The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and the Priests of the Temple (John 5)
- Chapter 13 -
The new star with the New Jerusalem. The requirement for eternal life.
Then Lazarus asked: "Lord, there is a strange star that I have never seen before! What sort of star is it and what does it mean?"
2
I said: "Just be calm; for soon you will all get to know this star better!"
3
Thereupon I opened for a few moments the inner vision of all those present, and the star became a world full of light. In its centre stood a New Jerusalem with twelve gates, its walls built from as many kinds of precious stones as the city had gates. Through all the gates angels passed in and out; several times also Moses, Elias and many other prophets appeared. Now the Jews were extremely amazed and began to praise and glorify Me for showing and bestowing on them so much grace. I then restored them to their natural state and now all they saw was the bright star which kept getting smaller and smaller until finally it disappeared.
4
When this whole scene was over, nearly all of them asked Me at once what this might have been.
5
Said I: "What you saw was this My new teaching which I am giving you from the heavens. It is the true New Jerusalem from the heavens, for the old one on earth is no longer good for anything. The twelve gates mean the true twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve kinds of precious stones in the city walls are the ten commandments of Moses and the upper two rows consisting of diamonds and rubies signify My two commandments of love for God and love for the fellowman. The angels passing through the gates mean the many truths people find through the faithful compliance with My teaching. Those leaving the city mean the great wisdom of this My teaching, and the many entering it indicate that man shall admit this My teaching, which is pure love, also into his heart and act accordingly, so that he might attain the true rebirth of the spirit and thereby be guided into all truth and wisdom.
6
That is the meaning of this vision, and it is also the true sun of grace for anyone who hears My word and lives accordingly, and all who now and in the future believe in Me will forever be there and live with Me and together with Me guide and conduct all that has been created in eternal space.
7
At the present time you do not - and cannot - understand all this. However, if you continue to believe in Me and act according to this My teaching, you will in the maturity of your faith and love be baptized by the Holy Spirit, which I shall send to all who actively believe in Me and in Him Who sent Me out of Himself into this world, incarnated as a Son of Man. For, strictly speaking, this is the true, eternal life, that you believe in Me, as the true Son of the Father in Heaven, and live according to His teaching.
8
When the Spirit which I have mentioned to you before will come to you and permeate you, you will understand of your own accord all that you now see and hear but are incapable of understanding as purely natural men. For the flesh cannot comprehend the spirit and, being dead anyway, has no life other than that which it can derive temporarily from the vital force of the soul that is related to the spirit and is able to become like it and unite with it, provided it turns its senses away from the world and only towards the innermost spiritual, in the order and manner shown by My teaching and My very own example."
9
Therefore every one of you should seek to save his soul through its own power; for if it comes into judgment, will it be able to save itself then without the right means, if it cannot save itself here with so many means which are at its disposal, not thinking that it is an invaluable possession itself which, if it gets lost, cannot be bought or acquired again by any means?!
10
Therefore each one of you should seek to save his soul above all else! For I say to you all that on the other side it will be thus: Whoever has love, truth and thus the correct ordinance of God in himself, to him will immediately be given very much more; but whoever does not have that or has too little, from him even that little that he has will also be taken, so that he then will have nothing and will stand there naked, destitute and thus without help. Who will then take pity on him and pay the ransom for him?! Truly I say to you all: An hour here is worth more than a thousand years there! Write these words deep into your heart; but for the time being everyone should keep it for himself!"