Books of the Old Testament

• Bible - Book of Ben Sira the Wise - Ecclesiasticus or Sirach
• Defense of the Work
• Excerpts from the 1985 edition
• Fight against the Work

«Who is the most clever?»

«Him.» It is the frail little fellow who does not want war.

«What is your name?»

«Joel.»

«A great name! He says: “… let the weakling say: ‘I am strong’”. But strong in what? In the Law of the true God, to be amongst those whom in the Valley of Decision He will judge to be His saints. But the judgement is already near. Not in the Valley of Decision, but on the mountain of Redemption. There, the sun and the moon will grow dark with horror, the stars will tremble and shed tears of mercy, and the children of Light will be judged and separated from the children of Darkness. And the whole of Israel will know that its God has come. Happy are those who will have recognised Him. Honey, milk and fresh water will descend into their hearts and thorns will become eternal roses. Which of you wants to be amongst those who will be judged saints of God?»

«Me! Me! Me!»

«Will you love the Messiah, then?»

«Yes! Yes! You! You! It’s You we love. We know who You are! Simon and James have told us, and our mothers have told us. Take us with You!»

«Yes, I will take you if you are good. No more bad words, no more arrogance, quarrels, no answering back to your parents. Prayer, study, work, obedience. And I will love you and come with you.»

The children are all round Jesus. They look like a gaily-coloured corolla around a long, deep-blue pistil.

• Bible - Book of Joel
• Last Judgment
• Redemption

Deuteronomy states what is to be done, nothing else was necessary. But do not judge those who acted for other people, not for themselves. Do what God commands. And above all, strive and be perfect in the two main precepts. If you love God with all your souls, you will not sin, because sin gives pain to God. Those who love do not want to give pain. If you love your neighbours, as you love yourselves, you will be respectful children to your parents, faithful husbands to your wives, honest merchants in your trade, without any violence against your enemies, truthful in bearing witness, without envy of wealthy people, without any incentive of lewdness for another man’s wife. And as you do not want to do to other people what you do not wish should be done to you, you will not steal, or kill, or slander, or enter someone else’s nest like cuckoos.

• Bible - Book of Deuteronomy
• Commandments

Love. May your love become a ladder by which, like angels, you will ascend to Heaven, as Jacob saw them, when you hear the Father say to each and everybody: “I will be your protector wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this place; to Heaven, the Eternal Kingdom”.

• Bible - Book of Genesis
• God the Father
• Heaven - Paradiso

«Are You leaving tomorrow, Master?»

«Tomorrow, at dawn, if you do not mind.»

«I am sorry that You are going away. But I do not mind the hour. On the contrary, it suits me.»

«Are you going fishing?»

«Yes, tonight, when the moon rises.»

«You did well, Simon, not fishing last night. The Sabbath was not yet finished. Nehemiah in his reformation wants[2] the Sabbath to be respected in Judah. Even nowadays too many people work on the Sabbath day at presses, carry wood, wine and fruit and buy and sell fish and lambs. You have six days for that. The Sabbath is of the Lord. Only one thing you may do on the Sabbath: you may do good to your neighbour. But all profit must be excluded from such help. He who infringes the Sabbath to make a profit will be punished by God. He makes a profit? He will lose it during the other six days. He makes no profit? He has fatigued his body for no purpose, because he did not grant it the rest that Intelligence prescribed for it, and thus he irritated his soul having worked in vain, and goes to the extent of cursing. The day of the Lord, instead, is to be spent with your hearts united to God in sweet prayer of love. You must be faithful in everything.»

• Bible - Book of Nehemiah

Jesus says a psalm. The one beginning: «He who rests in the help of the Most High, will live in the protection of the God of Heaven. He will say to the Lord: “You are my protector and my shelter. He is my God, I will hope in Him. He rescued me from the snares of fowlers and from harsh words” etc.» I find it in the fourth book. It is the second psalm in book four, I think it is number 90, (if I read the Roman number correctly).

The vision ends in this way.

• Bible - Psalms

«Listen, Israel! Deuteronomy states: “You are to appoint judges and scribes at all the gates… and they must administer an impartial judgement to the people. You must be impartial; you must take no bribes, for a bribe blinds wise men’s eyes and jeopardises the cause of the just. Strict justice must be your ideal, so that you may live in rightful possession of the land that Yahweh your God is giving you”.

Listen, Israel. Deuteronomy states: “The priests and scribes and the whole of the tribe of Levi shall have no share or inheritance with Israel, because they must live on the foods offered to Yahweh and on His dues; they shall have no inheritance among their brothers, because Yahweh will be their inheritance”.

Listen, Israel. Deuteronomy states: “You must not lend on interest to your brother, whether the lack be of money or food or anything else. You may demand interest on a loan of a foreigner; you will lend without interest to your brother whatever he needs”.

The Lord said that.

But now you see that in Israel judgements are administered without justice for the poor. They are not inclined to justice, but they are partial with the rich, and to be poor, to be of the common people means to be oppressed. How can the people say: “Our judges are just” when they see that only the mighty ones are respected and satisfied, whereas the poor have no one who will listen to them? How can the people respect the Lord, when they see that the Lord is not respected by those who should respect Him more than everyone else? Does he who infringes the Lord’s commandment respect Him? Why then do the priests in Israel possess property and accept bribes from tax-collectors and sinners, who make them offerings to obtain their favours, while they accept gifts to fill their coffers?

God is the inheritance of His priests. He, the Father of Israel, is more than a Father to them and provides them with food, as it is just. But not more than what is just. He did not promise money and possessions to His servants of the sanctuary. In eternal life, they will possess Heaven for their justice, as Moses, Elijah, Jacob and Abraham will, but in this world they must have but a linen garment and a diadem of incorruptible gold: purity and charity, and their bodies must be subject to their souls, which are to be subject to the true God, and their bodies are not to be masters over their souls and against God.

I have been asked on what authority I do this. And on what authority do they violate God’s command and allow in the shade of the sacred walls usury on their brothers of Israel, who have come to obey the divine command? I have been asked from what school I come and I replied: “From God’s school” Yes, Israel, I have come from and I will take you back to that holy and immutable school.

53.7

He who wants to know the Light, the Truth, the Way, he who wants to hear once again the voice of God speaking to his people, let him come to Me. You followed Moses through the deserts, Israel. Follow Me, because I shall lead you through a far worse desert, to the true blessed Land. At God’s command, I will draw you to it, across an open sea. I will cure you of all evils lifting up My Sign.

The time of Grace has come. The Prophets expected it and died waiting for it. The Prophets prophesied it and died in that hope. The just have dreamt of it and died comforted by that dream. It is now here.

Come. “The Lord is about to judge His people and have mercy on His servants”, as He promised through Moses.»

• Bible - Book of Deuteronomy
• Judges and magistrates
• Preaching of Jesus Christ
• Preaching of Jesus Christ in the Temple of Jerusalem

53.7 He who wants to know the Light, the Truth, the Way, he who wants to hear once again the voice of God speaking to his people, let him come to Me. You followed Moses through the deserts, Israel. Follow Me, because I shall lead you through a far worse desert, to the true blessed Land. At God’s command, I will draw you to it, across an open sea. I will cure you of all evils lifting up My Sign.

The time of Grace has come. The Prophets expected it and died waiting for it. The Prophets prophesied it and died in that hope. The just have dreamt of it and died comforted by that dream. It is now here.

Come. “The Lord is about to judge His people and have mercy on His servants”, as He promised through Moses.

• Bible - Book of Deuteronomy
• Bible - Book of Exodus
• Bible - Gospel of John
• Exodus
• I am the Way, the Truth and the Life

59.3 Jesus has reached His place. He greets the head of the synagogue who exchanges the greeting. He is a small, stout, rather elderly man. When speaking to him Jesus bends down. It is like a palm bending over a shrub which is wider than it is taller.

«What shall I give You?» asks the little man.

«Whatever you wish, or anything at random. The Spirit will be our guide.»

«But… will You be prepared?»

«I am. Give me a roll at random. I tell you: the Spirit of the Lord will guide the choice for the sake of this people.»

The head of the synagogue stretches his hand out to the pile of rolls, he picks one and unrolls it, he stops at a certain point. «Here» he says.

Jesus takes the roll and starts reading at the shown point: «Joshua: “Rise and sanctify the people and say to them: ‘Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow, because the Lord of Israel declares: the ban is now among you, Israel; you can never stand up to your enemies until you take from among you him who is contaminated by such crime’”.» He stops, He rolls the parchment and hands it back.

The crowd is most attentive. Only one whispers: «We shall hear some very nice words against our enemies!». «It is the King of Israel, the Promised One, Who gathers His people together!»

59.4 Jesus stretches out His arms in His usual oratorial attitude. Silence is now perfect.

«He who came to sanctify you has risen. He has come out from the secrecy of His house, where He prepared Himself for this mission. He purified Himself to give you an example of purification. He established His position with the mighty ones in the Temple and with the people of God, and is now amongst you. It is I. Not as some of you think and hope, with clouded minds and unrest in their hearts. The Kingdom of which I am the future King and to which I call you is more notable and greater.

I am calling you, Israel, before any other people, because in the fathers of your fathers you received the promise of this hour and of the alliance with the Most High Lord. But His Kingdom will not be established with armed multitudes or wild blood shedding and neither the violent nor the overbearing, the proud, the wrathful, the envious, the lustful, the greedy will enter it but only the good, the meek, the continent, the merciful, the humble, the patient and those who love God and their neighbours will be admitted.

Israel! You are not asked to fight against external enemies, but against internal ones. Against those who are in all your hearts. In the hearts of thousands and thousands of your children. Remove the barrier of sin from all your hearts, if you want God to gather you together tomorrow and say to you: “My people, yours is the Kingdom that will never be defeated, or invaded, or undermined by enemies”.

Tomorrow. Which tomorrow? In a year or a month’s time? Oh! Do not be inquisitive! Do not allow an unhealthy thirst to inquire into the future by means which taste of guilty witchcraft. Leave the Python spirit to the heathens. Leave to Eternal God the secrecy of time. As from tomorrow, the morrow that will rise after this evening, and the morrow that will come after tonight and will rise at cock-crow, come and be purified by sincere penance.

Repent of your sins to be forgiven and to be ready for the Kingdom. Remove from yourselves the barrier of sin. Each of you has his own. Each has the one against the ten commandments of eternal salvation. Examine your consciences with sincerity and you will find your errors. Repent with sincere humbleness. You must repent. Not just with your mouths. You cannot laugh at or deceive God. But repent with a firm will, that will make you change your ways of living and return to the Law of the Lord. The Kingdom of Heaven is waiting for you. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow? you may ask. Oh! the hour of God is always an early morrow, even when it comes at the end of a life as long as the Patriarchs’. Eternity does not use as a measure of time the slow flowing of a sandglass. And the measures of time which you call days, months, years, centuries are but heartbeats of the Eternal Spirit that keeps you alive. But your souls are eternal and you must adopt the same measure of time for your souls as your Creator does. You must, therefore, say: “Tomorrow will be the day of my death”. No, not death for the faithful. But rest of expectation, waiting for the Messiah to open the gates of Heaven.

And I solemnly tell you that only twenty-seven of you here present will die and have to wait. The rest will be judged before their death, and their death will be a transition to God or Mammon without any delay because the Messiah has come, He is amongst you and calls you to give you the Gospel, to teach you the Truth and save you in Heaven.

Do penance! The “morrow” of the Kingdom of Heaven is impending. May it find you pure so that you may possess the eternal day.

Peace be with you.»

59.5 A bearded sumptuously dressed Israelite stands up to contradict Him. He says: «Master, what You have stated appears to be in contrast with what is said in the second book of Maccabees, glory of Israel. It is said there: “Indeed when evil-doers are not left for long to their own devices but incur swift retribution, it is a sign of great benevolence. In the case of the other nations, the Lord waits patiently for them to obtain the full measure of their sins, before He punishes them”. According to what You said, instead, the Most High would appear to be very slow in punishing us, waiting, as for the other nations, the time of Judgement, when the measure of sins is full. Events, indeed, give You the lie. Israel is punished as stated by the historian of the Maccabees. But if what You say is correct, is there no conflict between Your doctrine and the sentence I have quoted?»

«I do not know who you are, but I will give you My answer, whoever you are. There is no conflict in the doctrine, but only in the interpretation of the words. You interpret them in a human sense, I, instead, in a spiritual one. You see everything as referred to the present time and transient things, and you represent the majority of people who think likewise. I represent God and I explain and apply everything to eternal and supernatural matters. It is true, Yahweh did strike you at present because of your pride and because you considered yourselves a “nation” according to the world. But how much He loved you and how patient He is with you, more than with anyone else, granting you the Saviour, His Messiah, that you may listen to Him and be saved before the hour of the wrath of God! He does not want you to be sinners any longer. But if He struck you in the fleeting worldly things, seeing that the injury does not cure your souls, on the contrary it makes them duller and duller, He does not inflict a further punishment, but He grants you salvation. He sends you Him Who cures and saves you! I, Who am speaking to you.»

59.6 «Do You not consider Yourself bold in avowing Yourself a representative of God? None of the Prophets dared so much and You… Who are You, Who are speaking? And by whose order do You speak?»

«The Prophets could not say of themselves what I state of Myself. Who am I? The Expected One, The Promised One, the Saviour. You have already heard His Precursor say: “Prepare the way for the Lord… Here the Lord God is coming… Like a shepherd He will feed His flock, although He is the Lamb of the true Passover”. Many amongst you heard these words from the Precursor and they saw the heavens brighten with a light that descended in the shape of a dove and they heard a voice speak and say who I am. By whose order do I speak? By the order of Him Who is and Who sends Me.»

«You say that, but You may be a liar or a dreamer. Your words are holy, but Satan sometimes uses deceitful words painted with holiness to deceive people. We do not know You.»

«I am Jesus of Joseph of the House of David, I was born at Bethlehem Ephrathah, as was promised, named Nazarene, because I live at Nazareth. And that according to the world. According to God I am His Messenger. My disciples know.»

«Oh! They! They can say what they like or what You tell them to say.»

«Another will speak, who does not love Me, and will say Who I am. Wait till I call one of the people present here.»

59.7 Jesus looks at the crowd, who are astonished and annoyed at the dispute, and divided between the two opposite doctrines. He looks for someone with His sapphire eyes, and then in a loud voice He calls: «Aggaeus! Come here. It is an order.»

There is great excitement in the crowd. They open out to let a man pass, who is violently shaking all over his body and is supported by a woman.

«Do you know this man?»

«Yes, he is Aggaeus, of Malachi, of Capernaum. He is possessed by an evil spirit which tortures him with sudden fits of fury.»

«Does everybody know him?»

The crowd shout: «Yes, we do.»

«Can any of you say that he has spoken to Me, even for a few minutes?»

The crowd shout: «No, no, he is half-witted, he never leaves his house, and nobody has seen You in it.»

«Woman, bring him here in front of Me.»

The woman pushes and drags him, while the poor man trembles more than ever.

The head of the synagogue warns Jesus: «Be careful! The devil is about to torture him… and then he rushes at people, scratches and bites them.»

The crowd moves away thronging against the walls.

Jesus and the man are now facing each other. There is a moment’s struggle. The man, used to being dumb, seems to have difficulty in speaking, he moans, then his voice turns into words: «What is there between us and You, Jesus of Nazareth? Why have You come to torture us? Why do You want to destroy us, You, the Lord of Heaven and Earth? I know who You are: the Holy of God. No one, in human flesh, was ever greater than You, because in Your flesh of man is enclosed the Spirit of the Eternal Winner. You have already beaten me in…»

59.8 «Be quiet! I order you to come out of this man.»

The man has a fit of strange convulsions. He is tossed about by jerks and thrusts, as if someone pulled and pushed him, violently ill-treating him, he shouts in a wild voice, foams at his mouth, and is then thrown down onto the ground. He gets up, astonished and cured.

«Have you heard? What do you say now?» Jesus asks His opponent.

The bearded sumptuous man shrugs his shoulders and, obviously beaten, goes out without replying. The crowd scoff at him and applaud Jesus.

«Silence! This place is sacred!» says Jesus.

• Bible - Book of Joshua
• Bible - Second Book of Maccabees

61.6 «And what about me?» asks the old man who is left last.

Jesus looks at him, but is silent.

«Nothing for me? You are not fair! You gave her six times as much as the others, and nothing to me. Of course… she was a woman!»

Jesus looks at him, but is silent.

«Look everybody; and tell me if there is justice! I have come from far away, because I was told that money was given here, and now I see that some get too much and I get nothing. A poor, old, sick man! And He wants us to believe in Him!…»

«My old man, are you not ashamed of telling such lies? Death is behind your back and you lie and endeavour to rob also who is hungry. Why do you want to rob your brothers of the offering that I received to give it with justice?»

«But I…»

«Be quiet! You should have understood by My silence and My action that I had recognised you and you should have followed My example and been silent. Why do you want Me to shame you?»

«I am poor.»

«No, you are a miser and a thief. You live for money and usury.»

«I have never lent on usury. God is my witness.»

«And is this not the most fierce usury, to rob those who are in dire need? Go. Repent. That God may forgive you.»

«I swear…»

«Be quiet! I tell you! It is said: “You shall not swear falsehood”. If I did not respect your old age, I would search you and in your breast I would find a purse full of gold: your real heart. Go away!»

The impudent old man, seeing that his secret has been discovered, goes away without any need for Jesus’ thundering voice.

The crowd threaten and scorn him, and they insult him as a thief.

«Be quiet! If he did wrong, do not do the same. He lacks sincerity: he is dishonest. If you insult him, you lack charity. A brother who makes a mistake is not to be insulted. Everybody has his sins. No one is perfect but God. I was compelled to shame him, because nobody must ever be a thief, and much less steal from poor people. But only the Father knows how much I suffered having to do it. You must also be sorry, seeing that a man in Israel infringes the Law endeavouring to defraud the poor and a widow. Do not be greedy. May your souls, not money, be your treasure. Do not be perjurers. Let your language be as sincere and honest as your actions. Life is not eternal and the hour of death will come. Live in such a way that at the hour of your death peace may be in your souls. The peace of those who lived an honest life. Go home…»

• Bible - Book of Leviticus
• Reproaches of Jesus Christ
• Suffering and pain of Jesus Christ
• The wrath of Jesus Christ
• Thou shalt not bear false witness - Thou shalt not lie