CHAPTER 158.
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Levi
Jesus and the twelve at prayer in Olivet. Jesus reveals to his disciples the deeper meanings of secret doctrines. He tells them what to teach the people. Relates a number of parables. They return to Bethany.
The morning of the Wednesday of the week was come, and Jesus with the twelve went out to Olivet to pray; and they were lost in prayer for seven hours.
2 Then Jesus called the twelve close to his side and said, This day the curtain parts and we will step beyond the veil into the secret courts of God.
3 And Jesus opened up to them the meaning of the hidden way, and of the Holy Breath, and of the light that cannot fail.
4 He told them all about the Book of Life, the Rolls of Graphael, the Book of God’s Remembrance where all the thoughts and words of men are written down.
5 He did not speak aloud to them; he told the secrets of the masters in an undertone, and when he spoke the name of God there was a silence in the courts of heaven for half an hour, for angels spoke with bated breath.
6 And Jesus said, These things may not be spoken out aloud; they never may be written down; they are the messages of Silenceland; they are the Breathings of the inner heart of God.
7 And then the master taught the twelve the lessons they should teach to other men. He sometimes taught in parables; he said,
8 You call to mind the words of yesterday about the coming of the son of man. Now, you shall teach to other men what I have spoken and am speaking unto you;
9 Teach them to pray and not to faint; to be prepared at every moment of the day, for when they least expect him, then the Lord will come.
10 A man went to a distant land and left his house and all his wealth in care of servants; five to guard his house and five to guard his barns and herds.
11 The servants waited long for his return, but he came not, and they grew careless in their work; some spent their time in revelings and drunkenness, and some slept at their posts.
12 And night by night the robbers came and carried off the wealth from house and barn, and drove away the choicest of the herds.
13 And when they knew that much of all the wealth that they were left to guard had been purloined, they said,
14 We cannot be to blame; if we had known the day and hour when our lord would come again we would have guarded well his wealth, and suffered not the thieves to carry it away; he surely is at fault because he told us not.
15 But after many days the lord returned, and when he knew that thieves had robbed him of his wealth, he called his servants and he said to them,
16 Because you have neglected what was given you to do, have spent your time in revelings and sleep, behold you all are debtors unto me.
17 What I have lost by your neglect, you owe to me. And then he gave them heavy tasks to do, and bound them to their posts with chains, where they remained till they had paid for all the goods their lord had lost through their neglect.
18 Another man locked up his wealth and went to sleep, and in the night time robbers came, unlocked his doors, and when they saw no guard, they entered in and carried off his wealth.
19 And when the man awoke and found his doors ajar and all his treasures gone, he said, If I had known the hour when the thieves would come I would have been on guard.
20 Beware, my friends, beware! and be prepared at every hour, and if your Lord shall come at midnight or at dawn, it matters not, for he will find you ready to receive.
21 And then, behold, a marriage was announced, and virgins, ten of them, were set apart to meet the bridegroom when he came.
22 The virgins clothed themselves in proper garbs, and took their lamps and sat in waiting for the watch to say, Behold, the bridegroom comes!
23 Now, five were wise; they filled their lamps with oil; and five were foolish, for they carried empty lamps.
24 The groom came not at the expected time; the virgins were a-weary with their watch and slept.
25 At midnight came the cry, Behold, the bridegroom comes!
26 The virgins rose; the wise ones quickly trimmed their lamps and went forth ready to receive the groom.
27 The foolish virgins said, We have no oil, our lamps burn not.
28 They sought to borrow from the wise, who said, We have no oil to spare; Go to the merchantmen and buy and fill your lamps and then come forth to meet the groom.
29 But while they went to purchase oil, the bridegroom came; the virgins who were ready with their lamps all trimmed went with him to the marriage feast.
30 And when the foolish virgins came the door was shut, and though they knocked and called aloud, the door was opened not.
31 The master of the feast exclaimed, I know you not! and in disgrace the virgins went their way.
32 Again I say to you, and you shall say to them who follow you,
33 Be ready every moment of the day and night, because when you expect him not, the Lord will come.
34 Behold, when he will come with all his messengers of light, the Book of Life, and that of Records, shall be opened up—the books in which the thoughts and words and deeds are written down.
35 And every one can read the records he has written for himself, and he will know his doom before the judge shall speak, and this will be the sifting time.
36 According to their records men will find their own.
37 The judge is Righteousness, the king of all the earth, and he will separate the multitudes as shepherds separate the sheep and goats.
38 The sheep will find their places on the right, the goats upon the left, and every man will know his place.
39 And then the judge will say, to those upon the right, You blessed of the Father-God, come unto your inheritance, which was prepared for you from times of old.