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 60 -
The Greeks on the path to the only true God.
Said the Greek: "Ah, now yes, - and I must openly admit that this is truly a marvellous divine custom! But since we are already talking, we would like to ask you for an explanation about the meaning of last night's light phenomenon. The whole city is even today still in great excitement, and most of the foreign merchants have already left the city with their stock of goods last night, because they did not know what the consequence of this phenomenon in the very near future could be. Besides, no one is buying anything, and all are full of fear in expectation of the terrible things, which - especially in view of the second appearance - could break loose over this city and over the whole country of the Jews. Yes, even we ourselves, if we had not got to know you better, would have disappeared over hill and dale. But we thought about you and consoled ourselves with the fact, that we would receive some kind of satisfying explanation from you today. And thus we beg you for it!"
2
Said the angel: "Look at us and all the other people who are here, and you will find nowhere any fear or distress! But why? Because we only know and understand too well, what this phenomenon means. We know and understand this so easily, because we are clairvoyant in the light of God; but those down there are blind and therefore see and understand nothing, and their great fear is thus in fact already a very just punishment for their self-willed blindness and evilness.
3
This phenomenon signifies for the good only good, but for the evil only evil, and thus according to this phenomenon the good can expect good and can easily be optimistic and cheerful. So become good people after the teaching which I have given to you today, then also you can only expect good here and in the beyond! If you have understood this well, you too can be optimistic and cheerful, and for the time being you do not need anything else; since what I told you here, is the fullest truth."
4
Said the spokesman: "Most wonderful and at the same time most wise friend! We all thank you; for you and the friendly landlord, who is probably your father or a very close relative, have faithfully promised us yesterday, to today make us closer acquainted with the only true God, and you have done this well, and about that we are happy and delighted and thank you again with our whole heart, and we promise you dearly, that we will adhere to this teaching, and this in the most precise manner.
5
But now we have another question, after which we will quietly move on. Down there you have a temple, in which, as we have heard, the one and only true God of the Jews is worshiped. What is with this God? Is there also any importance attached to it? Is this the same God, which you have taught us more about, or is this also only a dead idol, as we have a very great number of them?"
6
Said Raphael: "There was a time when the only true God was worshiped in this temple, and His commandments were preached to the people, and those acting against the laws were taught by the teachers of God, that they should amend themselves and do penance and return to God, whom they have turned away from through their sins. The sinners did that and the mercy and love of God returned to them, and those who did not do penance were punished by God, through the loss of His grace, - often for the rest of their lives. They had to endure many sufferings, and when death finally came over them, they had no consolation and died in great pain, in great fear and terror. Those who kept the commandments of God, never lost God's grace, lived in good health and a cheerful life in God, and the death of the body was not painful for them; no fear and no terror accompanied them.
7
But as it was once, it is not the case any longer. The teachers of God became pure world people. They still use the name of the one, true God with their mouths, but in their hearts not one spark of belief in Him is left, likewise no spark of love for Him and are therefore along with their temple full of the darkest godlessness. Therefore God indicated to them in this night, what they can expect for their complete godlessness. And I have said to you before that this phenomenon contains only good for the good while the only the evil and godless people can expect evil.
8
Down there, as well as in the whole country, according to birth live Jews; but in their faith and behaviour they are worse than the darkest gentiles, and therefore all grace and all life's light of God will be taken away from them and given to the gentiles. Therefore I am telling you already now a few things about the only true God, and at home you can tell what you have heard and seen to your family and friends. Within a few years messengers will be sent from us to you, who will teach you in the widest sense the most clear and mightiest truths out of God.
9
And since you have heard this from me who is also a messenger from God, you can in the name of the one, only true God go in peace back to your country, and if you come across a storm at sea, call on the one and only true God for help, and the storm will soon die down, and during the rest of the whole long trip you will encounter no more hardship! And this will also serve you as a testimony, that the only one, true God with the power and strength of His spirit is present everywhere as Lord over nature and over all elements, and that all forces of nature are at home in His almighty willpower."
10
Here the Greeks thanked the angel very much for this teaching and promise.
11
But before they got ready to move on, the spokesman asked by saying: "Most dear friend, full of the power of God! Will the one, only true God, who most likely is present among you as a person like yourself, notice that, if far away from all land and shores on the high seas, we are encountering distress by severe storms?"
12
Said the angel: "If already I know about it, how much more the highest spirit of God! See, I as a Jew standing before you, was in this my personality never in Athens where you are at home, nevertheless, I know in my spirit everything that happens in your big city, and everything that exists in your house and happens at any time therein! - Do you believe me?"
13
Said the Greek somewhat embarrassed: "O yes, I believe you, that you based on your inner, miraculous strength could know about everything; but under my big house is - "
14
The angel continued by saying: " - a catacomb, where you keep a lot of gold, silver and precious stones, which your courageous and very smart sea pirates have taken from a Roman merchant ship seven years ago. According to our laws such a deed would be a very great sin before God; since you should not do to your neighbour, what you do not want that your neighbour to do to you! But at that stage you were not familiar with the law of our God and gave a sacrifice to your God Mercury for the successful robbery, and you could not have sinned against the law of our God, because it was absolutely unknown to you.
15
But in future you and all of you, should not continue with such activities anymore; because if you would pursue this again, the grace of the only true God will never become part of you. At the same time you also live under the rather wise laws of Rome, which very strictly prohibit robbery and theft. If you keep to the Roman state laws, you will not that easily sin against the commandments of God. - Do you understand this?"
16
Said the Greek: "I can see now, that nothing is unknown to you children of the only true God; and if at any stage I would have been familiar with your pure divine laws as today, then this robbery would never have taken place, just as it will never happen again. Since no person on earth can undo what has been done, I ask you now, what should I do with this stolen treasure."
17
Said the angel: "He, from whom you have robbed these treasures is anyway much richer than you are, which means that he does not need those treasures; but you have a very large number of poor people in your country, to whom you can do good. Since the Lord God says: 'What you do to the poor, you have done to Me, and I will repay you already here and hundred-fold in My kingdom!' Use therefore you superfluous treasures and give it to the poor you know, and you will thereby expiate your sins before God and the people! - And now you may depart in peace from here!"
18
The Greeks thanked once again and started to leave.