The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 15 -
Raphael explains the relation of the planets to the sun.
When Raphael had shown all the planets that were mentioned to the Romans in the manner described, he furthermore said to them: "It is not enough for you to know that the conditions of these stars are quite different from what you totally erroneously thought. You also should very clearly understand the relation of all the planets, which you have seen now, to the sun. So pay attention now.
2
I will put the sun very small before your eyes. Firstly you can see here a rather big ball with a diameter of 1 man's height surrounded by a powerful, white radiance. This ball which represents the sun may not be surrounded by the full strength of the light of the sun, otherwise you will not be able to look at it more closely. So let it be sufficient for you to know that this ball represents the sun.
3
Look, the radiance, which surrounds the ball, is the own atmosphere of this celestial body which completely surrounds it. The real sun, which in its entirety is about 1.000 times 1.000 times greater than this Earth, has a radiance that is a lot more powerful. But be attentive now, I will open up this radiant surrounding for a few moments, so that you will be able to see how the actual solid sun globe looks like and also that it was created by the Lord for still a lot of other reasons than only to illuminate and to warm up the other celestial bodies."
4
Then the 3 went closer to the ball - to the place where it was uncovered, and they watched it with great attention. Raphael gave detailed and easy to understand explanations.
5
When the 3 had received, and also understood, a very correct overview of the sun in hardly a 1/4 of an hour, of its arrangement, its living environment and its activity, influence and relation in respect to the other planets of which they could recognize the corresponding arrangement in certain belts, Raphael said: "Be very attentive now, for now will come for you Romans the actual main thing. Once you will understand that, you also will be freed from the wrong belief by which you think that the Earth is the center, and that everything - the sun, the moon and all the stars - move around the Earth and must travel every day trough your sea, which according to you reaches from one end of the sky to the other.
6
There is our sun ball, and look, I will first line up in a straight line from the sun ball, and in their right proportion and distance, all the planets that you know."
7
Then the Romans saw first Mercury, after that Venus, then the Earth, and one after another the other planets, all in the right proportion and right distance, and they had to walk of course quite a distance along the flat shore of the lake before they came to Saturn. Besides that, they discovered in a still greater distance 2 illuminated points that looked like planets, and they asked Raphael what they were.
8
Raphael said: "I told you in the beginning that, besides those planets that you know by name, there still are a few others. But these are of no concern to you now. In later times they also will be discovered by some wise people and will be described in detail.
9
Between Mars and Jupiter you also can see a great number of illuminated points that look like planets. Also these are of no concern to you now. In time also these will be discovered by those wise men and be described in detail. If you later want to know more about these, then speak to the disciples of the Lord about them, for they are initiated in all the secrets of the visible starry sky. Also in Kis with the great toll renter Kisjona, who is present here now, you easily will find a Greek with the name Philopold, who is also here now, and besides that also a few highly placed Romans even in Rome who are initiated in all those things. You can learn many things from them.
10
But we will leave this to rest now and return to our sun ball, so that I still can show you the movements of the different planets around the sun."
11
Now the 3 returned with Raphael to the sun ball.
12
Raphael placed it high in the sky, so that all the planets could circle around it. It was still visible in the middle of all the planets, and the planets circled around it in the corresponding proportions, but in a short time. Raphael divided the time of 1 hour so well that for instance Saturn only needed 1 hour for its complete circuit, and all the closer planets moved in proportionate, mathematically accurate shorter spaces of time, as well as the moons around the bigger planets to which they belonged. This was an exceptionally amazing spectacle for the Romans - and this all the more because Raphael explained all those movements precisely and very understandably.
13
When Saturn returned again at the point where it began to move, Raphael let everything disappear again and said: "Now we do not need the examples anymore since they have accomplished their good service for you. If you understand and also realize this matter from its true basis that this is the only way it can be and not otherwise, then we will return to the house of the righteous Ebal."
14
The Romans were satisfied with that and walked now very happily with Raphael to Ebal's house where they all met us at the table where we cheerfully partook of the evening meal.
15
The first thing they did was to thank Me for everything they had learned in such a short time by that wonderful young man.
16
I said to them: "Now come and sit with us, eat and drink and strengthen yourselves. Only after that we will talk with each other again."
17
At once, that is what the 3 also did, and they refreshed themselves with fish, bread and wine.