The Earth
THE SPIRITUAL EARTH
- Chapter 67 -
True and false prophets
Someone might raise the questions, "Can you, at all times, absolutely believe a born-again being in regard to predicting the future? Or should you doubt his predictions?" This is My answer to these questions: "When the born-again human being says, "Do that,' then do it. When he says, "This or that will happen!' and he does not mention the word "if,' then do not believe him, because a truly born-again being will never neglect to mention the conditional (?)"if.' Whatever will occur will occur conditionally. That is why a prediction of a future event will never take place with certainty. If something were determined in advance, the world would be in the severest of judgments and all freedom would be lost. A genuine born-again being knows this very well, and therefore he would have to prophesy contrary to his knowledge if he were to predict something with certainty.
"I Myself was certainly the highest Prophet on Earth. But who can prove to Me that, apart from My Resurrection, I predicted anything else with certainty? I did say, however, that I should die and that I should rise again on the third day, but I did not predict to anyone the time or the hour. I also predicted My Advent, but, mind you, with the remark: The time and the hour is known to no one but Me alone, and to those to whom I will reveal it! However, I have already revealed My Advent, but not the time or the hour. Through the proclamation of the signs, My impending Advent may be recognized."
All prophets, too, predicted the future conditionally, so that no one would be judged by these predictions, but instead keep the freedom to do what was called for in order to elude the threatening judgment. Jeremiah prophesied and sometimes waited in vain for years, bitterly lamenting the lack of fulfillment of his predictions. What he had prophesied to occur on the next day occurred many years afterwards. It took twenty-three years until his prediction of the seventy-year long imprisonment of the Jewish nation by the Babylonians was fulfilled. Jonah waited in vain for the fall of Nineveh, so that even in the end he angrily reproached Me because of My grace.
When human beings, threatened with court proceedings, consequently change, then the proceedings will be stopped, even if only a few of them change. When, among a hundred thousand people, only ten be righteous, then I will, because of those ten, spare the hundred thousand from judgment. And when I find a hundred righteous among a million, then I will not, because of the hundred, take the million to court, as I had threatened to do. Should the number of the righteous be higher, then the court will be cancelled for certain. Instead of a general court, there will only be a special court for the most obstinate. However, should there be, as indicated above, fewer righteous human beings, there will then be, after a few more admonitions, the trial that I threatened, and unless there be a change in them it will not be cancelled.
This should make it very clear that everyone must be very careful with prophecies - with the ones which are called, as well as those which are not. I will not let anyone attain rebirth because of a prophecy, but solely for the sake of eternal life. When I call upon someone to prophesy, he should not add or delete anything on his own initiative. If he does that, he will not fare very well in the future. Therefore it is not easy to be a prophet. A very harmful human being is he who prophesies out of his own might and assumes a divine judgeship.
Whoso does this shall be in the same court as that which he had intended for his brethren. Whoso condemns shall be condemned; whoso damns shall be damned. Whoso judges with Hell shall find his judgment in Hell. Whoso judges with death will himself find death; whoso judges with the sword shall be executed with the sword. And whoso judges with darkness shall be cast into the outer darkness. But whoso would not be judged should not judge.
If anyone tells you that he has the power from Me to judge, he is a liar in eternity. Only I gave My born-again Apostles and Disciples the power of the highest love for their neighbors, and I gave this love equal standing for love unto Me. And the highest degree of love for a neighbor is My spirit in the heart of every born-again being, as well as in the hearts of those who believe in Me, and love Me and their brothers for My sake. My spirit in a human being is the power of this love, and it is therefore everyone's duty to forgive their enemies with their whole hearts. And as often as a human being has forgiven his enemies through My spirit, that is how often such a sinner shall be forgiven in all the heavens. Should you, however, be dealing with an evil enemy, where all forgiveness bears no fruit, then you should say, "May the Lord reward you in accordance with your deeds." This is a remonstration of the sin only.
Do these full powers signify that I have bestowed a judgeship? Oh no, they are only full powers in regard to the highest of love for one's neighbor, or a love that is equal to My divine love. But never a judgeship! This position I have given Myself, and therefore I will not bestow this upon a human being. I gave to human beings the highest, fullest power of love for one reason: that they may easier become brothers among one another, truly in My name. Who would mistake a delegation of full powers for a judgeship?
And when I said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," it meant as much and still does as: "Receive the highest of power of My divine love. Whatsoever shall be loosed on Earth shall remain loosed. It requires no further sacrifices nor any more high priests. Whatsoever you bind to your heart, and whatsoever you shall hind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven." Neither understand by "loose" and "bind," forgiveness or remonstration, since loosening is an extrication, and binding is an acceptance.
If, for example, a human being be indebted to another, the creditor may forgive the debtor his debt. Or when a heathen converts to Christianity, then a Christian may admit him immediately into the congregation and bind him in his heart with the omnipotence of divine love. Every Christian who believes in Me, loves Me, and is baptized in My name has this right.
But who can deduce from this the right for a judgeship? Wherever such a judgeship exists, it exists against My order. And whosoever subjects himself to such a court is in error when he is of the opinion that his sins are absolved. How can a third party cancel a debt that a second party owes to a first party?
When James recommended through My spirit a reciprocal confession of sins, by no means did that signify what the clergy or the world considers to be a confession, but rather a reciprocal confidential communication of one's own infirmities and weaknesses, in order to receive from a friend and brother strength and comfort in the spirit and in truth. Behold, no one requires priestly or exorcist consecrations for that. The apostolate in itself is only a brotherly lectureship, but not a heathen gold, silver, and precious gem pomp, with a judicial calling or powers.
There was never any mention of a confession. Not only the Apostles, but everyone is ordered to be a housekeeper. When a weak human being regrets sinning, either physically or spiritually, against his brothers that have already died - at which point a discharge of debts of their offender is no longer possible - a third party may, at this point, be of service, and help this weak human being, and may minimize the great debt. Whoever does that will perform a great service of truly Christian mercy towards his fellow man, especially when he turns the debtor to Me. In any other situation, however, a third party should not interfere between two brothers as a redeemer of debts. Should he do this, then all the sins which those two have committed will be placed upon him if he should judge them and not intend to better them. This is the well-founded explanation in regard to the matter of the commended absolution of sins.