The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 119 -
Phenomenon near the Dead Sea.
The glowing that now and then took place near the Dead Sea became stronger and more violent and was repeated more frequently than in the beginning. It seemed to be a strong lightning from far away. Consequently, this was the start for all kinds of discussions.
2
Even Lazarus said that he never saw this kind of phenomenon with such great intensity. Also the Jewish Greeks affirmed that. The poor servants and workers, together with the still present adulteress and the good-looking Helias with her family said the same thing and all were surprised to see such phenomenon.
3
Only the Romans looked at it quite indifferently and Agricola said to Me: "Lord, this is not bad, but our burning mountains are really something else."
4
I said: "Oh yes, they certainly are, but they are not more noteworthy than this lake, for in this lake a big, sad human history lies buried, just as in the to you Romans well-known Caspian Sea. And therefore, these phenomena are far more noteworthy than those of your burning mountains, which are known to Me. And I also know that only a few decades ago some cities were completely buried by a violent eruption of your Vesuvius.
5
But still, this phenomenon is far more noteworthy, because in this fight of nature thousands of human souls are involved which are drawn by the nature spirits into a futile fight against Me, whereas with your burning mountains nature spirits alone fight against the laws of My order. And look, that is a great difference.
6
In order to make this even clearer to you, I will open up your inner vision for a few moments and you will see very strange things."
7
At this very moment Agricola already had the second sight and at once he exclaimed: "Lord, relieve me from this sight, for I see the most horrible things! Oh, what figures! Our imagined furies are nothing compared to them! The entire lake and the air far beyond the clouds are filled with countless of the most horrible ghosts! Oh, there is a devastating war of such unimaginable cruelty as has never occurred among men on Earth! What do these beings actually want to achieve?
8
However, I also see a great number of attractive serious looking white beings who are hurrying after them and the monsters are fleeing from them. Who are those white human forms who are rushing to this most horrible site?"
9
I said: "These horrible figures are the former Sodomites. By the fight that they want to pursue against Me they are becoming less hardened, and are also brought into a better order by the white spirits hurrying after them, whom we will describe as spirits of peace and order.
10
The cool wind you now feel blowing from the north is nothing else but those numerous white spirits before whom the angry and wicked fire spirits who come out of the lake are fleeing. If you have had enough of watching this, be once more in your natural state."
11
At the same moment Agricola was back in his natural state and said to Me: "Lord, Lord, more than 1.500 years must have passed since Sodom and Gomorrah perished together with the other 10 cities. Did the souls who lived at that time still not reach a better state of cognition in the kingdom of spirits?"
12
I said: "Yes, My friend, you have now seen a little yourself how difficult it is to better a completely depraved soul in the beyond in such a way that he may come to some insight and realization of how wicked he is and that he can as such never be free and happy.
13
Once a soul understands this, he will turn away from his old wickedness, will begin to despise and abhor himself and will try to become better within. Even if now and then he still relapses into a former sin, he does not abide with it but regrets it and has no desire to commit it again. Thus, gradually, his evil passions will decrease and cool off, and then it becomes lighter in such a soul.
14
And because the white spirits of peace that you saw, are first helping to improve that wicked soul, such a spirit who has improved his life will first go over to these spirits to practice there patience, good order and peace.
15
If therein he has gained some stability, he can pass into an even better state which, however, he should not look upon it as a reward for his improvement, but only as a natural result of his inner order. For, if a soul who has - unnoticed - been bettered in this way, realizes that his better state has been given by Me as a reward for his efforts, which is truthfully the case, his former selfishness would soon again awaken within him. Therefore, he would strive even more to become better and lighter but only in order to receive soon a greater reward but not to become purer and better for the sake of what is good.
16
For these easy to understand reasons true improvement of a depraved soul progresses only very slowly in the beyond. For in order that a soul can continue to exist, My omnipotence must affect him only insofar as he is placed in conditions of life that must appear to him as a necessary consequence of his evil actions. And only in this way is it possible to truly and actively better such a soul in and from himself. Whether that happens earlier or later is ultimately the same to Me. And also regarding eternity wherein all past and future times are completely made equal. Just as it is the same to Me whether man has lived on this Earth many thousands of years earlier or later, for in eternity the first man of this Earth will have no advantage over the one who was born into this world as the last one.
17
Yet, it is for the soul himself inexpressible much better if his perfection of life is attained as soon as possible. In the first place because such a soul has obviously less to suffer and secondly a more zealous soul will necessarily have a considerable advantage over a lazy soul who lags behind. Just as here on Earth a walker who eagerly sets out on his journey many a day earlier than someone who is slow and lazy and takes a long time before he decides to start the walk. While the zealous one can already fully enjoy the great advantages of his diligence and zeal, the lazy one has only hardly made the first step on the long road ahead of him, and besides that, he continued to look back and was considering if ever he should make the second step or maybe still stay at home for some more time. Yes, if such a slow spirit who undertakes nothing, lives in poverty for a long time, being in want and languishing while his zealous fellowman hurried ahead of him and received important goods, then the lazy person will certainly have no enviable advantage compared to the zealous one. On the contrary, for once a person runs ahead, he will be ahead forever, and those who are limping behind will not be able to catch him.
18
This makes for Myself of course no difference, for I am and remain the One I have been from eternity. However, for the spirits there will be endlessly great differences in the degree of their happiness. Do you understand this My friend?"