NEUOFFENBARUNG← Gifts of Heaven · Volume 1 · Contents
The great creation-man and his return
25th March 1841, afternoon 4 o’clock until evening 8:30
Writers: K.G.L. – F.S. – Andr. and Ans.H.
[1] After we have accompanied and illuminated the "prodigal son" from his rise to his fall in the eleventh hour, and have also calculated the time and determined the hour that is to bear witness to his fall, we want to see in this twelfth hour where and how this "prodigal son", humbled to the core, will return to the great Father's house.
[2] But in order to understand this completely, it is not sufficient that we have only looked a little through this dusty world called earth; but it is necessary, since I have added for this purpose in the camera obscura of the spirit, of which you are aware, a small device already mentioned, to take once more in this newly arranged chamber a somewhat more extended look! But I tell you in advance: Be prepared! For this vision will bring before your eyes something that has not yet come into anyone's mind until this time.
[3] Due to this new device, the tablet itself will have to be enlarged somewhat to accommodate such a large image, and instead of the previous horizontal position, it will take on a vertical one. Now look, our device has been made! So direct your eyes to the large tablet, and immediately you will see the great picture on it. For only in this one and only way it is possible to put the endlessly extended creation in one picture before your eyes.
[4] Now look carefully at the tablet, and as soon as I will pronounce the word "Epheta", you will see the magnificent image on the table. And now then, since your eyes are directed there, I say: Epheta!
[5] Now, what do you say about the picture? It is true that you see nothing more and nothing less on this tablet than the clear form of a man whose loins are barely covered by a few rags and whose hair, shaggy in appearance, hangs down from his head over half of his body.
[6] Not true, you will probably think to yourselves: “There is nothing special about this picture, except that it is represented on this tablet in a very colossal form. By the way, such a picture could have been drawn on a black board by any reasonably skilled figure artist with a whitish color!” And I can tell you nothing else about it than that your conclusion is correct for the time being. And if you still want to think a little deeper, then you would also like to see soon in this whitish figure, the figure of the "lost son".
[7] But behold, My dear children! The tablet is placed a little too far away for your eyes, therefore we go fully to the tablet! For you have already seen the whole figure. Therefore, let us examine a little more closely the color this figure is applied to the tablet with.
[8] Well, now we are at the tablet! See, this fathom-wide, shimmering surface is a part of the foot of this whole figure. Only look quite near and tell Me what you discover on it! Observe quite exactly! Not true, you discover nothing but nothing but small, shimmering balls lined up close to each other! You know that this picture is not a painted one, but only a light-image of an external object.
[9] What do you think these beads are in reality? Look, I do not want to let you guess for long! But if you think that these spheres are images of distant suns, planets, moons and comets, then I would have to say to you: Little children! Do not judge too hastily, otherwise you might be very wrong! However,
before I reveal to you the essence of these tiny spheres, make an effort to count these spheres on a lentil-sized spot!
[10] Well, are you finished yet? Yes, yes, I already see, you will not easily finish with it. For there is a hardly pronounceable number of such shimmering dots on this lentil-sized surface, and there might be more than a trillion of them. And since you have familiarized yourselves a little with the "color", I will tell you what such a dot is actually an image of. As already said, not from a sun or from another kind of world body, but: every such dot – or as it appears to your spiritual eyes – globule, is nothing more and nothing less than the image of a shell-globe(*3). But what a "shell-globe" means, I do not need to explain to you any more.
[11] Now we step back a little and again look at the entire figure. See: it is like a complete human- shape; and now that you have sufficiently looked at this figure, I am saying to you: This figure represents or describes out of and according to My eternal order—the universe; and therefore it is, in reality, not visible in its form by anyone except Myself. In addition, a created spirit has never before seen this picture, as you have now observed it.
[12] Once again I see the thoughts hidden within you. You would very much like to see your earth within this person. As long as the entire figure sparkles on the tablet, it is impossible to show you such. Nevertheless, wait just a little; see: I am a very good optician, therefore I want to undertake a little optical variation in our camera, after which variation nothing will remain of this entire figure except a single tiny illuminating dot.
[13] Now see: The figure is gone; already everything is in order. Again, let us step closer to the tablet and look for our tiny dot. Now: did you find it already? – One by itself does not emit much light; but look very intensely, you will find it.
[14] You must not look up there on the high stretched-out tablet, but look all the way down here, where earlier you have seen the left foot of the entire figure, in fact there at the very edge of the ball of the fifth little pinkie toe. This tiny globule is this particular shell globe, in which your earth is also located.
[15] However, in order to arrive at our earth, I must once again come over the tiny shimmering dot with My Epheta, and so I speak “Epheta!” Now look; how this tiny globule has now expanded and nearly takes in the entire large round form of the tablet.
[16] See the countless illuminating minute dots shimmer through one another. Now, pick out your earth. In fact, you might not be able to find it out of the great immense number of shimmering little dots. Yes, I am saying to you, it would be a vain effort on your behalf since these minute dots that you see are again no suns, but they are entire regions of sun-worlds-universes;
[17] Therefore will I now once again pick out just the right minute dot, and erase all remaining off the large tablet. Now, there is the selected minute dot; and in order to arrive more quickly toward our goal, I once again say “Epheta!”
[18] Now see: Our tablet is once again full of new shimmering tiny dots. Alone these illuminating minute dots are again no suns, but all are numerous sun-worlds-universes; therefore, it will not help us to find the earth here.
[19] Once again, I will select the right one from these minute dots and erase the remainder of this tablet. Now, there is the tiny dot. See, how lonely and faint it glimmers on the big surface! But now My Epheta!… And the minute dot should immediately become a larger expansion; therefore “Epheta!”
[20] Now look: Our tablet is again full of many illuminating tiny dots. From out of all these trillion times trillion minute dots, would you like to search for the earth? Here I have to tell you once again:
save your effort; for again these minute dots are still no suns, but individual sun-regions; and this is what you understand as a so-called star-fog.
[21] Just so that we arrive more quickly toward the goal, I am going to select the right minute little dot for you and all the remaining dots will be erased on the tablet; and at once add the “Epheta.”
[22] Now look on the tablet. Precisely, you are seeing a shimmering-dotted-cloud, which spreads horizontally over the entire tablet; it is seven times as long as it is wide. Now look toward the middle; we once again want to select such a small shimmering-dotted-cloud, and all the remainder will be removed from the tablet. – Now, as you can see, everything has taken place, and My Epheta has given this minute dot again its right configuration.
[23] Now take a close look; you probably already recognize it. See: There in the middle is a small shimmering lentil size disc; see: it is the image of your sun; and take a closer look; the third shimmering dot from the sun on the left side downward is your earth.
[24] I just need to enlarge the picture a little and you will recognize your earth at once; and so I say: You earth-point arise, so that My observers will recognize you! And see how this point gradually expands and now has reached the actual diameter, which is adequate enough for you to recognize your natural dirty dwelling place.
[25] Now that we have seen everything, let us once again return to our prodigal son. Look onto the tablet; once again our first figure flaunts itself on the same. Although now this figure is getting smaller and smaller; and see: now it is only barely the size of a child; and look once again: now this child has also melted into a dot. However, look: On the right side of the tablet, another big image of a human being is starting to appear; and now, it is also in the middle of the tablet, and under his left foot you also discover the previous shrunken minute dot, which is in the right proportion of its size to the size of this new picture.
[26] What do you think this new picture represents? You might think, since you have more or less become acquainted with the big human being in the writings of [Emanuel] Swedenborg, that it is this big person. However, I say to you: You missed it by a mile! This person you see there, is nothing more and nothing less than the himself-found-again prodigal son; however, not in his all-ness or completeness, but it is ‘he’ the [actual] prodigal son, who has found himself again in each and every individual born again [or re-born] person. Or said to you in more easily understandable words: He is the very least one in My new Kingdom, and here—presented to you—in the right proportion is this picture. This picture shows you the complete, full [spiritual] measure of a person, which is infinitely more sublime than the previously revealed limb-dissected and endlessly seeming universe in the shape of the prodigal son!
[27] Now, if you consider this picture just a little, you might begin to grasp as to what the reason or nature of the return of the prodigal son is.
[28] Do not think that this fallen Lucifer, who was revealed to you in the eleventh hour, is going to return as whole or complete. If such would have been possible, truly, a material creation never would have taken place;
[29] instead, every single person who lives according to My Words and is born-again through the Word and through the salvation [or redemption], is this prodigal found again and he will return into the immense [and glorious] house of the Father!
[30] I am not saying this for nothing to you: In the immense [and glorious] house of the Father; because, quite a large [and magnificent] house must be prepared for such a multitude of people; everyone can once again take residence with their Father.
[31] Obviously, you recognize from all the preceding talks that it is clearly so; for does not each person in himself suffer in all wide-ranging tribulations, and is not everyone beaten as an individual [or for being his own person]? However, all these blows are directed at one and the same prodigal son.
[32] However if a person is beaten, is it not always true that only he who is beaten feels the pain, whereas the one who is not beaten often watches only too painlessly [and without a problem]? Alternatively, an entire nation is being mistreated on another continent, say, whether you have ever felt a whips thrashing on your skin? However, if someone dies, does he die for himself or for others? Or can you avow that somebody was ever born into the world for someone else? Or is My salvation and My Word not just as imperative for each individual person, as for entire nations? And cannot each human being receive Me with his love and the living faith for himself, that I reside in him and he in Me?
[33] If you now look at everything, could you, after all that, possibly make the ultimate assertion that I am less in one person, then in all of them together?
[34] However, when I have become one with a person and he with Me, say, is there anything else missing from the deliverance of the prodigal son in an individual person?
[35] Has he not received and accepted everything in himself, who has received [or accepted] Me? Truly, every single person who is one with Me is more, yes I say, infinitely more than the great Lucifer ever was in his for you inconceivable greatness; [this principle is shown through] applying your natural way of thinking!
[36] See, each individual person for himself or herself will consequently be defined under this prodigal son, who is called Lucifer. And as an entire nation unites with Me, so will this entire nation likewise become only one human being with Me. Moreover, all people who ever lived on the earth and continue to live, when they have become one with Me, they too become only one human being in Me. In other words, everyone will be ensouled and enlivened in one and the same Holy Spirit of all love and all truth and all might and all power, and there will not be many anymore, but one; and one is not less than many, instead, all will be in complete and full union in Me. And many will not have more might and power than one, and one not less power than many, but everyone will live as one [on its own but joint together], out of the same power and might of the Holy Spirit of all love and all truth out of Me!