The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Abila
- Chapter 59 -
The castle of Melchisedech.
But there is also a big cemented cellar, made of basalt stones in this castle. Did you never discover or see it?"
2
The eldest and 2 of his nephews who were almost as old as him, said: "Yes, there once must have existed a cellar full of the best wine, and also other treasures must be hidden in it, but no one of us has ever dared to go into the subterranean spaces and investigate amidst all kinds of malicious vermin and other evil powers. And thus no one of use knows the real, exact entrance to the mentioned cellar. Where and how can we enter it? I suppose that by Your power, also that, just like all the rest, will be in excellent condition now?"
3
I said: "If you believe that, sure. But since no one of you knows its entrance, follow Me and I will bring you to the cellar."
4
Then the eldest and 10 of his family members followed Me with one of the many torches of wax that we took from the kitchen, and we also lighted it there. A gallery led from the mentioned big kitchen to a big door that was made of a plate of basalt. I showed them how the door could be easily opened, and I Myself opened the big and heavy gate. When the gate was open, large stairs became visible at once, along which we could easily come into the very spacious, big cellar.
5
When we were in the cellar, about which those poor Jews were again extremely amazed, we found a large quantity of big and small containers of stone and also a still larger quantity of drinking utensils made of stone, ceramic, silver and also gold, about which the poor Jews were of course extremely surprised and they did not know whether also these things were created by Me in a miraculous manner or if they still dated from primordial times, which could be suspected from their appearance.
6
And I said to them: "All the things that we have found here come from the time of the great King and High Priest of Salem. This was on Earth His castle, which - just like the mountains with their many extraordinary caves and holes - was not built by human hands, but by that same power by which it is now constructed again, for only I am the true King of Salem and High Priest Melchisedech from eternity.
7
But take now the carafes and fill them with wine of which you have here a very big quantity in the big containers."
8
Now the poor Jews were very joyful and took the drinking utensils, but they did not know how to take out the wine from the big containers of stone that were completely hermetically closed with heavy plates of smooth stone.
9
Then I showed them at the bottom of the containers a somewhat protruding opening that was closed up with a plug. They pulled the plug with ease out of the opening and at once, an old, excellent wine flowed out into the drinking utensil that was held under, and its very strong smell indicated immediately to all those who were present - also to the captain and one of his subordinates - that this was an old, excellent wine.
10
When all the drinking utensils were filled, and one after the other was carried in the big dining hall and put on the table, and those who served the wine were with us again while we stayed behind in the cellar, I said to the eldest: "Look, although this wine was also pressed from grapes that were grown in this land, but it is almost as old as this castle. This is a wine of tithes that was brought as an offering by all the kings over whom the King of Salem ruled, and it had to be saved until now, so that I, as completely the same King, and those who believe in Me and follow Me, would drink now from that old wine of tithes.
11
As long as this castle will exist in My name, also this wine will not exhaust. Nevertheless, 300 years after My ascension, this castle and a big part of this city will be so much destroyed by the power of our adversaries that one will no more recognize the place were it is standing now. But that is not important, for I am building now a new castle for Myself in the hearts, and once that it will be strongly established it will never more be destroyed.
12
So all these old memorials will then also completely disappear, so that men would not commit idolatry with them. But until almost 300 years after My ascension this castle will still be standing, and this wine will not exhaust. And all this will serve as accommodation for those who will flee from Jerusalem, and it will strengthen them."