THE PARABLES
- Astronomical Secrets
Chapter 41
1 After this I saw the secrets of the heavens and of the heavenly kingdom according to its divisions, and of the work of men as they weigh it there in balances.
2 I saw the habitations of the elect and the habitations of the holy. And then my eyes saw all the sinners who denied the Lord of Glory and whom they were driving out thence and dragging them away because punishment was not gone forth against them from the Lord of Spirits.
3 There also my eyes saw the secrets of the lightning and the thunder, and the secrets of the winds, how they are divided when they blow over the earth, the secrets of the winds, of the dew, and of the clouds. There I perceived the place from which they came forth and were filled with the dust of the earth.
4 There I saw the closed receptacles out of which the winds were divided, the receptacle of hail, the receptacle of snow, the receptacle of the clouds, and the cloud which remained in suspense over the the earth before the world.
5 I also saw the receptacles of the moon, from whence they came, whither they run, their glorious return, and how one became more splendid than another, their magnificent course, their unchangeable course, their divided and undiminished course, their observance of a mutual fidelity by a decree to which they adhered,
6 their going forth before the sun, and their attachment to their path in obedience to the command of the Lord of Spirits, whose name is powerful for ever and ever.
7 After this, both the concealed and visible path of the moon, as well as the progress of its path was there finished by day and by night, while each, one with another, looking toward the Lord of Spirits, exalting and extolling without ceasing, since praise to them is rest.
8 For in the splendid sun there is a frequent changing to blessing and to execration. The course of the path of the moon is light to the righteous but darkness to sinners in the name of the Lord of Spirits, Who created between light and darkness and divided the spirits of men and strengthened the spirits of the righteous in the name of His own righteousness.
9 And the angel comes not before this, and he is not endowed with power to come before it, for the judge beholds them all, and judges them all Himself in his own presence.
- The Dwelling-places of Wisdom and of Unrighteousness
Chapter 42
1 Wisdom found no place on earth where she could dwell,Therefore her dwelling is in heaven.
2 Wisdom walked forth to dwell among the sons of men,But she received no habitation.
Wisdom turned back to her place,And seated herself in the middle of the angels.
3 But wickedness walked forth after her return,Who without will found a dwelling,And dwelt among them.As rain in the desert,And as dew in a thirsty land.
- Astronomical Secrets
Chapter 43
1 I beheld another splendour, and the stars of heaven. I remarked that He called them all by their individual names, and that they heard.
2 I saw that He weighed out in a righteous balance with their light, the extent of their places, and the day of their appearance and their conversion, splendour brought forth splendour, and their conversion was into the number of the angels and of the faithful.
3 Then I enquired of the angel who went with me, and expounded to me secret things,
4 what they were, he answered, “The Lord of Spirits has shewn thee a likeness of these, they are the names of the righteous who dwell on earth, and who believe on the name of the Lord of Spirits for ever and ever.”
Chapter 44
1 I also saw another thing in regard to splendour, that it rises out of the stars and becomes splendour, being unable to leave them.