Lectionary Readings for Friday, August 16th, 2019

God’s Book of Eskra Chapters 16, 17, and 18

Chapter 16

MOSES IN HEAVEN PAYETH THE JUDGMENT OF JEHOVIH!

1. Hamonastas, one of the chief marshals of God, and for the heavenly city of Paradise,
came before the throne, duly saluting, and saying:

2. O God, Son of Jehovih, I would speak before thee! God said: Speak thou, my son.

3. Hamonastas said: There standeth without the city of Paradise, beyond the pillars of fire,
and in company with thy high-raised captains, one, Nu-ghan, delivered from one of the
hells of Hassa, over Egupt, and he crieth out continually: O God, Son of Jehovih! Deliver
me! Deliver thou me! O Moses! Moses! Moses!

4. He is distracted, continually using the same words over and over, without ceasing.
Now behold, the nurses and physicians have tried all remedies they can invent, but failed
utterly to break the spell upon him.

5. For seventy days have they labored, and, as a last resort, they have brought him hither,
that they might learn from thee.

6. God said: Nu-ghan! Is this not one of the Pharaohs, who took up arms against the
Faithists of Egupt? Return thou, Hamonastas, to the keepers of this man, and cause him to
be blindfolded, that he may endure the light of the throne; after which thou and his
keepers shall bring him before me.

7. Hamonastas saluted and departed, and after a certain time, returned with the
keepers and with Nu-ghan, who was crying out unceasingly, even as had been said.

8. And now, when he was quite before the throne of God, God said to him: Behold me, I
am God, Son of Jehovih: what wouldst thou?

9. But the man heard not what God said, but kept crying out as before. Whereupon God
said unto the keepers: Remove ye the blinds a little, that the light may come upon him.
10. And they removed the blinds a little; but, lo and behold, the light made him more
distracted than before. And when God saw his deplorable suffering, he inquired of his
keepers, how long the man had been in hell, and they said: Seventy and six years, and in a
knot, three years!

11. God said: I know that this is Pharaoh, who persecuted the Jews. Take him again
without the walls, and there retain him. I will send one of my swift messengers to Lika, in
etherea, who knoweth the abiding place of Moses. Perhaps Moses put a curse upon him!
If so, only Moses can deliver him.

12. And the keepers took the spirit, Nu-ghan, without the city, as commanded by
God. And God sent Haeroponitis, sister of Raban, a swift messenger, in an arrow-ship
of fire, to the etherean worlds, to Gussawanitcha, to Lika’s sojourning place at
that time, commanding her to lay the matter before the Nirvanian chief, Lika.

13. Hereupon the report continueth in the words of Haeroponitis, that is, these are her
words, to wit: In not many days’time I came before Jehovih’s throne, whereon sat Lika,
through whose etherean provinces the solar phalanx was now traveling, and I told him the
story of Nu-ghan.

14. Whereupon Lika, Son of Jehovih, said: Let my reporters of destinations go find
Moses: and it if be that Moses put a judgment on Nu-ghan, then must Moses return to the
lower heavens, and deliver him. The justice of Jehovih reacheth to all time and place.

15. Haeroponitis continued: Whereupon I saluted before the throne of Jehovih, and in
company with the reporters of destinations, started forth again in the etherean realms, and
after passing through seven worlds, and upward of three hundred Nirvanian kingdoms,
we entered the plains of Sapeas, where are situated the colleges and schools of
Embassies, belonging to the Ghiturpsan board of Ritivius. And here we found Moses!

16. Who no sooner looked upon us, having been told that he was inquired after, than he
prophesied the cause.

17. Moses said: Alas me! Because thou hast come for me, thou hast awakened in me that
which slept all these hundreds of years. Yea, it is true, I put a curse upon Pharaoh; for I
said unto him: Thou shalt yet call upon me to deliver thee out of torments. And I added
thereto, afterward, saying of the blood of the sacrifice of the lamb: This shall be the
testimony of innocent blood against thyself and thy people for what the Hebrews have
suffered.

18. Instead of this, I should have forgiven him. O Jehovih! Jehovih! I have sinned before
Thee! And Thou hast searched me out after all these years, and brought the matter home
to me.

19. Thou art just, O Thou Almighty! In Thy name and by Thy wisdom and power will I
return to the lower heavens, and take in charge the man and people I adjudged!

20. And Moses wept; and he gave command to the builders to provide him at once with a
suitable boat of great fleetness. And then Moses procured thirty thousand volunteers to go
with him.

21. And when all things were in readiness, Moses took leave of his companions, and he
and his hosts entered his fire-boat, and presently our two vessels were underway, as if in a
race, for the red star, the earth. And, after some days, we arrived in the heavens of the
earth, even at the city of Paradise, the abiding place of God.

22. Such is the brief heavenly report of Haeroponitis, for, on her arrival in Paradise, her
mission was completed for the present.

23. When it was known in Paradise, that Moses was coming, great joy was manifested,
for God and the Holy Eleven and the Holy Council, all desired to see Moses. And
God commanded the full board of marshals and also the musicians to go without
the capital, and meet Moses, and escort him before the throne. And they accomplished
these things; and Moses came before the throne of God, saluting in the sign, JUDGMENT
OF TIME! And God answered him under the sign, THY LABOR IS OUR JOY AND GLORY!

24. And God said: In Jehovih’s name, O Moses, come thou, and honor my throne.

25. And Moses went up, and sat on the throne, on the right hand of God. And Moses said
unto the Holy Council and to the Holy Eleven:

26. Your God shall be my God. In his love and dominion am I cast by Jehovih’s will, to
deliver those that have suffered from me and my words.

27. God said: Shall we not have a day of recreation first?

28. Moses said: Nay; till I have delivered Nu-ghan, that was Pharaoh, there can be no
peace. Suffer, therefore, thy marshals to go to the keepers of this man, and bring him
before this throne.

29. And now again, after awhile, Nu-ghan was brought in, all muffled up, to keep the
light from hurting him. And he was still crying out: O God, Son of Jehovih! O Moses!
Moses! Moses!

30. And when Moses beheld this, he was nigh overcome by the pitiful scene. And
Moses brushed away his tears, and rose up, raising his hands to Jehovih, saying:
Light of Thy Light, O Jehovih. Power of Thy Power, O Jehovih! Deliver Thou him,
whom I accursed! Put his griefs and sorrows upon me, that hath sinned against him!

31. A mantle of yellow light, cloud-like, descended upon Moses, as he stood transfixed
before Jehovih. All the place was still as death!

32. The blinds and muffles on Nu-ghan fell off, and he stood silent and motionless,
gazing with fixed awe upon the holy scene, and upon Moses on the throne of God!

33. The spirit of Jehovih moved upon the holy place, and the musicians felt the power. It
was the light of one who was mighty, from the etherean worlds!

34. Gently, then, the music of ten thousand voices fell upon the holy audience. First mild,
as if far off, then louder and louder, as if coming near, till soon the words of the anthem
proclaimed Jehovih’s praise.

35. Nu’ghan turned not his eyes from the glory of Moses and the etherean mantle,
for he knew Moses, even as it were but yesterday they parted in Egupt, on the earth.

36. Slowly, now, Moses lowered his upstretched arms, and his hands were brilliant, like
yellow fire. And Moses said, solemnly: All praise to Thee, Jehovih! (Eloih!) Thou art
just, Thou Almighty Creator!

37. Nu-ghan added: For through Him is all deliverance, worlds without end. In Thy
praise will I sing forever, O Jehovih. Thou, Most High God of Moses, my Deliverer.
Make me strong, O Jehovih, that I can look upon him, whom I persecuted and abused.

38. Then Moses looked upon Pharaoh (Nu-ghan) and said: These things had to be.
Thou wert the last of the pyramidal age of man, and I the first founder of the
migration of the righteous. All things are done by Jehovih, in His own way and time.

39. As, by my curse upon thee and thy people, have I been bound to come back to deliver
thee and them; so, by thy curse against Israel, shalt thou now return down to the earth,
and labor to lift up Israel.

40. For Israel hath fallen from communities, and hath taken to kings, after the manner of
the heathen and idolater. Her people are divided and broken up, and many of them have
become worshipers of the false Gods, Baal and Ashtaroth.

41. Yea, they are forgetful of my commandment of peace and love, and have taken to war
and to earthly aggrandizement.

42. And thou shalt take with thee ten thousand angels of exalted grades, and go down to
the earth, to the habitations of the Israelites; and, by inspiration, thou and thy hosts shall
select and inspire such of the Israelites as are within reach of inspiration, and thou shalt
take them away from all other of their people, and from the heathen and idolatrous tribes,
that are around about them.

43. And thou and thy hosts shall abide with these mortals hundreds of years; reestablishing them in peace and non-resistance, after the manner of the doctrines in the
es’sean worlds. And thou shalt call them, Es’seans, that they may be distinguished from all
other peoples.

44. Nu-ghan said: Thy decree is most just, O Moses, and I know of a truth thy words are
Jehovih’s. I pray thee, how long shall this labor be for me and my hosts?

45. Moses said: Some hundreds of years! Until thou hast raised a light sufficient unto
Jehovih, that peace and love and the doctrine of good for evil be again re-established
from the blood of the Israelites, even as by the blood of the lamb, I delivered Jehovih’s
people out of Egupt.

46. And when thou hast perfected the generations of the Es’seans, thou shalt have sent to
thee from the throne of God certain loo’is, and they will labor with thee until an Israelite
is born into the mortal world capable of the Father’s Voice.

47. Nu-ghan said: Hear me now in my plea, O Moses, thou, Son of the Most High: When
I died, as to the earth, and entered heaven, as to these worlds, I found my kingdom, as to
what was before me, in heaven waiting for me.

48. And they were miserable, being beggars and slaves and idiots, because of the slavery I
had put upon them in the earth-life. And I could not escape them, or put them aside. If I
went away objectively, then subjectively I remembered them, and was drawn back to
them.

49. Yea, I was like a young colt that first being haltered, pulleth away, but faileth; then
pulleth again, and faileth, and so on, until he findeth he can not escape, then tamely
submitteth; even so was I bound to my kingdom, and obliged in the end to yield and
become a slave unto them, to provide for them. For I had so dispoiled them of their
talents, they were as helpless as infants; and many of them wicked in the extreme.

50. Nevertheless, I accepted that which I could not escape; I toiled with them hundreds
of years, restoring them as well as I could. And in time a ray of happiness came to
me, in the hope that in hundreds of years to come I should find my way out.

51. But, alas me! darkness (a’ji) came upon my already dark heaven. My evil ones, such
as I had had slaughtered on earth, came upon me for vengeance sake. Anarchy
overflooded me and my people. They became very demons of madness, and they seized
me, and bound me, and bruised me and suffocated me with their horrid smells. Millions
of them! And their curses pierced me like poisoned arrows. Long I fought them; and I
cried out unto thee and to Jehovih! But, alas! I was in hell. None could hear my prayers.
For days and months and years I held out, but only to experience new and more terrible
horrors!

52. How long this woe was upon me, I know not. I only remember, that my soul sickened
within me; and I felt a sinking and a fainting, like an endless death, that could not
extinguish me. To me it seemed ten thousand ages!

53. Suddenly I find myself here! Distracted before thee, thou holy Son of the Great Spirit!
Whence came I? What hath occurred? Or is this but a spell of delirious dream? And will I
relapse again into yonder terrible nightmare of horrors? How can I go hence, that mine
old kingdom come not upon me?

54. Do they not wait hereabout somewhere? To seize me again, for renewed torments? O
teach me, thou, Moses! How can I fulfill thy righteous judgment? And not be entrapped
again, and, perhaps, forever!

55. Moses said: I will give thee a new name, and I will clothe thee in garments of mine
own making, so they will rather flee from thee, than come to thee.

56. And Moses gathered up of the yellow, cloud-like mantle, and made a mantle, and
clothed Nu-ghan; and he named him, Illaes, signifying, Servant of Light. And after that,
he was provided with ten thousand co-laborers, assisted by Gafonaya, and sent back to the
earth, on his mission.

57. And God appointed one hundred messengers unto Pharaoh, that word might be
transmitted every month to Paradise.

Chapter 17

1. God proclaimed a day of recreation in Paradise, that the inhabitants might meet
Moses and his hosts, and rejoice therewith. And great was that day in Paradise.

2. On the following day, Moses departed for the Eguptian people, that had been in hell
with Nu-ghan, going to the place of deliverance. And there were of these spirits, eleven
millions four hundred thousands. And Moses conferred with the inspectors as to places,
and having decided on a convenient region, Elaban, he ordered their removal thither.

3. And Moses went with them to Elaban, an isolated region on the Aratesaian plateau, and
remained with them one hundred and twelve days, establishing them with nurseries,
hospitals and factories; and he appointed officers for them, to every group and series,
going amongst them in person and ministering to tens of thousands of them, and
providing them places of worship.

4. After that, Moses appointed Salesmon as captain over them. Thereafter, Moses
departed, and returned to Paradise, where he remained two days more, and then took
leave, and departed for his own heavenly place in Nirvania. But ere he departed, he said:
When the a’ji’an forest is past and gone, and it be Jehovih’s will, I shall return again to
look after my hosts.

5. And now was God’s attention directed to the Hebrews, the Faithists of western
Arabin’ya, where the God Baal had gained access and power; having affiliated with one,
Dagon, a false God, located in those regions, who maintained six earthly oracle-houses
and a small heavenly kingdom of his own.

6. And it came to pass, that the Hebrews were a divided people. A small minority of them
still worshipped Jehovih, having colleges of prophecy and places of learning. But the
great majority of them were worshipers of the Lord and God, believing the Great Spirit
was only a large man in heaven, after the manner of Baal, or Dagon, or Ashtaroth, or any
other God.

7. God said of them: Though they pretend to be of many kinds, I see but two: Those who
worship the Ever Present, Jehovih; and those who are drifting into heathenism.

8. Mine eyes behold the true Faithists with colleges and with books of learning; but, as
for the others, they are becoming consulters of the oracles (spirits), the same as the
heathens.

9. How can they remain a united people? The Gods of one city and temple teach one
doctrine, and the Gods of another place teach another doctrine.

10. God had previously sent to Ebeneezer one, Jerub, with ten thousand assistant angel
strategists, to be with the king of the Faithists. Jerub now asked for other ten thousand,
and God sent them to him. And God said unto Jerub:

11. A war will presently result between Baal and Ashtaroth and Dagon and Haughak; and
these Gods will not only war in heaven, but they will carry their battles down to mortals.

12. And the Israelites will not only forsake their ancient doctrine of peace, but will
become great warriors, both against other nations and peoples, and against one another.

13. Take thou heed, O Jerub, of the words of thy God; and whilst Baal and Ashtaroth
are in conflict and neglectful of the temples and oracles, possess thou them.

14. Better is it, that these false Gods win unto themselves as dutiful subjects, five angels,
than one mortal.

15. Guard thou well all the colleges of prophecy against the emissaries of these false
Gods. And see to it, that the worshipers of Jehovih have born unto themselves a goodly
number of prophets.

Chapter 18

THE MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THE TERM, HOLY GHOST.

1. There came to Paradise, God’s heavenly place, one, Taenas, a messenger from the
chiefs of the so-called Holy Confederacy. God’s chief marshal conducted him before God,
and, being commanded to speak, he said:

2. Greeting to thee, O God. In behalf of the Three Sons of the Holy Ghost I come before
thee to proclaim their words. I have been instructed by them, what to say, and I declare
unto thee, O God, my words are their words.

3. First, that thou mayest hear us before we are adjudged; second, as thou claimest liberty
to think and to speak for thyself, so do we all. And wherein error cometh of our
proceedings, it is our own matter, and not thine.

4. As thou sayest: Behold the All Person, so do not we say; but we say: Behold the all
expanse; it is but a shadow, a ghost. And for convenience sake, we name it, Holy Ghost.

5. Is not this our privilege? Who can deny us? Hath one man rightful dominion over
another? Or one captain, or one God?

6. God said: Proceed.

7. Taenas said: And we be right, then shall we of our own selves judge what we will do.
But if thou be right, and this thing be an All Person, thou art then His servant to do His
will. Are these points true?

8. God said: It seemeth so.

9. Taenas said: And liberty to both sides?

10. God said: Yea.

11. Taenas said: When I was a child, I was helped to walk; but now I am strong, I walk
alone. Wherein then shall not my judgment also walk alone?

12. God said: Proceed thou, and I will speak afterward.

13. Taenas said: We have seen in ages past, that peace hath been forever proclaimed
by the followers of Jehovih; and that both on earth and in heaven such people
become the sufferers and victims of tyrants of earth and of false Gods in heaven.

14. We propose war, in the name of the Holy Ghost, both on earth and in heaven. We can
have no war with thee or thy people, on earth, or in heaven; for thou and thy people,
angels and mortals, are all peace, warring not.

15. Our wars can be only with warriors. I put the matter thus: Thou hast a virgin daughter,
and a villain assail her; thy doctrine is, to rush in and take thy daughter away from him;
our doctrine is, to beat him away from her.

16. We behold evil Gods and evil spirits, assailing virtuous people on earth and in
heaven. We propose to war them to destruction, for righteousness sake. More then are we
to thy favor, O God, than against thee.

17. We dip our hands in blood, for sake of peace and virtue, for sake of liberty and
knowledge. We shall say to the man of earth: Thou shalt become learned: To the es’yan in
heaven: Thou shalt not return to mortals, but remain in thy place, and become learned and
virtuous.

18. For which reason we come to thee, O God, that thou mayest know our foundation.

19. God said: Who then sayest thou, men and angels shall worship?

20. Taenas said: In this, we command them not. But we give them liberty to worship
whomsoever they will.

21. God said: Thou hast said: Our doctrine is, to beat the villain away from the virgin; but
what wilt thou, or thy example, teach?

22. Taenas answered: That an assailant deserveth punishment.

23. God said: And wilt thou say to the peaceful and virtuous: Take up arms, give your
enemies torments?

24. Taenas answered: Yea, verily.

25. God said: And by what authority, if they inquire of thee?

26. Taenas said: By authority of the Holy Ghost, and the Father (the Confederacy), and by
the Son, that is, each and every Lord of the Confederacy.

27. For we shall teach mortals and angels that all things are by law; and the word, law,
shall take the place of the term, Great Spirit, or Jehovih.

28. God said: Hear me, then, O Taenas, and in love bear my words to thy so-called Triune
Confederacy, and to the high leaders, saying to them: thus saith God of Paradise, Son of
Jehovih, according to the light of this throne:

29. Ye shall triumph for a long season on earth and in heaven; but not in the way ye
suppose.

30. For ye will be forced to provide a worshipful head for mortals and angels. And it will
come to pass, your three heavenly places will become known on earth and in heaven as
the Triune Gods, or Trinity!

31. And the people will worship an imaginary figure of three parts, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost. And this will become their idol; and he will be accredited with love, anger,
jealousy and favoritism, war and destruction.

32. Because ye say: Give punishment to the wicked, ye open the door of all evil. For
he, who hath a quarrel with his neighbor, will accuse him as deserving punishment.
They, that are in darkness, and being mighty, will fall upon the weak, and slay them.

33. A quarrel will ensue in your three heavenly kingdoms, and ye will become as three
false Gods. And since ye profess not the All Person, each of ye three Gods will be forced
to announce himself as such.

34. For the rule applieth to all men and to all angels, that they, who deny an
All Highest Person in the Creator, become establishers of idolatry unto themselves.

35. Thou hast said: We shall leave mortals and angels to worship whom they will. Why,
then, is it not well to worship Baal? And Dagon? And Ashtaroth? And yet, these Gods
make slaves of their subjects, that worship them.

36. Taenas said: Nay, they are evil Gods. We will deliver their slaves into freedom.

37. God said: Who is master, and who is slave? Either on earth, or in heaven? Why not
abolish your Triune Confederacy, lest ye rule over others? And you profess liberty, why
not practice it?

38. Because ye proclaim liberty as your chief object, ye will entice the unlearned and the
truant and the idle and the lazy; for all these claim their weaknesses as the boon of liberty.

39. It shall come to pass, in the far-distant future, your kingdoms will be made up of the
lowest grades. And they will pull you all down from your present high resolves; and ye
will become tyrants and evil Gods yourselves, and meet the fate of all your predecessors.

40. The earth and the heavens thereof were given into my keeping, for the resurrection
of all the inhabitants; but I have neither commission nor desire to accomplish
dominion by violence. As ye have withdrawn from my kingdoms, it is an act of your own.

41. Even mine own grief at your secession showeth me, how short I am in comprehending
Jehovih’s ways. For I declare unto thee, O Taenas, and through thee to thy chiefs, that
though your course seemeth evil in my sight, yet will it be proven in the distant future,
that Jehovih will appropriate your labors to an ultimate good.

42. Thus said the God of heaven and earth: Go thou therefore with my words to the chiefs
of the Triunes. I part with you all, as a father parteth with a son, that goeth into a
consuming fire.

43. Taenas said: In reverence to thee, O God, I go to them, that pity thee for thy too
peaceful ways.

44. Thereupon, Taenas saluted in reverence, and departed, going his way.