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 2 -

The Baptist bears witness to the Lord.

(John 1:6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

This man, who preached repentance by the Jordan and baptised the converted with water, was called John. In this man dwelt the spirit of the prophet Elias, and this was the same angel spirit who in the very beginning defeated Lucifer and later on the noted mountain wrestled with Lucifer for the body of Moses (as Michael).

(John 1:7) The same came for a witness (from above) to bear witness of the light that all men (benighted men) through him might believe (i.e. through his light might recognise the primordial light that had come to them).

This one came as an old as well as a new witness from above, that is, from the primordial light as a light that he might bear witness to the primordial light, of the primal essence of God, who now took on the flesh Himself and in the full likeness of the human form, Himself as a man, came to His human being, who are out of Him, in order to once more illuminate them in their night, thereby to return them to His primordial light.

(John 1:8) He was not that light (out of himself), but was sent to bear witness to that light (that is, he bore witness to men's benighted feeling of exaltation that now the primordial light Himself had descended from His eternal height to men as a lamb in humility to voluntarily take all their weaknesses (sins) upon Himself thereby to give back to men the original light and make them His equals).

This man was, of course, not the actual primordial light itself, but like all beings only a partial light out of the primordial light. But because of his extreme humility, it was granted to him to stay united with the primordial light.

Since he was, thus, in constant contact with the primordial light ands was well aware of the difference between It and his own light - although having gone forth from the primordial light, but not being that light, but only a light derived from it that he might recognise it and bear true witness of It - He bore valid witness to the primordial light thereby awakening in men's hearts sufficient of the true light to enable them to recognise, even though initially only faintly, but gradually more strongly and clearly, that the primordial light, now clothed in the flesh, is still the Same that gave all beings and men their independent existence which they may, if they so desire, keep for all eternity.

(John 1:9) That was the true light, which enlightens all men who come into this world.

Not the witness, but his testimony and He of whom he bore witness, were the true primordial light that from the very beginning has illuminated and animated all men coming into this world and continues to animate and illuminate them. Therefore, it says in verse 9 that the true and proper light is and was the one that created all men in their very beginning for a free existence and now came to abundantly enlighten this existence and render it once more similar to Himself.

(John 1:10) He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, but it did not recognise Him.

It has already been plainly discussed in verse 5 how this world, that is, benighted men who with their entire being have gone froth from Me or, which is the same, from the primordial light (the word) could fail to recognise Me or the primordial light, notwithstanding all the forerunners and proclaimers of My advent. However, it has to be specially mentioned that in this case under ' world' is not to be understood the earth, as carrier of souls under judgment which actually constitute matter, but only those people who, although partly derived from this matter, no longer belong, or are supposed to belong, to this primeval soul matter under judgment once they have been made independent beings, for it would really be asking too much if I demanded of the stone, which is still in an extreme state of judgment, to recognise Me. This can justifiably only be expected of a liberated soul in which My Spirit is dwelling.

(John 1:11) He came unto His own, and His own would not receive Him.

Thus, as already mentioned, not the earth, but only men in their soul and spirit nature are here to be regarded as actually the Lord's own - My own, because they are, as it were, themselves primordial light out of My primordial light and thus at one with My fundamental essence.

But since in this particular existence, which within them expresses itself as the feeling of exaltation, they are weakened and because of which weakness I came to them as into My original property and am still coming, they failed to recognise Me as a result also themselves and their very own fundamental essence which cannot ever be annihilated since it is basically My essence.

(John 1:12) But to all who did receive Him, He gave the right to become children of God, because they believed in His Name.

It is obvious that, with all those who did not receive or recognise Me, the original order was disturbed, and with this disorder there remained a state of suffering, the so-called 'evil' or 'sin'; whereas with many others who did receive Me, that is, who did recognise ME in their hearts, this evil had to vanish, since they were once more united with Me, as with the original order and primal might of all existence, finding therein themselves and My primordial light as the light within them and in it everlasting, imperishable life.

But they also found in such life that, thanks to it, they were not only My created beings, which was expressed by their lower life-consciousness, but that - since they carry My Self within them which only through the might of My will was given independence of Me - they are indisputably My very own children, because their light (their faith) is equal to My very own primordial light, wherefore it carries within the full might and power that dwell within Me and this might gives them the full right not just to be called My children, but to be it in all fullness.

For, faith is such a light and My name, toward which the mighty beams of this light are directed, is the power and might and the actual nature of My primal essence through which everyone accomplishes within himself the proper and fully valid sonship of God. That is why it says in verse 12 that all who will receive Me and believe in My name shall have the power within them to be rightly called ' children of God'.

(John 1:13) Who were not born of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

This verse is but a closer definition and explanation of the previous one, and in a smoother diction ten two verses together could also read, But those who received Him and believed in His name, to them He gave the right to be called 'children of God', who were not born of the blood nor of the will of the flesh (desire of the flesh), nor of the will of a man, but of God.

It goes without saying that here not a first birth as flesh from the flesh is meant, but only a second birth from the spirit of love for God and from the truth of living faith in the living name of God Who is called JESUS-JEHOVAH-ZEBAOTH. This second birth is also called 'the rebirth of the spirit through the baptism from the heavens', this being a good definition.

The 'baptism from the heavens' is the complete transition of the spirit and the soul with all its desires into the living spirit of love for God and the love in God Himself.

Once such a transition has taken place of man's own accord and all his love is now dwelling in God, then through such sacred love the whole person is dwelling within God where he is brought to maturity and strengthened as a new being and thus, after attainment of proper maturity, reborn of God. Only after such a second birth, which is preceded neither by the desire of the flesh nor man's procreative will, has man become a true child of God thanks to God's grace which is a free power of God's love in the human heart.

This grace is actually God's mighty prompting in the spirit of man through which he is drawn by the Father to the Son, that is, to the divine primordial light and thus which is the same, attains to the proper and living mighty wisdom of God.

Footnotes

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