NEUOFFENBARUNG← Gifts of Heaven · Volume 2 · Contents
The four gospels about the resurrection of the Lord
27th March 1842, Easter Sunday.
Request of the C. L., handed over to the servant J. L. by Ans. H. How can the following deviations in the narratives of the four evangelists about the Resurrection of the Lord be compensated for in a reassuring way as: • concerning the women who visited the grave; Matt 28:1; Mark 16:1; John 20:1; • concerning the number of angels that became visible and the place where they sat. Matt 28:2; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; John 20:11-12. • regarding the fact whether the women, as in Matthew, Mark and Luke, or whether Peter and John, as in John, entered the tomb first • Regarding the further communication of the news. Matt 28:8; Mark 16:8; Luke 24:9; John 20:10-18.
28th March 1842, on Easter Monday, morning.
[1] Just write, write! Instead of the evening (Matt 28:1) it should read here: At the end of the Sabbath; for with the Jews, as you will surely know, every previous day had lasted until the rising of the sun of the next day. That would therefore be identical with the other three.
[2] Concerning the number of the women however no indication is correct, because they were seven; only Luke touches them undefined with the apposition: And the others(Luke 24:10). And in John, Magdalene says to Peter: We do not know where they have put Him(John 20:2). But as for the reason of this unequal number of women, it has it's reason firstly in ignorance, for the evangelists themselves did not know the whole full number – and secondly, that the women should become a stumbling block to the world – and thirdly, that no-one should learn the divinity of My Word from the number of women, but only from the living activity from the bottom of his heart!
[3] But what concerns the earthquake mentioned by Matthew alone (Matt 28:2)), it is also literally correct, but it is to be taken primarily spiritually and denotes the full shaking of the heart before heaven's signs are to announce to man that I have risen from his grave! Why the other three do not mention the earthquake, is because they took the said earthquake only spiritually and designated it by the same described fear of the women only softly suggesting. But it was also a more delicate way of speaking of that time to conceal earthly facts and to let them recognize only the people's respective state of mind. But there is little in such gnat-catching, but everything in the doing of My will!
[4] But as for Matthew 28:2,3 and in Mark 16:5 also a young man sitting in the grave, and in Luke 24:4 the two men in shining garments and in John two angels in white garments(John 20:12), this apparent contradiction has it's reason firstly, as far as the number is concerned, in the fact that of the first two evangelists, who were highly conscience-bound, only one angel is mentioned, according to the old Jewish way, because the two of them did and also said the same thing.. And secondly, because not all of the seven women saw two angels, but only the first three mentioned, but the other four only one, and therefore also their statements before the apostles and disciples differed, therefore also Matthew and Mark as most meticulous scribes did not dare to take the multiple number, in order not to expose themselves before the Jewish Christians, who were learned in the Scriptures, as incompetent scribes because of a spelling mistake, because they did not know, when the singular or multiple number should be used for two acting beings. – But Luke and John, since they wrote down the word much later, were beyond these linguistic trifles and gave the testimony of the first three women completely.
[5] And finally there is a third reason, that I wanted to have it so because of the blind world, why it had rejected Me, so that their worldly spirits should be shocked to death by the women and their number! And finally, because of the spiritual sense, why the mere hearing and seeing has only a warning spirit for the awakening of faith; but the love of Magdalene also sees the higher spirit of love and life, which is fiery and shining. And thus also this contradiction would be balanced historically and spiritually.
[6] But as for the unequal form of the angels, it corresponded to the interior of the seven women; Magdalene saw them fiery and shining, but the others only dressed in white. The cause is the fiery love of Magdalene, and with the others, their quiet gentleness and sadness.
[7] Matthew gives thus only Magdalene’s perspective from the already known cause, in the singular. Mark, even more meticulous than Matthew, keeps indeed to the majority of the votes, but as far as the number is concerned, he agrees with Matthew. Luke gives Magdalene’s statement faithfully, only he uses instead of the word white, the matter a more elevating word: shining, that is white, as much as snow-white or blindingly white, and therefore he is silent about the fiery appearance, in order to bring the double statements more into a rounded whole – and finally, however, also according to My will, so that through it the transition from sole faith to a living, active love would be indicated, as it can truly be seen from the order of the four evangelists. John speaks only of two in white clothes sitting angels. The cause lies here only in the spiritual according to his evangelical order, whereby the innocence of love and the dispassionate tranquility of the won eternal life is indicated; and so he, as the otherwise most fiery scribe, conceals the fire of Magdalene and thus also her worldly passionate love for Me, which was indeed just, but still not quite faithful according to the heavenly order.
[8] And thus also this contradiction would be balanced. And so we are left with only one contradiction to balance out, concerning the angels to balance out, namely that of their different positions.
[9] In Matthew (28:6) they come from heaven, and known causally in the simple number, roll the stone from the grave or rather from the door of the grave, and the angel and the women go into the grave. In Mark (16:3-5) the grave is still closed when the women arrive; but as soon as they see that the stone gets rolled away, they enter the grave. In Luke (24:3-4) they immediately enter the grave, which is already open; only then the angels come and inform the women. In John (20:11), only Magdalena looks into the grave and gets the consoling answer from the angels sitting in different places; and this happens only according to Peter, whom she called, and our evangelist John had already left the tomb (John 20:10).
[10] The apparent disparity of the statements, firstly, like all the previous points, stems predominantly from My will and from the holy corresponding spiritual and heavenly order, in which from the outward faith to the innermost rebirth of the spirit, the four evangelists follow one another!
[11] According to this main cause, however, then from the different indication of the seven women, as each one had seen according to the condition of her inner state, either what there Matthew, Mark, Luke or John testifies. But what is said there by the four, has happened and was seen, but only with the spiritual eyes – but these are always directed, as the inner life is directed out of love, because the spiritual seeing is not like the earthly seeing, because one sees like the other, but everyone only sees what and how it is in him, and so it then also forms itself.
[12] That the fetching of Peter and John is mentioned only by John himself (John 20:2), is due to the fact that John was especially admonished to add this event, since he also wanted to keep quiet, so that everything should be revealed in him for the spiritual testimony that the true innermost living Love gives everything of Itself and will never conceal even the most insignificant secret. Or is true love not tested in the world by the fact that the lover looks at the open heart of his chosen
one; but if she will act secretly before him and whisper in her neighbor's ear, what will he think of her heart? I tell you, he will curse it and turn away from the faithless one.
[13] Behold, then, everything is again in the most beautiful order. What the first three writers consider to be insignificant, the accomplished one must nevertheless confess and testify! Is there still any contradiction? And so, finally, only My appearance to the women remains to be mentioned.
[14] In Matthew (28:8-9), Jesus appears only to Magdalene and the other Mary when they are already on their way to the apostles and disciples, not far from the tomb.
[15] In Mark (16:9), He appears first to Magdalene and it is not said whether He has also appeared to the others, but such is thus only undefined implied, when it is said, first the Magdalene – and is to be understood by itself, then also the other.
[16] In Luke (24:12), Christ does not appear to the women at all; and Peter hurries to the grave without John only after the news.
[17] In John, only Magdalene alone comes to the disciples and tells them that the stone is rolled away (John 20:2); and after Peter and John return again, the Lord appears to her only, and forbids the forward one from touching him (John 20:14-17) and there is no further talk of any other.
[18] Like everything before, this too has an inner, purely spiritual reason. As for the historical aspect of this, only Magdalene first and then also Mary Johanna saw Jesus, and indeed Magdalene first, since she wanted to embrace Him immediately, but was rejected. Only then Mary Johanna saw Him and then fell at His feet with Magdalene and these were embraced by both of them (Matt 28:9). Mary Jacob and Salome saw nothing (Mark16:1), but only felt the nearness of the Spirit of the Lord. The three others, however, noticed nothing of the Lord's appearance and on the way were even very anxious to tell the two what they saw, as a pure work of their heated imagination.
[19] As far as the first notification to Peter is concerned, only Magdalene was the messenger, and all the others stayed in the garden where the tomb was hewn out of a rock – and so five of them overlooked Peter and John. And only Mary Johanna saw Peter coming and going, but she had also overlooked the nimble John and would certainly have overlooked Peter, if she had not been reminded of him by Magdalene, who was almost out of breath. That neither Peter nor John stayed long at the tomb is certainly explained by the great fear they had of the Jews.
[20] If you now summarize all this, it cannot be difficult for you to grasp the reason of these apparently contradictory statements of the four evangelists with your hands. For depending on the information given to the apostles and disciples by the women with different perceptions, the records were also different according to the faith of the scribes; because although they wrote all this under the guidance of My Spirit, their will was still completely free and so also their judgment and their reception afterwards. And if even their will had been a directed one through the occurred rebirth, then their communication, what is even more, was completely according to My will. And if you know all this, then do not let yourselves be disturbed by such gnat's gaps anymore, but become eager and true doers of the Word, then you will no longer come across any contradiction anytime soon.
[21] But if you are mere hearers of the Word and want to bring it under the inert order of your mind, you will of course find the greatest and most vexing contradictions precisely there, where it concerns your eternal resurrection! But if you want to be absolutely critical, first understand the order of the successive evangelists and compare it with the four main states of man, that is, from his outermost faith to the innermost rebirth; or since man begins in the evening, is tempted through the night, until then the dawn breaks and thus always increases until the dawn of the eternal day of life through John! If you understand this, you will no longer encounter any contradictions.
[22] But who would still have any doubt and could not help himself, he always does better if he asks, as long as someone is there who is equipped with light; but you will certainly fare badly, and you will see your shallowness, if I will remove the lampstand. Only then will you all experience how blind you all were, that you paid so little attention to the words of the lampstand. But who knows and understands the lampstand? Oh how blind you still are! But why are you so blind? Because there is still no order in you and therefore also no firmness, that is why you are always hovering between night and twilight and that is why you recognize least of all that by which you should reach the rebirth of the spirit and alone and only the innermost knowledge of everything that is of the spirit and therefore also of eternal life!
[23] But I say to you, until now you have only read the Word, and all your deeds was a driven deed by the certain kind of divine magic power of the Word in and for itself. But become in the future no more driven ones, but voluntary doers of My word, and you will immediately encounter no more contradictions! But write all this deeply in your heart, Who is the one from whom these words come to you brooders, that you may live. But see to it that the still completely unknown lampstand is not removed from you, because then all of you would fare badly again; because you are so far only readers, but still far from being doers of the Word. But do you remember an old song that begins as follows:
Once the sun shone softly and mildly over our heads, Then we fled from it's light into the holes of our cups; But soon this gloriously shining divine image of the sun disappeared, And now the quiver of night and all death's arrows presses us.
[24] See, the song of the ant lion is not bad and fits quite well to man's condition, since he is a doubter, where he could have been a seer already long ago. So also pay attention to this very well, Amen; and Who it is Who says it. Amen, Amen, Amen.