The final stage is the complete Adam or Jeu (the name is a form of Jehovah). There Christ checks to make sure that everything has been done correctly; he questions everyone at the veil personally.107 All who pass through are in a world surrounded by light. This whole thing, says one of the most recent and thorough students of the subject, “introduces us into a world of the most mystifying speculation: the Temple is here considered as a person and the veil of the temple as a garment that is worn, as a personification of the sanctuary itself.” Theophylactus, commenting in the eleventh century on Hebrews 9:3 [Heb. 1:24], says the veil is of course the entrance to the tent. “The first veil divided the court of the people and the bronze altar from the tent where only the priests could enter. Next there was another veil to the holy of holies and through this veil only the high priest could go once a year. It was called the tent”109 because it was the place where one entered into the presence of God or was allowed to get a glimpse of him. Somewhat later, Simplicius describes the inner shrine rather as an anapausis or resting place, where the saints are given rest or, as in the celestial room, may rest awhile on their upward journey to the father.
The Crucifixion & the Seven Sayings; the Veil Rent
Four accounts of the same six hours, and no two of them preserve the same words. Put together they give seven sentences: a prayer for the men driving the nails, a promise to a criminal, his mother handed to a friend, a question with no answer, thirst, completion, and a spirit committed into his Father’s hands.
Tap a Gospel to show or hide its column. Narrow to any two to read them side by side.
Note. The Joseph Smith Translation gives Matthew the penitent thief from Luke, gives Matthew and Mark the exchange with Pilate over the title from John, and gives Matthew last words that combine Luke’s and John’s and then add one clause of their own: “Father, it is finished; thy will is done.”
? How to read this edition
The reading is the Joseph Smith Translation, in the text of the Covenant Christian Edition, carried beside each Gospel and set against the King James baseline. Headers give both numbering systems: the CCE chapter and verse, and the traditional KJV reference.
35And they crucified him and parted his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: They parted my garments among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. 36And sitting down, they watched him there.
37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews, in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew. And the chief priest said unto Pilate, It should be written and set up over his head his accusation: This is he that said he was Jesus, the king of the Jews. But Pilate answered and said, What I have written, I have written. Let it alone. 38Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another on the left.
39And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads 40and saying, You that destroy the temple and build it again in three days, save yourself. If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41Likewise also the chief priests, mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he is the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43He trusted in God, let him deliver him now. If he will have him, If he will save him, let him save him, for he said, I am the Son of God.
44The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. One of the thieves also, who was crucified with him, reviled him in like manner. But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation, and this man is just and has not sinned? And he cried unto the Lord that he would save him. And the Lord said unto him, This day you shall be with me in the world of spirits.
45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? (That is to say, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) 47Some of them that stood there, when they heard him, said, This man calls for Elijah. 48And immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 49The rest said, Let him be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.
50Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice — saying, Father, it is finished; your will is done! — yielded up the ghost.
51And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. And the earth did quake, and the rocks rent. 52And the graves were opened, and the bodies of the saints which slept arose, who were many, 53and came out of the graves, and after his resurrection went into the holy city and appeared unto many.
54Now when the centurions, and they that were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and heard the earthquake and saw those things which were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 55And many women were there beholding afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him for his burial, 56among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s children.
24And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 25And it was the third hour when they crucified him.
26And Pilate wrote his accusation and put it upon the cross: The king of the Jews. There were certain of the chief priests who stood by that said unto Pilate, Write that he said, I am the king of the Jews. But Pilate said unto them, What I have written, I have written. 27And with him they crucified two thieves, the one on his right hand and the other on his left. 28And the scripture was fulfilled which said: And he was numbered with the transgressors.
29And they who passed by railed on him, wagging their heads and saying, Ah! You who destroys the temple and builds it in three days, 30save yourself and come down from the cross. 31Likewise also the chief priests, mocking, said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others, himself he cannot save. 32Let Christ, the king of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him one of them who was crucified with him reviled him also, saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.
33And when the sixth hour came, there was darkness over the whole land, until the ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani! — which is (being interpreted), My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 35And some of them who stood by, when they heard him, said, Behold, he calls Elijah. 36And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar and put on a reed and gave him to drink. saying, Let alone; Others spoke, saying, Let him alone. Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.
37And Jesus cried with a loud voice and gave up the ghost. 38And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood opposite him, saw that he so cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly, this man was is the Son of God.
40There were also women looking on afar off, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James the less younger and of Joseph and Salome 41(who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him and ministered unto him), and many other women who came with him unto Jerusalem.
33And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do — meaning the soldiers who crucified him. And they parted his raiment and cast lots. 35And the people stood beholding, and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself if he is Christ, the chosen of God. 36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, 37and saying, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. 38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: This is the king of the Jews.
39And one of the malefactors which were hanged who was crucified with him railed on him, saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself and us. 40But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation, 41and we indeed justly? For we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing amiss. 42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43And Jesus said unto him, Truly I say unto you, today shall you be with me in paradise the world of spirits.
44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the middle. 46And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
47Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48And all the people who came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts and returned. 49And all his acquaintance and the women who followed him from Galilee stood afar off, beholding these things.
18where they crucified him and two others with him — on either side one, and Jesus in the middle. 19And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross, and the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews. 20This title then read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not: The king of the Jews, but that: He said, I am king of the Jews. 22Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. 23Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be — that the scripture might be fulfilled which says: They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.
25Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he says unto his mother, Woman, behold your son. 27Then says he to the disciple, Behold your mother. And from that hour, that disciple took her unto his own home.
28After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, says, I thirst. 29Now there was a vessel full of vinegar mingled with gall, and they filled a sponge with it and put upon hyssop, and put to his mouth. 30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.
31The Jews, therefore, because it was the preparation — that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day) — implored Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with him. 33But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was dead already, they broke not his legs, 34but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and immediately came there out blood and water. 35And he that saw it bore record and his record is true. And he knows that he speaks truth, that you might believe. 36For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled: A bone of him shall not be broken. 37And again another scripture says: They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Psalm 22 Psalm 22 (CCE 22) ↗
The psalm Jesus cried from the cross. The verses the Gospels take up at the cross are underlined. Joseph Smith’s revisions are marked as in the Gospel columns: his words highlighted, the King James words he replaced struck through.
To the chief musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, a psalm of David.
1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? My God, hear the words of my roaring. You are far from helping me.Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you hearest answer not, and in the night season, and am not silent. 3But you are holy, O thou that inhabit the Heavens. You are worthy of the praises of Israel. 4Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted and you did deliver them. 5They cried unto you and were delivered. They trusted in you and were not confounded.
6But I am a worm, and loved of no man, a reproach of men man and despised of the people. 7All they that see me laugh me to scorn. They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,Matthew 27:39 8He trusted on the Lord, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.Matthew 27:43
9But you are he that took me out of the womb. You did make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 10I was cast upon you from the womb. You art were my God from my mother’s belly breasts.
11Be not far from me — for trouble is near — for there is none to help. 12Many bulls armies have encompassed me; strong bulls armies of Bashan have beset me round around. 13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as like a ravening and a roaring lion. 14I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my inward parts. 15My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my jaws, and you have brought me into the dust of death. 16For dogs have encompassed me, the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. 17I may tally all my bones. They look and stare upon me. 18They part my garments among them and cast lots upon my vesture.Matthew 27:35; John 19:24 19But be not far from me, O Lord. O my strength, hasten to help me. 20Deliver my soul from the sword, my darling from the power of the dog. 21Save me from the lion’s mouth, for you have heard me speak from the secret places of the wilderness through the horns of the unicorns re’em.
22I will declare your name unto my brethren. In the midst of the congregation will I praise you. 23You that fear the Lord, praise him; all you, the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all you, the seed of Israel. 24For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted. Neither has he hidden his face from him, but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25My praise shall be of you in the great congregation. I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26The meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live for ever. 27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before you. 28For the kingdom is the Lord’s and he is the governor among the nations. 29All they that are fat upon earth shall eat and worship. All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, and none can keep alive his own soul. 30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31They shall come and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born — that what he has done this.
Joseph Smith revised nine verses of this psalm, and the Covenant Christian Edition carries every revision. The first is the verse heard at the cross. The King James doubles the cry, “My God, my God,” as Matthew and Mark record it; Joseph’s translation reads “My God” once, and goes on, “My God, hear the words of my roaring.” The one burgundy mark, “re’em” in verse 21, is the edition’s word, not Joseph’s here: his manuscript revises that verse and keeps “the horns of the unicorns.” He wrote “Re-em” for “unicorns” once, at Isaiah 34:7, and the Covenant Christian Edition carries his word to every other unicorn in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 53 Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (CCE 19:1–3) ↗
Mark says this song was fulfilled when two thieves were crucified with him. Joseph Smith changed one word of it, and the Book of Mormon, the Greek Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scroll each read it a little differently.
Paradise Is a Modern Word
Many Bodies of the Saints Arose, but It Seems That David Did Not
Only Matthew records that at the earthquake the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints arose. Preaching on the meeting ground at Nauvoo in May 1841 on eternal judgment and the remission of sins, Joseph Smith read that verse against Peter’s words on the day of Pentecost, that David had not yet ascended into heaven, and drew a conclusion about who rose and who did not. The Times and Seasons printed a report of the sermon; switch to “Scribal accounts” for William Clayton’s notes and an unidentified scribe’s copy of the same passage.
Discourse, 16 May 1841, Nauvoo · as published in Times and Seasons, 1 June 1841 (2:429–430); Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 187–189 · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Peter preached repentance and baptism for the remission of sins to the Jews, who had been led to acts of violence and blood, by their leaders, but to the Rulers he said, “I would that through ignorance ye did it, as did also those ye ruled.”— Repent, therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing (redemption) shall come from the presence of the Lord, for he shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you &c.” The time of redemption here had reference to the time, when Christ should come; then and not till then would their sins be blotted out. Why? Because they were murderers, and no murderer hath eternal life. Even David, must wait for those times of refreshing, before he can come forth and his sins be blotted out; for Peter speaking of him says, “David hath not yet ascended into Heaven, for his sepulchre is with us to this day:’ his remains were then in the tomb. Now we read that many bodies of the saints arose, at Christ’s resurrection, probably all the saints, but it seems that David did not. Why? because he had been a murderer.
This Day Thou Shalt Be With Me in the World of Spirits
On a Sunday in June 1843 Joseph Smith stood at the unfinished Nauvoo temple and announced that he was going to turn linguist. What followed is the reason the reading column of this section says “the world of spirits” where the King James says “paradise”: the Covenant Christian Edition has taken the correction into the text. Three reporters wrote the sermon down; switch to “Scribal accounts” to read them side by side.
Discourse, 11 June 1843, Nauvoo · Joseph Smith, History, vol. D-1, pp. 1573–74 (History of the Church 5:424–25; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 309–10); reported by Willard Richards, Wilford Woodruff and Franklin D. Richards · Joseph Smith Papers ↗Also recorded in Willard Richards’s report; JS’s journal.
I will say something about the Spirits in prison there has been much said by Modern divines about the sayings of Jesus (when on the cross) to the thief, saying this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. King James’ Translators make it out to say Paradise, but what is Paradise? it is a modern word, it does not answer at all to the original word that Jesus made use of, find the original of the word paradise: You may as easily find a needle in a Hay Mow. here is a chance for a battle ye learned men. There is nothing in the original word in Greek from which this was taken, that signifies paradise, but it was this day thou shalt be with me in the world of Spirits, then I will teach you all about it, and answer your inquiries, and Peter says he went and preached to the world of Spirits (Spirits in prison 1st. Peter 3rd. chap 19 verse) so that they who would receive it could have it answered by proxy by those who live on the earth & c.
… I will now turn linguist, there are many things in the Bible which do not as they now stand, accord with the Revelations of the Holy Ghost to me.
I will criticize a little further, there has been much said about the word Hell and the Sectarian world have preached much about it, describing it as a burning lake of fire and brimstone, but who ever revealed it? God never did, but what is hell? it is another modern term, and is taken from Hades. I’ll hunt after Hades as Pat did for the Wood chuck. Hades the Greek, or Shaole the Hebrew. These two significations mean a world of Spirits. Hades, Shaole, Paradise, Spirits in prison, are all one, it is a world of Spirits. The righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of Spirits until the resurrection.
The Veil as a Garment That Is Worn
Nibley arrives at the same identification from the other side, working through the early Christian ascension texts rather than through Hebrews, and finds the same strange equation there, made without explanation, as though everyone already knew it.
Behind the veil of the temple lay “the secrets of heaven,” the celestial spaces that know no bounds, and all that they contain.
His Flesh Was the Stuff of the Veil
Three details in these columns look unrelated: the soldiers refuse to tear a seamless coat, the temple curtain tears from top to bottom, and he dies at the hour the evening sacrifice was offered. Barker’s reconstruction of what the temple veil was made of and what it stood for puts all three in one sentence, and shows that the first Christians had already done so.
This imagery runs through the New Testament. The first Christians knew about the vestments of the high priest and what they represented. The flesh of Jesus is described as the temple veil, matter: ‘We have a great high priest’ (Heb.4.14 [Heb. 1:11]), said the writer of Hebrews, and then used imagery that his hearers must have recognised, because he does not explain it: ‘The new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh’ (Heb.10.20 [Heb. 1:32]). The first Christians described Jesus as their high priest and his flesh as the stuff of the temple veil, matter. When Jesus died, the veil of the temple was torn (Matt.27.51 [Matt. 12:30]).
So too in John’s gospel. ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1.14 [John 1:2]) describes how the Word emerged from the holy of holies - ‘the beginning’ - and became incarnate. The Word coming forth had been ritualised in the Temple as the high priest coming forth from the holy of holies on the day of atonement. John then described the glorious high priest in his golden garments: ‘We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father...’ John had Jesus describe himself as ‘the one whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, the Son of God’ (John 10.36 [John 6:30]). Jesus wore a seamless tunic, another link to the priesthood (John 19.23 [John 10:12]), and according to Luke, the woman who touched the fringe of Jesus garment was healed. She had touched the high priest’s garment (Luke 8.44 [Luke 6:11]).
The garment of the high priest was ḥošēbh work interwoven with gold, and we have seen that ḥošēbh means something like knowledge or skill. There is an early Christian wisdom text, which has a startling description of the high priest’s vestment given to every Christian. The Teaching of Silvanus, a part of which was later attributed to St Anthony, is one of the texts found at Nag Hamadi in 1945.
Wisdom summons you in her goodness, saying, Come to me, all of you, O foolish ones, that you may receive a gift, the understanding which is good and excellent. I am giving you a high priestly garment which is woven from every wisdom... Clothe yourself with wisdom like a robe, put knowledge upon you like a crown and be seated upon a throne of perception.41 A cloth woven of wisdom could well have been the original meaning, or part of the double meaning of the word ḥošēbh. Here it is Wisdom’s gift to her children.
The outer vestment of the high priest represented matter. He emerged from the holy of holies, what Ben Sira called ‘the house of the veil’, and appeared in a robe of matter interwoven with the gold of enlightenment. The high priest also wore on his forehead the four letters of the Name because he was the presence of the LORD with his people. In the days of the Davidic priest kings, he was called Immanuel, God with us, and the coloured vestment represented incarnation as the one who emerged through the veil and came into the world.
The Infancy Gospel of James depicts Mary as a temple weaver. She was spinning wool when the angel told her she would be the mother of Jesus, and so she was making the new temple veil while she was pregnant with her child.
The third entry is why his mother is standing at verse 25 and not somewhere else in the account. Barker is reporting a second-century tradition, not a historical claim, but John put the woman who made the veil in front of the veil at the moment it tore, and the early church noticed.