Heavenly Jesus

 Hi Everyone,

With my interest in and searching the Ethiopian Bible, I found out there is a book called Mashafa Kidan. It's also called the Book Of Covenant. It can also be broken up into two separate books, 1 Covenant and 2 Covenant. It can also be called The Testament Of Jesus Christ or Epistula Apostolorum. 

I'll explain why I bring it up but first let's look at Acts Chapter 1. Acts 1 says Jesus appeared to the apostles "by many convincing proofs over a period of 40 days." He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He told them they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. He said they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and the remotest parts of the earth. Then The Bible says "after He said these things He was lifted up while they were watching and a cloud took Him out of their sight."

Like other books that have been found, like books in the Nag Hammadi, parts of the books are missing, so when we read it the translators put brackets where the missing parts are, and we just have figure out what was said, or just move on without knowing that part. The Epistula Apostolorum tells us what or at least some of the things that happened during those 40 days. In this book chapters 1-8 are missing. It starts in chapter 9 saying Cerinthos and Simon were in the world and they were told these are enemies of the Lord. It sounds like the Apostles talking because it says, we have not delayed in writing to you about the witness of Our Savior Christ who was crucified by Pontius Pilate. It describes how Mary, Martha and Mary Magdalene went to the tomb of Jesus with oils for His body and found the tomb empty. As they were grieving and weeping the Lord said to them "For whom are you weeping? Stop weeping. For I am the one you are looking for." When I read that I imagined Him saying it like we would today, like Oh My Gosh... Stop weeping. {heavy sigh}.

Twice He told Martha then Mary to go tell the Apostles to come with them, Jesus is alive. They didn't believe them so they all went. When they got there and still didn't believe Jesus told them about Peter denying Him, then He finally had to let them touch His wounds. When they were finally convinced, they fell down on their faces and confessed their sins. Now starts what was omitted from the book of Acts.

Jesus told them "It happened when I came coming from The Father of everything. I passed into the heavens. I assumed the wisdom of the Father and I assumed His power. I was in heaven, and the archangels and angels, I passed into their likeness as if I were one with them among the powers and authorities. I passed by them having the wisdom of the one who sent me. The archistrategos of the angels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, they are the ones who followed me as far as the Fifth Firmament. For they thought in their hearts that I was one of them.When I read that about the Fifth Firmament it reminded me about a video I listened to on the Bible Hidden Truths youtube channel called The Ancient Map Of Heaven. Let's stop there with the book and pick it up next time so I can tell you about the Fifth Section of Heaven.

According to the video, the Fifth Heaven is where the Ethiopian tradition describes it where the Angelic Hosts are on watch. It holds the Angelic Warriors. The beings do not govern cycles or record deeds, they stand prepared. Ancient writings describe them as tall, radiant and burning with a fire that does not consume. Their presence is not chaotic or violent. It is disciplined and purposeful. They stand watch. Their songs are songs of power, not gentle hymns. Theirs are voices that shake shake the foundations of the heavens, not in destruction, but in reinforcement. This heaven carries and important correction to modern assumptions. Heaven is not constant perfection, it is active and guarded. Ethiopian tradition says evil does not fade away, so so vigilance is always necessary and eternal. For human beings this realm carries a quiet warning and deep reassurance. The world may appear to be fragile but it is not unprotected. Forces  beyond human sight stand watch, not because humanity deserves it but because divine order demands it. The Fifth Heaven reminds us that strength and holiness are not opposites.

When I think about this and Jesus appearing to to His followers for those 40 days, it makes me think about the spiritual places that we can't see with our human eyes. I've said God is not a man in the clouds with a white beard in pictures like we see. But if Jesus can come to earth, be born as a human, die, go to heaven, look like angels and walk with them, then come back to earth, appear to be human without being born of a woman, talk to and teach His disciples, then return to heaven, the things we can't comprehend in the spiritual world are much too numerous to count. Don't discount anything!!

We'll continue with the book Mashafa Kidan next time and possibly get through it, unless I find another reason to take a side trip  😊😊 

Until then Keep Searching. 

Paul    

PS: My Artspace creation of Jesus in the 5th Heaven