Volume 11 · Chapter 44

THE LORD IN EPHRAIM Then we walked till almost close to the evening – after we had taken a rather long rest to strengthen our bodies – I gathered My followers around Me and told them that I planned to go to Ephraim and would stay there quite some time, but they had to keep silent to everyone because I would use that time to strengthen them and Myself and also for the reinforcement of some weak minds who had to be strengthened for the future time of fulfillment that would come soon.

[GGJ.11_44,02] Ephraim was a small unimportant town that even in My time was hardly taken into account and was entirely unknown to many. It was not far from the Dead Sea, between the mountains, totally remote. If you want to know more precisely where it was located – for nowadays no scientist has any idea anymore where it can be found – draw from the top part of the Dead Sea, where the maps show a rather strong curve, a line to the left until the beginning of the mountains which is indicated as ‘desert of Judea’. Then you have found the region where Ephraim was located before, of which no trace can be found now.

[GGJ.11_44,03] We previously left the road that went to Jericho and turned to the south. It was almost evening when I, as already mentioned, indicated the purpose of our trip. So we arrived there shortly before nightfall.

[GGJ.11_44,04] Ephraim was a poor city and was never visited by travelers. That is why there was no inn where we could have spent the night. Only miserable small huts could be found everywhere which did not deserve the name of city at all. The inhabitants lived needily from stock farming and all kinds of carvings out of hard wood and asphalt that came from the Dead Sea. The place was formerly used as a kind of stronghold against the invasions of nomad people. That is why there was a ruined castle that originated from ancient times. Although totally ruined it was nevertheless giving protection against wind and weather.

[GGJ.11_44,05] We spent the night in this ruin and installed ourselves quite comfortably. It was big enough for everyone, and Peter thought that we finally could very well spend the winter within the still strong walls if I, as was often the case, would use My power to improve the old building here a little. I said to him and the others that this will also happen but that, because of the inhabitants, everything had to be done very carefully so that they would not know Me and that it would not harm their soul, for they were still very simple people who would express to us a very inconvenient reverence. Therefore, everything had to look to the outside more naturally regular.

[GGJ.11_44,06] Now the others asked Me why I actually did not go directly to this place instead of traveling so far along the road to Jericho by which a great detour was made.

[GGJ.11_44,07] I told them that this was because of the Jews by whom we wanted to be left in peace and who would certainly not look for Me here but now at the other side of the Jordan or in the Jordan Valley. But here, very close to Jerusalem, we were actually safest in this wilderness.