|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: seattle, wa
Posts: 9,337
|
I have a few seconds to note the bad translation of John MacDonald for the Mimar Marqe on this material. The first thing to note is that Mark (= Marqe) sees a future promise in the eshdat:
Quote:
|
There is a happy future spoken of too—So they followed in thy steps, receiving direction from thee (Deut. xxxiii. 3 ). What great might! What enduring sovereignty that makes all who love God great! Let us begin to utter words that perfect the minds of the righteous. Praise be to the Merciful, Everlasting One, who endures for ever in His greatness. How glorious is the time of righteousnoss, a great order wholly of prosperity, the time in which lived the great prophet Moses, his light illumining both worlds. Glorious is the faithful prophet who opened his mouth and made this, the seventh statement: — a statement containing both comforts and punishments. [Mimar Marqe 4.12]
|
And if you really want to understand the context of what is certainly the culmination of the Torah and more significantly the very basis for the Christian religion, one has to look at the official Samaritan understanding of the context of Deuteronomy 33. We read in Mark:
Quote:
[Moses said] "These are the tidings I announce to you, O congregation, tidings that
will reach to the generations of perfect men." The great prophet Moses said, "O congregation, happy are you if you hearken to all this address that I make before you! Three times my Lord said to me, 'Go up to it', and I went up with the mind of prophethood on the (first) two occasions. I delivered the first and second tablets and on this (third) occasion I receive the portion that He presented me through Adam. Twice I ascended and descended as God commanded me; on this occasion I go up and will not come down. Behold, before I die, I bless you with a beneficial blessing in the name of God."
The congregation were arrayed before him, rank by rank, and he began to exhort and bless before he should die. The two, Jacob and Moses, the one exhorting in righteousness, the other exhorting in prophethood. Jacob commanded and blessed his twelve sons. The great prophet Moses commanded and blessed six hundred thousand.Jacob blessed his sons with a wholly uplifting blessing. Moses blessed the congregation, each tribe with the blessing appropriate to it. Jacob blessed his sons with the blessing appropriate to each one. Moses blessed with a blessing wholly magnificent.
This is the blessing with which Moses .. blessed (Deut. xxxiii. 1 ), whereby he magnified the tribes of Jacob. This is the blessing with which Moses .. blessed, glory at the beginning, grandeur at the end. The man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death (ibid.). The prophet emphasized the fundamentals of righteousness; he said, "The Lord came from Sinai" (Deut. xxxiii. 2). He recalled the day when He proclaimed the Ten Words (Ex. x x ) and Seir and Paran (ibid.), for there was found in them some of the descendants of Abraham. News of the day of Horeb had reached them, which provided for them evidences of that, when they delayed and did not come to the True One. Moses the son of Amram commanded for us a law (Deut. xxxiii. 4)—a holy law inherited by the congregation of Jacob generation after generation, not to be broken ever.
Moses the son of Amram commanded for us a law—a holy law given to a holy people set apart by God. Moses the son of Amram commanded for us a law. He who was entrusted with such a treasure will be an everlasting guardian over it. Moses the son of Amram commanded for us a law. He was the proclaimer, without error, and also the listener, never forsaking. Moses commanded for us a law. When the faithful prophet finished blessing the congregation of Jacob, the tribes of Israel, he looked at all the tribes as they were arrayed before him. He began to command them in order: "O tribes of Jacob, O stars of the Favour, O people of the Lord, keep the commandments, statutes, laws and judgements of the Lord, and do not forget them. Let no apostasy enter among you. Take care that your heart does not entice the sons of Belial, that He does not call you evil in the last days."
He looked at Eleazar, situated on his right. He kissed his face and said to him, "My brother's son, O vice-regent of the Lord, O inheritor of the high priesthood, you are exalted above the status of ordinary priesthood which you have inherited, and your actions will take place in the holy Sanctuary and you will be worthy of that."
He looked at Ithamar and said to him, "My brother's son, you are an anointed priest and you will have charge of all the Levites and all the holy vessels. Concerning you and your father it is written by me, "So Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of Aaron their father" (Num. iii. 4; Targ.). Keep your priesthood and all the holy things in your possession. Do not go astray from the way of the True One. Be righteous in yourself before the Judge who does not show partiality."
He looked at Phinehas, seated on his left, and wept and kissed his hand, the hand by which he had taken the spear and pierced the adulterer and adulteress, so that he removed wrath from against Israel. He said to him, "My brother's grandson, your zeal is manifest among all the generations. When you see a man erring, be up and slay him, as
you did Zimri and Cozbit, and you preserved six hundred thousand by your zeal along with the zeal of the Lord of the world."
He looked at Joshua the son of Nun and said to him, "O my servant, my pupil, be strong and of good courage (Deut. xxxi. 23). You are the one who will lead the descendants of Abraham, the children of Isaac, the tribes of Jacob. For you shall bring this people into the land (ibid.) sworn to the Righteous ones. The sun will shine upon you and the Lord will go before you. He will be with you [ibid.). He who has God with him shall suffer no affliction. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deut. xxxi. 8 ). The last thing he said to Joshua was "He who has God with him, of whom should he be afraid?"
"O all the house of Levi, preserve your high status and all the holy things which are in your possession. You will direct the judgements for Jacob and the laws for Israel. The statutory sacrifices to the Lord you will receive and you will consume in every place and in your houses, for reward is yours. If you profane what is holy, you will die for it. Be vigilant over what you desire lest you go astray in the last days.
O princes of the tribes, take warning lest you turn aside from your boundaries which I have delineated for you. If not, every building will be demolished and anger abide. O judges, take care that you do not err in judging or accept money or show partiality. Do not accept the answer of lying witnesses. The answer of merely one witness will not be accepted in the case of anyone charged with murder. Establish the truth, as God has said, "You shall judge with righteous judgement that you may live" (Deut. xvi. 18,20;
Targ.).
O teachers, teach the congregation to keep the commandments, decrees, judgements and laws which the Lord commanded through me. Let everyone who has status be enduring in it. This is the last word to you. I go up to Mount Nebo. Do not expect me to come down again ever. O Gershom and Eliezer my own two sons, peace be upon you from me for ever."
All the congregation were standing before him, the tears from his eyes like flowing streams, not on his own account, but for the congregation, for he knew that they would go astray, as He said, "Behold, you are about to sleep (with your fathers); then this people will rise" and all the rest of the verse (Deut. xxxi. 1 6 ).
Now when the great prophet Moses had finished commanding the congregation, he rose to his feet and saw six hundred thousand men, with their women and children and infants arrayed. The world shook at the moment when he rose to his feet. He went forth, seeking to go up to Mount Nebo and die. Eleazar the priest held his right hand and Phinehas his son held his left hand, while Ithamar and Joshua and all the priestly family walked in front of him weeping sorely. The moment the great prophet Moses reached the foot of Mount Nebo, all the tribes went forward to him, tribe after tribe, and kissed his hand and saluted him, till the whole congregation had finished.
Eleazar, Ithamar and Phinehas approached him, embraced him and kissed his face and saluted him. They were followed by Joshua the son of Nun his minister, who went forward, kissed his face, prostrated himself at his feet and said,
"Peace be to you, O faithful one of the house of God.
Peace be to you, O treasure of prophethood.
Peace be to you, O piercer of veils. Peace be to you, you who trod the fire.
Peace be to you, you who approached the deep darkness.
Peace be to you, you who wear the brightness of light.
Peace be to you, O receiver of the two tablets.
Peace be to you, whom the Lord addressed face to face openly, not secretly.
Peace be to you, the like of whom has not arisen and never willarise.
O lord of the prophets, it is hard to part from you this day."
After this the great prophet Moses lifed up his voice and said, "O congregation, be in peace, be in peace. After this day I shall not receive from or give to you ever again." When the congregation heard this statement they were considerably upset. They raised their voice, weeping, and said,
"By your life, O apostle of God, remain with us a little longer.
By your life, O seal of the prophets, stop with us a little"—but God called him inwardly, "Make haste!"
"By your life, O great prophet Moses, tarry with us one hour."— but his Lord called inwardly, "There is no time left!"
"By your life, O great prophet Moses, do not go! Stop with us a little longer"—but the heavenly angels were calling, "O Moses, make haste!"
When the congregation realized this situation, they all said,
"Go in peace, O prophet.
Go in peace, O our saviour.
Go in peace, O glorious one.
Go in peace, O faithful one.
Go in peace, O priest of the mysteries.
Peace to you, O crown of the Righteous of the world.
Peace to you, O light of prophethood.
You are one the like of whom has not arisen since Adam, and never will arise.
At this hour you are going away from us and we shall not see you again.
Woe to the congregation after your departure!
Who will pray on our behalf in your stead and remove wrath from us ?
Peace be upon you from us for ever."
The great prophet Moses ascended Mount Nebo with great majesty, crowned with light, all the hosts of the heavenly angels gathered to meet him. When he was parted from the congregation and began his ascent, the congregation of Israel cried out a very loud, bitter, tearful cry that went up to heaven. He would ascend a little and look behind him, and from his eyes tears would fall like the rain from the sky onto the congregation behind him. He would ascend a little and look behind him; he was like a mother having sucking children, who had none to have compassion for them after her. He would ascend a little and look behind him, blessing the congregation with the blessing which he pronounced on them on Mount Sinai:
May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are, and bless you, as he has promised you!(Deut. i. 11 ; Targ.).
He was ascending gradually, his soul glad to meet his Lord, looking toward the top of the mountain and seeing the heavenly angels ready to meet him. When the great prophet Moses reached the top of Mount Nebo, he saw the rows of angels set there to meet him, and all the congregation of Israel down below, their eyes on him. As they could watch him, so he could watch them.
Bitter was the hour at which the great prophet Moses entered into the cloud and was enveloped like the light (that is extinguished) .When the great prophet Moses was hidden from the sight of the congregation of Israel, every one of them was in distress and tears. They were all saying to one another, "Moses the prophet is hidden away. Peace be upon him from us for ever!"
How great was the distress among the congregation as they all stood in much grief, saying aloud, "The great prophet Moses has gone from among us. Woe to us!" Their cry went up to heaven. While they each said this, tears dropped like rain from their eyes.
Far be it from you, O crown of the Righteous!
Far be it from you, O deliverer of the Hebrews!
Far be it from you, O establisher of the Favour!
Far be it from you, O revealer of wonders!
Far be it from you, O receiver of the tablets!
Far be it from you, O faithful one of God's House!
Far be it from you, O you who pierced the veils!
Far be it from you, O you who trod the fire!
Far be it from you, O Man of God!
Far be it from you, O you who were called a god!
Far be it from you, O you with whom God spoke mouth to mouth!
Far be it from you, O you the light of whose face shone!
Far be it from you, O you whose voice was heard with God's!
Far be it from you, O you who brought life to the generations for ever!
Who will pray for us after you ? Who will make atonement for our sins after you ? Who will have compassion for us after you ? Who will extinguish the fire of wrath from upon us after you ?
All this from Israel, while the heavenly angels rejoiced at his approach. They were descending from the high place to honour him. All the powers descended onto Mount Nebo as their Creator commanded them, for he was the faithful, true one. The Glory drew near to him and embraced him, while all the hosts of the hidden regions and of the revealed ones came to do honour to Moses the Man.
THE WATERS glorified him seven times: into the waters of the Nile he was cast; the waters of the Nile he turned to blood; the waters of the sea he divided with his rod; the waters of Marah were made sweet with a leaf; the waters of purity he wrote with his hand; in the waters of the trough he washed; and his teaching was like waters. Exalted for ever is this prophet whom all creatures honoured!
HEAVEN glorified him seven times: he taught at the beginning of his Scripture that it was the first of all created things; he stoned his enemies with the hail from heaven which descended on the Egyptians; he subdued the rebellious from heaven at the time when he wrought the wonder of darkness; his prayers brought down the Manna from heaven with great might; on the top of Mount Sinai he wrote the blessings of heaven; and he will give the rain for your land in its season (Deut. xi. 1 4 ) ; heaven gave ear to his words when he said, "Give ear, 0 heavens, and I will speak" (Deut. xxxii. 1) . Exalted for ever this light which shone from Amram and Jochebed.
THE EARTH glorified him seven times: he wrote at the beginning of Genesis The earth was without form and void (Gen. i. 2 ) ; earth trembled because of him on the third day, as he wrote in the law And the whole mountain quaked greatly (Ex. xix. 1 8 ) ; he wrote of the natural state of the earth—And the land will yield its increase (Lev. xxvi. 4; Targ.); it swallowed up his enemies as is written, And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households (Num. xvi. 3 2 ) ; he was exalted above all the descendants of Adam as he wrote, Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all men that were on the face of the earth (Num. xii. 3 ) . Exalted is this great prophet Moses to whom the Lord of the world said, "Go up to (this) mountain of the Abarim" (Num. xxvii. 1 2 , Deut. xxxii. 4 9 ) ; and he ascended Mount Nebo and the Lord showed him all the land (Deut. xxxiv. 1 ; Targ.). This was a great wonder, none like it!
When earth saw heaven listening to his words with fear, it (too) was afraid and listened to his words, as he said, "And let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deut. xxxii. 1 ; Targ.). All this happened to the great prophet Moses, like whom there has never been any man from the sons of Adam.
FIRE glorified him seven tines: fire's first dealing with him was on Mount Sinai at the beginning of his prophetic mission; it was revealed to him in the Bush; from it call was made by name twice—"Moses, Moses" (Ex. iii. 4)—a great wonder the like of which has never been in the world and never will be! From the fire he was called on the morning of the day of Horeb, from the top of Mount Sinai in the presence of six hundred thousand; fire flaming up to the heart of heaven, as he said, "While the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven" (Deut. iv. 1 1 ) ; then he trod in it with his feet and was not harmed by it; it was like a plant with the dew of heaven on it under his feet; in the holy Sanctuary, when a priest offered the offering for Aaron and his sons, fire went forth from the Lord and consumed all that he had put upon the altar (Lev. ix. 24). He praised and worshipped the Lord of all the world, the doer of all wonders. Exalted for ever be this great prophet who quenched the excesses of the fire; so also his prayer quenched the fire, as he said, "And Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire abated" (Num. xi. 2). Fire consumed his enemies, as he said, "And fire came forth from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense" (Num. xvi. 3 5 ).
Commemorate well always this great prophet for whose sake all this was done and let no one ever have enough of commemorating him
THE CLOUD glorified him seven times: the first of these seven was, wherever his feet walked the cloud preceded him; when he led Israel out of Egypt as he said, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud" (Ex. xiii. 2 1 ) . Such was the status of the great prophet Moses! Who can mention even a little of his glories? The cloud shone before him and there was manifested to him a mighty wonder within it, for it was not the cloud's normal function to shine, but rather its normal function was to be dark. Through this great prophet Moses it both illumined and darkened; so he said, "And there was the cloud, the darkness, and it lit tip the night" (Ex. xiv. 2 0 ). When the Man Moses saw this event in the sea, for it was illumining all the beloved and darkening the enemies, he praised his Lord, the doer of wonders and miracles, saying, "Who is like Thee, O Lord, among the gods?" (Ex. xv. n ; Targ.).
Exalted for ever is this holy prophet, to whom the Lord of divinity said, "Lo, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe you for ever" (Ex. xix. 9). Great was the morning of Mount Sinai, the morning of the third day, in which exceedingly great tremblings were manifested—hosts and powers and foundations and angels, thunderings and lightnings, lights and fire blazing to the heart of heaven, the cloud of which we have just spoken, by reason of the great prophet Moses, the Man of God. He dwelt on Mount Sinai and the Lord called to Moses with great might and Moses went up; He addressed him face to face. There the cloud glorified him. When his Lord came to him in it, He made him to hear His voice calling from the midst of the fire—"I am the Lord your God" (Ex. xx . 2; Targ.). The cloud covered him at the time when he was told, "And I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by" (Ex. xxxiii. 2 2 ) .
The powers supported him, the forces comforted him. the Glory came to meet him; the great Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him and proclaimed the Ten Words (Ex. xx) with the mouth of divinity. The Lord's peace be upon Moses the Man, who achieved a
high degree which no other man has possessed (lit. sat).
When the great prophet Moses erected the Sanctuary, the cloud covered all that he had made, as he said, "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting" (Ex. xl. 34), and the Glory of the Lord dwelt within the veil, and the cloud abode on the Sanctuary many days. At the time when he says, "Arise, 0 Lord" (Num. x. 35) and "Return, 0 Lord" (Num. x. 3 6 ) ; the peace of the Lord be upon him who saw such greatness ! There has not arisen and never will arise his like. At the time God said to him, "Come up to me on the mountain" (Deut. x. 1 ; Targ.), when he went up to Him and the cloud covered him for six days, his body was holy and holiness was (thereby) increased.
He ascended from human status to that of the angels. He was making supplication during the six days and prostrating before the King of all kings; he saw the Sanctuary of the Unseen spread out in the fire within the cloud. He was called on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud and he saw the ranks of the angels in their array. He descended from the mountain with great might—none like it! In the case of each of these things described there was a great wonder.
How can death approach him ? But the judgement of death is the judgement of the True One. God thereby judges all the human race. No one in the world escapes it; neither prophet nor priest, king nor judge, not any of the creatures, for they all go in this path. How great the hour at which the great prophet Moses stood on the top of Mount Nebo, and all the heavenly angels were doing him honour there.
His Lord exalted him and He unveiled the light of his eyes and showed him the four quarters of the world. Great was the joy that was in Moses' heart when He revealed to him the sequel to the Day of Vengeance, so that he did not fear death. Great was the joy that abode in Moses' heart when he saw the angels standing about him, on his right and on his left, behind and before him. The great Glory took him by his right hand, embracing him and walking before him. The great prophet Moses raised his eyes and saw Mount Gerizim. He prostrated and went down on his face; when he arose from his prostration he saw the entrance to the Cave opened before him. When he saw the mouth of the Cave opened, he wept for mankind and praised Him to whom belonged everlasting life. Great was that moment when the great prophet Moses lowered his head and entered the Cave. He turned his face toward Mount Gerizim and lay down on the ground, looking straight in front of him. God made sleep to fall upon him and his soul departed without difficulty without him knowing.
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there (Deut. xxxiv. 5; et seq.) as his Lord had said concerning him, "My servant Moses" (Num. xii. 7).
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there. He submitted himself to his Lord, as a servant to his master.
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there, according to the command of the Lord.
Great is this mighty prophet all of whose actions were in accordance with the Lord's command. [Mimar Marqe 5:2,3]
|
Clement clearly knows a similar tradition. Moses 'ascends' to heaven before his enthronement. I can't help but think this is behind the mysteries of divine kingship in Secret Mark. Moses receives the Torah in his fire baptism, the beloved disciple ascends to heaven and receives the gospel (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:2)
|
09-09-2011, 06:07 AM
