Joseph, February 4, 1961.

The Afterlife of Those Fallen in War.
(translated from https://www.glz.org/de/wissen/themen#glz-modal, #1-24.)

The suffering that war inflicts on people is terrible. But what happens to those soldiers and civilians who die a violent death in war? In the spirit world, special spheres have been created for them. These separate realms have their various levels of ascension, in which the returning receive special care and support. In the following talk, spiritual teacher Joseph speaks about the tasks of the missionary spirits, who devote themselves with great devotion to those who have died prematurely, to comfort them, guide them, and support them in their ascension.

Joseph: Greetings. Dear brothers and sisters, today I would like to speak about the tasks of the missionary spirits. All angels in heaven have a task. The tasks of these missionary spirits are very valuable. They place themselves at the service of all those who die an unnatural death—with the exception of suicides, although there may be some exceptions even among them. The missionary spirits therefore wish to dedicate themselves to those who die a sudden or unexpected death; they wish to help them and show them the way. Many die in misfortune and therefore need the help of these spirits. You know from our various explanations that such deceased are unhappy when they realize that they have been called away from the world so suddenly and that they may have left behind children who still need their care. Such beings are so unhappy that they truly need guidance. The missionary spirits are the links between these returning spirits and the many other spirits who have had some connection with them. The missionary spirits are also the ones who go directly to the relatives on Earth and convey their final messages to the departed. Thus, it is not only the guardian spirit who takes special care of the protégé, but so many other beings who are specially trained and possess the ability to generously offer these returning souls their goodwill and understanding.

Now I would like to speak about something I have never spoken about before: those who have fallen in war. Even where such wars rage, the missionary spirits are active. They go into battle with the soldiers, and they know precisely which ones will now pass with them into the spirit world. These soldiers, who—let's say—outwardly demonstrate courage, but are nevertheless inwardly gripped by fear and uncertainty, need this spiritual help, this support. Thus, it is the missionary spirits who stand beside these soldiers and guide them to their designated place in the spirit world. Now I must explain: When such immense, great wars occur, a special sphere is created in the spiritual realm for those who fall, a sphere which also has various levels of ascension.

These fallen are therefore not taken to the sphere they would enter upon a normal death, where they would be presented to the angelic judges, where their lives—as I explain to you—would be reviewed and discussed, and where they would be punished for their transgressions and praised for their good deeds. None of that happens; they are not taken to those spheres. For these are young people who die, who have not yet been burdened so much and who have not yet proven themselves in life to such an extent that they could be led to the heavens.

As already mentioned, this special world or sphere has its various levels. Those who are unburdened, who have a good soul, reach the highest levels; good people are permitted to occupy the highest levels of this spiritual realm. Those, however, who have burdened themselves in life, who are permeated by coldness and harshness, naturally do not belong in the higher ranks. The angelic realm knows precisely where each person must be placed. In this particular world, there is also a lowest, darkest rank. There, those who have transgressed against humanity, who have behaved criminally toward their fellow human beings, who have tormented and plagued their fellow human beings, are led. These individuals are taken to the lowest rank in this spiritual realm. They later have the opportunity to ascend one rank after another until they reach the highest rank in this sphere. Then they are taken from this world and assigned entirely different tasks, where they are tested accordingly.

When these soldiers are led by the missionary spirits into the spiritual world and told, "This is where you will live for now," they are sometimes very surprised or dismayed; for not all of them believed that there is life after death. But you can see it among Christians who go into battle.


It is often the case that they lift their eyes upwards and ask God to stand by them and help them. They wouldn't do such a thing in their normal daily lives; but when life hangs in the balance, they are able to summon this devotion. Also, because they see that the same fate awaits their comrades to their left and right, they move forward with a bit more courage. They think: "The other man is destined for the same fate as me," and in doing so, they detach themselves somewhat from life—I say: in a certain sense. The spirit of the person in question knows their fate; they were told early on: "In this battle or on this day, you must die." The spirit then tries to bring this knowledge into the consciousness of the physical person and thereby draw them somewhat closer to God. That is why, in such a situation, one is more inclined than usual to pray and implore God for his help.

Arriving in the afterlife, one knows what one has left behind, and one sees one's comrades. But one is not only with one's friend here. Here they are all, friend or foe; They all stand together in these spheres. But strangely enough, they feel no hatred for their former adversary—this is probably true for the vast majority. Those who harbor genuine hatred for another nation will also occupy a place in this specially created world where they are prevented from causing harm. If they are filled with hatred, they will not reach the highest stages of development in this sphere of the spiritual realm. And if they harbor this hatred and now recognize a former enemy, they have no weapons at hand to fight. Then these missionary spirits will be there to speak with them, and this will be overcome very quickly.

So, in this special spiritual sphere, the various nations live together, and the missionary spirits fulfill their tasks. Here is one who laments that he has left behind his wife and child and is worried about them. And this Spirit of God promises this soul to do everything in its power to help. And if this missionary spirit is unable to visit the bereaved and bring them news, so many serving beings stand by its side. It is made clear to the spirits in this world that they must strive, deep within, from the depths of their souls, to achieve unity with everything. And it is explained to them how humanity could manage and rightfully retain its earthly goods without causing wars. They are shown how nations could live together in peace, without wars, without hatred. The missionary spirits also instruct all these beings in God's plan of salvation and order. However, they are not taught together. They belong to different stages of development, and each stage is taught separately. These beings are offered what they are capable of recognizing and grasping. Once they have been instructed for a time and their progress at these lower stages is recognized, they are given the opportunity to ascend and unite with those at the highest stage.

The missionary spirits also instruct all these beings in God's plan of salvation and order. Various measures are taken to facilitate the ascension of these many beings. At each stage, they are presided over by a special angel of God, indeed, I would say a guide. This guide is in close contact with the missionary spirits, who then identify which brothers would be suitable for special attention. These individuals are then selected and instructed individually and in groups to give them the opportunity for faster ascension. These beings are also judged. Some are designated for a previous incarnation. After a certain period, which can also be a time of purification, they are taken out of this sphere and offered the opportunity for a new earthly life. In this way, soldiers who have fallen in war do not have to wait as long for a new earthly life as is usual for others. This does not mean, however, that this applies to all deceased soldiers; rather, individuals are selected and then further instructed and prepared for their new earthly life. In this way, these missionary spirits fulfill their work with these brothers.


``` Even here in this special spiritual realm, beings are granted free will. You can imagine that many, especially at the beginning, have only one desire: to return to Earth and continue fighting. They are told that this is pointless; but nevertheless, they return and try to continue fighting – until they realize that they have rid themselves of their earthly bodies and that fighting is futile. They are then gladly welcomed back into the world.

They return to the spiritual world, meaning they have no other option but to return to the world intended for them. However, no coercion is exerted upon them, just as no coercion is exerted in God's plan of salvation unless it is recognized that someone could cause great harm. If, however, they wish to remain among humans in some other way, they are allowed to do so. The missionary spirits will visit them repeatedly and draw their attention to their useless actions—until they succeed in bringing them back to the spiritual world and keeping them there.

It is in this special sphere that they receive their instruction. They particularly benefit from the great benevolence of the missionary spirits, from the care and love with which they are looked after—indeed, they are filled with this great devotion. And so, most of them must remain in this special world for a long time. Here, they are imbued with the virtues necessary for their further ascension. They must try to overcome the hatred for another nation that they, as human beings, may have harbored within themselves—I say: may. For not every soldier is filled with hatred for another; rather, he knows that it is his duty to go and fight; he knows what fate would await him if he resisted. Therefore, it will not be held against those who must fight and thereby bring misfortune into the world; rather, punishment will fall upon those who instigate such great misfortune.

Dying is difficult for humans, and it seems so terrible to them. But for spirits, it is not so; on the contrary. A swift passing creates greater opportunities for a swift ascension. Now, when such immense numbers of returning soldiers are cared for with great love, as I mentioned earlier, they are permeated by this benevolence, by peace, by loyalty and justice, and something of it remains in their souls. And when they must leave this special world again, are destined for a new earthly life, and resume their position as human beings, remembering nothing of their experiences in the afterlife, the harshness has nevertheless fled from their souls through their ascent from the lowest stages of development. From stage to stage, each individual has been able to shed some of their harshness, their vices, perhaps even their sins—for they can only ascend to the next stage by making improvements. Hence the great care shown by these Spirits of God, these missionary Spirits.

When the Spirits of God deem the time has come, they open the other spiritual realm to the ascended, into which they may enter and from where they fulfill their further tasks—thus, they are taken out of the special sphere once more. They all return to work, and each individual receives the utmost attention. Many of those who have experienced this great care have been so impressed by it that they desire to perform the same work. They, too, as missionary spirits, wish to fulfill such a task somewhere, whether in this life or the next; for they are still imbued with the glorious virtues of these angels of God, and they speak this refined language like the angels and wish to carry out their mission in the same way. Thus, friendships are formed that extend beyond many lifetimes. When I say "beyond many lifetimes," I mean that these missionary spirits, who as angels of God do not need to become human themselves, descend from the heights of heaven to earth, to humankind, to assist them as helping spirits in their time of need.

These ascended beings, who have formed a friendship with the angels of God, now wish to be visited and protected by them in their future lives. It is also possible that such a missionary spirit, with the help of a guardian spirit, can avert misfortune. For the angels work hand in hand, and together they consider the human life plan, as has already been explained to you. In this way, they discern whether a protégé will escape misfortune or not—whether they are justified in intervening, admonishing, and dissuading him from a certain path, or whether they should let him go because they know it is good for him to depart from this world.

When I speak of friendships formed in the spirit world, I mean that one can enter into a special friendship with a certain spirit of God who has a particular interest in oneself. The spirits of God are faithful, and they visit again and again, especially once one has grasped that a friendship with the spirit world of God has its advantages.

When someone is struggling, they plead: “Accompany me, whether in the afterlife or, if necessary, in this world. Visit me, do not abandon me, maintain your friendship.” But you should not think that everyone would be ready to say to a spirit of God: “Come, remain a good friend to me wherever I am to live.” No, for not everyone is even given the opportunity to say this—you know the difficult path of purification that some have to walk. But when these friendships are offered, they are honored, and there is always great joy, fulfillment. For these friendships are not merely companionship, but such an angel of God truly proves to be a faithful friend who helps wherever possible.

These missionary spirits also fulfill their tasks in this special world in other ways: They also have the role of mediator between the deceased and their surviving relatives, perhaps the father or mother or the children. So they also bring the messages here, and when the time comes for one of the relatives to also enter the spirit world, that person, who is meant to live in this particular spirit world, may also be allowed to come and receive them. Or if danger threatens their relatives on Earth, it may also happen, with the consent of these missionary spirits, that one may go near them and do everything in one's power to avert the danger. Indeed, a missionary spirit might say, for example: “Look, your father is in danger. It is not my task to assist him. But may God's grace be with you and your father. If you can manage to work with your spiritual powers to protect your father from harm, then so be it.” Then that person is led to the vicinity of that person, and they must try with the greatest effort to prevent this harm.

But you should not believe that these spirits have every opportunity to intervene, or that they simply need to say, “May this harm not happen.” No, here one must know the corresponding laws of God; one must know how to confront a danger, what means one may employ. When I say "what means," these may be any spiritual powers that one may use; but one must also understand how to handle these spiritual powers. Perhaps salvation lies in making use of another person. And as a spirit, one must know how to use a person as an instrument, how to influence them. There are so many things to consider. One cannot simply stand there, spread out one's hands, and say, "The misfortune shall not happen." That is not enough. So you can see: In the spiritual realm, too, one must do something, just as in your own; one must use one's powers and intelligence to prevent an impending misfortune. When this missionary spirit says, “Go and try to protect your loved one,” this will not only be a blessing for the ascending spirit, but it will also simultaneously test whether and what it has learned during this time of instruction. Thus, one person may succeed, with the exertion of all their strength, in preventing a disaster.

However, if such an opportunity to help is offered to a spirit that was simply indifferent to instruction in the spiritual world, that listened to the teachings but showed no zeal, no joy, nothing of the sort, then it will never be able to do anything effective. For, due to its indifference, it does not know how to use spiritual powers, even if it has been explained to it. But when it sees that it has not managed to prevent a disaster, while others have been able to do the same, this will make an impression on it, and it may serve to motivate it to exert itself more.

 In the spiritual world, one is not only taught about God's plan of salvation and redemption; this is, of course, the main focus, but there is so much more that one can grasp and enrich one's knowledge with, knowledge that is truly beneficial. Such knowledge can also be useful later, when one returns to human existence. For when mind and soul are fully imbued with it, then a person can bring these insights to fruition, even if they first have to study, research, and seek. But the knowledge lies deep within their soul because they have already explored it in the spiritual world.

Not all beings possess the same intelligence and are suited to or interested in such special qualities. You know that simple, serving beings are also necessary in the heavenly realm. They do not possess a special intelligence, but they do have, 
They possess great love within themselves, and they are respected and valued by God's angelic realm just as much as someone who is exceptionally intelligent. If you say it would be unjust if such a person lacked the ability to help another simply because they don't have the necessary knowledge, that is not true. If they have fulfilled the highest and most profound commandment within themselves, if they possess this love and are willing to serve their neighbor, then they will be rewarded for their service. They need only look for a brother or sister who has this knowledge to help and then commission them to do what is necessary. Thus, the task is accomplished, even if the individual is unable to do it themselves. There is no injustice in God's realm, even though there are differences in what is accomplished there, since there is exceptional, high work. But not everyone can dedicate themselves to this high work. Just like in your world—you need workers to do the simple tasks, and you need people with special talents to perform the most demanding work. In the divine realm, no one envies another's intellectual wealth; that's unknown here. It takes quite a lot to reach this understanding.

You might now think: “It's not only soldiers who die in war; many others have also died innocently, perished through great misfortune.” Yes, a special sphere has been created for them as well, and this is connected to the sphere of the fallen soldiers. After a certain time, they visit each other; they attend schools together, and those who share a common interest come together. It is then the task of the divine realm, if it deems it appropriate, to ensure that these spheres merge into one another, so that these deceased meet. There they find each other and rejoice in seeing one another in this sphere. This is why you have heard people from the afterlife say, “He lived in that city and died—now I see him too.”

Other spirits also have access to this realm. They are permitted to visit their relatives and bring them comfort. But the divine realm explains to them that these visits are only allowed if they contribute to the advancement of their loved ones. The aim is to seize the opportunity to give all those who had to leave this world prematurely due to war and misfortune the chance to achieve a faster spiritual ascension; this opportunity is, so to speak, being utilized. Therefore, it is not unjust when those spirits from other realms are told: “Refrain from visiting your loved ones; rejoice in the diligent efforts of the spirit world of God so that they can leave this world as soon as possible and be assigned a worthy task.”

You might think I haven't yet mentioned those at the lowest level, those who have transgressed against humanity. Yes, from time to time, the way to them is left open. People from all levels of this world can visit them, but only at certain times. They bring them comfort and tell them how they themselves live, how they are taught, and what awaits them. They bring them news from their world, and they pray with them. So it's not necessarily the case that those in the lowest levels are left completely alone. Of course, there are also possibilities here that the spirit world of God takes someone into such darkness where there is no access to Him. So you can see again and again that there are so many levels, and no one is judged the same as another. Even these poorest are given comfort, and after a certain time, they too are taken out of their sphere. But depending on their transgressions, they will not experience the beauties of heaven, but will remain bound for a very, very long time. The spirit world of God decides where they are to be bound and when the hour will come when they must enter the new earthly life—the new life that will bring them nothing pleasant.

So, dear brothers and sisters, you can see how the spiritual realm of God is interested in all human events and adjusts accordingly. Great wars, such as those that have occurred, were already foreshadowed in God's plan of salvation. Consequently, you should not believe that this particular spiritual sphere had to be established or created suddenly; rather, it was established and organized by the spirits of God long beforehand to accommodate these beings.

Now, if an ascending spirit is so eager and yearns for the heights, then it will be given ample opportunity to be educated. As I mentioned, the spirits, of


God's beings are drawn especially to these spheres, gathering and instructing those who are zealous, and preparing to take them forth early. Through this special care for these beings, the spirit world of God creates the possibility for these souls to be imbued with greater forbearance, compassion, and refined feelings. For they must all one day return to earthly life, and thus they must be filled with that wondrous, divine life, with those virtues; they must be filled with the words of God's angels, who radiate only love, benevolence, and kindness. For the soul must enter earthly life strengthened so that it can withstand the great trials. The splendor of the earth is immense, and some fall behind. What they have gathered and built up in the afterlife is all too quickly shattered in human life.







... Now consider how few people actually think about this: “When I lay down my earthly body, my spirit walks in the Kingdom of God; my spirit will one day be with the Redeemer and rejoice and sing of God’s glory.” Yes, how few people are aware of this. When you speak to others about it, when you point it out to them, they look at you wide-eyed and refuse to believe it. Can you imagine the benefit for those who enter the next world and can say to themselves: “Now at last, at last I see and experience what I’ve always been told.” They must then say to themselves: “Yes, it’s all true, it’s all right. Sometimes I doubted it, but now I see it’s all true; I’m glad I took this path.”












: ... Like many who once offered us their hand in communion, others broke away again because they felt they had so much to explain and say, perhaps even to 'prove,' that there is no afterlife or that it exists in a completely different way. For those who once offered us their hand but then broke away and who now also stand in this spiritual world, a veil has been drawn over their eyes. They cannot grasp this spiritual world with the same clarity as those who said yes to it in human life. For they have not progressed in their development; indeed, in the great sphere into which they are divided, they are not on the highest level, but rather on the middle or lowest levels. Clarity does not prevail there; one cannot perceive and grasp everything so clearly; there, this fog reigns. This fog lies over everything, and it is difficult for the individual to emerge from it in order to ascend these levels. But the path must be cleared; one goes to meet them and explains to them how beautiful this divine world is. And they rejoice in the words that others speak to them; but they cannot yet experience it themselves, for a deep mist still hangs over everything, and their vision is still so clouded and unpurified.

It would not be in God's justice if everyone could grasp true glory at the same moment, for not everyone deserves it. But those who have shown this deep faith and great loyalty to us shall have their reward. They shall see this heavenly world as it has been described to them, free from all mist, free from obstacles. They shall be able to wander through this world and rejoice in having glorious company and in being able to participate in the divine feasts. Great peace will enter them, and they will be able to enjoy heaven and its heavenly joys as they truly are.

So, dear brothers and sisters, I have explained to you something of the tasks of the missionary spirits. May God's blessing be upon you. And may God's blessing protect and keep you. God be with you.


Then may God bless you. Lecture by spiritual teacher Josef on February 4, 1961, delivered by his intermediary Beatrice Brunner in the main hall of the Zurich Conservatory of Music

(Source: Tape recording)