Resurrection (i)

In blackness laid, ensnared in depth of night
From darkness bloody and unwavering
To darkness hewn from rock and sealed within
The pierced, disfigured and disjointed corpse
Of Him who suffered at human hands so cruel
The mortal body of the Lamb of God
Enwrapped in linen bonds in stillness lay,
Surrendered unto death’s unflinching hold
Within the sepulchre sealed up which holds
Its grisly, still and fast congealing prize.
The serpent sees the lifeless corpse, he cries
In triumph o’er his victory presumed,
No need to taunt, accuse or vilify
The helpless Victim, He who lies in death’s
Secure and unrelenting grip, its hold
Forever it would seem will not release
Its victim to the glorious light of day
Which for a while also has disappeared
Until the dawn of Sabbath day will rise
To call the Jewish people now to cease
All labour, and observe a holy fast.
Another prophet slain, like those before
Whose voices were ignored, held in contempt
Or silenced or dismissed with utter scorn,
To them, another madman who has paid
The price for breaking sacred Jewish law
Lies buried, just reward for speaking out
And pointing to a Kingdom far away
Which transcends human concept, mind and thought,
Which speaks of mercy, love, forgiveness free
To break the bonds of sin and to restore
All humankind to Yahweh’s perfect love
And promise of eternal life within
The Heavenly palace wherein the righteous dwell
In Yahweh’s presence, there to die no more.
So lies the Lamb, within the sleep of death
And shrouded by the blackness deep and dark,
Impenetrable it would seem, for now
Within a tiny crevice in the rock
Comes forth a minute speck of ghostly light
Its origin unknown and out of place
Within the tomb hewn out of solid rock
Devoid of fissures that would give free reign
To any chink of light which dares to break
The stranglehold of blackness dark and bare.
The light grows slowly, surely in the cave
Its radiancy increasing more and more
Until all darkness, which had until now
Held sway in grim and sombre majesty
Is banished as the light, its dazzling rays
Increase to brightness of intensity
Too great for human eyes, a light that blinds
Despite all human actions to avert
Themselves from this uncompromising sight
An apparition that would terrify
And kill mere mortals, for the vision now
Shows forth a face of glory that looks down
Upon the lifeless, broken Lamb of God.
A face of dreadful majesty and awe
Of terror indescribable that looks
With awesome dread and fearful sovereignty
And yet with mercy, pity, love divine;
Behold, the vision of Yahweh supreme.
The tomb, from which outside looked like mere rock
From inside seemed a vast and distant hall
Bedecked with rubies, sapphires, precious stones
And in the midst a throne of purest gold
Upon which sat Yahweh in majesty.
Music of praise unending filled the air,
Of worship and of adoration blessed.
And yet the presence encompassed the tomb
In anticipation of miraculous things
By which the Lamb of God would now be freed
From death’s unbending grip and stranglehold.
The serpent, upon seeing Yahweh’s face
Fled in sheer terror, into Hades ran
For now the victory that he thought was his
Was brought to nothing, now a miracle
That only Yahweh could make manifest
Would come to fruition and so complete
The work for which the Lamb of God laid down
His life, for all who would but turn to Him
As Saviour, Lord of all, brother and friend
And who would humbly follow and obey
Commandments pure and perfect, as laid down
To bring all humankind to knowledge and
Acceptance of salvation good and true
And the reward of Paradise once lost
But now regained for all eternity.
The vision of Yahweh was now a fire,
A furnace spiritual waiting to bring
To life the corpse congealing on the slab
Of rock, a bed that would temporal be.
A blazing sight of what might seem a hand
To mortal limitation, now stretched forth
To touch a strand of unstained thread of cloth
Which in an instant was transformed into
A garment of beauty unparalleled
As only could befit a personage
Of royal blood and kingly heritage.
With hands stretched forth to raise the Lamb, Yahweh
Called forth to His beloved and only Son:
“Rise up, my Son, my one and only Son,
Beloved Son, on whom my favour rests.
Rise up and stand and gaze into my eyes,
You who alone can see me and still live.
For you did willingly and gladly set
Aside your Godhead after Eden fell
To Satan’s lies, vile and despicable
That caused creation’s fall from my pure grace
Contaminating beast and humankind
And all creation, an unseemly blot
So foreign and lamentable to us
Who all things pure and perfect created
Reflecting our glory unlimited.
Beloved Son, your love of me and all
Things created which for our glory were
And which will now be restored for all time
And beyond in the unending Heavenly realm,
You gave yourself to humankind to bring
Them to full knowledge of our Kingdom which
We will bestow on those who choose to serve
And worship, we who bring salvation and
Hope to a world which once was dark and lost
But which, by your acceptance of the lot
That for all humankind you underwent,
You are deserving of the knee that bows
In adoration, worship, love and praise
And of the tongue which in true confession
Proclaims you Lord, to my glory and praise.
Rise up, my Son, rise up from death’s dark night
Come unto me, beloved Son, and be
Robed in pure majesty, Godhead restored
And let us be in love entwined once more.”
So spoke Yahweh, a tender voice yet still
Full of authority and tenderness
As heard by Elijah, the faithful seer,
But now unto the Lamb of God was spoke.
The lifeless corpse, broken, disjointed, bruised
And bearing still the lash of Roman whip
Now slowly moved in response to that voice
Disjointed limbs and bones slowly put back
In rightful place, a similarity
Of the great vision of Ezekiel
In witnessing the rise of Israel
From dust and ashes, raised up from their graves
To be restored to their homeland once more.
The Lamb’s torn skin repaired and made anew
Save for the nail marks and the spear’s deep wound,
A future symbol that would be bestowed
By Yahweh in accordance with His grace
And reasoning, for us to question not
But gracefully accept His will that is
Beyond all human reasoning and thought.
The body now repaired yet lifeless still
Received the breath divine to raise it up
For all time and eternity beyond
And rob the grave and death of victory.
The new robe Yahweh placed upon the corpse
Which now began to breathe the air once more
And slowly by the Providence Divine
Sat up, the grave clothes falling to the ground
And new apparel taken and put on.
Yahweh once more outstretched His hands to bless
And restore Godhead to His only Son
Who, bright and blinding shone, so that the eyes
Of mortals would forever blinded be
If they but dared to look upon the sight
That filled the tomb, now cheated of its prize.
The Lamb of God stood upright and turned round
To see His Father, and with hands outstretched
Touched those of Yahweh, blessed reunion
Sweet joy, pure love and happiness unbound
Between them fell, immersed in Heaven’s grace
And praises said and sung in Heaven’s tongue
Each to the other, endless ecstasy.
Father and Son, in Godhead unified
Engaged in discourse of the happenings
Which for human salvation had been wrought,
So Jesus to His Father now did speak:
“O Abba dear, my Father true, your Son
Who sits beside you in this heavenly place,
A vision of the palace where you dwell
In Heaven’s bright and perfect opulence;
O Father my beloved Abba, here
No evil would dare show its hideous face
No force that is against our majesty
Could ever deign to raise an army strong,
For by your perfect will and providence
Evil is vanquished, and its time is short
Now that the serpent who rebelled against
Us in pure Heaven’s court has been o’erthrown
His fall from Blessed Michael’s angel band
Was but a foretaste of the fall to come
When for salvation of the human race
I underwent the horrors of the cross
To feel the weight of human sin and shame
And pain and suffering indescribable.
For by my resurrection at your hand
And restoration of the Godhead that
We shared before all time and space began,
The darkness that pervaded human souls
And caused them to stumble in sin’s deep mire
Is vanquished, beaten, driven back and slain
So that your creation may once more be
Restored, forgiven, ransomed, healed and brought
Back into your immeasurable love.
Your wrath and indignation are no more
For gone is now the barrier that once
Stood firm against the path to righteousness
And truth, now human life and creation
Is free to love and bless your holy name
And Heaven’s riches their inheritance
As sons and daughters adopted by grace.
And I, your Son, at your right hand once more
Will sit in majesty, splendour and awe
For by the Holy Spirit have these things
Been done, no mortal might could e’er attain
Such heights, they are accomplishments by which
Only the Spirit’s authority and power
From your right hand could ever be the means
Whereby purpose divine could be dispensed.
Great is your love and wisdom, Abba true,
Forever falling from your hands to reach
And touch all souls who call upon your name.”
Blessed Yahweh, hearing His beloved Son,
Responded to the discourse with these words:
“My Son, my only Son, your words are true.
Humanity once stained has been restored
For your great sacrifice and bitter pain
And suffering has wiped away the guilt
Which until now had separated them
From our love and perfection true and good.
For as you suffered at the hands of those
Who in their ignorance of my pure will
And sought to rid their dark, limited minds
Of our true kingdom set in Heaven’s realm
And claim a worldly king to set them free,
You have now opened wide the gates of Heaven
To all who will confess you as their Lord
To my great glory ever without end.
Dark was your suffering upon the cross
Dark was the suffering that you endured
Before the crucifixion, at the hands
Of soldiers who in blind obedience
To orders to inflict foul punishment.
Yet even they, in their cruel savagery
Were part of my plan for the salvation
Of all creation, for the stripes you bore,
Which my servant Isaiah once proclaimed
At my instruction, he who prophesied
In ancient times and which now is fulfilled,
Will bring true healing to all those who choose
To bow the knee to you at my right hand.
My Son, I speak of time, so tell me true
Of your experience of the limits
Of time upon the human race, and of
Their struggle to attain a perfect life
Within the constraints of what rules their lives
In their existence governed by the days
And hours which hold no place in Paradise?
To what were they most vulnerable to
In seeking peace and order in their lives,
Yet which disturbed and even now disturbs
Their thoughts and speech and actions in their quest
For love and peace and harmony which seems
To them forever distant, out of reach?”