Chapter 45
Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Words of Jesus on the Cross - His Death
The light continued to return by degrees, and the livid exhausted countenance of our Lord again became visible. His body was become much more white from the quantity of blood he had lost ; and I heard him exclaim, " I am pressed as the grape, which is trodden in the winepress. My blood shall be poured out until water cometh, but wine shall here be made no more." I cannot be sure whether he really pronounced these words, so as to be heard by others, or whether they were only an answer given to my interior prayer. I afterwards had a vision relating to these words, and in it I saw Japhet making wine in this place.
Jesus was almost fainting; his tongue was parched, and he said: " I thirst. The disciples who ware standing round the Cross looked at him with the deepest expression of sorrow, and he added, " Could you not have given me a little water ?" By these words he gave them to understand that no one would have prevented them from doing so during the darkness. John was filled with remorse, and replied: " We did not think of doing so, O Lord." Jesus pronounced a few more words, the import of which was : " My friends and my neighbours were also to forget me, and not give me to drink, that so what was written concerning me might be fulfilled." This omission had afflicted him very much. The disciples then offered money to the soldiers to obtain permission to give him a little water: they refused to give it, but dipped a sponge in vinegar and gall, and were about to offer it to Jesus, when the centurion Abenadar, whose heart was touched with compassion, took it from them, squeezed out the gall, poured some fresh vinegar upon it, and fastening it to a reed, put the reed at the end of a lance, and presented it for Jesus to drink. I heard our Lord say several other things, but I only remember these words : " When my voice shall be silent, the mouths of the dead shall be opened." Some of the bystanders cried out : " He blasphemeth again." But Abenadar compelled them to be silent.
The hour of our Lord was at last come; his death-struggle had commenced; a cold sweat overspread every limb. John stood at the foot of the Cross, and wiped the feet of Jesus with his scapular. Magdalen was crouched to the ground in a perfect frenzy of grief behind the Cross. The Blessed Virgin stood between Jesus and the good thief, supported by Salome and Mary of Cleophas, with her eyes riveted on the countenance of her dying Son. Jesus then said : " It is consummated; and, raising his head, cried out in a loud voice, " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." These words, which he uttered in a clear and thrilling tone, resounded through heaven and earth; and a moment after, he bowed down his head and gave up the ghost. I saw his soul, under the appearance of a bright meteor, penetrate the earth at the foot of the Cross. John and the holy women fell prostrate on the ground. The centurion Abenadar had kept his eyes steadfastly fixed on the disfigured countenance of our Lord, and was perfectly overwhelmed by all that had taken place. When our Lord pronounced his last words, before expiring, in a loud tone, the earth trembled, and the rock of Calvary burst asunder, forming a deep chasm between the Cross of our Lord and that of Gesmas. The voice of God, that solemn and terrible voice, had re-echoed through the whole universe; it had broken the solemn silence which then pervaded all nature. All was accomplished. The soul of our Lord had left his body : his last cry had filled every breast with terror. The convulsed earth had paid homage to its Creator : the sword of grief had pierced the hearts of those who loved him. This moment was the moment of grace for Abenadar; his horse trembled under him; his heart was touched; it was rent like the hard rock; he threw his lance to a distance, struck his breast, and cried out : " Blessed be the Most High God, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; indeed this Man was the Son of God !" His words convinced many among the soldiers, who followed his example, and were likewise converted.
Abenadar became from
this moment a new man; he adored the true God, and would no longer serve his enemies. He
gave both his horse and his lance to a subaltern of the name of Longinus, who, having
addressed a few words to the soldiers, mounted his horse, and took the command upon
himself. Abenadar then left Calvary, and went through the Valley of Gihon to the caves in
the Valley of Hinnom, where the disciples were hidden, announced the death of our Lord to
them, and then went to the town, in order to see Pilate. No sooner had Abenadar rendered
public testimony of his belief in the divinity of Jesus, than a large number of soldiers
followed his example, as did also some of the bystanders, and even a few Pharisees. Many
struck their breasts, wept, and returned home, while others rent their garments, and cast
dust on their heads, and all were filled with horror and fear. John arose; and some of the
holy women who were at a short distance came up to the Blessed Virgin, and led her away
from the foot of the Cross.
Chapter 46
I saw the soul of
Jesus, at the moment he expired, appear under the form of a bright orb, and accompanied by
angels, among whom I distinguished the angel Gabriel penetrate the earth at the foot of
the Cross. I likewise saw these angels cast a number of evil spirits into the great abyss,
and I heard Jesus order several of the souls in Limbo to re-enter the bodies in which they
once dwelt, in order that the sight might fill sinners with a salutary terror, and that
these souls might render a solemn testimony to his divinity.
The earthquake which
produced the deep chasm at Calvary did much damage in different parts of Palestine, but
its effects were even more fatal in Jerusalem. Its inhabitants were just beginning to be a
little reassured by the return of light, when their terror was reawakened with double
force by the shocks of the earthquake, and the terrible noise and confusion caused by the
downfall of houses and walls on all sides, which panic was still farther increased by the
sudden appearance of dead persons, confronting the trembling miscreants who were flying to
hide themselves, and addressing them in the most severe and reproachful language.
The High Priests had
recommenced the sacrifice of the Paschal lamb (which had been stopped by the unexpected
darkness), and they were triumphing at the return of light, when suddenly the ground
beneath them trembled, the neighbouring buildings fell down, and the veil of the Temple
was rent in two from the top to the bottom. Excess of terror at first rendered those on
the outside speechless, but after a time they burst forth into cries and lamentations. The
confusion in the interior of the Temple was not, however, as great as would naturally have
been expected, because the strictest order and decorum were always enforced there,
particularly with regard to the regulations to be followed by those who entered to make
their sacrifice, and those who left after having offered it. The crowd was great, but the
ceremonies were so solemnly carried out by the priests, that they totally engrossed the
minds of the assistants. First came the immolation of the lamb, then the sprinkling of its
blood, accompanied by the chanting of canticles and the sounding of trumpets. The priests
were endeavouring to continue the sacrifices, when suddenly an unexpected and most
appalling pause ensued; terror and astonishment were depicted on each countenance; all was
thrown into confusion; not a sound was heard; the sacrifices ceased; there was a general
rush to the gates of the Temple; every one endeavoured to fly as quickly as possible. And
well might they fly, well might they fear and tremble; for in the midst of the multitude
there suddenly appeared persons who had been dead and buried for many years! These persons
looked at them sternly, and reproved them most severely for the crime they had committed
that day, in bringing about the death of - the just man -, and calling down his
blood upon their heads. Even in the midst of this confusion, some attempts were, however,
made by the priests to preserve order; they prevented those who were in the inner part of
the Temple from rushing forward, pushing their way through the crowds who were in advance
of them, and descending the steps which led out of the Temple : they even continued the
sacrifices in some parts, and endeavoured to calm the fears of the people.
The appearance of the
Temple at this moment can only be described by comparing it to an ant-hill on which
persons have thrown stones, or which has been disturbed by a stick being driven into its
centre. The ants in those parts on which the stones have fallen, or which the stick has
disturbed, are filled with confusion and terror; they run to and fro and do nothing; while
the ants in those parts which have not been disturbed continue to labour quietly, and even
begin to repair the damaged parts.
The High Priest
Caiphas and his retinue did not lose their presence of mind, and by the outward
tranquillity which their diabolical hardness of heart enabled them to preserve, they
calmed the confusion in a great degree, and then did their utmost to prevent the people
from looking upon these stupendous events as testimonies of the innocence of Jesus. The
Roman garrison belonging to the fortress of Antonia likewise made great efforts to
maintain order; consequently, the disturbance of the festival was not followed by an
insurrection, although every heart was fixed with fear and anxiety, which anxiety the
Pharisees endeavoured (and in some instances with success) to calm.
I remember a few other
striking incidents: in the first place, the two columns which were placed at the entrance
of their Holy of Holies, and to which a magnificent curtain was appended, were shaken to
the very foundations; the column on the left side fell down in a southerly, and that on
the right side in a northerly direction, thus rending the veil in two from the top to the
bottom with a fearful sound, and exposing the Holy of Holies uncovered to the public gaze.
A large stone was loosened and fell from the wall at the entrance of the sanctuary, near
where the aged Simeon used to kneel, and the arch was broken. The ground was heaved up,
and many other columns were thrown down in other parts of the Temple.
An apparition of the
High Priest Zacharias, who was slain between the porch and the altar, was seen in the
sanctuary. He uttered fearful menaces, spoke of the death of the second Zacharias,* and of
that of St. John Baptist, as also of the violent deaths of the other prophets. The two
sons of the High Priest Simon, surnamed the Just (ancestors of the aged Simeon who
prophesied when Jesus was presented in the Temple), made their appearance in the part
usually occupied by the doctors of the law; they also spoke in terrific terms of the
deaths of the prophets, of the sacrifice of the old law which was now about to cease, and
they exhorted all present to be converted, and to embrace the doctrines which had been
preached by him whom they had crucified. The prophet Jeremiah likewise appeared; he stood
near the altar, and proclaimed, in a menacing tone, that the ancient sacrifice was at an
end, and that a new one had commenced. As these apparitions took place in parts where none
but priests were allowed to enter, Caiphas and a few others were alone cognisant of them,
and they endeavoured, as far as possible, either to deny their reality, or to conceal
them. These prodigies were followed by others still more extraordinary. The doors of the
sanctuary flew open of themselves, and a voice was heard to utter these words: " Let
us leave this place;" and I saw all the angels of the Lord instantly leave the
Temple. The thirty-two Pharisees who went to Calvary a short time before our Lord
expired were almost all converted at the foot of the Cross. They returned to the
Temple in the midst of the confusion, and were perfectly thunderstruck at all which had
taken place there. They spoke most sternly, both to Annas and to Caiphas, and left the
Temple. Annas had always been the most bitter of the enemies of Jesus, and had headed
every proceeding against him; but the supernatural events which had taken place had so
completely unnerved him that he knew not where to hide himself. Caiphas was, in reality,
excessively alarmed, and filled with anxiety, but his pride was so great that he concealed
his feelings as far as possible, and endeavonred to reassure Annas. He succeeded for a
time; but the sudden appearance of a person who had been dead many years marred the effect
of his words, and Annas became again a prey to the most fearful terror and remorse.
* The Zacharias here referred to was the father of
John the Baptist who was tortured and afterwards put to death by Herod, because he would
not betray John into the hands of the tyrant. He was buried by his friends within the
precincts of the Temple.
Whilst these things
were going on in the Temple, the confusion and panic were not less in Jerusalem. Dead
persons were walking about, and many walls and buildings had been shaken by the
earthquake, and parts of them fallen down. The superstition of Pilate rendered him even
more accessible to fear; he was perfectly paralysed and speechless with terror; his palace
was shaken to the very foundation, and the earth quaked beneath his feet. He ran wildly
from room to room, and the dead constantly stood before him, reproaching him with the
unjust sentence he had passed upon Jesus. He thought that they were the gods of the
Galilean, and took refuge in an inner room, where he offered incense, and made vows to his
idols to invoke their assistance in his distress. Herod was equally alarmed; but he shut
himself up in his palace, out of the sight of every one.
More than a hundred
persons who had died at different epochs re-entered the bodies they had occupied when on
earth, made their appearance in different parts of Jerusalem, and filled the inhabitants
with inexpressible consternation. Those souls which had been released by Jesus from
Limbo uncovered their faces and wandered to and fro in the streets, and although their
bodies were the same as those which they had animated when on earth, yet these bodies did
not appear to touch the ground as they walked. They entered the houses of their
descendants, proclaimed the innocence of Jesus, and reproved those who had taken part in
his death most severely. I saw them passing through the principal streets; they were
generally in couples, and appeared to me to glide through the air without moving their
feet. The countenances of some were pale; others of a yellow tint; their beards were
long, and their voices sounded strange and sepulchral. Their grave-clothes were such as it
was customary in use at the period of their decease. When they reached the place
where sentence of death was proclaimed on Jesus before the procession started for Calvary,
they paused for a moment, and exclaimed in a loud voice : " Glory be to Jesus for ever
and ever, and destruction to his enemies !" Towards four o'clock all the dead
returned to their graves. The sacrifices in the Temple had been so interrupted, and the
confusion caused by the different prodigies was so great, that very few persons ate the
Paschal lamb on that evening.
Chapter 47
Scarcely had the
commotion which the town had been thrown into begun to subside in a degree, when the Jews
belonging to the Council sent to Pilate to request that the legs of the criminals might be
broken, in order to put an end to their lives before the Sabbath day dawned. Pilate
immediately dispatched executioners to Calvary to carry out their wishes.
Chapter 48
Whilst these events were taking place in Jerusalem, silence reigned around Calvary. The
crowd which had been for a time so noisy and tumultuous was dispersed; all were
panic-stricken; in scene that panic had produced sincere repentance, but on others it had
had no beneficial effects. Mary, John, Magdalen, Mary of Cleophas, and Salome had
remained, either standing or sitting before the Cross, closely veiled and weeping
silently. A few soldiers were leaning over the terrace which enclosed the platform;
Cassius rode up and down; the sky was lowering, and all nature wore a garb of mourning.
Six archers soon after made their appearance, bringing with them ladders, spades, ropes,
and large iron staves for the purpose of breaking the legs of the criminals, in order to
hasten their deaths. When they approached our Lord's Cross, his friends retired a few
paces back, and the Blessed Virgin was seized with fear lest they should indulge their
hatred of Jesus by insulting even his dead body. Her fears were not quite unfounded, for
when they first placed their ladders against the Cross they declared that he was only
pretending to be dead; in a few moments, however, seeing that he was cold and stiff, they
left him, and removed their ladders to the crosses on which the two thieves were still
hanging alive. They took up their iron staves and broke the arms of the thieves above and
below the elbow; while another archer at the same moment broke their legs, both above and
below the knee. Gesmas uttered frightful cries, therefore the executioner finished him off
by three heavy blows of a cudgel on his chest. Dismas gave a deep groan, and expired: he
was the first among mortals who had the happiness of rejoining his Redeemer. The cords
were then loosened, the two bodies fell to the ground, and the executioners dragged them
to a deep morass, which was between Calvary and the walls of the town, and buried them
there.
The archers still
appeared doubtful whether Jesus was really dead, and the brutality they had shown in
breaking the legs of the thieves made the holy women tremble as to what outrage
they might next perpetrate on the body of our Lord. But Cassius, the subaltern officer, a
young man of about five-and-twenty, whose weak squinting eyes and nervous manner had often
excited the derision of his companions, was suddenly illuminated by grace, and being quite
overcome at the sight of the cruel conduct of the soldiers, and the deep sorrow of the
holy women, determined to relieve their anxiety by proving beyond dispute that Jesus was
really dead. The kindness of his heart prompted him, but unconsciously to himself he
fulfilled a prophecy. He seized his lance and rode quickly up to the mound on which the
Cross was planted, stopped just between the cross of the good thief and that of our Lord,
and taking his lance in both hands, thrust it so completely into the right side of Jesus
that the point went through the heart, and appeared on the left side. When Cassius drew
his lance out of the wound a quantity of blood and water rushed from it, and flowed over
his face and body. This species of washing produced effects somewhat similar to the
vivifying waters of Baptism: grace and salvation at once entered his soul. He leaped from
his horse, threw himself upon his knees, struck his breast, and confessed loudly before
all his firm belief in the divinity of Jesus.
The Blessed Virgin and
her companions were still standing near, with their eyes fixed upon the Cross, but when
Cassius thrust his lance into the side of Jesus they were much startled, and rushed with
one accord up to it. Mary looked as if the lance had transfixed her heart instead of that
of her Divine Son, and could scarcely support herself. Cassius meantime remained kneeling
and thanking God, not only for the graces he had received but likewise for the cure of the
complaint in his eyes, which had caused the weakness and the squint. This cure had been
effected at the same moment that the darkness with which his soul was previously filled
was removed. Every heart was overcome at the sight of the blood of our Lord, which ran
into a hollow in the rock at the foot of the Cross. Mary, John, the holy women, and
Cassius, gathered up the blood and water in flasks, and wiped up the remainder with pieces
of linen.*
Cassius, whose sight
was perfectly restored at the same moment that the eyes of his soul were opened, was
deeply moved, and continued his humble prayer of thanksgiving. The soldiers were struck
with astonishment at the miracle which had taken place, and cast themselves on their knees
by his side, at the same time striking their breasts and confessing to Jesus. The water
and blood continued to flow from the large wound in the side of our Lord; it ran into the
hollow in the rock, and the holy women put it in vases, while Mary and Magdalen mingled
their tears. The archers, who had received a message from Pilate, ordering them not to
touch the body of Jesus, did not return at all.
All these events took
place near the Cross, at a little before four o'clock, during the time that Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus were gathering together the articles necessary for the burial of
Jesus. But the servants of Joseph having been sent to clean out the tomb, informed the
friends of our Lord that their master intended to take the body of Jesus and place it in
his new sepulchre. John immediately returned to
the town with the holy women; in the first place, that Mary might recruit her strength a
little, and in the second, to purchase a few things which would be required for the
burial. The Blessed Virgin had a small lodging among the buildings near the Cenaculum.
They did not re-enter the town through the gate which was the nearest to Calvary, because
it was closed, and guarded by soldiers placed there by the Pharisees; but they went
through that gate which leads to Bethlehem.
*Sister Emmerich added: " Cassius was baptised by the name of Longinus; and was ordained
deacon, and preached the faith. He always kept some
of the blood of Christ, it dried up, but was found in his coffin in Italy. He was
buried in a town at no great distance from the locality where St. Clare passed her life.
There is a lake with an island upon it near this town, and the body of Longinus must have
been taken there. " Sister Emmerich appears to designate Mantua by this description,
and there is a tradition preserved in that town to the same effect. I do not know which
St. Clare lived in the neighbourhood.
Chapter 49
This chapter will
contain some descriptions of places given by Sister Emmerich on various occasions. They
will be followed by a description of the tomb and garden of Joseph of Arimathea, that so
we may have no need to interrupt the account of the burial of our Lord.
The first gate which stood
on the eastern side of Jerusalem, to the south of the south-east angle of the Temple, was
the one leading to the suburb of Ophel. The gate of the sheep was to the north of the
north-east angle of the Temple. Between these two gates there was a third, leading to some
streets situated to the east of the Temple, and inhabited for the most part by stonemasons
and other workmen. The houses in these streets were supported by the foundations of the
Temple; and almost all belonged to Nicodemus, who had caused them to be built, and who
employed nearly all the workmen living there. Nicodemus had not long before built a
beautiful gate as an entrance to these streets, called the Gate of Moriah. It was but just
finished, and through it Jesus had entered the town on Palm Sunday. Thus he entered by the
new gate of Nicodemus. through which no one had yet passed, and was buried in the new
monument of Joseph of Arimathea, in which no one had yet been laid. This gate was
afterwards walled up, and there was a tradition that the Christians were once again to
enter the town through it. Even in the present day, a walled-up gate, called by the Turks
the Golden Gate, stands on this spot.
The road leading to
the west from the gate of the sheep passed almost exactly between the north-western side
of Mount Sion and Calvary. From this gate to Golgotha the distance was about two miles and
a quarter; and from Pilate's palace to Golgotha about two miles. The fortress Antonia
was situated to the north-west of the mountain of the Temple, on a detached rock. A person
going towards the west, on leaving Pilate's palace, would have had this fortress to
his left. On one of its walls there was a platform commanding the forum, and from which
Pilate was accustomed to make proclamations to the people: he did this, for instance, when
he promulgated new laws. When our Divine Lord was carrying his Cross, in the interior of
the town, Mount Calvary was frequently on his right hand. This road, which partly ran in a
south-westerly direction, led to a gate made in an inner wall of the town, towards Sion.
Beyond this wall, to the left, there was a sort of suburb, containing more gardens than
houses; and towards the outer wall of the city stood some magnificent sepulchres with
stone entrances. On this side was a house belonging to Lazarus, with beautiful gardens,
extending towards that part where the outer western wall of Jerusalem turned to the south.
I believe that a little private door, made in the city wall, and through which Jesus and
his disciples often passed by permission of Lazarus, led to these gardens. The gate
standing at the north-western angle of the town led to Bethsur, which was situated more
towards the north than Emmaus and Joppa. The western part of Jerusalem was lower than any
other: the land on which it was built first sloped in the direction of the surrounding
wall, and then rose again when close to it; and on this declivity there stood gardens and
vineyards, behind which wound a wide road, with paths leading to the walls and towers. On
the other side, without the wall, the land descended towards the valley, so that the walls
surrounding the lower part of the town looked as if built on a raised terrace. There are
gardens and vineyards even in the present day on the outer hill. When Jesus arrived at the
end of the Way of the Cross, he had on his left hand that part of the town where there
were so many gardens; and it was from thence that Simon of Cyrene was coming when he met
the procession. The gate by which Jesus left the town was not entirely facing the west,
but rather the south-west. The city wall on the left-hand side, after passing through the
gate, ran somewhat in a southerly direction, then turned towards the west, and then again
to the south, round Mount Sion. On this side there stood a large tower, like a fortress.
The gate by which Jesus left the town was at no great distance from another gate more
towards the south, leading down to the valley, and where a road, turning to the left in
the direction of Bethlehem, commenced. The road turned to the north towards Mount Calvary
shortly after that gate by which Jesus left Jerusalem when bearing his Cross. Mount
Calvary was very steep on its eastern side, facing the town, and a gradual descent on the
western; and on this side, from which the road to Emmaus was to be seen, there was a
field, in which I saw Luke gather several plants when he and Cleophas were going to
Emmaus, and met Jesus on the way. Near the walls, to the east and south of Calvary, there
were also gardens, sepulchres, and vineyards. The Cross was buried on the northeast side,
at the foot of Mount Calvary.
The garden of Joseph
of Arimathea* was situated near the gate of Bethlehem, at about a seven minutes' walk
from Calvary: it was a very fine garden, with tall trees, banks, and thickets in it, which
gave much shade, and was situated on a rising ground extending to the walls of the city. A
person coming from the northern side of the valley, and entering the garden, had on his
left hand a slight ascent extending as far as the city wall; and on his right, at the end
of the garden, a detached rock, where the cave of the sepulchre was situated. The grotto
in which it was made looked to the east; and on the south-western and north-western sides
of the same rock were two other smaller sepulchres, which were also new, and with
depressed fronts. A pathway, beginning on the western side of this rock, ran all round it.
The ground in front of the sepulchre was higher than that of the entrance, and a person
wishing to enter the cavern had to descend several steps. The cave was sufficiently large
for four men to be able to stand close up to the wall on either side without impeding the
movements of the bearers of the body. Opposite the door was a cavity in the rock, in which
the tomb was made; it was about two feet above the level of the ground, and fastened to
the rock by one side only, like an altar: two persons could stand, one at the head and one
at the foot; and there was a place also for a third in front, even if the door of the
cavity was closed. This door was made of some metal, perhaps of brass, and had two folding
doors. These doors could be closed by a stone being rolled against them; and the stone
used for this purpose was kept outside the cavern. Immediately after our Lord was placed
in the sepulchre it was rolled in front of the door. It was very large, and could not be
removed without the united efforts of several men. Opposite the entrance of the cavern
there stood a stone bench, and by mounting on this a person could climb on to the rock,
which was covered with grass, and from whence the city walls, the highest parts of Mount
Sion, and some towers could be seen, as well as the gate of Bethlehem and the fountain of
Gihon. The rock inside was of a white colour, intersected with red and blue veins.
* We must here
remark that, in the four years during which Sister Emmerich had her visions, she described
everything that had happened to the holy places from the earliest times down to our own.
More than once she beheld them profaned and laid waste, but always venerated, eithes
publicly or privately. She saw many stones and pieces of rock, which had been silent
witnesses of the Passion and Resurrection of our Lord, placed by St. Helena in the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre upon occasion of the foundation of that sacred building. When Sister
Emmerich visited it in spirit she was accustomed to venerate the spots where the Cross had
stood and the Holy Sepulchre been situated. It must be observed, however, that she used
sometimes to see a greater distance between the actual position of the Tomb and the spot
where the Cross stood than there is between the chapels which bear their names in
the church at Jerusalem.
The Earthquake - Apparitions of the Dead in Jerusalem
The Request of Joseph of Arimathea to be allowed to have the Body of Jesus
The Opening of the Side of Jesus - Death of the Two Thieves
A Description of Some Parts of Ancient Jerusalem