The 4th Epistle

...almost worldly / and born only from the school of this world, we might be poorly protected.

36. One should also not scatter pearls at first—seeing as they are so precious—upon the road: but rather wait for another time until they become common, so that the driver original: "der Treiber." This refers to those who persecute or suppress spiritual truth, often associated by Boehme with the rigid religious authorities of his day. does not swallow them up.

37. He might well be allowed to copy the work later, but not at first; rather, only after it has been transcribed once already, so that the driver may not break it.

38. Concerning your request regarding the Prague matters—since I was present at the entry of the New King This refers to Frederick V, the Elector Palatine, known as the "Winter King," whose coronation in Prague in 1619 was a pivotal moment at the start of the Thirty Years' War.—you will have likely heard of the entry to Sagan, and how it took place. He entered from Slaný original: "Schlan," a town in central Bohemia. to the castle on the Hradčany original: "Retschin," referring to the Hradčany district and palace complex in Prague., and was received with great adornment by all three Estates, as was formerly the custom with all kings.

39. I remind you to pay heed to what the prophet Ezekiel wrote in chapters 31 and 39, and whether the time of the great trek unto the mountains of Israel in Babel In Boehme’s vocabulary, "Babel" signifies the state of the divided, worldly, and corrupt church systems which prioritize dogma over spiritual rebirth. might be at hand—especially regarding the Transylvanian original: "Siebenbürger," referring to Gábor Bethlen, Prince of Transylvania, who was an ally of the Bohemian Protestants., who will obtain help from the Turks and easily reach as far as the Rhine river.

40. At that time, the great defeat of the children in Babel may occur; then two great rods of God shall appear—one through war, the other through death—in which Babel shall be broken, as the Spirit of the Lord shows in the ancient ones who have prophesied before us.

41. Although I consider that the election of a true German Emperor must still be delayed a little while, and in the meantime great war and strife—as well as the destruction of many cities, castles, and mighty lands—will follow, provided that now is the right time of which the Spirit indicates, which we do not yet understand so precisely.

43. The paragraph numbering skips 42 and repeats 43 in the original text. For before God, 1,000 years is as one day; the Spirit sees everything as being near, yet the sidereal man Sidereal man: The "astral" or earthly part of the human being that is influenced by the stars and the physical cosmos, often prone to misinterpreting divine timing. thinks it is happening immediately; however, it remains within the Council of God.

43. Nevertheless, we certainly acknowledge that the destruction of the city of Babel is very near; and it appears to us as if the time were already at hand, though we cannot sufficiently grasp the Council of God. Rather, like a guest who stays in a country for only a single day and cannot learn everything, so it goes with us as well.