Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Chapter 520

Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves

22nd March 1864, from 11 in the morning till 4 in the afternoon)

Matt 10:16,17

[1] Write down what is mentioned about the 16th and 17th verses of the 10th chapter of the Gospel, already dictated by Me to John – not only once, but multiple times. Yet, I want to give an even closer explanation for you.

[2] I already told the Apostles when I first sent them out, it was in My first year of teaching, in which time people generally did not know much about Me. Here and there in Galilee as well as in Samaria, but in the region of Jerusalem, people knew very little about Me – and whoever knew something have kept it to themselves as much as possible, out of fear for the Pharisees. I therefore told the apostles who was sent ahead upfront on short notice:

[3] “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Be cautious before some of the high worldly people, for it is them that will try to destroy you. If you enter into a city where you would encounter such people, do not stay there, but depart immediately and shake off the dust of such city; for if they persecuted Me, the Lord – as you know – how much more will they not greet you as angels of God.

[4] When I will send you out into the world a second time, you will suffer all possible kinds of persecution for My Name's sake and people will hand you over to the law. You should just never fear what can kill the body, but cannot do any harm to the soul; and when they want to interrogate you in the courts, do not fear what and how you will answer, for the answer will be put in your mouth, against which the judges will have nothing to say.

[5] But I tell you, My Word will by a long stretch not have reached all people, before I will again come among you and judge the people who always busied themselves to resist Me and you.

[6] This prophesy is firstly aimed at the destruction of Jerusalem as well as for later times, to whatever kind of heathendom of the whore of Babel.

[7] Here, the rather frightened disciples, respectively the Apostles asked whether they would also be dragged before the courts of the rulers ? I told them: “This time you will have little encounter with the enemies of the light, but when I will one day physically leave this earth, then you will be severely tested for the sake of My Name, especially through the Jews and priests.

[8] But always remember that I will never leave you alone and that will bestow you with the power and might beforehand to protect you against My enemies, in your most dire need. The wolves, among whom I send you, I will now send to you, but they will be able to do little or nothing against you, if you would be truly clever in My Name like serpents, yet without guile, like doves.

[9] You will trample upon snakes, scorpions and salamanders and it will do you no harm; and if anyone would give you poison to drink, it will have no effect. This is your consolation ! Always trust Me and I will never leave you, but will always be with you in spirit with all My Love, Wisdom, Might, Power, which will be unto you the most effective help against any enemy in any way.

[10] My apostles then went onto different ways in pairs and preached in My Name, proclaiming that the kingdom of God have come near. But in the vicinity of Jerusalem they did not go; but rather in the regions of Sidon, Tirus, Joppe, Galilee and a few even walked so far as Syria.

[11] This mission of theirs did not last very long. When I went alone to Kis, to Kisjona and went – after a few days in the company of this friend of Mine and some of his household – onto a high mountain, I brought all twelve of the sent Apostles where I was by the already known to you means with the help of My invisible helpers and let some of them relate their experiences. Look, they

have told Me that they fared well with everything, except at one place where they encountered a possessed boy of whom the evil spirits refused to obey their command.

[12] They also complained about John of Samaria who had, as is already known to you, out of his own free urge, preached My Name and My message heard in Samaria and also performed miracles in My Name. I asked them whether he was for Me or against Me? They answered: For You – I then said: let him do his work undisturbed.

[13] This John is exactly him who later proclaimed My word and My Name so successfully in Damascus, that he converted many thousands in that great world city to Me – that forced Paul, previously Saul, who was still in service of the pharisees, to go to Damascus with a band to persecute the Christians in the most cruel manner.

[14] But when I acted against Him Myself as you know and changed him so much that he, already only two days later, became one of My most diligent apostles with regard to the spreading of My message – especially among the heathen – he was much more active and definitive at work than all the other apostles and their many disciples. They did go to many of the known kingdoms on earth, but achieved little, even in the great Judea, where they founded My congregations in twelve years' time. But they, just like those in Laodicea, Sardis, Tyrus, Smyrna and many other congregations have so much deviated from the basic principles of My message, that I was forced to portray most of them as despicable through John (the Evangelist), in his Revelation.

[15] Peter himself, before he departed from Jerusalem, where he stayed in the homes of either Lazarus, Nicodemus or Joseph of Arimathea, was obliged to call together a so-called congregation meeting in which he wrote to these congregations [with instructions of] what they have to observe as partly Jews and partly Christians. Luke also briefly mentioned this meeting, but it bore scanty fruit. For this, Paul have sharply rebuked Peter at a later meeting because he still wanted to still merge with the Jews as a Jew and paid homage to their customs – which I revoked – and thus caused the believing Jews conscientious scruple; but when they where alone among the heathen, they mocked the abolished customs and traditions of the Jews.

[16] Because of this I later called Peter Myself to the Roman chief Cornelius because he desired for him and his family to be baptised in My Name and to so equip him through My Spirit which became active in them, to come to Me.

[17] Peter went and when he arrived at Cornelius's home, which was situated in the middle of a big garden, he became very hungry and asked Me to strengthen Him for the task at hand. And look, I sent an angel visibly from heaven to Peter who presented to him – wrapped in a white cloth – food which was forbidden to Jews. On this Peter said: Lord ! This is all unclean food, forbidden to the Jews, how can I eat it ? But I told him: “What I cleansed is also clean for the Jews; therefore eat and go and do what you have been commanded.”

[18] Peter then ate the unclean food and went to Cornelius, where he again became reluctant because I performed the baptism of Cornelius and his family Myself and Peter found them already in possession of the Holy Spirit.