The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 134 -
The dream of the captain.
Let now also the others say openly whether they also have seen and heard the same. I do not desire this for nothing, for what is important to me is the pure truth in order to proof that this vision was not a dream but reality.
2
Because once I dreamed as if in real life of one of my dearest brothers, that we were together in Athens and were talking with each other about an important matter. During that time I still was in Rome and that brother on the island Rhodes, where he had work to do. I wrote down the dream that I had, so that I would not forget it. But a half year later, I and that brother came together in Athens, in the same place where we came together in my dream, and our subject of discussion was - although with slightly different words - the same as that about which we had talked about in my dream half year ago.
3
After the conversation I asked my brother if half year ago he also did not have such a dream as I had during this and that night, and at that occasion I showed my brother the exact notes which I took with me to Athens. He read through them very carefully and was greatly surprised that my dream, which was in a certain way prophetic, had now almost literally come true in Athens. But he assured me also that he never had any dream about it and did also not have the slightest idea that we would see and speak to each other in Athens, although he often thought about the subject we talked about, and therefore he wanted to visit me in Rome. He also often had a strong desire for me, but that we should see and speak with each other so very coincidentally in Athens, of this, as said, he had not the slightest idea and even less a similar dream.
4
So this dream was something that was true to me, but why did my brother not know anything about it, since the matter was actually more important to him than to me? What was my brother in my dream? It was only an image to which the fantasy of my soul gave form as if living and artificial, putting the words that were spoken by him in the mouth. Only me was the actual I, all the rest was a product of the fantasy of my soul of which I however cannot say if he was free and independently active or was still only behaving passively.
5
And so, this is the reason why I here also would like to hear from the others - who just as I are still in the material life - if they firstly did see me also as I have seen them, and secondly if they also have seen and heard all the other things I have seen and heard. So let them now speak truly and freely, for it concerns here the most important truth of life for every human being. It is really an aut ceasar, aut nihil . For if such appearances are only the same as dreams with which not a single wise person can proof a real and eternal continuance of life of the soul after his bodily death, then every ethic is without real value, and the laws and its demands and promises have only a little but at the same time illusory value for the temporary and civil life, but what concerns the spiritual, it belongs to the old Augean stables.
6
But if such an appearance is a reality, proven by different real friends of the truth, only then the consoling ethics will come into a much different light, more specifically in its spiritual aspects that always come strongly forward. I am a great friend of the truth and I have presented this to you now in all seriousness. Therefore, speak now also the full, unfeigned truth."
7
Then they all related very openly what they had seen and heard, and they swore that their story was the unfeigned truth.
8
When the captain heard these stories and was thereby fully convinced that what they had seen and heard contained the full reality, he said to Raphael: "Look, young giant, this is for me now more valuable than a 1.000 of wise speeches, lessons and wonderful deeds of the most extraordinary and special men who are only bringing their fellowmen into amazement with words and deeds as long as they themselves live among them, but who as deceased men will disappear forever and be silenced. The men who remained, can then do nothing else except to believe blindly at a venture and without any further conviction that it finally still could be as those wise men who died already a long time ago have taught the people.
9
But now, I do not only belief in an eternal continuation of the life of the souls of men after the death of the body, but I am even actually fully convinced - and can therefore also announce to a lot of other people - that the old belief in an only true God and in the eternal continuation of the life of the soul after the death of the body is a truth that is completely clear, proven by different undeniable experiences, and that every person can convince himself about it if he will live faithfully according to the word and the revealed will of the only, eternal true God.
10
Oh, but only now, also every word that I have heard from the most truthful holy mouth of the Master of masters has for me its true and real value, and I will make effort, not only to accomplish this teaching by myself by means of deeds, but also by leading thousands of them to and put them on this path.
11
It would of course also be good if I myself would in case of need possess the might and power - in the manner as we have experienced now - to convince also other people that I speak the full truth. But for the moment this is not necessary, since every human being, who will know me somewhat better, will know all too well that what I say must be a well founded truth, because I never wanted to be satisfied with words alone.
12
This is now completely all right and settled, but since I now have already related my dream here, I would gladly like to receive from you, young, wise giant, a little explanation about the wonderful things that happened therein. Because that this dream contains certainly a lot of what is spiritual, cannot be doubted. But what is now the relation with the material that happened only after half a year? What was the kind of Athens that I saw in the dream, and what was that brother, and from where did he obtain the words that he spoke to me, while he was as an object outside of himself? For it could not be the soul of my brother who became free in one way or another, because he absolutely did not know anything about it."