- 75 Then I answered and said,
- "If I have found favor in your sight, Sovereign, show this
also to your slave; whether after death as soon as each one
of us gives up his soul, we shall be faithfully kept at rest until
those times come when you begin to renew the creation, or
shall be tortured at once."
- 76 And he answered me and said,
- "I will show you that also; but you must not associate
with those who have shown scorn, or count yourself among
- 77 those who are tortured. For you have a treasure of works
- laid up with the Most High, but it will not be shown to you
- 78 until the last times. For about death, the teaching is: When
- the final sentence goes forth from the Most High that a man
is to die, when the soul departs from the body to return
again to him who gave it, first of all it prays to the glory of
- 79 the Most High; if it was one of those who scorned and did
- not observe the way of the Most High, and if those who
have despised his law, and of those who hate those who fear
- 80 God, such spirits shall not enter dwellings but wander about
- thenceforth in torment, always grieving and sad, in seven
- 81 ways: The first way is that they have scorned the Law of
- 82 the Most High. The second way is that they can no longer
- 83 make a good repentance, so that they may live. The third
- way is that they will see the reward destined for those who
- 84 have believed the agreements of the Most High. The fourth
- way is that they will consider the torment destined for them
- 85 in the last days. The fifth way is that they will see that the
- dwelling-places of the others are guarded by angels in profound
- 86 silence. The sixth way is that they will see that some
- of them will pass over to be tormented henceforth. The
- 87 seventh way, which is worse than all the ways that have
- been mentioned, is that they will waste away in shame and
be consumed in disgrace, and wither with fear, at seeing the
glory of the Most High before whom they sinned while they
lived, and before whom they are destined to be judged in
the last times.
- 88 "But of those who have observed the ways of the Most
- High, this is the order, when they shall be separated
- 89 from this fragile jar. In the time when they lived in it,
- they carefully served the Most High, though they were
in danger every hour, so as to keep the Law of the Lawgiver
- 90 perfectly. Therefore this is the teaching about them:
- 91 First of all, they see with great rapture the glory of him who
- 92 takes them up, for they will rest in seven orders. The first
- order is that they have striven with much toil to conquer the
wicked thought that was formed with them, so that it should
- 93 not lead them away from life to death. The second order
- is that they see the labyrinth in which the souls of the
- 94 ungodly wander, and the punishment that awaits them. The
- third order is that they see the testimony that he who
formed them has borne to them, because when they were
alive they faithfully observed the Law which was given
- 95 them. The fourth order is that they understand the rest
- which they now enjoy, gathered in their chambers, in great
quietness, watched over by angels, and the glory that awaits
- 96 them in the last days. The fifth order is that they exult that
- they have now escaped what is corruptible and will possess
the future as their inheritance, and besides perceive the
narrowness and toilsomeness from which they have been freed
and the spaciousness they are destined to receive and enjoy
- 97 in immortality. The sixth order is that it is shown to them
- how their face is destined to shine like the sun, and how they
are to be made like the light of the stars, and be incorruptible
- 98 thenceforth. The seventh order, which is greater than all
- those that have been mentioned, is that they will exult boldly,
and that they will trust confidently, and rejoice fearlessly,
for they hasten to see the face of him whom they served in
life, and from whom they are to receive their reward when
- 99 they are glorified. These are the orders of the souls of the
- upright, as henceforth proclaimed, and the above ways of
torture are those which those who would not give heed will
henceforth suffer."
- 100 And I answered and said,
- "Then will time be given the souls after they are seperated
from the bodies, to see what you have told me of?"
- 101 And he said to me,
- "They have freedom for seven days, to see on the seven
days the things you have been told, and afterward they will
be gathered in their dwellings."
- 102 And I answered and said,
- " If I have found favor in your sight, show me, your slave,
further, whether on the Day of Judgement the upright will
be able to intercede for the ungodly, or to beseech the Most
High on their behalf, fathers for sons, or sons for parents,
brothers for brothers, relatives for their kinsmen, and friends
for those who are most dear to them."
- 104 And he answered me and said,
- "Since you have found favor in my sight, I will show you
this also. The Day of Judgement is final and shows to all the
stamp of truth. Just as now a father cannot send his son
or a son his father or a master his slave or a friend his dearest
- 105 friend to be sick for him, or sleep or eat or be cured, so no
- one can pray for another then, or lay a burden on another,
for they must all bear everyone his own iniquity or uprightness
then."
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