NEUOFFENBARUNG← Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Contents
World-, temple- and Divine service
5th July 1847
[1] We also give some "aphorisms" – but of course in a very special way! And so write:
[2] Houses get expanded, cities bloom, and iron roads carry spirits unleashed from the water, and even mighty loads are driven along iron tracks with the wings of the winds.
[3] Oh but the hearts of people, the only dwellings of God on earth, wither horribly! And no-one will ever take the trouble to contribute some good building blocks, consisting of Christian works of love for the neighbor, to the building of the only holy "City of God," and just as little to maintain with the slightest effort the paths which I Myself have long paved, so that some better wayfarers towards eternal life, would not feel like suffocating in the endless waste of the world.
[4] The industry of this world is certainly most diligently operated, in order to kill the spirit faster and possibly also to completely destroy the already meager sowing of the seed for eternal life! Of the contrary, one hears nothing; no industry wants to rise where people wants to establish their own "factories" – I mean "factories" in which only the works of Christian love, humility and the sweetest gentleness are to be produced and never the works of hell, of death, of Satan.
[5] Now artists, scholars and all kinds of researchers travel by land and sea. They travel in heaps on all kinds on paths and over bridges. What will be the purpose of their efforts after all? Oh it is not difficult to guess! What rhymes with "world"? Oh see, "money"! [Tr: 'Welt' rhymes with 'geld' in German] Yes, the cursed money now moves all the artists, scholars and all sorts of other researchers on land and sea. And none of all those mentioned travels the earth for higher reasons: out of love for Me and out of love for neighbor.
[6] Worldly honor, whether even in former times some exceptional deeds were done, is now also subject to death. They have no shame, although they often ignited brothers against brothers, and countless Cains slew Abel. But this driving force for atrocious deeds has now almost completely disappeared. Money has now taken the place of honor; whoever possesses it, will be given everything! Whether it will also give eternal life, will one day become apparent! Probably possible for some – impossible for many.
[7] The Roman churches and temples are decorated with towers and domes, the interior boasts gold and silver and many precious stones. In all of the towers, the iron bells ring out powerfully at all special times of the days, weeks and years. Inside the churches and temples, the organs and sometimes trombones, trumpets, timpani and pipes sound. Singers compete with each other to see who could burst his throat and lungs. People push themselves together mightily when expensive Masses in golden garments, ostensibly performed in My honor, are performed. For such a Mass is called a "sacrifice" and is for the Roman Christians the most distinguished, exalted, most holy service, which pleases Me alone, and is performed especially when it is so splendidly and expensively paid for!
[8] Oh times, oh customs, oh people! Where is it written: Decorate prayer houses with towers, with domes, with gold and with silver and precious stones, ring expensive bells with organs, trumpets, trombones, and kettledrums and pipes and other blaring full of the most horrible nonsense, to worship Me, your God – and that for money, too?
[9] Oh that is even worse than what the prophet Isaiah spoke of by saying: "This people worship Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me! But here it would still be good, if only this could be said only of all Roman Christians. But here one must say: This people worship Me with brick-built churches and towers, bells, organs and all kinds of pipes, bells and chimes, bundles and ribbons, incense and burning candles, in golden garments for money, gold and silver, for wine and roasts in all forms. They do not produce much with their lips, though. They have bells and other
consecrated tools! Why then still wear out the lips? That is apparently only done somewhat in Latin.
[10] One may no longer ask the heart whether it is near or far from Me. For such a heart knows Me not and has never recognized Me! Or do walls and towers and bells and organs and tufts and ribbons and gilded idols and all manner of carvings and censers and incense and votive fountains and candles and chandeliers and lamps and altars and golden garments and all manner of sacred instruments then also have hearts?
[11] Oh times, Oh customs, Oh people! Where have you gone, you insane, you blind, you poor, you all together dead? Is what it means to worship God in spirit and truth? Wake up for once and do not make it any worse than it was before – only the darkest heathens did that!
[12] Who dares to say: "I know the almighty God, the Triune, the eternally Faithful" – and yet never want to worship Me in any other language than Latin and only for money! Oh that will be the crown of lies, will it not?
[13] Oh look, whoever knows Me in his heart as God and Father, he will also honor Me in his heart alone through love and so worship Me only in "truth" and "spirit" – because I as God and as Father dwell through My most holy Spirit only in the hearts of those who know Me as that which I was from eternity and as what I have made Myself known to be on earth!
[14] But if this is the only eternal truth – what will then be the rest: All the churches and temples and towers and bells and organs and kettledrums and trumpets and pipes and missal and incense and censer and bell and tinkle and clusters and ribbons and all that idolatrous garbage?
[15] I think the answer will be easy for anyone to find. Therefore nothing more of all the works of night and death for ever! Amen.