The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 157 -
The progression of the soul forms of the two deceased women.
1
(Mathael:) "For about half an hour the position remained the same; but afterwards the situation started to change considerably. The reason for it was a quite naturally looking swarm of magpies flying by; there probably might have been one-hundred or so. They started to disturb both balloons to an considerable extend. The many creatures began to amalgamate and soon in both balloons only two gigantic, grey-white eagles could be seen, who snapped quite aggressively at the magpies pecking at them. Woe one of them which was caught; it immediately disappeared from its balloon-teasing existence! This story did not took too long, - and all the magpies were consumed!
2
When I faithfully told this my father, he said: 'Yes, it certainly looks like if this were the souls of both the dead!? Look at the scene more carefully and tell me, whatever you see; since truly, such strange death scene you have never told me before!'
3
Said I: 'Father, what I see I immediately convey to you! - The balloons are just becoming smaller and the gigantic eagles are changing into - bluntly said - two cows but without horns and I see a perfect human at the scaffolding of the roof climbing up and down, holding in each hand a bundle of hay; he certainly does not intend to feed the cows with it? Right! Both cows have floated downwards so that they quite easily reach the hay with their tongues; and now they quite casually consume the hay!'
4
In such a way I told father immediately what I saw. After consuming the hay the person on the gable of the roof disappeared; but soon their came another who did not have the slightest resemblance with the first one, carrying two buckets of water and gave the water to the cows to drink, and both cows drank the water to the last drop.
5
After this appearance also the second person disappeared with the buckets; but soon afterwards the cows started to rotate with great speed in a circle. The former misty balloons became completely invisible and because of the quick rotation I could not make out the form of both beings anymore. However, during this rotation the beings became increasingly brighter and finally reached the illumination of a setting moon.
6
Soon the rotation stopped and in place of the former cows floated two somewhat meagre looking human figures. Since their backs were turned to us, I could not make out the gender; but judging from the height it were most likely two female figures.
7
After a while of a quarter of an hour I again saw a human being climbing onto the gable of the roof with two bundles and handed each of the two figures a bundle. The bundle bearer immediately disappeared again and both figures quickly untied the bundles, took from it a light-grey pleated dress and in one moment covered their bodies with it; only now I recognized with certainty that the two figures were in fact those of the strange widow and her deaf-mute daughter. They looked quite starved but nevertheless it was undoubtedly them!
8
When they were standing as perfect female figures at the roof gable in front of my view, the two male figures in light green coats reappeared on the roof again and waved to the two to follow them, what the two also did without the slightest refusal.
9
They travelled towards midday. Soon they disappeared completely from my view; thereupon I heard the clear words: 'To God the Lord alone all thanks and all praise and all honour for saving these two poor beings!'
10
Who had spoken those words, I don't know; but I heard them very clearly! They could not have come from those two male figures, since they were already long gone. Somebody somewhere behind me must have spoken these words. But how, is an entirely different issue!
11
Whoever had spoken them, it has very little to do with the whole story; but that the words were good and contained a lot of meaning, is certain! Since both beings have all in all lived good and virtuous, were very charitable towards the poor and on top of that also very God-fearing, why it is difficult to understand, why the voice has especially for the rescue of this widow and her deaf-mute daughter given thanks, praise and honour to God. This voice therefore must have known more, what my mind was able to comprehend.
12
You, o Lord, does know anyhow, what will remain to us a riddle regarding this death case! I therefore does not want to ask any particular questions about the whole matter, since the whole story from alpha to omega is a question; therefore, o Lord, rather explain everything since I don't know where to begin to ask! Already the illness was on its own quite puzzling, not to mention the appearances during and after their death! The rising of the apparently soul-like blueish steam above the whole house, the animals therein, finally the separation of the one large balloon into two smaller ones, the teasing magpies, the gigantic eagles, the transformation of them into cows without horns, etcetera, - in short, everything is a fable, which cannot believed by anybody if told by someone in a light-hearted manner! If therefore You, o Lord, could most mercifully make this story a little more transparent to us; since up to now between it and me is hanging more then the threefold blanket of Moses!"