Vision of St. Peter (St. Peter’s Apocalypse)

And my Lord Jesus Christ our king said to me, “Let us go to the holy mountain.” And his disciples went with him praying. There were two men there, and we could not look on their faces, for a light came from them shining greater than the sun, and their garments were also shining and cannot be described, and nothing in this world can be compared to them. No mouth can utter the sweetness or the beauty of their appearance, for it was astonishing and wonderful and shines greater than crystal. Like the flower of roses is their color. And upon their shoulders and on their foreheads were crowns of fragrant herbs woven of fair flowers. Like rainbows in water was their hair. And so was the beauty of their countenance adorned with all manner of ornament.

When we saw them, all of a sudden we marvelled. I drew near to the Lord Jesus Christ and said to him, “O my Lord, who are these?” And he said to me, “They are Moses and Elias.” And I said to him, “Where then are Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the rest of the righteous fathers?” And he showed us a great garden, open, full of fair trees and blessed fruits, and of the odor of perfumes. The fragrance of it was pleasant and came upon us. And I saw much fruit from this tree. And my Lordand God Jesus Christ said to me, “Have you seen the companies of the fathers? As is their rest, such also is the honor and the glory of those who are persecuted for the sake of my righteousness.”

Eileen Gardiner, Visions of Heaven & Hell Before Dante (New York: Ithica Press, 1989) p. 11.