The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 217 -
The miracles in the inn before the gate.
It was a place that was already outside the gate of the closed village, which was of course surrounded on all sides by a strong wall. And outside of the wall and its gates were also houses and inns, in which the arriving travelers accommodated most of the time their pack animals, and were also often looking for lodging. Along the first mentioned road there was also a similar inn at a distance of well over 700 paces outside of the gate, with a large number of guests, among whom many Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and also a few Jews who were doing all kinds of business with the gentiles.
2
In front of the inn was a large square that was densely grown with grass. On this square, there were a lot of coffins with dead children, and their fathers and mothers waited in the inn to receive from the Essenes the acquired permission to bring their dead, lying in the well-closed coffins, to the stronghold. Although the parents had asked several times for this permission, they did not receive it because the already known resurrection chamber was overly full with such coffins anyway and because the Essenes could not and were not allowed to accept them anymore.
3
But those who were waiting in the above-mentioned inn came from far away, hoping to bring their dead children back home after they had been awakened to life again, and they also could not have known that the Essenes are no more bringing dead children to life again. So it was for those parents all the more bitter when they heard that they had made their long trip in vain.
4
When we were looking at the coffins - 110 all together - the innkeeper, who knew the chief very well, saw us, and immediately he said to the mournful guests that the chief was walking with his brothers between the coffins and was looking at them, which was a good sign for those who were mourning, because if the chief himself would make such visit, it was for those who waited very hopeful that their request would be granted.
5
With this very comforting expectation, all the guests stood up quickly and went outside where we were reading the inscriptions on the coffins, and they asked the chief with tears in their eyes not to let them return their long trip home with nothing achieved, for they did not know that in this ancient place of wonders no dead children should be awakened to life anymore.
6
Roklus said to them: "But already since one year and longer, messengers were sent out from here in all directions to announce to the people that no dead would be awakened to life here again. Did you not hear anything about it?"
7
Those who were questioned said: "No, mighty chief. Not once, not even from afar did we hear from anyone, for if we had heard it from someone, we certainly would have stayed home and not make such great expenses, but most of us arrived here only a few days ago and made only little expenses in the inn. Also a couple of hours ago we received back the taxes that were taken from us while we were on the way to this place, of which we are very glad, but if for this we have to return with nothing achieved, we rather would pay taxes that are 10 times as high. O mighty chief, hear our request for this one time. We gladly want to wait and pay every offering that is required, if only you would grant our request mercifully."
8
Roklus said: "Yes, my dear friends, you have somehow received wrong information over there, saying that here the children who are often laying for months completely dead in their coffin can be awakened to life again. This is now and then indeed possible with people who have just died, when they are apparently dead, but children like the ones in these coffins, can only be awakened by a God."
9
Now a Greek asked quickly: "But which God do you mean? For we have a lot of gods. Which one of them is the most powerful? Tell us, then we want to pay offerings, and you pray to Him for us."
10
Roklus said: "Among your gods, there is eternally not one, since all your gods are only invented, and their images are only made by human hands. The only true and almighty God is only the One who the Jews are invoking. To Him only, everything is possible."
11
The Greek said again: "This was also said by the Jews who live with us and who are doing business, and that is why we also have willingly brought great offerings to the God of the Jews. They also were received by a Jewish priest with the intention that the offerings would be brought as soon as possible to Jerusalem where the only true God is always living in a very big and magnificent temple.
12
But despite our considerable offerings, and despite the assurance of the Jewish priest that his only true God would certainly help us, our children remained dead, and now I think that also this time, not much can be achieved with the God of the Jews. But you will surely know this better here than the formerly mentioned Jewish priest who, honestly speaking, did not seem to have a great confidence in his God himself, because I saw that he did not keep the commandments that he presented to us in the least himself. What should we do in your opinion in order to be helped by the only true God of the Jews?"
13
Roklus said: "Yes, you my dear friends, then you first will have to believe actively in your heart in this God, keep His commandments under all circumstances, then to love Him above all and your fellowmen as yourself. Whoever will not do that, will not be heard by God.
14
I and my brother are doing that and we have therefore unmistakable proofs that our only true God always listens gladly to our prayers, on condition that we will not ask Him for something foolish. So turn in full belief in your heart to our God as to a very best Father, and then promise Him also that you will leave your dead idols and will keep His commandments precisely, and then it will be apparent if our God will hear your prayers."
15
They all, Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, promised it solemnly.
16
But Roklus made one more condition and said: "I have now understood from your solemn promise that you are all completely serious to return to the one, only true God of the Jews from whom your forefathers have turned away almost 1.700 years ago, and that is why I have in myself now already the full assurance that God will satisfy your wishes. But what will happen here you must keep for yourselves, and do not make us even more known than we already are, because what happens here today will not happen again later.
17
However, all kind of sick people, blind, deaf, mute, lame, cripple, those who suffer from gout, lepers, the possessed ones, sick people who suffer from malicious fevers and those who are insane can find their salvation here. If you also want to fulfill this condition, then you can open the coffins and take out your dead who are already awakened to life again now, and give them food, first milk and only then fresh broth of meat with some bread, and towards the evening also some wine.
18
But do you also believe now without any doubt that all your children in the coffins are already alive?"
19
They all said: "Yes, you who are a mighty friend of the one, only true and almighty God, we believe without the least of doubt."
20
Then Roklus said on My inner call: "So it will also be done according to your faith in the name of Jesus Jehovah Zebaoth. And now open the coffins."
21
On these words, all jumped towards their coffins and opened them, and their children, of whom some of them were already locked up in the coffins for more than 1 year, rose out of them, fresh and healthy.
22
The happiness of the parents, who were for the greatest part wealthy people, could not be described, which is easy to understand, and there was almost no end in thanking, glorifying and praising. Soon after that, the children were taken care of in the manner that was advised to them before.
23
Nota bene: now, after almost 2.000 years, someone could ask: 'But how is it possible that such miracle could be kept totally silent like that, as well as a great number of other miracles?'
24
The answer is briefly this: because I Myself have decreed it that way, so that in the future, only and solely the pure teaching would guide and lead the people and not the power of miracles that hinders the free will of man, as I have already shown many times. Here in this place, at the time of My short presence in Essaea, which was only known to a few, such great miracles did not cause such a great sensation, because this place was already all too well known as a place of miracles for a long time from far and wide. The failing of a miracle would undeniably have made a greater sensation than the complete success of it, which every person expected as sure as the night that follows the day and the day on the passing night. Besides, to all who found help here, it was from My time on seriously commanded not to make the miracle known.
25
But still, of My deeds and those of the Essenes, many things were written down, which were mostly kept in Egypt in the big libraries, but later - as known - it was destroyed by the blind Mohammedans. And so it happened that the people in this time know almost nothing anymore about the great miracles that happened during that time, to which however also the old whore of Babylon did very clearly contribute. How, that will simply be known by every thinking researcher.
26
However, also in the East there are great annotations, and a few of them will be revealed at the right time. In those are still many things that are not in the 4 Gospels that are known in the present time. And a chronological order cannot be found in them, neither in those 4, but that is not important, for the main thing is and always remains the pure teaching of life. Whoever will accept that and will believe in Me, will also be guided by the Spirit into all the rest.
27
May that what has been said here casually, serve all those who still have any doubt about Me and My works of that time, as a comfort and reassurance, and as sufficient proof for the truth which has been said and shown in the little books that are now already many.
28
Let us go back now to our subject.