The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord's journey through Samaria
- Chapter 47 -
The transformation of the desert.
I said: "Now all right then, pay attention and do not be frightened, for not one hair on your head will be touched. Look, this is a desolate region of a few thousands mornings of land. There is nothing except bare, wild rocks, only overgrown here and there with a half dried-up thorn bush and a few thistles. Because of its infertility and for the rest a wilderness, this desert is not suitable for any other thing except at the most for a miserable, difficult and hard passable way for the transport of goods.
2
If I will transform this region and then give it to you and your descendants as property, then no one will be disadvantaged in his landed property. You stayed in this desert and in its many clefts and holes most of the time anyway, so that it became your actual place of living, which is very well known to the Samaritans and partly also to the Galileans and Jews who live at the border of this desert, and so you will unopposed be able to call this region your property, which will flourish and be fertile.
3
But before I will in your presence and for your sake bless this desert, I have to show you that I also am Lord over all authorities and powers in the Heavens. Therefore, open now your eyes, ears and hearts. - Reveal yourselves, you authorities and powers of My Heavens that are hidden for the physical eyes!"
4
When I had said that, the inner sight opened up to all of them, and they saw a multitude of angels and heard an exalted song of praise, but their souls could not grasp its meaning, and many of the most light angels descended to Me and worshipped My name.
5
When the former robbers saw that, they were seized with great fear.
6
But I said to them: "Why are you actually afraid of these angels of Mine who are and will always remain submissive to Me in all bliss? For I am the only Lord over everything in Heaven and on Earth, and you were not afraid of Me for a long time, despite that I told you."
7
On this, all the robbers descended from their pack animals, threw themselves on their knees and begged Me for mercy.
8
The appearance lasted for about a quarter of an hour, and during that time I commanded the angels who were kneeling down before Me, to ordain immediately the mightiest lightning, wind and rainstorm over this region, so that I could then bless this desert and make it a fertile land.
9
Then the appearance disappeared according to My will, but instead of that, the earthly heaven began to fill itself with dense clouds. It did not last half an hour before heavy hurricanes from the south were raging in such a way that the robbers and even My disciples beseeched Me not to let them perish.
10
But I said to them: "But already many times you have experienced such things at My side, and never one hair of your head was touched. What kind of power could hurt you when I am with you, you of little faith?"
11
With this, the disciples were satisfied again. A few paces further, there was however a big cave. When the storm became more and more heavy, when one lightning was followed by another one, 1.000 times thousandfold, and when the rain came streaming down from the clouds, the robbers grabbed their pack animals and fled with them to the cave, while I stayed with My disciples on that open spot, without being touched by even 1 drop of rain.
12
The storm lasted only half an hour, and still, the mighty many lightning had pulverized and molded the wild rocks of the whole desert into a thick layer of gray loam of more than 1 man's height deep, with which the gushing streams had filled up the many pits and gaps and made them thus suitable for fields and gardens. My will had invisibly filled up the many other shafts and holes in the ground, and so the whole rather big desert was changed in the short time of only 1 full hour into a luxuriant land for fields and vineyards. The storm was over, the sky cleared up and the sun shone now with its warm rays upon a new soil."