The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 170 -
The key to understanding the Song of Solomon.
Says I: "Friend, you are getting a little too far with your jokes, and I also want to say to you, what once a famous painter has said to his shoemaker! But with you, up to now, it cannot be otherwise; since according to Salomon everything has its time on this earth. But now gather yourself properly and with a lot of good will, and the High Song of Salomon will be made more clear to you, and how it completely corresponds with My short admonishing words on the mountain.
2
Salomon in his High Song has done nothing else than describing prophetically My current being to the people under all kinds of metaphors which are full of correspondence, from deed to deed, from position to position and from effect to effect. I am his only object; the 'he' and the 'you' and the 'him' are all referring to Me. But who speaks out of Salomon with Me, is his singular spirit, and in plural all the spirits of the people under the king- and rule spirit of Salomon, who so to speak are presented as morally one person.
3
Where it says: 'He kisses me with the kiss of his mouth', it means the following: The Lord speaks out of His truly own mouth to me, Salomon, and through me to the nation of Israel and through it to all the nations on earth; the Lord does not speak pure words of wisdom anymore, but words of love, of life to me! Since a word of love is a true kiss of the mouth of God to the hearts of people; and therefore Salomon says: 'He, (the Lord) kisses me with the kiss of His mouth!'
4
Now the after sentence fits quite well to it, where it says: 'Since your love is lovelier than wine', or: Your love is more useful to me and all the people than wisdom. Since 'wine' always refers to wisdom and truth.
5
When Salomon in the first imploring sentence asks for the word of love, and sighs to Me in the third person, he indicates that by pure wisdom he is still far away from Me; by the second person in the after sentence, where the reason of the request in the first sentence is expressed, Salomon indicates the already greater approach towards God by the way of love rather then along the way of pure wisdom. The kiss of love, however, for which Salomon has asked in his High Song, you all receive from Me right now, and as such, My dear Simon, the first verse of the High Song will be a little clearer to you than it was before!"
6
Says Simon: "O Lord, now of course the second is also already clear to me, and I dare to explain it to me!"
7
Says I: "Do this and we will see how you have comprehended the second verse out of the light of the first one!"
8
Says Simon: "This apparently means the following: Lord, if You kisses me with the kiss of Your mouth, if Your word becomes love, thus a true ointment of life, this ointment, this Your divine word of love, will become comprehensible to all mankind. Since quite often in normal speech one uses 'smell' instead of 'understand'. Often ons says: 'Do you smell where this will end? or: 'He already smelt the roast or the ointment!'
9
Now You, o Lord, are with us as in the first request by Salomon in the first verse! We have Your name, Your holy word of love, which is more precious than the pure wisdom of Salomon! We now have the spilled ointment before us, Your name, Your love, Your holy word of life, everything comprehensible before us.
10
Now, the maiden who love You for this, are apparently also we, seen from the point of view of our limited insight and understanding! Since a maiden is a delightful being, is not completely without insight and mind, but at least generally seen there cannot be any comparison to a great manly wisdom. Therefore we are clearly the maiden, who love You, o Lord, above all, since Your word of love is comprehensible to us, for therefore a spilled ointment, in which delightful smell we wonderfully enjoying ourselves. - Tell me, o Lord, if I according to the first verse have interpreted the second correctly!"
11
Says I: "Completely right and fundamentally truthful! With the quite incomprehensible seeming High Song it is the case, that it can be understood very easily if someone only has comprehended the first verse along the way of correspondence. Since you have interpreted the second verse absolutely right, try the third verse; perhaps you also will hit the nail on the head!"
12
Says Simon: "O Lord, now I dare to take on the whole High Song! But the third verse is as clearly revealed before me, as this marvellous morning!
13
'Draw, o Lord, me behind You, and we will walk!' Who can otherwise move spiritually, as only love can?! And the result is, that those, who are with and by love are learned and drawn, understand and comprehend in one moment more, thereby truly walking in growth of recognition, than by dry and cold wisdom in many years. The simple person in the first sentence is thus only morally one and appears in the after sentence as divided manifold, who are clearly we, and afterwards the whole of Israel and finally everything on earth called human.
14
The King, the Everlasting, the Holy guides me and all of us to the of course most holy and brightest love- and life chamber of His most holy Father heart. And we are happy and are out of bounds cheerful about You and think about Your Father love a thousand times more than all of the dry and cold wisdom! Only in Your Love are we full of meekness and simple and thereby devoted in our hearts; we thereby are devoted and love You, o Lord, only completely in this our devotion.
15
The wisdom morning, corresponding to the top of the mountain, is also marvellous and beautiful; but down here at the hospitable love-meal-tables in the large, holy chamber of Your most holy Father heart, the same morning of true life is of course also present. On top of the mountain we enjoyed, instructed in true recognition, the marvellous life light morning; but there were no tables laden with feeding and life strengthening delightful foods.
16
The light of the deepest wisdom pleased us; but You already saw in perhaps some of us the germ of arrogance springing forth from the furrow in the little life garden of the heart, and said with the most fascinating love words: 'Children, down below in the depth of humility we have the same morning! If you climb down the short distance from the height of arrogance, which normally is the result of high, pure wisdom, to the depth of humility of love, you will enjoy the same light morning! And down below it is present just like here and you can enjoy it twice as much; since there is not only the same light, but also in love and humility the source of light and love of life! Down there are standing the full tables for strengthening, nourishment and maintenance of life in its entirety!'
17
There, o Lord, You have drawn us by the true kiss of Your holy mouth, and we did not hesitated anymore, but followed You and love You now as truly devout in all love and humility! - Lord, did I comprehended and explained the matter correctly and has guessed the inner meaning of Your admonishing words on the mountain?"