JOB - PAGE 17

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Vision of Christ
Butts Set of Illustrations for the Book of Job
Page 17

This is the Legend on the engraving which Blake later made of this image:

. . . he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up (I Samuel 2:6)

. . . we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (I John 3:2)

When I consider thy heaven, the work of the finger, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Psalm 8:3-4)

I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee (Job 42:5)

. . . he that hath seen me hath seen the Father (John 14:9)

I and my Father are one (John 10:30)

If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him (John 14:7)

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me (John 14:11)

. . . he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father (John 14:21)

. . . for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17)

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you (John 14:20)
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father (John 14:28)

. . . he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him (John 14:21)

. . . and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him (John 14: 23)

And . . . the Father . . . shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever (John 14:16)

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive (John 14:17)

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I Samuel 2
[6] The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.
[7] The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.
[8] He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he hath set the world upon them.
[9] He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

I John 3
[1] Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Psalms 3
[2] Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
[3] When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
[4] What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
[5] For thou hast made him
 a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Job 42
[1] Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
[2] I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
[3] Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
[4] Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
[5] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee

John 10
[28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
[29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
[30] I and my Father are one.

John 14
[7] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
[8] Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
[9] Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake..

John 14
[16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
[17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
[19] Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
[20] At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
[21] He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
[22] Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
[23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

John 14
[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
[27] Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
[28] Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

Image by image we have seen in Blake's Illustrations for the Book of Job a man undertaking a spiritual journey. Job saw a reversal in his physical circumstances in the beginning of the narrative. His journey reached a low point with his vision of a false conception of God who bore a greater resemblance to the devil than to a true God. Realizing that his image of God must be replaced he was open to starting afresh with an image which came to him from a source beyond his own creating. The glory of a God not made with human hands led him to see that he need not fear the demons which he projected onto the world. Having been released from fear he became able to annihilate the impediment to his growth. He had been freed to receive the God of love who would guide him as he continued to develop. Little by little we have seen Job emerging by stages from his dark dream.

Page 16 shows the last of the pictures in which Job is clothed only in sackcloth. When Satan was allowed to test Job, sackcloth over his loins became his sole garment. Job had been placed outside of respectable society and became unacceptable and abased. The words of Isaiah 53 may be applied to Job as they were to Jesus as the Suffering Servant: "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."

Blake primarily used words from the Gospel of John to explain what he wanted to represent in his illustration on Page 17. Blake saw that Job's ordeal of reexamining all the assumptions on which he had based his worldview had resulted in a death and rebirth. Job's world and Job's God had changed because Job had changed. Blake saw the change as analogous to the change that Christ brought by introducing man to seeing God acting as a loving Father, hearing the word spoken directly to the individual and understanding that God lived in man not in a distant heaven.  

As can be seen in the previous illustration on Page 16, the falling triple image of Satan covered his eyes, ears and brain. When Satan fell he took with him the inability to see, hear and understand. In fact blindness, deafness and confused thought were all that there was to the illusion which was Satan. When Job regained the ability to use his eyes, ears and brain he was out of the grip of Satan and available to see, hear and understand God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Everlasting Gospel, section [a] found in Blake's Notebook, (E 875)
"There is not one Moral Virtue that Jesus Inculcated but Plato &
Cicero did Inculcate before him [.] what then did Christ Inculcate. 
Forgiveness of Sins This alone is the Gospel & this is the Life &
Immortality brought to light by Jesus.  Even the Covenant of
Jehovah, which is This If you forgive one another your Trespasses
so shall Jehovah forgive you That he himself may dwell among you
but if you Avenge you Murder the Divine Image & he cannot dwell
among you because you Murder him [.] he arises
Again & you deny that he is Arisen & are blind to Spirit"