The high priest says, ‘Lord, are we to begin eating again now? Surely we strengthened ourselves with food and drink at the very start of supper, although we kept talking about many things while we ate! I am fully strengthened once and for all and can neither eat nor drink any more.’
I say, ‘You have answered rightly, for you are full of food and delicious wine from the heavens. But there are still many here who have dared neither eat nor drink, for they still thought nothing of My name or My word and were afraid as though of witchcraft. But now that they have heard our conversations and grasped their clear truth, their foolish fear has left them, and hunger and thirst have taken its place. Now they would like to eat and drink, but again do not dare, this time out of sheer reverence. Do you think they should now be sent away like that? Oh, far from it! Let them now eat and drink to their hearts’ content! For henceforth they will not eat and drink from this kitchen, except one day in My kingdom in the heavens.’
After this clarification I again bade the multitude eat and drink, and also said to the young men, ‘Let them lack nothing!’ And the young men brought a great abundance of bread and wine anew, and all kinds of delicious fruits.
But some had misgivings about eating fruits they did not know. Then the young men said, ‘Dear brothers, eat all these fruits without any fear, for they are pure and full of delicious flavor! On this earth there are indeed some fruits, some grasses, and some animals whose formation unclean spirits work upon, because it is so written in the Lord’s order. For the devils too must serve the Lord, even though of their own free will they never want or wish to. For just as a slave in chains must serve his master, so must the devils serve as well, but no blessing rests in their work.
‘And so on earth, where people, animals, and devils not infrequently live under one roof and act according to their nature, there are not infrequently all sorts of bad deeds, works, and fruits of bad and unclean kinds and species, of which people should make no use if they wish to be spared all the possible evils of this earth. Therefore, through His servant Moses, the Lord had all the things that are pure and good specified, and advised people against using the unclean things on which evil spirits also work. And this is a glorious order. But everything offered here for your enjoyment is most pure, since it was brought here for you wonderfully from the heavens. Therefore you may enjoy everything without apprehension! For what the Father gives from the heavens is most pure and good, and furthers the life of the soul and of the spirit for eternity.’
This instruction from the wise young men gladdened everyone’s heart, and all praised God for such friendly wisdom in these young men. Some later wrote down this teaching from memory, and it was preserved in this city and region for many years.
But when various enemies later severely ravaged this city and region, much was destroyed, including this instruction, which Paul once mentions in somewhat mystically phrased words in his letters, where he speaks of various kinds of spirits.
The whole great company was now in good spirits and soon conversed among themselves about Me, My teaching, and this meal from the heavens, while the young men also spoke with the guests about many things.
But Nathanael rose and said to the guests, ‘Dear friends and brothers! Only a few moons ago I was a fisherman in the region of Bethabara on the River Jordan, not far from its mouth into the sea. Then a wholly unassuming man came to John and had Himself baptized by him, and John immediately bore witness to Him without ever having seen Him bodily on earth, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” And John bore further witness, saying, “This is He of whom I testified: He who was before me and comes after me, whose sandal straps I am not worthy to untie.”
‘I heard this testimony from the preacher in the wilderness and became thoughtful. I went away and told my wife and children at home, and they were greatly astonished that the stern preacher gave such testimony to a man!
‘For it was difficult to speak with the preacher, and when he spoke his words were rough, and he spared no one, whether Pharisee, priest, or Levite. With him everyone had to leap over the sharp sword of his tongue for life or death!
‘But when He who is now a Lord among us came, John sank down to become a lamb of lambs and spoke as tenderly as a lark sings its little spring song! In short, my family scarcely believed my account, for they knew only too well the way John usually spoke.
‘But two days later, very early, I went to my daily work, sat beneath a tree, and repaired my fishing equipment. Then the same man to whom John had given the gentle testimony came to me, already accompanied by some who followed Him, called me by name, and bade me follow Him. And when I wondered how He knew me, since I had never seen Him before, He said, “Do not wonder so much about that, for you will see greater things yet. From now on you will see the heavens open and the angels ascending and descending over the Son of Man!”
‘And look, what the Lord told me then is now being most gloriously fulfilled here! All the heavens stand open, and the angels descend and serve Him and all of us. What greater proof do we still need concerning Him, that He alone is the one who is to come according to the promise made known to all the children of Israel, beginning with Adam down to us? For that reason I also regard Him as more than the Messiah alone! He is—’
Here I interrupt him and say, ‘My dear friend and brother, only this far for the present, and no further! Only when this flesh is lifted up by the Jews, then speak entirely without reserve everything you know of Me, but by no means before, for people are not yet capable of it.’
Nathanael was content with that, but still did not clearly understand what I meant by the lifting up of My flesh, and many thought I would ascend David’s throne in Jerusalem. The high priest, however, understood well what I meant to say by the lifting up of My flesh, but he remained silent and his face grew sad. I comforted him in this and drew his attention to what I had already said to him earlier in this regard, and he became cheerful again and praised Me in his heart.
But during this, the morning of the next day also became visible. Yet no one felt any tiredness or sleepiness, since everyone was as strengthened as never before, even after the best sleep. Therefore they all asked Me whether they might spend this entire day with Me, and I granted them this devout wish.