This is a brief study on a phrase used by King Solomon throughout Ecclesiastes, "vanity and vexation of spirit", that to which everything in life is compared.
Ecclesiastes 1:14 - I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
is vanity = he-vel = vapor, breath (habal; emptiness or vanity; figuratively, something transitory and unsatisfactory; often used as an adverb -- X altogether, vain, vanity. )
and vexation = reuth = from ra'ah; a feeding upon, i.e. Grasping after -- vexation.
of spirit = ruach = breath, wind, spirit (From ruwach; wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. A sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions) -- air, anger, blast, breath, X cool, courage, mind, X quarter, X side, spirit((-ual)), tempest, X vain, ((whirl-))wind(-y). )
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Book I want to read: Revolution in Judaea by Hyam MacCoby
Revolution in Judaea
by Hyam MacCoby
It's $70 on Amazon.com USED... Guess I'll get a library card...
http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Judaea-Hyam-MacCoby/dp/080086784X
by Hyam MacCoby
It's $70 on Amazon.com USED... Guess I'll get a library card...
http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Judaea-Hyam-MacCoby/dp/080086784X
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Article from Essene.com - Nazarean Qabbalah
Qabbalah Page
Nazarean Qabbalah
Ancient historians tell us that the Essenes were Pythagorean in their practices. These Pythagorean practices are well known and well documented and can tell us more about the "jewishness" of the Nazarean sect than Rabbinical Judaism can. Rabbinical Judaism has, however, partially preserved one facet of the Nazarean Way which is useful to modern Nazareans - the Qabbalah, or the Secret Doctrine of Israel. Texts such as the Zohar, Bahir, Sefir Yetzirah and others, when stripped of their Pharisee pericopes and corruptions, reveal many of the ancient tenents and Qabbalistic musings of the ancient followers of Yeshua. Many of the arcane truths found in these texts are utilized in the modern Nazarean Mystery Schools. When combined with the "Qabbalistic" teachings preserved by the Pythagoreans, a complete mystical system is revealed.
The Qabbalah, although well understood by the early disciples of Yeshua, including Paul, does not now have much of a place in "Christian" exergesis of scripture. An example of a surviving remnant is the 666 prophecy in Revelations. Part of the reason for this may be in its early association with the "Jewish-Christians" who came to be despised and looked down upon by later gentile converts to Pauline Christianity. To be of any great value, the Qabbalah must be seriously studied for many years in conjunction with other spiritual disciplines, practices and sacraments long rejected by the gentile church who sought the "easy way". When the gentile church, under the influence of Paul's writings, rejected the Nazarean Way of spiritual discipline and study in favor of vicarious atonement and Roman ideas of salvation, they also rejected all the serious tools used by Nazareans for personal growth, such as the Qabbalah. Part of the process of restoring the original Gospel entails restoring the Qabbalah to its rightful place in Nazarean exergesis.
Pauline Gentile Christianity vs James' Essene Way
Many of the doctrines and ideas considered central to the Christian message are in fact alien to the earliest tenents and beliefs of Nazarean followers of the Way. They arose by virtue of Paul's writings and under the influence of non-essene and non-Nazarean promoters of Roman culture and worldviews. Although the present New Testament is a product of these non-Nazarean promoters, within its pages can still be found some references to the original Nazarean Way exemplified by James the Lord's brother. Part of this Way involves serious personal work through spiritual disciplines:
"His [James'] position on 'works counted' or 'reckoned as Righteousness' is made clear in the letter attributed to his name and the riposte it contains to the Pauline position on Abraham's faith in Romans and Galatians."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
This is in direct contrast to Pauline Christianity which stresses "faith" over personal spiritual work:
"Paul developed "Abraham's 'Righteousness', being 'sons of God' through faith, and Jesus' being 'cursed by the Law' in Galatians 3-4. 'You keep special days and months and seasons and years', which he calls 'weak and beggarly' (Galatians 4:10-11)."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
Before the fall of the Jersualem Bishopric which Yeshua established in James the Righteous, spiritual disciplines and adherance to the Nazarean Way was the accepted norm:
The Letter of James was "written in Syria possibly around 100 C.E., it indicates the continuing importance of James of Jerusalem in terms of ethics and offices. It criticizes misinterpretations of Paul's teachings."
- John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, The Life of a Mediterranean Peasant (1991)
Included in the Nazarean Way is an emphasis on soul purity and accompaning rituals, such as daily Miqvah Immersion, which help focus the mind on this repentence proceedure:
"It is worth noting that at the time of his final Pentecost visit to Jerusalem, James imposed a similar purification procedure on Paul in the Temple. Here, in the words of Acts 21:21-24, Paul was publicly to exhibit that he was 'still walking in the Way and keeping the Law'."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
It was not long before a sluggard portion of the Nazarean Way rebelled against this serious spirituality and sought excuse to water down the "Program". Paul became another in a long line of promoters of the easy way as opposed to the true Essene Way of Yeshua. The following two quotes represent conjecture by modern authors as to possible historical references to Paul's deviance:
"According to the 'Habakkuk Commentary', the 'liar did not listen to the word received by the Teacher of Righteousness from the mouth of God'. Instead, he appealed to 'the unfaithful of the New Covenant in that they have not believed in the Covenant of God and have profaned His holy name'. The text states explicitly that 'the Liar...flouted the Law in the midst of their whole congregation'. He 'led many astray' and raised 'a congregation on deceit.' He himself is said to be 'pregnant with [works] of deceit.'"
"...Despite his exculpatory self-purification, Paul continues to inspire enmity in those 'zealous for the Law' - who, a few days later , attack him in the Temple."
- Baigent and Leigh, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception
"In 60 C.E., when incoming procurator Festus indicated that he was willing to hand Paul over to the Sanhedrin for trial, Paul declared himself a Roman citizen and demanded trial before Nero."
"That Paul was not born a Roman citizen is certain. Most likely he was granted denization papers about 48 CE by Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, whom Paul converted to Christianity and whose name he thereafter adopted (Acts 13:6-12). Paul's prudence in concealing his Roman status for a decade was confirmed by the consequences of his enforced revelation. Jacob [James] had barely tolerated Paul to begin with. At the news that Paul had accepted citizenship from the hated occupying power, Jacob in effect excommunicated him. Envoys were sent from Jerusalem to convert all of Paul's Christian communities to Nazirite Judaism. All cooperation between the Nazirites and Paul's gentile followers ceased, and the way was open for a Christian (John Markos was a Nazirite) to write the Gospel of Mark (as it was later called), which all but repudiated Jesus' Jewishness."
- William Harwood, Mythologies Last Gods: Yahweh and Jesus
Qabbalah
Qabbalah is the esoteric tradition possessed by Nazarean and other Jewish mystics. It pertains to mysteries of creation, redemption and mystical exergesis of the written word. The Tree of Life, mentioned in Essene and Christian scriptures, is a Qabbalistic icon consisting of ten spheroids and 22 secret pathways. This Etz Chaim, or Tree of Life, represents a codified and living computer capable of contaning, analysing and revealing all the hidden aspects of humanities relationship with Deity. It is of immense value to those who become deeply initiated into the Nazarite Way.
According to tradition "...the Kabbalah was the fount of ancient wisdom that Moses passed down to elite disciples, an esoteric doctrine that only an elect can interpret."
- Gerry Rose ,"The Venetian Takeover of England and Its Creation of Freemasonry"
"To Jewish mystics, every letter in the Hebrew alphabet was a channel to the life force of God and possessed of sacred meaning. Hebrew numbers were also represented by letters so that names and words had numerical values. Finding associations of words with the same value revealed a complex series of hidden meanings beneath the text of the Torah, the book of law attributed to Moses. In fact, the entire Torah can be considered to be a single long word spelling out one of the names of God. The significance of the name of God goes back to ancient Egypt where knowing the name of a god allowed one to gain power over that god."
"The Qabalah may be defined as being the esoteric Jewish doctrine. It is called in Hebrew QBLH, Qabalah, which is derived from the root QBL, Qibel, meaning 'to receive'. This appellation refers to the custom of handing down the esoteric tradition by oral transmission, and is nearly allied to 'tradition'."
"The Qabalah was first taught by God himself to a select company of angels, who formed a theosophic school in Paradise. After the Fall the angels most graciously communicated this heavenly doctrine to the disobedient children of earth, they furnish the protoplasts with the means of returning to their pristine nobility and felicity. From Adam it passed over to Noah, and then to Abraham, the friend of God, who emigrated with it to Egypt, where the patriarch allowed a portion of this mysterious doctrine to ooze out. It was in this way that the Egyptians obtained some knowledge of it, and the other Eastern nations could introduce it into their philosophical systems. Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, was first initiated into the Qabalah in the land of his birth, but became most proficient in it during his wanderings in the wilderness, when he not only devoted to it the leisure hours of the whole forty years, but received lessons in it from one of the angels. By the aid of this mysterious science the law-giver was enabled to solve the difficulties which arose during his management of the Israelites, in spite of the pilgrimages, wars, and frequent miseries of the nation. He covertly laid down the principles of this secret doctrine in the first four books of the Pentateuch, but withheld them from Deuteronomy. Moses also initiated the seventy elders into the secrets of this doctrine, and they again transmitted them from hand to hand."
- McGregor Mathers, Introduction to The Kabbalah Unveiled
"In exactly the same way, when the true interpretation of the Law according to the command of God, divinely handed down to Moses, was revealed, it was called the Kabbalah, a word which is the same among the Hebrews as 'reception' among ourselves; for this reason, of course, that one man from another, by a sort of hereditary right, received that doctrine not through written records but through a regular succession of revelations....In these books principally resides, as Esdras with a clear voice justly declared, the spring of understanding, that is, the ineffable theology of the supersubstantial deity; the fountain of wisdom, that is, the exact metaphysic of the intellectual and angelic forms; and the stream of knowledge, that is, the most steadfast philosophy of natural things."
- Pico della Mirandola
"Each soul and spirit prior to its entering into this world, consists of a male and female united into one being. When it descends on this earth the two parts separate and animate two different bodies. At the time of marriage, the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows all souls and spirits, unites them again as they were before, and they again constitute one body and one soul, forming as it were the right and left of one individual."
- The Hebrew Zohar
"'And when They are conjoined together, They appear to be only one body.'
"Hence we learn that the Masculine, taken alone appeareth to be only half the body, so that all the mercies are half; and thus also is it with the Feminine.
"'But when They are joined together, the (two together) appear to form only one whole body. And it is so.'
"So also here. When the Male is joined with the Female, They both constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from Their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum."
- The Kabbalah Unveiled
The Kabbalah "uncovers many of the infinite layers of the secrets of life, of Creation, of the soul, of the heavenly spheres.
It penetrates beyond the garments and the body of the Torah.
It is the very core and soul of Torah, the ultimate revelation of Divinity - exposing the inner meaning, effects and purpose of Torah and mitzvot.
The illumination emanating from the Kabbalah ignites the soul of man, setting it on fire in the awareness of a deeper and higher reality. Its study and insights are themselves mystical experiences.
The Kabbalah is all this - but always and exclusively within the context of Torah."
- "The Authenticity of Kabbalah"
"...The visionary nature of the Qumran corpus [Dead Sea Scrolls] is much under-estimated. Texts of this kind border of what goes in Judaism under the name of Kabbalah, and indeed it is difficult to see how there cannot have been some very direct relationship albeit an underground one."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
"Jewish mysticism began in Biblical days, long before the term Kabbalah was invented. By the first century it had become a proper subject for scholarly study. Philo Judaeus speculated on the Platonic idea of emanations as intermediaries between God and the physical world. The Roman philosopher Plotinus (205-270) traveled in the East and returned to combine Indian, Persian, Greek, and Jewish mystic theories into a systematic structure of these emanations."
- Harry Gersh, The Sacred Books of the Jews
According to Plotinus (205-270 AD), "there are stages in the soul's ladder of ascent. The first includes purification, the freezing of the soul from the body, and the practice of the cardinal virtues. In the second the soul rises above sense-perception to Nous through contemplation. A third and higher stage, already ineffable, leads to union with Nous. Finally there is the climax of the whole ascent in mystical and ecstatic union with the One."
- John Ferguson, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions
"The earliest documents (~100 - ~1000 A.D.) associated with Kabbalah describe the attempts of 'Merkabah' mystics to penetrate the seven halls (Hekaloth) of creation and reach the Merkabah (throne-chariot) of God. These mystics used the familiar methods of shamanism (fasting, repetitious chanting, prayer, posture) to induce trance states in which they literally fought their way past terrible seals and guards to reach an ecstatic state in which they 'saw God'."
- Colin Low, "cabalah.cln"
Nazarean Qabbalah
Ancient historians tell us that the Essenes were Pythagorean in their practices. These Pythagorean practices are well known and well documented and can tell us more about the "jewishness" of the Nazarean sect than Rabbinical Judaism can. Rabbinical Judaism has, however, partially preserved one facet of the Nazarean Way which is useful to modern Nazareans - the Qabbalah, or the Secret Doctrine of Israel. Texts such as the Zohar, Bahir, Sefir Yetzirah and others, when stripped of their Pharisee pericopes and corruptions, reveal many of the ancient tenents and Qabbalistic musings of the ancient followers of Yeshua. Many of the arcane truths found in these texts are utilized in the modern Nazarean Mystery Schools. When combined with the "Qabbalistic" teachings preserved by the Pythagoreans, a complete mystical system is revealed.
The Qabbalah, although well understood by the early disciples of Yeshua, including Paul, does not now have much of a place in "Christian" exergesis of scripture. An example of a surviving remnant is the 666 prophecy in Revelations. Part of the reason for this may be in its early association with the "Jewish-Christians" who came to be despised and looked down upon by later gentile converts to Pauline Christianity. To be of any great value, the Qabbalah must be seriously studied for many years in conjunction with other spiritual disciplines, practices and sacraments long rejected by the gentile church who sought the "easy way". When the gentile church, under the influence of Paul's writings, rejected the Nazarean Way of spiritual discipline and study in favor of vicarious atonement and Roman ideas of salvation, they also rejected all the serious tools used by Nazareans for personal growth, such as the Qabbalah. Part of the process of restoring the original Gospel entails restoring the Qabbalah to its rightful place in Nazarean exergesis.
Pauline Gentile Christianity vs James' Essene Way
Many of the doctrines and ideas considered central to the Christian message are in fact alien to the earliest tenents and beliefs of Nazarean followers of the Way. They arose by virtue of Paul's writings and under the influence of non-essene and non-Nazarean promoters of Roman culture and worldviews. Although the present New Testament is a product of these non-Nazarean promoters, within its pages can still be found some references to the original Nazarean Way exemplified by James the Lord's brother. Part of this Way involves serious personal work through spiritual disciplines:
"His [James'] position on 'works counted' or 'reckoned as Righteousness' is made clear in the letter attributed to his name and the riposte it contains to the Pauline position on Abraham's faith in Romans and Galatians."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
This is in direct contrast to Pauline Christianity which stresses "faith" over personal spiritual work:
"Paul developed "Abraham's 'Righteousness', being 'sons of God' through faith, and Jesus' being 'cursed by the Law' in Galatians 3-4. 'You keep special days and months and seasons and years', which he calls 'weak and beggarly' (Galatians 4:10-11)."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
Before the fall of the Jersualem Bishopric which Yeshua established in James the Righteous, spiritual disciplines and adherance to the Nazarean Way was the accepted norm:
The Letter of James was "written in Syria possibly around 100 C.E., it indicates the continuing importance of James of Jerusalem in terms of ethics and offices. It criticizes misinterpretations of Paul's teachings."
- John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, The Life of a Mediterranean Peasant (1991)
Included in the Nazarean Way is an emphasis on soul purity and accompaning rituals, such as daily Miqvah Immersion, which help focus the mind on this repentence proceedure:
"It is worth noting that at the time of his final Pentecost visit to Jerusalem, James imposed a similar purification procedure on Paul in the Temple. Here, in the words of Acts 21:21-24, Paul was publicly to exhibit that he was 'still walking in the Way and keeping the Law'."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
It was not long before a sluggard portion of the Nazarean Way rebelled against this serious spirituality and sought excuse to water down the "Program". Paul became another in a long line of promoters of the easy way as opposed to the true Essene Way of Yeshua. The following two quotes represent conjecture by modern authors as to possible historical references to Paul's deviance:
"According to the 'Habakkuk Commentary', the 'liar did not listen to the word received by the Teacher of Righteousness from the mouth of God'. Instead, he appealed to 'the unfaithful of the New Covenant in that they have not believed in the Covenant of God and have profaned His holy name'. The text states explicitly that 'the Liar...flouted the Law in the midst of their whole congregation'. He 'led many astray' and raised 'a congregation on deceit.' He himself is said to be 'pregnant with [works] of deceit.'"
"...Despite his exculpatory self-purification, Paul continues to inspire enmity in those 'zealous for the Law' - who, a few days later , attack him in the Temple."
- Baigent and Leigh, The Dead Sea Scrolls Deception
"In 60 C.E., when incoming procurator Festus indicated that he was willing to hand Paul over to the Sanhedrin for trial, Paul declared himself a Roman citizen and demanded trial before Nero."
"That Paul was not born a Roman citizen is certain. Most likely he was granted denization papers about 48 CE by Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, whom Paul converted to Christianity and whose name he thereafter adopted (Acts 13:6-12). Paul's prudence in concealing his Roman status for a decade was confirmed by the consequences of his enforced revelation. Jacob [James] had barely tolerated Paul to begin with. At the news that Paul had accepted citizenship from the hated occupying power, Jacob in effect excommunicated him. Envoys were sent from Jerusalem to convert all of Paul's Christian communities to Nazirite Judaism. All cooperation between the Nazirites and Paul's gentile followers ceased, and the way was open for a Christian (John Markos was a Nazirite) to write the Gospel of Mark (as it was later called), which all but repudiated Jesus' Jewishness."
- William Harwood, Mythologies Last Gods: Yahweh and Jesus
Qabbalah
Qabbalah is the esoteric tradition possessed by Nazarean and other Jewish mystics. It pertains to mysteries of creation, redemption and mystical exergesis of the written word. The Tree of Life, mentioned in Essene and Christian scriptures, is a Qabbalistic icon consisting of ten spheroids and 22 secret pathways. This Etz Chaim, or Tree of Life, represents a codified and living computer capable of contaning, analysing and revealing all the hidden aspects of humanities relationship with Deity. It is of immense value to those who become deeply initiated into the Nazarite Way.
According to tradition "...the Kabbalah was the fount of ancient wisdom that Moses passed down to elite disciples, an esoteric doctrine that only an elect can interpret."
- Gerry Rose ,"The Venetian Takeover of England and Its Creation of Freemasonry"
"To Jewish mystics, every letter in the Hebrew alphabet was a channel to the life force of God and possessed of sacred meaning. Hebrew numbers were also represented by letters so that names and words had numerical values. Finding associations of words with the same value revealed a complex series of hidden meanings beneath the text of the Torah, the book of law attributed to Moses. In fact, the entire Torah can be considered to be a single long word spelling out one of the names of God. The significance of the name of God goes back to ancient Egypt where knowing the name of a god allowed one to gain power over that god."
"The Qabalah may be defined as being the esoteric Jewish doctrine. It is called in Hebrew QBLH, Qabalah, which is derived from the root QBL, Qibel, meaning 'to receive'. This appellation refers to the custom of handing down the esoteric tradition by oral transmission, and is nearly allied to 'tradition'."
"The Qabalah was first taught by God himself to a select company of angels, who formed a theosophic school in Paradise. After the Fall the angels most graciously communicated this heavenly doctrine to the disobedient children of earth, they furnish the protoplasts with the means of returning to their pristine nobility and felicity. From Adam it passed over to Noah, and then to Abraham, the friend of God, who emigrated with it to Egypt, where the patriarch allowed a portion of this mysterious doctrine to ooze out. It was in this way that the Egyptians obtained some knowledge of it, and the other Eastern nations could introduce it into their philosophical systems. Moses, who was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt, was first initiated into the Qabalah in the land of his birth, but became most proficient in it during his wanderings in the wilderness, when he not only devoted to it the leisure hours of the whole forty years, but received lessons in it from one of the angels. By the aid of this mysterious science the law-giver was enabled to solve the difficulties which arose during his management of the Israelites, in spite of the pilgrimages, wars, and frequent miseries of the nation. He covertly laid down the principles of this secret doctrine in the first four books of the Pentateuch, but withheld them from Deuteronomy. Moses also initiated the seventy elders into the secrets of this doctrine, and they again transmitted them from hand to hand."
- McGregor Mathers, Introduction to The Kabbalah Unveiled
"In exactly the same way, when the true interpretation of the Law according to the command of God, divinely handed down to Moses, was revealed, it was called the Kabbalah, a word which is the same among the Hebrews as 'reception' among ourselves; for this reason, of course, that one man from another, by a sort of hereditary right, received that doctrine not through written records but through a regular succession of revelations....In these books principally resides, as Esdras with a clear voice justly declared, the spring of understanding, that is, the ineffable theology of the supersubstantial deity; the fountain of wisdom, that is, the exact metaphysic of the intellectual and angelic forms; and the stream of knowledge, that is, the most steadfast philosophy of natural things."
- Pico della Mirandola
"Each soul and spirit prior to its entering into this world, consists of a male and female united into one being. When it descends on this earth the two parts separate and animate two different bodies. At the time of marriage, the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows all souls and spirits, unites them again as they were before, and they again constitute one body and one soul, forming as it were the right and left of one individual."
- The Hebrew Zohar
"'And when They are conjoined together, They appear to be only one body.'
"Hence we learn that the Masculine, taken alone appeareth to be only half the body, so that all the mercies are half; and thus also is it with the Feminine.
"'But when They are joined together, the (two together) appear to form only one whole body. And it is so.'
"So also here. When the Male is joined with the Female, They both constitute one complete body, and all the Universe is in a state of happiness, because all things receive blessing from Their perfect body. And this is an Arcanum."
- The Kabbalah Unveiled
The Kabbalah "uncovers many of the infinite layers of the secrets of life, of Creation, of the soul, of the heavenly spheres.
It penetrates beyond the garments and the body of the Torah.
It is the very core and soul of Torah, the ultimate revelation of Divinity - exposing the inner meaning, effects and purpose of Torah and mitzvot.
The illumination emanating from the Kabbalah ignites the soul of man, setting it on fire in the awareness of a deeper and higher reality. Its study and insights are themselves mystical experiences.
The Kabbalah is all this - but always and exclusively within the context of Torah."
- "The Authenticity of Kabbalah"
"...The visionary nature of the Qumran corpus [Dead Sea Scrolls] is much under-estimated. Texts of this kind border of what goes in Judaism under the name of Kabbalah, and indeed it is difficult to see how there cannot have been some very direct relationship albeit an underground one."
- Robert Eisman and Michael Wise, The Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered
"Jewish mysticism began in Biblical days, long before the term Kabbalah was invented. By the first century it had become a proper subject for scholarly study. Philo Judaeus speculated on the Platonic idea of emanations as intermediaries between God and the physical world. The Roman philosopher Plotinus (205-270) traveled in the East and returned to combine Indian, Persian, Greek, and Jewish mystic theories into a systematic structure of these emanations."
- Harry Gersh, The Sacred Books of the Jews
According to Plotinus (205-270 AD), "there are stages in the soul's ladder of ascent. The first includes purification, the freezing of the soul from the body, and the practice of the cardinal virtues. In the second the soul rises above sense-perception to Nous through contemplation. A third and higher stage, already ineffable, leads to union with Nous. Finally there is the climax of the whole ascent in mystical and ecstatic union with the One."
- John Ferguson, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions
"The earliest documents (~100 - ~1000 A.D.) associated with Kabbalah describe the attempts of 'Merkabah' mystics to penetrate the seven halls (Hekaloth) of creation and reach the Merkabah (throne-chariot) of God. These mystics used the familiar methods of shamanism (fasting, repetitious chanting, prayer, posture) to induce trance states in which they literally fought their way past terrible seals and guards to reach an ecstatic state in which they 'saw God'."
- Colin Low, "cabalah.cln"
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Deep things of God - Revelation
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (New International Version)
9However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (King James Version)
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
9However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-11 (King James Version)
9But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
Judgment and Mercy Intro
The study materials provided at the bottom of this entry allow anyone to review the biblical mention of Judgment and Mercy by reading NIV and KJV verses containing the words, "judge", "mercy", judgment", and the both. Following the verses there is an article expressing advanced concepts of the Kabbalistic perspective on judgment and mercy. Although you may not fully understand the concepts expressed in Kabbalah I encourage (if it peaks your interest) to review the article in full because you will absorb whatever meaning and revelation your being is open to. I would suggest first reading the bible verses provided without applying any meaning to them, but only allowing them to enter your vessel and grow there. This is because, as Hebrews 4:12 expresses, "The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."
Furthermore, one can do this peacefully as it is written in Proverbs 3:3-7, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil." (As a side thought, verse 7 could possibly say, to be wise in thine own eyes is not to fear the Lord, but to be with evil.)
The mention of an "eye" reminds me of something Yeshua said in Matthew 6:22-23, "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!" How can we know if our eye is good? Think of what Yeshua said in Mark 10:18 (also refer to Matthew 19:17), "Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone."
So if our eye must be "good" in order to receive Light, but none of us (even Yeshua himself!) are good, and we are told not to lean on our own understanding - whose eye do we need in order to understand!? It must be God's alone. So in order to receive God's eye we must forget what we think we know (Proverbs 3) in our "own understanding", and remember that our idea of 'goodness' is not good. We must show reverance or "fear" toward the greatness of God, knowing only He can direct our path toward goodness. What is our own understanding? Could it be our thoughts? I add 2 Corinthians 10:5, "We demolish arguments and every pretension [an allegation of doubtful value] that sets itself up agains the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ". Does anyone else see the verse telling us to demolish our thoughts? Unless of course you think your thoughts are "good". Do you? Or shall we, as Psalm 46:10 reads, "be still and know that [He is] God". He then says, "I WILL be exalted among the nations. I WILL be exalted in the earth." Did that leave any question of what you must do in order for God to be exalted? Unless you see the stillness as a physical stillness where you plant your body in one place for countless hours? Is the stillness not an inner stillness? A quietude where we demolish our thoughts that we might get understanding?
Proverbs 4:5-7, "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding". We must study with a willingness to forget ourselves that we may have a good eye. I hope you see.
Now... what about judgment and mercy? Find study materials here: http://forhername.blogspot.com/2009/09/study-materials-judgment-mercy.html
Furthermore, one can do this peacefully as it is written in Proverbs 3:3-7, "Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about they neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: so shalt thou find favor and good understanding the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord and depart from evil." (As a side thought, verse 7 could possibly say, to be wise in thine own eyes is not to fear the Lord, but to be with evil.)
The mention of an "eye" reminds me of something Yeshua said in Matthew 6:22-23, "Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!" How can we know if our eye is good? Think of what Yeshua said in Mark 10:18 (also refer to Matthew 19:17), "Why do you call me good? No one is good - except God alone."
So if our eye must be "good" in order to receive Light, but none of us (even Yeshua himself!) are good, and we are told not to lean on our own understanding - whose eye do we need in order to understand!? It must be God's alone. So in order to receive God's eye we must forget what we think we know (Proverbs 3) in our "own understanding", and remember that our idea of 'goodness' is not good. We must show reverance or "fear" toward the greatness of God, knowing only He can direct our path toward goodness. What is our own understanding? Could it be our thoughts? I add 2 Corinthians 10:5, "We demolish arguments and every pretension [an allegation of doubtful value] that sets itself up agains the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ". Does anyone else see the verse telling us to demolish our thoughts? Unless of course you think your thoughts are "good". Do you? Or shall we, as Psalm 46:10 reads, "be still and know that [He is] God". He then says, "I WILL be exalted among the nations. I WILL be exalted in the earth." Did that leave any question of what you must do in order for God to be exalted? Unless you see the stillness as a physical stillness where you plant your body in one place for countless hours? Is the stillness not an inner stillness? A quietude where we demolish our thoughts that we might get understanding?
Proverbs 4:5-7, "Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding". We must study with a willingness to forget ourselves that we may have a good eye. I hope you see.
Now... what about judgment and mercy? Find study materials here: http://forhername.blogspot.com/2009/09/study-materials-judgment-mercy.html
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