Then the guard said, “Touch the piece of paper with your hands, but
be careful not to touch the writing.”
When they did, the piece of paper burst into flames and burned up.
After they all saw that, they were told, “If you had touched the writ-
ing you would have heard roaring sounds and burned your fingers.”
Some who were standing at the back then said, “Now you see that
the truths you have misused to support the mysteries of your justification
are true in themselves, but for you they are falsified truths.”
The spirits glanced up at that point and heaven looked like blood to
them, and then like thick darkness. To the eyes of angelic spirits some of
the spirits from the abyss then looked like bats, some like night birds,
some like horned owls. The spirits from the abyss ran off into their own
darkness, which looked deceptively bright to their eyes.
[ 6 ] The angelic spirits who were there were amazed because they had
not known anything about that place and the table there before. Then a
voice came to them from the direction of the south saying, “Come here
and you’ll see something even more amazing.”
So they went. They came into a room with walls that were shining as
if made of gold. The angelic spirits saw another table there. On it, the
Word lay closed, surrounded by precious stones arranged in a form like
heaven.
“When the Word is opened up,” said the angel guard, “a light of
inexpressible splendor shines out. At the same time, because of the pre-
cious stones, a kind of rainbow appears over and around the Word.
When an angel from the third heaven comes here, the rainbow over and
around the Word appears against a red background. When an angel from
the second heaven comes here and looks, the rainbow appears against a
sky blue background. When an angel from the lowest heaven comes here
and looks, the rainbow appears against a shining white background.
When a good spirit comes here and looks, a light appears that is varied
like marble.”
The guard visibly demonstrated to them that this was the case.
The angel guard also said, “If any come along who have falsified the
Word, first the brightness goes down. If they come close and stare at
the Word, something like blood appears around the Word. They are
then warned to leave because of danger.”
[ 7 ] Nevertheless, someone who had been a leading author in the
world on the doctrine that we are justified by faith alone came boldly
forward and said, “When I was in the world I didn’t falsify the Word. I
exalted goodwill along with faith. I taught that the Holy Spirit renews,
singke
(singke)
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