ISAIAH'S VISION
Apocryphal literature, particularly stories about Old and New Testament figures, constitute a significant portion of the writing that was translated from Greek into Old Bulgarian from the tenth century on. The Bulgarian monks who did the work of translation seem to have had a particular taste for visionary and prophetic literature, producing native versions of the visions and prophecies of Isaiah, Enoch, and Baruch, which later found their way into Russian, Rumanian and Serbian Slavonic manuscripts. "The Slavonic Book of the Secrets of Enoch" is mentioned by James Hastings (1963) as one of only three traditions utilizing the story of the Patriarch in apocalyptic discourse.
Equally rare in world literature is the following account of Isaiah's visit to heaven, a Russian Slavonic copy of a late tenth or eleventh-century Old Bulgarian translation from Greek. Since only a fragment of the Greek original is extant, the Slavonic is all the more precious. There also remain a longer, Ethiopian version, as well as a Latin rendition which is closely tied to the Slavonic (more on this below).
Scholars believe that the Greek "Vision of Isaiah" represented a melding of two stories, the one Hebrew ("The Torment of Isaiah") and the other early Christian, dating from the second or third century. As Hastings writes: "The 'Ascension of Isaiah' is a composite book, which circulated largely among Christian heretics of the third century. At its base lies a group of legends of uncertain origin, dealing with the Antichrist and Beliar."1
The fact that the figure of Isaiah, who predicted the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah 6,6), looms large in both Hebrew and Christian theology, would tend to support Hasting's theory of the "Vision" as a composite work. Essentially, the apocryphal tale amplifies Isaiah's prophecy concerning the Messiah, by describing the circumstances under which he experienced his vision. The story names those who witnessed his trance (several
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of whom are authentic biblical figures), as his soul travelled through the seven heavens, before reaching the dwelling place of the Divinity. The cosmos described is of course pre-Copernican.
"Isaiah's Vision" is narrative in structure, but there are dramatic elements as well — for example, the dialogue between the prophet and his angelic guide, as well as God's instruction to his unnamed Son, whom he commands to descend through the heavens in order to pass judgment on the evil Prince of the Earth. Andre Vaillant attempted to date the composition of the Greek prototype by the relationship between God and his Son. In this story the Father is supreme — there is no evidence of a Trinity of three equal Divine Persons — so Vaillant concludes that the "Vision" was written before the Fourth Oecumenical Council (451 A.D.), when the question of the Trinity was settled.
Because of its Arian and Nestorian elements, as well as its emphasis on Satan as Prince of the Earth, "Isaiah's Vision" is believed to have been popular with the Bogomils. It was probably they who had it translated from Slavonic into Latin, for dissemination among the Patarenes and Cathars (who were also called "Bulgarians" ) in Northern Italy and the South of France. The Latin translation is fastidious and quite close to the Old Bulgarian version — an indication that whoever translated it regarded it as an important, perhaps even sacred work.
The Old Slavonic recension underwent a second, peculiarly Bulgarian reworking in the thirteenth or fourteenth century, according to which Isaiah, after his vision, founded the Bulgarian nation. Mentioned are several authentic Bulgarian rulers, including Asparuch, Boris and Symeon.
The excerpt of the "Vision" below is from the Uspenskij sbornik, a twelfth-century Russian Slavonic compendium, con-taining the oldest extant Slavonic text. Although it has some East Slavic features, its language should be close to that of the Old Bulgarian original. A review of the scholarship on the "Vision" is given in Latinski izvori za bulgarskata istorija (vol. IV). Also of interest will be A. Vaillant's writings.3 Although J. Ivanov (1970) mistakenly declared the "Vision" an original Bogomil work, he does provide useful background information. D. Petkanova (1982) gives a modern Bulgarian translation with notes.
T. Butler
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ISAIAH'S VISION
(Pages follow in this specific order, because for the moment we skip the original Bulgarian text).
The Eighth of May. The Vision Seen by Holy Isaiah, the Son of Amoz.
In the twentieth year of the rule of Hezekiah, King of the Jews, there came Isaiah, son of Amoz, and Jaasu, son of Savias, to Hezekiah in Jerusalem, and entering he sat on the king's couch, and all the princes of Jerusalem and the royal counsellors and the eunuchs were standing before him. And from all the villages and the mountains there came prophets and sons of prophets, who had learned that Isaiah had come from Golgotha to Hezekiah and had greeted him with a kiss, and in addition he was going to foretell the future for him.
When he had spoken words, all of which were true, the Holy Spirit came upon him, and everyone saw that and heard the pronouncements of the Holy Spirit. And the king invited him and all the prophets, and they all entered together, as many of them as were there. There were Micah, and the old man Ananias, and Joel, and some sat on his right and some on his left. And when they heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, they knelt and sang the praises of the God on high, who abides in the saints and has given such power to words in the world.
And as he was speaking in the Holy Spirit to all who were hearing him, he suddenly became silent, and after that he no longer saw those who were standing before him. His eyes were wide open, his mouth was closed, but the inspiration of the Spirit was with him. And they all thought that Isaiah had been taken up. Now the prophets understood that he was having a revelation, and that the vision he was seeing was not of this world but of what is hidden from everyone of the flesh. And when he stopped seeing the vision and returned to himself, he related to Hezekiah and his son Nazon, to Micah and the other prophets, saying: "When I was prophesying aloud — which you were hearing — I saw a glorious angel. He was not of the same glory as the angels whom I was accustomed to seeing, but was one who had some great, sacred glory which I cannot describe. And taking me by the hand he led me on high.
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And I said: "Who are you, what is your name, and where are you taking me?" For I had been given the power to talk with him. He said in reply: "When I lead you on high and show you the vision for which I was sent to you — then you will understand who I am. But you will not know my name, because you will be returning again to your body. And when I shall take you up, you will see." And I was happy at the humble way he spoke to me. And he said to me: "You rejoiced because I answered you humbly, but you will see One greater than me, and that One who will converse with you will be humbler and more modest, greater than the great, more radiant and more peaceful. For this reason have I been sent to you — to enlighten you as to all these things."
And we ascended, he and I, to the firmament. And I saw there a great battle of Satan and his force, who were opposing piety. And one was vying with the other, because on the firmament it is just the same as on earth, for the images of the firmament are here on earth. And I said to the angel: "What is this warfare and vying and battling?" And answering me, he said: "This warfare is the Devil's, and it won't cease until there comes the One whom you will see, and He kills him with the spirit of His power."4
After that he brought me to what was above the firmament, which is the first heaven. And I saw there a throne in the center, and an angel was sitting on it in great honor, and on his right and left were seated angels. Those who were on the right had a different glory and they were singing in one voice, and those on the left were following them, and their song was unlike that of those who were on the right. I asked the angel who was guiding me: "To whom is this song addressed?" And he said in reply: "To the great glory of God, who is in the seventh heaven, and his beloved Son, whence I have been sent to you." And then he led me to the second heaven. The height of that heaven was the same as that from the first heaven to earth. And I saw that it was there as in the first heaven: angels on the right and left, and their singing was more perfect than the first. And falling on my face I adored them, and the angel did not leave me, instructing me:
"Adore neither the throne nor the heavenly angel — I have been sent to you in order to instruct you in this — but only the One I
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tell you, who is above all the thrones and raiment and crowns, and you will see him soon." And I rejoiced with a very great joy, for such is the end of those who know His eternal and beloved Son who is on high, and who go there through the Angel of the Holy Spirit....
And when I was in the sixth heaven, I thought the light of the fifth to be like darkness. And I was much overjoyed, and I sang the glory of the One who gave such a grace to those who accepted it. And I begged the angel who was guiding me not to return me afterwards to this corporeal world — I tell you there is much darkness here! And the angel who was leading me said:
"Now, if you rejoiced about this world — how much more will you rejoice and be happy when you see the light of the true heaven, where the heavenly Father is sitting, and his only begotten Son. Where there are the hosts, and where lie thrones and crowns for the just. And as for your not returning to the flesh — it is not yet time for you to come here."
Hearing this I became saddened, and he said to me: "Don't be sad or downcast!" And he took me up to the air of the seventh heaven, and I heard a voice saying: "Why is he coming up, since he will be living in the flesh?" And I was very afraid and trembling, and again I heard another voice saying: "Don't bother him: let God's worthy one ascend, for here are his raiment." And I asked the angel who was with me: "Who is the one who is prohibiting me, and who is the one who is commanding me to ascend?" And he said: "The one who is prohibiting you is above the angels singing in heaven, and the one who is commanding you is the Son of God, but you can't hear his name until you leave your flesh."
And when we had ascended to the seventh heaven I saw there an amazing and indescribable light, and innumerable angels and righteous people. I saw some who had left their corporeal garments and were in heavenly raiment, and they were standing in great glory, but they were not sitting on their thrones, and their crowns of glory were /not/5 on them. And I asked the angel: "Why have they received the raiment, but not the thrones and the crowns?" And he said to me: "They won't receive them until the Son of God descends, but they already know in advance
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which thrones are theirs and which crowns are theirs. When He descends and will be in your form,6 the Prince of the World7 will lay his hands on Him, because He is (God's) Son, and they will hang Him on a tree and kill Him, not knowing who He is. And He will descend to hell and will render naked and useless all those phantoms, and He will take prisoner the Prince of Death and will wipe out all his power. And He will rise on the third day, having (sent) some of the righteous throughout the whole universe, and He will ascend again into heaven. Then will they receive their thrones and their crowns."
And after these words I said to him: "Now tell me what I asked you in the first heaven, for you promised to tell me how those things which are in the other world /earth/ are known here." And as I was talking with him, behold one of the angels standing there, who was much more glorious than the one who was guiding me, and all the other angels, showed me a book. And opening it wide he gave it to me. And I saw letters — they were not like the letters of this world — and I read them, and behold the deeds of Jerusalem were written there. And I saw the deeds of other men whom I did not know, and I learned that in truth nothing which happens in the world is concealed from the seventh heaven. And I asked the angel: "Who is the one who surpasses the other angels in glory?" And he answered me, saying: "He is the great Archangel Michael."
After that I heard a voice there, and I also heard songs ascending through the heavens to the seventh heaven, and everyone was glorifying the One whose glory I could not see. The song of all the seven heavens was not only audible, it could be seen.8 And the angel said to me: "This is the One Eternal Being, living in the highest world and abiding in the saints, and whose name we cannot endure,9 whose praises are sung by the Holy Spirit in the mouths of the righteous." And after that I heard the voice of the Eternal One speaking to the Lord: "Son, go and descend through all the heavens and be in the world, and (go) even to the angel who is in hell, having transformed yourself according to their image. And they will know you not — neither the angels nor the Prince10 of that world — and you will judge the Prince and his angels and the world ruled by them,11
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because they rejected me and said: "We are, and besides us there is no one else."
"And when you are borne up from the earth, moreover, you will not transform yourself (as you pass) through the heavens, but you will ascend in great glory and will sit at my right hand, and you will be adored by princes and powers and angels, and by every heavenly and earthly and subterranean principality." And I heard this Great Glory commanding my Lord. Then the Lord left the seventh heaven and descended to the sixth. And the angel who was instructing me said: "Understand, Isaiah, and see His future transformation and His descent." When the angels saw Him, they glorified Him in song and praised Him, for He had not changed into their form. And I sang His praises with them. And when He descended to the fifth heaven and changed into the form of those angels, they didn't sing His praises nor did they worship Him, because His form was like theirs. And He descended to the fourth heaven and appeared to them in their image, and they didn't sing his praises because He was as though in their image. He came to the third heaven, and the second and the first, transforming Himself in accord with each of them. And for that reason they didn't sing His praises nor did they worship Him, because He was appearing like them, and He was manifesting signs at each heaven to those who guarded the gates.
And He descended to the firmament, where the Prince of this World sits. And there He gave a sign and His form was like theirs, and they didn't glorify Him nor sing His praises. And He descended to the angels of this air, and was like one of them, and He didn't give them a sign nor did they question Him. And after that the angel said to me: "Understand, Isaiah, son of Amoz: I have been sent from the Lord to show you everything; no one has seen these things before, nor will anyone after you be able to see them as you have seen and heard them." And behold I saw how the Son of Man lived with men in the world, and they knew Him not.
And I saw Him rising to the firmament, and He was no longer transforming himself according to their image, and all the angels who saw Him were filled with awe and were adoring Him. They said: "How was the Lord able to hide Himself among us and we
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didn't recognize the King of Glory?" And He ascended from the first heaven more gloriously, and He didn't transform himself, but all the angels on the right and on the left adored him, as well as the one sitting on the central throne. And they adored Him and were singing His praises, saying: "How could the Lord have passed by us, and we didn't recognize Him or adore Him?" And in like manner He rose to the second, third and fourth, and fifth and sixth heavens; and moreover, at each heaven His glory was increasing. And when He came to the seventh heaven, all the righteous and all the angels and all the powers sang his praises. And then I saw Him sitting on the right side of such Great Glory that I was unable to look at it. And I saw the angel of the spirit sitting on the left. And he said to me: "You have learned enough, Isaiah, son of the flesh! Eye has not seen nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him." And he said to me: "Return to your garments until your time has been fulfilled, and then you will come here to me."
"These things I saw," said Isaiah to those who were standing around him, and having heard these most marvellous things, they praised God and sang His glory for giving such a grace to men. And he said to King Hezekiah: "The end of this world and this whole vision will be fulfilled in the last generation." And he pledged them not to tell the sons of Israel, nor to allow every man to write these words down, but only as the King permitted.12 Understand — all of you — what has been spoken through the prophets, and be in the Holy Spirit, so that you will receive your raiment and thrones and crowns of glory which lie in heaven. And he stopped13 talking, and he departed from King Hezekiah. Therefore, Glory be to our God, now and forever, and for ages to come. Amen.
Notes
1.J. Hastings (1963), 822.
2. For the Latin rendition of the Vision, with parallel modern Bulgarian translation, see Latinski izvori za bulgarskata istorija, IV, 1981, 127-135.
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3. See A. Vaillant (1963), as well as his commentary in Textes vieux slaves, II, 78-82.
4. "and He kills him with the spirit of His power" ... probably this was originally "and He kills him with the power of His spirit."
5. "and their crowns of glory were /not/ on them"... I have restored the not, because it makes sense in this context and is to be found in other versions of the "Vision," including the medieval Latin translation.
6. "and will be in your form" (actual text: i budet' ne vu zrace vasem') ... the negative in the Slavonic seems to be a mistake in this context. Other versions, including the Latin, do not have the negative here.
7. "The Prince of the World" is, of course, the Devil.
8. "The song of all the seven heavens was not only audible, it could be seen" ... this is an interesting example of the synesthesia one sometimes encounters in religious narrative.
9. "whose name we cannot endure" ... this awe before the name of God would seem to reflect the Hebrew origins of this work.
10. "neither the angels nor the Prince of that world" ... the Slavonic has the plural knjazi, which is a mistake in this context, as the following phrase shows.
11. "and you will judge the prince, and his angels, and the world ruled by them" ... the idea that Satan rules the earth is heretical, and coincides with Bogomil doctrine.
12. "but only as the King permitted" (nujeliko aste razumejete ot cesarja) ... literally, "only as you understand from the King."
13. "And he stopped talking" ... there is a lacuna here. The Slavonic ...esta was probably originally presta, which is borne out by the Latin translation (Cessavit autem loqui).