The name YshV is extremely important in Messianic history. Three of the Meshiachot were named YshV -- Joshua bar Nun, Jeshua ha Cohen, and Jeshua ha Nazara. The name means literally "G-d's Salvation. Each of these three bore the incarnation of the Archangel in particular ways related to their name.
Joshua son of Nun was the Aide-de-Camp of Moses. Moses was denied the right to enter into the Chosen Land because of striking the rock twice. Aaron and Meryiam died before the Hebrew people arrived at the River Jordan. It was left to Joshua to finish the task of leading the people into the Chosen Land.
The Archangel had personally led the people for it says in Exodus 13:29 that the Column of Smoke and the Column of Fire first appeared at the City of Sukkoth. Also see Exodus 23:20. He led the people all the way through the 40 years until they reached the River Jordan, but at the River Jordan the Archangel's power and spirit descended into a new body, that of Joshua bar Nun. The first act of the Divine Presence and of the certainty that the Name rested upon Joshua was the crossing when the waters of the Jordan flowed backwards so the huge host could cross the River. At this time the Jordan flowed much deeper than now. The Archangel commanded that his Footstool would proceed him into the land that He had claimed among all the lands of Earth. Thus the Ark of the Covenant proceeded the Archangel Joshua into the Chosen Land. Joshua 3:11.
The Archangel Joshua understood that he must defeat the city of Jericho in order to be safe in the Land. Jericho is the oldest city on earth at 7,500 years of habitation and so it represented everything hateful to G-d who was a migrant with no fixed home. He commanded that the city come over to him, but when it would not the Archangel Joshua commanded that his Footstool be carried around the city again and again until finally the Divine Will destroyed the walls of the city and put it to the sword. Psalm 99:5; Psalm 110:1. Thus the Archangel Joshua was the Divine Will incarnate.
The Archangel Joshua then proceeded to capture the land of Cana'an and make it into the Holy Land of the Lord. Everywhere that he went the enemy fell for as G-d had promised He was with the Hebrews in the very person of the Archangel Joshua. Joshua 1:5.
The mighty Archangel was fighting the Amorite Kings at Gibeon and even the High Priest Adonizedek of Jerusalem was with them. The Amorite kings and their hosts were defeated not only by the forces under the Archangel Joshua but also he commanded that hailstones would fall from the sky (Joshua 10:11) and that the sun and moon would not move until he had completed his defeat of the cities of the Amorites. (Joshua 10:13). The Book of Joshua goes further when it says: "Never before or since was there a day like this, when YHVH obeyed the Voice of a Man; for YHVH fought for Israel." Joshua 10:14. The reason that the Sun and Moon stood still was in fact that YHVH was present in the Man Joshua with the fullness of His authority present in the Man for He was the Archangel of the Presence incarnated again.
Lastly, the Archangel Joshua made the Hebrew children into Israelites by circumcising them and commanding them to obey the Law of Moses. Joshua was truly G-d's Salvation for the Children of Israel were led on the Path to the Promised Land by the Archangel incarnate.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Messiahs: Melchizedek
Melchizedek, we are taught in the Hebrew Enoch (3 Enoch) ,was the nephew of Noach. He was born already two years in age in bodily stature. Shortly after his birth, he was taken back to heaven where he waited 1,000 years for his appearance on Earth. When he returned to Earth, this remarkable person, was already an adult in size and wisdom. He was the third incarnation of the Archangel of the Presence, alternately called Metatron or YHVH.
Melchizedek's name means Righteous King and in fact he was the Righteous King of Salem, the town that eventually became Jerusalem. He was also the High Priest of the G-d El known in Salem as Elyon, the Most High. Among his congregants was Abraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov, the biblical Patriarchs.
The Christian writing, the Epistle to the Hebrews, glorifies Melchizedek as the perfect High Priest, who was a antetype of the Messiah Yeshua, but the Nasoreans had a considerably more exalted view of this Priest-King. In the book called The Coming of Melchizedek (11Q13), the Nasoreans say that the provisions of Leviticus 25:13 proclaiming the year of Jubilee speaks of the remission of all claims against one's neighbor. They say that also means that G-d will remit his claims for sins against each of us. They claim that the passage so often spoken of in Isaiah 61:1 which promises a Jubilee to captives really refers to the return of Melchizedek "who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins." Isaiah calls the person who makes this proclamation, Messiah, and so we know that a Messiah will perform this act. The book goes on to say that Messiah Melchizedek will establish a righteous kingdom on earth quoting Psalm 82 where it says: "YHVH will arise in the Council of the Elohim; in the midst of the Angelic Council he holds judgment." Again the Psalms say: "Over it, YHVH, take your seat in the Highest Heaven; YHVH will judge the peoples." Psalm 7:7-8. It is clear from the book that Melchizedek and YHVH are equated as being the same person. The book describes Melchizedek as a warring angel prosecuting vengeance against the rebel angels and freeing the captives of Satan, herein called Belial, from his grasp.
The book further says that Isaiah 52:7 applies to Melchizedek's return in which the Angel of G-d will proclaim peace, bring good news, announce salvation, and say to Zion that in his return YHVH reigns on Earth.
The Nasoreans had another book referring to the Messiah Melchizedek. It is called the Messianic Apocryphon (4Q521). This book says of Melchizedek: "the heavens and the earth will listen to His Messiah, and none therein will stray from the commandments of the Angels. Seekers of the Lord, strengthen yourselves in His service! All you hopeful in (your) heart, will you find the Lord in this? For the Lord will consider the Hasidim and call the Tzaddikkim by name. Over the Ebion His Spirit will hover and will renew the faithful with His Power. And he will glorify the pious on the Throne of the Eternal Kingdom. He will liberate the Captives, restore Sight to the Blind, straighten the crippled... He will heal the wounded, and revive the dead and bring good news to the poor." Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scolls, pg. 391-392.
So we see that Melchizedek who came from no where and returned to no where, with no father and no mother, was in fact the incarnation of the Archangel Metatron. When Yeshua went into the desert after the death of John the Baptist, the Archangel Gavriel spoke to him and convinced him that he was the Priest-King Melchizedek returned and that he would do these things. One half of the Nasoreans believed in his message and the other half followed the successors of John the Baptist into exile in Mesopotamia where they still are and are called the Mandaeans.
Melchizedek's name means Righteous King and in fact he was the Righteous King of Salem, the town that eventually became Jerusalem. He was also the High Priest of the G-d El known in Salem as Elyon, the Most High. Among his congregants was Abraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov, the biblical Patriarchs.
The Christian writing, the Epistle to the Hebrews, glorifies Melchizedek as the perfect High Priest, who was a antetype of the Messiah Yeshua, but the Nasoreans had a considerably more exalted view of this Priest-King. In the book called The Coming of Melchizedek (11Q13), the Nasoreans say that the provisions of Leviticus 25:13 proclaiming the year of Jubilee speaks of the remission of all claims against one's neighbor. They say that also means that G-d will remit his claims for sins against each of us. They claim that the passage so often spoken of in Isaiah 61:1 which promises a Jubilee to captives really refers to the return of Melchizedek "who will return them to what is rightfully theirs. He will proclaim to them the Jubilee, thereby releasing them from the debt of all their sins." Isaiah calls the person who makes this proclamation, Messiah, and so we know that a Messiah will perform this act. The book goes on to say that Messiah Melchizedek will establish a righteous kingdom on earth quoting Psalm 82 where it says: "YHVH will arise in the Council of the Elohim; in the midst of the Angelic Council he holds judgment." Again the Psalms say: "Over it, YHVH, take your seat in the Highest Heaven; YHVH will judge the peoples." Psalm 7:7-8. It is clear from the book that Melchizedek and YHVH are equated as being the same person. The book describes Melchizedek as a warring angel prosecuting vengeance against the rebel angels and freeing the captives of Satan, herein called Belial, from his grasp.
The book further says that Isaiah 52:7 applies to Melchizedek's return in which the Angel of G-d will proclaim peace, bring good news, announce salvation, and say to Zion that in his return YHVH reigns on Earth.
The Nasoreans had another book referring to the Messiah Melchizedek. It is called the Messianic Apocryphon (4Q521). This book says of Melchizedek: "the heavens and the earth will listen to His Messiah, and none therein will stray from the commandments of the Angels. Seekers of the Lord, strengthen yourselves in His service! All you hopeful in (your) heart, will you find the Lord in this? For the Lord will consider the Hasidim and call the Tzaddikkim by name. Over the Ebion His Spirit will hover and will renew the faithful with His Power. And he will glorify the pious on the Throne of the Eternal Kingdom. He will liberate the Captives, restore Sight to the Blind, straighten the crippled... He will heal the wounded, and revive the dead and bring good news to the poor." Vermes, The Complete Dead Sea Scolls, pg. 391-392.
So we see that Melchizedek who came from no where and returned to no where, with no father and no mother, was in fact the incarnation of the Archangel Metatron. When Yeshua went into the desert after the death of John the Baptist, the Archangel Gavriel spoke to him and convinced him that he was the Priest-King Melchizedek returned and that he would do these things. One half of the Nasoreans believed in his message and the other half followed the successors of John the Baptist into exile in Mesopotamia where they still are and are called the Mandaeans.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Messiahs: Noach
Noah was born 334 years after Enoch. He was Enoch's great-grandson. We are told in the first book of Enoch that the Archangel warned Enoch that the world would be destroyed in a flood. He therefore forewarned his great grandson of this event sometime before he was translated.
Noah was chosen to be the savior of the human race. He was a Tzaddik according to the Hebrew scriptures. Genesis 6:9. Now the Tzaddikkim are by their nature the conduits of the Light on Earth, but he was chosen specifically to be a public tzaddik and to do a specific mission. As a result, it was important that Noach have sons to carry on the human race. A Tzaddik by his nature has many sons and Noah had three: Ham, Shem and Japheth.
The Ark of Noah is symbolic of the salvation that he provided. He did not literally save everyone on Earth as there is no physical way that water can cover the earth to the depth of five miles which would be required to cover the earth as the Hebrew scriptures say. What happened was a tsunami so great that it covered all the inhabited lands around the fertile crescent. It took over forty days for the waters to recede, so great was this wave. The Ark had three decks: representative of the natures of the G-dhead. The first deck represented the Holy Spirit. The second deck represented the Archangel of the Presence, the True Son of G-d. The third and highest deck represented the True G-d, El. The Ark had an opening for the descent of Light in its top which is symbolic of Kether, the Crown, which represents the Archangel. It is through this hole that Light descends to Earth along the Tree of Life. The Ark had a door in its side for the admission of the animals. This door is symbolic of the Sefirah Chesed or Mercy for it was by the Mercy of G-d that mankind was saved. The Ark was covered with pitch which was symbolic of the grace of the mikveh which protects us from the stain of sin. Noah was the captain of the ship which is symbolic of the nature of the Tzaddikkim who are the captains of our salvation on earth.
Noah is the father of modern humans. After the flood, there were no more homo neanderthalis on earth, only cro-magnon man was left.
The Archangels, the sons of the Archangel of the Presence, that is, Michael, Raphael, Gavriel, Uriel, Hallel, Baalzebul, and Ashmodai, made a covenant with Noah after the flood. The scripture specifically says that the covenant was with the Elohim or G-ds who are the Archangels. The symbol of this covenant is said to be the Rainbow. The Rainbow is made up of seven primary color sections which Newton named as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. How could this Tzaddik make a covenant with the Angelic Council led by the Archangel of the Presence? The Angelic Council made this covenant with Noah as the incarnation of the Archangel, the second in number, thus they were really making the covenant with Enoch-Metatron-YHVH who was embodied in Noah. This covenant guarantees that the Angelic Council which brought the flood through their interaction with the earth would not use this method of destruction again.
The Zohar tells us that those born of the side of Metatron will have seven incarnations and Noah was the second incarnation of the Archangel on Earth, the one just after Enoch.
The whole issue of why the flood took place is set forth in Genesis 6 but is further expanded in the First Book of Enoch. The 200 rebel angels had taught technology to the children of man. With the rise of technology came the rise of cities. Urban life is despised by the earliest writers because it brought a decrease in the law of hospitality which was the essence of giving or good. The Angelic Council called this technological life depraved. How to strike a balance between technology and urban life and the ideals of loving our neighbor as ourselves is the problem of becoming holy. It is the constant battle of learning to help others without intruding in their lives that presents the most difficult challenges in urban life. Noah learned how to do that, but we must learn to do it now in a world far more depraved than the one in which Noah lived.
Noah was chosen to be the savior of the human race. He was a Tzaddik according to the Hebrew scriptures. Genesis 6:9. Now the Tzaddikkim are by their nature the conduits of the Light on Earth, but he was chosen specifically to be a public tzaddik and to do a specific mission. As a result, it was important that Noach have sons to carry on the human race. A Tzaddik by his nature has many sons and Noah had three: Ham, Shem and Japheth.
The Ark of Noah is symbolic of the salvation that he provided. He did not literally save everyone on Earth as there is no physical way that water can cover the earth to the depth of five miles which would be required to cover the earth as the Hebrew scriptures say. What happened was a tsunami so great that it covered all the inhabited lands around the fertile crescent. It took over forty days for the waters to recede, so great was this wave. The Ark had three decks: representative of the natures of the G-dhead. The first deck represented the Holy Spirit. The second deck represented the Archangel of the Presence, the True Son of G-d. The third and highest deck represented the True G-d, El. The Ark had an opening for the descent of Light in its top which is symbolic of Kether, the Crown, which represents the Archangel. It is through this hole that Light descends to Earth along the Tree of Life. The Ark had a door in its side for the admission of the animals. This door is symbolic of the Sefirah Chesed or Mercy for it was by the Mercy of G-d that mankind was saved. The Ark was covered with pitch which was symbolic of the grace of the mikveh which protects us from the stain of sin. Noah was the captain of the ship which is symbolic of the nature of the Tzaddikkim who are the captains of our salvation on earth.
Noah is the father of modern humans. After the flood, there were no more homo neanderthalis on earth, only cro-magnon man was left.
The Archangels, the sons of the Archangel of the Presence, that is, Michael, Raphael, Gavriel, Uriel, Hallel, Baalzebul, and Ashmodai, made a covenant with Noah after the flood. The scripture specifically says that the covenant was with the Elohim or G-ds who are the Archangels. The symbol of this covenant is said to be the Rainbow. The Rainbow is made up of seven primary color sections which Newton named as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. How could this Tzaddik make a covenant with the Angelic Council led by the Archangel of the Presence? The Angelic Council made this covenant with Noah as the incarnation of the Archangel, the second in number, thus they were really making the covenant with Enoch-Metatron-YHVH who was embodied in Noah. This covenant guarantees that the Angelic Council which brought the flood through their interaction with the earth would not use this method of destruction again.
The Zohar tells us that those born of the side of Metatron will have seven incarnations and Noah was the second incarnation of the Archangel on Earth, the one just after Enoch.
The whole issue of why the flood took place is set forth in Genesis 6 but is further expanded in the First Book of Enoch. The 200 rebel angels had taught technology to the children of man. With the rise of technology came the rise of cities. Urban life is despised by the earliest writers because it brought a decrease in the law of hospitality which was the essence of giving or good. The Angelic Council called this technological life depraved. How to strike a balance between technology and urban life and the ideals of loving our neighbor as ourselves is the problem of becoming holy. It is the constant battle of learning to help others without intruding in their lives that presents the most difficult challenges in urban life. Noah learned how to do that, but we must learn to do it now in a world far more depraved than the one in which Noah lived.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Messiahs: Enoch
The word Meshiach or in English, Messiah, means anointed. In ancient times, the High Priest and the King were anointed with oil and that act consecrated them to the YHVH. However, when people use the term Messiah, they do not mean a consecrated person; they mean a savior who seems divine in the use of the gifts that he or she has received. In this blog, I want to talk about some persons we know for sure were Messiahs.
Genesis describes the first Messiah in these words: "When Jared was one hundred and sixty two years old, he became the father of Enoch.... When Enoch was sixty-five years old he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch lived three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enoch was three hundred and sixty five years. Then Enoch walked with G-d and he was no longer here for G-d took him." 5:18,21-23. It is the Messiah Enoch that becomes the central ancient figure of the Essenes, far above Moses, and he is the source of their inspiration. Because the Nasorean Sect which eventually became the Jerusalem Church came from the Essenes, it is only reasonable to assume that Enoch had a great influence on the original followers of Jesus.
Rabbi Morris B. Margolies in his book A Gathering of Angels says:
The angel Metatron plays a very important role in the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, and, especially, the Zohar, masterwork of the Kabbalah. In the Hebrew Book of Enoch, Enoch becomes Metatron as soon as he, Enoch, is translated live into heaven. In that work, Enoch describes the transformation of his earthly body into a fiery flame.
Shortly after Enoch-Metatron's arrival in heaven he is assigned one of the central roles within the gathering of angels. His tasks are varied: he ministers to the Throne of Glory where G-d Himself is ensconced; he is the High Priest of the heavenly Temple; he is in charge of the guardian angels assigned to the metaphorical "seventy peoples of the world"; he is the minister of wisdom who also holds the keys to the mysteries of all matters divine....
Ironically, in a later Zoharic work, the Tikkunei Zohar, Metatron is identified as the biblical "tree of knowledge of good and bad." There the idea is developed that in Metatron are combined both human and angelic perfection. This unique situation renders Metatron supremely qualified to mediate between the human and divine...." pg. 81-82.
Thus we learn that Enoch-Metatron is the Archangel of the Presence. Now Exodus describes this Archangel in the following way: "See, I am sending an Angel before you, to guard you on the Way and bring you to the Place I have prepared. Be attentive to Him and heed His Voice. Do not rebel against Him, for He will not forgive your sin. My Name resides in Him." Exodus 23:20-21. We know that the Name is the very power of G-d. Thus this Archangel, part Man and part Angel, is the Viceroy of G-d in this Multiverse with the full power of G-d Himself. We learn that he can forgive sins. He has a Voice that we can hear. Very literally, Enoch was the Son of the Most High, a Savior of Mankind, the living Tree of Good and Evil. When it says in scripture, G-d's hand did this, G-d's wrath went out, G-d did anything, it really means that Enoch-Metatron did it. Now, Zohar goes further. It tells us that Enoch-Metatron is in fact YHVH.
This truth clarifies a number of great problems that the Judaeo-Christian-Muslim theology have had to deal with. First, G-d is not here. He is elsewhere. He has a Viceroy. That Viceroy has the fullness of authority upon him. He can forgive and he can exalt. G-d who is infinite spirit has a viceroy that acts in this Multiverse, who is not all powerful, not all good, not all knowing, but He is One, the G-d of the Hebrews. Evil exists because the world is not yet perfected. Evil exists because we have the wrong definition of life and of evil.
Enoch united the spark of the Divine with Humanity. Humanity needs is to give. The Archangel must be a giver. He provides the Divine Light to this Multiverse through his Mediatorial role. As the unique Son of the Most High, He represents the fullness of the Divine on Earth. He has been incarnated seven times. In the case of one of the additional Messiahs, the last, He Enoch-Metatron, the Archangel of the Presence, deigned to produce in a normal way. He descended and overshadowed a young woman named Merriam and they had a child and his name embodies the Highest of Ideals, YHVH Saves, Yeshua. He literally was Emmanuel, for the Divine Nature was again incarnated into a Man of extraordinary Holiness.
I will continue this series of blogs with the remaining six Messiahs over the next few days.
Genesis describes the first Messiah in these words: "When Jared was one hundred and sixty two years old, he became the father of Enoch.... When Enoch was sixty-five years old he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch lived three hundred years after the birth of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. The whole lifetime of Enoch was three hundred and sixty five years. Then Enoch walked with G-d and he was no longer here for G-d took him." 5:18,21-23. It is the Messiah Enoch that becomes the central ancient figure of the Essenes, far above Moses, and he is the source of their inspiration. Because the Nasorean Sect which eventually became the Jerusalem Church came from the Essenes, it is only reasonable to assume that Enoch had a great influence on the original followers of Jesus.
Rabbi Morris B. Margolies in his book A Gathering of Angels says:
The angel Metatron plays a very important role in the Pseudepigrapha, the Talmud, and, especially, the Zohar, masterwork of the Kabbalah. In the Hebrew Book of Enoch, Enoch becomes Metatron as soon as he, Enoch, is translated live into heaven. In that work, Enoch describes the transformation of his earthly body into a fiery flame.
Shortly after Enoch-Metatron's arrival in heaven he is assigned one of the central roles within the gathering of angels. His tasks are varied: he ministers to the Throne of Glory where G-d Himself is ensconced; he is the High Priest of the heavenly Temple; he is in charge of the guardian angels assigned to the metaphorical "seventy peoples of the world"; he is the minister of wisdom who also holds the keys to the mysteries of all matters divine....
Ironically, in a later Zoharic work, the Tikkunei Zohar, Metatron is identified as the biblical "tree of knowledge of good and bad." There the idea is developed that in Metatron are combined both human and angelic perfection. This unique situation renders Metatron supremely qualified to mediate between the human and divine...." pg. 81-82.
Thus we learn that Enoch-Metatron is the Archangel of the Presence. Now Exodus describes this Archangel in the following way: "See, I am sending an Angel before you, to guard you on the Way and bring you to the Place I have prepared. Be attentive to Him and heed His Voice. Do not rebel against Him, for He will not forgive your sin. My Name resides in Him." Exodus 23:20-21. We know that the Name is the very power of G-d. Thus this Archangel, part Man and part Angel, is the Viceroy of G-d in this Multiverse with the full power of G-d Himself. We learn that he can forgive sins. He has a Voice that we can hear. Very literally, Enoch was the Son of the Most High, a Savior of Mankind, the living Tree of Good and Evil. When it says in scripture, G-d's hand did this, G-d's wrath went out, G-d did anything, it really means that Enoch-Metatron did it. Now, Zohar goes further. It tells us that Enoch-Metatron is in fact YHVH.
This truth clarifies a number of great problems that the Judaeo-Christian-Muslim theology have had to deal with. First, G-d is not here. He is elsewhere. He has a Viceroy. That Viceroy has the fullness of authority upon him. He can forgive and he can exalt. G-d who is infinite spirit has a viceroy that acts in this Multiverse, who is not all powerful, not all good, not all knowing, but He is One, the G-d of the Hebrews. Evil exists because the world is not yet perfected. Evil exists because we have the wrong definition of life and of evil.
Enoch united the spark of the Divine with Humanity. Humanity needs is to give. The Archangel must be a giver. He provides the Divine Light to this Multiverse through his Mediatorial role. As the unique Son of the Most High, He represents the fullness of the Divine on Earth. He has been incarnated seven times. In the case of one of the additional Messiahs, the last, He Enoch-Metatron, the Archangel of the Presence, deigned to produce in a normal way. He descended and overshadowed a young woman named Merriam and they had a child and his name embodies the Highest of Ideals, YHVH Saves, Yeshua. He literally was Emmanuel, for the Divine Nature was again incarnated into a Man of extraordinary Holiness.
I will continue this series of blogs with the remaining six Messiahs over the next few days.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
So What About Jesus/Yeshua?
The Demiurge of the Greeks, the Ancient of Days and the Archangel of the Presence of the Jews, is a unique being among men and angels. When El sent forth the One Ray of Light from which everything we have in this universe, all the energy and all the matter, was formed, El created a being at the moment of the Universal Conception called Adam Kadmon, or the Primeval Man. He is the head of the first Universe called Atziluth, the Universe of Pure Thought. The Zohar creation story then tells us that El and Adam Kadmon created all that is in the first Universe and then Adam Kadmon precessed into the Second Universe called Briyah, Creation. In that universe, He became the Ancient of Days and he created the Archangels Michael, Gavriel, Raphael, Uriel/Ariel, Ashmodai, Ba'alzebul, and Hallel who were perfectly balanced on the fulcrum of Uriel/Ariel. Three and one half Archangels were givers and three and one half Archangels were receivers and so the universe which exists to give and to take was balanced. At this point, the Ancient of Days and the Archangels in all their glory precess to Yetzirah, the Third Universe of Formation. Here all the gods of old, the elementals, were created. Here the souls of man were created. Here the myriad of angelic choirs were created. In this universe, Adam Kadmon, the Ancient of Days, was called the Archangel Metatron and YHVH.
The creation of man was conceived as a method by which YHVH could regain perfection, be freed from the grossness of the Third Universe and ascend again to unite with El. He endowed man with free will and immortality. By limiting his earthly life, YHVH hoped to impel man to quickly find his Divine Nature and therefore be ready for his return to the Universe of Formation. They YHVH and the Archangels created Assiyah, the Universe of Being, our universe.
The first words of Gensis begin: B'resheit, bara elohim hashemayim v'et haaretz. That passage is has an alternate translation. B means From when added to the word after it. Resheit means literally the head from which we get Beginning. Bara means created. Elohim is literally the G-ds. Hashemayim is the Heavens and Haaretz is the Terra Firma we live on. Thus, one possible translation is: From the Head meaning from Metatron, the gods created the heavens and the earth. The gods are the Archangels for it says in Psalm 82, YHVH rises in the Divine Council, gives judgment in the midst of the gods. Once we know this alternative translation, we see that Zohar is correct. YHVH who is the Archangel Metatron, the Archangel of the Presence, along with the Archangels, who are his children, created the Heavens and Earth for man and gave man dominion over it.
We are told in Genesis that in the seventh generation from Adam, a man who was named from birth for his uniqueness was born. His name Initiated or Enoch. He walked on this earth for 365 years and then ascended into Heaven where he provided a body that was holy and allowed Metatron to take on physical form. That being, Enoch-Metatron decided to come to Earth to see the nature of man six more times. The second was Noach, the third Melchizedek, the fourth Yoshua son of Nun, the fifth Solomon the King, the sixth Yeshua the High Priest in the time of Zerubbabel, and the last time, Yeshua the Nasorean, son of Mary and Enoch, the Archangel.
Yeshua was proclaimed by the Angels to be the Son of El Elyon. In reality, he was the most perfect son of El Elyon, having both the spirit of YHVH and the flesh of Mary and his father, Enoch, the son of El Elyon. He was told by an angel after John's death that he was in fact the long awaited Melchizedek returned. He truly was King of Jerusalem and High Priest of El Elyon. When he ascended, he again held the High Priesthood and acted again as the only mediator between El and the Multiverse we live in.
It is a true statement that is made in Deuteronomy: Hear O Yisrael, YHVH, our G-d, YHVH is one. YHVH is not the true G-d. He is one as well; his name is El Elyon or El Shaddai. But YHVH is the most powerful being in the multiverse. He is the First One and will be the Last One. He is the Father of all, gods, angels, demons, elementals, ghosts, man, animals, plants, all that lives. He knows more, wants the good more, seeks the Light more, gives the Light more, and is the only G-d of the Hebrews. It is henotheistic statement which does not deny the existence of other G-ds, but proclaims his supremacy over them. And he is one. His spirit one. His flesh is seven, but his spirit is one.
So what about Jesus/Yeshua? He is not G-d, but just as Exodus 23:20 warns that you should not blaspheme him, he likewise will not forgive your sins if you deny him.
The creation of man was conceived as a method by which YHVH could regain perfection, be freed from the grossness of the Third Universe and ascend again to unite with El. He endowed man with free will and immortality. By limiting his earthly life, YHVH hoped to impel man to quickly find his Divine Nature and therefore be ready for his return to the Universe of Formation. They YHVH and the Archangels created Assiyah, the Universe of Being, our universe.
The first words of Gensis begin: B'resheit, bara elohim hashemayim v'et haaretz. That passage is has an alternate translation. B means From when added to the word after it. Resheit means literally the head from which we get Beginning. Bara means created. Elohim is literally the G-ds. Hashemayim is the Heavens and Haaretz is the Terra Firma we live on. Thus, one possible translation is: From the Head meaning from Metatron, the gods created the heavens and the earth. The gods are the Archangels for it says in Psalm 82, YHVH rises in the Divine Council, gives judgment in the midst of the gods. Once we know this alternative translation, we see that Zohar is correct. YHVH who is the Archangel Metatron, the Archangel of the Presence, along with the Archangels, who are his children, created the Heavens and Earth for man and gave man dominion over it.
We are told in Genesis that in the seventh generation from Adam, a man who was named from birth for his uniqueness was born. His name Initiated or Enoch. He walked on this earth for 365 years and then ascended into Heaven where he provided a body that was holy and allowed Metatron to take on physical form. That being, Enoch-Metatron decided to come to Earth to see the nature of man six more times. The second was Noach, the third Melchizedek, the fourth Yoshua son of Nun, the fifth Solomon the King, the sixth Yeshua the High Priest in the time of Zerubbabel, and the last time, Yeshua the Nasorean, son of Mary and Enoch, the Archangel.
Yeshua was proclaimed by the Angels to be the Son of El Elyon. In reality, he was the most perfect son of El Elyon, having both the spirit of YHVH and the flesh of Mary and his father, Enoch, the son of El Elyon. He was told by an angel after John's death that he was in fact the long awaited Melchizedek returned. He truly was King of Jerusalem and High Priest of El Elyon. When he ascended, he again held the High Priesthood and acted again as the only mediator between El and the Multiverse we live in.
It is a true statement that is made in Deuteronomy: Hear O Yisrael, YHVH, our G-d, YHVH is one. YHVH is not the true G-d. He is one as well; his name is El Elyon or El Shaddai. But YHVH is the most powerful being in the multiverse. He is the First One and will be the Last One. He is the Father of all, gods, angels, demons, elementals, ghosts, man, animals, plants, all that lives. He knows more, wants the good more, seeks the Light more, gives the Light more, and is the only G-d of the Hebrews. It is henotheistic statement which does not deny the existence of other G-ds, but proclaims his supremacy over them. And he is one. His spirit one. His flesh is seven, but his spirit is one.
So what about Jesus/Yeshua? He is not G-d, but just as Exodus 23:20 warns that you should not blaspheme him, he likewise will not forgive your sins if you deny him.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The High G-d El
Now that we have discussed authority, we need to discuss the concept of G-d and what that means. It was St. Thomas Aquinas who first began to designate the attributes of G-dhood. He said that G-d must be omnipotent, that is, all powerful; omniscient, that is, all knowing; and omnibenevolent, that is, all good. Does the Scriptures, that is, any of the scriptures, ever say that G-d is all these things? I think not. In fact, the G-d of scripture seems to have limits to his power, his knowledge, and his goodness. Perhaps the Scripture, archaeology, and mysticism can provide an answer to this problem.
There are beings in the world with great power. They have been given names by each culture. As we progressed in our religious teachings, some of these beings have been amalgamated into our religions in other forms. These beings are called elementals. An elemental is a preternatural being, with immense power, who was created by the True G-d and the Archangel of the Presence at the time when the souls of all sentient beings and the angels were created. They are immortal and although they can be "killed" it takes much to eradicate them. In the past some of these elementals have been given great names and called gods. Some with lesser powers have been called water nymphs, air sprites, salamanders, and fairies or brownies or leprechauns. They are aligned to the four elements: water, fire, earth, and air.
The Canaanite religion believed that there was a father god, the Creator. He was called El and given the titles Elyon, the Highest, and Shaddai, the Almighty. He had children and among his children were a god called Yahweh, another called Ba'al, and another called Ashirah. According to Genesis, Abraham worshiped a god named El. See Genesis 14:18. Exodus 6:2 makes the matter clearer; it says, "And the Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, I am YHVH; I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai and not by my name, YHVH did I reveal Myself." The scholars talk about four writers of the Torah: the Yahwist, the Elohist, the Priestly Source, and the Deuteronomist. It is clear from this passage that the Elohist was the earliest layer of the Torah. In rewriting the book of Exodus, the writer has to explain why he is using the name YHVH instead of El. Perhaps, the rather disingenuous attempt to gloss over this problem is too obvious. The G-d of Abraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov was not YHVH. Therefore, all those things which have been attributed to YHVH are now up for grabs. Nonetheless, all of scriptural history is dependent upon understanding the relationship between El and YHVH. The archaeologists call the act of putting the attributes of El on YHVH, conflation. I think that implies something that is foreign to the scripture. The problem of El and YHVH can be solved differently and in many ways it satisfies the reason of man better.
The First Commandment in the Exodus version (Exodus 20) says: There shall not be for you any other gods besides me. The passage neither denies the existence of other gods nor gives a reason for this exclusivity. It merely says that this G-d brought the children of Israel out of bondage and therefore they should worship him alone. Now this god also in Exodus (23:20) introduces an Angel who has the Power of G-d. So, now we know that there is a G-d named YHVH, a G-d named El Shaddai, and an Angel with the Power of G-d. As late as the time of David, we still see this problem for it says in Psalm 82:1: El stands in the company of the gods, in the midst of the gods he judges. Clearly, the Great G-d is not YHVH, but El, who is called the Almighty and the Highest. Abraham did not worship YHVH, but El. So, the claim by YHVH through his prophet Mosheh, that he is the true G-d perhaps raises some doubts.
YHVH is shown to have emotions, limitations, and errors. He forgives and is wrathful. He builds and destroys. He shows that he is not perfect. But without doubt, he is powerful. So, what does that leave us.
Is it relevant that we do not worship the Great G-d, but rather his Son, YHVH? Is it important that YHVH might well be the Angel that leads the children of Israel? That Angel has the name of G-d on him, that is, he acts as G-d even though he is more like a prime minister.
The Kabbalah, specifically the Zohar, seems to answer the question. In the Zohar, we are introduced to the Ain Soph Aur, the Endless Light. This being is the source of all Light in the multiverses. He cooperates with another being called variously Adam Kadmon, The Ancient of Days, and the Archangel Metatron to create the visible and invisible universes that we live in. This Ain Soph Aur is above us and not apart of us and separated from us. He corresponds well to Newton's concept of G-d who is outside of the Universe and not a part of it. In the cosmology of Zohar, the Universe is governed by a council, much like the one in Psalms 82. The Council is led by YHVH whom the Zohar eventually reveals is the same as Metatron. He created with Ain Soph Aur the members of the Council and he governs them still. The other members of this Council are unnamed. Although the Zohar seems to limit them to nine other Archangels, there is no reason to believe that the other so-called gods are not a part of this council.
The Jewish sect called the Nasoreans, of which Yeshua was a member, believed in this Great God and in this somewhat lesser God who had all the authority of the Great God. They called him Yeshua, but they believed he was the reincarnation of Melchizedek who himself was the reincarnation of Enoch. That belief was widespread in the early Christian church as well and was enunciated by Arius of Alexandria and supported by a majority of the Bishops of the world including Eusebius of Caesaria, upon whom we are so dependent for early church history.
The idea of a Great God and his Lesser God, called the Demiurge, was well accepted among the Greeks as well and apparently Philo tried to explain standard Jewish doctrine to them in his writings.
Are we still bound by the political decision of King David which elevated YHVH to the Supreme God and ignored El? I think not. Both exist, both are powerful, both are worthy of adoration, but Truth is more important than anything else. It is time to rehabilitate El and recognize Him as the True G-d, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
There are beings in the world with great power. They have been given names by each culture. As we progressed in our religious teachings, some of these beings have been amalgamated into our religions in other forms. These beings are called elementals. An elemental is a preternatural being, with immense power, who was created by the True G-d and the Archangel of the Presence at the time when the souls of all sentient beings and the angels were created. They are immortal and although they can be "killed" it takes much to eradicate them. In the past some of these elementals have been given great names and called gods. Some with lesser powers have been called water nymphs, air sprites, salamanders, and fairies or brownies or leprechauns. They are aligned to the four elements: water, fire, earth, and air.
The Canaanite religion believed that there was a father god, the Creator. He was called El and given the titles Elyon, the Highest, and Shaddai, the Almighty. He had children and among his children were a god called Yahweh, another called Ba'al, and another called Ashirah. According to Genesis, Abraham worshiped a god named El. See Genesis 14:18. Exodus 6:2 makes the matter clearer; it says, "And the Elohim spoke to Mosheh and said to him, I am YHVH; I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El Shaddai and not by my name, YHVH did I reveal Myself." The scholars talk about four writers of the Torah: the Yahwist, the Elohist, the Priestly Source, and the Deuteronomist. It is clear from this passage that the Elohist was the earliest layer of the Torah. In rewriting the book of Exodus, the writer has to explain why he is using the name YHVH instead of El. Perhaps, the rather disingenuous attempt to gloss over this problem is too obvious. The G-d of Abraham, Yitzak, and Ya'akov was not YHVH. Therefore, all those things which have been attributed to YHVH are now up for grabs. Nonetheless, all of scriptural history is dependent upon understanding the relationship between El and YHVH. The archaeologists call the act of putting the attributes of El on YHVH, conflation. I think that implies something that is foreign to the scripture. The problem of El and YHVH can be solved differently and in many ways it satisfies the reason of man better.
The First Commandment in the Exodus version (Exodus 20) says: There shall not be for you any other gods besides me. The passage neither denies the existence of other gods nor gives a reason for this exclusivity. It merely says that this G-d brought the children of Israel out of bondage and therefore they should worship him alone. Now this god also in Exodus (23:20) introduces an Angel who has the Power of G-d. So, now we know that there is a G-d named YHVH, a G-d named El Shaddai, and an Angel with the Power of G-d. As late as the time of David, we still see this problem for it says in Psalm 82:1: El stands in the company of the gods, in the midst of the gods he judges. Clearly, the Great G-d is not YHVH, but El, who is called the Almighty and the Highest. Abraham did not worship YHVH, but El. So, the claim by YHVH through his prophet Mosheh, that he is the true G-d perhaps raises some doubts.
YHVH is shown to have emotions, limitations, and errors. He forgives and is wrathful. He builds and destroys. He shows that he is not perfect. But without doubt, he is powerful. So, what does that leave us.
Is it relevant that we do not worship the Great G-d, but rather his Son, YHVH? Is it important that YHVH might well be the Angel that leads the children of Israel? That Angel has the name of G-d on him, that is, he acts as G-d even though he is more like a prime minister.
The Kabbalah, specifically the Zohar, seems to answer the question. In the Zohar, we are introduced to the Ain Soph Aur, the Endless Light. This being is the source of all Light in the multiverses. He cooperates with another being called variously Adam Kadmon, The Ancient of Days, and the Archangel Metatron to create the visible and invisible universes that we live in. This Ain Soph Aur is above us and not apart of us and separated from us. He corresponds well to Newton's concept of G-d who is outside of the Universe and not a part of it. In the cosmology of Zohar, the Universe is governed by a council, much like the one in Psalms 82. The Council is led by YHVH whom the Zohar eventually reveals is the same as Metatron. He created with Ain Soph Aur the members of the Council and he governs them still. The other members of this Council are unnamed. Although the Zohar seems to limit them to nine other Archangels, there is no reason to believe that the other so-called gods are not a part of this council.
The Jewish sect called the Nasoreans, of which Yeshua was a member, believed in this Great God and in this somewhat lesser God who had all the authority of the Great God. They called him Yeshua, but they believed he was the reincarnation of Melchizedek who himself was the reincarnation of Enoch. That belief was widespread in the early Christian church as well and was enunciated by Arius of Alexandria and supported by a majority of the Bishops of the world including Eusebius of Caesaria, upon whom we are so dependent for early church history.
The idea of a Great God and his Lesser God, called the Demiurge, was well accepted among the Greeks as well and apparently Philo tried to explain standard Jewish doctrine to them in his writings.
Are we still bound by the political decision of King David which elevated YHVH to the Supreme God and ignored El? I think not. Both exist, both are powerful, both are worthy of adoration, but Truth is more important than anything else. It is time to rehabilitate El and recognize Him as the True G-d, the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sola Scriptura
The Protestant response to apostolic succession, which was discussed in my last blog, was a claim that they would use Scripture Alone as their authority. Let us look at this flawed claim to authority.
The Dead Sea Scrolls include three different texts of books that eventually were canonized into the so-called Old Testament. The three texts include one that is very much like the Septuagint Greek version of scripture translated in Alexandria and used by the Greek speaking world and Yeshua and his disciples. Another text seems to be from the scriptural tradition which culminated in the Masoretic text proclaimed at Yavneh by the Pharisees in the last decade of the first century of the Christian Era. The third text is not reflected in the modern textual history. All three were common in the time of Yeshua and theoretically, he could have been aware of them.
If the Essene Theologians of the Nasorean Movement had been putting the Old Testament together, they would have included 1 Enoch, Jubilees, perhaps 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch, and certainly the Coming of Melchizedek and the Messianic Apocryphon. Their Old Testament would no doubt have included the Wisdom of Solomon, which is in the Apocrypha and in the Septuagint text. But, it is hard to imagine that the Maccabees would have made it in and it is doubtful that Judith would have made it in. Esther would have been out and Daniel would have been redacted.
The Septuagint included six books that are not in the Masoretic text and they include changes and additions to Esther and Daniel. All scriptural passages quoted by Yeshua come from this textual tradition.
The Pharisees set the Masoretic Text which is the Protestant Canon.
The Nasorean Sect, that is, the Jerusalem Church rejected all Pauline works and Mark, Luke and John. They would not have accepted Acts either. But, they probably would have included Thomas and may be the Gospel of Mary. Almost certainly, the Nasorean Sect would have include Didache, which was considered scripture by the Eastern church for five centuries. Eusebius questions James, Jude, and Revelations. Luther also questioned James.
So, how do we decide which Scripture is authoritative. The question is inspiration. Now, if one adopts the position that all scripture is an infallible statement that should be accepted literally, most modern people will not find scripture authoritative. However, if one looks at scripture as the Jews do, then there are four levels of understanding, each adding something to our final comprehension of the text. These levels are Pashat, the literal meaning; Remez, the figurative meaing; Drosh, the contextual understanding; and Sod, the hidden meaning. All together these meanings tell us the divine meaning, but any one alone is not sufficient to understand the text. How can rational people accept the claim that a flood covering the whole world was caused by raining? Such a claim denies the fact that rain comes from evaporation of water and the resulting distribution of the water on land. There is a finite amount of water. It cannot cover all the land. How can rational people accept the claim that technology is bad and a hunter gatherer lifestyle is better? How can rational people accept the command by G-d through Samuel to genocide? Surely, these statements are not to be taken literally. I have been inspired in writing, but although I knew at the time that I was writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, my mind was engaged, my prejudices were engaged, my thoughts were engaged.
Not only are there problems with which books are inspired and how we are to interpret the words of scripture, we have the problem of translations. Every translation is a political and doctrinal statement. Muslims forbid the translation of the Koran without the Arabic at the side of the translation. The same should be the law for translating the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts that became the English translation. Is it the translation that is inspired or the original? St. Jerome argued that the Septuagint was a divinely inspired translation from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek, but there are many places in which the received Masoretic text and the underlying Hebrew text from which the Septuagint was taken disagree and come to different conclusions. Which text is inspired? Which text do we follow?
Ultimately, placing the decisions of authority directly on the backs of the believer is dangerous because most believers do not have the skills to read the original text, nor the inquisitiveness to seek other opinions on translation from Hebrew, a very lax language when it comes to accuracy in speech. The believer is taken away by his feelings, her emotions, there desire to make the text fit their needs.
Scripture without tradition is not reliable any more than politicians who became bishops. Where then do we find authority? The answer is unpalatable to many. In order to be authoritative in the Western tradition, one must be both a scripture scholar with knowledge of the original texts and languages and one must be a prophet with all the signs and wonders that surround a true prophet. In every age, there are people like this, but they remain hidden, silent. The Jewish faith teaches that they are the hidden pillars that uphold the universe and allow the Light to enter through our worldwide misapprehensions and lies. They are called Tzadikkim. There are never more than 36 nor less than 10 at any time. They are the appointed witnesses in every age of the truth of G-d.
The Dead Sea Scrolls include three different texts of books that eventually were canonized into the so-called Old Testament. The three texts include one that is very much like the Septuagint Greek version of scripture translated in Alexandria and used by the Greek speaking world and Yeshua and his disciples. Another text seems to be from the scriptural tradition which culminated in the Masoretic text proclaimed at Yavneh by the Pharisees in the last decade of the first century of the Christian Era. The third text is not reflected in the modern textual history. All three were common in the time of Yeshua and theoretically, he could have been aware of them.
If the Essene Theologians of the Nasorean Movement had been putting the Old Testament together, they would have included 1 Enoch, Jubilees, perhaps 2 Enoch and 3 Enoch, and certainly the Coming of Melchizedek and the Messianic Apocryphon. Their Old Testament would no doubt have included the Wisdom of Solomon, which is in the Apocrypha and in the Septuagint text. But, it is hard to imagine that the Maccabees would have made it in and it is doubtful that Judith would have made it in. Esther would have been out and Daniel would have been redacted.
The Septuagint included six books that are not in the Masoretic text and they include changes and additions to Esther and Daniel. All scriptural passages quoted by Yeshua come from this textual tradition.
The Pharisees set the Masoretic Text which is the Protestant Canon.
The Nasorean Sect, that is, the Jerusalem Church rejected all Pauline works and Mark, Luke and John. They would not have accepted Acts either. But, they probably would have included Thomas and may be the Gospel of Mary. Almost certainly, the Nasorean Sect would have include Didache, which was considered scripture by the Eastern church for five centuries. Eusebius questions James, Jude, and Revelations. Luther also questioned James.
So, how do we decide which Scripture is authoritative. The question is inspiration. Now, if one adopts the position that all scripture is an infallible statement that should be accepted literally, most modern people will not find scripture authoritative. However, if one looks at scripture as the Jews do, then there are four levels of understanding, each adding something to our final comprehension of the text. These levels are Pashat, the literal meaning; Remez, the figurative meaing; Drosh, the contextual understanding; and Sod, the hidden meaning. All together these meanings tell us the divine meaning, but any one alone is not sufficient to understand the text. How can rational people accept the claim that a flood covering the whole world was caused by raining? Such a claim denies the fact that rain comes from evaporation of water and the resulting distribution of the water on land. There is a finite amount of water. It cannot cover all the land. How can rational people accept the claim that technology is bad and a hunter gatherer lifestyle is better? How can rational people accept the command by G-d through Samuel to genocide? Surely, these statements are not to be taken literally. I have been inspired in writing, but although I knew at the time that I was writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, my mind was engaged, my prejudices were engaged, my thoughts were engaged.
Not only are there problems with which books are inspired and how we are to interpret the words of scripture, we have the problem of translations. Every translation is a political and doctrinal statement. Muslims forbid the translation of the Koran without the Arabic at the side of the translation. The same should be the law for translating the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts that became the English translation. Is it the translation that is inspired or the original? St. Jerome argued that the Septuagint was a divinely inspired translation from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek, but there are many places in which the received Masoretic text and the underlying Hebrew text from which the Septuagint was taken disagree and come to different conclusions. Which text is inspired? Which text do we follow?
Ultimately, placing the decisions of authority directly on the backs of the believer is dangerous because most believers do not have the skills to read the original text, nor the inquisitiveness to seek other opinions on translation from Hebrew, a very lax language when it comes to accuracy in speech. The believer is taken away by his feelings, her emotions, there desire to make the text fit their needs.
Scripture without tradition is not reliable any more than politicians who became bishops. Where then do we find authority? The answer is unpalatable to many. In order to be authoritative in the Western tradition, one must be both a scripture scholar with knowledge of the original texts and languages and one must be a prophet with all the signs and wonders that surround a true prophet. In every age, there are people like this, but they remain hidden, silent. The Jewish faith teaches that they are the hidden pillars that uphold the universe and allow the Light to enter through our worldwide misapprehensions and lies. They are called Tzadikkim. There are never more than 36 nor less than 10 at any time. They are the appointed witnesses in every age of the truth of G-d.
Monday, October 12, 2009
It's All About Authority
I begin this blog by talking about authority. All religions make claims based upon authority and ultimately the person who speaks has to establish his authority to speak. I claim the authority to speak because I believe I have been called to a High Mountain to speak to the King of the Universes and he has given me an honest and unique perspective on religion in general and spirituality.
Zoroaster established his authority with the King of Persia by demonstrating miracles. Likewise, Moses showed forth magic and miracle to support his claim to speak for YHVH. Jesus likewise supported his claims to authority by signs and wonders. In fact, the Prophet must prove himself and he is proven by both what he says and what signs follow him. The early followers of Jesus, whom I will refer to throughout this blog as Yeshua, must have shown forth those signs. Luke records in Acts 3 the story of Peter healing the beggar at the Beautiful Gate. Likewise Paul cast out demons and performed miraculous acts to certify his authority. By the late Apostolic period, that is at the turn of the first century, the Markan Longer Ending says at Mark 16:17 that certain signs would accompany the believer. The signs that follow the believer are often considered miraculous as well.
By the end of the second century of the Christian Era, Tertullian talks about authority in this way: he says that apostolic authority devolves upon the episcopate directly from the Apostles, who are the official witnesses of Yeshua's life and ministry. In order to know that a person is a true bishop or "episkopus" in Greek, he must have three signs: traditio, communio, and potestas in Latin, that is, the Bishop must be in the Tradition of the Apostles, must have Communion by the laying of hands in a perpetual chain, and And AND, potestas, that is power, signs or miracles to prove him.
Christianity today and Judaism today make claims of authority. Let us look at Judaism first to see if they meet the requirements of authority. First, Judaism today claims that the Rabbim were given authority directly from Moses when he appointed the Sanhedrin. There is no indication that the seventy that were appointed by Moses formed an ongoing institution that continued from the time of Moses until the appearance of the Sanhedrin again in the late third century before the Christian Era. Second, the Rabbim do not perform the acts and signs of Moses so as to claim that he is their source. Third, they are not the hereditary priesthood appointed by Moses through his brother Aaron. Fourth, the Rabbim have not continued the institution of sacrifice which gave legitimacy to the entire Temple system. In fact, Rabbinism began with Rabbi Akiva and has no connection whatsoever to the Torahic institutions established by Moses. The Rabbim have even chosen to change whole sections of the Torah just as was prophesied by the Book of Daniel when the Rabbim began their pharisaical heresy, that is, they have changed the times and seasons on which the great feasts and fasts where to be done. They have even gone further an added feasts and fasts like Purim, Chanukkah, and the Fast of Av to commemorate the destruction of the Temple.
The Christians claim to authority is just as false. The Christian systems which are episcopal in government claim descent from the Apostles and yet while there is unquestioned communion back to the earliest apostolic times, there is no unity of tradition, and there is no power. No Christian bishop today is chosen because of his close adherence to biblical doctrine but rather his orthodoxy is decided by the accumulated errors of the ages. Lastly, no Bishop is ordained because of his signs, that is, the power to heal, to multiply, to raise the dead, to exorcise demons, and to speak prophesy. So what they say has no authority whatsoever.
There is a completely different source for authority besides Apostolic Succession. In Ephesians, the writer says: "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of G-d, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Meshiach Yeshua himself as the capstone. " 2:19-20. Thus, there is a prophetic succession. Each apostle witnessed the life and teachings of Yeshua and passed those down to others. However, the Prophet is the servant of the Holy Spirit and in accordance with transmission from Elijah to Elisha it is known that Prophets can confer their authority on others. Some few in the world to day are prophets and some in the past separate from the apostolic succession have been true prophets and have passed on their authority. Those successions must be judged by the criteria set forth by Tertullian and this blog will not further comment on them.
It is appropriate to declare my authority. It is hard for the reader to judge the truth of a person's witness over the Internet and so it may be difficult for you to decide that I have authority to speak from my High Mountain. And, of course, the gospel says that even Yeshua was taken to the High Mountain by HaShaitan, Satan. Nonetheless, I will set forth my authority to speak.
First, a prophet must have a message. I have a message. First, I proclaim the necessity to recover the roots of our faith in the First Century, roots that will be found in the traditions and work of the Dead Sea Scroll community. I call myself as Nasorean and Yeshua likewise was called as Nasorean, so we are Nasoreans. I am a Torah observant Jew, but I am not a Rabbinical. Second, I believe that the Most High wants all of us to become Saints. The Holy Spirit gave me a message (112 pages long) on how to become saintly, called "Climbing Jacob's Ladder: A Lay Guide to Holiness".
Second, a prophet must tradition. I am a firmly in the Jewish tradition although I believe that Yeshua ha Meshiach had a vital role to play in salvation history. I am a Nasorean and am based in the scriptures found in the caves at the Dead Sea.
Third, a prophet must have power as proof of his message. I am a well known exorcist in Kansas City and beyond. I speak in tongues. I have raised the dead. I often lay hands for healing of the sick and see miraculous results. I have picked up snakes and not been harmed and have drank poison and lived. Lastly and most important, I have received messages about the future and about scripture which have been validated.
Fourth, I have followed the Path of Holiness as outlined in the Prophesy mentioned above and led others on that Path. I am now a Tzaddik and I led others to saintliness before they went to heaven.
Based upon these statements, I claim authority to speak and will not again mention my authority.
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