Revelations of Divine Love · 70 of 127 · tr. Grace Warrack
Chapter LIb
Then saith this courteous Lord in his meaning: Lo, lo, my loved Servant, what harm and distress he hath taken in my service for my love,—yea, and for his goodwill.
Is it not fitting that I award him [for] his affright and his dread, his hurt and his maim and all his woe?
And not only this, but falleth it not to me to give a gift that [shall] be better to him, and more worshipful, than his own wholeness should have been?—or else methinketh I should do him no grace.
And in this an inward spiritual Shewing of the Lord's meaning descended into my soul: in which I saw that it behoveth needs to be, by virtue of His great [Goodness] and His own worship, that His dearworthy Servant, which He loved so much, should be verily and blissfully rewarded, above that he should have been if he had not fallen.
Yea, and so far forth, that his falling and his woe, that he hath taken thereby, shall be turned into high and overpassing worship and endless bliss.
And at this point the shewing of the example vanished, and our good Lord led forth mine understanding in sight and in shewing of the Revelation to the end.
But notwithstanding all this forth-leading, the marvelling over the example went never from me: for methought it was given me for an answer to my desire, and yet could I not take therein full understanding to mine ease at that time.
For in the Servant that was shewed for Adam, as I shall tell, I saw many diverse properties that might in no manner of way be assigned to single Adam.
And thus in that time I stood for much part in unknowing: for the full understanding of this marvellous example was not given me in that time.
In which mighty example three properties of the Revelation be yet greatly hid; and notwithstanding this [further forthleading], I saw and understood that every Shewing is full of secret things [left hid].
And therefore me behoveth now to tell three properties in which I am somewhat eased.
The first is the beginning of teaching that I understood therein, in the same time; the second is the inward teaching that I have understood therein afterward; the third, all the whole Revelation from the beginning to the end (that is to say of this Book) which our Lord God of His goodness bringeth oftentimes freely to the sight of mine understanding.
And these three are so oned, as to my understanding, that I cannot, nor may, dispart them.
And by these three, as one, I have teaching whereby I ought to believe and trust in our Lord God, that of the same goodness of which He shewed it, and for the same end, right so, of the same goodness and for the same end He shall declare it to us when it is His will.
For, twenty years after the time of the Shewing, save three months, I had teaching inwardly, as I shall tell: It belongeth to thee to take heed to all the properties and conditions that were shewed in the example, though thou think that they be misty and indifferent to thy sight .
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
God is addressed as a 'courteous Lord' and described with human-like attributes such as 'goodwill,' the capacity to 'award,' and the ability to speak directly to a servant.
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
The passage argues that God actively orders the servant's distress and woe to produce a specific, higher end ('high and overpassing worship'), illustrating a divine plan that turns evil into greater good.
Esoteric teachings reserved for those ready to receive them; outer meaning conceals an inner liberating truth.
The author explicitly states that the revelation contains 'three properties... greatly hid' and that every showing is 'full of secret things,' emphasizing the distinction between outer appearance and inner, concealed meaning.
The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.
The passage is dominated by the direct, personal speech of a 'courteous Lord' who actively engages with the servant and the author, demonstrating a dynamic, responsive divine presence.
Using apparent contradiction, reversal, or riddle to destabilise ordinary understanding and induce insight.
The central theological claim that the servant's fall and woe result in a state 'better... than his own wholeness' presents a profound paradox where loss leads to greater gain.
The doctrine — central to Eastern Orthodox and Maximian theology — that the human person is progressively transformed into a partaker of the divine nature by grace, not merely justified or united in passing ecstasy.
The text explicitly teaches that the servant's fall and suffering are transformed into a state 'better... than his own wholeness,' indicating a supernatural elevation and participation in divine glory beyond the original created state.