I WROTE the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus did and taught 

until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Self-existent , the Holy Spirit [the Emissary of the Self-existent] to those whom He had chosen as ambassadors. 

After His painful death, He presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

On one occasion, while He was with them, He commanded them not to leave the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem - but to wait for that which the Father promised. This, He said, is what you heard from Me:

John performs sacred washing with water but sacred washing will be performed on you with holy spirit [the breath of the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit] any moment from now.

Because of this promise , when they had come together, they asked Him, “Sovereign Master, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel now?”

He said to them, You do not have to know the time or period, in that the Father has put that under His exclusive list. 

But you will receive power [the Self-existent, the Holy Spirit’s breath] when the Holy Spirit [the Glory of the Self-existent] comes over to you and you will be My witnesses in the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem - in all the region of Judah, in Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

After He had said this, as they were watching, a Cloud [the non-human form of appearance of the Holy Spirit in the daytime] carried Him up, and He vanished from their view. 

While He was going, they gazed into the sky. Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood by them. 

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem - from the mount called the Mount of Olives, which is a weekly sacred day’s journey to the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem. 

When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James, were.

All these, along with the women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus and Jesus’ brothers, were united, praying and interceding constantly.

In one of those days, Peter stood up among the disciples — the number of people who were together was about one hundred and twenty — and said: 

“Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit, the Emissary of the Self-existent, through the mouth of David, spoke in advance about Judas son of Simon Iscariot who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 

He was one of us — he took part in this ministry.

Now, this man acquired a field with what he was paid for the wrong deed, inside which he fell headfirst and burst open in the middle, and all his insides spilled out. 

It became known to all residents of the habitation of prosperity - Jerusalem - so that in their native tongue, that field is called Akeldama (that is, Field of Blood). 

This is because it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling become desolate – let no one live in it – and let someone else take his position.’

Therefore, from among these men who have accompanied us during all the period that the Self-existent [the Son of man], Jesus, went in and out among us —

beginning from John’s sacred washing until the day He was taken up from us — it is necessary that one becomes a testifier with us of His resurrection.”

They proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 

Then they prayed, “You, the Self-existent, know the hearts of all; show which of these two You have chosen

to be part of this ambassadorial work that Judas son of Simon Iscariot left, to go to the place he has chosen.” 

Then they cast lots for them and the lot fell to Matthias. So, he was numbered with the eleven commissioned ones.