On this peak we spent a day and a night and enjoyed much that was glorious and wondrous!
For Me, naturally, there was indeed nothing wondrous here, since within Me Myself lies, and must lie, the primordial ground of all the countless phenomena and occurrences; but for everyone who was there with Me there was much glorious and wondrous in great, overflowing abundance.
First, the exceedingly delightful, far-reaching view, which gave every eye abundant occupation throughout the day; but second, after sunset I allowed the people’s inner sight to be opened, so that they could look into the great spirit world.
How greatly everyone marveled when they saw above the earth a great world full of beings who live and act, and moreover immensely extensive regions and fields, partly exceedingly glorious, but partly also, towards the north, very desolate and sorrowful in appearance.
But in silence I commanded all the spirits to say nothing about Me.
Many disciples, however, spoke with the spirits about life after the body’s death, and the spirits gave them tangible proof that after the body’s death there is still a further and more perfect life, and of what kind it is.
Kisjonah also said: ‘Now all my wishes are fulfilled—by everything I have, and by this mountain that stands within my earthly property of some future day! I would give half my entire possession if I could now have here some leading Sadducees and the Essenes, who admit no life after the body’s death! How beautifully these sages would run their noses quite bloody against the spirit world here! I myself was once already entirely gripped by their doctrines, but gradually let them go again, since fortunately an apparition of my deceased father, although a rather strongly uncanny one, taught me better.
‘It is extraordinary indeed! One can now deal and speak with these beings as with one’s own kind! But what does surprise me somewhat is that among the many, many spirits here, some of whom I even recognize personally quite well, no patriarch, no prophet and no king can be seen!’
I say: ‘My dearest friend and brother, they are alive in the spirit world just as much as these; but so that they may not receive any divine veneration from all the millions and millions of spirits, they are kept entirely apart from all other spirits in a wholly secluded place called the fore-hell. There they are in full expectation that I shall now, in this time, free them and then lead them into the heavens, the primordial dwelling of My angels—which will indeed happen soon.
‘But at the same time these spirits of the patriarchs, prophets and upright kings form a guard between hell proper and this spirit world, so that hell cannot darken, infect and seduce it.
‘Satan is indeed permitted to go into the natural world and from time to time wreak his havoc there; but entry into this spirit world is barred to all devils forever. For where actual life has once begun, death remains forever far away! But Satan, devil and hell are judgment and thus have nothing more to do in the kingdom of life! Do you understand this well?’
Kisjonah says: ‘Lord! As well as can be, and as far as Your grace clearly permits, I now understand this; but certainly an immense amount must still lie in the background, which I shall probably fully grasp and understand only when I myself am one day an inhabitant of this world, after all more gloomy than friendly! Towards the east and south this spirit world truly looks exceedingly beautiful and friendly, but towards the west and north far more miserable and sorrowful than the extensive desert where great Babel once stood. Yet such a sight then also spoils the charm of the east and south.’
I say: ‘You are right; it is indeed as your feeling tells you. But the spirits whom you now behold before us in many hundreds of thousands do not see the deep west and north as you do now; for a spirit sees at one time only what corresponds to his innermost being.
‘But since here neither the west, and still less the north, corresponds to their innermost being, they see neither the west and still less the north. Only when they one day become fully like My angels will they also be able to behold everything as you yourself do now.’
Kisjonah says: ‘Lord, that is indeed somewhat obscure, and I do not yet understand it, but I think that for the moment it is not at all necessary either. Yet since You, O Lord, are now so generous here with such wondrous revelations, how would it be if, alongside these countless spirits, You wished to show us just a couple of angels as well? I have already heard so much about the archangels, cherubim and seraphim, read much in the writings themselves, and thought up and formed all kinds of conceptions of them, which were probably most incorrect and thus false! You, O Lord, could now give me a proper view of this, if it were Your holy will!’ The five daughters, who were constantly around Me, also asked Me for this.
But I said: ‘I will do so, but not before the middle of the earth’s night, rather after it. Now, however, converse with the spirits; only you must not betray to them that I am here, for this would be of no benefit to them before the time.’
Everyone was satisfied with such a promise and waited most longingly until the middle of the night should be past.