“Still more: When I left this assembly, in my progess I arrived at a sea without borders; howsoever I strained my sight, I could not perceive any boundary or shore; and at this sea I saw a river, and an angel who was pouring the seawater into the river, and from thence the water ran to every place.” By “the sea,” he implies the first intelligence; and by “the river,” the first spirit.
“Likewise: On the level of that sea, I perceived a great desert, greater than which I had never seen any space, so that, in spite of my endeavor, I found neither the beginning nor the end of it.” That is: I could not assign a limit to what was more extensive than any thing else, as the comprehension of a pure being belongs only to a perfect intelligence.
“In continuance: On the level of the sea and the desert, I saw an angel surrounded with every grandeur, splendor, and pomp, who guarded both halves with facility; he called me to him, and having joined him, I asked: ‘What is thy name?’ He answered: ‘Mikáil: I am the greatest of all angels; whatever is difficult, ask it from me; and whatever thou desirest, demand it from me: I will satisfy all thy wishes.’” This means: When I had learned and considered all this, I understood the first command. And the Angel represents what is called “the Holy Ghost,” and is said to be “a cherub.” Whoever has access to him and receives his assistance, evinces himself as wise, and participates in spiritual enjoyments.
“And also: When I had set myself free from saluting and questioning, I said: ‘To arrive at this place I experienced much trouble, and my purpose in coming here was to attain knowledge, and the sight of God Almighty. Grant me guidance, that I may satisfy my desire, and then return home.’” That is: by the pure command, which is the holy word, he wished that, as, after the study of nature, his inward sight was opened to clear evidence, he might behold every thing such as it was; he wished that he might find the absolute Being, the first cause, the self-existing necessary Being, the supreme good; and that he might know his unity so that in him multiplicity cannot exist.[144]
“What the prophet further said: That angel took me by the hand,[145] and gave me a passage through several thousand curtains into a world, where I saw nothing like what I had seen before, until he brought me at last near the Lord of glory; then the command came to me: ‘Approach.’”[146] This means: that the holy God is exempt from body, substance, and wants, which are found in this world.
“Again: In that majesty I immersed my sense and motion, and found entire relaxation, contentment and tranquillity.” That is: I acquired such a knowledge of his purity and of his beneficence, as no living being can comprehend with his sense: for he may have a clear perception of bodies, and observe forms and images; a substance endowed with a memorial intelligence conceives ideas; but the self-existent, necessary Being is out of this category, and cannot be understood by sense, imagination, and memorial power; in his majesty there is no motion, because motion is a change of existence; but the self-existent necessary Being is such as to be the mover of all things.
“The prophet said further: From fear of the Lord I forgot all things I had seen and known before, and I felt such an exaltation, inspiration, and inward delight, that thou wouldst have said: ‘I am intoxicated.’” That is: When my intelligence found access to the knowledge of unity, I considered and investigated the parts, and from this study the rational soul derived such enjoyment, that all the powers of brutishness and nature desisted from their action, and such an immersion into unity manifested itself, that there remained no consideration for the science relative to substance and bodies.
“Again: I felt some impressions of God’s proximity, so that I was seized with trembling; and I heard the command: ‘Proceed,’ and I proceeded. Then came the word: ‘Fear not nor be disquieted.’” This means: When I was initiated in the mystery of unity, I learned that the self-existent necessary Being is without the divisions of this world; I trembled at the boldness of my journey, which had attained such a height and distance; and I apprehended failing in the proof of the unity; but I heard the words: “Come nearer;” that is: dismiss thy pondering, fear, and terror; for such is the proper state of a believer in the unity of God, to be continually immersed in a spiritual ecstacy, so that he may never fall back into the disgrace of brutishness, and fear and hope belong to the state of brutishness.
“Moreover: I drew nearer, and upon me came the blessing of the Lord, such as I never had heard before;” that is: I received the revelation, the true words of the self-existent, necessary Being: and his speech is not like that of creatures by letters and sounds; no! his speech is evidence of knowledge, by itself pure, communicating to the spirit what he wills in a universal not a particular way.
“Further: The command came: ‘Say thy prayer:’ I replied: I cannot; for thou art thyself such as thou hast said.” This means: When he was able to perceive the excellence of the belief in the unity of God, he found the truth of the words of the self-existing necessary Being; he then felt such delight as he had never experienced before; he knew that the self-existing necessary Being is worthy of all prayers, but he felt at the same time that he could not express his prayers with the tongue, because an arrangement of letters is required for every thing which falls from the tongue, but that which has no connection except that of parts and the whole, is not suitable to the true, necessary, and self-existing Being, as he is not conceivable, either in parts or in a whole. The prophet knew that his prayer could not properly come from the tongue, as it is no business of the senses, but belongs properly to reason; but reason knew that an object highly deserving to be praised requires a praiser worthy of it, one whose knowledge may be adequate to the power of the being to be praised, so that the speech may prove suitable to the intention. The self-existent necessary Being is an object of unity without an equal, therefore the praise of any one will never be worthy of him. Besides, the prophet trusted also to God’s knowledge, for he is all knowledge, and the knowledge of him is the theme of prayers to his being without letters and sound, and not by reason: he himself is his own ornament; he himself is his eloquence.