Job Picture 16

Picture 16 is not about Job per-se, but celebrates a statement made by Jesus in Luke 10:18, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (incidentally leading to Paradise Lost in a nutshell). In the legends he continued with a proliferation of Bible verses, some in Job and then moving on to the New Testament.

"Hell is naked before him and Destruction has nocovering" (Job 26:6). It has the usual three layered Universe and on the left border Blake wrote, "Canst thou by searching find out God -- canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection" (Job 11:7) and below that "the Accuser of our Brethen is Cast down".


And on the right border: "It is higher than Heaven what canst thou do" "it is deeper than Hell what canst thou know" (Job 11:8) "the Prince of this world shall be cast out" (John 12:31)

Below the picture he wrote:
"Thou hast fulfilled the Judgment of the Wicked" (Job 36:17) and "even the Devils are Subject to Us through thy Name" (Luke 10:17) and I saw Satan" etc.

Then "God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the things that are mighty"
(I Corinthians 1:27)

Blow this picture up with ctrl + several times and look carefully at the figure of God--with several babies? (cherubs?) around him. (You may find a child about to be born to your favorite mother.) Now compare this picture with Picture 2. The difference indicates a change in Job's evaluation of God (reflecting a more personal change in Blake's attitude toward the O.T. God.)

Let your imagination run wild (Like Blake's?) and you may see the new children God had prepared for Job.