Dawn rising

Preface.

...makes, except for one small house, which was saved from among all the nations. As it was before the Great Flood, and before the rising of the noble tree into nature and within nature, so it was also at that time.

65. That the people at the end lusted so intensely for the tree's root is a secret mystery original: "Geheimniß Mysterium", and has been hidden from the clever and wise until now. It will not rise up in the heights, but rather in the depths in great simplicity: just as the noble tree with its core and heart has always been hidden from the world-wise. Even though they thought they stood upon the tree's root and peak, it was nonetheless nothing more than a bright mist before their eyes.

66. The noble tree, however, has worked in nature with the highest diligence from the beginning until today, so that it might become manifest to all nations, tongues, and languages. Against this, the devil has raged and stormed in the wild nature, and defended himself like a grim lion. But the longer it took, the sweeter the fruits the noble tree brought forth, and it revealed itself more and more against all the raging and storming of the devil until the end, when it became light.

67. Then a green branch grew upon the root of the noble tree, and received the root's sap and life, and to it was given the tree's spirit, which explained the noble tree in its magnificent strength and power, as well as the nature in which it had grown.

68. When this happened, both doors opened in nature: the knowledge of both qualities, evil and good Böhme’s "qualities" (Qualitäten) refer to the fundamental forces of the universe—the "dark" fire of wrath and the "light" fire of love. And the heavenly Jerusalem, as well as the kingdom of hell, became manifest to all people on earth. And the light and the voice resounded into the four winds, and the false merchant from the south original: "Mittage" (midday). This likely refers to the Roman Catholic Church or the corruption stemming from the southern reaches of Christendom was completely exposed, and his own people hated him and uprooted him from the earth.

69. When this happened, the wild tree toward the north original: "Mitternacht" (midnight). In Böhme's geography of the spirit, "north" often symbolizes the Protestant territories or the onset of a new spiritual era also withered, and all people saw the holy tree even in distant islands with wonder. And the prince in the darkness was revealed, and his secrets were uncovered; and his shame and mockery and ruin were seen and recognized by the people on earth, for it had become light. But that lasted only a short time, and then the people abandoned the light and lived in the lust of their flesh.