The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and the Priests of the Temple (John 5)
- Chapter 9 -
The accusation of Elijah.
Said I: "Elijah, you forerunner and preparer of My ways, what have you to say against these servants of the temple?"
2
Said Elias: "Lord, Moses has said everything. With him the temple has ceased to be a house of God. It has become nothing but a den of thieves and robbers. At the Jordan I clearly showed it to these men and also proved it in every detail. Yet when they saw that they were unable to refute my words with a single shred of evidence, well noticing that they were irrefutably found out and accused of every possible iniquity against You, O Lord, and against the people, they openly laughed and declared me a pious fool to whom one can for fun's sake listen for a few hours. But secretly they threatened the people lest they see in my teaching more than the ridiculous ravings of a madman.
3
Secretly they were full of rage because they noticed that the people still considered me a prophet and honoured me as such, repented and were baptized. Only too soon did these evil blasphemers in God's holy place become aware that through me the axe had been put to their tree, threatening an end to their iniquitous rule. So they beset Herod and proved through all kinds of deceit and evil tricks how gravely his authority was threatened through me. Herod could not see their point since he had firm contracts with Rome to which he always meticulously stuck, so that he could as a matter of course in any adverse situations count on Roman protection. But all this was of no avail; they kept harassing Herod, so much so that in the end he had me imprisoned.
4
Once I was imprisoned and my disciples were allowed to visit me in prison, they could no longer harass Herod; but they could not fail to notice that my teaching kept spreading enormously through the efforts of my disciples. Their anger and wrath increased from hour to hour and they enlisted the help of the evil mother of the beautiful Herodias. If, besides his usual oath, Herod should give also his word as a prince when granting Herodias a favour, she was to ask for nothing else but my head. In return for this the mother was to secretly obtain ten thousand pounds of gold from the temple treasure. The beautiful Herodias, well knowing that Herod was secretly fond of me, considered this demand too harsh, but an evil spirit took possession of the old woman and revealed to her the fact that I did not approve of his adulterous relationship and was trying to dissuade him from it. This badly prejudiced also Herodias against me so that when, during the celebrations, she was again urged by her secretly bribed mother, she demanded my head, which greatly saddened Herod, - but, having sworn the oath he had to keep it, and so I was decapitated in prison.
5
When the templers heard of this, they greatly rejoiced and began immediately wherever possible to persecute the people who believed in me. -This, in simple outline and without going into any details with which you are anyway familiar, is their whole depravity, O Lord, and I am now accusing them of it before You! You alone are the Lord of eternity. Do judge them according to Your infinite power, wisdom and justice. Your alone holy will be done."
6
Hereupon I said: "Yes, so it is! There are, to be sure, a few other facts which I Myself have occasionally mentioned and other eye- and ear-witnesses have reported in My presence, yet this is the true, innermost core of their exceedingly hellish wickedness. But now I ask you, My most faithful prophets and now angels of My Heavens, whether you can forgive these great offenders in My holy place the great wrong they did to you."
7
Said both: "Yes, Lord, for You alone are the reconciliation for all of us! If only You in Your great mercy would enlighten them so that they might see their great iniquity."
8
At My secret sign the two then disappeared and we were alone again.