The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 83 -
Why dead bodies are decomposing slowly.
The scribe said: "Lord and Master, only now are the things which are related to dying completely clear to me, but a couple of things of minor importance, which however do not belong to the process of dying, I still would like to see explained by You, because by the spreading of Your teaching, more precisely among the gentiles, we certainly can expect questions concerning this on which we then - if we should not be instructed by You about this - could not give an answer.
2
It is concerning the following two points, the first is: why must the body of man decompose and perish only slowly? It surely would be in Your power to dissolve it in one moment and to change it into something else, because this slow decomposing and perishing of a dead body makes on every human being an unpleasant impression, and the decomposing of many bodies infects the air and has a harmful influence on the health of living men. Now, if a body, as soon as it is completely dead, would perish for instance like a flake of snow in the sun, then in the first place this would be more decent for man, and secondly men would have nothing to fear of the filthy emanations during the long lasting decomposing of the body and they also could safe the often considerable expenses of the funeral and the sad trouble. So this is the first point about which I gladly would like to have a more detailed explanation from You.
3
The second one is: will the soul, when he is liberated from the body, be able to look back on this Earth, if he wants it, and see its changes and also see men's behavior? That is the second point about which I still would like to hear a couple of words from You, o Lord and Master."
4
I said: "My friend, what concerns the first point, this is how it is concluded in My order, that the body for totally different and certainly very wise reasons is only decomposing and changing slowly. But when a person has lived according to My order, his dead body will anyway be changed more quickly, and during the process of decomposing it will not spread filthy emanations. Only when a person has accumulated by his sins many impure spirits, who then will come free during the process of decomposing, a disgusting smell will develop and can have a bad influence on the health of the other people when the body lies too long unburied somewhere in the open air. But a couple of days will not matter.
5
However, if I would allow a dead body, which is full of impure spirits to decompose suddenly, those impure spirits who did come free by that in great numbers, would certainly immediately and fast as lightning jump on those people who are nearest and would harm them seriously and even kill some.
6
But during the slow decomposition the impure spirits are changing first into a countless number of small and also bigger worms. These are consuming the body and finally also each other. Next they are decomposing themselves and are ascending in already purer fluids to the surface of the Earth where they again are changed into all kinds of herbs and then from this to a more pure kind of worms and insects. Look, this is how My wisdom and My order want it, and I have told you now precisely as much about it as is necessary for man to know. The rest will be imparted to you by the spirit when this will be necessary for you to know.
7
What concerns your second question, it is obvious that perfect souls - as I have shown to you on the Mount of Olives - will see not only this Earth but also, if they want it, the whole creation and observe it in all directions. Also the guidance and leading of the living human beings on the celestial bodies and also the other creatures will be entrusted to them. And then it is certainly obvious that perfect souls must and will also see the material creations.
8
But imperfect and evil and dark souls will not be able to do that - that would also not be good, because in their great malicious pleasure and thirst for revenge they certainly would inflict great harm to the Earth and all creatures. Although they are staying in the depths of this Earth and also in many holes and caves of the Earth, but still they do not see the place where they are, but only their unfounded and vague image of their fantasy. Only now and then one or the other deceased soul is permitted to become aware of the material place where he lives. In such a state, he then also knows what one of his family members or also another human being is doing on Earth, how he is, and still many other things, but everything only for a few moments. After that, he returns directly again to his futile place of fantasy where he finds others of his kind. For also with the imperfect and evil souls it is so that those who are like-minded are grouping together in unions, but of course not in good ones, for only the blessed spirits unite in good unions. All the rest I have explained and shown to you already on the Mount of Olives and consequently this is enough. Did you all understand this well?"
9
All of them said, also the scribe: "Yes, Lord and Master. Please be always merciful and charitable to us sinners, so that later we would not come into the unions of evil souls, and be patient with still many weaknesses of us. You only be eternally praised and honored."