The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 227 -
THE MEAL IN THE DINING-HALL. LAMECH IS APPOINTED PRIEST TO HIS PEOPLE. ENOCH'S SPEECH ON PRIESTHOOD AND KINGSHIP. THE MISSED PRAYER AT TABLE. THE HOLY FATHER REVEALS HIMSELF TO LAMECH (7th January 1843)
When the exalted guests entered the dining-hall, they were met by Thubalkain, Mura and Cural. The latter two after completion of their work late in the evening had delivered the key to the outer wall to Lamech.
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Now Mura handed over the key to Lamech and assured him that everything was looking splendid.
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Thereupon Lamech invited them both to the morning meal and quite casually said to Mura:
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"Friend and brother Mura, do not dismiss your workers as yet; for you will be commissioned by me with yet another work.
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"And now stay here, that is, with this company."
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Mura, noticing the young man beside Enoch, asked Lamech quite secretly: "Lightful and wise king Lamech, would you not tell me who this glorious young man by the side of Enoch is?
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"He looks so full of love, so earnest and wise! Does he also come from the height?"
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And Lamech replied to Mura: "My dear, most worthy brother! You were ill advised to turn to me; for so far I hardly know more about him than you do.
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This much I know from my own observation and the very pointed words by Kisehel, namely, that this young man is exceedingly wise and truly frighteningly mighty of word and will and that, as Kisehel has just clearly stated, he is also the supreme lord on the height to whom even the high priest Enoch is subject, so quite certainly also a king.
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"Look, this is all I know of him; in the meantime content yourself with it until hopefully we obtain more light, and sit down with Cural at a table and eat and drink. But do not turn your eye away from the man; perhaps you will discover more in him than I can."
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Here Lamech took the key and carried it to Enoch, on this occasion saying to him:
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"Mighty friend and sole high priest of the one true, almighty, eternal God, behold, here are both keys together. I am handing them over to you; for only you are entitled therewith to open that which is God's, that is, what was erected by us to His glory and His praise in accordance with His most holy will."
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But Enoch said to Lamech: "Brother Lamech, but it is the Lord's will that you shall be to your people not so much a king, but also a priest, the Lord alone being a Lord in all might, strength and power from eternity!
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"So keep the keys of your priesthood and open for us the temple and the precinct when the time will come.
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"But let me add this: A priest is a true brother of the brothers in the love-order of God; but a king is already a judgment for the people.
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"If ever nations will find themselves under kings, they - namely, the nations - will be under judgment. The land will be taken from them and they will have to pay high taxes to the king; even their life will belong to him.
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"And he who will grumble and sulk because of it, him the king will not seldom punish to the last drop of blood.
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Then there will be much grief and tribulation on the whole earth.
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Therefore, from now on be a priest rather than a king to your people."
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And Lamech, beside himself with joy at his appointment as the Lord's priest, said to Enoch:
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"Mighty friend and High Priest of God! Hear, if I were a true thousand fold king I would relinquish all thousand kingships so as to be a worthier priest after your order."
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And Enoch answered him: "Brother, come to the table; for that which you want to be you already are. Let us now take the meal and fortify ourselves for the Lord's service."
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After that Lamech kept the keys and joyously sat down at the table eating and drinking like all the others.
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While he was thoroughly enjoying his meal he suddenly remembered that nobody had first blessed the food in the manner of Kisehel nor had anyone praised and thanked God.
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And he quickly stood up and said: "O my beloved friends and brothers! It is horrible! Of all days today when we have received so many inexpressible blessings from God and we are to be blessed with the great, great grace that the Lord, the great, almighty God, in His most holy name shall take His abode among us in the erected temple, we all forgot to first offer Him, the holy Giver of all good gifts, a most fitting praise before we dared put the tiniest morsel into the mouth!
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"Oh no, what have we done? I for one will rather die than eat anything for three days because of it."
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But the Lord smiled at Lamech, summoned him and then said to him: "Lamech, if you had a child who had committed a completely negligible offence against you; yet, realizing its mistake, it called out in despair: 'Father, it is horrible, - behold, I have sinned against you! Woe betide me, hence I will eat no morsel for three days even though I should die for hunger already on the second day!';
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"If you then said to the child: 'Listen, my beloved child! Your offence was only a slight, spontaneous mistake; therefore do not worry about it. So come here and love me; for I did not heed your supposed mistake!',
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"What would you prefer: the child to go to you and lovingly embrace you with its tender hands or to stick to its harsh intention?
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"You say: 'I would immensely prefer the poor child to come to me and lovingly embrace me.'
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"Good, say I to you, - thus also you do towards the heavenly Father what you recognize as better; for you, too, are His child and He will like it many times more than all your fasting!"
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And Lamech asked: "But where is the Father that I could go to Him and do like the child?"
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And the Lord spoke: "Lamech! Look here, here He is standing visibly before you! I am the Father, the God of heaven and earth!"
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Here they all fell down, and Lamech stammered: "O You holy Father! Be gracious and merciful towards me, a poor sinner! - Your holy will be done forever! Amen."