27. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE HEART OF MAN [1] (Raphael:) “But since I see that you cannot answer the question that I gave you in any case, I will then answer it myself in a way that is comprehensible for your awakened understanding. But you must remember well my answer and write it deeply in your hearts, for much lies on it, yes, finally everything, so that you know the circumstances most accurately which are necessary for the full childhood of God because it must be necessary for the unchanging divine order. [2] You know that every person must form and transform himself according to the recognized divine order, quite independently from the omnipotence of the divine will in order to become in this way a free child of God. [3] The recommended powerful and thereby most effective means for this is love for God and to the same degree the love for your neighbor, be he a man or a woman, young or old, it’s all the same. [4] As a partner of love stands true humility, tenderness and patience, because the true love cannot exist without these three attributes and is no true and pure love. [5] But how can man experience in himself that he resides in the pure love quite faithfully according to the divine order?
[6] Let man put himself to the test whether he is urged in his heart to give with a glad heart and abundantly, completely forgetting himself, when seeing a poor brother or a poor sister or when these come to him for help. If he feels this within but, of course, in earnest and in full truth, he is already mature and ready to be a true child of God, and the made promises awaiting such a prepared child of God begin to become a reality and show up wonderfully in word and deed, and you will thereby as teachers appear justified before your disciples. [7] But those disciples for whom the prophesy will not come true will direct themselves accordingly and have only themselves to blame if the prophesies made to them still do not come into sight; for they have not yet opened their heart enough to the poor fellow man. [8] The love for God and the willing following of His recognized will are the proper element of the heavens in a human heart. They are the chambers and rooms of divine spirit in every human heart; the love for one’s neighbor however is the door into this holy room. [9] This door must be opened so that the fullness of God’s life can move into such a room, and humility, tenderness and patience are the three wide opened windows through which the holy chamber of God in a human heart is illuminated most brightly by the most powerful light from heaven and warmed with all the fullness of life from heaven. [10] Everything therefore depends on the free and cheerfully generous love for a neighbor; the highest possible self-denial is the revelation of the prophesy itself. There you now have the correct answer to the most important question of life. Think about it and act accordingly, and you will be justified before one another, before your brothers and before God! For what the Lord does now himself, people will also have to do this in order to become similar to him and so His children. – Have you understood all this?” [GGJ Book 8, chap. 27] [2] I said: “But this does not matter anyway, for I have only revealed it and made it known to you to understand better the Kingdom of God. To those in the future who will need to understand My works better for the sake of the Kingdom of God, My Spirit in them will surely reveal it, and it will guide them into all truth and wisdom. However, it is sufficient for the other people to believe in Me and live and act according to My commandments, for indeed, many are called for the Kingdom of God, but only few are chosen to whom it is given to understand the secrets of God’s Kingdom. [3] But if you understand these, then between Me and you, and through you also with the other people, there is a real bond, and so I am in you as you are also in Me, and more is not necessary for the moment. [4] The Kingdom of God is here like a mustard seed that is indeed one of the smallest seeds, but when it is sown in good soil, it soon grows up to become a real tree, so that the birds of the sky can come and nest under its branches and twigs. [5] Now, My Word is that little seed. Just lay it in the good hearts of the people, then it will soon develop in them to become a tree, and under its branches and twigs the clear ideas, coming from the Heavens, will take their abode. [6] So also, My Kingdom is to be compared to a wife who, in order to bake bread, took 3 scoops of flour and added a little leaven. When she then kneaded the dough, soon the little leaven still leavened it in the right measure. Look, My Word is also the very little leaven in it, mixed with much flour, and it is enough for the leavening of much flour. Therefore, give to the people in My name only as much as is needed for the moment. My Word will then surely accomplish all the rest out it itself. [7] When a child is born, the care is only for its health. The growth depends only on Me. [8] If you pass on to the people in truth My teaching that you have received from Me, point then also out to them that its fruits can and will only be reaped when in his heart he has turned completely away from the love for the world and its treasures, because the love for the things of the world is a dark gray cloud that places itself between the eyes of the soul and the light from the Heavens. [9] That is why most people have indeed a very faint suspicion of something higher and that which goes above the senses by the weak twilight that is a result of the pure heavenly radiating light behind the dark gray cloud, but because the mentioned cloud does not give way, and instead of turning lighter, it turns only darker and oftentimes completely dark, they do not understand anything of the pure wisdom from the Heavens. Therefore, they are always full of worries, full of fear and full of frights, believe in all kinds of foolish things and search for comfort and reassurance with the dead idols and their priests, for they cannot expect the true comfort from the Heavens because of the cloud that does not disappear and remains laying between the eyes of the soul and the sun of the Heavens. [10] Because look, man is like a traveler who travels on a gloomy day when there is a thick haze around the valleys and mountains. Although such haze makes the indeed beautiful environment totally invisible, that environment does exist. However, its pure images cannot reach the eye of the traveler, and thus he also cannot form himself an idea of what the thick haze is hiding for his eyes. Although he looks at the road and he can only see from the vaguely visible signs on the road that he probably walks on the right road. But oftentimes there are sideways, and these are then again filling him with fear and worry, for he does not know precisely which road is actually the right one. He waits to see if perhaps there will not be another traveler coming to him or coming from behind. And there are indeed a few that come along, but they are in the same position as him who wanted to hear from them which road is the right one. One thinks that the middle road will probably lead to the mentioned place. Another says that it is the spot where the road bends to the right that leads to the mentioned place. A third one claims the opposite, and a fourth one gives the following opinion: ‘No one of us knows the road. Therefore, let us go back and remain in the place from where we left until the haze will clear up. Then we can begin our trip with certainty.’ [11] Look, this image shows you very well the condition of most people nowadays on their trip to the Kingdom of God. [12] The just mentioned haze of the love for the world covers the purest landscapes and fields, mountains, valleys, gardens and cities, brooks, little and big rivers, lakes and seas, for the eyes of the soul. Therefore, let it be your task – since I have wiped away the haze in you – to do also the same, especially with those to whom you will proclaim My Word, for if you will neglect this, you will build houses on sand. Those will not remain straight when storms, cloudbursts and floods would come, but they will collapse and will be carried away by the raging water. [13] But when you, when proclaiming My Word, will wipe away that haze first, you will build houses on rocks. And even if then storms, cloudbursts and floods would come, then your houses, which are built on steady rocks will not be harmed by them. [14] Look, no one can serve 2 masters who are hostile towards each other, for he must choose either the one or the other, and must therefore also be a friend or an enemy of the one or the other. So also, no one can serve the world and its dead mammon and at the same time also God’s living Kingdom, for that is impossible. [15] Therefore, he who wants to serve God’s Kingdom must ban the kingdom of the world out of his heart. How this has to be done, I have shown all of you already oftentimes, not only with clear and living words, but also by all kinds of deeds. So do also the same, then you will reap many good fruits. [16] The harvest could be big and very rich, and there is already much grain, ripe to be reaped, but there are still but few reapers. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest that He would take soon many reapers for His fields into His service. [17] From all this, it surely will be clear to you what you especially have to accomplish with the people when proclaiming My teaching. The many uncommon things you do not have to proclaim to the people, except to those who will follow you up in your task. What I have given you now as guideline, tell this also to those who will follow you up in your task that I have entrusted to you. Then everything will go well. Did you all understand this now?” (GGJ Book 19, chap. 25) [10] After a while Peter gathered himself first and said: “Lord, are we now in heaven or simply only in paradise? It seems to me as if I can hear very quiet whispering angel voices around me!” [11] I said: “Neither in heaven nor in paradise in specie (specifically), but instead quite simply and naturally on the Earth! But in that we have both heaven as well as paradise in us through the power of the word of God, inasmuch as it includes what is true and good, we are indeed also in heaven and at the same time in paradise. This is exactly what transfigures your heart, and while you were transfigured in your heart before Me I also became transfigured externally before your eyes so that you might become aware of being at the same time in paradise and in heaven, since your heart is full of the true of faith and, issuing from this, the goodness of love. For, what true heaven and true paradise mean is that you believe in Me and do what I teach you and, finally, that you love Me truly with all your heart, thereby carrying the true Kingdom of God within you, which is nowhere else to be found. Once you have it within, it is also present throughout all infinity, and no matter where you may be, either here on this earth or on the moon or on one of the many stars, which are nothing but celestial globes, you are surrounded by your blissful brothers, although you are not able to see them with your physical eyes on account of your body.” (GGJ Book 13, chap. 29) [4] Say I: “Well, My dear friend, the actual true Kingdom of God for the true friends of God is everywhere, but nowhere for the enemies of God; because for these in turn, everything is hell, where you can and want to cast your eyes, and other senses. Below and above, all is the same. Look neither up to the stars, for they are all earths like the one you tread, nor sink your eyes down to the earth, because it is under judgment like your flesh, which once must die and decay! But instead, seek diligently within your heart; there you shall find what you are seeking. For into every man’s heart is cast the living seed, from which the eternal dawn of eternal life shall bloom. [5] Behold, the space within which this earth floats, as well as the big sun, the moon and the countless stars, which themselves in turn are again nothing but suns and earth, is limitless! You could, with the speed of thought leave this earth and continue at such speed in a straight line – yet rushing along at such speed for eternities upon eternities, then after many eternities of flying at the speed of thought, you would yet come nowhere near to the end! Yet you would encounter everywhere creations of the rarest and most wonderful nature, filling and enlivening endless space everywhere. [6] After the death of your body, through your heart you will step into the infinite space of God, and according to the state of your heart you will encounter it as either heaven or hell! [7] Since nowhere there exists a separately created heaven, nor a separately created hell, for everything comes out of the heart of man; and thus everyone prepares for himself either heaven or hell in his heart, depending on whether his actions are good or bad, and as he believes, wants and acts, he will live his believe, out of which his will was nourished and passed into action. [8] Let everyone examine the inclinations of his heart, and he will easily discover what kind of spirit prevails in his heart. If his inclinations draw the heart and its love towards the world and he feels within him a longing to become great and respected in the world, if the heart that is inclined to become proud feels discomfort with poor mankind and has the urge within to dominate others without having been chosen and anointed for it by God, the seed of hell is already lying in the heart and, if not overcome and nipped in the bud, will obviously prepare for such a person nothing but hell after the death of his body. [9] However, if a man’s heart is full of humility and he feels happy to be the least among men, to serve all and disregard his own self because of his love for his brothers and sisters; if he willingly obeys his superiors in all things for the benefit of his brothers and love God above all, then in his heart the heavenly seed grows to a true and eternally living heaven. And this man, who thus has already all heaven in abundance in his heart, which is filled with true faith, the purest hope and love, can after the death of his body not possibly get anywhere else but to the Kingdom of God which he has already carried in his heart in all its abundance for a long time. – If you think this over you will easily comprehend what heaven and hell are really all about.” (GGJ Book 3, chap. 50) [3] (Jarah) Lord, my love! Through Your all-powerful mercy I have been allowed to take a most wonderful look into Your great planetary creations and I now know more in this respect than all the wise men of the Earth together. I know what the endless depths of Your heavens hide; but why do I not know myself then?!” [4] I say: “Because you yourself are a much more wonderful being than all the great suns and worlds together! There is a much more wonderful heaven in the heart of a person than the great one there which you see with your eyes. [5] You see, all material is a judgment and an iron necessity! You can look at it from outside and from inside as much as you like, and some pharmacists (physicists) possess the knowledge of how to divide material up into its original elements. And this rare knowledge is called the knowledge of division, which will be perfected more and more over time. [6] In the same way that you can recognize a stone quite accurately from the outside and from the inside, you can also recognize a whole world! Our Mathael is very familiar with this art; also My disciple Andrew, who also stayed with the Essenes, is a qualified pharmacist, an art which he learnt in Egypt. These two will explain to you the matter of the whole world with much skill and much truth. Truly there is still something inside matter which no scientist will ever find out; but he can recognize the actual elements of which some matter consists, although never the elements in themselves, because they are made of the spiritual and can only be thoroughly recognized by a pure spirit. For something infinite is hidden in the elements! [7] But something even more infinite lies in the human soul and his spirit! That cannot be discovered by any chemical or physical analysis, and I Myself therefore had to come to you people in order to teach you what no man could ever have found out by himself. (GGJ Book 7, chap. 56) 07] Said now all again: “Yes, Lord, we understand this; but in the background still another question rises, and it consist more or less of the following: If a soul has passed away from here but is not yet completed and lives in a pure pseudo-world which originates from her thinking, feeling and will - what also could be called a phantasy-world - of what then does the world of completed souls comprises? How does the kingdom of heaven look like, and to what can it be good and truthfully compared?” 08] Said I: “It is already time to return to the innkeeper, - but since this is not an unimportant question, I will answer it along the way. Thus lets go and listen to Me! 09] See, with the actual kingdom of heaven, which is a kingdom of truth, light and love, as I have shown to you already at various opportunities, it has the most truest circumstances: This kingdom is not an external ostentation and does not enter a person with external signs and attributes, but it develops entirely inside you, is then in you, grows in you, penetrates you and becomes your dwelling and your most blissful world. 10] But here the kingdom of heaven equals a sower who sowed the good seed. Some of it fell onto the road; of this a part was eaten by the birds of the air and another part was treaded on by travellers. The seed thus did not came up and also did not yielded any fruit. Some fell on a rocky surface. Initially some sprouted for as long the stones had some moisture in it, but the seed could not drive any feeding roots into the rock; the moisture was also not enough for the greater feeding of the stalk, and thus it dried out and did not yield any fruit. Another part however, fell underneath the thorns and shrubs. Initially it sprouted quite well, but when it had to develop fully, it was overgrown by the thorns and the wild shrubs, it thus perished and also yielded no fruit. Only one part fell onto a good earth, came up and yielded multiple fruit. 11] And see, it is the same with the kingdom of heaven on this earth! I Myself am the Sower, and My word is the good seed, from which for everyone the kingdom of heaven should grow as fruit. Where it will fall on good soil, it will yield hundredfold fruit; but if it falls onto the roads of this world, or onto the rocks or between thorns and wild shrubs, it will not yield any fruit. Among the people however, which I compare to the roads, must be understood the actual world people, as we had many at our innkeeper today. The travellers on the road who tread the seed, are their trade- and profit efforts, and their trade thoughts flying in all direction, are the birds which eat the seed not yet treaded on, so that no fruit could grow. Those type of people are, as already said, the actual pigs, to whom My pearls should not be thrown as food. 12] Under stones is meant those world wise who accept everything with a certain greediness, - but because they are founded inside on all kinds of worldly falsities, their disposition has so to speak become hardened, and as such the new seed in them has too little animating moisture and too little soft and pliable soil for the acceptance of feeding roots. If a wind and drought comes, the little stalk soon dries out and since it has no roots it will be blown away by the wind. Or, if this person is confronted with any temptation, he says: ‘I have known it from the beginning that there is nothing to this matter! Where is the promise which should become fulfilled, - and instead of the fulfilment I have to suffer! Therefore away with all such new teachings!’ This is thus the stone. 13] Who are then the thorns and the wild shrubs? These are those rather good-natured world citizens, who accept My word with quite a lot of joy and even maintain it for some time. But in time all kinds of worries emerge and together with it all kinds of concerns and fears. They suffocate the living word in their hearts so that it also cannot yield any fruit. 14] And as such we are left with only a small part of people, who can be compared to a truly good soil. They accept the word and immediately put it faithfully to work. And then the seed yields plentiful fruit, and this fruit is then the actual kingdom of heaven in man and does not have external pomp. But this kingdom which man has created in himself out of My word, will expand and provide him with all bliss, light, truth, all wisdom and power over all creatures. 15] But you also should recognize from this, where to sow My word; since where you sow it, it also should bear fruit! Above all it must fall into a good soil. If there it yields richly interest, then the traders, world wise and the concerned world citizens will come by themselves and will buy from you the seed for their fields. - Have you comprehended this quite well?” (GGJ vol. VI, chap.65) I SAID: “That which you have now asked Me, I have already done now, and therefore you will be able to continue your way easily, because for whom My life of light shines will on his way not easily stumble upon a stone anymore and he will know how to avoid the thorns. The one who walks with Me, will have a well passable way everywhere. However, the one who walks without Me to the Kingdom of God, which is the inner kingdom of life and all truth, will have a long, narrow and very thorny way to go through, as this was the case with many old wise men of all people on Earth, and which will also be and remain the case in the future. [2] From now on it will be easy for you, as well as for a lot of those who saw and heard Me and who completely believe in Me. But their descendants will attain to the Kingdom of God only by their faith. Whoever sees and hears Me, believes easily and can also live and act easily according to My word. But he who in the future will not see Me anymore physically will have it more difficult to attain to the true, living Kingdom of God, for he must believe what the messengers who are send out will tell him about Me. [3] However, if he willingly accepts what he hears in his believing heart, and will feel true joy because of the truth that he heard, then soon the baptism of the Spirit from Me will come over him, and then he will see the opened gate to God’s Kingdom. From that point on, also for those who were no witness of My presence now, the way to God’s Kingdom will be easy. [4] But rejoice, now that you know all that – about the fact that God determined it already from the first beginning. And when you will relate to the people about Me and My Kingdom, then tell them what I have told you now, but above all, make them understand that My Kingdom is not of this world, but that it is the inner Kingdom of all truth and all life in the deepest inner-self of man. Whoever has found it in himself and has entered into it through his living faith and active love, has conquered the world, the judgment and death, and will constantly have eternal life. [5] Although human reasoning thinks that the things that I have told you now are foolishness, nevertheless it is the highest wisdom of all life in God. It will be good for the one who will not be offended by it. [6] No one can know all the things that lie hidden in man and that are necessary for his life, except the spirit that is and abides in the deepest inner self of man. And so, not any worldly wise man knows who God Himself is and what is in Him, but only God’s Spirit that penetrates all His depths. [7] However, when the spirit in man is not awakened as the true light of life, it is dark in man and he does not know himself, but when through faith in Me and through the love for Me and fellowman the spirit in man is awakened and enlightened to a bright light, the spirit thoroughly penetrates the whole man, and then man can see what is in him and he knows himself. And he who knows himself, knows God also, because the true and eternal spirit of life in man is not a human spirit, but a godly Spirit in man, otherwise man would not be an image of God. (GGJ Book 21, chap. 26) [3] I said: “Yes, My friend, to show you the nature of God’s Kingdom, in which are located numberless blessed spirits for already long times and eternities that are unimaginable for you, is still not possible for no one of you. Not until the Kingdom of God will have completely developed and has become a visible truth of light in you. [4] However, when the Kingdom of God will take form in yourselves, coming to full activity according to My will that was revealed to you, then you will also see it and experience great pleasure on it. But since you all have set out to do completely My will – with the exception of one whom I admonished often and who still cannot give up his greediness – I will call a blessed angel here, who has been perfected for already a long time. Then he will explain to you further about the nature of the Kingdom of God.” [5] Then I called aloud: “Raphael, come and serve Me and your brothers!” [6] I hardly had said that when Raphael stood there before Me with a serious and friendly face that was truly shining with utter heavenly beauty, and he said: “My Lord and My God. Your will is my existence, my eternal life and my wisdom and power. Allow that these brothers will see Your will as Your Kingdom in me.” (GGJ Book 22, chap. 40) [2] Raphael said: “Yes, friend, you do not have to stand so shyly before me, for then I cannot reveal that much about the nature of the Kingdom of God. Because a soul who is shy is actually not capable to absorb deeper truths in him, neither can he clearly understand them for the benefit of his divine Spirit that should become awake in him. So take courage and consider me as your brother who also carried the flesh of this world before. Then we easily will be able to talk with one another.” [3] After these few words, the doctor took more courage and said to Raphael: “Look, now I am already more courageous than before when your sudden appearance by the call of the Lord had greatly surprised me. And now I am ready to hear a correct explanation from you about what the Kingdom of God actually is. Please tell me, high and extremely blessed spirit from the Heavens of the Lord.” [4] Then Raphael said: “Then Listen, my dear friend and brother in the name and love of the Lord. On the one hand you are, as a doctor from Melita who is now healed, a truly wise man, because in the cure resort, when the Lord healed you on your request, you were the first to recognize Him most correctly as the one and only true God, and now your faith is so firm, permeating your whole being, that not one appearance in the world could take you away from it, and this is to the honor of your soul and heart. But since you have recognized the most important and greatest truth of live so quickly in the light of your former gentile darkness, it is now somewhat strange that you did not sooner and easier recognize the nature of the Kingdom of God than you have recognized the Lord from His works, without having seen Him before nor having talked to Him. [5] Because by far, it was not the fact that you had heard about an exceptional Man of Nazareth who was now here, and was able – as they said – to miraculously heal you like many others, that gave you the conviction that it was the Lord Himself who was behind it, but it was your spirit that revealed the greatest and the holiest of all truths to you. [6] But where is your spirit now that should say to you: ‘How can you ask now what the Kingdom of God is? Why can you not see the forest between the trees? Is the nature of the Kingdom of God in the first place not very clearly there where the Lord Himself is personally present and active?’ [7] When you will have completely set out to do the will of the Lord and will be completely permeated with His Spirit, then at bright daylight you will be able to see in the Kingdom of God within you, which you can now only vaguely see with the eyes of your body. [8] Look, and understand, everything you see now in the whole world, represents the nature of the Kingdom of God. You should not think that the Kingdom of God is located in one or the other place. The Kingdom of God is everywhere in the whole eternal infinity, and man who realizes this from the Spirit of the Lord, has the Kingdom of God in him, and he is everywhere in the Kingdom of God and in the full nature thereof, no matter where he is or stays or is active, or if he still is in his body or in his pure soul as a spiritual being. [9] You are still in your body now, and I am in my pure being as aspiritual person, and we both are located in one and the same truly existent Kingdom of God. The very little difference is only that I am forever perfectly and clearly aware of it in myself, but you still imperfectly, and that is why you still cannot see your brothers and sisters who are blessed and purely spiritual for already a long time, except in a clear dream. However, when you will be still more perfect than now, they will not be hidden for your eyes. [10] That you can see me now, is also because your spirit is already so much awakened that from a distance it has recognized in the God-Man Jesus of Nazareth the only, true, eternal Spirit of God. And otherwise it would not be so easy for you to see me and speak to me. Do you understand now what the Kingdom of God actually is?” (GGJ Book 22, chap. 41) And this is how an intelligent man, who is concerned about the salvation of his soul in this dark, nightly time, must provide himself with a lot of spiritual oil, so that it will be sufficient until the dawn of his inner spiritual day of the true, eternal life, which is the ancient, eternal light in man that will never burn up. And in this manner he always will have sufficient light in this room of his earthly life. [8] The spiritual oil consists in the first place of the word of the Lord, and from that, of the good works of love according to the word and the will of the Lord. The one who is richly provided with that oil is already in the actual Kingdom of God and will never more have to go through a life’s night in his soul. [9] The light of his totally full life’s lamp in his earthly life is a full living faith, which illuminates the things of the Kingdom of God more than enough for him. The one who perseveres in that light and who is not more concerned about the things of this world than is necessary for his physical life, will come early to the eternal life’s light in himself, and in this manner also already on this side to the clearly present actual Kingdom of God and its power and might. For he who is one with the will of God the Lord, is also one with His eternal perfect wisdom, freedom, independence, might and power, and is therefore also forever a true child of God. (GGJ Book 22, chap. 42) [9] I said: “Listen, My Kingdom, which I will establish now again among the people on this Earth, is not an earthly kingdom as from a king that you have served, and of which there are still legion on the whole Earth, but My Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom and is not visible for the physical eyes with all kinds of pomp and splendor, for it exists within man. And the strong castle, which can eternally never be conquered by a power, is the faithful, loving heart, which is full of trust and without pride, without envy, jealousy, without lie and deceit, but instead of that, full of humility, meekness, patience and mercy. In this, will I, the one and only true Lord and King of all existence and life, take My residence with every man whose heart and mind will possess the mentioned qualities. [10] So if you want to enter into service as a soldier with Me, you must be familiar with My teaching in the castle that I have shown you now, out of free will and full of faith, trust, and full of love for God and your fellowman. [11] Of course, you still cannot understand this now in the full light of the truth. However, believe, live and act very zealously in what you believe. Then the Spirit of God’s eternal love will awaken in you and will guide you into all truth. And only in the light of that truth you will recognize the One who says this to you now. And once you have completely recognized Him according to the truth, then everything that still seems a deeply hidden secret to you, will become very understandable and sunny clear to you. Proclaim this also to your companions.” (GGJ Book 22, chap. 72) [10] Look, the Kingdom of Heaven, which is actually the Kingdom of God, does not exist in its outer splendor for men, but it is inside man. And those people who have accepted this Kingdom of God within themselves – the Kingdom which I brought to them Myself – are in their heart, which is full of love for Me and their fellowman, firstly Heaven itself that is now open, and secondly the angels themselves, who ascend and decent between Me and them, serving Me in their love. [11] Because what you call Heaven is as such no Heaven but completely world and was created by Me for the period in which the people must bear their test of freedom, but when you will have taken off your own world together with your flesh, this outer, now visible world will practically not exist anymore for you. Then you will be inhabitants of a much different world which not I created for you out of Me or out of yourselves, but which will be created for you out of yourselves, and this for everyone according to the kind of love that he has for Me and his fellowman. (GGJ Book 24, chap. 79) - Sermon 52 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Trinity. Explaining the Kingdom of Heaven St. Matthew XIII, 31-33: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." St. Matthew XIII, 44-50: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth." (May 3, 1872) In these verses the Kingdom of Heaven is metaphorically compared with various things in order to give My disciples and the people gathered around Me an idea of the realm awaiting them when their life here is ended; also to show them how to win it and what their lot would be if they became unworthy of it because they had acted contrary to the divine laws. Unfortunately, people never have the right and true concept of the Kingdom of Heaven, the other, the spiritual world. If they had, they would be sure to do everything in their power to win it instead of thoughtlessly forfeiting it as they are doing nowadays. Everything visible in the world - through the fact of its being visible and tangible - holds within it far more proof of its existence than any spiritual power which is invisible, intangible, imponderable. That is also the reason why this material world has so much more influence on people's minds than the spiritual. If people could understand and see the material world as it really is, what it is made of, how it is maintained, and what its purpose is, they would be able to read many a thing in the great book of My creation that would easily open the door for them to the spiritual world. By examining a machine and beginning to understand how it operates, a person will have to admit that it must have been constructed by somebody, and the more one fathoms the secret of this machine, the more one will also respect its maker. Then one will understand that everything is arranged just the way it is thanks to a well-calculated system and not by mere accident. This is the way My creation should be contemplated, but, unfortunately, this is not done. Every discovery in the field of natural science is incorrectly explained by your scientists and made use of solely for material purposes, which is of little benefit to the Creator of the ingenious machine of nature. Even if one or the other scientist detects traces of a higher, spiritual power, he makes every effort to deny with high-sounding scientific phrases that to which he has come so very close; or he gives another explanation at his own discretion because he does not want to acknowledge a God. If there has to be a God, he would rather be it himself. This wrong conception of nature is responsible for the fact that the greatest book, lying open before the eyes of mankind day and night, is misleading. Anyone could read in it all the things I do to make My love comprehensible to My created beings and how short the road would be if men would observe nature and its laws instead of acting contrary to the divine laws and making the great eternal world inaccessible to themselves through their absurd conception of the material,visible world. At the time I presented the parables mentioned in the Gospels to the people for their spiritual digestion, I had to omit all scientific comparisons and use only familiar illustrations that were easier to understand. The first mentioned parable about the grain of mustard-seed I used because this seed, as well as the plant, were well known to the people. Thereby I wanted to hint that just as in this tiny grain of seed there is contained such a tall plant, in the human heart is latent the entire future realm of the spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven. As the seed needs moisture, the human heart requires only the almighty love as a spiritual awakener in order to develop the enclosed germ of divine origin. Then the development will make such good progress that - as the Gospel says - even the birds of the air will come and lodge under the branches. Spiritually this means that even the angels, the light, blessed dwellers in the spiritual spheres, like the birds of the air, will show a lively sympathy with the heaven emanating from a god-inspired heart, spreading peace and joy all around. With this parable about a tiny grain of seed and its growth I wanted to prove how infinite the power of the divine Word is, provided it falls on good soil, like the grain of seed, and finds the substance for its growth. The following parable, in which the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to leaven, depicts the spiritual process that takes place in a human heart as soon as it receives the Word and begins to sift the good from the bad, just as the leaven calls forth a process of fermentation in the flour that has been mixed with water, whereby the various elements in the flour conflict with each other. The bread made by this process has then become less detrimental to the human organism, which is very important with various artificially refined types of flour. Thus, with this parable, I wanted to draw people's attention to the conflict that starts the moment the human heart turns away from the world and toward the spiritual. Further, there is a parable about a man who found a hidden treasure in a field and sold everything he possessed so that he could buy the field and become the owner of the treasure. This means that once a person has recognized what joy and unimaginable happiness is gained by accepting the Word of God and complying with it, he will leave everything else behind and strive towards attainment of these spiritual joys, just like the merchant who sacrificed everything he had for the sake of buying one pearl. All these parables referring to the Kingdom of Heaven were given to point out something of great importance. The first one showed the magnificent growth of the Kingdom of Heaven in the human heart once it has taken root there; the second one showed the conflict the Kingdom of Heaven calls forth between world and heaven or matter and spirit. The third one showed the value of the Kingdom of Heaven and the tranquility and happiness gained through it. Nothing in the world can match this treasure. There is yet another parable, namely, the one about the net that was cast into the sea and drawn to shore with a rich haul. This parable means that the Word of God is accessible to all -the weak and the strong, the good and the bad, - and that the haul will be sorted only at the end. Then the good will receive their reward, whereas the scorners of this Word will have to blame only themselves for the consequences. As expressed in this parable, there will be a sifting between those who have spiritually absorbed My Word that was given to all, and those who disregarded it. This was to make My listeners understand that the acceptance or rejection of My Word is not left to people's own judgment, but that they can be forced through various circumstances to give their free will a better direction. I described the consequences of disregarding My teaching with the terms "cast into the furnace of fire" and "eternal darkness," which is equivalent to spiritually tormenting self-reproaches and a neglected heart. My Spirit was to spread light, not darkness! Thus I predicted the end or sifting of that which is light from what is dark, which ultimately has to take place, so that people would understand that a God must have a purpose for that which He has created and would not be prepared to abandon this because of the stubbornness of one or the other. It was to be expected that such or similar speeches would stir the people, since the road to future enjoyment of spiritual beatitudes and even the - by their standards - righteous actions were made very easy for them by their priests and scribes whereas I, although I promised them the same beatitudes, did not describe the winning of them as so very easy and warned them of the consequences of offending against the given laws. That is why they were shocked at My words and annoyed with Me, which caused Me to say: "A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country and in his own house!", - a saying still widely used today and which can be proved by thousands of examples. The world today is still the same it was at the time of My pilgrimage on earth. I preached to many deaf ears then, and deafness in spiritual things is also the fashion today. A man does not regard himself as educated if he cannot pride himself of this deafness. In those times this deafness was often concealed by high-sounding words, whereas nowadays one is no longer ashamed of it but considers it important to be stone-deaf, thereby as though challenging Me to prove something better if I should be capable of it at all. Well, I meet these so-called strong spirits with an endlessly great forbearance, and in the end we shall see whether there cannot be found some means of healing their deafness also. However, the others - considerably fewer in number - who know a little about My Kingdom of Heaven, receive a "grain of mustard-seed" of My love. I keep watching whether this grain has the power to grow in their hearts and to call forth a conflict like the fermentation process in the leaven, and whether it is capable of pointing them to the value of the hidden treasure in their own hearts to make them throw everything else overboard, that they may possess only this treasure. Then I wait to see how much of what was spread returns into My spiritual net. And, finally, the sifting is carried out and it is determined whether a man is worthy of spiritual beatitude or whether he must first be left to grope in the dark for quite some time until he realizes that there are divine laws which one may not violate without being punished. Preparations have been made long since to make people adopt this view and to give them plenty of opportunity to keep also the smallest spark of their better self active. Already, for quite a while, all the world events, as well as the fates of individuals, aim at preparing the soil for My Word so that it may be accepted and begin its mighty growth, like a "grain of mustard-seed", where so far it has met with no, or only very little, approval. You have already experienced it yourselves how, when and whereby I know how to awaken people. You know My means. They were and are not always pleasant, that is true; however, I, as the greatest and only soul-doctor, know best what stimulants are needed to awaken the souls that have fallen into an apparent religious sleep. I have awakened you and then put the 'grain of mustard-seed' into your hearts through My Word. And even if at the outset it was an irritant and not at all pleasant, you have eventually recognized that you have to thank Me for what I gave you to replace that which has been taken from you. Thus the process of fermentation has set in with you, and as a result you have finally recognized the value of the hidden treasure within you and exchanged everything else for the precious pearl. This way you have helped Me with the haul, when the nets are cast, and with the sifting of the good from the bad by saving others from spiritual perdition and making their road to Me considerably shorter and easier through your example. Continue to tend the grains of mustard-seed of love in your hearts, for the Kingdom of Heaven – as I once told My listeners - is not without, but within you. You can find it everywhere by taking it there with you. Once your innermost heart is spirit, you can spiritualize everything else through it. Therefore, do not cease to strive for spiritualization! As you progress in this, the true pleasures keep increasing and with your advance in the teaching also your cognition keeps growing. Then you will be ready for the other, the eternal, great spiritual world for which everything you do in this world must serve as a foundation, and where you can return to Me with rich blessing the talents entrusted to you. Be prepared and do not be afraid! He who is with Me and has faith in Me will not despair, even among the greatest horrors that might come over your small earth - similar to a process of fermentation, since I have thrown My Word as leaven, as an irritant, into the hearts of the nations. He knows that the Father cast His net into the great sea of souls and spirits. And even if thereby he, too, is captured, the good can always only reap what is good. Therefore, equipped with the pearl of trust and love, preserve your treasure until the time of change! In other worlds and under different conditions I shall then exchange the treasure gained here on earth for a greater one which, complementary to the former, the grain of mustard-seed, will then represent the great tree in whose branches the angels, together with you, will begin to praise Me with hymns of love and trust. Amen. (The Lord’s Sermons, chap. 52)
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