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 71 -
The nature of the spirit.
1
(Raphael:) "Since we have some time left, I want to show you something else; otherwise you could think that I only deal with stones. See, the pillar is there and provided for, and it should stand there on the same spot for centuries and be maintained for a thousand years by the perseverance of my free will! So that especially you Romans can see, that for a spirit nothing is impossible, at the very same spot, where previously the mighty granite pillar was produced out of the air, a large date tree fully laden with ripe fruit should stand and at its sides two fig trees which should also not have a shortage of ripe fruit.
2
See, I said it and want it, and the said trees with copiously loaded fruits, already stand at the predetermined place! All of you go there and examine the said fruits with your palates, and I think, that they will taste very good to all of you.
3
All rose and went there, to examine the miracle. All said that they kind have never tasted fruit more noble and perfect.
4
Said the angel: "And now a dozen sheep created out of the air and placed on the green pasture in front of the house of our old and dear friend and brother Lazarus! - See, they are already quite happy there and are the property of our kind Lazarus!
5
Now, I think, you will recognize by these signs, what a pure spirit with a completely free will is capable of. Just think about it a little and then tell me how you have understood and comprehended these things, and a greater light will be given to you by the Lord! But now, think about everything very thoroughly!"
6
Said Agrikola: "Oh, my friend from the heavens of God, it would be quite easy to think, if we were already in your magnificent sphere; but our path of life till then may still be a pretty long one! Nevertheless, what you, heavenly friend, with the Lord's most merciful permission, have revealed to us, at least I understand on a human level sufficiently; only how the spirit's persistent will can be the very widely different materials of matter of the whole earth and even of other worlds in endless space, is impossible for us to understand like you, o heavenly friend, will understand it most clearly.
7
Matter is thus nothing and the soul, in a certain way a product of matter, on its own is also nothing; only the pure spirit on its own is a real something. From what material is therefore a pure spirit in and by itself made of, or what a something is it? This is a question which a mortal person, who out of his at least still half-material soul and out of his material body thinks and wills, can never fully answer for as long he himself did not became nearly completely spiritual. And thus you, heavenly friend, must be a little patient with us, if your explanations about this extremely tender point of life, despite your supporting miracle signs, still not provide us with that particular light, whereby we can get clarity, to what material the living pure spirit in and by itself is and what a something it is.
8
Yes, the word 'spirit' is quickly and easily spoken; but where is the understanding? Therefore a shorter or longer contemplation is useless and totally fruitless, and you, our dear, heavenly friend, could give us straight away a new, clearer explanation about the actual being of the pure spirit, but only if our lack of understanding does not annoy you too much."
9
Said Raphael: "To love God and to serve you people, who are called to become His children just like us pure spirits, is actually our highest joy and bliss! Why should something become annoying to me, which can give you even a greater light? Thus continue to pay attention to what I additionally will reveal to you about the being of a pure spirit!
10
od alone is the purest fundamental spirit of all spirits, and as such He is also the fundamental substance and the eternal primeval element of all primeval elements.
11
The pure spirit in itself as substance and element is a fire and a light or love and wisdom. But you mustn't imagine it as a material fire and a sensual love and also not as a light like the light of the earthly sun or a burning lamp - although a correspondence exists between the two - ; because the fire of the spirit is pure life and the light its wisdom."