| 508 |
Then
in that hour of revelation shall come in radiance to men, lovely and
delightsome, the portent of this bird, when the divine authority raises
up from their tombs and gathers all the bones, limbs and body together,
and the spirit of life, before Christ's knee. Majestically from his
high throne the King, heaven's comely Gem, will shine upon the saints.
It will be well for those who, in that bleak hour, may find favour
with God. |
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VII
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| 518 |
There
the bodies, clean from vices, will walk glad-hearted, and spirits
will return to their bony vessels while the holocaust mounts high
to the heavens. For many, fearful heat will be kindled when each single
being, righteous and sinful, soul with body, proceeds from out of
earthen graves to the judgement of the Lord, aghast with fear. Fire
will be on the advance; it will set light to wickedness. There the
blessed, because of their time in exile, will be attired in their
works, their own deeds: these are the noble and delightsome herbs
with which the wild bird encompasses his own nest so that it suddenly
bursts into fire and burns up beneath the sun and himself with it;
and then after the flame he recovers life anew. Just so shall each
one of humankind be attired in flesh, peerless and rejuvenated, who
through his own will works it here that the mighty King of heaven
is gracious to him at that conclave. Then holy spirits, souls steadfast
in truth, will cry aloud and raise up song and, pure and elect, praise
the King's majesty, voice upon voice, and ascend into glory handsomely
herb-bedecked with their good deeds. The souls of men, then shall
be purified and brightly refined by the holocaust of fire. |
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| 546 |
Let
none of mankind imagine that I am composing a lay and writing poetry
with lying words. Listen to the wisdom of Job's songs. Inspired in
his breast through the breath of the spirit, he gave voice, bold,
gloriously exalted; he spoke these words: 'This I do not disdain in
my hearts' thoughts, that I, a man weary of body, should settle for
a deathbed within my nest and from there set out abject upon the long
journey, despondent of my former deeds, covered in clay in the soil's
embrace - and then after death, by grace of the Lord, be allowed,
just as the phoenix bird, to possess renewed life after resurrection,
and pleasures with the Lord where the precious company give praise
to their Beloved. Of that life, of the light and the loving kindnesses,
I shall not be able, ever to eternity, to experience an end. Though
my corpse must grow mouldered in its earthen chamber as a thing desirable
to worms, even so the God of the multitudes will set free my soul
upon the hour of death and awaken it in glory. The hope of this will
never crumble in my heart, for I have secure an enduring joy in the
Ruler of the angels.' |
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| 570 |
So
the wise man in distant days sang, discerning of mind, God's spokesman
of his message, concerning his resurrection into everlasting life,
so that we might the more readily understand the glorious significance
that the illustrious bird betokens through his burning. The remnants
of bones, ashes and cinders, he gathers them all after the cremation;
then the bird brings them in his feet to the Lord's habitations, towards
the sun. From then on they remain there many years, made new again
in form, completely rejuvenated where none in that land may threaten
injuries. |
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| 583 |
Now
just so after death, through the Lord's might, souls together with
body will journey - handsomely adorned, just like the bird, with noble
perfumes - into abundant joys where the sun, steadfastly true, glistens
radiant above the multitudes in the heavenly city. |
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VIII
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| 589 |
Then
the redeeming Christ, high above its roofs, will shine upon souls
steadfast in truth. Him they will follow, these beautiful birds, radiantly
regenerate, blissfully jubilant, spirits elect, into that happy home
everlasting to eternity. There the fiend, outcast, importunate, cannot
treacherously harm them by his evil, but there they shall live for
ever clothed in light, gist as the phoenix bird, in the safe-keeping
of the Lord, radiant in glory. Each one's achievement will brightly
sparkle in that joyous home before the face of the everlasting Lord,
perpetually at peace, like the sun. There a bright halo, marvellously
braided with precious stones, will rise above the head of each of
the blessed. Their heads will glisten, crowned with majesty. The rare
and regal diadem of a prince will adorn with light each of the righteous
in that existence where enduring joy, everlasting and fresh anew,
never wanes; but rather they will dwell in beauty, surrounded with
glory, with lovely adornments, together with the Father of the angels. |
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