The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 146 -
ABEDAM MEETS A STRANGER
Accompanied by many blessings, Abedam departed from the hallowed place and hurried to his own, fully laden with the most glorious treasures from the heavens. And as he, full of exalted thoughts and love for the Lord, returned on the same road they had earlier all walked so wonderfully from the evening region, behold, at the spot where they had all rested and he had been the sale companion of Asmahael, there suddenly appeared a vigorous young man and asked him:
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"Where are you going at this late hour? Behold, already the sun is touching the edge of the mountain and the moon is still distant with its light. The road is uneven and the path full of stones. Listen, Abedam, I have heard that in the presence of all the patriarchs great things have happened where the children of the midnight dwell I want to go there to see some of it, too, but especially the strengthened patriarchs. Would you not like to turn back and lead me there?"
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And Abedam, without a moment's rel1ection, asked the stranger: "Yes, I shall be pleased to do what you desire, but would you not like to tell me your name, if you have one, so that I can introduce you to the fathers?"
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But the stranger responded with the same question, saying: "If you tell Me your name I will give you Mine and will tell you still something else. But first tell Me your name."
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Then Abedam was startled and said to the stranger: "How can you ask me my name? You called me by my name when you stopped me and asked me to accompany you back to the place where such great unheard-of things have happened! How am I to understand this?"
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And the stranger replied: "Behold, Abedam, you have just come from the hallowed place where such great things have happened and you have surely been awakened, too. How can you, as one awakened, not understand this easy question?"
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Abedam was quite bewildered and at a loss for an answer to the stranger.
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And the stranger asked him once more his name and Abedam, amazed that the stranger kept calling him by his name, but still insisted on hearing it, finally replied:
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"Listen, my name is as you have called me and I have no other name than the one you have given me and which Adam and Emmanuel gave me."
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Then the stranger, looking hard at him, said: "Behold, Abedam, now that you have told me your name I am satisfied. For behold, I have already in the beginning given you that name, but as a name which I gave you it was not yours, only Mine within you whether you wanted to be called like that or not. Now this name is yours and Mine, and thus you have simultaneously learnt your name and Mine and may confidently lead Me to where I want to go."
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Abedam was quite astonished that the stranger had also his name and immediately set out on the way back with him.
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On the road Abedam asked the other Abedam: 'Tell me, if you wish, from which region did you come and from whom did you learn what happened in the midnight region?"
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And the stranger replied: "As for your first question, I come directly from the morning, but concerning your second question I will tell you a short story.
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"Behold, a father in the morning region - one with the most children and the greatest love for them - had for a long time looked on how his children occupied themselves with all kinds of useful, but still more harmful things. And the wise father had placed himself in such a way that none of the children could notice him. But after only a short playtime the children's behavior began to deteriorate so that there was hardly anyone left who had kept his heart clean out of love for the unnoticed father. He kept carefully admonishing all the older brothers, and they liked to hear his word, but none of them wanted to heed it fully in his heart
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'Then the father decided to make himself unrecognizable and thus approach the children as if he had come as a stranger from the lowlands.
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"The children received him through the intervention of one of them, however not with love, but only as a stranger. For since their hearts had turned foolish and worldly, their eyes had become blind and their ears deaf so that they could not recognize the father.
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"When the father gradually made himself more and more known through acts and words, the children became afraid and only few could bear his nearness.
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"Seeing how immature his children still were, the father warmed them all with his love so that they turned to him and praised and glorified him. And the father strengthened them all, blessed them and then left them for a short trial period.
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"On the way back from his children, this father came to Me and told Me everything, and that is why I am here in order to see how the children look and what they are doing in their father's absence.
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"Therefore lead Me to the hallowed place! Amen. "