a promise of the water of life. the third prophecy of the coming of christ.

1 then came the word of god to adam, and said to him:—

2 "o adam, as to what you said, 'bring me into a land where there is rest,' it is not another land than this, but it is the kingdom of heaven where alone there is rest.

3 but you can not make your entrance into it at present; but only after your judgment is past and fulfilled.

4 then will i make you go up into the kingdom of heaven, you and your righteous descendants; and i will give you and them the rest you ask for at present.

5 and if you said, 'give me of the water of life that i may drink and live'—it cannot be this day, but on the day that i shall descend into hell, and break the gates of brass, and bruise in pieces the kingdoms of iron.

6 then will i in mercy save your soul and the souls of the righteous, to give them rest in my garden. and that shall be when the end of the world is come.

7 and, again, in regards to the water of life you seek, it will not be granted you this day; but on the day that i shall shed my blood on your head* in the land of golgotha**.

8 for my blood shall be the water of life to you at that time, and not to just you alone, but to all your descendants who shall believe in me***; that it be to them for rest forever."

9 the lord said again to adam, "o adam, when you were in the garden, these trials did not come to you.

10 but since you transgressed my commandment, all these sufferings have come over you.

11 now, also, does your flesh require food and drink; drink then of that water that flows by you on the face of the earth.

12 then god withdrew his word from adam.

13 and adam and eve worshipped the lord, and returned from the river of water to the cave. it was noon-day; and when they drew near to the cave, they saw a large fire by it.

* this phrase indicates that the bleeding will take place in an elevated position above the populace. this is believed to be a reference to the cross whereby christ bled profusely above the people below.

** golgotha (goal-goth-uh) was the hill outside the walls of jerusalem where jesus was crucified. its exact location is not precisely known, but the church of the holy sepulcher is believed to have been constructed on this hill.

*** reference: john 6:25 and 7:38