The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
From the Lord's years of youth
- Chapter 218 -
The spirits explain about the world in the beyond.
After that, the counselor asked the spirits who appeared to him if they were real or maybe an illusion of his perhaps bewitched senses.
2
The spirits said: 'We are truth and if you cannot see that and do not want to understand, you are only fooling yourself.'
3
The counselor said: 'Then why can I only see you now and why not also during other times? Why did you not make yourselves visible to me when I desired even fervently so many times to see you?
4
The spirits said: 'You also could see and speak to us more often if your soul were not blinded by the love of pleasure of the material world.
5
The simple first men of this Earth could do that, but when the following descendants sunk still further down into the materialism of the world, they also lost the ability to see the separated souls and to deal with them. Because of that, the darkness of doubt came over them, in which they also lost the belief in a continuance of life after the death of the body and were anxiously wondering among themselves if after the death of the body the soul would continue to live.
6
And look, this condition full of doubt of the very sensual human beings is a true punishment for their moral perversion, and so it is good. Because without this bitter punishment men would still sink further down into the judgment of matter. And so, the fright of the death of the body are keeping them from it, because they do not know and realize what will happen with them after the death of the body.
7
In the world during our life in the body we all have gone through this same punishment and we were full of doubt about all kinds of things. Only the real separation of our body has convinced us that after the falling away of the flesh, one continues to live. And during this continuance of life, only those are doing well who were righteous and performed good deeds, but slanderers and those who were not righteous, hard and completely loveless, are in a bad situation, even a 1.000 times worse than those who are languishing here in the dungeons.
8
It is true that you are a righteous man, but you are still hard and relentless. When you will come to this world with those qualities, you also will find this strong and relentless justice. But no love and compassion, because not any soul will find anything else here than what he has brought with him in his mind, for one stands on his very own ground here. Do understand this and take it into account, so that you may pass over to us well prepared, because now you have a better opportunity than we ever had.
9
Then the counselor said: 'Now I believe that you are real and not an illusion. But just tell me who that young Jewish Man is who performs such wonderful works before our eyes.'
10
The spirits said: 'He is the One who He is, who He was and who He always will be. We may not say more about Him, because His will is commanding us. However, He is with you, you can ask Him yourself.'
11
After this, the counselor turned especially to Julius Caesar and asked him: 'On Earth you were a very intelligent and mighty hero. All and everybody had to comply with your commands. But how do you live now in the world of the spirits?'
12
The spirit (Julius Caesar) said: 'Already in the world I had to reap a terrible reward for the things I did for the sake of my glory. That is why I did not bring much good within me to this place and that is why my reward was great poverty and my worldly glory was here like a dark night in which I only was able to see here and there a couple of stars flickering through the thick black clouds.
13
I was alone for a long time without any company, and I had nobody else except myself. No matter how I shouted, cried, walked around and searched, it was all of no use. I called upon all the gods, but there was no answer. After a long, sad, desperate time in my terrible situation, I came to the idea to turn to the God of the Jews. Then it became lighter around me, and those couple of stars became also lighter, and it seemed as if they were coming closer. When I noticed that, I put my full trust in the God of the Jews and asked Him fervently to help me out of my great need and misery.
14
Then there was still more light around me, and a star came down, close to me. And soon I discovered that the star took a human form and this man was someone for who in the world I once performed a real good deed. He said to me: 'Hail you, that during your night you have found the true God of the Jews. Banish your false gods and banish also your own greatest idol, your Caesar glory. Become entirely humble, then I will take you to my house.
15
Then I turned to the God of the Jews again and asked Him to take away my glory and false idols. After that, also the other stars came as human beings towards me and said: 'Also we have been on the Earth just like you, but we were poor Jews who were persecuted by your priests, but you have protected us, gave us presents and helped us to return to our country again. Now you are poor, and of all earthly treasures you have nothing except that which you have done for us, and therefore, because God allowed us, we came to you to reward you the good that you have done for us. If you want to come with us without any glory, then you will find shelter with us.'
16
Then I went and came at once in a wonderful lovely environment. It seemed like a broad valley with a big beautiful lake. The valley was very extended and surrounded with high mountains, which were beautiful to see. Before me stood a couple of houses, just like so many of them that are well known on this world that are called fishermen's huts. Farther away I still saw more of those huts. The fields were luxuriously green. There were only few trees but they were full of the most beautiful fruits.
17
At my arrival I found in the hut - located at the right side - shelter with a friend who in my greatest need was the first to come to me, and there I also found immediately something to eat and to drink. Everything was extremely simple but still it gave me much more pleasure than my great treasures and palaces in the world had ever given me.
18
When I felt so happy in the hut and had also strengthened myself sufficiently, my friend took me outside again where we discovered a boat on the clear surface of the water of the lake. There was someone in it and with his hand on the rudder he came in our direction. I asked my friend who that skipper might be. And he said: 'He comes now and then to us over this lake of which we do not know how long it is, and he always makes known to us in a very friendly way what we have to do next. After that, we have to go to work again. We take up the work again that is advised to us. We work with full dedication and with pleasure and delight, and our effort is blessed every time by the God of the Jews. When we came to this environment, just like you now, it still looked barren and deserted. Only by our diligence and zeal it turned into such a flourishing state. Also you will from now on want to work with us and thereby also receive the blessing that we have received.