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  REVELATION OF JOHN
  by Anonymous (Early Church)
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An apocryphal revelation attributed to the Apostle John, distinct from the
canonical Revelation. The text contains questions posed by John to Christ about
the end times, the afterlife, and the final judgment.

  Chapters: 3

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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    0. Revelation Of John
    1. Revelation of John.
    2. The Book of John Concerning the Falling Asleep of Mary.

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  CHAPTER 0: REVELATION OF JOHN
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  CHAPTER 1: REVELATION OF JOHN.
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Revelation of Saint John the Theologian. After the taking up of our Lord Jesus
Christ, I John was alone upon Mount Tabor, [2557] where also He showed us His
undefiled Godhead; and as I was not able to stand, I fell upon the ground, and
prayed to the Lord, and said: O Lord my God, who hast deemed me worthy to be Thy
servant, hear my voice, and teach me about Thy coming. When Thou shalt come to
the earth, what will happen? The heaven and the earth, and the sun and the moon,
what will happen to them in those times? Reveal to me all; for I am emboldened,
because Thou listenest to Thy servant. And I spent seven days praying; and after
this a cloud of light caught me up from the mountain, and set me before the face
of the heaven. And I heard a voice saying to me: Look up, John, servant of God,
and know. And having looked up, I saw the heaven opened, and there came forth
from within the heaven a smell of perfumes of much sweet odour; and I saw an
exceeding great flood of light, more resplendent than the sun. And again I heard
a voice saying to me: Behold, righteous John. And I directed my sight, and saw a
book lying, of the thickness, methought, of seven mountains; [2558] and the
length of it the mind of man cannot comprehend, having seven seals. And I said:
O Lord my God, reveal to me what is written in this book. And I heard a voice
saying to me: Hear, righteous John. In this book which thou seest there have
been written the things in the heaven, and the things in the earth, and the
things in the abyss, and the judgments and righteousness of all the human race.
[2559] And I said: Lord, when shall these things come to pass? and what do those
times bring? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. [2560]
There shall be in that time abundance of corn and wine, such as there hath never
been upon the earth, nor shall ever be until those times come. Then the ear of
corn shall produce a half choenix, [2561] and the bend of the branch shall
produce a thousand clusters, and the cluster shall produce a half jar of wine;
and in the following year there shall not be found upon the face of all the
earth a half choenix of corn or a half jar of wine. And again I said: Lord,
thereafter what wilt Thou do? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous
John. Then shall appear the denier, and he who is set apart in the darkness, who
is called Antichrist. And again I said: Lord, reveal to me what he is like. And
I heard a voice saying to me: The appearance of his face is dusky; [2562] the
hairs of his head are sharp, like darts; his eyebrows like a wild beast's; his
right eye like the star which rises in the morning, and the other like a lion's;
his mouth about one cubit; his teeth span long; his fingers like scythes; the
print of his feet of two spans; and on his face an inscription, Antichrist; he
shall be exalted even to heaven, and shall be cast down even to Hades, making
false displays. [2563] And then will I make the heaven brazen, so that it shall
not give moisture [2564] upon the earth; and I will hide the clouds in secret
places, so that they shall not bring moisture upon the earth; and I will command
the horns of the wind, so that the wind shall not blow upon the earth. [2565]
And again I said: Lord, and how many years will he do this upon the earth? And I
heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Three years shall those times
be; and I will make the three years like three months, and the three months like
three weeks, and the three weeks like three days, and the three days like three
hours, and the three hours like three seconds, as said the prophet David, His
throne hast Thou broken down to the ground; Thou hast shortened the days of his
time; Thou hast poured shame upon him. [2566] And then I shall send forth Enoch
and Elias to convict him; and they shall show him to be a liar and a deceiver;
and he shall kill them at the altar, as said the prophet, Then shall they offer
calves upon Thine altar. [2567] And again I said: Lord, and after that what will
come to pass? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Then all
the human race shall die, and there shall not be a living man upon all the
earth. And again I said: Lord, after that what wilt Thou do? And I heard a voice
saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Then will I send forth mine angels, and they
shall take the ram's horns that lie upon the cloud; and Michael and Gabriel
shall go forth out of the heaven and sound with those horns, as the prophet
David foretold, With the voice of a trumpet of horn. [2568] And the voice of the
trumpet shall be heard from the one quarter of the world to the other; [2569]
and from the voice of that trumpet all the earth shall be shaken, as the prophet
foretold, And at the voice of the bird every plant shall arise; [2570] that is,
at the voice of the archangel all the human race shall arise. [2571] And again I
said: Lord, those who are dead from Adam even to this day, and who dwell in
Hades from the beginning of the world, and who die at the last ages, what like
shall they arise? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. All
the human race shall arise thirty years old. And again I said: Lord, they die
male and female, and some old, and some young, and some infants. In the
resurrection what like shall they arise? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear,
righteous John. Just as the bees are, and differ not one from another, but are
all of one appearance and one size, so also shall every man be in the
resurrection. There is neither fair, nor ruddy, nor black, neither Ethiopian nor
different countenances; but they shall all arise of one appearance and one
stature. All the human race shall arise without bodies, as I told you that in
the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the
angels of God. [2572] And again I said: Lord, is it possible in that world to
recognise each other, a brother his brother, or a friend his friend, or a father
his own children, or the children their own parents? And I heard a voice saying
to me: Hear, John. To the righteous there is recognition, but to the sinners not
at all; they cannot in the resurrection recognise each other. And again I John
said: Lord, is there there recollection of the things that are here, either
fields or vineyards, or other things here? And I heard a voice saying to me:
Hear, righteous John. The prophet David speaks, saying, I remembered that we are
dust: as for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he shall
flourish: for a wind hath passed over it, and it shall be no more, and it shall
not any longer know its place. [2573] And again the same said: His spirit [2574]
shall go forth, and he returns to his earth; in that day all his thoughts shall
perish. [2575] And again I said: Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do? And I
heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Then will I send forth mine
angels over the face of all the earth, and they shall lift off the earth
everything honourable, and everything precious, and the venerable and holy
images, and the glorious and precious crosses, and the sacred vessels of the
churches, and the divine and sacred books; and all the precious and holy things
shall be lifted up by clouds into the air. And then will I order to be lifted up
the great and venerable sceptre, [2576] on which I stretched forth my hands, and
all the orders of my angels shall do reverence to it. And then shall be lifted
up all the race of men upon clouds, as the Apostle Paul foretold. [2577] Along
with them we shall be snatched up in [2578] clouds to meet the Lord in the air.
And then shall come forth every evil spirit, both in the earth and in the abyss,
wherever they are on the face of all the earth, from the rising of the sun even
to the setting, and they shall be united to him that is served by the devil,
that is, Antichrist, and they shall be lifted up upon the clouds. And again I
said: Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do? And I heard a voice saying to me:
Hear, righteous John. Then shall I send forth mine angels over the face of all
the earth, and they shall burn up the earth eight thousand five hundred [2579]
cubits, and the great mountains shall be burnt up, and all the rocks shall be
melted and shall become as dust, and every tree shall be burnt up, and every
beast, and every creeping thing creeping upon the earth, and every thing moving
upon the face of the earth, and every flying thing flying in the air; and there
shall no longer be upon the face of all the earth anything moving, and the earth
shall be without motion.And again I said: Lord, and after that what wilt Thou
do? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Then shall I uncover
the four parts of the east, and there shall come forth four great winds, and
they shall sweep [2580] all the face of the earth from the one end of the earth
to the other; and the Lord shall sweep sin from off the earth, and the earth
shall be made white like snow, and it shall become as a leaf of paper, without
cave, or mountain, or hill, or rock; but the face of the earth from the rising
even to the setting of the sun shall be like a table, and white as snow; and the
reins of the earth shall be consumed by fire, and it shall cry unto me, saying,
I am a virgin before thee, O Lord, and there is no sin in me; as the prophet
David said aforetime, Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made
pure; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow. [2581] And again
he [2582] said: Every chasm shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill
brought low, and the crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough ways
into smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God. [2583]And again I
said: Lord, and after that what wilt Thou do? And I heard a voice saying to me:
Hear, righteous John. Then shall the earth be cleansed from sin, and all the
earth shall be filled with a sweet smell, because I am about to come down upon
the earth; and then shall come forth the great and venerable sceptre, with
thousands of angels worshipping it, as I said before; and then shall appear the
sign of the Son of man from the heaven with power and great glory. [2584] And
then the worker of iniquity with his servants shall behold it, and gnash his
teeth exceedingly, and all the unclean spirits shall be turned to flight. And
then, seized by invisible power, having no means of flight, they shall gnash
their teeth against him, saying to him: Where is thy power? How hast thou led us
astray? and we have fled away, and have fallen away from the glory which we had
beside Him who is coming to judge us, and the whole human race. Woe to us!
because He banishes us into outer darkness.And again I said: Lord, and after
that what wilt Thou do? And I heard a voice saying to me: Then will I send an
angel out of heaven, and he shall cry with a loud voice, saying, Hear, O earth,
and be strong, saith the Lord; for I am coming down to thee. And the voice of
the angel shall be heard from the one end of the world even to the other, and
even to the remotest part of the abyss. And then shall be shaken all the power
of the angels and of the many-eyed ones, and there shall be a great noise in the
heavens, and the nine regions of the heaven shall be shaken, and there shall be
fear and astonishment upon all the angels. And then the heavens shall be rent
from the rising of the sun even to the setting, and an innumerable multitude of
angels shall come down to the earth; and then the treasures of the heavens shall
be opened, and they shall bring down every precious thing, and the perfume of
incense, and they shall bring down to the earth Jerusalem robed like a bride.
[2585] And then there shall go before me myriads of angels and archangels,
bearing my throne, crying out, Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth; heaven and
earth are full of Thy glory. [2586] And then will I come forth with power and
great glory, and every eye in [2587] the clouds shall see me; and then every
knee shall bend, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the
earth. [2588] And then the heaven shall remain empty; and I will come down upon
the earth, and all that is in the air shall be brought down upon the earth, and
all the human race and every evil spirit along with Antichrist, and they shall
all be set before me naked, and chained by the neck.And again I said: Lord, what
will become of the heavens, and the sun, and the moon, along with the stars? And
I heard a voice saying to me: Behold, righteous John. And I looked, and saw a
Lamb having seven eyes and seven horns. [2589] And again I heard a voice saying
to me: I will bid the Lamb come before me, and will say, Who will open this
book? And all the multitudes of the angels will answer, Give this book to the
Lamb to open it. And then will I order the book to be opened. And when He shall
open the first seal, the stars of the heaven shall fall, from the one end of it
to the other. And when He shall open the second seal, the moon shall be hidden,
and there shall be no light in her. And when He shall open the third seal, the
light of the sun shall be withheld, and there shall not be light upon the earth.
And when He shall open the fourth seal, the heavens shall be dissolved, and the
air shall be thrown into utter confusion, as saith the prophet: And the heavens
are the works of Thy hands; they shall perish, but Thou endurest, and they shall
all wax old as a garment. [2590] And when He shall open the fifth seal, the
earth shall be rent, and all the tribunals upon the face of all the earth shall
be revealed. And when He shall open the sixth seal, the half of the sea shall
disappear. And when He shall open the seventh seal, Hades shall be uncovered.
And I said: Lord, who will be the first to be questioned, and to receive
judgment? And I heard a voice saying to me, The unclean spirits, along with the
adversary. I bid them go into outer darkness, where the depths [2591] are. And I
said: Lord, and in what place does it lie? And I heard a voice saying to me:
Hear, righteous John. As big a stone as a man of thirty years old can roll, and
let go down into the depth, even falling down for twenty years will not arrive
at the bottom of Hades; as the prophet David said before, And He made darkness
His secret place. [2592]And I said: Lord, and after them what nation [2593] will
be questioned? And I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. There
will be questioned of Adam's race those nations, both the Greek and those who
have believed in idols, and in the sun, and in the stars, and those who have
defiled the faith by heresy, and who have not believed the holy [2594]
resurrection, and who have not confessed the Father, and the Son, and the Holy
Ghost: then will I send them away into Hades, as the prophet David foretold, Let
the sinners be turned into Hades, and all the nations that forget God. [2595]
And again he said: They were put in Hades like sheep; death shall be their
shepherd. [2596]And again I said: Lord, and after them whom wilt Thou judge? And
I heard a voice saying to me: Hear, righteous John. Then the race of the Hebrews
shall be examined, who nailed me to the tree like a malefactor. And I said: And
what punishment will these get, and in what place, seeing that they did such
things to Thee? And I heard a voice saying to me: They shall go away into
Tartarus, as the prophet David foretold, They cried out, and there was none to
save; to the Lord, and He did not hearken to them. [2597] And again the Apostle
Paul said: As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law, and
as many as have sinned in law shall be judged by means of law. [2598]And again I
said: Lord, and what of those who have received baptism? And I heard a voice
saying to me: Then the race of the Christians shall be examined, who have
received baptism; and then the righteous shall come at my command, and the
angels shall go and collect [2599] them from among the sinners, as the prophet
David foretold: The Lord will not suffer the rod of the sinners in the lot of
the righteous; [2600] and all the righteous shall be placed on my right hand,
[2601] and shall shine like the sun. [2602] As thou seest, John, the stars of
heaven, that they were all made together, but differ in light, [2603] so shall
it be with the righteous and the sinners; for the righteous shall shine as
lights and as the sun, but the sinners shall stand in darkness.And again I said:
Lord, and do all the Christians go into one punishment? -- kings, high priests,
priests, patriarchs, rich and poor, bond and free? And I heard a voice saying to
me: Hear, righteous John. As the prophet David foretold, The expectation of the
poor shall not perish for ever. [2604] Now about kings: they shall be driven
like slaves, and shall weep like infants; and about patriarchs, and priests, and
Levites, of those that have sinned, they shall be separated in their
punishments, according to the nature [2605] of the peculiar transgression of
each, -- some in the river of fire, and some to the worm that dieth not, and
others in the seven-mouthed pit of punishment. To these punishments the sinners
will be apportioned.And again I said: Lord, and where will the righteous dwell?
And I heard a voice saying to me: Then shall paradise be revealed; and the whole
world and paradise shall be made one, and the righteous shall be on the face of
all the earth with my angels, as the Holy Spirit foretold through the prophet
David: The righteous shall inherit the earth, and dwell therein for ever and
ever. [2606]And again I said: Lord, how great is the multitude of the angels?
and which is the greater, that of angels or of men? And I heard a voice saying
to me: As great as is the multitude of the angels, so great is the race of men,
as the prophet has said, He set bounds to the nations according to the number of
the angels of God. [2607]And again I said: Lord, and after that what wilt Thou
do? and what is to become of the world? Reveal to me all. And I heard a voice
saying to me: Hear, righteous John. After that there is no pain, there is no
grief, there is no groaning; there is no recollection of evils, there are no
tears, there is no envy, there is no hatred of brethren, there is no
unrighteousness, there is no arrogance, there is no slander, there is no
bitterness, there are none of the cares of life, there is no pain from parents
or children, there is no pain from gold, there are no wicked thoughts, there is
no devil, there is no death, there is no night, but all is day. [2608] As I said
before, And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, that is, men who
have been made like the angels through their excellent course of life; them also
must I bring, and they will hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, one
shepherd. [2609] And again I heard a voice saying to me: Behold, thou hast heard
all these things, righteous John; deliver them to faithful men, that they also
may teach others, and not think lightly of them, [2610] nor cast our pearls
before swine, lest perchance they should trample them with their feet. [2611]And
while I was still hearing this voice, the cloud brought me down, and put me on
Mount Thabor. And there came a voice to me, saying: Blessed are those who keep
judgment and do righteousness in all time. [2612] And blessed is the house where
this description lies, as the Lord said, He that loveth me keepeth my sayings
[2613] in Christ Jesus our Lord; to Him be glory for ever. Amen. [2614]


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  CHAPTER 2: THE BOOK OF JOHN CONCERNING THE FALLING ASLEEP OF MARY.
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The Account of St. John the Theologian [2615] of the Falling Asleep of the Holy
Mother of God. As the all-holy glorious mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, as
was her wont, was going to the holy tomb of our Lord to burn incense, and
bending her holy knees, she was importunate that Christ our God who had been
born of her should return to her. And the Jews, seeing her lingering by the
divine sepulchre, came to the chief priests, saying: Mary goes every day to the
tomb. And the chief priests, having summoned the guards set by them not to allow
any one to pray at the holy sepulchre, inquired about her, whether in truth it
were so. And the guards answered and said that they had seen no such thing, God
having not allowed them to see her when there. And on one of the days, it being
the preparation, the holy Mary, as was her wont, came to the sepulchre; and
while she was praying, it came to pass that the heavens were opened, and the
archangel Gabriel came down to her and said: Hail, thou that didst bring forth
Christ our God! Thy prayer having come through to the heavens to Him who was
born of thee, has been accepted; and from this time, according to thy request,
thou having left the world, shall go to the heavenly places to thy Son, into the
true and everlasting life. And having heard this from the holy archangel, she
returned to holy Bethlehem, having along with her three virgins who ministered
unto her. And after having rested a short time, she sat up and said to the
virgins: Bring me a censer, that I may pray. And they brought it, as they had
been commanded. And she prayed, saying: My Lord Jesus Christ, who didst deign
through Thy supreme goodness to be born of me, hear my voice, and send me Thy
apostle John, in order that, seeing him, I may partake of joy; and send me also
the rest of Thy apostles, both those who have already gone to Thee, and those in
the world that now is, in whatever country they may be, through Thy holy
commandment, in order that, having beheld them, I may bless Thy name much to be
praised; for I am confident that Thou hearest Thy servant in everything. And
while she was praying, I John came, the Holy Spirit having snatched me up by a
cloud from Ephesus, and set me in the place where the mother of my Lord was
lying. And having gone in beside her, and glorified Him who had been born of
her, I said: Hail, mother of my Lord, who didst bring forth Christ our God,
rejoice that in great glory thou art going out of this life. And the holy mother
of God glorified God, because I John had come to her, remembering the voice of
the Lord, saying: Behold thy mother, and, Behold thy son. [2616] And the three
virgins came and worshipped. And the holy mother of God says to me: Pray, and
cast incense. And I prayed thus: Lord Jesus Christ, who hast done wonderful
things, now also do wonderful things before her who brought Thee forth; and let
Thy mother depart from this life; and let those who crucified Thee, and who have
not believed in Thee, be confounded. And after I had ended the prayer, holy Mary
said to me: Bring me the censer. And having cast incense, she said, Glory to
Thee, my God and my Lord, because there has been fulfilled in me whatsoever Thou
didst promise to me before thou didst ascend into the heavens, that when I
should depart from this world Thou wouldst come to me, and the multitude of
Thine angels, with glory. And I John say to her: Jesus Christ our Lord and our
God is coming, and thou seest [2617] Him, as He promised to thee. And the holy
mother of God answered and said to me: The Jews have sworn that after I have
died they will burn my body. And I answered and said to her: Thy holy and
precious body will by no means see corruption. And she answered and said to me:
Bring a censer, and cast incense, and pray. And there came a voice out of the
heavens saying the Amen. And I John heard this voice; and the Holy Spirit said
to me: John, hast thou heard this voice that spoke in the heaven after the
prayer was ended? And I answered and said: Yes, I heard. And the Holy Spirit
said to me: This voice which thou didst hear denotes that the appearance of thy
brethren the apostles is at hand, and of the holy powers that they are coming
hither to-day. And at this I John prayed. And the Holy Spirit said to the
apostles: Let all of you together, having come by the clouds from the ends of
the world, be assembled to holy Bethlehem by a whirlwind, on account of the
mother of our Lord Jesus Christ; Peter from Rome, Paul from Tiberia, [2618]
Thomas from Hither India, James from Jerusalem. Andrew, Peter's brother, and
Philip, Luke, and Simon the Cananæan, and Thaddæus who had fallen asleep, were
raised by the Holy Spirit out of their tombs; to whom the Holy Spirit said: Do
not think that it is now the resurrection; but on this account you have risen
out of your tombs, that you may go to give greeting to the honour and
wonder-working of the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, because the
day of her departure is at hand, of her going up into the heavens. And Mark
likewise coming round, was present from Alexandria; he also with the rest, as
has been said before, from each country. And Peter being lifted up by a cloud,
stood between heaven and earth, the Holy Spirit keeping him steady. And at the
same time, the rest of the apostles also, having been snatched up in clouds,
were found along with Peter. And thus by the Holy Spirit, as has been said, they
all came together. And having gone in beside the mother of our Lord and God, and
having adored, we said: Fear not, nor grieve; God the Lord, who was born of
thee, will take thee out of this world with glory. And rejoicing in God her
Saviour, she sat up in the bed, and says to the apostles: Now have I believed
that our Master and God is coming from heaven, and I shall behold Him, and thus
depart from this life, as I have seen that you have come. And I wish you to tell
me how you knew that I was departing and came to me, and from what countries and
through what distance you have come hither, that you have thus made haste to
visit me. For neither has He who was born of me, our Lord Jesus Christ, the God
of the universe, concealed it; for I am persuaded even now that He is the Son of
the Most High. And Peter answered and said to the apostles: Let us each,
according to what the Holy Spirit announced and commanded us, give full
information to the mother of our Lord. And I John answered and said: Just as I
was going in to the holy altar in Ephesus to perform divine service, the Holy
Spirit says to me, The time of the departure of the mother of thy Lord is at
hand; go to Bethlehem to salute her. And a cloud of light snatched me up, and
set me down in the door where thou art lying. Peter also answered: And I, living
in Rome, about dawn heard a voice through the Holy Spirit saying to me, The
mother of thy Lord is to depart, as the time is at hand; go to Bethlehem to
salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light snatched me up; and I beheld also the
other apostles coming to me on clouds, and a voice saying to me, Go all to
Bethlehem. And Paul also answered and said: And I, living in a city at no great
distance from Rome, called the country of Tiberia, heard the Holy Spirit saying
to me, The mother of thy Lord, having left this world, is making her course to
the celestial regions through her departure; [2619] but go thou also to
Bethlehem to salute her. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up,
set me down in the same place as you. And Thomas also answered and said: And I,
traversing the country of the Indians, when the preaching was prevailing by the
grace of Christ, and the king's sister's son Labdanus by name, was about to be
sealed by me in the palace, on a sudden the Holy Spirit says to me, Do thou
also, Thomas, go to Bethlehem to salute the mother of thy Lord, because she is
taking her departure to the heavens. And a cloud of light having snatched me up,
set me down beside you. And Mark also answered and said: And when I was
finishing the canon [2620] of the third day in the city of Alexandria, just as I
was praying, the Holy Spirit snatched me up, and brought me to you. And James
also answered and said: While I was in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit commanded me,
saying, Go to Bethlehem, because the mother of thy Lord is taking her departure.
And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up, set me beside you. And
Matthew also answered and said: I have glorified and do glorify God, because
when I was in a boat and overtaken by a storm, the sea raging with its waves, on
a sudden a cloud of light overshadowing the stormy billow, changed it to a calm,
and having snatched me up, set me down beside you. And those who had come before
likewise answered, and gave an account of how they had come. And Bartholomew
said: I was in the Thebais proclaiming the word, and behold the Holy Spirit says
to me, The mother of thy Lord is taking her departure; go, then, to salute her
in Bethlehem. And, behold, a cloud of light having snatched me up, brought me to
you. The apostles said all these things to the holy mother of God, why they had
come, and in what way; and she stretched her hands to heaven and prayed, saying:
I adore, and praise, and glorify Thy much to be praised name, O Lord, because
Thou hast looked upon the lowliness of Thine handmaiden, and because Thou that
art mighty hast done great things for me; and, behold, all generations shall
count me blessed. [2621] And after the prayer she said to the apostles: Cast
incense, and pray. And when they had prayed, there was thunder from heaven, and
there came a fearful voice, as if of chariots; and, behold, a multitude of a
host of angels and powers, and a voice, as if of the Son of man, was heard, and
the seraphim in a circle round the house where the holy, spotless mother of God
and virgin was lying, so that all who were in Bethlehem beheld all the wonderful
things, and came to Jerusalem and reported all the wonderful things that had
come to pass. And it came to pass, when the voice was heard, that the sun and
the moon suddenly appeared about the house; and an assembly [2622] of the
first-born saints stood beside the house where the mother of the Lord was lying,
for her honour and glory. And I beheld also that many signs came to pass, the
blind seeing, the deaf hearing, the lame walking, lepers cleansed, and those
possessed by unclean spirits cured; and every one who was under disease and
sickness, touching the outside of the wall of the house where she was lying,
cried out: Holy Mary, who didst bring forth Christ our God, have mercy upon us.
And they were straightway cured. And great multitudes out of every country
living in Jerusalem for the sake of prayer, having heard of the signs that had
come to pass in Bethlehem through the mother of the Lord, came to the place
seeking the cure of various diseases, which also they obtained. And there was
joy unspeakable on that day among the multitude of those who had been cured, as
well as of those who looked on, glorifying Christ our God and His mother. And
all Jerusalem from Bethlehem kept festival with psalms and spiritual songs. And
the priests of the Jews, along with their people, were astonished at the things
which had come to pass; and being moved [2623] with the heaviest hatred, and
again with frivolous reasoning, having made an assembly, they determine to send
against the holy mother of God and the holy apostles who were there in
Bethlehem. And accordingly the multitude of the Jews, having directed their
course to Bethlehem, when at the distance of one mile it came to pass that they
beheld a frightful vision, and their feet were held fast; and after this they
returned to their fellow-countrymen, and reported all the frightful vision to
the chief priests. And they, still more boiling with rage, go to the procurator,
crying out and saying: The nation of the Jews has been ruined by this woman;
chase her from Bethlehem and the province of Jerusalem. And the procurator,
astonished at the wonderful things, said to them: I will chase her neither from
Bethlehem nor from any other place. And the Jews continued crying out, and
adjuring him by the health of Tiberius Cæsar to bring the apostles out of
Bethlehem. And if you do not do so, we shall report it to the Cæsar.
Accordingly, being compelled, he sends a tribune of the soldiers [2624] against
the apostles to Bethlehem. And the Holy Spirit says to the apostles and the
mother of the Lord: Behold, the procurator has sent a tribune against you, the
Jews having made an uproar. Go forth therefore from Bethlehem, and fear not:
for, behold, by a cloud I shall bring you to Jerusalem; for the power of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is with you. The apostles therefore
rose up immediately, and went forth from the house, carrying the bed of the Lady
the mother of God, and directed their course to Jerusalem; and immediately, as
the Holy Spirit had said, being lifted up by a cloud, they were found in
Jerusalem in the house of the Lady. And they stood up, and for five days made an
unceasing singing of praise. And when the tribune came to Bethlehem, and found
there neither the mother of the Lord nor the apostles, he laid hold of the
Bethlehemites, saying to them: Did you not come telling the procurator and the
priests all the signs and wonders that had come to pass, and how the apostles
had come out of every country? Where are they, then? Come, go to the procurator
at Jerusalem. For the tribune did not know of the departure of the apostles and
the Lord's mother to Jerusalem. The tribune then, having taken the
Bethlehemites, went in to the procurator, saying that he had found no one. And
after five days it was known to the procurator, and the priests, and all the
city, that the Lord's mother was in her own house in Jerusalem, along with the
apostles, from the signs and wonders that came to pass there. And a multitude of
men and women and virgins came together, and cried out: Holy virgin, that didst
bring forth Christ our God, do not forget the generation of men. And when these
things came to pass, the people of the Jews, with the priests also, being the
more moved with hatred, took wood and fire, and came up, wishing to burn the
house where the Lord's mother was living with the apostles. And the procurator
stood looking at the sight from afar off. And when the people of the Jews came
to the door of the house, behold, suddenly a power of fire coming forth from
within, by means of an angel, burnt up a great multitude of the Jews. And there
was great fear throughout all the city; and they glorified God, who had been
born of her. And when the procurator saw what had come to pass, he cried out to
all the people, saying: Truly he who was born of the virgin, whom you have
thought of driving away, is the Son of God; for these signs are those of the
true God. And there was a division among the Jews; and many believed in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, in consequence of the signs that had come to pass. And
after all these wonderful things had come to pass through the mother of God, and
ever-virgin Mary the mother of the Lord, while we the apostles were with her in
Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit said to us: You know that on the Lord's day the good
news was brought to the Virgin Mary by the archangel Gabriel; and on the Lord's
day the Saviour was born in Bethlehem; and on the Lord's day the children of
Jerusalem came forth with palm branches to meet him, saying, Hosanna in the
highest, blessed is [2625] He that cometh in the name of the Lord; [2626] and on
the Lord's day He rose from the dead; and on the Lord's day He will come to
judge the living and the dead; and on the Lord's day He will come out of heaven,
to the glory and honour of the departure of the holy glorious virgin who brought
Him forth. And on the same [2627] Lord's day the mother of the Lord says to the
apostles: Cast incense, because Christ is coming with a host of angels; and,
behold, Christ is at hand, sitting on a throne of cherubim. And while we were
all praying, there appeared innumerable multitudes of angels, and the Lord
mounted upon cherubim in great power; and, behold, a stream of light [2628]
coming to the holy virgin, because of the presence of her only-begotten Son, and
all the powers of the heavens fell down and adored Him. And the Lord, speaking
to His mother, said: Mary. And she answered and said: Here am I, Lord. And the
Lord said to her: Grieve not, but let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for thou
hast found grace to behold the glory given to me by my Father. And the holy
mother of God looked up, and saw in Him a glory which it is impossible for the
mouth of man to speak of, or to apprehend. And the Lord remained beside her,
saying: Behold, from the present time thy precious body will be transferred to
paradise, and thy holy soul to the heavens to the treasures of my Father in
exceeding brightness, where there is peace and joy of the holy angels, -- and
other things besides. [2629] And the mother of the Lord answered and said to
him: Lay Thy right hand upon me, O Lord, and bless me. And the Lord stretched
forth His undefiled right hand, and blessed her. And she laid hold of His
undefiled right hand, and kissed it, saying: I adore this right hand, which
created the heaven and the earth; and I call upon Thy much to be praised name
Christ, O God, the King of the ages, the only-begotten of the Father, to receive
Thine handmaid, Thou who didst deign to be brought forth by me, in a low estate,
to save the race of men through Thine ineffable dispensation; do Thou bestow
Thine aid upon every man calling upon, or praying to, or naming the name of,
Thine handmaid. And while she is saying this, the apostles, having gone up to
her feet and adored, say: O mother of the Lord, leave a blessing to the world,
since thou art going away from it. For thou hast blessed it, and raised it up
when it was ruined, by bringing forth the Light of the world. And the mother of
the Lord prayed, and in her prayer spoke thus: O God, who through Thy great
goodness hast sent from the heavens Thine only-begotten Son to dwell in my
humble body, who hast deigned to be born of me, humble as I am, have mercy upon
the world, and every soul that calls upon Thy name. And again she prayed, and
said: O Lord, King of the heavens, Son of the living God, accept every man who
calls upon Thy name, that Thy birth may be glorified. And again she prayed, and
said: O Lord Jesus Christ, who art all-powerful in heaven and on earth, in this
appeal I implore Thy holy name; in every time and place where there is made
mention of my name, make that place holy, and glorify those that glorify Thee
through my name, accepting of such persons all their offering, and all their
supplication, and all their prayer. And when she had thus prayed, the Lord said
to His mother: Let thy heart rejoice and be glad; for every favour [2630] and
every gift has been given to thee from my Father in heaven, and from me, and
from the Holy Spirit: every soul that calls upon thy name shall not be ashamed,
but shall find mercy, and comfort, and support, and confidence, both in the
world that now is, and in that which is to come, in the presence of my Father in
the heavens. And the Lord turned and said to Peter: The time has come to begin
the singing of the hymn. And Peter having begun the singing of the hymn, all the
powers of the heavens responded with the Alleluiah. And then the face of the
mother of the Lord shone brighter than the light, and she rose up and blessed
each of the apostles with her own hand, and all gave glory to God; and the Lord
stretched forth His undefiled hands, and received her holy and blameless soul.
And with the departure of her blameless soul the place was filled with perfume
and ineffable light; and, behold, a voice out of the heaven was heard, saying:
Blessed art thou among women. And Peter, and I John, and Paul, and Thomas, ran
and wrapped up her precious feet for the consecration; and the twelve apostles
put her precious and holy body upon a couch, and carried it. And, behold, while
they were carrying her, a certain well-born Hebrew, Jephonias by name, running
against the body, put his hands upon the couch; and, behold, an angel of the
Lord by invisible power, with a sword of fire, cut off his two hands from his
shoulders, and made them hang about the couch, lifted up in the air. And at this
miracle which had come to pass all the people of the Jews who beheld it cried
out: Verily, He that was brought forth by thee is the true God, O mother of God,
ever-virgin Mary. And Jephonias himself, when Peter ordered him, that the
wonderful things of God might be showed forth, stood up behind the couch, and
cried out: Holy Mary, who broughtest forth Christ who is God, have mercy upon
me. And Peter turned and said to him: In the name of Him who was born of her,
thy hands which have been taken away from thee, will be fixed on again. And
immediately, at the word of Peter, the hands hanging by the couch of the Lady
came, and were fixed on Jephonias. And he believed, and glorified Christ, God
who had been born of her. And when this miracle had been done, the apostles
carried [2631] the couch, and laid down her precious and holy body in Gethsemane
in a new tomb. And, behold, a perfume of sweet savour came forth out of the holy
sepulchre of our Lady the mother of God; and for three days the voices of
invisible angels were heard glorifying Christ our God, who had been born of her.
And when the third day was ended, the voices were no longer heard; and from that
time forth all knew that her spotless and precious body had been transferred to
paradise.And after it had been transferred, behold, we see Elisabeth the mother
of St. John the Baptist, and Anna the mother of the Lady, and Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, and David, singing the Alleluiah, and all the choirs of the
saints adoring the holy relics of the mother of the Lord, and the place full of
light, than which light nothing could be more brilliant, and an abundance of
perfume in that place to which her precious and holy body had been transferred
in paradise, and the melody of those praising Him who had been born of her --
sweet melody, of which there is no satiety, such as is given to virgins, and
them only, to hear. We apostles, therefore, having beheld the sudden precious
translation of her holy body, glorified God, who had shown us His wonders at the
departure of the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose [2632] prayers and good
offices may we all be deemed worthy to receive, [2633] under her shelter, and
support, and protection, both in the world that now is and in that which is to
come, glorifying in every time and place her only-begotten Son, along with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.


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Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/revelation-of-john/
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