After they were examined, however, they received word from heaven
that they did not know even one doctrinal truth from the Word. They
countered that they were in fact able to see their own truths in the light.
They were told that the light they see them in is faint and deceptive.
“What is faint, deceptive light?” they asked.
They were informed, “Faint, deceptive light is a light that reinforces
what is false. It corresponds to the light that owls and bats have—for
them darkness is light and light darkness.”
This point was proven by the fact that when the spirits looked up to
heaven, where true light exists, they saw darkness, and when they looked
down to the abyss where they were from, they saw light.
[ 3 ] Irritated by this proof, they said that light and darkness do not
really exist; they are just conditions of the eye. It is based only on condi-
tions of the eye that we say light is light and darkness is darkness. It was
demonstrated to them, however, that their light was faint and deceptive,
a light that reinforced what is false. They were shown that their light was
only an activity of their own mind that originated in the fire of their
cravings, not unlike the light that cats have, whose eyes look like glowing
candles when they are in pantries at night because of their burning
appetite for mice.
Angry at hearing this, they said they were not cats and were not like
cats, because they could [see] if they wanted to; but they left, because
they were afraid of being asked why they did not want to. They made
their way down into their abyss. (Those who are down there and others
like them the angels call owls and bats, and also locusts.)
[ 4 ] When they arrived among their own kind in the abyss and told
them, “Angels said we don’t know any doctrinal truths, not even one;
they called us owls, bats, and locusts,” then a riot broke out.
The spirits there then said, “Let’s pray to God to be allowed to go up.
We will clearly show we have many doctrinal truths that even the
archangels themselves will acknowledge.”
Because they prayed to God, their request was granted. As many as
three hundred came up. Once they appeared above the ground they
said, “In the world we were famous, we were celebrities, because we
knew and taught the secrets of justification by faith alone. On the basis
of supporting evidence we saw not just light but a gleaming splendor.
The same thing happens now in our little study areas. Yet we have heard
from colleagues of ours who were with you that this light is not light but
singke
(singke)
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