Chapter 7
1538[Therefore, to him who would improve his place in heaven while still mortal,] the light of the following truths will be manifest to him (who would know). Let him, on the other hand, shut himself up in denial, saying: I defy you to prove the matter, || and he shall not be enlightened.
Therefore, in the testimony of Jehovih, speaking through Es, and by the spirit of man quickened, is set forth:
As a man lives on earth, acquiring perfections or imperfections in spirit, so will he enter the es world at death.
Death is the severing knife that separates the corporeal man from the spiritual man. The former returns to the earth, but the latter survives, and, in time, rises upward.
By death man suffers the loss of companionship of mortals, but is quickened and united with those he loved before.
A new world is open to him, full of light and splendor, fitted to his spirit, even more glorious and real than the corporeal world was to his mortal part.
As a corporeal man requires corporeal food, clothes, and a habitable place to dwell, so does his spirit require similarly, and is so provided within atmospherea, but spiritually.
The first habitable place in es is on the earth, and around near the earth, and mostly within the same house where he dwelt in mortal form. But the spirit is subtle and moves, not as corporeal things move, but having power and presence with friends and kin at remote distances, as if all was in one place; for such is the nature of the es world.
Spirit exists within corporea, and by this means, the dead are able to manifest to the living. However, to those living who have no consciousness of their own spirit, the spirits of the dead cannot manifest intelligently.
For a mortal to be conscious of his own spirit, it must transcend his corporeal senses; he who does not know of his own spirit is weak indeed. Such a man born into the spirit world is like a newborn child, knowing nothing.
All men born into spirit life die imperfect, ignorant, and weak, depending on nurses, guardians and doctors. Many of these dependents are slain in war, or in desperate madness, and are born into spirit life in chaos. Some will not leave the battlefield.
To the long suffering and to the weary, who are upright of heart, death is a doorway to a world of bliss, rest, and love.
To the captain and general, who were slayers of men, death is a doorway to where ghastly wounds spring up before them, and frenzied maniacs cry out for vengeance. And the slayers of men run away, but cannot escape; they cry out, but are mocked at. The wailing of the widows and orphans is an increasing horror to them. Their nose is suffocated and their eyes appalled with the constant presence of gaping, bloody wounds.
The leader of men enters the es world to meet an army of misled confidants; and his tricks and falsehoods are like soiled and spotted garments to hide a blackened heart. He turns away, but the mirror of his past deeds hangs up before him.
The rich man enters the es world at the door of his bank. In the bank he lingers all day. At night he wanders up and down. He meets another rich man; they shake hands but do not speak. Then he goes forth. In the morning he is in the door of his bank again, and all day he loiters about. He worries at the manner of the clerks; he fears his widow will come to want, or that his bank will soon run low. He sees the glory of the spirit world, but he cannot enter it. The servants who washed his clothes stand fairer than he. Yes, he is abashed by the whiteness of their raiment and the light of their souls; and so he turns and hides in his bank again.
1542But lo, the spirit of him who is dead sucks out the spirit of the wine and leaves him distracted still.
Another darker chamber opens; a dealer in wines is dead; one with fashionable home, and wife and daughters, high aspiring (as to corporeal values and society). Confronted in his stores with the spirits of those who died from his temptations, bleary-eyed and boisterous, they come to welcome the newly dead. And with atmospherean potions sucked out of his plenteous barrels, greet him with rich applause. Then he flies to his wife and daughters in his mansion richly furnished. But lo, the drunken sots, foul smelling spirits, fill his habitation! With terrible anger, helpless, he watches the spirits of pollution fondling his daughter’s person, and his widow a fountain for their revelry.
And yet the depth is not full. In a stately mansion a woman of high caste (high society, celebrity) is dead. And it was said she was blessed, because in not having borne children, ease and glory were at her command. And now, with curious mirth and some envy, the spirits of other women who were social outcasts, come to observe the newborn spirit of the leader of fashion. And as they turn to look, nurses come with children born from her body and her spirit, by abortion cast into heaven, even in Jehovih’s face accursed! A curtain of black death that will not go away, chokes her. And no matter where she turns, to the left, the right, up or down, there is nothing but the wail of sweet babes: Mother, why did you murder me? Was I not Jehovih’s gift? The woman of fashion hides but is not hidden, even the soiled outcasts are white beside her. Like a woman that is crushed but cannot die, she squirms and writhes in the kingdom she built with her own hands.
From the scene of horrors, Uz now opened the door of the materialistic man of corporeal learning. His spirit wanders in libraries and ancient tombs and hieroglyphs, or sighs over problems never solved. Day by day, night by night, he restlessly peers into the same paths, and over and over burrows deep in darkness. Stripling youths and fairies pull his wig or upturn his spectacles, saying: O fool, do you not know you are dead? Turn from these corporeal tombs and behold Great Jehovih’s light. But he regards them in sorrow and pity, saying: I am not dead! When I am dead, there is the end. I am merely sick, still dwelling in my corporeal body. And then he wanders on, a living sepulcher.
A farmer is dead. It was his want to rise early and toil all day; to ponder much on the fruit of his labor and to glory in his freedom. For himself and his family he lived; to himself and his family Jehovih gives him. In his house and his fields his spirit walks about; he knows no heaven or hell. As a weed that is worthless to itself and the world, so is his spirit, and as the weed does not know the field that brought it forth, neither does he know Jehovih’s heaven. Nor can he go anywhere except from field to field, and back to his house, day and night. He lives for nothing higher, and Jehovih gave him that which he desired.
What spirit is this that gluts itself in the slaughterhouse? He was a gormandizer; he is dead. He goes from restaurant to restaurant snuffing the air of roasted viands, and fat meats, and of wines. The smell (odor) of the fat man is his delight. And the woman who rejoices in sin, rare flesh and fat soups, is like a cushion for him to roll upon. One says: I never come into this restaurant without, once I am here, remembering him who is dead; he so loved this place! And the other says: I believe his spirit still loiters here and that is why we so often think of him. And, at that, they gorge themselves, even while the spirit of the dead feeds on the atmospherean part. This is all the heaven he sought on earth, and Jehovih gave it to him.
And now comes confusion in heaven. He who forever argued is dead. Scarcely newborn in spirit life, he sets up to prove his position and enlighten the whole world. The curious and the idler gather around to hear his speech again. He strives to show that the whole world is a fool. He turns his argument in endless ways, and repeats them over, day by day, night by night. This was what he strove to build on earth, and Jehovih gave him the same.
And here newborn in spirit is the moderate man, who, by industry, earned a handsome house and raised up sons and daughters creditable to the state. He is in his home still; heaven is too narrow for him. He says, I would argue with Jehovih that I do not have my due share of heaven! Did I not give alms daily: the poor man a crust, and a poor woman a penny? When did I pass a blind man and not give? But no one answered him. The chord of his voice, being as narrow as his orientation, fell barren as if talking to the wind. Again and again he repeats his complaint; but no one takes him by the hand, and he remains helplessly in his own home, which he asked Jehovih to help him build for his heirs.
The recluse, with a new philosophy and scheme of diet, but aimless, and producing little to benefit anything under the sun, is dead. The breath of mortals was poison to him, and all human influence to be avoided as poison infecting his most holy spirit. Here again nymphs and fairies gather to see his spirit make its ̳etherean’ flight! As mortals gather around a pretender who promises to sail a balloon around the world, so these jocose and mischief-loving spirits gather in the house of the recluse, to see his promised ascent. He will show them how the higher spheres in heaven are reached (yet he would not deign, even in mortal life, to commune with the spirits of the dead; none so low for him!). But now he is dead and his spirit still limps and trembles in his hovel, still boasting. And as he produced nothing in the corporeal world, so he produces nothing still; but boasts and secludes, secludes and boasts; and this is his heaven, day and night. BATTLE OF THE BEAST AT THE TIME OF KOSMON
The light of Jehovih touched on the earth, and the heavens above were stirred to the foundation. Things past were moved forward. His voice was from the depth of darkness to the summit of All Light.
The nations that had not known Him, now knew Him. Acceptable, and with loud rejoicings, they shouted, Jehovih! Jehovih! Almighty and Everlasting! Glory be to You on High! Creator, Father! All praise to You forever!
And Jehovih went swiftly far and near, quickening with a new power, both the living and the dead. And the peoples rose up, and from every corner heard His voice, calling: Come forth! Come forth! O My beloved! And it was not like any sound under the sun, for it reached deep into the souls of men.
And in the stirring up of things long past, it was as if a cloud of dust and darkness, foul and poisonous, overspreading heaven and earth, was to be cleared away to make room for the immortal kingdom.
High above the clouds, and deep down in all the blackness, the All Light of Great Jehovih shone as the everlasting sun. The faith of men and angels rose up in increasing assurance to the Most High, that He alone, in His matchless majesty, would rise triumphant over all.
Jehovih said: Bring forth the legions of earth and heaven! Summon up the dead! Let the living rejoice! My kingdom is at hand! And the dead came forth as if out of their graves, but clothed in the raiment of heaven; and they walked upon the earth; and talked with the living, face to face, proclaiming the fullness of Jehovih and His everlasting kingdoms.
Little infants who were long dead and now full grown in heaven, singing in Jehovih’s praise, returned to the living. Mothers returned from the unseen world with love and angel kisses for their mortal babes and sorrow-stricken husbands.
Then the cloud of darkness rose higher and higher and higher; the poisonous smell and damnable tricks of hades belched forth in terrible blackness. The spirits of those slain in war, delirious, mad and dyed in vengeance; and those whose earth lives had bound them in torments; and those who lived on earth to glut themselves to the full in abhorrent lust, came assuming the names of Gods and Saviors.
And yet the voice of Jehovih called: Bring forth the legions of earth and heaven! Summon up the dead! Let the living rejoice! My kingdom is at hand.
And now the cloud reached all around the earth, And the light of Jehovih was almost obscured. Still the faith of angels and mortals rose up in one increasing voice: Jehovih is mighty! I know He will prevail!
And still the black giant arose, awful in gloom and bloodstained mantle, till all around the earth it became like a solemn night before a battle of death. Rattling bones and empty skulls, with gnashing teeth, all stained with human gore, made hideous by the portentous omen, caused angels and men to stand appalled.
Jehovih said: Bring forth the legions of earth and heaven! Summon up the dead! Let the living rejoice! My kingdom is at hand!
And now as the cloud of darkness stretched up out of the earth, girdling it all around, as a venomous reptile secures his living food, lo and behold, the monster beast stretched forth four heads with flaming nostrils all on fire!
On each head were two horns, bloodstained and fresh with human victims’ macerated flesh. Their tongues darted forth in menace, and their open mouths watered for human souls, and with maddened suspicion, amid heightening distrust, their bloodshot eyes pierced the foul darkness, making many a mortal quake in fear.
And still the upraised of earth and heaven, with one voice cried out: All hail, O Jehovih! You are mighty! You alone, shall prevail!
And Jehovih answered to His faithful sons and daughters, the living and the dead: Bring forth the legions of earth and heaven! Summon up the dead! Let the living rejoice! My kingdom is at hand!