The Gospel of St. Mark

Aquarian Gospel

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 172

THE tomb in which they laid the body of the Lord was in a garden, rich with flowers, the garden of Siloam, and Joseph's home was near.
2) Before the watch began Caiaphas sent a company of priests out to the garden of Siloam that they might be assured that Jesus' body was within the tomb.
3) They rolled away the stone; they saw the body there, and then they placed the stone again before the door.
4) And Pilate sent his scribe who placed upon the stone the seal of Rome, in such a way that he who moved the stone would break the seal.
5) To break this Roman seal meant death to him who broke the seal.
6) The Jewish soldiers all were sworn to faithfulness; and then the watch began.
7) At midnight all was well, but suddenly the tomb became a blaze of light, and down the garden walk a troupe of white-clad soldiers marched in single file.
8) They came up to the tomb and marched and countermarched before the door.
9) The Jewish soldiers were alert; they thought that friends had come to steal the body of the Nazarene. The captain of the guard cried out to charge.
10) They charged; but not a white-clad soldier fell. They did not even stop; they marched and countermarched among the frightened men.
11) They stood upon the Roman seal; they did not speak ; they unsheathed not their swords; it was the Silent Brotherhood.
12) The Jewish soldiers fled in fear; they fell upon the ground.
13) They stood apart until the white-clad soldiers marched away, and then the light about the tomb grew dim.
14) Then they returned; the stone was in its place; the seal was not disturbed, and they resumed their watch.
15) Now, Jesus did not sleep within the tomb. The body is the manifest of soul; but soul is soul without its manifest.
16) And in the realm of souls, unmanifest, the Lord went forth and taught.
17) He opened up the prison doors and set the prisoners free;
18) He broke the chains of captive souls, and led the captives to the light;
19) He sat in council with the patriarchs and prophets of the olden times;
20) The masters of all times and climes he met, and in the great assemblies he stood forth and told the story of his life on earth, and of his death in sacrifice for man,
21) And of his promises to clothe himself again in garb of flesh and walk with his disciples, just to prove the possibilities of man;
22) To give to them the key of life, of death, and of the resurrection of the dead.
23) In council all the masters sat and talked about the revelations of the coming age,
24) When she, the Holy Breath, shall fill the earth and air with holy breath, and open up the way of man to perfectness and endless life.
25) The garden of Siloam was silent on the Sabbath day; the Jewish soldiers watched and no one else approached the tomb; but on the following night the scene was changed.
26) At midnight every Jewish soldier heard a voice which said,

Adon Mashich Cumi, which meant, Lord Christ arise.
27) And they supposed again that friends of Jesus were alert, were coming up to take the body of their Lord away.
28) The soldiers were alert with swords unsheathed and drawn, and then they heard the words again.
29) It seemed as though the voice was everywhere, and yet they saw no man.
30) The soldiers blanched with fear, and still to flee meant death for cowardice, and so they stood and watched.
31) Again, and this was just before the sun arose, the heavens blazed with light, a distant thunder seemed to herald forth a coming storm;
32) And then the earth began to quake and in the rays of light they saw a form descend from heaven. They said, Behold an angel comes.
33) And then they heard again, Adon Mashich Cumi.
34) And then the white-robed form tramped on the Roman seal and then he tore it into shreds; he took the mighty stone in hand as though it were a pebble from the brook, and cast it to the side.
35) And Jesus opened up his eyes and said, All hail the rising sun; the coming of the day of righteousness!
36) And then he folded up his burial gown, his head bands and his coverings and laid them all aside.
37) He rose, and for a moment stood beside the white-robed form.
38) The weaker soldiers fell upon the ground, and hid their faces in their hands; the stronger stood and watched.
39) They saw the body of the Nazarene transmute; they saw it chage from mortal to immortal form, and then it disappeared.
40) The soldiers heard a voice from somewhere; yea, from everywhere, it said,
41) Peace, peace on earth; good will to men.
42) They looked, the tomb was empty and the Lord had risen as he said.
43) The soldiers hastened to Jerusalem, and to the priests, and said,
44) Behold, the Nazarene has risen as he said; the tomb is empty and the body of the man is gone; we know not where it is. And then they told about the wonders of the night.
45) Caiaphas called a council of the Jews; he said, the news must not go forth that Jesus has arisen from the dead;
46) For if it does all men will say, He is the son of God, and all our testimonies will be proven false.
47) And then they called the hundred soldiers in and said to them,
48) You know not where the body of the Nazarene is resting now, so if you will go forth and say that his disciples came and stole the body while you slept,
49) Each one of you shall have a silver piece, and we will make it right with Pilate for the breaking of the Roman seal.
50) The soldiers did as they were paid to do.

Chapter 173

1: And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Mag'dalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salo'me, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him.

NOW, when the rabbis took the body of the Lord and laid it in the tomb. The mother of the Lord, and Mary Magdalene, and Miriam were there.
2) And when the body was entombed they went to Joseph's home and there abode.
3) They did not know that Jewish soldiers had been sent to guard the tomb, nor that the Roman seal was placed upon the stone;

2: And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. 

4) So in the morning of the first day of the week they hastened to the tomb with spices to further embalm the Lord.

3: And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?

4: And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back; -- it was very large.

5) But when they reached the tomb they found the terror-stricken soldiers running frantically about.

5: And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe; and they were amazed.

6: And he said to them, Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him.

7: But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you.

8: And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to any one, for they were afraid.

6) The women did not know the cause; but when they found an empty tomb they were excited and aggrieved.
7) The soldiers did not know what had transpired; they could not tell who took the body of the Lord away. 

9: Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons.

10: She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

8) And Mary Magdalene ran with haste toward Jerusalem to tell the news to Peter and the rest.

11: But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

9) She met, just by the gateway, Peter, James and John; she said, Some one has rolled away the stone and carried off the body of the Lord.

12: After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.

see Chapter 174 below

10) And then the three disciples ran toward the tomb; but John was fleet of foot and was the first to reach the tomb; he found it empty; the body of his Lord was gone.
11) When Peter came he went into the tomb, and found the grave clothes neatly folded up and laid aside.
12) Now, the disciples did not comprehend the scene. They did not know the meaning of their Lord when he informed them just before his death that he would rise from death upon the first day of the week.
13) The three disciples went back to Jerusalem; the mother of the Lord and Miriam went not away.
14) And Mary looked within the tomb, and saw two masters sitting there; they said, Why do you weep?
15) And Mary said, Because my Lord is gone; some one has carried off the body of my Lord; I know not where it is.
16) Then she arose and looked around; a man stood near and said, Why do you weep? whom do you seek?
17) And Mary thought it was the gardener and said,
If you have borne away the body of my Lord, O tell me where it is that I may lay it in a sacred tomb.
18) And then the man came near and said, My Mother!
and Mary said, My Lord!
19) The eyes of Miriam were opened up and she beheld the Lord.
20) And Jesus said, Behold, I told you as we walked along the way up to the cross that I would meet you at the sepulcher upon the first day of the week.
21) Now, Mary Magdalene was sitting not a great way off, and Jesus went to her and said,
22) Why seek the living among the dead? Your Lord has risen as he said, Now, Mary, look! Behold my face!
23) Then Mary knew it was the Lord; that he had risen from the dead.
24) And then Salome, and Mary (mother of the two disciples, James and John) Joanna, and the other women who had come out to the tomb, saw Jesus, and they talked with him.
25) And Mary Magdalene was filled with joy. She sought again for Peter, James and John; she found them and she said,
26) Lo, I have seen the Lord; and Miriam has seen the Lord; the mother of the Lord has seen the Lord; and many more have seen his face; for he has risen from the dead.

27) But the disciples thought that she had simply seen a vision of the Lord. They did not think that he had risen from the dead.
28) Then Mary found the other members of the company and told them all about the risen Lord; but none of them believed.
29) Now, Peter, James and John were in the garden of Siloam; were talking with the gardener about the happenings of the day when John beheld a stranger coming up the walk.
30) The stranger lifted up his hands and said, I am.
Then the disciples knew it was the Lord.

14: Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.

31) And Jesus said,
Behold, for human flesh can be transmuted into higher form, and then that higher form is master of things manifest, and can, at will, take any form.
32) And so I come to you in form familiar unto you.
33) Go speak to Thomas, and the other men whom I have called to be apostles unto men, and say to them,
34) That he whom Jews and Romans thought was dead is walking in the garden of Siloam;
35) Will stand again before the priests and Pharisees within the temple in Jerusalem;
36) And will appear unto the sages of the world.
37) Tell them that I will go before them into Galilee.
38) Then Peter, James and John went forth and found their brethren and said, Behold, the Lord is risen from the dead, and we have seen him face to face.
39) The brethren were amazed at what the three disciples said; but still they looked upon their words as idle talk and they believed them not.

15: And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.

16: He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17: And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

18: they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.

19: So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

20: And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

back to Mark 16:12

Chapter 174

12: After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country.  

TOWARDS the evening of the resurrection day, two friends of Jesus, Zachus and Cleophas of Emmaus, seven miles away, were going to their home.

2) And as they walked and talked about the things that had occurred a stranger joined their company.
3) He said, My friends, you seem discouraged and are sad. Has some great grief upon you come?
4) Cleophas said, Are you a stranger in Judea, and know not of the thrilling things that have transpired here?
5) The stranger said, What things? To what do you refer?
6) Cleophas said, Have you not heard about the man from Galilee who was a prophet mighty in both word and deed?
7) A man whom many thought had come to found again the kingdom of the Jews, and drive the Romans from the city of Jerusalem and be himself the king?
8) The stranger said,Tell me about this man.
9) Cleophas said, His name was Jesus; he was born in Bethlehem; his home was up in Galilee. He loved the people as he loved himself.
10) He was, in truth, a master sent from God, for he had matchless power. He healed the sick and made the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, and even raised the dead.
11) The Jewish scribes and Pharisees were jealous of his fame and power, and they arrested him; by perjured witnesses they proved him guilty of a score of crimes,
12) And on last Friday he was taken to the place of skulls and crucified.
13) He died and he was buried in a rich man's tomb, out in the garden of Siloam.
14) This very morning when his friends went to the tomb they found it empty; the body of the Lord was gone.
15) And now the news has spread abroad that he has risen from the dead.
16) The stranger said,
Yes, I have heard about this man; but it seems strange that after all the things that Jewish prophets long ago foretold concerning him that when he came men knew him not.
17) This man was born to demonstrate the Christ to men, and it is just to say that Jesus is the Christ.
18) According to the word, this Jesus came to suffer at the hands of men, to give his life as pattern for the sons of men;
19) To rise from death that men might know the way to rise from death.
20) And then the stranger told the two disciples all about the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms, and read to them a multitude of things that had been written of this man from Galilee.
21) And now the men had reached their home, and as the night was near they importuned the stranger to abide with them.
22) And he went in with them and as they sat about the table at the evening meal, he took a piece of bread, and blessed it in the name of Christ.
23) And instantly their eyes were opened up, and they perceived that he, the stranger, was the Lord, the man from Galilee; that he had risen from the dead; and then the form of Jesus disappeared.
24) When he had gone, the two disciples were amazed. They said,
Did not our hearts burn with delight while he was talking to us by the way and opening up the testimonies of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms?
25) Then Zachus and Cleophas went back to Jerusalem, and everywhere they went they said,
Lo, we have seen the Lord;
26) He walked with us to Emmaus; he ate with us the evening meal, and broke for us the bread of life.