Section 102
As Daviyd prophesied by the mouth of the Ruach Qodesh, saying, “ With you was the headship on the day of might.” Now what do these words, “ day of might ” mean? Is it not the day whereon Mashiach, the Word of the Father, created heaven and earth? For Mosheh says in the beginning of the Book, c< In the beginning Elohim made the heavens and the earth.” Understand then “ In the beginning ” meaneth “ in Mashiach ”; the interpretation of “ beginning ” is Mashiach. Yochanan the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, says concerning Mashiach, “ This is the first (or, beginning) Whom we have heard and seen, Whom we have known, and Whom our hands have felt.” And we will relate to you how we have a portion with Him, and you who believe our words shall have a portion with us. And Luke the disciple says in the Acts of the Shelichim, “ In the beginning we make speech concerning everything,” 4 and this that he says [sheweth] that Mashiach was the redemption of all, and we believe in Him. And Mark the Evangelist in the beginning of his Book wrote, saying, “ The beginning of the Besorah is Yahushua the Mashiach, the Son of Elohim ”; and these words mean that Mashiach was the glad tidings for the Nevi'im and the Shelichim, and that we all have participated in His grace. And again Yochanan the Evangelist wrote, saying, “ In the beginning was the Word, and that Word was with Elohim ”; and in another place his word showeth [this] plainly, and he says, “ And likewise in the beginning was Elohim the Word.” And now observe that that Word of the Father is Mashiach, by which He made the heavens and the earth and every created thing. It is He Who created, and without Him nothing that came came into being, nothing whatever: “ He spoke, and they came into being; He commanded, and they were created. And the third glorious thing, hearken [to it]: “ Through the breath of His mouth He created all their host. This makes manifest the Ruach Qodesh, Who is clearly referred to. And what shall we say? Let us weep for them. Woe be to the Yehudim and to the pagans ( Arami) who have wandered from the truth and have refused to submit to the love of Elohim, with which in His goodness He has loved man. For after Adam was rejected through his sin He saved him by the greatness of His mercy, being crucified on the wood of the Cross, His hands being pierced with nails. With His palm stretched out in humility, and His head bowed on one side, for our sakes He, to Whom suffering was unfitting, suffered in the everlasting majesty of His Godhead. He died that He might destroy death; He suffered exhaustion that He might give strength to the wearied being of dust; athirst He drank vinegar, He was crowned with a crown of thorns; He feared not and was not ashamed of the contumely and hatred and spitting of the polluted Yehudim. He suffered beating, He was buffeted with fists, He was pierced, He was transfixed with nails, He was reviled and mocked, being Elohim and the King of Death, and the Bestower of glory, and because of this He endured patiently all disgrace. Wearied and miserable, they made Him sad when they rejected Him and hated Him; but strong and glorious, what could sadden Him when they brought false charges against Him? For He Himself knew His Godhead, and He knew His glory, and He knew Himself. And there was none who knew Him, for He was the Creator of everything. And if they had known Him they would not have crucified the Yahuah of praise (or, glory). And He said in His mercy, “ Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” They likened their Creator to something that had been created, and they slew a sojourner who did not belong to mortal creatures, and He was not a thing that had been made with the hand* But He Himself was the Maker, and He Himself was the Creator, Light of Light, Elohim of Elohim, Son of the Father, Yahushua the Mashiach. He was the Refuge, He was the Feeder, He was the Director; He, Whose domain was above what is on high, and above everything, abased Himself. Even as Yeshayahu, the man of keen words among the Nevi'im, says, “ He was a humble man, and His appearance was rejected, like a root He hid Himself in parched ground, He came in the flesh, a being of the earth, [though He was] the Sustainer of the universe and the Deliverer of the universe.” And Daviyd ascribeth beauty to Him, saying, “ On your beauty 3 and in your goodliness of form.” And again he says, “ His form is more goodly than that of the children of men.” And again he says, “ Graciousness is poured forth from your lips.” And again he says, “ Direct aright with prosperity, and reign through righteousness, and justice, and sincerity.” And again he says concerning the Yehudim, the enemies of the truth, “ your arrows are sharp and strong in the hearts of the haters of the King ”; 6 “ it is right that they should transfix their hearts,” He says 6< to those who did not wish Me to be King, and they shall be brought before Me and pierced ” [with spears]. And again Yeshayahu says concerning the Yehudim, “ I have sought for them and found them not; I have called to them and they have not answered Me; I have loved them and they have hated Me.” And again Daviyd says, a They returned to me evil for good, and they hated me in return for my love for them.” And again Yeshayahu says, “ With their lips they profess love for Me, but in their hearts they keep afar from Me, and their worshipping of Me is an empty thing.” And as Mosheh says, “ They have moved Me to wrath with their gods, and I will move them to jealousy with that which is not a nation, for they are a people whose counsel is destroyed.” And those who said, “ We have no Torah,” to them has the Torah been given, for Elohim is the Giver of the Torah to every one. And Elohim rewarded the Yehudim according to their wickedness, and He treated the Gentiles according to their simplicity. For He is merciful and compassionate to those who call upon Him and who take refuge in Him, and who purify themselves from all uncleanness in the Assembly and in the Tabot of the Torah of Elohim; and He loveth those who weep and repent even as Stephen, [one] of the Seventy Disciples says. Now among the Seventy Disciples there were seven who were chosen for service with the Twelve Shelichim, to perform service with Silas, and Barnabas, and Mark and Luke and Paulos. And this Stephen spoke to the Yehudim whilst he was standing up to martyrdom and the Yehudim -were killing him, and said to them as he showed them their folly in not having kept the Mitswah of Elohim, “ you have not kept the Torah according to the ordinance of the Malakim, as you received it.” And it says in the Acts [of the Shelichim], “ When they heard this they went mad with anger and gnashed their teeth.” Now hearken you to me. In his saying “ you have not kept the Torah according to the order of the Malakim,” [we have] a form and a [fore] shadowing of what is in the heavens, that is to say, the heavenly and free Yerushalayim, the habitation of the Most High, of which the situation and construction are incomprehensible to mortal heart. And in it is the throne of the Most High, which is surrounded with fire, and four beasts bear it in their place, which is the sixth heaven. And a throne goes up to the seventh heaven, the habitation of the Father, and there dwel-leth He Who is with His Father and the Ruach Qodesh, Who vivifieth everything. And the Tabot of the Assembly is a similitude of the Yerushalayim which is in the heavens, and the Assembly of the Gentiles is a similitude of the Yerushalayim which is in the heavens.