The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the mountain town of Pella
- Chapter 52 -
The background of the 17 spirits.
What concerns the appearance of the 17 spirits: that corresponds to the insatiable greediness of the animals in which form they had to visibly appear here.
2
When I first dictated the laws for the people of Israel to Moses on the Mount Sinai, with flashes of lightning, thunder, fire and smoke, Moses desired - on My command and referring to My presence - a suitable soberness for the greedy people so that their souls could better accept the truths that were proclaimed to them from the mountain.
3
But the people asked Moses, and through him also to Me, if they could retreat from the mountain in a faraway valley because of the great fear and fright for the continuous flashes of lightning and thunder and the fire and the smoke. It would stay there completely sober - and asking if Moses with his brother Aaron would only settle the important things with Me.
4
When a great part of the people asked and insisted, the desire was granted. That great part of the people went immediately with all their belongings to a valley that was quite far away from the mountain. For a few weeks they observed Moses' request quite well, but when Moses stayed away for a longer time the people forgot him and Me, slaughtered calves and sheep and took meal after meal.
5
Then one of those 17 came forward and tempted the people, because with the help of others he molded a golden calf, asked the people to assemble and said: 'This is our most important food. It is thanks to this that we are alive in this meager desert where our flocks can hardly find enough food. Let us highly honor this valuable symbol and worship it. Prepare now meal after meal and let us be joyful and cheerful around this symbol. Then you must choose us as your commanders, then we will be able to lead you to a fruitful land more quickly than Moses who has completely forgotten us with his ark. In Egypt we learned from the cunning crocodiles what we have to do to catch a good prey. So follow us, then we will not lack abundant meals.'
6
And look, many let themselves be seduced to do what these greatest troublemakers advised them.
7
However, when a crowd was dancing around the golden calf I sent Moses to them. Urged by Me, he became inflamed in a justified zealous anger and broke the stone tables of the law. Immediately after that, winged snakes came as if glowing, which was in accordance with the justified zealous anger of Moses, and they bit the renegades, and the one who was bitten, had to die. The first among them were our 17 spirits who wanted to acquire fruitful lands and fat roasted meat with the cunningness and greediness of crocodiles. And for this reason they still had to appear here in the form that corresponds to their character.
8
This man is not a descendant of the 17, but already since his childhood he used to eat a lot, and because of that he later became a real glutton. And that bad attitude gave the 17 evil spirits access to enter his inward parts.
9
But it was to his advantage. Since at first they urged his body to eat even more, his stomach soon lost the ability to consume the food, and the man could then hardly digest anything anymore, so that one was surprised that he could survive with hardly any food. Because of that, he also lost his great gluttony, and by that his soul became more spiritual and stronger in himself. And since his body and still more his soul were restored in the right order, it was the right moment to free him from his tormenting spirits.
10
At the same time, that twofold possession had still another great advantage, namely for the inhabitants of Abila who lost almost their whole faith, for they were for the greatest part followers of the doctrine of Diogenes - thus stoics in the highest degree - and did not believe in the survival of the human soul after the death of the body.
11
Well now, the possession of these 2 awakened the belief of many in the survival of the soul after the death of the body, although not completely, but still certainly for half. And now after what the 2 formerly possessed ones and their family members have experienced and seen, it will be easy to completely free the inhabitants of Abila from their already deeply rooted stoicism.
12
And so, for everything in this world that is allowed by Me, there is nothing that is not for the well being of men. And you, My friend, will very well realize that, just like the others who are present.
13
Since you also know now the situation of the 17 spirits, we will now wait and see whether not one of them will return."