I Appeal to You
... through Bertha Dudde  - 18.01.1959 

7259   The soul’s process of pre-development ....

It is difficult to convince people of the fact that they had already travelled an infinitely long path before they reached their existence as human beings. It is difficult, given that precisely this knowledge is not included in the Gospel, which is the foundation of every church organisation. But God knows why He did not incorporate this knowledge, why He did not give his disciples the instruction to spread this knowledge, of which Jesus’ disciples were most certainly informed. He only gave them the task of proclaiming the divine teaching of love, He made the commandments of love for God and one’s neighbour the subject of what they were to proclaim as Gospel to their fellow human beings, which were also proclaimed by Jesus as a human being on this earth. For every person who lives up to this teaching of love will gain increasingly more knowledge and subsequently also find out about the human soul’s infinitely long process of pre-development, which only has to pass its last test of will on earth.

The commandment of love is, in fact, the first and most important commandment, a person will not benefit from any knowledge, regardless of how profound it is, if he fails to live a life of love. For even this knowledge would just be misconstrued intellectual information since only love is the key to realisation and without love everything will remain incomprehensible .... which is evident in the present time .... since the said information will not be believed because it cannot be realised as long a person’s thinking is not illuminated by love. Everyone willing to love will dwell on it and not entirely reject it but he might perhaps question why such knowledge was not given to people earlier, why it isn’t mentioned in the Book of Books. And the same answer applies that knowledge is only of value for a person if it has come alive through love .... This is why every kind-hearted person will also be guided into deeper knowledge when the time is right. But since humanity is near the end they shall live even more responsibly. The knowledge about the soul’s process of preliminary development can increase this sense of responsibility in people which, in view of the near end, is not to be underestimated. Even people who are as yet unable to believe can be prompted by thoughts to change their way of life. On the other hand, however, this knowledge is not necessary if a person lives a life of love according to God’s will. Then he will receive the knowledge instantly when he enters the kingdom of the beyond; he will brightly and clearly recognise what appeared unbelievable or was entirely unknown to him on earth.

But during the last days everything possible will be done on the part of God for the human being to reach the goal with ease. His attention will be drawn to his earthly task and the great significance of fulfilling this task, and in view of the end he will also be informed of the previous development, although without proof. However, everyone can obtain this proof for himself if he lived a life of love which could enlighten him and also grant him the ability of spiritual vision. In that case a person would also be able to observe the bustling spiritual activity within the various works of creation, he would come to see the lives of animals and plants in a different light and he would no longer doubt that he, too, would have passed through all these stages of pre-development .... But this presupposes a high degree of love, hence the divine teaching of love must always take priority, i.e., the human being’s attained degree of knowledge or realisation on earth depends on his fulfilment of the commandments of love. Love is absolutely necessary for the human being but he does not need to be knowledgeable, because he can suddenly become brightly enlightened if he has lived a life of love on earth. And this is why you humans should not be surprised that the Gospel does not openly state something which nevertheless can be found concealed within .... For the Word of God has various meanings, which only a person living in love will come to understand .... Then he will also find many references regarding the human being’s pre-existence in the creations of earth, and he will only ever attempt to pass his findings on to his fellow human being although they will only be believed if this person, too, is permeated by love ....

Amen