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SACRED
TEXTS
TWO
PATHS... physical and spiritual
| " For to be carnally minded
is death; |
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but
to be spiritually minded is life and peace." |
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Romans
8:6 |
When the world made its transition
from the "Era of Abraham" into the "Era
of Isaac" two thousand years ago, the people found themselves
at a crossroads, taxed to make a choice between the physical
path they were already on or the spiritual path that was being
revealed to them (as had been revealed to their ancestors fifteen
hundred years earlier). They would chose the physical path, choosing
the carnal law over the spiritual law, choosing flesh over spirit,
bondage over freedom, death over life.
As the world enters the third
and final "Era of Jacob" or Era of Spirit
we stand at yet another crossroads, being taxed once again to
make a choice. Will we continue to choose literal interpretation
of our Sacred Texts over spiritual interpretation?
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"The Holy Spirit
this signifying, that the way into the holist of all was not
yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:
Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered
both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the
service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience...
Which stood only in
meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances,
imposed on them until the time of reformation." Hebrews
9:8-10
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Will we continue to choose to
give the carnal sacrifices of mind-body disciplines rather than
the spiritual sacrifice of the heart? The carnal sacrifices of
ritualistic practices rather than the heart discipline advocated
by the world's greatest ascended masters? Will we choose
the physical path that brings death? Or the spiritual path that
brings life and peace?
The Torah of the Tanakh shows us two paths...
The book of Genesis provides
an overview of the spiritual path, the book of Exodus detailing
the children of Israel's journey through the wilderness and
up the mount, symbolizing man's spiritual journey
and spiritual ascension. But the children of Israel never
ascended the mount, leaving the spiritual path in favor of the
physical path, choosing the bondage of a physical law, which
was to end at the passing of Moses, which brings us to the end
of Deuteronomy, and to the end of the Torah.
The Neviim of the Tanakh shows us two paths...
It begins with the book
of Joshua, with the passover at Jordan, where the children pass
over into the promised land, eating no more of the manna,
but of the old corn, symbolizing their transition from
carnal to spiritual. The children of Israel had
started on the spiritual path, battling the seven inhabitants
of the promised land, illustrating a spiritual battle by which
we take possession of a spiritual promised land.
But they would soon divert
to the physical path, making marriages with the inhabitants of
that land, which God had commanded them not to do, going back
under the bondage of the physical law as these seven nations
that they were to drive out symbolize the spiritual enemies
that keep us from being free. The book of Judges sets forth
the spiritual judgment that would have brought them freedom,
but they would not hearken to their judges, rejecting the voice
of God, which spoke through His anointed one... through Samuel.
They chose instead to have a physical king rule over them, becoming
like the very nations they were to remain separate from. The
Old Testament's "Kings" and "Chronicles"
names these kings and chronicles their acts.
It would be King David,
anointed by Samuel, that would come to turn the heart of the
children back to God, putting them back on the spiritual path
that their patriarchal fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph,
had followed. But the power and influence of these righteous
kings would soon be usurped by kings that "walked not
in the footsteps of David."
Yet God's hand was outstretched
still, sending His prophets, who prophesied of the destruction
that would come if they continued in their spiritual disobedience.
But they would not hearken to their prophets, stoning them by
their refusal to change... to revert to the spiritual path by
keeping the spiritual law of God.
The Neviim ends with
these words:
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Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming
of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn
the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the
children to their fathers, lest I smite the earth with a curse."
Malachi 4:5,6 |
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Elijah has already returned,
not once, but twice |
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revealed
to us through the story of Elijah and the juniper tree |
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THE
BIBLE DECODED; "Zion" ... pgs. 100-102 |
The Holy Qur'an shows us two paths. It establishes
quite clearly the error of the children of Israel, yet the Qur'an
takes its followers down the same physical path, the laws of
the Qur'an no different from the laborious laws of the Old Testament.
Muhammad (c. 570-632), founder of Islam, was said to have experienced
a vision of the archangel Gabriel in a cave outside Mecca, whose
Arabic meaning reveals its symbolism. Muhammed pondered
questions raised in his mind as he listened to Jews and Christians
expound on their religious views in the marketplace. Proclaimed
a prophet by the archangel Gabriel, he continued to receive revelations,
which would have no doubt stood in opposition to those beliefs
held by Jews and Christians alike, whose religious beliefs by
this time (c. 610) were far removed from Jesus'spiritual doctrine,
which was buried by 460AD.
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As it was
with Moses and Jesus, the spiritual teachings given to Muhammad
would give way to a multitude of laws |
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imposed because
of the civil unrest that results from spiritual disobedience...
from hearts infected with disbelief! |
In the process of time,
like every religion before it, true Islam (based on the unadulterated
revelations of Muhammad, which put one on the spiritual path)
gave way to a lesser Islam, which governs its followers with
physical laws. The Holy Qur'an, like the Holy Bible, contains
the spiritual path, which leads to purification of the heart.
It too has been preserved in the language and symbolism of the
Holy Text, waiting to be revealed to anyone that has the desire
to unearth it, allowing the follower to set aside the time consuming
physical works of mind-body disciplines to perform the spiritual
works that purify and perfect the heart!
The Book of Mormon shows us two paths. It
is another testament of Jesus Christ, and to the disobedience
of the children of Israel. Like the Bible, its spiritual truth
is encoded in the symbolism contained in its stories, which are
strikingly similar to those of the Bible. Joseph Smith, on the
evening of September 21st, 1823, experienced a vision of a messenger
named Moroni, who told him that he had a work to do. He told
Joseph that there was a book deposited, written upon metal plates,
giving an account of the former inhabitants of this continent,
and the source from whence they sprang, and that the fullness
of the everlasting Gospel was contained in it. He also told Joseph
of two stones in silver bows, which fastened to the breastplate,
constituted what is called the Urim and the Thummim,
deposited with the plates; and that the possession and use of
these stones were what constituted Seers in ancient or former
times; and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating
the book.
The Book of Mormon is
to be translated by the one possessing the two stones: the Urim
and the Thummin, whose meanings reveal their symbolism:
Urim, from the original Hebrew, meaning
lights, the oracular brilliancy of the figures in the high-priests
breastplate. The word oracular meaning oracle, transmitter of
prophecies at such a shrine, from the Latin word: oraculum,
meaning to speak.
Thummim, from the original Hebrew, meaning
perfections, i.e. one of the epithets of the objects in the high-priests
breastplate as an emblem of complete truth.
The Urim and
Thummin represent "The Spirit of Truth."
The Book of
Mormon has yet to be examined for its deepest spiritual meaning.
It is still to this day being used primarily to advocate the
physical path.
Article
written by Sandra L. Butler ~ Copyright 2000
Author; The Bible Decoded: breaking the ancient code
The Little Book for the soul: an ancient healing process
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