The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives (John Chapter 8)
- Chapter 216 -
The seven Books of Moses.
Hereupon the previously speaking pharisee asked the Roman if only he or if also somebody else could ask him a question.
2
Said the Roman: "This is one and the same to me! Anyone of you who knows to ask, can ask me!"
3
With this ruling they were content and another came forward, a scribe of the first rank, opened his mouth and said: "Listen! Only one question which you cannot answer to a general contentment, you will, according to your own ruling, loose a thousand pounds of gold!"
4
Said the Roman: "This we know already! You should not think of the gold anymore but about a wise question! Since the question will make you more sweat than the negotiated gold, which you not yet have won by a far cry. Just give me the first question, so that I can learn its spirit!"
5
Here the pharisee thought for a while, which question he should ask him first and which the Roman will not be able to answer that easily. Then it occurred to him that the Roman could not know how many books were written by Moses. Since in general among the people it was known that Moses had not written more than five books. However, that Moses had actually written seven books and a purely prophetic appendix - which the pharisee knew quite well, and at the same time assumed with great certainty that nobody could know this except for the deepest adepts of the temple -, which is why he ask the Roman whether he would know how many books were written by Moses.
6
Thereupon the Roman smiled - which was a rare appearance of the serious Romans - and he said to the pharisee: "Truly, you could not have given me a more desired question than specifically this one; since from the clear reply it will clearly show how little you have regarded God and Moses for already a long time! Even during the times of Samuel you already were more enemies than friends of God and the people and therefore have without any fear for God and the people kept the nearly most important two books and the prophetic appendix, in which your unscrupulous actions and also your end has been described in great detail, from the people. But during the times when you were conquered by us Romans, all your books from alpha tp omega had to be handed over to us Romans to make copies, and as such we Romans became familiar with all your secrets and know quite well that Moses has written seven books and a prophetic appendix.
7
In the sixth book he described in detail the natural origin of the earth and described its conditions from the beginning until his time, and from thereon in a prophetic manner further on until its total dissolving. In this very sixth book the great man described also the starry sky, the sun, the moon of this earth and their movement, as well as the movement of all the planets, what they are, how they look like and how they are constituted as worlds. He also described the comets, the sun- and moon eclipses and also showed how people who understood to make calculation, could predict them. And finally he also explained what are the fixed stars, indicated their seizes and tremendous distances and said at the end of this important book that all this should be taught to the people, so that the people of God could walk in all truth on earth and in the stars and not fall into all kinds of heresy of the heathens.
8
However you priests soon thought otherwise. You knew that the blind people always had a great fear about the extraordinary appearances in the sky. Then you thought: 'Why does the ordinary people need such knowledge? It is sufficient that only we possess it! We will calculate the eclipses for ourselves, and threaten the people, who does not know anything about it, and force them to make greater sacrifices, and they will sacrifice and believe, that we have driven away the darkness of the moon or the sun!' With even more such reservations for yourselves, you unscrupulously kept the sixth book from the people and used it for your earthly advantage.
9
The seventh book contained the true creation of man, his spiritual development through the continuous influence of the spirit of God. It explained for every person to understand the first book of Moses and mentioned the books of the patriarchs Kenan, Henoch and Lamech and explained them. Finally it described the wars of Jehovah or the loyal history of the people of the low lands of the earth, and at the very end a strong and very threatening admonition was given to the teachers of the people, that they should teach all this to the people, and that nobody should marry or be assigned an office, before not fully understanding the content of this book.
10
However, such admonition you also disregarded and said: 'It is better for the people to remain uninformed about all this; for if the people were too deeply initiated in all this, soon it would not need priests anymore, and they would be forced to also earn their daily bread with their hands.' This assumption however, was certainly very stupid, since Moses has specifically instructed that the tribe Levi should live from the tenth.
11
Now comes as almost a separate book the appendix to the seventh book. It is entirely prophetic, but still shows very clearly that the priests and judges and kings will do everything against God, and how He will always punish them for it.
12
Therein also the great Messiah is described, how He will come into this world, how He will live, what He will do and teach and how He will be hated and pursued by the priests. Then comes the downfall of Jews, the church of the Messiah, its long persecution by the anti-Messiah, then comes the end of him and thereupon the glory of the pure church of God on this earth. At the very end of this appendix again a most strong warning is given, that this appendix should always be kept open to the public. - Did you ever do this?
13
Yes, already during the times of the prophets you never mentioned any of this to the people, why also the prophet Jesajas, acknowledging the prophesies of Moses, in the tenth chapter indicate about what I was asking you about in my first question. And as such, especially the four great prophets, emphasized that it should teach the people what Moses wrote in his appendix, which you however always have kept away from the people for the already well-known reasons, and in the most recent times you even were to lazy to instruct yourself about it, and now has to acquiesce in it that even the Essenes have taken away the earthly advantage from you; for at least they know the visible starry sky, calculate its appearances and use it to their earthly advantage. See, also this is a justified punishment from above! And I am of the opinion that I have answered your first question to the fullest truth and strictly scientifically."
14
Said quite embarrassed the scribe: "Yes, - unfortunately only too precisely true! I feel now that I should not ask you a second question. Since it is difficult to ask a man with such a comprehensive knowledge anything. We rather would like to pay the one-hundred pounds immediately - rather than to ask any more questions! Since we betray ourselves with every question anew and land increasingly in a greater embarrassment in front of the people, which will certainly not keep quiet about it."
15
Said the Roman: "This concerns me little! The bet must be complied with, even if the earth together with us is put in ruins, and as such you must ask me the remaining questions! Ask, and I will answer you; since now I am very proud about it that I am a Roman!"
16
Here the seven clerics put their heads together and consulted each other what they could ask the Roman.