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John 2 with Metaphysical Footnotes (ASV)

(Online: ASV WEB)

The Wedding at Cana

2:1And the third day there was a marriage1 in Cana2 of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2:2and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage. 2:3And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 2:4And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 2:5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 2:6Now there were six waterpots of stone3 set there after the Jews' manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece. 2:7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 2:8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast.4 And they bare it. 2:9And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom, 2:10and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have drunk freely, then that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now.2:11This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

2:12After this he went down to Capernaum,5 he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days.

  1. a marriage SPIRITUALLY A marriage represents the union of two dominant states of consciousness. Mary, the mother of Jesus, represents intuition, the spiritual soul, Eve, "the mother of all living." Jesus is the personal I AM and His apostles are the twelve faculties.
  2. in Cana Cana is a "place of reeds"; so is the larynx found in the body. The name Galilee means "to whirl"; air is rapidly forced through the larynx in speaking or singing. The apostles represent the dominant nerve centers, the spiritual symbolism of each being concealed in the name. Philip means "one who is fond of horses." The horse symbolizes vigor, vitality, power. Vigor or its opposite, weakness, is betrayed by the voice, so we designate Philip as the power faculty, and his place in body expression is in the larynx (at Cana).
  3. Now there were six waterpots of stone Six waterpots: six nerve centers in the body. Water may be compared to natural or human life, and wine to spiritual life. In the regeneration spirit and body are united, but before this union can be accomplished the exhausted natural life must be quickened with spirit (symbolized by the turning of water into wine).
  4. Draw out now, and bear to the ruler of the feast. The ruler of the feast, the supreme I AM, pronounced the transformed water to be superior to the best wine. This transformation of the negative, watery fluid of the organism into vitalizing Spirit is accomplished by adding to every word a spiritual idea. The idea of omnipresent life will then quicken the natural life in man, and it will make conscious contact with the one life and draw it out for the benefit of the many.
  5. went down to Capernaum Capernaum designates or represents an inner conviction of the abiding compassion and restoring power of Being. When one enters this state of consciousness a healing virtue pours out of the soul and transforms all discord into harmony.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

2:13And the passover of the Jews was at hand,1 and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2:14And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money2 sitting: 2:15and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables; 2:16and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. 2:17His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up.3 2:18The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 2:19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.4 2:20The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days? 2:21But he spake of the temple of his body. 2:22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

2:23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did. 2:24But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men, 2:25and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

  1. the passover of the Jews was at hand. In individual consciousness, the “passover of the Jews” represents the time set aside for fasting and prayer, the cleansing and renewing of the body temple through denial and affirmation, making it ready for the coming of the Lord.
  2. “Those that sold oxen and sheep and doves” and “the changers of money” are errors in the subconsciousness.
  3. Zeal for thy house shall eat me up “Zeal,” by its very nature, is intense activity. If allowed to take possession of the mind, it turns the attention to observance of forms, following the line of action that brings the appearance of greatest results, and the Spirit is lost sight of. To the Greek philosophers, passion (zeal) was a problem. That is because the ancients did not want to become a “beast.” This contrasts with contemporary philosophy which is more concerned about becoming a “machine.”
  4. and in three days The “three days” represent the three degrees or parts of man's consciousness: spirit, soul and body. The spiritual I Am must establish its mastery in these before the Word of God is fulfilled and the perfect man brought forth.

Fillmore Study Bible annotations compiled by Mark Hicks

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