SR
← Revelations of Divine Love (Showings)/Book 1 · Revelations of Divine Love (Showings)
Chapter 14JulianShowings.1.14

The sixth Revelation is of the worshippfull thanke with which He rewardith His servants, and it hath three joyes. Fourteenth chapter.

The Lord’s Thank You and the Heavenly Feast

Our Lord thanks the soul for its youth and labor, lifting Julian’s understanding to a vision of Heaven as a royal feast where His glorious countenance fills all with endless joy.

After this, our good Lord said, "I thank you for your hard work, and especially for your youth."1 In this, my understanding was lifted up into Heaven, where I saw our Lord as a master in His own house, having called all His precious servants and friends to a solemn feast.2 Then I saw that the Lord took no seat in His own house, but I saw Him reign royally in His house and fill it with joy and mirth, Himself endlessly gladdening and comforting His precious friends—fully intimately and fully courteously—with a marvelous melody of endless love in His own fair, blessed countenance. This glorious countenance of the Godhead fills the Heavens with joy and bliss.345

Three Degrees of Heavenly Bliss

The Lord reveals three degrees of bliss for every willing servant — thanksgiving beyond deserving, public honor in heaven, and joy that stays ever fresh — and promises that all who truly turn to God, especially those who offer their youth, will receive this reward.

God showed three degrees of bliss that every soul who has willingly served God in any degree on earth will have in Heaven. The first is the honorable thanks of our Lord God that he will receive when he is delivered from pain.6 This thanks is so high and honorable that it seems to him to fill him completely, even if there were nothing more. For it seemed to me that all the pain and toil that might be suffered by all living people could not deserve the honorable thanks that one person will have who has willingly served God.7 The second is that all the blessed creatures who are in Heaven will see that honorable thanksgiving, and He makes the servant's service known to all who are in Heaven.8 And at this time this example was shown. If a king thanks his servants, it is a great honor to them; and if he makes it known throughout the realm, then their honor is greatly increased.9 The third is that it will be as new and as pleasing when it is received at that time, and it will remain so without end.10 And I saw that this was shown intimately and sweetly: that every person's age will be known in Heaven, and will be rewarded for their willing service and for their time.11 And especially, the age of those who willingly and freely offer their youth to God is rewarded beyond measure and wonderfully thanked.12 For I saw that whenever — at whatever time — a man or woman is truly turned to God, for one day's service and for their endless will they will have all these three degrees of bliss.13 And the more the loving soul sees this courtesy of God, the more gladly it wants to serve Him all the days of its life.14

Read the original Middle English

After this our good Lord seid, I thanke thee of thy travel and namely of thy youthe. And in this myn understondyng was lifted up into Hevyn, where I saw our Lord as a lord in his owne house, which hath clepid al his derworthy servants and freinds to a solemne feste. Than I saw the Lord take no place in His owne house, but I saw Him rialy regne in His hous, and fulfillid it with joy and mirth, Hymselfe endlesly to gladen and to solacyn His derworthy frends ful homeley and ful curtesly, with mervelous melody of endles love in His owen faire blissid chere, which glorious chere of the godhede fulfillith Hevyns of joy and bliss.

God shewid three degrees of blis that every soule shal have in Hevyn that wilfully hath servid God in any degre in erthe. The first is the worshipful thanke of our Lord God that he shal recevyn whan he is deliverid of peyne. This thanke is so high and so worshipful that him thinkith it fillith him, thow there were no more. For methowte that all the peyne and travel that might be suffryd of all liveing men might not deserve the worshipfull thanke that one man shall have that wilfully hath servid God. The second, that all the blissid creatures that arn in Hevyn shall se that worshipfull thankyng, and He makyth his service knowen to al that arn in Hevyn. And in this time this example was shewid. A king, if he thanke his servants, it is a gret worship to hem; and if he makyth it knowen to all the reme, than is his worshippe mekil incresid. The third is that as new and as leking as it is underfongyn that tyme, rigte so shall it lesten withoute ende.

And I saw that homely and swetely was this shewid, that the age of every man shal be knowen in Hevyn, and shal be rewardid for his wilful service and for his time. And namely the age of hem that wilfully and frely offir her yongith to God, passingly is rewardid and wonderly is thankyd. For I saw that whan or what tyme a man or woman be truly turnid to God, for on day service and for his endles wille he shall have al these three degres of blisse. And the more that the lovand soule seeth this curtesy of God, the lever he is to serve Him al the dayes of his life.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩ME travel here means travail/toil (labor and hardship), not journeying; rendered as "toil."
  2. 2 ↩ME derworthy = dear-worthy / precious / beloved; rendered as "precious."
  3. 3 ↩ME take no place contrasts with rialy regne: not sitting fixed in one place/seat, but actively reigning throughout the house.
  4. 4 ↩ME chere = countenance / facial bearing / demeanor; rendered as "countenance."
  5. 5 ↩ME homeley = intimately / familiarly / in a homely manner; rendered as "intimately" to keep Julian's warm nearness without sounding quaint.
  6. 6 ↩ME 'worshipful thanke' means God's honor-conferring gratitude that rewards the servant, not praise offered to God. Rendered 'honorable thanks' to keep that sense without modern 'worshipful' (devout).
  7. 7 ↩ME 'travel' here is travail (toil/labor), not journey; rendered 'toil'.
  8. 8 ↩ME 'his service' is the servant's service made known by God (He), not God's own service; clarified as 'the servant's service' to avoid He/his ambiguity in modern English.
  9. 9 ↩ME 'worship'/'worshippe' here means honor or dignity, not cultic worship. 'his worshippe' after plural 'hem' is taken as the servants' honor increased by public thanks, matching the heavenly parallel in s5.
  10. 10 ↩ME 'leking' = pleasing/delightful; 'underfongyn' = received/accepted; 'lesten' = last/endure.
  11. 11 ↩ME 'homely' here means intimate/familiar nearness, not 'plain' or 'unattractive'; Julian's technical sense of God's close familiarity.
  12. 12 ↩ME 'thankyd' continues the chapter's 'worshipful thanke': God's honor and thanks given to the servant, not the servant thanking God.
  13. 13 ↩'endles wille' is the convert's everlasting intention to serve God; together with even one day's service it receives the three degrees of bliss shown in this revelation.
  14. 14 ↩ME 'curtesy' is Julian's term for God's gracious, generous kindness — courteous love, not mere manners. ME 'lever' is the comparative of 'lief': more willing/glad.

Revelations of Divine Love (Showings) companion

A daily portion of stillness

Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.

Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.

  • Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
  • A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
  • Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent
Chosen Portion — Daily Prayer (free iOS app) →