APOCALYPSE OF BARUCH
A narrative and revelation of Baruch concerning the unspeakable things he saw by God’s command. Bless me, Master.
The Apocalypse of Baruch, who was by the Gel River, weeping over the captivity of Jerusalem, at which time Abimelech was protected in the field by the hand of God at the time of Agrippa; and he was sitting at the Beautiful Gate, where the Holy of Holies lay.
Now I, Baruch, weeping in my understanding and being concerned for the people, and how King Nebuchadnezzar was permitted by God to destroy his city, said:
“Lord, why have you set fire to your vineyard and laid it waste? Why have you done this? And why, Lord, did you not give us over to another discipline, but deliver us to such nations, so that they, mocking, say, ‘Where is their God?’”
And behold, as I was weeping and saying such things, I saw an angel of the Lord coming and saying to me, “Understand, O man, man of desires, and do not be so concerned about the salvation of Jerusalem, for thus says the Lord God Almighty.”
“For he sent me before you to announce and show you all things of God.”
“For your prayer was heard before him and entered the ears of the Lord God.”
And when he had said these things to me, I was silent. And the angel says to me, “Cease to provoke God, and I will show you other mysteries greater than these.”
And I, Baruch, said, “As the Lord God lives, if you show me and I hear a word from you, I will not speak again; may God add judgment to me on the day of judgment, if I speak hereafter.”
And the angel of the powers said to me, “Come and I will show you the mysteries of God.”
And taking me, he led me to where heaven is fixed, and where there was a river that no one can cross, nor any strange breath from all that God has established.
And taking me, he led me to the first heaven, and he showed me a very great door. And he said to me, “Let us enter through it.” And we entered as if on wings, as if traveling a journey of thirty days.
And he showed me a plain within heaven. And there were people dwelling in it, whose faces were like oxen, their horns like deer, their feet like goats, and their loins like lambs.
And I, Baruch, asked the angel, “Tell me, I beg you, what is the thickness of the heaven in which we walked, or what its expanse, or what the plain? So that I too may report to the sons of men.”
And the angel, whose name was Phanuel, said to me, “This door which you see is of heaven, and as much as the distance is from the earth to heaven, so much is its thickness; and also as much as is the length of the plain which you saw.”
And again the angel of the powers says to me, “Come, and I will show you greater mysteries.”
And I said, “I beg you, show me who these people are?” And he said to me, “These are those who built the tower of God-defiance; and the Lord displaced them.”