The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 188 -
The Lord and His followers on the hill Araloth.
As usual we were also this time on our feet before sunrise and went immediately outside. But the innkeeper and his son Kado who arrived, got up also and noticed that I went outside with My disciples, and therefore Kado came quickly after Me and asked Me not to leave before I had taken a well-prepared morning meal with My disciples.
2
I said to him: "I certainly would have done that if you would not have come after Me, but because your love for Me has invited Me, it gives My heart a real joy, and so I am also inviting you to go on the hill with us. Once on this hill stood Joshua, the prophet and ruler who lead the Israelites into the promised land with the Ark of the Covenant, and by means of a powerful sound of trumpet he destroyed this city which at that time was big and surrounded by a nearly indestructible wall, and who conquered and destroyed unto the last man its mighty inhabitants and soldiers who were pagans and committed evil idolatry.
3
We will go on that hill - and that one is not so far from here because the present Jericho is closer to the hill than the old one, which was more than 100 times bigger than the present one, which bears indeed the old name but it does not have anything else in common with the old Jericho except a few ruins. From this hill I will show you the true place and size of the old Jericho."
4
Kado said: "O Lord and Master. This is really too much of Your godly mercy for me, sinful gentile. But since You actually want to be so merciful, then be also merciful to allow my father to accompany us, for he is a great friend of such things that are lost in the gray ancient times by the all-destroying time. Therefore I will go and bring him right away."
5
I said: "That is not necessary, for look, he is already coming after us, and the one who I made seeing again, walks with him."
6
Kado noticed it immediately and became very glad. We continued to walk slowly and so they both were soon catching up with us.
7
Half an hour later we were already on the mentioned hill, on which foot - being the property of our innkeeper - olive trees were growing, and on the highest point we had a wide view on all sides.
8
When we all were now on the top of the hill - where there was much space - I went to stand on a little rock that was in the middle of the hill and measured exactly 1 half man's height, and from this point, where all those present could see and hear Me very well, I said: "Listen, on this rock, on which I am standing now, stood once My helper Joshua. Although it is not of too great importance for life, but still it will hurt no soul if he is familiar with the history of the ancient times, because a soul who is familiar with the history of the times and nations will not so easily fall into superstition compared to a soul who has not a good knowledge of the ancient times and who will therefore either consign everything to the kingdom of fables, which have no truth for him, or to the area of superstition of which man will then soon and easily literally accept everything of what he had heard somewhere of what he thought to be special.
9
And look, so it is with most Jews now, of which some consider Joshua as a mythical figure and say among each other that he actually has never existed and of which again others who blindly and lightly believe and who are of little faith take the history of this prophet completely literally as it is written in the book. But also that is an equal great foolishness out of which came great points of controversy and all kinds of unbelief, superstition and a great number of errors.
10
As many of you know, Joshua has done a great number of signs and wonders during the time when he led the Israelites out of the desert into the promised land under the continuous guidance of the Lord. Firstly, this is actually true, but secondly his leading and deeds have also a spiritual meaning, which unfortunately is now no more understood by any Jew. That is why so many senseless things are announced and taught everywhere by the Pharisees about the actions and the deeds of Joshua. It is therefore not surprising that certain Jews who think somewhat clearer were repeatedly seriously offended by the teaching about Moses and the prophets. That is why I have brought you to this hill, more precisely to this place on which Joshua had performed his first great deeds of wonders during the conquest of the old city of Jericho, as the Spirit of the Lord had commanded him.
11
Look, there is the hill Araloth, and the place where we are standing now is called Gilgal and is the same place where Joshua, after the commandment of Lord, has circumcised with knives of stone the children of Israel for the second time.
12
This rock, on which I am now standing while I am reminding you again about the old history, consist of the 12 stones that were brought to this place by just as many priests - when the people crossed the Jordan with dry feet - from the middle of the Jordan and have placed and joined them here together as a sign of the wonderful guidance by God's power in the manner as they still are here now. By this, Joshua indicated symbolically to the people that the 12 tribes of Israel - represented by the 12 stones that are laying here and are joined together - form also a firm body, and so must stand as a united and mighty people under the laws, the protection and the guidance of God as a judgment against all heathens, and also that they are as a hard rock against which all can strike who act contrary to God's will.
13
Look, precisely on this spot Joshua has set up the Ark. After carrying it 7 times around the old city of Jericho, at the 7th time during which it was carried around, on the 7th day, at the terrible sound of the trumpets, the wall collapsed. Then the Israelites forced their way into the city and at God's command they stroke with the sword everything down that was alive there, except the harlot Rahab who had to be spared at God's command, together with her house and relatives, for she saved the spies, whom Joshua sent to the city, from the persecution of the heathenish king by hiding them well into her house.
14
On this hill all the gold and silver and all precious stones that the Israelites took out of the destroyed city was laid down before the Ark of the Covenant in honor of God, and also on this hill Joshua announced to all Israelites the commandment according to the will of God, that the destroyed city should never be build again and that the one who would do it anyway and would undertake to start the work, would be punished by God for that. And so you know now what this hill signifies.
15
And on the same spot where once the Ark stood, stands now in the flesh the One who came to Joshua as a mighty ruler with a sword in the hand, saying to him: 'Joshua, remove your shoes, for the place where you stand is holy.' Only then Joshua realized who that mighty ruler was and he worshipped Him also for that.
16
Now you also now who I am, and no one of you worships Me. You would like to do that, but I Myself do not want it, for I am placing you on a higher point of life than where Joshua with all his might has ever stood, and because I abhor every prayer with the lips, for from now on, the love for God and for fellowman is the only prayer that is pleasing to Me, of which I take notice and to which I am listening.
17
And so you know now briefly what kind of hill this is, and now we can take a look to the evening and see there the great desolate plain where once the old heathenish city stood."