The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 138 -
MAN KEEPS FOREVER DRAWING NEARER TO GOD. THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN THE INFINITENESS OF GOD AND THE FINITE, LIMITED PERSON OF THE LORD IN ABEDAM
When Jared had heard in spirit the call of Abedam he came hurrying along, - that is, in spirit rather than in body. For, physically speaking he was anyway standing dose to Abedam; but as concerns the spirit, it is possible to draw forever closer to Me, in that even the most perfected spirit is far enough removed from Me to be able to keep drawing closer to Me throughout eternity without actually coming nearer to Me by a hair's breadth.
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In a physical sense this claim would be untenable. However, in spirit this can well be the case, as when someone would want to physically approach a non-existing border of infinity. Even if he traversed with the highest thought-velocity endless spaces in only a moment and continued to do this for many eternities, - by how much would he have come nearer to the non-existing borderland of endlessness?
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So it is with the spiritual approach to Me. Although every spirit can keep becoming more perfected and more like Me, yet never capable of fully reaching My perfection, which is in everything endless, who would ever come nearer to that in truth and fullest reality?
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But I can certainly approach everyone and place Myself so that everyone can approach Me.
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This is why Jared came hurrying along when he had heard My call in spirit; and this is why I explained this to you, namely, that you may get some inkling of how matters stand.
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Why was Jared called and wherein lay the importance of his being called?
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Now pay good heed; for without this calling you may not and cannot enter the temple of light.
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Thus when Jared had actually reached Abedam, the latter took his hand and said: "Listen, My beloved Jared, I know what you teach about Me and tell you that you have taught all your children properly; yes, you have taught them completely in accordance with My will.
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"But when you said: 'God is absolutely endless in His essence, His love, holiness, grace, mercy, in His might, power, strength, in the permanence of His being and, thus, also in His goodness, justice and wisdom,' I should really like to know how in your heart you reconcile My visible presence in human form with your notion of My infinite nature.
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"For I am of the opinion that just as the finite, spatially limited cannot ever fill the endless space - even if it should expand forever in all directions -, the opposite is surely also the case.
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"For where and how should the endless spatial begin to contract into a finite being? Having no limits, where, and how, should it begin?
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"Since according to your teaching this is the case, tell Me: How did I, the infinite God, become for you and all the others a visible, personally distinguishable God?
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"And tell Me also conscientiously and faithfully whether or not it is I.
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"According to your teaching this cannot possibly be, but in accordance with your love and faith it nevertheless is I.
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"So declare yourself to all of us; for clarity in this matter is of the greatest importance, since an infinite essence of God is unimaginable for all finite beings, in other words non-existent, and consequently there is as good as no God.
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"However, regarding God as finite means denying His Deity.
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"So open your heart and explain to us this contradiction and also whether or not I am God."
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When Jared and all the others had heard this question they all beat their breast and one doubt after another began to assail their hearts. And upon some reflection Jared said: "Lord and Father in all Your love and holiness! The greatest and most profound cherub will be as little capable of answering this question as I am, but this much I can just about say now that You have posed the question: Were You not God, the Truthful, You could not possibly have given this question which, like You, is in all its points, as well as collectively, infinite.
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"However, my gauge for Your Deity is my own heart, as well as the hearts of all the others, as they are incapable of loving anyone as much as You.
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"All else is of no importance to me. How You, an infinite God, can show Yourself also to us finite worms before You in the dust of all nothingness as a finite God in the form of a man, let him comprehend who can and may; but I and all the heavens and suns and worlds and men do not and surely would not comprehend it in eternity.
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"But here I confess quite openly that I am only capable of truly loving You under this form; for, from where should a finite heart take that love with which to love God in His infiniteness?
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"Therefore, I like You thus infinitely better than in Your, to me, unthinkable divine infiniteness.
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"When I fear and love God, I fear and love Him only under this Your form; for to an essentially infinite God I am as good as non-existent, and consequently He cannot possibly be a God for that which compared to Him is a mere nothingness.
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"Behold, this is all I can say on the subject; may it please You."
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Thereupon Abedam pressed Jared to His heart and said: "Jared, you have given Me a perfect answer, and it is exactly as you have said.
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"Love alone is the measure for My Deity, and I cannot be fathomed with any other measure for I am verily an infinite God. As far as My spatial infiniteness is concerned it is merely a manifestation subject to time, - but in spirit it is merely the absolute authority of My will and My love and wisdom; but the outer form is one and the same after which you were all made into My personal images.
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"So you, My dear Jared, stay as you were, and believe Me: No one will ever see Me in a different form from that in which you are now all beholding Me in spirit! Amen."