The First Book of Adam and Eve 3

1GOD said to Adam, "I have ordained on this earth days and years, and thou and thy seed shall dwell and walk in it, until the days and years are fulfilled; when I shall send the [paragraph continues] Word that created thee, and against which thou hast transgressed, the Word that made thee come out of the garden and that raised thee when thou wast fallen.

2Yea, the Word that will again save thee when the five days and a half are fulfilled."

3But when Adam heard these words from God, and of the great five days and a half, he did not understand the meaning of them.

4For Adam was thinking that there would be but five days and a half for him, to the end of the world.

5And Adam wept, and prayed God to explain it to him.

6Then God in His mercy for Adam who was made after His own image and similitude, explained to him, that these were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then come and save him and his seed.

7But God had before that made this covenant with our father, Adam, in the same terms, ere he came out of the garden, when he was by the tree whereof Eve took the fruit and gave it him to eat.

8Inasmuch as when our father Adam came out of the garden, he passed by that tree, and saw how God had then changed the appearance of it into another form, and how it withered.

9And as Adam went to it he feared, trembled and fell down; but God in His mercy lifted him up, and then made this covenant with him.

10And, again, when Adam was by the gate of the garden, and saw the cherub with a sword of flashing fire in his hand, and the cherub grew angry and frowned at him, both Adam and Eve became afraid of him, and thought he meant to put them to death. So they fell on their faces, and trembled with fear.

11But he had pity on them, and showed them mercy; and turning from them went up to heaven, and prayed unto the Lord, and said:--

12"Lord, Thou didst send me to watch at the gate of the garden, with a sword of fire.

13"But when Thy servants, Adam and Eve, saw me, they fell on their faces, and were as dead. O my Lord, what shall we do to Thy servants?"

14Then God had pity on them, and showed them mercy, and sent His Angel to keep the garden.

15And the Word of the Lord came unto Adam and Eve, and raised them up.

16And the Lord said to Adam, "I told thee that at the end of five days and a half, I will send my Word and save thee.

17"Strengthen thy heart, therefore, and abide in the Cave of Treasures, of which I have before spoken to thee."

18And when Adam heard this Word from God, he was comforted with that which God had told him. For He had told him how He would save him.