Resurrection Season ~ Day 33
For the Year of Our LORD, 4.24.2008
Carried by the Angels…second version
And it came to pass, that the beggar died,
and was carried by the angels
into Abraham’s bosom:
the rich man also died,
and was buried;
The words of The LORD,
recorded in Luke 16:22
Yesterday, we presented a document about the angels who meet the Christian soul at the moment of death. It was from the Ante-Nicene collections of Christian writings which occurred before 400 A.D. The early Christians were familiar with these writings even though they are not in the Canon of Scripture as we know it.
There is a parallel account of yesterday’s document in Volume 9, Ante-Nicene Fathers, called The Vision of Paul. This one is from a Latin manuscript. The present translation of the Vision of Paul is made from the text of a Latin version, edited by Mr. M. R. James in the Cambridge Texts and Studies, ii., 3, p. 11 ff. -- from a MS. of the eighth century now in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. Tischendorf’s Greek text which we quoted in yesterday’s blogspot was based on two MSS., the earliest of which is at Munich and is of the thirteenth century. These are copies of the ancient origional.
The Vision of Paul
Section 13
And I [Paul] said to the angel: I wished to see the souls of the just and of sinners going out of the world. And the angel answered and said unto me: Look down upon the earth… (etc.)
And I looked and saw all the world, and men were as naught(nothing) and a-wanting(lacking) and I looked carefully and saw a certain man about to die, and the angel said to me: This one whom thou seest is a righteous man.
And I looked again and saw all his works, whatever he had done for the sake of God’s name, and all his desires, both what he remembered, and what he did not remember; they all stood in his sight in the hour of need;
and I saw the just man advance and find refreshment and confidence, and
before he went out of the world the holy and the impious angels both attended: and I saw them all, but the impious found no place of habitation
in him, but the holy took possession of his soul, guiding it till it went out of the body:
and they [the holy angels] roused the soul saying: Soul, know thy body whence thou goest out, for it is necessary that thou shouldst return to the same body on the day of the resurrection, that thou mayest receive the things promised to all the righteous.
Receiving therefore the soul from the body, they immediately kissed it as familiarly known to them, saying to it: Do manfully, for thou hast done the will of God while placed in the earth.
And there came to meet him the angel who watched him every day, and said to him: Do manfully, soul; for I rejoice in thee, because thou hast done the will of God on earth: for I related to God all thy works, whatever they were.
Similarly also the spirit proceeded to meet him and said: Soul, fear not, nor
be disturbed, until thou comest into a place which thou hast never known, but I will be a helper unto thee: for I found in thee a place of refreshment in the time when I dwelt in thee, while I was on earth.
And his spirit strengthened him, and his angel received him, and led him into heaven: and an angel said: Whither runnest thou, O soul, and dost thou dare to enter into heaven? Wait and let us see if there is anything of ours in thee: and behold we find nothing in thee. I see also thy divine helper and angel, and the spirit is rejoicing along with thee, because thou hast done the will of God on earth. And they led him along till he should worship in the sight of God.
And when they had ceased, immediately Michael and all the army of angels, with one voice, adored the footstool of HIS feet, and his judgement, saying at the same time to the soul: This is your God of all things, who made you in his own image and likeness. Moreover the angel returns and points him (the man) out saying: God, remember his labors: for this is the soul, whose works I related to thee, doing according to thy judgment.
And the spirit said likewise: I am the spirit of vivification(life) inspiring him: for I had refreshment in him, in the time when I dwelt in him, doing according to thy judgment. And there came the voice of God and said: In as much as this man did not vex me, neither will I vex him; for according as he had pity, I also will have pity.
Let him therefore be handed over to Michael, the angel of the Covenant, and let him lead him into the Paradise of joy, that he himself may become co-heir with all the saints.
And after these things I heard the voices of a thousand thousand angels, and archangels, and cherubim, and twenty-four elders saying hymns, and glorifying the Lord and crying: thou art just, O Lord, and just are thy judgments, and there is no acceptance of persons with thee, but thou rewardest unto every man according to thy judgment. And the angel answered and said unto me: Hast thou believed and known, that whatever each man of you has done, he sees in the hour of need? And I said: Yes, sir.
+ + +
Further down, in section 15 of this Vision of Paul, it talks about the “customary angel which precedes it (the soul)” as it departs from the body. This gives us the picture of yet another angel which goes before the accompanying angels as they escort the departing Christian to his Heavenly home.
As we pointed out earlier, the departing one does NOT float aimlessly upwards, but rather is escorted in some manner through the hostile environment surrounding the earth and is led through a gateway into the Heavenly realm.
Many accounts of near-death ordeals discuss the movement of the soul/spirit of a person through a shaft-type entrance, either upwards or downwards.
Let us thank The LORD for His+ glorious Resurrection so that we too may be taken upwards and enter through the gate, at our appointed time. May the angels who meet us find nothing in us to hinder our transition unto The LORD. We pray that we may found worthy of CHRIST and that our works which HE+ has taught us would go before us, to the glory of GOD the FATHER.
+ + +
In the Name of The FATHER, Who created us,
and of The SON+, Who+ redeemed us,
and of The HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctifies us,
Amen
+ + +The Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST… the most life-changing event in human history!+ + +
For the Year of Our LORD, 4.24.2008
Carried by the Angels…second version
And it came to pass, that the beggar died,
and was carried by the angels
into Abraham’s bosom:
the rich man also died,
and was buried;
The words of The LORD,
recorded in Luke 16:22
Yesterday, we presented a document about the angels who meet the Christian soul at the moment of death. It was from the Ante-Nicene collections of Christian writings which occurred before 400 A.D. The early Christians were familiar with these writings even though they are not in the Canon of Scripture as we know it.
There is a parallel account of yesterday’s document in Volume 9, Ante-Nicene Fathers, called The Vision of Paul. This one is from a Latin manuscript. The present translation of the Vision of Paul is made from the text of a Latin version, edited by Mr. M. R. James in the Cambridge Texts and Studies, ii., 3, p. 11 ff. -- from a MS. of the eighth century now in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. Tischendorf’s Greek text which we quoted in yesterday’s blogspot was based on two MSS., the earliest of which is at Munich and is of the thirteenth century. These are copies of the ancient origional.
The Vision of Paul
Section 13
And I [Paul] said to the angel: I wished to see the souls of the just and of sinners going out of the world. And the angel answered and said unto me: Look down upon the earth… (etc.)
And I looked and saw all the world, and men were as naught(nothing) and a-wanting(lacking) and I looked carefully and saw a certain man about to die, and the angel said to me: This one whom thou seest is a righteous man.
And I looked again and saw all his works, whatever he had done for the sake of God’s name, and all his desires, both what he remembered, and what he did not remember; they all stood in his sight in the hour of need;
and I saw the just man advance and find refreshment and confidence, and
before he went out of the world the holy and the impious angels both attended: and I saw them all, but the impious found no place of habitation
in him, but the holy took possession of his soul, guiding it till it went out of the body:
and they [the holy angels] roused the soul saying: Soul, know thy body whence thou goest out, for it is necessary that thou shouldst return to the same body on the day of the resurrection, that thou mayest receive the things promised to all the righteous.
Receiving therefore the soul from the body, they immediately kissed it as familiarly known to them, saying to it: Do manfully, for thou hast done the will of God while placed in the earth.
And there came to meet him the angel who watched him every day, and said to him: Do manfully, soul; for I rejoice in thee, because thou hast done the will of God on earth: for I related to God all thy works, whatever they were.
Similarly also the spirit proceeded to meet him and said: Soul, fear not, nor
be disturbed, until thou comest into a place which thou hast never known, but I will be a helper unto thee: for I found in thee a place of refreshment in the time when I dwelt in thee, while I was on earth.
And his spirit strengthened him, and his angel received him, and led him into heaven: and an angel said: Whither runnest thou, O soul, and dost thou dare to enter into heaven? Wait and let us see if there is anything of ours in thee: and behold we find nothing in thee. I see also thy divine helper and angel, and the spirit is rejoicing along with thee, because thou hast done the will of God on earth. And they led him along till he should worship in the sight of God.
And when they had ceased, immediately Michael and all the army of angels, with one voice, adored the footstool of HIS feet, and his judgement, saying at the same time to the soul: This is your God of all things, who made you in his own image and likeness. Moreover the angel returns and points him (the man) out saying: God, remember his labors: for this is the soul, whose works I related to thee, doing according to thy judgment.
And the spirit said likewise: I am the spirit of vivification(life) inspiring him: for I had refreshment in him, in the time when I dwelt in him, doing according to thy judgment. And there came the voice of God and said: In as much as this man did not vex me, neither will I vex him; for according as he had pity, I also will have pity.
Let him therefore be handed over to Michael, the angel of the Covenant, and let him lead him into the Paradise of joy, that he himself may become co-heir with all the saints.
And after these things I heard the voices of a thousand thousand angels, and archangels, and cherubim, and twenty-four elders saying hymns, and glorifying the Lord and crying: thou art just, O Lord, and just are thy judgments, and there is no acceptance of persons with thee, but thou rewardest unto every man according to thy judgment. And the angel answered and said unto me: Hast thou believed and known, that whatever each man of you has done, he sees in the hour of need? And I said: Yes, sir.
+ + +
Further down, in section 15 of this Vision of Paul, it talks about the “customary angel which precedes it (the soul)” as it departs from the body. This gives us the picture of yet another angel which goes before the accompanying angels as they escort the departing Christian to his Heavenly home.
As we pointed out earlier, the departing one does NOT float aimlessly upwards, but rather is escorted in some manner through the hostile environment surrounding the earth and is led through a gateway into the Heavenly realm.
Many accounts of near-death ordeals discuss the movement of the soul/spirit of a person through a shaft-type entrance, either upwards or downwards.
Let us thank The LORD for His+ glorious Resurrection so that we too may be taken upwards and enter through the gate, at our appointed time. May the angels who meet us find nothing in us to hinder our transition unto The LORD. We pray that we may found worthy of CHRIST and that our works which HE+ has taught us would go before us, to the glory of GOD the FATHER.
+ + +
In the Name of The FATHER, Who created us,
and of The SON+, Who+ redeemed us,
and of The HOLY SPIRIT, Who sanctifies us,
Amen
+ + +The Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST… the most life-changing event in human history!+ + +
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