The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Exegesis of the biblical Gospel of John
- Chapter 1 -
Short introduction into the spiritual understanding of the words of the Gospel of John, the favorite apostle of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This verse has already been the subject of a great many misrepresentations and interpretations; yes, even atheists have made use of this very text to dispute My Deity all the more surely since they in general denied the existence of the Deity. However, we are not going to once again present such false concepts whereby the confusion would only be increased, but shall bring light into the matter with the shortest possible explanation. This as itself light within the primordial light will automatically fight and conquer all misconceptions.
2
A main reason why such texts are not understood is unfortunately the very poor and incorrect translation of the Scriptures from the original tongue into the tongues of the present time; but this is for the best. For if the inner meaning of such texts were not hidden as well as it is, that which is holiest therein would long since have been utterly desecrated which would be disastrous for the entire earth. As things are, however, only the outer shell has been marred while the hallowed life has been preserved.
3
The time has come to show the true inner meaning of such texts to all who are worthy of participating in this knowledge, abut the unworthy will have to pay dearly, for in these things I will not be trifled with and I shall never take part in a trade.
4
Now the explanation shall follow this necessary prelude, but I will still add that here only the inner meaning pertaining to soul and spirit is to be understood and not the innermost, purest heavenly meaning. This is too holy and can be bestowed only on those in the world without harm who seek it through living their life in accordance with the precepts of the Gospel. But the inner meaning pertaining to the soul and spirit may easily be found, sometimes already by means of the correct translation in the respective vernacular of the time, which shall become evident in the explanation of the first verse.
5
The expression 'In the beginning' is most incorrect and greatly obscures the inner meaning, for thereby even the eternal existence of the Deity could be questioned and disputed, which was also done by some of the older philosophers from whose school the present-day atheists have actually gone forth. But if we now render this text correctly, its cover will be found to be only very thin and it will not be difficult to discover the inner meaning quite clearly and sometimes very accurately through such a thin cover.
6
The correct translation shall read thus, In the primordial essence, or also in the primal cause (of all life) was light (the great holy creative thought, the existential idea). This light was not only in, but also with God, that is, The light came forth from God as substantially visible and was thus not only in, but also with God and, as it were, flowed around the primordial divine essence. Thereby the basis for the eventual incarnation of God was given, which becomes plainly evident in the following text.
7
Who or what actually was this light, this great thought, this most holly fundamental idea of all future substantial, utterly free existence? - It could not possibly be anything else but God Himself, since God, through God and from God nothing but God Himself could manifest in His eternally, most perfect being - and thus this text may also be read as follows,
8
In God was the light; the light flowed through and around God, and God Himself was the light.
9
Now that the first verse has been made sufficiently clear and can be comprehended by anyone with some measure of enlightenment, the second verse is self-explanatory and only bears witness to the fact that the above described word or light or the great creative thought did not come later into existence out of the primordial being of God, but is as eternal as God, itself God, and therefore does not contain within itself any process of coming into existence. That is why the explanation - by way of giving witness - follows, The same was in the beginning, or in the primal Cause of all existence, and in all later existence - as the First Cause itself with, in and out of God, thus itself God through and through.
10
This verse confirms and substantiates, as it were, what had already in the first verse plainly presented itself as the 'word' or 'light' in the primordial essence of all being or coming into existence, completely present, but not yet fully manifest.
11
Accordingly, this third verse in its correct rendition should read as follows, All existence came into being from this primal existence which in itself is the eternal First Cause of its existence through and through. The light, word and will of hits existence set its very own light, its eternal idea of creation, out of itself into a tangible, visible existence, and there is nothing in the entire eternal infinity that did not go forth from the same First Cause in the same way assuming a manifest and visible existence.
12
Whoever has now fully comprehended these three plainly explained verses must find the meaning of verse 4 quite clear.
13
It is obvious that the First Cause of all existence, the light of lights, the original thought of all thoughts and ideas, the archetype as the eternal original form of all forms, firstly, could not be formless and, secondly, could not be dead, since death signifies the very opposite to all existence in whatever form. Thus there was a most perfect life in this word or light or in this great thought within God, fundamentally God Himself. So God was from eternity the most perfect fundamental life in and out of Himself through and through, and this light or life called forth out of itself all created beings, and this light or life was the light and also the life within the creatures, within the human beings that had gone forth from Him. Thus these creatures and human beings were a complete image of the primordial light which gave them their existence, light, and a life very similar to the eternal primordial existence.
14
The primordial life in God is and must be a perfectly free life, otherwise it would be as good as no life at all. This same life must be one and the same life in the created beings, otherwise it would not be life and, thus, without life also would be without existence. It is obvious that the created beings - men - could only be given a completely free life, which has to be aware of itself as a complete life, but also had to realise that it was not a life that had come forth from itself, but had come forth as fully equal out of God in accordance with His eternally almighty will.
15
This perception had to be present in all created beings, just as the one that their life and existence must be completely equal to that of God, as otherwise they would not have any life or existence.
16
When we now consider this circumstance more closely, it becomes evident that two feelings must meet in the created beings, namely, in the first place, the feeling of equality with God or the presence of God's primordial light within them, and then, resulting from this light, also the feeling of having been created at some time through the primordial will of the Creator.
17
The first feeling makes the created being without fail equal to the Creator and, as if it had come into existence out of itself, completely independent of the eternal First Cause as if comprising it within itself. The second vital consciousness, necessarily arising from the first, must still consider and regard itself as having been called forth from the actual First Cause, an only in the course of time freely manifested being, and thus most dependent on the First Cause.
18
Now this humbling realisation turns the initial feeling of exaltation also into a feeling of humility, which for the feeling of exaltation is a most necessary and unavoidable matter as will be plainly shown hereinafter.
19
The feeling of exaltation puts up a mighty resistance to such humiliation and wants to crush the other feeling.
20
Such a conflict then causes anger and finally hate against the First Cause of all that exists and resulting from that against the lowly feeling of humility and dependence, whereupon the feeling of exaltation becomes weak and benighted and the primal light within the created being gives way to night and darkness. This night and this darkness is then hardly able to recognise the primal light within itself and, as blind but still independent, distances itself from the First Cause of its existence and creation unable to recognise the same in its delusion.
21
Therefore, this primordial light may shine in such night as brightly as it may, but since the night, although it has also originated from the light is no longer able to see properly, it does not recognise the light coming into such night in order to transform it once more into the true original light.
22
Thus also I, as the eternal primordial essence of all existence and as the original Light of all light and life, came into the world of darkness to those who had come forth from Me, but they did not recognise Me in the night of their weakened feeling of exaltation.
23
For this 5th verse points out how, in accordance with the original standards and circumstances, I have come into the world created by Me and out of Me as fully the Same that I was from eternity and the world fails to recognise Me as its very own fundamental existence.
24
But I, as the First Cause of all existence, could not fail to foresee in My eternal, primordial light how through the constant conflict the feeling of exaltation, as the primal light within men, kept growing ever weaker and as the vital light also dimmer, finally to end in darkness, an that therefore men, if I came to them in the image they had been given out of Me would not recognise Me. At least very many would fail to recognise Me, especially if I came to them as a Deus ex machina (a suddenly appearing God) unexpectedly and without warning in a limited human form, in which case I would have to blame Myself that men could not possibly recognise Me because they would not be prepared for My advent in this way.
25
I did, indeed, realise this from eternity and, therefore, had this My advent, already beginning with men's first coming into existence, independent of Me, right to the time of My actual arrival, foretold to men through many seers who did not lose My light in the conflict. They faithfully described the circumstances and even the place and time of My advent. At the time of My actual arrival I caused great signs to take place and awakened a man, in whom dwelt a high primordial spirit, that he might announce to all the blind people My advent and full presence on earth.