the Archangel, and let him give it unto Adam, and let him tell Adam that he and his sons shall live thereon. And Michael shall teach him to sow it, and to gather it in at harvest.’ Then Jesus called Michael, and said unto him, ‘Take this grain, and give it unto Adam so that he and all his sons may live thereon.’ And Michael came to Adam, and he was on the Jordan, and it was the eighth day since he had eaten anything, and he was crying out to the Lord for food. And Michael said unto him, ‘Peace be to thee! The Lord has heard your prayer, and He has sent unto you a seed of grain.’ And when Adam heard these words from Michael, his body recovered its strength, and he came from the water, and cast himself down at the feet of Michael. And Michael gave unto him the grain which had been sealed with the seal of light, and he taught him how to sow it and to reap it, and he went up into heaven with great glory. Therefore the water, and the wheat-plant, and grain, and the throne of the Father stand in one category, and they are the equals of the Son of God.” Now I John saw these things, and I rejoiced when I had heard them.

And it came to pass after these things that the Cherubim raised me up upon his wing of light, and carried me into the Seventh Heaven, and I saw mighty miracles take place therein. I saw there all the ranks of the angels. The first rank contained the Seraphim, who were dressed in grain-plant, and they had golden censers in their hands, and they said, ‘Hallelujah!’ The angels in the second rank had golden phials in their hands, and they were filled with dew, and they were emptying them out on to the fields. Now Michael was the governor who was over them, and he appointed unto each one of them his work.

And I saw another great and wonderful thing. While I John was looking at the angels as they were all divided into ranks, I found that the name of Michael was written upon all their garments, and that the angels were crying out his name always. And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, “How does it come to pass that the name of Michael is written upon their garments? And wherefore do they cry it out?” And the Cherubim answered and said unto me, “No angel is allowed to come upon the earth unless the name of Michael is written upon his garments, for otherwise the Devil would lead them astray.”

After this I saw a great fountain of water, whereof the waters were as white as snow, or as I might say, its waters were like unto milk, and there was an angel standing above it, and his wings were dipped in the water. And the place round about the fountain was planted with trees which were laden with fruit, and the fruits thereof were of a very great many different kinds. And this fountain was like unto a sea, and every tree which grew by the side of it consisted entirely of one branch.

And I, John, saw another great and wonderful thing there. I saw the root of a tree which emitted water into the fountain. And I said unto the cherubim, “My Lord, explain to me the matter of this fountain, the water whereof is white, and the matter of this angel, which stands above it.” The Cherubim said unto me, “This is the fountain which pours out the dew upon the earth.” I said unto him, “How is it that this angel is standing above it, with his wings always dipped in the waters of the fountain?” The Cherubim said unto me, “See thou this angel? His work is this. Every time the trumpet sounds he rises up, and he shakes his wings which are full of dew, and he smites the heavens therewith, and the heavens open, one beyond the other, so that the dew may distil through them upon the earth.” And I said unto the Cherubim, “In what way do these Seven Heavens open, one beyond the other, so that the daylight may penetrate them and fall upon the world?” And the Cherubim answered and said unto me, “Hearken, and I will explain everything to you. There are seven trumpets appointed over the dew, and all these are wont to sound before the dew comes upon the earth. When the first trumpet sounds, and the second, and so on until the seventh, the dew follows the sound of the trumpets from one heave to the other. The seventh trumpet belongs to Michael, and when Michael blows his trumpet, the dew runs swiftly, and all the governors withdraw, until it comes upon the earth in order to make all the fruits to swell.”

Now, while I was marveling at these things, I saw another angel coming from a distance in wrath, and he stood up by the fountain which was filled with dew; he wept, and his eyes dropped blood into the fountain which was full of dew. For he was filled with wrath against all mankind, and the whole of the place trembled and shook when he stood up there. Then the heavens opened on this side and on that and everywhere, and I saw a great and mighty angel come forth from the heavens, and they called his name Michael, and he was girt about the lions with a girdle of gold. There was a sponge in his hand, wherewith he wiped away all the tears of the angel of wrath, and he drove the Angel of Wrath afar off, saying, “Get thee gone from this fountain, you Angel of Wrath, for you wish to bring a famine upon the earth.”

And I said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, show me the matter of the Angel of Wrath whose eyes drop blood into the fountain.” He said unto me, “See thou Angel of Wrath? He is the Angel of Famine. If Michael were to cease from the wiping away of his tears of blood which he lets drop, and were to allow them to enter the fountain, the water thereof would come to an end and the dew which falls down upon the earth, and diseases and dissensions would break out, and the land would be smitten with famine.” And moreover, he said unto me, “There are forty legions of angels, each legion containing ten thousand angels, who sing hymns over the dew until it comes upon the earth, without any blemish at all in it.”

After these things he brought me to the Land of Eden. He placed me upon his wing of light, and he brought me to the place where the sun rises, by the side of the fountain which supplies water to the four rivers, Phison, Tigris, the Nile and the Euphrates. I saw the Paradise of joy, which was filled with all kinds of trees which bore fruits of all kinds. And I said to the Cherubim, “My Lord, I would like for thou to show me the tree whereof Adam ate, and became naked, and God was afterwards wroth with him.” The Cherubim answered and said unto me, “Thou asks a question which concerns great mysteries, but I will hide nothing whatsoever from you. Now therefore, rise up, set thyself behind me, and I will explain to you everything, and I will show you the tree of the fruit which Adam ate.”

Then 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 has no fruit on it, and which is grown over with thorns.” And the Cherubim said unto me, “This is the tree 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 the Cherubim said unto me, “A kind of fruit did grow on it, and it was not without fruit at the 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 while I was marveling 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 and Eve? 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 the Cherubim, “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 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 spoke might be fulfilled when He should send His Son into the world.”

And I said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, of what kind was this righteousness wherein Adam was arrayed, and which he received from His hand?” And the Cherubim said unto me, “On the day wherein God created Adam, Adam 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, to 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 Even 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 the Cherubim answered and 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 on 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 Adam, and Adam fell asleep, and 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 the Cherubim, “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 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 the man instead of a wall?” 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 which were to be employed in healing them all, and the various kinds of herbs which must be used in relieving the pains of sicknesses, and Solomon wrote them all down upon the wall in the House of God. And any man who was attacked by a sickness, 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 spoke to him, saying ‘Take the fruit of the wild fig tree, and plaster it over your body, and you shall find relief.’ Now therefore, O John, God will never forsake the man who performs his commandments.”

And again I said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, I would that you did make me understand the matter of the Cherubim, whose voices cry so loudly in heaven that mankind tremble upon earth at the sounds from them.”

And the Cherubim said unto me, “Do you see these great winds which are shut up inside their storehouses, over which the angels are set? When the trumpet sounds inside the 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 moves his wings, and the dew comes upon the earth, and the seed grows in the earth, and the trees, and the crops, and the fruit. If the trumpet does not sound, a harsh, strong noise comes 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 the mysteries.”

And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, I would that you did make me to know what it is which supports the sky and makes it to be suspended thus.” And the Cherubim said unto me, “It is suspended by faith, and by the ordinance of God.” And I said unto the Cherubim, “What is it that supports the earth?” And the Cherubim 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 you this matter also, show me, what is it that bears up the four pillars?” And the Cherubim said unto me, “He Who created them knows what appertains to them.” And I said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, what is the ordinance concerning the hours of the night and day?” He said unto me, “Hearken, I will show you. God appointed twelve Cherubim to stand outside the inner veil, and they were not to toil in any way, but were to sing twelve hymns daily. When the first Cherubim had finishing 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.”

Then I said to the Cherubim, “As concerning the twelve hours of the night: are there Seraphim appointed over them, or not?” And the Cherubim 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, “Does the sun know when the twelve hours have come to an end, so that he may depart to the place where he sets or rises?” And the Cherubim said unto me, “When the angels who blow the trumpets have finished, Michael knows that the twelfth hymn is finished, and he speaks to the Angel of the Sun, who goes and brings to an end his course.”

And I answered and said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, is it God Who ordains the life of a man from the time when he was in his mother’s womb, or not?” And the Cherubim 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, sets a sign on the righteous man before He fashions him, for it is impossible to cause anything to happen without God. But sin is an alien thing to God, for He Who created man was without sin. It is man who himself commits sin, according to his wish, and according to the desire of the Devil.”

And I said unto the Cherubim, “Man has been born to suffering, according to what Job said, ‘My mother brought me forth for suffering.’ ” And the Cherubim said unto me, “God is a compassionate Being, and He does not forsake man utterly, but He shows mercy upon him, for he is His own form, and His own image, and is the work of His own hands. And now, O John, He will not forsake him that does the will of God, and he who does 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, does He give him the name ‘righteous’ or ‘sinner’, or not?” And the Cherubim said unto me, “Hearken, and I will show you. At the moment when God is about to create a man, before He places him in the womb of his mother, He calls all the angels, and they come and stand round about. If the Father blesses 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 says, ‘This soul shall commit iniquity,’ the angels make answer ‘Amen’. Whatsoever comes forth from the mouth of the Father, that comes to pass.” And I said unto the Cherubim, “Is the matter of which man is fashioned more excellent than that of the beasts?” The Cherubim said unto me, “Yes. 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 the Cherubim, “Are there souls in them?” He said unto me, “Every created thing has a soul in it. Now therefore, the soul of every created thing is its blood.” And I said unto the Cherubim, “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 marveled at the works which God performs in connection with man. And I said unto the Cherubim, “My Lord, be not wroth with me if I ask this matter also. I would that thou did 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 has risen. I would that thou did inform me where it is they go until it is time for them to perform their service again.” And the Cherubim 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:

those which are there are not permitted to emerge from their place of storehouse, except when death comes upon the earth.”

And I said unto the Cherubim, “Why is it that one star differs 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 directs them abides 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 you have seen.”

Then straightway the Cherubim 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 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 forever. Amen.

Featured artwork: Orthodox iconography of a Cherubim

Jesus and John on a cloud, made with Midjourney A.I.

-bP

I guess I have Saint John on my mind as I have yet another post on him (and a few more in queue!). My last post was an Ethiopic version of the death of John, this time I have a Coptic tale of this event to share. The manuscript of this story dates to about 990AD. I am not sure of when the story was originally written, so like the previous one, you’ll just have to go with it. And as usual, I use E.A. Wallis Budge’s translation (from 1913) as my basis in this transcription, but have updated some of the words to make it a bit easier to read for the modern viewer.

THE REPOSE OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST AND APOSTLE OF THE CHRIST. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. AMEN.

The blessed John was in Ephesus with the brethren, rejoicing in the Lord. Now on the first day of the week all the brethren were gathered together, and John began to speak to them, saying “My brethren, my fellow heirs, and my partners in the Christ Jesus, our Lord, know that unto you hath the Lord given from His hand power, and that he had wrought for you very many mighty works, and miracles, and acts of grace. And you know of what kind are the teachings, and the guiding directions, and the refreshing, and the service, and the gracious acts, and the gifts, and all the other things which you see with your eyes, which are given unto you from the hand of our Master. He had never made Himself manifest unto you through the eyes of the body, neither have you hearkened unto Him through the ears of the body, but He had made Himself visible unto you through the integrity of your heart, and by visions, and by works which are holy. Strengthen yourselves, then, in Him, and you shall remember Him at all times; moreover, you shall also remember the mystery and the association which had come unto you, and which our Lord had fulfilled.

And now, O brethren, He made supplication to you through Himself, and He appealed unto you, wishing to make you to cease to grieve Him over much, or to despise Him, or to conspire against Him, for He knows the despising which takes place through you. He knows also the reviling, and He has knowledge of the treachery, and the punishment wherewith you punish Him. When you shall hearken unto His holy commandment to obey it, He will show compassion upon you. Do not make to grieve through you the Good God, the Merciful, the Long-suffering, Him Who is without spot, Him Who is without blemish, the Ineffable, the God Who is One alone, the Unchanging One, Him Who is without guile, Him Who is without wrath, the Name which is above every name which men can comprehend. Let Him but rejoice with you, and you enjoy free and happy citizenship with Him. Let Him but have gladness with you, and you live in happiness and innocence. Let Him but repose in your hearts, and you are turned into beings who rejoice in holiness of life. Let Him but show Himself unmindful of you, and you must live in painful restraint. Let Him but have pleasure in you, and you become participators in good things and in the things which are offered to Him. Let Him but live delicately, and you love Him. Let Him but laugh, and you become ready to follow Him.

I say these things, then unto you, O my brethren, because I hasten to embark on a certain matter which has been laid upon me, and of which the completion shall be unto me by the help of God. For of what kind is the other matter which I shall say unto you, there being for you the pledge of your God? There is for you the pledge of His kingdom, there is for you His presence, which cannot be entreated. If you cease from the habit of sinning from this time onwards, then the deeds which you have committed through want of understanding He will remit to you; but if even after you have had knowledge of Him you continue and persist in the doing of these same works, they shall first of all try you in the judgment, and then they shall deliver you over to the fire.”

Having said these things, Saint John prayed, saying, “Jesus, who did weave the crown which was in Thine own garland. O Thou Who did make the crown of all the saints, and these plants which are of many kinds, and has changed men into Thy flowers which do not wither and fade! O Thou Who has spoken Thy words in our hearts! O Thou Who alone does have a care for Thy servants! O Thou Physician of our bodies, Who does heal them all for nothing! O Thou Who alone does do good unto us! O Thou in Whom there is no pride whatsoever! O Thou Who alone are the Compassionate, and are the Lover of all mankind! O Thou Who alone are the Savior, and the Righteous One, Who exists in every place, Who has existed from everlasting, God, the Christ Jesus! Thou are He Who shelters everyone who puts his hope in Thee, with Thy gift, and with Thy compassion. Thou knows every wile and every craft deed of the Enemy who does wage war against us at all times.”

And when Saint John the Evangelist had made an end of saying these words, he took bread, and he gave thanks unto God in this manner, saying, “What other blessing is there? Or what other word can be spoken? Or what other giving of thanks is there which we can pronounce over this bread which we break, except Thou alone, the Lord Jesus, the Christ?

We ascribe glory unto Thee, O Lord Jesus the Christ, Whose Name has been made manifest by the Father. We ascribe glory unto Thee because of Thy coming in through the door. We ascribe glory unto Thee for Thy holy resurrection from the dead, which has been made know unto us through Thee. We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Way. We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Seed, the Word, the Salt, the True Gem, the Holy Storehouse, the Plough, the Net, the Majesty, Who was sent for the sake of us, the children of men, that He might deliver the race of man. We ascribe glory unto Thee, the Truth, the Rest, the Glory, the Might Power, the Commandment, the Boldness of speech, the Freedom, and our place of refuge.

For Thou are the Lord, the Root of immortality. Thou are the Fountain which cannot be destroyed. Thou are the Strength which endues throughout the Ages. Thy Name has been set upon all these things here, so that we also may make our cry unto Thee through them. For we know Thy Majesty which is invisible, and which does not make itself manifest unto us at this time. When Thou shall have purified us, then we shall see Thee alone in the body which Thou has changed from oldness into newness.”

And as John was breaking the bread, he prayed over each one of his brethren, so that they might be worthy of the Grace of the Lord. Similarly Saint John himself, when he tasted the bread, prayed for himself. John the Theologian spoke after this manner saying, “Let me, even me, have a portion with you, O my beloved.”

Then he said to Pyrrhus, “Take with you two brethren, and let them have baskets in their hands, and digging tools, and follow me.” Now Pyrrhus was not by any means neglectful, and he did according to what he had been commanded by Saint John the Theologian, and the servant of God. And when the blessed John had come forth from his house, he went outside the gate of the city, and he gave orders that the exceedingly great multitude, which were following him and pressing upon him, should be made to withdraw, and to depart from him. And when he had arrived at a place in the region wherein were the tombs, he said to the brethren, “My sons, dig a grave in this place,” and those who were there dug down into the ground. Then John the Theologian was commanding them saying, “Dig the grave very deep.” And he was saying, “Dig down much deeper”; and those who were there dug down deeper still. And he spoke with them, and addressed words to them, and encouraged them, and counselled them unto edification, and he instructed them, and he persuaded them to enter into the Kingdom of God. And he prayed over each one of them.

Now when the young men had finished making the grave in the place wherein they had dug it, they arranged everything connected therewith in a seemly manner, according to what Saint John wished. Now we had no knowledge whatsoever of what he was about to do. Then he took off the clothes which were upon him, and having stripped them off himself, he threw them down into the place which they had dug deep in the ground, and which was in the form of a chamber which spread out. Then John stood on his feet – now the only garment which he had on him was a tunic which came down on both sides – and having spread out his hands he prayed thus saying, “O Thou God, Who has chosen me for Thyself to be an Apostle to the heathen, and has sent me forth into the world, Who has made manifest the Prophets and His Apostles, Who has never ceased from doing that which is good since the foundation of the world, Who delivers everyone who has no strength, Who has made Thyself to be apprehended by every man of reason, unto Whom every living thing ministers through His foreknowledge, Who did make our soul to have longings, and does make it to be tranquil, or solitary and savage, Who does Thyself make it to laugh to scorn its enemy, Who did fashion it like unto Thyself when it was dead, Who did make for it a law which it could distinguish in the abyss of lawlessness, Who did make it to vanquish its enemy by causing it to flee from him; Who did give it Thy hand and did deliver it from Amente; Who did not leave it to become a citizen of this world, who did teach it to escape from its enemy; who did make Thy knowledge to illumine every place; Thou Son of God, Thou Savior, Thou Lord, Thou Orderer of the things which are in the celestial heights, Thou Guardian of the things which are on the earth; Thou Grace and Gladness of those who belong to Thee; receive Thou the soul of John, which belongs to Thee, for it is Thou Who has kept me up to this hour, and I have never at any time polluted myself with women.

Thou did appear unto me at the time when I was wishing to marry a wife in the period of my youth, and Thou did say unto me, ‘John, I have need of you.’ Thou did in the beginning act as the steward of my body, when the desires caused by the sicknesses of the body arose, and it was Thou Who did prevent me from gratifying them on many occasions when I was wishing to marry a wife. Afterwards Thou did speak to me at the third hour of the day on the sea, saying, ‘John, if it be that thou does not in truth belong to Me, I will withdraw Myself from thee. Take thou a wife, and you shall make yourself to become blind in both my eyes; thou shall suffer grief, then thou will pray unto Me.’ Thou it was Who did open my heart three times in the same year, and Thou did graciously bestow upon me other eyes, which did not make themselves visible. Thou it was Who did make the joyful expectation of the contemplation of women to become to me an abomination. Thou it was Who did deliver me from a fleeting fantasy, and did keep me for the life which endures forever. Thou it was Who did make me to become a strange to the madness of evil which arises in the flesh, and did make me to be remote from the death which is bitter. Thou it was Who did deliver me from the second death, that is to say, the Gehenna of fire, and di make me to stand up, being a pure man. Thou it was Who did stop the mouth of the disease which appertained to my soul, and did prevent the committal of the act which appertained thereto, or rather the outward and manifest works which are wont to be performed by the body. Thou it was Who did deliver me, and did cast out from my heart that which disturbed me sorely. Thou it was Who did prepare me to come unto Thee in a state of holiness. Thou it was Who did make my thoughts concerning Thee to be unpolluted. Thou it was who did graciously grant unto me the faith in Thee which was undivided. Thou it was Who did make my thoughts and my counsels to incline ever more and more towards Thee. Thou does give unto each man according to his works. It was Thou who did deposit in my soul the intention not to permit anything whatsoever except Thyself to enter into me. For what can I find which is more choice ore more pure than Thee? And now I have found Thee. And I have fulfilled the stewardship which Thou did commit to me; make me therefore worthy to enjoy rest in Thy holy repose. Do thou bestow upon me graciously the perfection which is in Thee, that is to say, the sinlessness and the salvation, which cannot be described, and which cannot be pried into, and which are beyond the comprehension of man. I come unto Thee, my Lord Jesus, the Christ. Let the fire die down, and let the darkness withdraw itself, and let Chaos become helpless, and let the furnace of blazing fire be without power, and let Gehenna be extinguished, and let the holy angels accompany me, and let the demons shake with fear. Let the holy angels would the Principalities, and let the Powers of darkness withdraw themselves and fall down headlong. Let the Places which are on the right hand stand on their feet. May Diabolos be put to shame, and Satan made an object of ridicule. May his wrath be quenched, and may his raving madness be suppressed. May his honor be disgraced, and his pride wounded; may his sons be dragged downwards, and may all their roots be pulled out. Grant Thou unto me the power to walk, and strengthen me so that I may complete my course without suffering and without trouble. I come unto Thee, my Lord, that I may receive the good things of those who live in holiness.”

And when John the Theologian had said these things, he looked towards the east, and he ascribed glory to God, and stretching out his hands again he prayed, saying, “Be Thou with me, O my Lord Jesus, the Christ.” Then straightway he cast himself down into the pit which they had dug, the place wherein his apparel was spread out, and when he had said to them, “Peace and grace,” he dismissed the brethren, and they departed. And they came out of the city on the morrow, and they could not find him, but they found his sandal, and the newly dug ground in the place where he had gone down into the earth. Finally they remembered the word which the Lord had spoken to Peter, saying, “If I will to make him remain until I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me.” And they ascribed glory to the Lord Jesus, the Christ, because of His miracle which took place in the blessed Apostle, and Evangelist, and Theologian, and holy virgin, Saint John, the beloved of the Christ, Jesus our Lord, and our God, and our Savior, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy, and universally vivifying and consubstantial Spirit, all glory is seemly, now, and always, and forever and forever. Amen.

Featured artwork is a Byzantine era icon of John’s repose.

-bP