… In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world. (John 16:33.)

After these words, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven. (John 17:1.)

Since in the Greek language of the Gospels,

, cannot have a figurative meaning: "upwards", but can only have a direct meaning: "to heaven", and since Jesus had not yet come out of the upper room (that He came out will be said later, John 18:1), it means that "lifting His eyes to heaven", He saw above Him the real heaven, and this could only be if in the Upper Room, as in other similar ones, a round window was made in the dome (also depicted on the Maddabi map), directly into the sky. Like the bright moon of the Easter full moon, the illuminated, transparent-dark blue, like sapphire, sky seemed neither night nor daytime, but unprecedented, as the moonlit sky always seems from a window if the moon itself is not visible. It was as if the bottomlessly clear eye of the Father was looking straight into the eyes of the Son. And in the heavenly breeze brought from above, as if someone's unearthly breath, the lights of the burned-out lamps wavered, like those fiery tongues of Pentecost.

Arise, let us depart from hence" (John 14:31),

Jesus had said this even earlier, and must have gotten up, but he did not go away for a long time; perhaps He lacked the spirit, as often happens in the last moments of parting, to leave those whom "having loved, He loved to the end"; For a long time he spoke to them the last words of love. They must have stood up too; they surrounded Him in a tight circle. Perhaps only now did they understand what it meant:

children! I will not be with you any longer. (John 13:33.)

His hands and feet were kissed; they cried, not knowing whether from sorrow or joy. Perhaps only now did they understand what it meant:

ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

… I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice and joy

no one will take yours away from you. (John 16:20, 22.)

XXIII

And when He lifted up His eyes to heaven, they must have lifted them up, not to heaven, but to Him. Perhaps only now did they understand what this wondrous and terrible word of His meant: