Apocryphal supplement -- The Sent Ones

This is related to my previous post. Here is more from Hugh Nibley, who has read a ton of apocryphal literature, taken a lot of notes and sharing some of that in the book, "Temple and Cosmos". 

There is the doctrine of the "Sent One" - somebody who is sent. Recently, a great deal of attention is being paid to this doctrine of the "Sent One". Geo Widengren, a Swede, has written a book on the subject of "The One Who Is Sent" - the one who is sent from one world to another with a message and instructions. In fact, the word apostle means "sent one". Instead of personally intervening by direct methods into the affairs of men, God sends his agents to act for him. The purpose of the Sent Ones, all agree, is to help the struggling lower creatures out, by instructing them in what they have to do to survive here and hereafter, and where necessary to show them how to go about following instructions. Their great work is, this, to uplift and to give help to those beneath them. The greatest of the Sent Ones is, of course, the Savior himself. "The Lord brings earth up to Heaven," as 1 Jeu says. 

Nibley goes on to say

In the vast majority of accounts, it is three Sent Ones who instruct Adam. There is no conflict, since the Sent Ones are many. They come whenever they are needed. Indeed, according to sources, Adam himself was one of the three great Sent Ones who created the world in the beginning.

We get some obvious temple vibes from this. It is also interesting to note that Adam, who was instructed by Sent Ones also became one himself. This is another example of High Nibley's findings in the apocrypha supporting and supplementing topics that have been discussed on this blog before. It is a topic that has come up frequently in Lord Wilmore's posts. In fact, there are too many to link to but here and here are two examples. More from Nibley on this:

The reason it is so often the Adam of Light, the premortal Adam, who is sent to help suffering humanity (he's our great helper), is that he, as our first Father, was himself thus helped in the beginning

The apocryphal literature apparently uses Adam a lot but this is a general scriptural pattern. Those who have been awakened/helped/instructed/lifted are assigned to help others, whether angels or men. The word malak (Hebrew for messenger) covers both. Here is a quote from another apocryphal source, the Gospel of Truth:

Whoever has this knowledge is a being from on high. When he is called, he hears, answers, and turns toward him who calls and reascends to him. He knows when he is called; he knows whence he has come, and where he is going. He has turned many from error and proceeded unto places which belong to them, but from which they have strayed. Joy to the man who has discovered himself, awakened, and has helped others to wake up.

The last sentence is what I quoted at the end of my previous post as it also addresses the related deep sleep and awakening pattern. King Benjamin is a good example of this pattern. In Mosiah 3, an angel awakens him and instructs him

2 And the things which I shall tell you are made known unto me by an angel from God. And he said unto me: Awake; and I awoke, and behold he stood before me.

3 And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy. (Mosiah 3)

The rest of chapter 3 is the message from the angel about the coming of Christ. But this message is not just for king Benjamin. As he has been instructed, he is to instruct his people. In Mosiah 4 we read about their reaction

3 And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come, according to the words which king Benjamin had spoken unto them.

4 And king Benjamin again opened his mouth and began to speak unto them, saying: My friends and my brethren, my kindred and my people, I would again call your attention, that ye may hear and understand the remainder of my words which I shall speak unto you.

5 For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God at this time has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your worthless and fallen state (Mosiah 4)

Why would I link king Benjamin to an angel of God with my color coding? Because he has taken that role of malak. The king was awakened by an angel, asked to hear his words and prepared for a message of joy. Afterwards, the king likewise instructs the people, and they are filled with joy and awakened too. King Benjamin hears the words of the Sent One and becomes a Sent One.

Alma the younger is another good example. He was so struck by the message of the angel that he fell to the earth and could not use his limb or open his mouth, another version of the deep sleep. His father gathers the other priests to fast and pray for him

And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the space of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good comfort: (Mosiah 27:23)

Alma and the Sons of Mosiah immediately start to function in their new role

32 And now it came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people, and those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them, traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people the things which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being smitten by many of them...

37 And how blessed are they! For they did publish peace; they did publish good tidings of good; and they did declare unto the people that the Lord reigneth. (Mosiah 27)

I find the Isaiah quote in verse 37 interesting. It is paraphrasing Isaiah 52:7 about the beautiful feet on the mountain. This is where they now figuratively stand in their new role as malak. Later in Alma 27:4, they are compared to angels by the people that they have been sent to instruct. This pattern is nothing new for long-time readers of this blog, but it is neat to see how this is supported and expanded upon even in the apocrypha.

The covenant of salt and "none righteous"

Salt is mentioned in reference to covenants twice in the Old Testament, first here:

13 And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. (Leviticus 2)

Then again here:

19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed with thee. (Numbers 18)

Like so many other covenant symbols, salt has both positive and negative connotations.  On the one hand, salt is an important preservative. On the other, in excess it can bring agricultural barrenness and desolation. Leviticus 2 contains some interesting concepts which will be the subject of this post:

Because salt was employed as a preservative, its use in a covenantal context also emphasized the expectation that the covenant would last for a long time... Because salt inhibits the leavening action of yeast, which represented rebellion, salt could additionally stand for that which prevented rebellion. An additional explanation for the appropriateness of salt in connection with the covenant is found in its association with agricultural infertility: In a Hittite treaty, the testator pronounces a curse: if the treaty is broken, “may he and his family and his lands, like salt that has no seed, likewise have no progeny.” (Zondervan,. NRSV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, p. 832).

This adds context to Christ's famous saying:

13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. (3 Nephi 12; see also Matthew 5)

Let's take this just a little bit deeper. In what way do the covenant people of the Lord preserve the broader population? We actually have examples of this.  A classic example is found in the story of Abraham:

23 ¶ And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

24 Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

26 And the Lord said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes.

27 And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:

28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it.

29 And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake.

30 And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

31 And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake.

32 And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. (Genesis 18)

Ten righteous people can save an entire city from destruction.  The principle here is that the righteous can serve as salt -- a preservative.

This also serves to highlight the significance of covenant rebellion. When none are found to be righteous, the people are in a truly terrible position. Paul gives us a somber summary of this state by pulling together verses from Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah:

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:

15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:

16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:

17 And the way of peace have they not known:

18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. (Romans 3)

The highlighted passage above paraphrases Ecclesiastes 7:20.

The Book of Mormon makes use of this phrase twice to underscore the degree of wickedness preceding eras of destruction among the Nephites.  The first example is here:

11 And because they did cast them all out, that there were none righteous among them, I did send down fire and destroy them, that their wickedness and abominations might be hid from before my face, that the blood of the prophets and the saints whom I sent among them might not cry unto me from the ground against them. (3 Nephi 9)

The other example is found at the end of the period of righteousness following the visitation of Christ:

46 And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic. (4 Nephi 1)

(Side note: "no, not one" from Romans 3:10 is also found twice in the Book of Mormon, both times in an interesting but unrelated context to the purpose of this post.  See Moroni 7:17 and Moroni 10:25.)

The fancy word for this dual meaning is "bivalence" -- the covenant of salt highlights the fact that the same covenant which can bring about everlasting life also leads to severe consequences if rebellion sets in.

Apocryphal supplement -- The deep sleep of Adam and Abram

This might turn into a series of posts demonstrating how some of the doctrines and symbols previously discussed on this blog are found in the apocrypha. I am well aware that they are not included in our standard works for a reason. Origins are often unknown or questionable. But at least they reflect religious thinking at the time they were written, and if not directly inspired, they may be based on other inspired writings or teachings that have later become lost. 

I know little about apocryphal literature myself, but fortunately I have Hugh Nibley to help. I am currently reading "Temple and Cosmos", a collection of works where he demonstrates how our doctrine and temple worship is a restoration of partly lost ancient religious ideas. Several of the topics that Hugh Nibley brings up have also been brought up on this blog before. 

In this post, I will focus on the topic discussed in this previous post on the deep sleep of Adam and Abram. This is not even one of the main topics that Hugh Nibley focuses on, but it comes up several times in his quotes from the apocrypha. I have marked the paragraphs that mention this to see how they fit with the thoughts already shared in that previous post and if they can shed any new light on the topic. I simply don't have the possibility to check all of Nibley's sources. Most of them are not available online for free and I don't have those referenced books. So I'm mostly going to quote Nibley, who in turn is quoting or summarizing apocryphal sources. Normally I like to check sources regardless of who brings them up, but I'm going to have to trust Nibley here, and I don't have any problems with that. 

As outlined in the linked post, both Adam and Abram (before becoming Abraham) experience a deep sleep. These events seem to be related as they both wake up to a covenant in a sense. Otherwise there are few details in the scriptural accounts, but the apocryphal literature adds more and verifies this connection. 

“After the physical Adam was created”, says the new apocryphal Book of John, “a messenger was sent to the head of all creations, Adam, and at his call Adam awoke"

According to the Apocalypse of Adam, Adam was awakened from a deep sleep by three men from on high, who said to him, “Adam arise and hear the teachings of the Savior.” (Apocalypse of Adam 65:26-66:8 in NHLE 257)

These two sources repeat most of what we know from the Bible already, except that there are messengers waking him up. But here is one more detail:

When Adam was created, he was found in a deep sleep, from which he was awakened by a helper, who forthwith began to instruct him. (From the Ginza) 

The helper is not to be confused with the help meet for him, Eve. This is a messenger who woke Adam up, after which he gave him instructions. Here we also see the link to Abraham:

The “Adam incident” is repeated in the case of Abraham, who took a trip to heaven, to the stars, end when his spirit came back to his body, he awoke as if from sleep or a daze. After he had first spoken with the Lord, he fell to earth, for his spirit had left his body, which “became as a stone”. “Then the angel who had been sent to me took me by the right hand and said, ‘Abraham, awake and arise! I have been sent to you to strengthen you and bless you in the name of the Creator.’ “ Then the angel instructed him. (Apocalypse of Abraham 10:2-6 in OTP 6:693-94)

In both cases, there is an awakening by a messenger and then instruction. Nibley comments:

And in the Apocalypse of Abraham, Abraham is awakened by the Sent Ones, and their instructions to him and the ordinances exactly parallel those of Adam.

What did these instructions consist of? Here is another paragraph that also mentions the sleep and awakening. It gives us more about the sleep and less about the subsequent events but mentions ordinances after the awakening

Adam, you recall, had lost memory of his former existence. “I have caused a sleep to come over Adam,” says the Abbaton (a significant early writing of the apostles), “and a forgetting. Adam’s sleep was the putting of a veil between him and his former knowledge. It enveloped him like a garment, and , while his memory was shut off by it, his epinoia (intelligence) retained its force. He remained smart, but he forgot everything. In fact, during the episode of the creation, Eve was made (not from a literal rib, according to this source) while Adam was in sort of a drugged stupor, his mind separated by a veil from what was really going on. He is aroused, then, and taught ordinances.

In my previous post that I linked, I speculate about the awakening relating to covenants and more specifically the marriage covenant. Marriage is not mentioned here but Nibley's sources place Adam and Eve together in a set of ordinances. This is very interesting:

The Berlin Papyrus says that at their new birth, Adam and Eve received the seals and the tokens. As Adam stood praying and supplicating, God sent someone who came and gave him a greeting of peace (shalom), embraced him, and preached the gospel to him. The helper came and awakened the Lord of Mysteries, who is Adam. For Adam went though all the ordinances, including baptism, washings, and anointings, says the Mandaean Prayerbook. According to the Ginza, the Lord and two companions taught Adam and Eve all the ordinances and blessed them.

So what does this all mean? In the Old Testament, both Adam and Abraham fall into a deep sleep. Several apocryphal texts describe similar events for both Adam and Abraham, where they sleep, are awakened by one or more messengers, followed by instructions and ordinances. We can only speculate, but at least it should be considered a possibility that these apocryphal texts are describing ancient traditions that contain a fuller account of these events. They imply that the gospel and priesthood ordinances represent an awakening or spiritual rebirth. 

I close with a more general comment about sleep from one of Nibley's sources, the Gospel of Truth, a Gnostic work found in the Nag Hammadi codices.

Joy to the man who has discovered himself, awakened, and has helped others to wake up (Gospel of Truth 22:2-12)

In light of the instructions and ordinances after the awakening, I find it interesting that it is connected to the concept of discovering oneself. To be awakened and then to wake up others ties to other previous themes on this blog and is a segue into my next post.

The fringe on the vestment and the corners of the field.

This is a short note tying a few Old Testament ideas together.  Credit to Jonathan Pageau for pointing out that two important commandments deal with edges/fringes/corners. 

• The fringe on the vestment (see Numbers 15:38-39)
• The corners of the fields are to be left unharvested (see Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22)

'Fringe' comes from the Hebrew 'kanaph' which is the subject of a multi-part series by Stisa beginning here. 'Corners' comes from the Hebrew 'peah' which comes from a related word ('paah') meaning to cut in pieces.

Notice how beautifully these two concepts are brought together in the story of Ruth. Ruth is a Moabite -- a foreigner -- who desires to stay with her mother in law Naomi following the death of her husband.  They are destitute. Ruth gleans the fields of Boaz and gains favor in his eyes (see Ruth 2:2-3). She later seeks his direct protection by making a reference to his skirt:

9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. (Ruth 3)

I've noticed how carefully the Old Testament establishes a way to care for the poor and foreigners. Ruth marries Boaz and through her we get King David. One lesson we can take from this is that God cares about the edges, the margins (including the marginalized), and He can bring about great and important things from the humble seekers, even if they begin their journey outside the bounds of His protection.

The Old Testament is filled with symbolic language showing how God will gather His people and lead them from wilderness to garden.  The gleaning at the edges of the field is a symbol of the gathering, and the crossing of a boundary (between profane and holy) is a symbol of the fringe of the garment.  It turns out these two seemingly disparate symbols fit together quite nicely. 

I'll close this post with a few verses which capture the beauty of this covenant symbol:

7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalm 36)

 

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. (Psalm 61)

 

10 He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: (Deuteronomy 32)

Wings of healing and protection -- Part 3

Previous parts of this series:

• Part 1
• Part 2

In part 1, we saw that Israel were commanded to make fringes on the borders (Hebr. kanaph) of their garments with blue ribband. This would be established as a common practice among faithful Israelites. These served as reminders of the protection that comes with remembering the commandments of God. But it also meant that they were to partake of the rights and blessings that were usually reserved for the priests. As Lord Wilmore discusses here, the blue ribband emulates the lace used to attach the headplate of the high priest, with the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord". Every Israelite was reminded that they had some measure of priesthood, some holiness in them. They were to be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6). They were all asked to "be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2).

It is reasonable to believe that Jesus also followed this commandment and wore fringes on the borders of his garments, whatever form that had at his time. (This has been modified several times and become the prayer shawls that orthodox Jews use today). The God of Israel who gave these commandments and asked them to be holy, came to them as a mortal man and wore a garment with fringes on the kanaph himself. He was one of them, a mortal man, but also the great high priest. 

This background adds significance and context to a well-known story in the Gospel of Matthew

20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. (Matthew 9)

I used to think that the power of Jesus was so strong that only the hem would do. Learning of this context, it is clear that it was specifically the hem she was after. The Greek language in which the Gospels are written do not contain the same wing/border duality that the Hebrew language has. The Greek translated into hem in this verse can also mean fringe, edge, corner or tassel. It is likely the kind of fringe that Israelites had been commanded to make and the Jews certainly knew the symbolic significance of that. This was the kanaph with healing power, a physical sign of the spiritual healing in the wings of the risen Lord. Another example in Matthew:

35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;

36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. (Matthew 14)

An interesting twist is found in Jeremiah 2:34

34 Also in thy skirts (Hebr. kanaph) is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

These skirts or fringes were supposed to protect Israel and remind them of their holiness. Instead, in this case, they were stained with the blood of the innocents. Healing had been replaced by murder, the royal and heavenly blue had become red and filthy.

This reminds me of the story in Helaman 9, where Nephi-II by inspiration told the Nephites about the death of their chief judge. He later told them, again by inspiration, who the murderer was

29 And ye shall say unto him: Have ye murdered your brother?

30 And he shall stand with fear, and wist not what to say. And behold, he shall deny unto you; and he shall make as if he were astonished; nevertheless, he shall declare unto you that he is innocent.

31 But behold, ye shall examine him, and ye shall find blood upon the skirts of his cloak.

32 And when ye have seen this, ye shall say: From whence cometh this blood? Do we not know that it is the blood of your brother?

33 And then shall he tremble, and shall look pale, even as if death had come upon him.

I am not sure if the Nephites would have any writings of Jeremiah, since he was a contemporary with Lehi. I also don't know if the Nephites would keep the tradition of fringes on the skirts/kanaph of their garments. But at least there is the same pattern to be seen both in Helaman 9 and Jeremiah 2. The ultimate sign of covenant infidelity is blood-stains from murder on the very reminder of God's commandments.