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The future life. The kingship of Jesus. The point of view. - Instructions from the spirits: An earthly royalty.

1. Pontius Pilate, entering again into the judgement hall, asked Jesus: Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom was of this world, then my servants would fight in order to avoid my delivery to the Jews. But my kingdom is not here yet.

Then Pilate asked: So, are you a king? Jesus answered: You say that I am a king. I was born and came to this world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. (John 18:33, 36-37.)

The future life

2. With these words Jesus teaches that the future life, which he often referred to, is the goal which humanity must aim at, the purpose which humans must prioritize on Earth. In all of his maxims he refers to this great principle. Indeed, most of his moral precepts would be purposeless without the future life. This is the motive why those who doubt the forthcoming existence, those who think that Jesus talks only about the present life, misunderstand his lessons or think they are naive.

We can consider the future life as the Christian teachings cornerstone. This is why we placed this subject at the beginning of this book. Only the future life, goal that all humans must firstly pursue, agrees with God's justice and justifies the earthly life anomalies.

3. The Jews had only a vague idea about the future life. They believed in angels, whom they considered as privileged creation beings. They ignored, however, that humans can also become angels and enjoy their happiness. According to the Jews, compliance with God's laws would bring them earthly rewards, supremacy of their nation and victory over enemies. In contrast, disobedience would bring defeats and calamities. This was the most Moses could say to a shepherd and unlearned people, who needed to be touched, above all, by worldly things. Later, Jesus revealed to them the existence of another world, where the Creator's justice always reigns. Such world is the land he promises to those who respect the God's commandments, the home where good people find their rewards. That is his kingdom. That is the world where he reigns in all his glory, and where he returned to, after leaving the Earth.

However, having to adapt his teachings to the human status of that time, Jesus partly silenced the truth. The whole truth would dazzle humans, because they were unable to understand it. Christ presented the forthcoming existence as a principle, as a nature's law, whose action nobody can escape. Faithful people someway believe in the future life. Nevertheless, the ideas which many still have about it are puzzled, incomplete and, on account of this, quite false on several points. Such unsure beliefs originate doubts and even incredulity.

As there is now enough maturity for truth understanding, the Spiritist philosophy comes to complete the Christ's teachings on this subject, as well as on many others. With Spiritism, the future life is no longer just an article of faith, a mere hypothesis. It becomes a reality which facts demonstrate. Its eyewitnesses explain its phases and details. Their enlightening reports enable us to understand the future life, just like a rich description of an unknown land allows us to figure it out. The future life portrait that they paint is so thorough, the happy or unhappy status of those who are there is so rational, that we are compelled to agree that it has to be so, because it fully agrees with God's justice.

The kingship of Jesus

4. We understand that the Christ's kingdom is not of this world. However, we can say that Jesus has also a royalty on Earth. The title of king not always implies temporary power. People grant this veneration to anyone who, by their own talent, rises through consensus to the highest rank of whatever activity, excelling their time and helping the human progress. In this sense we frequently hear the expression: the king or prince of philosophers, artists, poets, writers etc. This kind of meritorious majesty, consecrated by posterity, often reveals a far greater supremacy than the crowned power which, sometimes cursed, is a transitory toy of opportunities. The spiritual royalty, often blessed, is imperishable and keeps its influence after bodily death. The earthly majesty extinguishes with physical life. According to this point of view, Jesus is a king more powerful than all earthly monarchs. So, he correctly answered to Pilate "I am a king, but my kingdom is not of this world."

The point of view

5. A clear and accurate concept about the future life provides an unshakable faith in the time ahead. Humanity's moral evolution is greatly affected by this faith, because it completely changes the point of view from which people face the present life. For those who mentally attune with the infinite spiritual life, the temporary bodily life becomes just a short stay on an adverse country. The troubles of earthly life become just minor events which they patiently withstand, because they know their sufferings are short and going to be followed by a happier state. Bodily death is no longer scary. It ceases to be a door toward nothingness and becomes being a gate which may open to freedom, a passage through which the exiled ones, depending on their merit, may enter a blessed and peaceful mansion. Knowing their troubles are just temporary, they conquer a spirit's peace which softens their life bitterness and reduces their impatience and anxiety regarding material needs.

In contrast, those who doubt the future life wholly prioritize the earthly existence. Without any certainty about the time ahead, they concentrate attention at current incarnation. Believing there are nothing more precious than the earthly things, they behave like selfish children, who see just toys and make any act in order to obtain the only conquest which looks solid. The loss of even their least goods deeply annoys them. Displeasure, frustration, unsatisfied ambition, harassment, hurt pride or vanity, are some of the many torments which turn their existences into an eternal agony. Thus, the unbelievers self-impose a real torture every moment. From their earthly life perspective, every disturbance which affects them becomes gigantic. The harm which touches them, as well as the good which favors their neighbors, take enormous importance in their eyes. Everything looks huge for those who are in the middle of a big city. However, things look tiny for someone who is on a mountain top.

Those who face life from the point of view of future existence notice that the earthly anguish, just like the stars in the sky, fades along the great immensity; that both powerful and simple humans are confounded just as ants upon the ground; that proletarians and potentates are equally high; and that people regrettably worry hard aiming to conquer power and richness which they so shortly possess and that so little elevate them. The lower is the belief in the future life, the higher is the value assigned to earthly things.

6. Some may allege that if everyone believed in the forthcoming existence then nobody would endeavor anymore to solve the earthly problems and, so, civilization would be at risk. No! Humans instinctively seek welfare. Even when sure that they will stay in a place for just a short while, humans still do their best. Everyone takes a thorn out from hand to stop pain. The search of welfare forces people to improve everything. Driven by instincts of progress and conservation, which are in the laws of nature, humans work due to necessity, joy and duty. So, they obey to the Providence's design, which placed them on Earth for this purpose. Those who believe in the future life assign to the present existence just a relative importance. They can be easily comforted during failings and misfortunes, by thinking of the destiny which awaits them.

God does not reproach the earthly joys. The Creator condemns the pleasures abuse, which impairs the soul. People who remember the Christ's words “my kingdom is not of this world” must keep away from abuse.

When an ordeal comes up, those who believe in the future life behave like a rich person who keeps calm after having lost a little amount. On the other hand, those who concentrate on the earthly things behave like a poor person who becomes desperate after having lost everything.

7. The Spiritist doctrine broadens thought and offers new horizons. It removes the short, petty and present-concentrated vision which turns the fleeting moment we pass on Earth into the only axis of eternity. It explains that this life is just a pixel within the magnificent and harmonious God's painting. It shows the links which join all existences of a being, all beings of a world, and all the worlds and beings of the universe. Differently from the belief of soul creation at each body birth, which makes each creature stranger to the other, Spiritism offers basis and reason for universal fraternity. This connection between parts of a same whole can clarify what has looked unexplainable. At Christ's time, humans were unable to understand these teachings. This is why Jesus waited till later to make this knowledge known.

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE SPIRITS

An earthly royalty

8. Nobody can understand better than me the truth of these words of our Lord Jesus: “My kingdom is not of this world.” I lost myself through pride on Earth. Then I fully understand the littleness of a worldly majesty! What did I bring with me from my earthly royalty? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Rendering my lesson still more terrible, my queenship did not even follow me up to my grave! Queen among humans, I thought I would also enter Heaven as a queen. What a disillusion! What a humiliation when, instead of being received here as a monarch, I saw above me, very far above me, those whom I had judged insignificant and despised because they did not have noble blood. Oh! Now I understood the futility of the honors and splendor that are so eagerly coveted on Earth!

Conquering a place in this kingdom requires self-denial, humility, charity in all its celestial practice, benevolence to everyone. Here, nobody asks who were you, nor what position occupied you. They ask what good did you, how many tears dried you.

Oh Jesus! You said that your kingdom was not of this world because it is necessary to suffer in order to arrive there. The stairs of a throne does not carry anyone to Heaven. The pathways which lead to the Lord's kingdom are the most painful ones. So, you should seek them between briers and thorns, and not among flowers.

People hurry and worry, in order to conquer the earthly wealth, as if they could keep it forever. This is just another illusion which disappears here. We quickly notice that we conquered only shadows. We promptly understand that we despised the only real and long-lasting richness, the only property which is useful in the spiritual home, the only wealth which opens its doors.

Have you pity of those who have not entered Heaven. Help them with your prayers. The prayer is the link among Earth and Heaven. It helps humans to approach the Highest. Do not forget. - A queen of France. (Havre, 1863.)

Do to others what you want that others do to you. (Matthew 7:12)
You'll know the truth and the truth will make you free. (John 8:32)
 
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