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 45 -
The changed heavenly phenomenon and the embarrassment of the temple clerics.
Said the Roman, standing also very near Me: "But the inconceivable blindness of so many people! There they run, the fools, and these are supposed to be the enlightened Jews - say - people of God, and we blind gentiles are standing at the primeval source of life, light and the source of the eternal primeval truth! This is truly in the highest degree unusual! We who were apparently the last are - and everybody can say what he wants - now apparently the first, and those children of Abraham now wallow like pigs in the filthiest mud! This, o Lord, is for us heathens an eternally incomprehensible mercy, which we verily never ever in the slightest degree have earned! Now then, I'm truly to the highest degree curios about the further course of this highly odd event and development! What will happen in the end, only You, o Lord, will know best!"
2
Said I: "This event will certainly not end badly! The time has come for these world brokers to finally be greatly embarrassed in a peculiar fashion, causing them to lose a great deal from the better part of the people.
3
But now they have concluded their very hasty meeting with the decision that the ten columns signify the ten of the twelve tribes of Israel who were loyal to the temple, and that two tribes have been discarded, the Samaritans and also the Galileans, and that every Jew who only speaks aloud the names of the two discarded tribes becomes impure for a whole year.
4
The people put their fists to their breasts and swear to never call these despicable tribes by name.
5
But now pay attention, soon another two columns will be added to the ten, and then you will see the agitation! The time has past, and the aforesaid change should take place right now."
6
All were very attentive, and another two columns rose at the same time in great splendour high into the air in the east; but these two columns alone shone ten times more intensely than the earlier ten columns combined, and one was standing to the right and the other to the left of the earlier ten columns, and their strong light could be seen towards Europe and in the opposite direction for up to four-hundred miles away.
7
This was too much for the people and even more awkward for the temple clerics. From the battlements of the temple the trumpets were blown vehemently to call even more councillors, even though the first call of the trumpets already had all priests living in Jerusalem present at the first meeting. But the complete high council did not have any answer for the two extremely bright columns which arose last, since they greatly missed the mark with the explanation of the first ten columns.
8
But the people shouted loudly: "Those are the two tribes which you have said are discarded! And if this is not the case, then explain it to us, otherwise we want our sacrifices back or we storm you!"
9
At that the temple clerics really began to panic. This story lasted only for a very short time, when someone came with a completely ludicrous excuse, which resulted in loud laughter among the people.
10
And a stocky Jew said loudly to the Pharisees: "If you are not able to give us an adequate answer in our great fear, need and dismay, then we also do not need you when there are no in the highest degree disconcerting and frightening signs appearing in the sky to scare each human heart! If you cannot give us any comfort now, - what are you here for? You can't do anything else other than demand tithes and great sacrifices to squander and devour, and drive wise men, who tell you the truth straight to your faces and who heal sick people in a wondrous manner, out of the temple with rocks! But now, when the apparent judgement of God illuminates all of us with a most alarming light, you are as silent as a grave and dare not speak a word! O, go out to the terrifying twelve columns, which are spreading a true judgement-day light most threateningly over the whole earth and surely will soon consume everything that moves and breathes on this earth with a most terrible firestorm, and throw your cursed stones at them and sprinkle them with your cursed water, and we will see if the twelve most terrifying fire columns will bow before the power of your priesthood! O you wretched and haughty, cruel hypocrites and swindlers of the nation! Now, now show us, that you are the only true friends and servants of God, otherwise we, the people, will take revenge for every injustice we have suffered at your hands!"
11
One of the senior priests came forward and said: "You, speaker on behalf of the people, be patient! The High Priests is already praying with torn clothes inside the sanctum, and we will, if necessary, join him, and it will get better. You must not despair so quickly, if Jehovah strikes us with a plague, which we all together surely have deserved. Instead of showering us with all kinds of invectives and threats, pray rather to God, that He allows mercy above justice! This will be better than your current behaviour against us; since when in need everybody can effectively pray to God."
12
This announcement calmed the people a little, and they started to pray, and the priests, knowing what was good for them, withdrew and consulted among each other, what this unusual phenomenon was. But they came to no durable conclusion, and as such fear started to grow in them as well. And this was a strange contrast between those who were with Me on the mountain, and the temple clerics and the people who came to them for shelter. Everyone with Me was delighted with the marvellous sight of these columns of light, while the greatest dismay prevailed in the temple.
13
But also the already known Nicodemus was part of the council and was asked for his opinion.
14
But he said (Nicodemus): "You never heeded my advice before, as you already have often accused me of secretly collaborating with the Galileans, and therefore I also regard my counsel over this unheard event as superfluous. If Jehovah has determined a deserved great punishment for us or even total destruction, then no one's advice will be of any use, and it will mean the end for our meaningless office for good. But if Jehovah gave us these twelve terrible fire columns as a last warning sign for true repentance, then we will in time be informed by a prophet, which penance and sacrifice God requires from us. But consider it very thoroughly: you have murdered Zacharias, and he was obviously a prophet! Also the preacher and Baptist has been decapitated in jail through your meddling with Herod. And again a great wise man came from Galilee, taught three days ago in the temple and his message was good and true before the people, and you tried to stone him for that. Yes, if you want to continue likewise with all the people who are filled with the Spirit of Jehovah, then even God cannot give you any advice on how to prevent certain destruction for us all, and even less so I, although I am an elder in the temple!"
15
Said the senior priest who presided over the council: "Yes, who can prove that the men you mentioned were truly prophets awoken by God?"
16
Said Nicodemus: "Just as you now, did also the high priests in the high council ask the same question during the times of the true prophets, and the sad decision was unfortunately always to this end, that the later recognized true prophets have mostly been stoned or been strangled. And as it was once, so it is now and even much worse, which I have to openly to confess with much grief. And because it is unfortunately so, the Lord's patience with us has come to an end, what these twelve terrible fire columns are apparently indicating to us, and probably no human advice can do anything about that now. Just look at them, how they grow bigger and getting more dense, - which probably is a result of them moving closer and closer to us!
17
O what terrible day in the night! It is hardly the fifth hour in the night, and the world is as light as the brightest midday! Therefore I will leave you now, to return to my house and family to comfort them as much as possible."
18
The high council members tried to hold him back; but Nicodemus said: "If I could be in any way useful to you, I would be staying; but since I can't be of any use to you, just as you to me, I go and will rather die at home as here within these already so often desecrated walls."