Ascension of Isaiah

Hezekiah's last days and the testament unto Manasseh; Isaiah's prophecy that Manasseh shall serve Beliar; the rise of the false prophet Belkira; the prophet's withdrawal unto Bethlehem and unto the wilderness.

1It came to pass in the twenty and sixth year of the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah, that he called Manasseh his son. He was his only son. He called him into the presence of Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet, and into the presence of Josab the son of Isaiah, that he might give him over unto the Lord his God.

2And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah the king: As the Lord liveth, whose name hath not been delivered up unto this world, and as the Beloved of my Lord liveth, and as the Spirit of the Lord liveth, who speaketh in me — all these commandments and these words shall be made void by Manasseh thy son. By his hand I shall depart in the torments of my body.

3Beliar shall dwell in Manasseh; and by his hands shall I be sawn asunder. When Hezekiah heard these words, he wept very bitterly, and rent his garments, and put earth upon his head, and fell upon his face. Isaiah said unto him: The counsel of Sammael against Manasseh is consummated; nothing shall avail thee. For on this day I shall receive mine inheritance with my fathers.

4When Manasseh succeeded his father, he forsook the commandments of Hezekiah his father; and remembered them not. Sammael abode in Manasseh, and clave fast unto him. Manasseh forsook the service of the God of his father; and he served Satan and his angels, and his powers.

5He turned aside the house of his father which had been before the face of Hezekiah from the words of wisdom; and from the service of God. Manasseh turned aside the heart of his father, and made him serve Beliar. Beliar is the angel of lawlessness; and the ruler of this world. His name is Matanbukus.

6He delighted in Jerusalem because of Manasseh; and he made him strong in apostatising and in the lawlessness which were spread abroad in Jerusalem. Sorcery, and magic, and divination, and auguring, and fornication, and adultery, and the persecution of the righteous by Manasseh — and by Belkira, and by Tobia the Canaanite, and by John of Anathoth, and by Zadok the chief of the works — multiplied.

7When Isaiah the son of Amoz beheld the lawlessness which was being perpetrated in Jerusalem, and the worship of Satan, and his wantonness — he withdrew from Jerusalem and dwelt in Bethlehem of Judah. There also there was much lawlessness; and being unable to bear it longer, he withdrew from Bethlehem unto a mountain in a desert place. There they dwelt — even the prophets that believed in the Ascension of the Beloved into heaven.

8All these withdrew unto a mountain. They were all clothed with garments of hair, and they were all prophets. They had nothing with them; for they were destitute, and all of them lamented with great lamentation because of the going astray of Israel. They had nothing to eat save wild herbs, which they gathered from the mountains, and having cooked, they did eat them with Isaiah the prophet. So they dwelt upon the mountains and upon the hills two years of days.

The accusation against Isaiah by Belkira; the trial before Manasseh; the prophet's witness unto the seven heavens; his triumph in the Spirit; and his sealing in the inheritance of the saints.

1After this, while Isaiah was in the wilderness, there came a certain man in Samaria — Belkira by name — of the family of Zedekiah the son of Chenaan, a false prophet. His dwelling was in Bethlehem. Hezekiah the son of Chenaan, the brother of his father, in the days of Ahaz the king of Israel, had been the teacher of the four hundred prophets of Baal. He had himself smitten and reproved Micah the son of Imlah.

2Now Belkira accused Isaiah and the prophets that were with him, saying unto Manasseh: Isaiah and they that are with him prophesy against Jerusalem and against the cities of Judah, that they shall be laid waste; against Benjamin also, that it shall go into captivity; and against thee also, my lord the king, that thou shalt go captive in chains and in iron cages. They prophesy falsely against Israel and against Judah. Moreover Isaiah hath said: I see more than Moses the prophet. Moses said: There is no man that shall see God and live. Isaiah hath said: I have seen God; and behold I am living.

3Know, therefore, O king — they are false prophets. Now he hath called Jerusalem Sodom; and the princes of Judah and the people of Israel he hath declared to be the people of Gomorrah. So he brought many accusations against Isaiah and the prophets before Manasseh.

4Beliar was moved with anger against Isaiah; and he dwelt in the heart of Manasseh; and he sawed Isaiah asunder with a wood-saw. While Isaiah was being sawn, Belkira accused him, and all the false prophets stood by laughing and rejoicing because of Isaiah; and Belkira spake unto him in mockery: Say what I shall say unto thee; and I shall turn the heart of these and shall make them turn unto thee, even Manasseh and the princes of Judah and the people and all Jerusalem. But Isaiah was absorbed in a vision of the Lord; and though his eyes were open, he saw them not. Belkira spake thus unto Isaiah; but Isaiah answered him not.

5Belkira said unto Isaiah: Say what I tell thee, and I shall turn their heart, that thy ministry shall be honoured. Isaiah answered him, and said: As the Lord liveth — God hath sent me. Cursed art thou, Belkira, and all thy hosts, and thine house. There is nought more for thee to take from me but the skin of my body.

6Now while he was being sawn, neither cried he, nor wept; but his lips held converse with the Holy Spirit until he was delivered of his body. Now this is the substance of the words of the Beloved; and his words are written in the book that is read by them which understand. The Lord said unto me: Isaiah, son of Amoz — even before this day was, I knew thee. Lift up thine eyes; and behold the glory of God.

7Then in the days of Hezekiah the king, the angel of the Holy Spirit took me up; and I beheld the firmament; and I beheld the angels of glory at the high place. And he led me up unto the second heaven; and there I beheld a throne in the midst, and angels on the right and on the left. They were singing praise; but the praise of the angels of the second heaven was not as the praise of the angels in the firmament. The angel that was leading me said: Worship neither the throne, nor the angel from the second heaven, until I shall tell thee. Then we ascended unto the third heaven. There also there was a throne and angels on the right and on the left. The praise of these was greater than that of the second heaven. The glory of my face was being transformed as I ascended unto each heaven.

8Then he led me up unto the fourth heaven; and there also there were angels and a throne, with greater praise. And we ascended unto the fifth heaven; and the praise was yet greater. And we ascended unto the sixth heaven; and the praise was incomparable. The praise of the angels in the seventh heaven shall be greater still.

9When we ascended unto the seventh heaven, I beheld a wonderful Light; and angels innumerable. There I beheld all the righteous from the time of Adam onward — Abel, and Seth, and Enosh, and Enoch, and Methuselah, and Lamech, and Noah, and Shem, and the patriarchs, and the prophets — clothed in robes of glory. And I beheld there the Beloved sitting at the right hand of the Glory of the Great One. He was glorified above all the angels and above all the praises.

10Then I heard the voice of the Most High, the Father of my Lord, saying unto my Lord Christ — who shall be called Jesus: Go forth and descend through all the heavens, and thou shalt descend unto the firmament, and unto that world. Thou shalt descend even unto the angel that is in Sheol; but Hell shalt thou not approach. Thou shalt become as one of the form of all that are there. None of the angels of that world shall know that thou art Lord with Me of the seven heavens and of their angels. They shall not know thee, that thou art with Me, until I have called by the voice of the heavens — and the angels and their lights — even unto the sixth heaven, that thou mayest judge and destroy the princes and the angels and the gods of that world, and the world that is dominated by them. They have denied Me, and have said: We alone are; and there is none beside us.

11Afterward, when thou hast risen up from the dead from amongst the angels of death, thou shalt ascend into thine own place. Thou shalt not be transformed in any heaven; rather, in glory shalt thou ascend, and shalt sit at My right hand. Then the princes and the powers of that world shall worship thee. These commandments did I hear the Great Glory giving unto my Lord. So the Lord descended unto the firmament; and He took the form of a child; and He was born of the virgin; and He grew up; and He went about the world; and He was crucified; and He rose from the dead; and He ascended in glory; and He sat down at the right hand of the Father — even as it had been told unto me.

12And I, Isaiah, returned again unto myself. I gave glory unto the Most High, and unto the Lord of all glory, and unto the Beloved, and unto the angel of the Holy Spirit. The vision being ended, I came forth, and rejoiced. I gave thanks unto the Lord, that He had counted His servant worthy to behold the glory of the King, and the glory of the holy ones, and to hear the song of praise of every heaven.

13Therefore on account of these visions and these prophecies, Sammael Satan sawed in sunder Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet, by the hand of Manasseh. All this Hezekiah delivered unto Manasseh in the twenty and sixth year of his reign; but Manasseh remembered it not, and gave it not over unto his heart. Beliar took possession of him; and he was held captive thereby until the day of his death.

14Glory be unto the Most High, the Father of the Beloved; and unto the Beloved, who descended through the heavens and ascended in glory; and unto the angel of the Holy Spirit, who taught Isaiah the prophet. Glory be unto Isaiah the prophet, the witness of the seven heavens. Forever and ever. Amen.