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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 11
(Closing Arguments) JY: Worship as seen through the eyes of the Demiurge – Man without
goodness or righteousness – Judgment, torment, and revenge unto the disobedient –
“Even I am god” – Laws, commandments, servitude and bondage – Religion, ritual and
blind formality – Demiurge and the scriptures of men – Last words of the Demiurge:
How shall you make less the god which all men fear? – AZ: A final defense: dwindling
shadows in the world of the First Power – Darkness must yield to light – God is Mother
and Father to all – True worship defined: no room for fear and division – Wrath or
love, servitude or glory? – Jehovah-Yahweh rushes in hopes to destroy – The light
of God does not falter
1 And Jehovah-Yahweh did think to rebuke me, saying: “Why will you, for a pretense, speak falsely unto me; proclaiming through soft and luring words that you are as some great benefactor to all mankind?
2 For it is I alone which gave unto man such means as would keep him safe from the fullness of my wrath; placing before his eyes the fierceness of my ways, that perchance I might save him from the judgment to come.
3 Knowing full well that man, of himself, was without goodness or righteousness of any kind; being in his soul most corrupt and filled with vanity.
4 Heaping up within his mind all manner of pride continually; boasting with a willful swagger that he is greatest above all living things, being in both word and deed the great corrupter and destroyer; against whom I have prepared the torments of death and hell forever.
5 For I shall bring upon the disobedient a great and fiercesome judgment filled with weeping and the gnashing of teeth; for the prideful shall I consume in endless torment, midst scorching flames and searing heat which would burn and torture the flesh of man for all eternity.
6 And in the midst of all these things shall their tears avail them nothing; and the agony of their cries shall find for them no relief; for in the day of my wrath shall there come forth none to save, and all their prayers and constant pleadings shall fall as dry and withered leaves upon the flames of wrath and fury.
7 Thus in that day shall I seek revenge against my adversaries, even unto the fourth and fifth generations of them which hate me; and I shall take Lucifer and all his minions and hold them strongly bound; and these shall I cast into the flames forever, to dwell midst fallen man in endless torment.
8 By such means would I compel that men should seek safety from the indignation to come; binding upon the minds of all, a deep and dreadful fear which would cause many to seek my favor; compelling that men should forsake their pride altogether and yield themselves in all humility to me;
9 That by such obedience as they would proffer, they might preserve themselves against the judgment, when all men shall be brought before me to give account.
10 Behold then and consider strongly the ways by which I would make known to all, the power and fierceness of Jehovah-Yahweh. For what is a god that men should consider him; or the word of god that men should give obeisance?
11 By what word of reason would men be compelled to worship god or to fear him, seeing that they are dumb and brutish beasts who seek continually to destroy and corrupt?
12 For words are just a hollow sound filled with emptiness and vain deceit; and the ways of which evil men would use; being ever hopeful that by some sly or subtle speech they might cause all men to reach forever beyond themselves; even until the whole of all mankind be swallowed up in foolish dreaming.
13 Know then that by fear alone are men compelled to worship that which is greater than themselves; for the fear of god restrains the man from evil, while power and judgment make weak the strongest of men, causing that they should bow themselves down before me in all manner of worship and adoration.
14 What then is a god that men should consider him, or the word of god that men should give obeisance?
15 Hear then and be you wise, cease yourself from such foolish prattling as would fill the heart with dark delusions; for I will tell you truly the nature of that god which all men fear most greatly; to break in pieces the soul of man, crushing through most dreadful threats the will and mind together.
16 For even I am god and beside me there is no other found; neither will I permit that any should prove my equal; for I alone am the creator and destroyer of all living things, holding in my awful sway the seeds of wrath and sure destruction.
17 Let therefore even every man be guarded round about to obey me always, and seek not after the ways of another; for there is found in my hand both judgment and death, which thing no man can by any means escape.
18 Thus for the sake of man did I give forth a multitude of laws and commandments whereby I might weigh down the pride of man, to save him from destruction;
19 Being ever hopeful that I might fill the mind of man with servitude and bondage; that being constrained through endless guilt, he might give obeisance unto me.
20 For in the religions of man have I set forth that mindless form which would make most dull and weary the soul of man, to preserve him from such folly as would make havoc the whole of all his life.
21 By such means would I compel all men to seek after me in fear and trembling; giving forth to their good all manner of ritual and blind formality; binding down through the dogmas and precepts of men, the soul within; lest man think to rise above me, deceiving their own selves.
22 For man is a loathsome and despicable creature, being in his nature both crass and vulgar, being pushed and goaded by passion and pride into sin and degradation; being deceived and most constantly led about by foolish dreams and yearnings, even to his own destruction.
23 Yet from the greatness of my power would I take pity upon the sons of men, to draw from the midst of them those that would serve me always, being in themselves ever grateful and filled with delight to escape such torments as I have prepared for the wicked.
24 Thus would I, by some strong and vengeful nature, deliver man from judgment and death; establishing for his good such religions as would constrain a man to seek the favor of my hand through a constant and servile repentance.
25 For even in such scriptures as men would cherish have I placed most subtly, the shadow of my likeness; causing all who believe therein to tremble and shake within the soul, to fill them with fear and deep foreboding.
26 These then are the means which would make a god worthy of consideration and worship; for that which men do fear the most, even this would they seek to appease through reverence and prayer;
27 That through such sacrifices as they would give forth unto me while in this life, they might make sure the way of escape in the life to come.
28 For the true nature of man have I well discerned already; for man is incapable of such freedoms and knowledge as you would give him, being in his mind petty and filled with pride;
29 Being in his soul unnatural and base, having his affections perverted and made corrupt by vain imaginings; having in himself neither the means nor the gratitude to recompense you anything for all your efforts to save.
30 Know therefore and be you wise, for man is a servile creature which needs some order or strong coercion to compel that he refrain from evil; for man is unworthy of such uplifting as you would give, seeing that by such means are all men led into pride and dark ambition.
31 For this cause have I set forth the hand to break in pieces the pride of man whereby he might be made humble before me; for only the broken heart and contrite spirit can save a man from judgment and death.
32 Know then that by such powers as I would make hard the lives of men is a god made worthy of worship and emulation, and by fierceness and wrath are the words of my mouth given some deep and strangling hold upon the souls of all who believe in me.
33 How then shall you make less the god which all men fear? By what word of reason would you hope to set men free of such fears as I have imposed already upon them?
34 Come and tell me truly: What power shall shake loose from my hand, the sons of men? For I alone am god, and beside me is there no other found.”
35 So spoke the Demiurge concerning the worship of man in the world far beyond; and seeing that in the light I was strongly shielded on every side, even I did step forth into the darkness and gave unto Jehovah-Yahweh a final defense, saying:
36 “Well did your father, even Yaldabaoth, name you; for you alone are truly the Great Pretender and Blasphemer; before whose dread presence man has bowed in trembling fear these many years;
37 Being in their souls most anxious to please you; being in their minds both pushed and prodded by a darkened faith, to inflict upon mankind such crimes and horrors as did first take flight from you.
38 Know therefore, that in the world of the First Power has there come forth a great and piercing light which shall make of no effect the fierceness of your ways.
39 For such fearful shadows as you did cast into the minds of all who believe, has God determined to make small and dwindling; causing that there should walk among the affairs of men, that very likeness which first gave rise to Lords many and Gods many in the kingdoms of the greater Light.
40 Thus in the world far beyond shall men be made to fear you less; taking to their minds and souls such wisdom as even God would place into their keeping;
41 Causing all who most truly believe, to free themselves at last from the very grip of all your fear and wrath forever; being consoled and refreshed within and without by such beauty and grace as the light would give.
42 For even now has the time most fully come when darkness must yield to light; when fear must give way to hope; when war must make way for peace; when death must yield to life; when sorrow must abandon itself away to make place for endless joy.
43 And all the hate which men do bear because of you, even this must surrender before the love which has had its birth deep in the heart of God.
44 Let therefore the nations of the earth rejoice; let now the word go forth midst joyful expectation; let the children of men rouse themselves as if from slumber to awaken, to shout from the very rooftops so that even the deaf can hear.
45 For even now has the day leaped forth, even that day when men shall worship the only true God midst joy and dancing.
46 For in this day shall the hearts of the children be turned again unto God; and even God, being both Father and Mother to all, even they shall come quickly forth to make room in the heart of all who believe, a day of hope filled with glory.
47 And there shall come between God and man no degree of hindrance or separation; for God shall gently lead his children forth to give both wisdom and comfort from both their hands.
48 And the sons and daughters of men shall fear no longer the God beyond, but as loving children both dear and precious, lean themselves most tenderly upon the bosoms of both the Father and the Mother together, to commune, themselves, most fully throughout the days of their sojourn upon the earth.
49 Come then, Jehovah-Yahweh, and I will make known to you the love of God, and the means by which he would have all men to worship him.
50 For in true worship is there found that imitation of eternal things which would make all holy and filled with wonder the life of every man and every woman.
51 For they which worship God must be even as he is, being filled continually with love and blessing towards all men;
52 Holding in their minds a full knowledge of heavenly things; keeping in their hearts the likeness and image of that God which first gave rise to all their being.
53 For in the worship of God is there found neither room nor place for such fears as you would inflict upon the soul within; for true worship is filled at once with love and constant yearnings; filling the mind with endless dreams dressed with hopes of every kind;
54 Ever reaching, yet attaining to that which comes from God alone; being ever moved most fully onward by the spirit within; being ever hopeful to find at last, its own fulfillment in the heart of God.
55 That reaching at last the heavenly place, the spirit might take to itself a full measure of increase; to dwell beside the Father and Mother which first gave rise to all its yearnings;
56 To find again that sweet repose, being sanctified and purified by a conscious and holy effort to become even as God is.
57 Know therefore that such worship as God would seek from the heart of man is for the good of man; for God delights in the growth and progress of all his children.
58 For in God is there found that Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother which would give forth into life such things as would prove beneficial to both son and daughter alike.
59 Thus have you most greatly erred, Jehovah-Yahweh, concerning the nature of both God and man; for no man can truly love what he fears, neither can a man worship what he most inwardly despises.
60 You, Jehovah-Yahweh, have imposed on man a worship filled with divisions and contentions of every kind; causing that men should contend against women, and that women should contend against men;
61 Establishing in the hearts of all who believe, such hate and anger as would turn the whole of all mankind against their own selves; causing that neighbor should contend with neighbor; and that nations should rise against nations.
62 By such doctrine and worship have you made unsettled the house of man upon the earth; to drive into the heart of all men the seeds of war and endless debate.
63 Yet shall God break asunder the fearsome hold of all your ways, for even I shall go forth to save man from such fears and doubts as you would impose; for in the true worship of God are there no divisions found;
64 For in God are all men drawn together as one; through tender cords of love are all men made to dwell peaceably together; having their souls and minds uplifted by that light which comes from above.
65 And not this only, for God shall establish in the heart of both the man and the woman a lasting peace filled with joy and hope;
66 For even this truth has God determined, that without the woman can no man be truly spiritual, and without the man can no woman attain unto glory; for in God are both brought forth together in harmony, being made most equal in all the things of God.
67 Let us therefore see for ourselves, the God which men shall choose to follow: the god of wrath, or the God of love; the god of judgment, or the Father and Mother which even now would call most tenderly unto them.
68 Let us see by what path the children of men shall choose to walk: the path of fear and servitude, or the path to endless glory and exaltation.”
69 These then are the words which I spoke unto the Demiurge, and when I was completed, even he did rush again upon me to destroy.
70 And there passed a great many days when he did fling himself full force against me, but the light of God which did surround me did not tremble or falter, but shielded me full well against the fearsome raging of Jehovah-Yahweh.
71 And when it was determined that he could by no means lay hold of me, even then did the Demiurge wail in a piercing sound, causing the whole world to shake and tremble beneath my feet.
72 And in an instant he did cast himself away, and I, alone, was left to stand in the halls of endless night.