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The lost son
23rd March 1841, afternoon from 2:45 until evening 6:30
Writers: K.G.L. – F.S. – Andr. and Ans. H.
[1] You have read in My book the story of the prodigal son and you will have read and heard this story not only once, but many times. But I tell you, there is probably no verse and no chapter in the whole book that would contain something greater than the parable of the prodigal son.
[2] Nor will there easily be a passage that would be more difficult for you to understand than this one. And this for the reason that you should know, since it is of the greatest importance and as such an indispensable key to the inner contemplation.
[3] But this cause is the following: Often I speak out of My wisdom through love, sublime things; but often out of love through the light of wisdom, seemingly petty things. Now take note: firstly, only so much is offered to you as it is possible for your respective individuality to bear. Secondly however, you are given a veiled infinity, the finite development which eternities will not be able to complete.
[4] And see, such a seemingly petty gift is also "the prodigal son". Yes, I say, if you knew everything behind the "prodigal son", truly, archangels would come to your school!
[5] In the previous hours I have shown you many things about how things are on earth in the present time, although I have not yet told you about the greatest shamefulness. I have shown you the defectiveness of the legal order in general; I have shown you the madness of Asia, as well as the barbarity of Africa; I have shown you the infamies of America, admittedly only a very small part of it; I have shown you the administration of justice of England, especially in it's external conditions, as well as the treatment of the criminals on the coasts of Australia, was made known to you. So I have also shown you in the deep south a maltreated country, as it was and as it still mostly is. However, I have to draw your attention to something about this very country, first of all to the fact that you should pay double attention to what has just been said about this country, and secondly, that you should take what has just been said about this country least of all literally – why, the following will show you. Furthermore, I have shown you the most tyrannically strict conditions of other island states and especially of Japan, and so some more in brief about the northern state of Russia.
[6] Although the things in the world behave in such a way, however, these circumstances were not announced to you by Me because of that, so that you should see from it how it happens in the world. For you will read this and a thousand times more annoying things only too often in the future anyway; but the reason why I have made such things known to you is no other than this, that you may recognize from it the great mystery of the "prodigal son" a little more deeply for your greatest benefit.
[7] Of course, you are thinking to yourselves: What does the "prodigal son" have to do with all these world-atrocities? And are full of curiosity as to how the "prodigal son" will find his way out of all this world-labyrinth. But I tell you: It is still easier to find the "prodigal son" out of all these scenes and to understand through them than that a camel would fit through the eye of a needle.
[8] In order to understand the whole, it is necessary that you learn first of all who this "prodigal son" actually is. If I will show you the "prodigal son", even only by name, truly, you would have to be struck with more than sevenfold blindness, if you would not notice in a moment that a great cover was taken from your eyes. And now prepare yourselves and hear the name!
[9] Behold, he is called "Lucifer"! In this name there is the whole for you eternally incomprehensible compendium of the prodigal son.
[10] Now think that almost the entire present mankind are nothing but members of this one "prodigal son", namely those people who are descended from Adam's unblessed line. Behold, this "prodigal son" has taken out all the fortune that was due to him and is now squandering it through what you consider to be endlessly extended periods of time.
[11] You know from the story of the prodigal son what his final fate was. Now look through all these circumstances of the world; and truly you will see nothing else than the final fate of the prodigal son on an extended scale.…
[12] But what do you say to a very sick person when his feet have become cold and cold drops of sweat are sitting on his head? Truly, it needs no medical oral examination to be able to say in a certain prophetic spirit: only a few more heavy pulse beats, and the agonized and life-weary man will have deceased!
[13] For firstly, touch the feet of the "prodigal son" in the south of the earth. Secondly, touch his head in the great kingdom of the north. Then lay your hand on the old, tired church-heart – truly, you would have to be again more blind than the center of the earth, if you would not calculate on your fingers, at what hour of the great day it is now?
[14] But behold, now happens to the soul of the "prodigal son" what I have made known to you about the souls to whom the "second sight" becomes! Behold, their great distress now spreads out in rapid vibrations, and these reach the great Father's house. And the vibrations of the Father, filled with love, alternate with the vibrations of anguish, misery and distress of the "prodigal son".
[15] The soul of the "prodigal son" feels such a holy, gentle breeze from the house of the great Father. It returns courageously from these holy vibrations to it's rotten house, raises it again and returns to the eternal Father's house in the greatest, self-destroying humility.
[16] But what happens there? Behold, only the rags are stripped from the son and burned; but the son, as you know, will be received again.
[17] See, now you have unveiled before your eyes the whole mystery of the prophetic number of man, which has remained undisclosed until this present moment. If you only go through the circumstances of the time to some extent, truly, you would have to be more than dead, if you were not yet to perceive the holy vibrations of grace, which now go out in streams from the holy Father's house!
[18] You, too, are members of the prodigal son! Stretch your soul wide and let the spirit in your soul awaken! And in all humility, like the "prodigal son", confidently return to the great domain of your most loving Father! Verily I say to you: He will meet you halfway!
[19] Behold, the time of My grace has come near, and therefore I have also given you these things, that you may know that that great time is here of which the prophets have sung, even that time which was proclaimed in advance from My mouth itself.
[20] Therefore stay for only a short time still and rejoice in great confidence! For truly, the great Father's house has come closer to you than you know!
[21] But how you may recognise the "prodigal son" and all the conditions of these times in yourself, and how this "prodigal son" is found again in every human being or how he rather finds himself again, how the "great man" is won in the small, dear children, about this the last hour will bring you faithful news. Amen!