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Jumanji Tokens

After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

[Congratulations, Terran survivor #99598, for activating the Universe Assistance System!] Althea, along with the remaining 1% of the population of their home planet, stared at the holographic screen in front of them in confusion. Their galaxy was apparently ending, and suddenly announcements from an alien system appeared in their heads, telling them they would be permanently transferred to another world. The survivors were all very depressed. First, they were forced to survive in a zombie apocalypse, and now they had to survive a new world altogether? It just so happened that Althea was one of the few people who got the Lord Token, the ticket to controlling a territory---a supposed safe haven for her people. Althea looked at her very large stomach and sighed at an unknown future. Would she be able to build a good home for her children and fellowmen? And... would she and her husband find each other again after this disaster? #Apocalypse, #Josei, #Romance, #BeautifulFL, #HandsomeML, #PowerCouple, #Infrastructure, #MagicSpace, #KingdomBuilding, #Adventure, #Pregnancy, #Game Elements, #System #LitRPG ____ Now an E-BOOK~! Please rate, ne? WILL HELP US OUT SOOO MUCHH~! Book 1: AMAZON: https://a.co/d/hy7Rocr GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203724162-after-surviving-the-apocalypse-i-built-a-city-in-another-world (Latest) Book 7 Amazon link: https://a.co/d/bceWSq0 It would be awesome to get your ratings in Goodreads, as well! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210710079-after-surviving-the-apocalypse-i-built-a-city-in-another-world if you can, please rate the succeeding books as well. Thank you soooo muchhhh Alterans! ____ READERS LOUNGE NOW OPEN~! (Readers ONLY please!) https://discord.gg/w8qKw2yaNK
NispedanaSan · 3.3M Views

SSS rank Mother-In-Law to an Invincible Family

[sexual content and lemons warning] Warning: Sexual content, lemons, Comedy, MILFs, Genius Mc and his harem. Possessive MC, Large Harem, Capable Harem members, No Conscience towards men, Mc is a Chill guy until anything happens to his women. ~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~×~ I GOT CLICHED!!!. When Xu Qianghua opened his eyes, he found out that he was reborn back in time before the game Immortal Odyssey: Paths of Destiny merged with his world. With only a few items left with him, Xu Qianghua is stunned and unhappy because he had a good life and was not like those who either betrayed or died to some really powerful monster. Until he saw the introduction of them: Family Token (Chaos): A small world with Immortal veins and high-level spirit crystal mines…. Key of the Ancients(Chaos): A mini-world with infinite monsters and riches to collect…. While Xu Qianghua also deals with his wives Xu Qianghua: Mother-in-law this is wrong Sister Meiying: This is not wrong, I need to check if my daughter can be satisfied. The jumps on Xu Qianghua After a few hours Liu Anwei: Brother Qiang, what were you talking with my mom about? Xu Qianghua: Nothing, your mother wanted you to have a new sibling, so she asked for my help Liu Anwei: What? Read as Xu Qianghua and his now new try again with a different path from his past life which might lead them to ruin or become the strongest family out there. ….. No NTR ..... PS: This is my first novel so I will have a lot of mistakes, so if you find any please feel free to comment and I will fix it as soon as possible. ....... Discord Link: https://discord.gg/9yEfZx3hEa
Anime_timez24 · 2.3M Views

Fire & Ecstasy

In the land of Kebakaran, where whispers of dragons and bloodline legends echo through the cobbled streets, Amaris, a lowly slave girl, toils away at the Golden Peacock, a lavish brothel that serves the whims of the powerful. The once-beloved King Jezza has fallen, poisoned under mysterious circumstances, leaving his son, Quellin Vircadian, to ascend the throne amid swirling rumors of cruelty and darkness. While the townspeople grieve for their fallen king, they fear the new ruler, offering tributes—trinkets and girls—to appease Quellin's wrath. Amaris's life takes a perilous turn when she is chosen as a token of fealty, destined to become Quellin's property. As she navigates the treacherous world of the Royal Court and the simmering distrust of the townspeople, she finds herself in a desperate struggle for survival, love, and power. With each passing day, the stakes rise higher; Amaris learns that her very presence may be the key to maintaining the fragile peace between the court and the populace. Haunted by her past and driven by her dreams of freedom, Amaris must confront not only the dark secrets surrounding Quellin's ascent to the throne but also the terrifying legacy of the Vircadian family, said to be descended from dragons. As she unravels the truth behind the king's nature, Amaris finds herself drawn to Quellin, who reveals a side of himself that contradicts the chilling rumors. Their connection ignites a spark of hope within her, but it also complicates her mission to bridge the chasm between the crown and the commoners. As rebellion simmers beneath the surface, Amaris becomes a linchpin in a game of power that threatens to engulf them all. Can she reconcile her feelings for the enigmatic king with her need to protect her people? Will she be the one to rise above the chains of her past and forge a new destiny for herself and her kingdom, or will the darkness that surrounds Quellin consume them both? Fire & Ecstasy is a tale of passion, sacrifice, and the quest for identity in a world rife with betrayal and longing, where the line between love and power blurs, and the echoes of ancient dragons whisper promises of both destruction and rebirth.
TheDevilsRejects · 3K Views

Eternal Path: The Rise of a Forgotten Soul

Title: Ethereal Realms: Legacy of the Void Synopsis: Ren, a young man trapped in a frail, paralyzed body since childhood, has spent most of his life confined to a hospital bed, watching the world pass by without him. When his sister brings him Ethereal Realms, the first full-dive VRMMORPG, Ren is given a chance at the one thing he’s longed for—freedom. But as soon as he logs in, he finds himself standing tall, moving freely, and exploring a world full of wonder and peril. What begins as a dream come true quickly takes an unexpected turn when Ren encounters a mysterious man in silver robes, who gives him a jade token and warns that others will come hunting for him. Ren soon learns he possesses a rare and dangerous power known as the Voidwalker’s Vessel, marking him as a potential threat to powerful forces lurking within the game world. Now, he must survive in a realm where strength is everything, and secrets hide behind every corner. Forced to flee the safe zones and train in the remote Twilight Glade, Ren embarks on a journey to master his hidden abilities while uncovering the truth about his strange bloodline. Along the way, he will face shadowy enemies, forge new friendships, and learn that in this virtual world, every action carries weight—and every battle brings him closer to awakening the dark legacy buried within his soul. But as Ren grows stronger, he realizes that Ethereal Realms may be more than just a game. With his real-world body in a coma and dangerous factions closing in, Ren must walk the fine line between life and death, virtual and reality, to reclaim his life—and protect those he cares about. The question is: Will mastering the void grant him freedom, or will it consume him?
DaoistVQcVfE · 1.4K Views

The Atrocious Werewolf Prince

After Ragnarok, the gods and demons died, the heroes perished and all the beasts who fought them toe to toe ceased to exist as well. The world evolved, after the death of all superiors (Gods), the inferiors (Mortals) started to learn the ways to gain those celestial powers, some even surpassed the gods. They were gifted with the spirits of deceased powerful beings. Spirit stolen at birth, the prince of once a doughty werewolf kingdom, Ezra Zephyr is plagued by the curse of god until the fate draws him to a mysterious domain. Where he meets a beast, who became Ezra's spirit. That beast was no ordinary beast at all, he was the evil monsterous wolf of Norse, who killed Odin and devoured the Sun. He was Fenrir, son of Loki and Angraboda. Fenrir trained Ezra Zephyr before becoming his spirit; from that moment the Ezra Zephyr changed his innocence with atrocity. Join Ezra Zephyr as he'll wreck havoc in the world with Fenrir as his spirit. Get ready for rollercoaster of Adventure, War, Dark Schemes, Light Comedy and Seggs. A world where both Cultivators and Sorcerors fight for supremacy, a new fantasy world where Qi and Mana co-exist. *** First 32 chapters consist of MC's training, don't judge before reading atleast 40 chaps. This is a novel where MC will trample the so called Gods and Heroes in myriad of mythologies without disisting his sexual urges that he inherited as werewolf. However, there won't be harem and MC will not stick to one girl. This novel is inspired by chinese novel Dragon Prince Yuan, the first few chapters will resemble to it, it's my token of respect to the author of DPY. However, the story and theme is completely different. [ Hello dear readers add me on discord to be in touch with novel man's fan community. Discord Server: https://discord.gg/AcZ72pRbAZ]
The_Novel_Man · 1.2M Views

Reborn as a Slime With Monster Simulation System

When Arata meets an untimely end while saving a stray cat, he expects nothing more than a peaceful afterlife. However, his fate takes an unexpected turn as he finds himself reincarnated not as a human, but as a slime. Yes, you read it right... a slime! Breaking free from the shackles of his lonely past life, Arata's journey makes an unforeseen twist. In this new world, he discovered that he shares his existence with a mysterious partner—the Monster Simulation System. [ The monster simulation begins. ] ​[ A random race of monsters has been generated. ] ​Make your selection from the following: A. Rat B. Cockroach ​[ ​Race confirmed. Selected Race: Cockroach. ] ​Now, choose 2 traits for the Cockroach from the following: A. Lazy B. Ruthless C. Gay D. Pervert E. Greedy ​[ Traits confirmed. Selected Traits: Ruthless and Greedy. ] ​As Arata starts each simulation, the monster avatar changes, adding surprises to its journey. Though he doesn't control them directly, his choices shape the avatar's destiny and impact how it faces challenges. It's an adventure influenced by Arata's decisions in this strange new world. "Your life is a result of your choices. If you don't like your life, it's time to make some better choices." ​*** ​Schedule: I'll upload a minimum of 1-2 chapters daily at around 4:00 AM and 10:00 PM, both in UTC+8. Each chapter will consist of 1200-1500 words. 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter! 200 Power Stones = +2 Bonus Chapter! ... [ Gifting Privilege ] Magic Castle — Generates a race, trait, ability and place of your choice at the beginning of the simulation. Dragon — Generates a place / ability / trait of your choice at the beginning of the simulation. Luxury Car — Generates an ability / trait of your choice at the beginning of the simulation. Golden Tickets / Inspiration Capsule — Generates a trait of your choice at the beginning of the simulation. Note: While this is meant as a token of appreciation for your gifts and support, it's important to remember that Arata will have the final say in deciding whether to use the race, trait, or ability you've created. Also, please understand that your idea may not be included immediately since it relies on the story's direction. But don't worry, it will be carefully noted and considered as the novel progresses. Thank you! You can contact me on Instagram or Discord with your selected creation for race, trait, ability, or place. Share your ideas with me! ig: kae000_ discord: kae000_
kaeeeee · 35.1K Views

My Skill Creation System

Read the synopsis through to the end and read my own review of this story to gain a better understanding of its overall concepts. ᴥᴥᴥ At the tender age of five, I tragically lost my parents and suffered a life-altering injury. Five years later, my stepmother evicted me from my home. This misfortune, however, gave rise to a new beginning for me. At age fifteen, I encountered a dramatic turn of events when I received two mysterious blessings. [You have received the Blessing of Greed] [You have received the Blessing of Sloth] I was gifted with the Blessing of Greed from a dragon and the Blessing of Sloth from a human. [Welcome to the Skill Creation System] [What skill would you like to create?] I soon discovered that I might be a Half-Dragon, and unlocked the Skill Creation System, which also allowed me to access my mother's memories and the truth behind their death! Now, I'm embarking on a quest to become the strongest in multiple worlds. I must find the answers I seek, protect those I care about, and gain the strength to exact revenge on those who have wronged me. I intend to use the powers of the Blessings I have been granted to avenge my parents and forge my own destiny. Possible additional tags: Adventure, Magic, Fantasy, Action, Dark Magic, Superpowers, Immortality Monsters, Demons, Gods, Shapeshifters, Dragons, Spirits, Faery, Elves, Dwarves, Giants, Magical Creatures Kingdom Building, School Arc, Skill Creation, Dungeon Exploration Romance, Epic Journey, Hero's Journey, Epic Battles, Epic Quest Curses, Ancient Relics, Ancient Civilizations, Hidden Worlds ᴥᴥᴥ Discussions, Illustrations, Wiki: https://discord.gg/npje4q2e Herolich#3449 ᴥᴥᴥ FAQs 1. Rape? NO! 2. NTR? NO! 3. GOT style deaths? NO! 4. School arc? Yes. 5. Kingdom Building? Yes, but it will be in a future volume. Please read the FAQs chapter for more. ᴥᴥᴥ As a token of my appreciation: Castle: Two bonus chapters, Spacecraft: Four bonus chapters, Golden Gachapon: Six bonus chapters. Additionally, for every progress on the Golden ticket, one bonus chapter will be unlocked for every 100 Golden tickets.
Herolich · 1.3M Views

Taming The Wild Prince

[Excerpt]- “Please, Kai. Don’t go,” Aylin pleaded, grabbing Kaiser's wrist firmly; tears were rolling down from her golden eyes. But, her pleading was empty and meaningless for Kaiser who swore not to trust her ever again. His gaze was cold and dismissive as he turned to face Aylin. Then pulling his hand away from her grip, he asked furiously, “Lin, stop acting as if you care. When you don't!" Biting her lower lip, Aylin mumbled helplessly, “So you will leave me without even listening to the whole truth? Why don’t you kill me instead of torturing me like this?” Kaiser answered coldly, taking a step closer, “Because, I want you to suffer…” As Aylin looked up, she found his handsome face closer than she realized and her heart ached in sharp pain. She wanted to explain a lot of things but before she could say anything, his warm lips captured hers. It was a hungry, forceful, and brutal kiss with no sweetness or loving gestures. His scent engulfed her as his demanding lips were devouring the softness of her lips. His tongue twined with her, intense, forcing her to think about him only, burning through her. She closed her teary eyes. She had never tasted such a breathless kiss. She reached to push him away, but she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck instead. Aylin gasped as their lips parted and their eyes met again. Kaiser’s blood-red eyes were still cold and furious even after the heat of the kiss. Aylin mumbled in a breathy tone while trying to find the answer, “Kai, W-why are you-” “It’s your Punishment, Lin. For playing with my heart. You must suffer more than me..." ----------- Aylin Angelo- A forgotten princess of Arcelia got engaged to the enemy Prince against her will as a token of the peace treaty though her heart was still aching for a stranger whom she met 4 years ago when she was just 12 years. But, who knew she had the most destructive secret which was going to be the reason for the deadliest fight ever and would destroy the peace for eternity! Kaiser Hale- The Third Prince of Fintan was infamous as an untamed and brutal beast and he could kill anyone while smiling. Even his frozen heart melted, seeing Aylin's warm smile for the first time. But who knew that she was going to be betrothed to his elder brother, Crown Prince! Their fates entangled together though their love was forbidden. But, Forbidden Fruit always tastes the sweetest. -------- **The Cover is edited by Serenfox. The picture is not owned by me. All credits go to its original creator.** ------------ •First Book of Forbidden Romance Series.
Ishabellacullen · 577.4K Views

I Am the Vengeful War God’s Beloved

The world came to revive on the day of Tang Qing's birth, and all beasts became restless. However, she was born out of wedlock, so she was never meant to be a token of good luck. Instead, all of that went to her stepsister, who turned out to be the most gifted royal princess of the land, blessed with an innate spiritual form of the highest potential and was worshipped by everyone. On the other hand, Tang Qing was used as a stimulant to get animals agitated at the colosseum and had to fight them just to be fed, thus ending up drenched in blood every day and despised by all. Nonetheless, Tang Qing awakened the Phoenix Bones as her spiritual form, which was a one-in-a-million rarity. However, before she could learn to control it, her sister clawed the Phoneix Bones out of her while she was alive and threw her into the Demonic Abyss to be devoured by demonic beasts... Unexpectedly, Tang Qing survived because the gift of the Phoenix Bones was immortal rebirth! She became a living treasure of all fearsome beasts in the abyss, and they declared that anyone who hurt her was declaring war against the abyss. Eventually, she left the Demonic Abyss to cut down her enemies while trampling over other prodigies. She also took in adorable pets and practiced medicine, building a fearsome reputation all over the continent. Chu Yunzhuo, maimed and physically dead a thousand years ago, had kept his body in the Demonic Abyss as he slowly nursed his soul but was unexpectedly awakened and quaked the continent thrice as a result. Everyone prayed for the god of war to return to 'sleep' soon, but his answer was, "Sleep? Sure. If Tang Qing sleeps by my side, that is..."
Palm · 160.8K Views

Shocked! 10,000 People Want to Marry Me!

Yun Jin doesn't know who her parents are, and has lived with her grandfather since she has memory, living in seclusion of the old forest. But she was happy and carefree every day, and the wild animals in the mountains were her friends. During the day, she played in the mountains, the white tiger carried her running through the forest, and the eagle carried her soaring in the sky. In the evening, she studied calligraphy, medical skills and geomancy divination from her grandfather... She could cure anyone who was ill in the mountains. One day, Grandpa found her, put a piece of ancient jade in her hand, and said: "Cloud brocade, you should come out of the world, go to the capital to find a friend of grandpa and give him this jade pendant." Yun Jin thought it was just a time to go out to deliver something, but unexpectedly... The old man of a powerful family in the capital looked at Yun Jin with a smile on his face and passionately pointed at a row of the family younger generation and said: "Yun Jin, you have finally grown up. Grandpa has been waiting for you for 18 years. You look, these are grandpa's most outstanding grandsons, choose the one you like it." Z Behind the old man of the Zheng family stood a row of children and grandchildren, three of which were named out by the old man. They are they were some of the most outstanding people of the third generation of the Zheng family. Dashao Zheng Ting nipped lip flap, eyes filled with the coldness and rejection and he never dreamed that one day he would stand in the crowd like goods at the mercy of others. The second youngster Zheng Feng with eyes filled with killing and glared at her, the whole people are gruesome, all threats cold stare at the cloud brocade, his eyes seemed to say that if you dare to choose me, then you wait to die it. The third youngster Zheng Han is even more direct, even regardless of the presence of the old man, threatened: "If you want to have a better life in the future, then had better not choose me," Yun Jin: "..." She is speechless at the moment, and very wants to say that none of them she will choose. She just came to deliver things, how did it become this way? How did the jade pendant become a marriage token! At the moment of Zheng youngsters do not know that the woman they now dislike beyond measure will soon become the woman they are desperately trying to get.
Marry Me, Please Stand in Line · 339.9K Views

Transmigrated Into the Violent Boss’ Little Mermaid

Jun Qingyu pursues a novel with a protagonist that strives on his own, from an ordinary person to a high position as a marshal. He suffered from an accident on the battlefield that only a mermaid can heal, but because the injury caused the protagonist to have a violent temperament, the mermaids refused to treat him. The protagonist’s family seized the opportunity to steal his token to start an interstellar war. The close friend of the protagonist kicked him when he was down. For a period of time, the protagonist became a target of public criticism. He was simply a model example of an unfortunate person with good looks and strong capability. Initially, the protagonist should have risen at this time and started a series of face-slapping in line but the author ran off in the end, leaving the novel incomplete and directly sentenced the protagonist to death. Jun Qingyu got so hung up over it that he dreamt of the protagonist of this book and after he woke up, he became a mermaid in that novel. Fu Yuanchuan didn’t know how many times he had stood by the mermaid pond. The little newborn mermaids in the pond were no more than the size of his palm. The mermaids rejected coming into contact with him very much. He looked at the pod of mermaids, who were originally close to the shore, quickly fleeing without any accident when he approached. The sound of taunts and jeers fell incessantly in his ear. ‘How can someone like him still dare to buy a mermaid?’ ‘If I were him, I would stay at home and wait for death instead of running around and scaring people.’ Fu Yuanchuan looked indifferent but when he was going to leave, he heard an exclamation. ‘What’s going on with that mermaid?’ Fu Yuanchuan looked down and saw a golden-tailed little mermaid struggling against the pod of mermaids to swim towards him. The little mermaid stopped when he was close to the shore. He raised his head and his golden eyes were full of his shadow. After a moment of silence, he crouched by the side of the mermaid pond and tried to dip his hand into the water…… The little mermaid did not flee. The little mermaid hugged his hand. The little mermaid kissed his finger. It was as if a beam of light had shone into the gloomy world, leading him back to the world. NOT MY NOVEL CAN BE FOUND ON FORESTNOVEL Author: Xian Sanqian
Lucia_Daniels · 227.5K Views

TEARS OF GOLD

[3 new chapters every week!] Life is a mystery filled with obscure happenings that befuddles mankind. But the devil you know is feeble than you think, and the monster we must all fear is our mind. What you don't know, will not kill you. However when we search too deep, we fall gravely deep. A man, just like any other, decides to unravel the impossible conundrums of the universe. Watch how the life of Elmer Bernstein unfolds and molds into a whole new world of desperation and obsession. Will the supernatural forces of the universe overcome him, or will the demons in his soul be powerful to save him? |••—^••—^••—••| The story is about a man who searches for impossible answers beyond his comprehension, and stops and nothing to seek sufficient answers. I hope you enjoy this dark fantasy. ^—•—•—•—•—^ Hello everyone, I'm so happy and excited you're here, checking out my work. I'm sure a lot of you have read the prologue, so I'm going to be explaining some things. Firstly, Tears of gold is intended to be a dark fantasy, or rather, a paranormal novel. So if you're afraid of the dark, and the thought of ghosts scares you at night or you hate spiders? Then you're more than welcomed to continue to the very first chapter hehe! Secondly, There will be three different volumes, and are as follow; Volume One |I| — Before four days ago>>>  (this will be before the whole conflict of the story has even begun and will contain about six chapters.) This volume won't be as scary. Length can change further on. Volume Two |II| — Four days ago>>> (this is four days before the prologue and contains about thirteen chapters.) Length can change further on. Volume Three |III| — Present day>>> (this is the continuation of the scene in the prologue chapter and contains about five chapters.) Length can change further on. Epilogue>>> Thirdly, Please guys, writing is not easy. Motivation is a token of what authors can get to enable steady updates. If you're enjoying the story, be sure to leave nice comments to put a smile on my face. If there's a thing or matter you'd like to point out or correct, then the comments are opened for you. Say perhaps, you enjoyed a particular chapter, do support me by voting my work. If you enjoyed it, you can easily refer the work to another reader who you feel would be interested. Also, be sure to add this book to your library so you can get notifications on the update of new chapters. And lastly, I thank you all once more for deciding to give this book a chance. If you're still here with me guys, I'm so honored and grateful for your supports. Muah!
Blackrose_Belle · 6.5K Views

Rebirth of the Lady Sovereign

In the land of Dura, there exist five great powers that rule over the people. The Rainbow Cloud Academy The Hall of mage The Beast Tamer org. The Alchemist Guild The Black Tower Even though the five great powers look peaceful on the outside, they have been scheming against each other internally to gain the power to control the whole land of Dura. The power struggle had been going on for centuries with each wanting to stand above the other four powers. There was a prophecy in the land of Dura that says. 'The one with the Flame Dragon shall rule all the land under the Heavens' Althea Rion, the Sovereign of The Hall of Mage had a dragon token passed down to her from her mother which only a few people know of. Due to a traitor, the dragon token in her possession was exposed and she became the target of the four major forces. After being chased by the four great powers, Althea crushed the Dragon token with her last remaining strength. Her Spirit seed exploded and the red flame engulfed her before the eyes of the four great powers. ....... Opening her eyes again, Althea found herself in the body of a sixteen-year-old girl with a damaged spirit seed. But to her surprise, she found a Flame Dragon encircled around her spirit seed. "I am Althea, the sovereign of The Hall of Mage. Since Heavens had given me a second chance at life, this time, I will be the one to destroy The Four great powers, wait until I regain my former strength. The path of Revenge is what I chose" ... Will Althea regain her former glory? Can she take down the Four great powers that had been standing strong for nearly a thousand years? ____________________ Cover art doesn't belong to me. Credits to the rightful owner. If you are the owner and want me to take it down, comment below. Want to support the Author, buy me a coffee- https://ko-fi.com/dumplingaunt Thank you.
Dumpling_Aunt · 790.4K Views

The Gospel of John

The Gospel according to John is quite different in character from the three synoptic gospels. It is highly literary and symbolic. It does not follow the same order or reproduce the same stories as the synoptic gospels. To a much greater degree, it is the product of a developed theological reflection and grows out of a different circle and tradition. It was probably written in the 90s of the first century. The Gospel of John begins with a magnificent prologue, which states many of the major themes and motifs of the gospel, much as an overture does for a musical work. The prologue proclaims Jesus as the preexistent and incarnate Word of God who has revealed the Father to us. The rest of the first chapter forms the introduction to the gospel proper and consists of the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (there is no baptism of Jesus in this gospel—John simply points him out as the Lamb of God), followed by stories of the call of the first disciples, in which various titles predicated of Jesus in the early church are presented. The gospel narrative contains a series of “signs”—the gospel’s word for the wondrous deeds of Jesus. The author is primarily interested in the significance of these deeds, and so interprets them for the reader by various reflections, narratives, and discourses. The first sign is the transformation of water into wine at Cana (Jn 2:1–11); this represents the replacement of the Jewish ceremonial washings and symbolizes the entire creative and transforming work of Jesus. The second sign, the cure of the royal official’s son (Jn 4:46–54) simply by the word of Jesus at a distance, signifies the power of Jesus’ life-giving word. The same theme is further developed by other signs, probably for a total of seven. The third sign, the cure of the paralytic at the pool with five porticoes in chap. 5, continues the theme of water offering newness of life. In the preceding chapter, to the woman at the well in Samaria Jesus had offered living water springing up to eternal life, a symbol of the revelation that Jesus brings; here Jesus’ life-giving word replaces the water of the pool that failed to bring life. Jn 6 contains two signs, the multiplication of loaves and the walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. These signs are connected much as the manna and the crossing of the Red Sea are in the Passover narrative and symbolize a new exodus. The multiplication of the loaves is interpreted for the reader by the discourse that follows, where the bread of life is used first as a figure for the revelation of God in Jesus and then for the Eucharist. After a series of dialogues reflecting Jesus’ debates with the Jewish authorities at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jn 7; 8, the sixth sign is presented in Jn 9, the sign of the young man born blind. This is a narrative illustration of the theme of conflict in the preceding two chapters; it proclaims the triumph of light over darkness, as Jesus is presented as the Light of the world. This is interpreted by a narrative of controversy between the Pharisees and the young man who had been given his sight by Jesus, ending with a discussion of spiritual blindness and spelling out the symbolic meaning of the cure. And finally, the seventh sign, the raising of Lazarus in chap. 11, is the climax of signs. Lazarus is presented as a token of the real life that Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, who will now ironically be put to death because of his gift of life to Lazarus, will give to all who believe in him once he has been raised from the dead.
Dali098 · 61.9K Views
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