Q. Is the author the John Peniel predicted by Edgar Cayce and others?
A. When the book was first published, we weren’t even aware of these predictions. Jon was only aware of those told to him by his teachers (which are similar predictions). The book was originally going to be published anonymously, but the publisher’s rep insisted it have his name, stating that certain major distributors and bookstore chains wouldn’t carry it without the author’s name. So Jon agreed for the sake of distributing the message. After publishing the book, it was brought to our attention that the Edgar Cayce readings, and other sources, had predicted the arrival of a significant spiritual messenger/teacher by that name. We have since acquired the complete Cayce readings on CD ROM, and looked it up. Cayce said that Peniel would be bringing a message to the world about “a new spiritual order of things”, which is essentially what is happening through the book, the teachings, and the Golden Rule Organization. Part of that reading, which was kindly sent to us by the A.R.E., is reproduced below.
TEXT OF READING 3976-15
This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce at the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. Mitchell Hastings, 410 Park Avenue, New York City, this 19th day of January, 1934, in accordance with request made by those present.
P R E S E N T
Edgar Cayce; Hugh Lynn Cayce, Conductor; Gladys Davis, Steno. Carolyn B. Hastings, Josephine L. B. Macsherry, T. Mitchell Hastings. (Mrs. Hastings led in meditation, before Mr. Cayce went to sleep.)
R E A D I N G
Time of Reading
11:40 to 12:40 A. M.
1. HLC: We seek at this time such information as will be of
value and interest to those present, including T. Mitchell
Hastings, Jr. in the next room, regarding the spiritual,
mental and physical changes which are coming to the earth.
You will tell us what part we may play in meeting and helping
others to understand these changes. At the end of each
fifteen minute period you will pause, until I tell you to
continue, while the recording instrument is being arranged.
You will speak distinctly at a normal rate of speech, and you
will answer the questions which we will ask.
2. EC: Yes; as each of you gathered here have your own individual development, yet as each seeks to be a channel of blessings to the fellow man, each attunes self to the Throne of universal information. And there may be accorded you that which may be beneficial, not only in thine own experience, but that which will prove helpful, hopeful, in the experience of others.
3. Many an one may question you as to the sources, as to the
channel through such information that may be given you at
this time has come. Know it has reached that which is as
high for each of you in your respective development as you
have merited, and do merit; and has accorded and does accord
to the realm of light that which may be aidful and helpful in
thine own experience, and in the experience of those that ye
in your service to thy fellow man may give unto others.
4. Hence, in giving the interpretation, MANY are present;
many of those whose names alone would bring to others awe –
discredit, yet – even a wonderment. For, not only then must
the information be instructive but enlightening; yet it must
also be so given that it may be a PRACTICAL thing in the
experience of thine own self and in the experience of life of
thine fellow man. Not only must it be informative in nature,
but it must also be that which is constructive; though
[pause] that which is informative and that which may be
enlightening and constructive must at times overlap one
another.
5. First, then: There is soon to come into the world a body
[See Par. 6 below]; one of our own number here that to many
has been a representative of a sect, of a thought, of a
philosophy, of a group, yet one beloved of all men in all
places where the universality of God in the earth has been
proclaimed, where the oneness of the Father as God is known
and is consciously magnified in the activities of individuals
that proclaim the acceptable day of the Lord. Hence that one
John, the beloved in the earth – his name shall be John, and
also at the place where he met face to face [Peniel].
[GD’s note: Could this mean that John, the beloved, had
been Jacob? See 3976-15, Par. R2.] * *attached below**
6. When, where, is to be this one? In the hearts and minds of
those that have set themselves in that position that they
become a channel through which spiritual, mental and material
things become one in the purpose and desires of that physical
body! [GD’s note: Beginning of new age of spiritual
awakening? See 5749-5, Par. 5–7; 281-38, Par. 16.]
7. As to the material changes that are to be as an omen, as a
sign to those that this is shortly to come to pass – as has
been given of old, the sun will be darkened and the earth
shall be broken up in divers places – and THEN shall be
PROCLAIMED – through the spiritual interception in the hearts
and minds and souls of those that have sought His way – that
HIS star has appeared, and will point [pause] the way for
those that enter into the holy of holies in themselves. For,
God the Father, God the Teacher, God the director, in the
minds and hearts of men, must ever be IN those that come
to know Him as first and foremost in the seeking of those
souls; for He is first the GOD to the individual and as He is
exemplified, as He is manifested in the heart and in the acts
of the body, of the individual, He becomes manifested before
men. And those that seek in the latter portion of the year
of our Lord (as ye have counted in and among men) ’36, He
[He, Christ Spirit?] will appear. [See 3976-1, Par R2
(12/20/34 EC note in re ’36), and 3976-10, Par. 4-A, 5-A on
2/8/32 in re ’36 changes.]
8. As to the changes physical again: The earth will be broken
up in the western portion of America. The greater portion of
Japan must go into the sea. The upper portion of Europe will
be changed as in the twinkling of an eye. Land will appear
off the east coast of America. There will be the upheavals
in the Arctic and in the Antarctic that will make for the
eruption of volcanos in the Torrid areas, and there will be
shifting then of the poles – so that where there has been
those of a frigid or the semi-tropical will become the more
tropical, and moss and fern will grow. And these will begin
in those periods in ’58 to ’98, when these will be proclaimed
as the periods when His light will be seen again in the
clouds. As to times, as to seasons, as to places, ALONE is
it given to those who have named the name – and who bear the
mark of those of His calling and His election in their
bodies. To them it shall be given.
9. As to those things that deal with the mental of the earth, these shall call upon the mountains to cover many. As ye have seen those in lowly places raised to those of power in
the political, in the machinery of nations’ activities, so shall ye see those in high places reduced and calling on the waters of darkness to cover them. And those that in the inmost recesses of their selves awaken to the spiritual truths that are to be given, and those places that have acted in the capacity of teachers among men, the rottenness of those that have ministered in places will be brought to light, and turmoils and strife’s shall enter. And, as there is the wavering of those that would enter as emissaries, as teachers, from the throne of life, the throne of light, the throne of immortality, and wage war in the air with those of darkness, then know ye the Armageddon is at hand. For with the great numbers of the gathering of the hosts of those that have hindered and would make for man and his weaknesses stumbling blocks, they shall wage war with the spirits of light that come into the earth for this awakening; that have been and are being called by those of the sons of men into the service of the living God. For He, as ye have been told, is not the God of the dead, not the God of those that have forsaken Him, but those that love His coming, that love His associations among men – the God of the LIVING, the God of Life! For, He IS Life.
10. Who shall proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord in him that has been born in the earth in America? Those from that land where there has been the regeneration, not only of the body but the mind and the spirit of men, THEY shall come and declare that John Peniel is giving to the world the new ORDER of things. Not that these that have been proclaimed have
been refused, but that they are made PLAIN in the minds of men, that they may know the truth and the truth, the life, the light, will make them free.
11. I have declared this, that has been delivered unto me to give unto you, ye that sit here and that hear and that see a light breaking in the east, and have heard, have seen thine weaknesses and thine faultfindings, and know that He will make thy paths straight if ye will but live that YE KNOW this day – then may the next step, the next word, be declared unto thee. For ye in your weakness [pause] have known the way, through that as ye have made manifest of the SPIRIT of truth and light that has been proclaimed into this earth, that has been committed unto the keeping of Him that made of Himself no estate but who brought into being all that ye see manifest in the earth, and has declared this message unto thee: “Love the Lord thy God with all thine heart,” and the second is like unto it, “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Who is thine neighbor? Him that ye may aid in whatsoever way that he, thy neighbor, thy brother, has been troubled. Help him to stand on his own feet. For such may only know the acceptable way. The weakling, the unsteady, must enter into the crucible and become as naught, even as He, that they may know the way. I, Halaliel, have spoken.
That particular reading, is the only Cayce reading that refers to Peniel by name. It also appears that this reading was one in which a being called Halaliel, was speaking through Cayce at the time, because at the end of the reading, he says “I Halaliel have spoken”. Cayce/Halaliel seemed to say that John Peniel would become known as the Earth changes were about to, or had begun on Earth. Considering all that is happening on the Earth as far as climate, extinction of species, and many other things, the changes have begun. Note also, the emphasis on the Golden Rule (“Love thy neighbor as thyself”) in the last paragraph.
First, let us make it clear that Jon Peniel is not claiming to be the one Cayce referred to (nor denying the possibility). If someone thinks he is, or isn’t, he doesn’t care. He doesn’t believe it is important or relevant, and feels that if he is, he is, and if he isn’t, he isn’t, and it makes no difference in regards to his mission, or the teachings. Jon reminds us that the message is far more important than the messenger. You will have to decide for yourself, the importance and value of the ancient teachings Jon presents in this book, and manifests in his life, even if his name was Kilroy Magoo, not Jon Peniel.
After reading the book, some ARE members, and Cayce study groups, have come to believe or even proclaim Jon is “the” Peniel they have been waiting for. On the flip side, some people (not Cayce study groups or ARE members to our knowledge), without even reading the book, have claimed that the author isn’t “the” Jon Peniel. And they’ve done so quite vehemently, sometimes with hostility, rudeness and insults. One must ask, why are they so threatened? If he isn’t “the” Jon Peniel, his message of truth, kindness, caring, and unselfish love certainly isn’t going to hurt anyone, only help. But the fact is, the message is a threat to darkness, and selfishness, and the selfish, separate self. And that is the real reason for attacks, regardless of the claimed reason.
We have every respect for Cayce, and feel he is truly one of a kind. There have been a number of Cayce imitators and copycats, but none who we are aware of delivered the words that “rang the bells of truth” with our Inner Beings, like Cayce. It was the same message as that of the Children of the Law of One, which Cayce was part of (even though he wasn’t always conscious of that), and as that lived and given by Jesus, who was the founder and leader of the Children, throughout all his lifetimes. Sometimes even Cayce’s readings were off however, and he’d be the first to admit it. There can be many reasons for that. But most importantly, Cayce would frequently, and intensely, admonish people to change, to transcend the self (the source of all problems), to be self-sacrificing, to love selflessly, to live their lives and use their thoughts in such a way as to return to Oneness with God, and thus get in touch with the truth and source of all true knowledge directly, rather than listening to others. This again, is the same message repeated over and over in Jon’s book, and specific methods for accomplishing the transition from selfish separateness from the Universal Spirit/God, to Oneness with the Universal Spirit/God, are given in detail. And the world doesn’t need another Cayce at this time in history. It is the end of the world as we know it, and rather than finding and listening to another prophet, it is time now for all good people to make the internal changes necessary to return to Oneness with God, and manifest Christ Consciousness through Unselfish Love.
With all that in mind, we can examine the apparent contradictions raised by those who have an issue about who is or isn’t “the” Jon Peniel, which again, Jon feels is irrelevant. The first, is that Jon’s name is not spelled with an “h” (John). This difference in spelling between Jon and John, has been pointed out by some, as if it is relevant. But one must realize the name given by Cayce and others, was not spelled, it was spoken. It was thus naturally assumed by the American transcriber, to be spelled in the American way (“John”), rather than the more European version (“Jon”). The transcriber actually did this for a couple of reasons. Besides being the common American spelling, the transcriber assumed that Cayce/Halaliel was referring to the apostle John, and thus also used the modern English Biblical spelling. It isn’t really an issue, but for those who feel that it is, they should keep in mind that even the name “John” as was used in the Bible, is just a translation of a translation of a translation, etc.. The name/word “John” or “Jon”, was not even part of Jesus’ language, and many different languages have their own version of that name, even now. Also, an unrelated interesting side-note, is the fact that in the complete Cayce readings on CD ROM, John the Beloved is referred to 12 times, always exactly in that way (“John the Beloved”). Nowhere else in the entire readings, except for the above reading, is it said in the above manner.
As to other sources of channeling, that use the “Cayce style”, or other styles, we cannot verify the validity and/or accuracy of those sources and must remind people that many other “readings” have either been wrong, faked, or not relevant to anything provable one way or the other. At best, even good readings are subject to change, especially since some aspects of the future are not pre-determined, but rather subject to change depending on the use of free will, thus can flux in accuracy a great deal over time. Such readings are only accurate a certain percentage of the time, thus, we think people should use their own intuition to determine such things (which is partly what the book is about – teaching you to become your own source of information from God, and not rely on others). In the old days, a false prophet didn’t have a chance to make excuses, they were stoned to death. And a good prophet, an alive prophet, didn’t make a prediction unless it was certain. Even Cayce would say that the time and places of many things could not be known, because of the free will factor.
Some so-called prophets who did Cayce-like readings, even gave readings that defended their own inaccuracies, saying things like the prophecies would come true at some point anyway, and it was just a time line difference, and also arguing that people needed to be essentially told false prophecy to get them to change. That kind of thing would have gotten you stoned to death for sure, and is a great catch-all excuse for a false prophet. How would YOU like to be told that your world was going to be destroyed on such and such a date, and you completely changed your life around it, only to find out many years later, nothing happened?! It seems to us that being prepared for the inevitable is good, prudent, and wise, but getting people to act on it by deception, rather than free will choice, is very wrong.
To summarize, regardless of whether or not the author is “the” John Peniel people have predicted, the information in the book could be the most important you have ever read, and should just be judged on its own merit. In our opinion, the name and predictions are irrelevant, and at best, far less important than the message and teachings. Decide for yourself. Don’t let any one, or any thing, distract you from the truth, and what’s really important.
