The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 105 -
The magician asks for the way to the revelation.
The magician said: "Yes, only now we understand it better, for we first thought too much according to our traditional reliable human ideas, according to which we looked at it as if God as the supreme living Being, as it were exalted above all stars, could only reveal Himself to those people who - thanks to their highest possible esteem here on Earth - are in a way equal in rank to Him. If then, some very simple person was pretending to have received a revelation from God Himself, then such a statement was considered by the priests as the highest punishable crime against the infinite holiness and majesty of God, and was damned. And most of the time the simple prophet had to pay for it with death. This is unfortunately all very true.
2
But surely God also knew that such is the case with the priests. Could He then not reveal Himself to a chief priest in such a way that this one could have realized that this revelation came from God, by which God could have clearly shown in this revelation what He is expecting from a priest and what from a layman? If such a thing had happened, then probably not one poor, little prophet would have been condemned to death because of a revelation that was given to him by God. Because then all the priests of a high rank would have known from on high that also a very simple man - yes, even a slave, or even a woman - could receive a revelation. Then such people would not ever be persecuted again by one single priest, but on the contrary would be highly esteemed, and everybody would have listened to him in belief. But we truly cannot remember that with us a chief priest has ever received such a revelation and direction from God.
3
And precisely because such a thing has never happened, we had to stay with what has been established of old with us. If I look at it now quietly and intellectually, then it appears to me that we priests are not completely alone to blame for our fatal, long darkness of life, but also the almost eternal lack of a higher, clear recognizable revelation, coming and outgoing from God. Of course to the person of the chief priest or a king, or to both at the same time, what clearly would be even more effective.
4
This is of course only my opinion, and I certainly do not have the intention to consider this as the only valid one. But if I look at it with my human understanding, it seems to me that when a divine revelation is given to the people by men who already since immemorial times are highly esteemed by the people, it clearly would be more effective than when this is primarily given to men who belong to the lowest class of the people and who also do not have the means to convey a revelation to other men - no matter how true and correct it may be. And least of all as instruction for the priests and kings. If a revelation would follow the way from on high to the people, then certainly a lot, and in fact almost everything, would be gained by it. What do you, young, divine, wise and mighty friend say to this?"