SYMBOLISM CONTAINED IN BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE

SYMBOLISM CONTAINED IN BIBLICAL SCRIPTURE

We begin this article with a very short scripture quote from the Bible:

"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants ..."

~Galatians 4:24 

Right here were are told in plain simple terms, that the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, is an allegory. It is metaphorical. Myth ... with a hidden deeper meaning, rather than being primarily a physical, historical, and literal event. Science and biology tell us 90 years old women cannot have babies. This is a story of symbolic value. It isn't commentary, it is saying to us directly that it is allegorical. There is symbolism in this myth that is intended for discovery by those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. Keep in mind that the modern definition of myth does not suit the etymology of the word. A myth (Greek: mythos) is a surface story that is passed along and is usually intended to teach a deeper lesson, it is Truth, veiled by a story intended to deliver a stealth message to those white eyes to see and ears to hear. 

This goes hand-in-hand with us being told in scripture NOT to take the letter literally (scripture/hand written letter) by reminding us to NOT be a Minister of the letter. The Bible communicates to us in Parables, Proverbs, Allegories, and Dark Sayings. Modern day Archaeologists from the University of Tel Aviv have even told us the Bible stories are meant to be symbolic and allegorical. For example, the captivity in Egypt is a metaphor for our own dark ego animal based mind. "Aigyptos" in Greek meant "dark place." It was a symbol of darkness and base nature man. 

The Exodus, was also allegorically symbolic. Leaving the darkness (Egypt) and entering the Promised Land (Is-Ra-El) and Jerusalem (yeru-shalom) the place of peace. Again, a spiritual event that takes place within us as we transmute from base nature to Divine. Generations have searched for the literal places in the Bible but to no avail. Either they were built and named in honour of the symbolism, or they simply did not exist. The Ten Commandments (the negative commandments) were derived directly from King Hammurabi's Code. A list of negative commandments of things NOT to do that preceded the Hebrews by hundreds of years. These codes are on display in the British Museum. 

Joshua of the Old Testament, the one who conquered Israel, is the same story as Jesus of the New Testament. The very name itself is the same. Joshua from the Hebrew, and Jesus from the Greek, are "Yehoshua, Yeshu, Yeshua" literally a word composed of Hebrew aleph-bet (alphabet) symbols that mean "God is Saviour." There was wandering in the desert for 40 years in the OT, there was a flood of 40 days and 40 nights in the OT, Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days in the NT ... this is symbolism to present deeper esoteric teachings. Forty weeks is the gestation period of a human being (9 months). From conception, to birth ... marking a new person with new beginnings. A "born again" time frame. Everything is symbolic. 

Even top officials from Universities in Israel today will tell us the Bible stories and the history of the Hebrews are not just literal historical events. Joshua could not have knocked down the walls of Jericho because Jericho didn't exist at that time. Jesus could not have been "of Nazareth" because there was no Nazareth at that time (it meant Nazarene). Camels were not domesticated at that time. So if so many of these stories were never intended to be taken literally and historically, then what happened? the what do they mean on a deeper level? There must be something beyond the surface story. These secret Truths were taught to initiates into the Mystery Schools of old. And by taking these stories to be only literal, it has wreaked havoc all over the world for centuries. War and violence, degradation of women, child abuse, lies and deceptions, and a total misunderstanding and mistranslation of the true nature of life, and ourselves as being the Light of the world. 

The Bible characters, locations, stories, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, raising of the dead, ascension, transfiguration, crossing of the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai, all allegory. All meant as metaphor by the writers. All Myth ... "Mythos." Joseph Campbell put it wisely when he described "myth" as "something that never was, yet always is." We must go beyond the names, places, and events ... deep between the black and white letter, and find the pearl of great price. The Truth, that lies in waiting ... for Revelation - to be revealed, uncovered, unhidden. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life.

Just a thought ... 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

MYTH AND THE TRUTH CONTAINED WITHIN

MYTH AND THE TRUTH CONTAINED WITHIN

It has been said that “Myths are things that never happened but always are.” This quote is attributed to the 4th century Roman historian and mystic Sallustius. It describes the allegorical nature of Mythology and suggests that they contain behind their often fairy tale and fantastical nature, hidden Truths and higher meanings. 

Two quotes from the brilliant Joseph Campbell:

“All religions are true but none are literal.” 

― Joseph Campbell

“Myth is much more important and true than history. History is just journalism and you know how reliable that is.” 

― Joseph Campbell

The Bible is a message system ... a collection of myths, allegories, and metaphors containing deeper meanings that what lies at the surface. Scripture is abundantly filled with these hidden meanings presented in each chapter and verse. This was the design at its inception, by its original writers. Mystical meanings were hidden in the text, in the names, in the geography, in the nationalities, and in the stories ... for a purpose and for a deeper message. 

Take the names in the genealogy of Adam to Noah, and you will have a summary of the intended message ... in it's esoteric form. Designed, premeditated, intentional, and meant  for us to find ... when we earnestly look for it.

For example, when discovering the root meanings of each genealogical name written in Genesis (in the original Hebrew), and then put in order ... you will find this revelation:

Adam – Man

Seth – Appointed

Enosh – Mortal

Kenan – Sorrow

Mahalalel – The blessed God

Jared – Shall come down

Enoch – Teaching

Methuselah – His death shall bring

Lamech – Despair

Noah – Comfort and rest

Now, put those meanings into a complete sentence and you get: 

"Man appointed mortal sorrow, the blessed God shall come down teaching. His death shall bring despair comfort and rest."

The ancient Hebrews, and many other civilizations before them, used symbols to code their meanings. This was for many reasons. One of the simplest reasons was to separate an exoteric (outward) message for the masses, and an esoteric (inward) message for the initiates into the mysteries. 

When studying ancient spiritual scripture and writings, the original language(s) is paramount for understanding the intent and for translating property the apocalyptic (revealing what was hidden) style of the writers. There were no movies, books, or Internet back then as a means of entertainment. People told stories, and passed them down by word of mouth. It was ok to change things ... if it provided the listener with a deeper meaning or teaching. This was mythos (myth).

In a sense, Myths are stories that talk about the higher things and the more profound subject matters. They deal with the important issues that deal with God, cosmic origins, ultimate conclusions, purpose and destiny. They derive from humankind’s quest to answer the big questions concerning the nature of the Divine, the nature of reality, the human condition, consciousness, higher powers and our relationship to those higher powers. They deal with the meaning of Life.

Always look beyond the letter of the law. As it states for us in 2 Corinthians 3:6:

"... who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament (new covenant); not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth Life."

Look for, meditate on, contemplate, and research within for the meanings behind the written story. Look between the black and white ... read between the lines. Divine Spirit will speak to you from within ... that still small voice. You'll know what vibrates the Truth, and what illusion is presented by it's disharmony. 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM

PAGAN AND CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM 

Early mankind's first "Saviour" was the sun. This glowing orb in the sky above was clearly the "Giver of Life." As belief systems grew, mankind eventually established the early stages of what would later become Christianity, or teachings of the Krestiani. Among early Gnostic and Essene traditions, these teachings were originally about something much deeper than they are today ... something that lay beyond, and beneath the surface stories. By taking these stories as only literal, modern day Christianity has renamed, revised, and re-written these ancient symbols and metaphors to suit their an entirely different agenda. Stay with me. There is much to explain. 

In the outward and literal Biblical story, Jesus has taken the place of a sun god of old, and literally became the "Light of the World." Biblical references to light and darkness now make perfect sense, when we look within the layers for the deeper message. “Jesus walking on water,” for example, symbolizes when the sun light is reflecting off the surface of water. We are not dismissing the Jesus narrative, just looking deeper into the symbolism and the allegorical interpretations ... the place where much Truth and symbolism can be found. 

From an an ancient Astrotheology view, the literal/outward story of Jesus mimics the story of the sun’s travels across the sky and through the Zodiac. The twelve disciples represent the 12 signs of the zodiac, or 12 months of the year. His story is the story of this annual precessional. Jesus is the Sun (in the center of the Zodiac circle) and the 12 houses/signs/disciples accompany him everywhere he goes. 

The actual word “Jesus” comes from the Greek "Iēsous," the Ancient Greek form of the Hebrew and Aramaic name Yeshua or Y'shua (Hebrew: ישוע) (Joshua in English). “Iesous” is adapted from the name of the Greek goddess of recuperation from illness - healing. Iesos/Iaso, was the daughter of Apollo, the Sun-deity. It is important to note that the English letter "J" was not in use until after 1600CE. Before that, a "Y" and an "I" were used in its stead. The original King James Bible refers to Jesus as “Iesus” and his father as “Ioseph.” No letter "J" to be found until later re-prints. 

Moving on symbolically, "Sunday" was set aside in the Mithra (Roman) cult as its official day to worship its Sun-deity. Instead of Saturday (Saturn-day), the sabbath or day of rest ... Roman Emperor Constantine legislated Sun-day to now be the day of rest and dedicated it to the Greek and Roman Sun-god, Helios. Constantine worshipped Christos Helios as well as Mithra. ”Christos Helios" in the Greek (Χρήστος ήλιος) means “Christ-The-True-Sun.” Ultimately, the Roman Catholic Church (Holy Roman Universal Church) chose Sun-day as its sabbath, and Protestantism then adopted it. The Greek word for "Universal" is "katholikos." 

More symbolism can be found here: Obelisks, spires, steeples, and church towers; all come from the pagan worship practices of Babylon and Egypt called sun-pillars. An obelisk or sun-pillar still stands at the entrance of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. These objects represent the masculine (Father/God) symbol penetrating the feminine (Mother/Goddess) to bring forth the child from the womb of the universe. So it is with the Egyptian Ankh (a cross symbol) ... representing the intersection of Spirit/Matter, and the masculine penetrating the female womb of the universe as a means of creation. Symbolism can be found everywhere in Vatican City, if you know where to look and how to identify it. 

The Winter Solstice (Christmas-time) is the actual "reason for the season." The solstice is a metaphor for the sun’s birth, death, and resurrection. The sun appears to die as it reaches its lowest point in the winter sky, remaining motionless for three days. The sun is then resurrected, or born again, as it begins to slowly rise. And then the annual cycle begins once again. Bringing renewal, and a soon to be life-giving harvest of food once again. 

Everything in modern day Christianity has it's roots in the Ancient Wisdom of the Pagan world. These beliefs were brought into the formation of Christianity in Rome in order to bring more of the pagan believers into Constantine's new universal religion of Rome, officially launched at the First Council of Nicea in 325CE. Further, many ancient religions had also a triune god. Solar triune gods represented the three stages of the Life of the Sun, and lunar triune goddesses represented the three phases or Life of the moon. The Sun is the masculine energy, the moon is the receptive feminine energy receiving her light from the sun.

The Christian Trinity is as a solar triune: one, the young son at sunrise (God the son); two, adult at noon (God the Father, the most high); and three, dying when the sun sets at day’s end (The Holy Ghost/Spirit). Three different aspects, but one god - the SUN. The reason that only four gospels were chosen in the official canon is because they represent the four seasons. Remember also, there are deep esoteric symbols to be found. The mythology goes far back in time. 

As another example of symbolism, and in the realm of the metaphysical, the Kingdom of God represents the right hemisphere of your brain. You can activate it by doing what Jesus said in John 21:6 by “casting your net to the right side”. Our right brain is where our limitless potentiality, creativity, and imagination are found. It is also EAST. The Sun of God rises in the east (East-er). Most churches and temples among the ancients faced east. When early Christians prayed, they prayed to the east. The sun “sets” in the west. It figuratively dies each nightfall. Among other ancient figures was “Set” the evil twin. Every night, he would kill the sun … hence SUNSET. Horus represented the sky during the daytime, while Set represented the night-time sky. Set was also the basis for the development of Satan later in Hebrew lore, and ultimately Christianity's Devil. 

When talking about myth, symbols, and ancient philosophy, there is always one question that people will always ask: Who designed the designer? Who created God? Since all gods and holy books are man-made, it is man who is this designer. God is Spirit, and writes no books here in a physical world of form. "Sun Worship" was more about an esoteric understanding that there was a higher power behind and beyond (meta) the sun and all it's glory and Life giving energy. Very early man believed that the night sky was a veil, and that the stars were piercings in the veil that let the light of God shine through even in the darkness. The unreachable God far beyond any manifestation here in this world. 

Today, there are billions of people who believe in Jesus as God, so the Christian populous says he must be God. However, belief doesn’t make something true. Many believed the earth was flat. It is clearly not. Modern science and reason have been able to explain what would have been unexplainable to primitive man. If you were able to travel back in time with a cigarette lighter, mankind would've made you a some type of god as well. There were nature gods, weather gods, gods for everything. Jesus represents something far more esoteric and symbolic. In many ways, HIStory, is also OURstory. But in a spiritual way.

There is plenty to be found in ancient scripture to confirm my words. When we take this collective document as merely literal and historical content, it holds much less value than it does when you read between the lines ... the stories beneath and beyond the ink and paper. Many of the events didn't happened in the way that we've been told. They are meant to be collective metaphors and allegories of a much more spiritual nature. These stories were never intended by their writers to be only taken literally. Symbolism was used to conceal the inner Truths contained within the stories. 

What about the Ten Commandments you say? I say which ones? The Protestant, Catholic or Hebrew? They'll all different. Check and you'll see this to be true. In fact, they were all extracted from King Hammurabi's Laws (the negative commandments) during the times that the Hebrews lived among Babylonian rule. There are also two different sets of commandments. The Roman Catholic Church deleted the second Commandment and changed God's Sabbath to Sunday, and then split the tenth Commandment into two to get back to Ten Commandments in total. 

The wandering in the desert for 40 years, the crossing of the Red (Reed) Sea, the floating Ark of Noah, the walking on water, stilling the seas, resurrecting from the dead, etc. These stories are all spiritual allegories explained using surface stories and parables to deliver a deeper message for those with eyes to see, and ears to hear. There were Outer Mysteries (assumed literal events) presented to the masses of followers, and there were Inner Mysteries (Truth behind the spiritual nature of the stories) revealed to those who were inspired to go deeper into the text. 

Only a few initiates were privy to the Inner Mysteries. Even still today, the Vatican holds many mysteries that the general public will never be told. Rather than releasing the Truth to the people and possibly recovering the ancient spiritual pre-Roman Christian/Krestian teachings to the people, and empowering them through the spiritual strength that they teach, they choose to hide the Inner Mysteries and continue the secrecy that has taken thousands of years to build. Reveal the Truth, and the world would be empowered immediately. Positive change would be the result, and mankind's Saviour, would be the Truth of who and what they really are. "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free." 

Just a thought ... 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ORIGINS OF THE FLOOD STORIES

ORIGINS OF THE FLOOD STORIES 

Flood stories are found in every civilization across the globe, and there is much confusion connected with their meaning. Was it a real flood? Was it really worldwide? Was it a story with w deeper Truth contained beneath the surface story? They often refer to giants or ancient humanities, Divine incarnations which point extremely far back in time ... back to pre-history.

Throughout the area of Egypt/Kemet, in ancient times the Nile Delta became flooded. It was a great tragedy that happened every year. This great flood would come and wash away the Eyptian world. The people of these times called these waters "The Waters of Chaos," due simply to the fact that the flooding was horrible, and highly destructive. 

But, they also brought new Life. Because without The Waters of Chaos returning on an annual basis, the deserts would be totally dry and nothing would ever grow. Obviously, if nothing grew, famine would be eminent and evident. They discovered over the course of time that Chaos was indeed a blessing that actually brought new Life to the valley. 

Spring would be a beautiful time in Egypt due to the waters of chaos bringing fresh nutrients for plants and food to grow. The people of the Nile Valley would then celebrate the coming of the the Waters of Chaos, for they soon learned that with them, they would bring the renewal of Life that was so desperately needed for their survival. 

They called this celebration in Egypt ... "THE ARGHA NOA." Not the ARK (ARCH) OF NOAH .... but ARGHA NOA. The "Argha Noa" was the coming of the great flood that washed away the old world and brought new Life ... and for the people of Egypt ... a rebirth - "Born Again." The moon was always in the lower quarter, this quarter of the moon became known as THE ARGHA NOA or THE WET MOON, often resembling an arch in the sky. Notice the resemblance to the YIN AND YANG of Life when looking at it's symbol? The light and the dark, as observed since the earliest civilizations. The duality of ONE. This is the Law of Polarity. Two opposites of one thing. Hot and cold, day and night, heavy and light, etc. 

The Esoteric science describes an inner spiritual continuity of being, combined with catastrophisim, tieing many sources of ancient Wisdom and history. The ancients knew very well what they studied, and perhaps better than those of more recent modern times. They looked to astronomy, geognosy, and cosmography. They knew that the Earth and its behaviour has been altered more than once since the primitive state of existence.

Geognosy comes from a combination of two Greek words. The word "Gaia" means Earth, and "gnosis" means "knowing" or knowledge. I'm early myth, Gaia was the ancient Greek goddess and symbol of the earth (Mother Earth). Many deluges appear in many traditions world-wide. The first are cosmic, the rest, as Noahs Arc(h), are terrestrial.

The Mother of all floods refers to the Cosmos, the Gods of the skies (Ouranos/Heaven). It refers to the Waters of Space which became the Life and death giving waters of earth.  Ancient spiritual traditions and Wisdom viewed all things such as atoms, planets, solar systems, and universes ... as living beings. Divine in essense, the many sparks of one cosmic fire, over immense periods of time there is constant ebb and flow of the various waves of universal and planetary life, with Karma as the Divine harmony of the absolute consciousness. This is the Universal Law of Cause and Effect.

Interpreting the Biblical flood story

Noah floating on the waters in his arch, the latter being the emblem of The Argha or Moon, the feminine principle. Noah is the spirit falling into matter, we find him as soon as he desends upon the earth.

Planting of the vineyard, drinking of the wine ... the pure spirit becoming intoxicated

as soon as it is imprisoned in matter, becoming personified. The ancient Greeks called this "Soma/Sema." Soma means body, sema means tomb. Therefore the body is a tomb in which our Soul is trapped. Looking at the 7th chapter of Genesis, we see but another version of the first unveiled Isis. Genesis transliterated, Genes of Isis ... or in Greek - birth or beginnings, creation.

Taking this myth, and other more ancient stories, we can see that the arch vessel floating on the abyss of waters often signifies the female generative power carrying the gene of nature and mankind. Again, creation through the Divine feminine. 

Mystically the Divine Spirit of Life, like Noah, emerges from Chaos. Noah's deluge is astronomical and allegorical. It is a celestial metaphor. But its foundation and true meaning behind the story is not false, only personified, for the story is based upon archaic traditions of men - or rather nations which were saved during cataclysms, in Canoes, archs (arks), and ships. Esoterically, but for another day, the Ark is also US.

Legends have all spung from catastrophes which involved both the continent and the Island of Atlantis (and Lemuria). In ancient mythology the universe itself was a conversation between order and chaos, or the Yin and Yang ... along with the Universal Law of Polarity. Everything has it's waves, up and down. Ocean waves, light waves, sound waves, motion - ebb and flow. It's just the way it is ... and it is immutable Universal Law. 

Just a thought ...

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

ADAM AND EVE AS METAPHOR

ADAM AND EVE AS METAPHOR

From the earliest days of its descent into matter, humankind has asked questions like: “Who am I? Where do I come from and where am I going to? And how did we all come into being?” We have a right to search into these things, in fact we are meant to do this and we are entitled to find out the Truth, as much of it as we can digest.

For a very long time we had to make do with allegories about a great many things, including the one about the first human beings. But, by now, hopefully many have been able to grasp the full Truth, that the story of Adam and Eve is presented as metaphors, an allegories. This myth symbolizes the fact that the inner unseen part of every man, is woman; and that of every woman, is man.

What did he just say? Yeah, I know. Stay with me on this one. 

Concerning the first human beings in the book of Genesis 2:26: :

Then God said: ‘Let us make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle and over all the wild beasts of the Earth and over every creeping one that creeps on the Earth.’ So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them. Male and female He created them.”

And now the shorter version ... “let US (many) make man in OUR (many) image (God/s) ... and created MAN ... male and female.”

 Therefore, each God, and each of us - is BOTH male and female. The “Image of God” - male AND female. 

Keep with me here ... we're almost there.

In Genesis 3:18 and 21-23 it continued with: 

“Then the Lord God said: ‘It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper who is like him.' So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept. And he took one of his ribs (sides/halves) and closed up the place with flesh in its stead. And from the rib the Lord God had taken from Adam He made a woman and brought her to Adam. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.’”

Now ask yourself “what if God had said:”

“I am the Father of the entirety of Creation. My Spirit is the masculine aspect of the Divine, known in your world as God, Fire and Air, creative ideas and the thought processes and intellect to communicate them to My feminine counterpart, the Goddess. 

She is the Mother and the soul of the whole of Creation. The Divine Feminine and womb of life. The elements Earth and Water represent My soft sensitive feeling side through whom I express My idea and bring them into manifestation in your world and all others. Created in My image, all these things are also in you.”

What say you now?

The story of Adam and Eve, as many similar creation accounts before the Hebrew Old Testament account, provides an allegory of the creation of the first human beings and the highly complex psychological processes of initiation that every human Spirit that goes forth from God (emanation) has to undergo. 

The myth was created to explain these things in the most simple terms possible, which could be easily be grasped by ordinary men and women at that particular phase in humankind’s evolution, and level of knowledge or education. The esoteric Truth behind it is that Adam, the man (Divine Masculine), represents Consciousness - and Eve, the woman, (Divine Feminine) psyche - the man’s soul. Each one of us ... contain both.

From this emerged the primordial Adam of the scriptures, where his pre-conscious state is described as a deep sleep. In this state, one side (rib/side/half) is taken from him. This process of Creation is very old and dates far back into very ancient times. It found its way into the Judaic tradition from the much older traditions of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and other civilizations. They in turn, spread ancient spiritual knowledge throughout the millennia ... and so on and so forth. 

The scriptures containing the creation of Eve from Adam’s “rib/side” was lost in translation, because people in those days could simply not yet grasp that this did not mean one side of his physical body, but his inner self and subconscious. The Truth has always been that Eve, the woman, was and always will be an individual Spirit, who is whole in her own right, the same as Adam, the man.

Adam is used as symbolism for consciousness. In both genders he represents the masculine aspect. Eve is his feminine counterpart, psyche, or soul. You can see for yourself that “the Fall from Eden” is a metaphor for humankind’s psyche taking its consciousness into identification with its physical body. 

It was not a fall or an accident, but a necessary evolutionary process to help each one of us to become aware that in Truth, we are an individualized Divine spark of God ... each one whole and complete with our own masculine consciousness and feminine soul aspect ... “made in the Image of God.”

The purpose behind creating us as men and women, has been and still is the development of these parts in equal proportions. The two eventually have to be perfectly balanced in us, the way they balance in God. We must achieve balance between our conscious Mind (masculine), and our subconscious Mind (feminine) ... harmony and balance, in order to manifest the forms we desire and without hurting anyone or anything else. This is the “Bridal Chamber” of scripture. 

When “the two shall be as one,” we have brought about the completion of the Trinity. The male and female once balanced and united, resurrect within us the Divine consciousness of the Christ. And we become one in Spirit, One in Mind, Oneness ... because separation is merely an illusion. The entire Universe in One, and we're in it, therefore within it, therefore one with it. 

To achieve total understanding, all human spirits have to reincarnate, sometimes into male physical bodies, and on other occasions into female ones. It was for evolutionary purposes that your “other half” had to remain hidden from your own view for a very long time. That’s why you were provided with two levels of awareness, a conscious and a subconscious one. What the conscious impregnates the subconscious with, it will manifest. Whether your thoughts are good, or not so good. 

There has to be a creative aspect within each of us. We are creators, or at the very least - rearrangers. Everything begins in thought. It matters not what it may be ... brushing your teeth, changing a TV channel, all of it ALWAYS begins in thought. It is consciousness that unifies the invisible interwoven fabric of the Universe, the Field, the Matrix of Mind. The Eternal enfolding of the endless circle of the vastness or nothing, and everything ... all at the same time.  

The story of Adam and Eve is but one allegory of many to be found in the ancient creation myths among so many past and distant civilizations. But the Writer(s) of Genesis brought together what had been taught among the ancients for the Hebrew audience, and for the people at that time. Remember that a myth (mythos in Greek) is best defined as “a story or set of stories relevant to or having a significant Truth or meaning for a particular culture, religion, society, or other group.” We must look beyond the literal presentation, and find what lies beneath and beyond ... the esoteric and metaphorical message contained within the text. Joseph Campbell put it best when saying: “A myth is something that never was, yet always is.” 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

DEEPER LOOK AT JUDAS AND PETER

DEEPER LOOK AT JUDAS AND PETER

The New Testament Judas stands for the disloyal part of human lower self (disciple); that part which resists the influence coming from the Divine Master. And the “Master” represents the Higher Self … the Divine Christ within.

The “disciple”, lower self, has expectations as to the “Master.” If the “disciple” is not ready to renew his vision of things and enlarge his horizons, for which he needs to drop old expectations aside, he may be defeated. Actual defeat takes the form of “treason.”

Allegorically, in Matthew 26 of the Bible, the loyal disciples do not stop Judas from committing his treason. Their great stupidity, cowardice. and inability to defend the sacred Master - the source of their learning - is well expressed in Matthew 26: 69-74. There, the chief disciple Peter, flatly denies the Master three times. When asked about Jesus, Peter replies:

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

This chief disciple literally washes his hands. He swears he did not see the Master. Peter is too cowardly to be a traitor, or a true disciple - in that moment. He is but lukewarm. He will be able to recover only later in the story. 

Anyone cowardly enough or sufficiently ignorant not to make “a brave declaration of principles” and a “valiant defense of those unjustly attacked” is caught in that same situation as Peter. 

Of course, “Judas”, or “selfish impulses”, betrays his Master, or spiritual Divine/Soul, who is not defended by other disciples. Thus Judas successfully interrupts the flow of energy between “heaven” (upper Divine) and “earth” (lower mortal soul).

“Judas” is a symbol of that disciple or aspirant to Wisdom who fails in his search for Truth, and who cuts the semi-dormant link to the higher realms, which can only be found WITHIN himself. Judas is also a symbol for the selfish sectors of one’s emotional principle of consciousness.

Evil disguises itself as good. Ambiguity, disguise, and hypocrisy make the basic grammar of traitors. Judas kisses the Master on the face. Outwardly, the fake disciple expresses good wishes to the Master. But this is in fact only made in order to indicate to the swordsmen who was to be the man arrested, and killed. 

Then comes the representation of Sacred, eternal Wisdom. In Matthew 26:67, the Master is spat on his face and slapped by ignorant people. You see, the spiritual Mind is degraded and despised by the arrogance of the lower self. Once Jesus is arrested, though, and after getting his bribe of thirty pieces of silver, Judas renounces the prize for his treason. He suddenly realizes that - in the absence of Spiritual Soul, the Divine Master - everything loses meaning for him.

He had rejected the Teacher who did not fit into his own expectations … thus battling his ego. He had done so because he had not previously renounced his own narrow “self” ideas about what the Master should or should not do. 

But what could Judas do, now that he had committed spiritual suicide for that lifetime? Now that he had interrupted the sacred bridge between heaven and earth within himself, turned himself deaf to the still small voice of his own higher conscience within? There was but one thing for him to do, and he did it. He completed the metaphor of spiritual self-destruction by hanging himself.

In this highly symbolical metaphor or allegory Judas is the “disciple/self” who betrays his “Divine/Master”. This is the sacred esoteric secret. He destroys his own higher Self by giving into his own selfish ego of self-expectation. 

By the symbolism of hanging himself, Judas interrupts the life flow between head and body. Thus he destroys Antahkarana (Hindu Philosophy: the link between the middle and higher mind). This is a way of losing consciousness, or memory. Death symbolizes a form of ceasing to remember. Judas does not remember any longer the things he knew when he was loyal to his Higher Self, or inner Divine Master. 

The various factors mentioned above are present in the life of every truth-seeker, and Judas’ lessons should be useful for every one of us.

Everything, which exists in large scale, exists in small scale, too. The microcosm and macrocosm. The Universe within, and without. No one should say, or think, that the experience of Judas in the New Testament is entirely away from his own experience. The whole Universe is interlinked. We can learn from it all, if we only have the ability to do that. The lessons from Judas apply to each and every person. Look deeper into every parable, myth, or metaphor. Search for Truth. Knock, and the door shall be opened. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM ON THE SCRIPTURES

BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM IN THE SCRIPTURES

We begin this writing with a scripture from the Bible:

“Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants ...”

-Galatians 4:24 

Right here were are told in plain simple terms, that the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, is an allegory. It is metaphorical. Myth ... with a hidden deeper meaning rather than a physical literal and historical event. And yet, whether this was a literal and historical event is irrelevant. This is a story of symbolic value. It isn't commentary, it is saying to us that it is allegorical. There is symbolism in this myth that is intended for discovery by those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. 

This goes hand-in-hand with us being told in scripture NOT to take the letter (scripture/hand written letter) literally by reminding us to NOT be a Minister of the letter. The Bible communicates to us in Parables, Proverbs, Allegories, and Dark Sayings. Modern day Archaeologists from the University of Tel Aviv have even told us the Bible stories are symbolic and allegorical. There was no captivity in Egypt. Egypt is a metaphor for our own dark ego animal based mind. “Aigyptos” (Egypt) in Greek meant “dark place.” It was a symbol of base nature man. 

The Exodus, was allegory. Leaving the darkness (Egypt) and entering the Promised Land (Is-Ra-El) and Jerusalem (yeru-shalom) the place of peace. Again, this is what takes place within us as we transmute from base nature to Divine. Generations have searched for the literal places in the Bible but to no avail. Either they were built and named in honour of the symbolism afterwards, or they simply did not exist. The Ten Commandments (the negative commandments) were derived directly from King Hammurabi's Code. A list of negative commandments of things NOT to do that preceded the Hebrews by hundreds of years. These codes are currently on display in the British Museum. 

Joshua of the Old Testament, the one who conquered Israel, is the same story as Jesus of the New Testament. The very name itself is the same. Joshua from the Hebrew, and Jesus from the Greek, are “Yehoshua, Yeshu, Yeshua” literally a word composed of Hebrew aleph-bet (alphabet) symbols that mean “God is Saviour - or God saves.” There was wandering in the desert for 40 years in the OT, there was a flood of 40 days and 40 nights in the OT, Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days in the NT ... this is ALL symbolism. 40 weeks is the gestation period of a human being (9 months). From conception, to birth ... the time necessary to create a new person with new beginnings. A “born again” time frame. Everything is symbolic. 

Even top officials from Universities in Israel today will tell us the Bible stories and the history of the Hebrews are not specifically real literal historical events. Joshua could not have knocked down the walls of Jericho because Jericho didn't exist at that time. Jesus could not have been “of Nazareth” because there was no Nazareth at that time (it meant Nazarene/Nozrim). Camels were not domesticated at that time. 

So if so many of these stories never literally and historically happened, then what do they mean? There must be something of importance deeper than the surface story. These secret Truths were taught to initiates who entered the Mystery School of old. And by taking these stories to be literal, it has wreaked havoc all over the world, and divided people for centuries. War and violence, degradation of women, child abuse, lies and deceptions, and a total misunderstanding and mistranslation of the true nature of Life, and the Truth of ourselves as being the “Light of the world.” 

The Bible characters, locations, stories, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, raising of the dead, ascension, transfiguration, crossing of the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai ... all have much deeper meaning on a metaphysical level. They are used as metaphor. Myth ... “Mythos” in the Greek. Joseph Campbell put it wisely when he described "myth" as “something that never was, yet always is.” We must go beyond the name, places, and events ... deep between the black and white letter, and find the pearl of great price. The Truth, that lies in waiting ... for Revelation - to be revealed, uncovered, unhidden. “The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life.”

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ALLEGORY OF “COMING OUT OF EGYPT”

ALLEGORY OF “COMING OUT OF EGYPT”

The word “Egypt” comes to us from the Ancient Greek “Aegyptos,” which is a Greek transliteration of the Kemetic phrase:  Het-Ka-Ptah. Het means place and Ka means: “the physical projection of the soul,” which is the character or aura that attaches itself to the body ... and NOT the body. It also meant black/darkness referring to the rich, black alluvial soil deposited by the Nile River, which allowed the agricultural basis of that civilization to flourish. 

In Ancient Hebrew, whenever Egypt or “Mitzraim” is mentioned, it is synonymous with physical and mental Bondage, presented metaphorically as Slavery. The indigenous tradition of the Land of Egypt tells us the civilization was called Khemit, and the people and language were called Khemitian.

Knowing now that scripturally, the word Egypt ... represents the body. When the Ancient Mystery School initiate identified with only the body and the flesh they were considered to be “in captivity.” Therefore, To “come forth out of Egypt” was understood as leaving behind the idea of being merely a body, and discovering the soul. This was the beginning of the Spiritual experience and discovery of the God or Divine Spark within. 

Hippolytus wrote about “those who are ignorant” ... “Egyptians in need of departing Egypt” ... that is from their body-centric existence ... believing themselves to be merely physical matter, and nothing more. Allegorically, the ignorant Egyptians represent those “without Gnosis” - without the knowledge of the Divine Spark within them - without the light and existing in darkness. It was this group of people who remained identified with their physical selves (not Higher Self) and who did not possess the “knowledge/Gnosis” ... that they we are all Divine Sparks of God entrapped in these fleshy and carnal bodies.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ABRAHAM SARAI AND BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM

ABRAHAM SARAI AND BIBLICAL SYMBOLISM

Before we go deeper into the metaphysics of this Biblical couple, we need to reflect on their origins. 

There are certain striking similarities between the Hindu god Brahma and his consort Saraisvati, and the Jewish Abraham and Sarai, that are more than mere coincidences. See will cover these similarities in another chapter.

Let's start here with some etymology. 

Abraham, a'-brå-ham (Heb.)--father (source, founder) of a multitude.

ABRAM consists of;

Ab = “father or Mind,” Rham = “Spirit breath.”

The breath has always been associated with ‘“Spirit” and is powerful metaphysical knowledge (gnosis).

So Abram (Abraham/Ibrahim) is a part of us that we need to develop within to find our Divine essence. Biblically stated in a literal sense, God renamed Abram to Abraham (meaning exalted father) because he was to be the father of many nations. Sarai means “princess,” but since she will be the mother of nations, with kings of peoples coming from her, God changes her name to “Sarah” which means “noblewoman.”

Further, Sarai represents our “emotions.” When the emotions become detached from thought and become virgin she becomes Sarah. In that virgin consciousness she will give birth to the child. This is the creative feminine principle. In ancient metaphysics:

Husband = Mind - Wife = emotions

Wife subjected to husband ... emotions subjected to Mind. St. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:6 “He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” There have been many vile acts committed by a literal interpretation of these ancient scriptures.

Now lets move to the deeper symbolism of all these names and people. We move to a scripture quote from Galatians 4:24 from the Bible:

"Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants ..."

Right here were are told in plain simple terms, that the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, is an allegory. It is metaphorical. Myth ... with a hidden deeper meaning rather than just a physical, literal, and historical event. Science and biology tell us 90 years old women cannot have babies. This is a story of highly symbolic value. It isn't commentary, it is saying to us that it is allegorical. There is symbolism in this myth that is intended for discovery by those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. 

This goes hand-in-hand with us being told in scripture NOT to take the letter (scripture/hand written letter) literally, by reminding us to NOT be a “Minister of the letter.” The Bible communicates to us in Parables, Proverbs, Allegories, metaphors, and Dark Sayings. Modern day Archaeologists from the University of Tel Aviv have even told us the Bible stories are intended to be symbolic and allegorical. Consider the captivity in Egypt. Egypt is a metaphor for our own dark ego animal based mind. "Aigyptos" in Greek meant "dark place." Egypt, was a symbol of base nature man. 

The Exodus, was an allegory for leaving the darkness (Egypt) and entering the Promised Land (Is-Ra-El) and Jerusalem (yeru-shalom) the place of peace. Again, what takes place within us as we transmute from base nature to Divine. Generations have searched for the literal places in the Bible but to no avail. Either they were built and named in honour of the symbolism, or they simply did not exist. The Ten Commandments (the negative commandments) were derived directly from King Hammurabi's Code. A list of negative commandments of things NOT to do that preceded the Hebrews by hundreds of years. These codes are currently on permanent display in the British Museum. 

Joshua of the Old Testament, the one who conquered Israel, is the same story as Jesus of the New Testament. The very name itself is the same. Joshua from the Hebrew, and Jesus from the Greek, are “Yehoshua, Yeshu, Yeshua” literally a word composed of Hebrew aleph-bet (alphabet) symbols that mean “God is Saviour.” There was wandering in the desert for 40 years in the OT, there was a flood of 40 days and 40 nights in the OT, Jesus wandered in the wilderness for 40 days in the NT ... this is ALL symbolism. “Forty” weeks is the gestation period of a human being (9 months). From conception, to birth ... marking a new person with new beginnings. A “born again” time frame. Everything is symbolic. 

Even top officials from Universities in Israel today will tell us the Bible stories and the history of the Hebrews are not considered as merely literal historical events, if at all. Joshua could not have knocked down the walls of Jericho because Jericho didn't exist at that time. Jesus could not have been “of Nazareth” because there was no Nazareth at that time (it meant Nazarene/Nozrim). Camels were not domesticated at that time. 

So if so many of these stories never literally or historically happened, then what do they mean? There must be something deeper than the surface story. These secret Truths were taught to initiates into the Mystery School of old. And by taking these stories to be only literal, it has wreaked havoc all over the world for centuries. War and violence, degradation of women, child abuse, lies and deceptions, and a total misunderstanding and mistranslation of the true nature of Life, and of ourselves as being the “Light of the world.”

The Bible characters, locations, stories, miracles, crucifixion, resurrection, raising of the dead, ascension, transfiguration, crossing of the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai, are all intended to be taken as allegory and metaphor. All Myth ... “Mythos” in the Greek. In the Greek, mythos means there is MORE to the surface story ... a deeper Truth to be discovered. Joseph Campbell put it wisely when he described “myth” as “something that never was, yet always is.” We must go beyond the name, places, and events ... deep between the black and white letter, and find the pearl of great price. The Truth, that lies in waiting ... for Revelation - to be revealed, uncovered, unhidden. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth Life. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

IS-RA-EL

Is-Ra-El

This is going to be a bit long, but then again, it needs to be. There is much to cover on this topic. Do You Think Israel Is A Geographic State ... A Conscious State ... or is it both? We will start with a short scriptural review, according to Old Testament texts: 

In Genesis we find the story of Jacob, a grandson of Abraham, and a son of Isaac and Rebekah. He is most commonly known in the Bible for his cunning and deceitful ways, especially towards his twin brother Esau. From the time of his birth until his wrestling encounter with an Angel (Genesis 32:24-29), Jacob was associated with trickery and deception ... until he changed his ways, and his name. 

“ISRAEL, comes to us from the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning “God contends,” from the roots שָׂרָה (sarah) meaning “to contend, to fight” and אֵל ('el) meaning “God.” In the Old Testament, it was Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) who wrestles with an angel. Jacob (Greek: Yakobos) was then given a new name by the Angel. That name was “Israel.” Jacob means “heel.” He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning in Hebrew: “holder of the heel.” And also meaning: “to follow.” The ancient Nation of Israel, and the modern State of Israel took their names from him.”

You might be surprised how much more there is to this story when presented with a deeper mystical view, and one you more than likely have never heard from a pulpit before ... 

Now, time to go metaphysical. Bear with me, it gets deep. Let’s start with a fast breakdown of the symbolism contained in the actual word “ISRAEL” before we go any further: 

“Is Ra El” - ISIS/RA/ELOHIM ... (ISIS) the Divine Feminine (Mother), (RA) the Divine Masculine (Father), and (EL) the Spirit or God. 

To clarify these three elements: 

“Is” or “Isis,” the Egyptian Goddess, also seen as the Moon Goddess. 

“Ra,” the Egyptian Sun God.

And “El,” generally was meant to signify ... “God/Deity.” 

“EL” was a name inscribed to the chief deity in the Semitic world. Examples of “EL” in use biblically: ELohim, ELijah, ELeazar, ELi, ELizabeth, etc.

Now we move to Mind and the function of consciousness. The lower Mind (moon), is integrated with the higher Mind (sun), by the Spirit or electromagnetic energy from above/within. Remember that the physical moon has no LIGHT of its own. It's LIGHT comes from the Sun. This is important symbolically. 

Now the Metaphysics: Esoterically, Jews are not just a race and Israel is not just a country ... biblically speaking that is. It's esoteric mythology, and is symbolically describing one who has reached the higher consciousness, by way of meditation, by becoming a Jew INWARDLY. That is to say, once having reached a union with the Divine within, a person BECOMES a JEW or - IAO (Latin), IEW (Greek) - the enlightened state, or “Ascension.” Geographically, Israel was the Northern Territory, and Judah was the Southern Territory. Jerusalem was not in Israel. It was located in Judah.

A geographic “Jew,” is one who was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah (Judaic), or the land of the Tribe of Judah, or an actual bloodline Judahite. Much in the same way an Italian can be a Floridian, or a Washingtonian. It was not necessarily specific to a person of Hebrew descent. 

The “Chosen People” (JEW, IAO, IEW) is an esoteric title given to initiates into the great ancient mystery schools of old through several processes. Upon completion of the curriculum, they had learned and accepted - through personal experiential evidence - that the Divine Spark of what we call God/Source was to be found within each and every human being on Earth. In other words, this is where the term “The Jews are the chosen people of God” originated. 

The “Chosen Land” or Promised Land that is spoken of in scripture, is the human brain, but first the Canaanites have to be driven out. The lower Mind quality is overturned, and then: 

“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed (metamorphosis) by the renewing of your Mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

-Romans 12:12

The Seal of Solomon (Star of David), is a six pointed star, was used as a symbol of deep spiritual meaning. Some Kabbalists say it symbolizes God’s complete rule over the Universe, and that the two triangles represent duality, a principle that brings us closer to the Truth. The Star of David consists of two triangles, one standing upright, the other facing downwards. 

These symbols are also used in alchemy and astrology to represent masculine and feminine principles and the four elements, each of which represent attributes of character and emotion. The symbol also represents “as above, so below” with the two interlocking triangles. A representation of higher and lower consciousness, and Spirit/matter joining. The Star relates to the Mind and healing. The two triangles represent the masculine and feminine parts of the thinking Mind, and the left and right membranes of the brain that dictate how we think, act and perceive. Our creative aspect. 

The right side of the brain - symbolically - is the feminine side, because it mostly deals with emotions, creativity and nurturing. The masculine left side of the brain is analytical, logical and active. From a spiritual point of view, a balanced mind opens up the pineal gland - your third eye, or all-seeing eye - through which spiritually enables you to see things clearly. Also, our conscious Mind is the “Father,” the subconscious Mind is the “Mother.” What begins in thought, manifests in form. Much more on this aspect can be found in other writings. 

Now, back to ancient Biblical scriptures. The earliest and greatest of the framers of Christian theology, Philo, Clement and Origen - and now new research - make it positively clear that the Old Testament narratives - are in their entirety - rewritings of old Egyptian material, distorted and obscured as it passed through later Hebrew hands. 

Some portions of Jewish history are utilized as the base and frame of these spiritual myths. According to Eusebius, one of the three chief formulators of Roman Christian theology, the Gospels of the New Testament are themselves old dramatic books of the Essenes in pre-Christian days.

Ancient scripture, Egyptian, Hebrew, or otherwise, was never meant to be merely historical and literal. It was spiritual symbolism, pure and complete ... allegories and metaphors. The phenomenon of altered history transpired when the Egyptian writings were usurped and then converted into a literal narrative, rather than the esoteric, allegorical, and metaphysical. And the thinking of the whole western world has since been based on the discovery of historical and literal events and timelines, rather than the greatly more powerful lessons contained within, beneath, and above the veil of scripture. Question everything.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

COMING OUT OF EGYPT ALLEGORY

COMING OUT OF EGYPT ALLEGORY 

The word “Egypt” comes to us from the Ancient Greek “Aegyptos,” which is a Greek transliteration of the Kemetic phrase:  “Het-Ka-Ptah.” Het means place and Ka means: “the physical projection of the soul,” which is the character or aura that attaches itself to the body ... and IS NOT the body. It also meant black/darkness and referred to the rich, black alluvial soil deposited by the Nile River, which allowed the agricultural basis of that civilization to flourish. 

In Ancient Hebrew, whenever Egypt or “Mitzraim” is mentioned, it is synonymous with physical and mental Bondage (Slavery). When dealing with geographic references, the indigenous tradition of the Land of Egypt tells us the civilization was called Khemit, and the people and language were called Khemitian. Egypt in the esoteric and metaphorical Biblical Scriptures in not a place, but a state of being ... Representing the body/Mind experience. 

When the Ancient Mystery School initiates identified with only the body and the flesh, they were considered to be in “captivity.” Therefore, To “come forth out of Egypt” was understood as leaving behind the idea of being merely a body and discovering the Soul. This was the beginning of the Spiritual experience and discovery of “God” ... the Divine within. 

Hippolytus wrote about “those who are ignorant” ... “Egyptians in need of departing Egypt” ... that is - from their body-centered existence - believing themselves to be merely physical matter. Allegorically, the ignorant Egyptians represent those “without Gnosis,” ... without the knowledge of the Divine Spark within them awaiting resurrection. This ignorance was to be without the light, and in darkness. It was this group of people who remained identified with their physical selves (not Higher Self) and who did not possess the “knowledge/Gnosis” ... that they we are all Divine Sparks of God entrapped in these fleshy and carnal bodies. Among the ancients Greeks was the phrase “soma/sema.” This translates as “the body is the tomb.” 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

ALLEGORICAL INTERPRETATION

An allegory is a symbolic representation of one thing, through another. Most ancient scriptures are allegorical in nature - certain physical people, places, things, or events of an earlier time have an ultimate spiritual application in the present or future. For example, the Old Testament high priest Aaron was an allegory, or symbol, of the spiritual High Priest. The Bible claims its own authority for these metaphorical interpretations. Man has always tried to figure out what “God” would want for humanity.  Mankind would also find it opportune, to have God/Source stand upon a pulpit and also have the network news broadcast it. Unfortunately, this is likely not to happen. 

Over the centuries since The Bible was written, some occasionally well-meaning interpreters, and some not so well-meaning, have applied the translations and meanings of parts of the Biblical scriptures to their own time and circumstances, far removed from what is truly found in the deeper ancient teachings and metaphors. 

Some today even believe that the ultimate fulfillment of Biblical Scriptures is actually currently taking place literally, even though it was never meant to be literal or historical. They deny the Inner Mysteries of what the Bible and other ancient scriptures say, and they have usurped the Sacred Truths for their own self-serving purposes. They have used them as a means of glorifying themselves, controlling the general public, and not sharing the mystical Truths contained in the teachings ... simply because this would empower the people and then the church and its hierarchy would no longer be in power, or even be needed. 

Allegorical and metaphorical interpretation is the correct and legitimate usage, its self-centered approach is actually more ancient than Christianity, having originated with  pagan mystics of Egypt, Greece, Persia, the Far East, and then adopted, revised, and customized by some Hebrew and Christian Philosophers, hierophants, and “thinkers.”

These thinkers attempted to overcome the problems posed by literal interpretations of ancient Greek myths, and the allegorical method was further developed by scholars, such as Philo, Clement, and Origen of Alexandria. Though other methods were often used, particularly by the formation of The Holy Roman Universal (Catholic) Church, the original allegorical method was still around until late medieval times, though mostly underground and in secrecy. The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century rejected, for the most part, the allegorical method and they returned to a literal historical interpretation of the Bible ... not having the understanding and foundations of the ancient Wisdom of Egyptian and Greek Mystics and Philosophers. 

The allegorical and metaphysical method of mythological teachings of these spiritual Truths attempts to overcome the difficulties of perplexing Biblical passages, and to harmonize them with certain traditions and accepted teachings of the symbolism within the ancient temples. By assigning to each text - a hidden, symbolic, or mystical meaning beyond the primary meaning that the words convey in their literal sense - these allegorical interpretations make the scriptures more comprehensible, acceptable, relevant, and applicable regardless of time and era. In other words, it is more important to ask ourselves DOES it happen, rather that DID it happen. Seek within, and listen for the voice of reason to guide you on your path.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

THE TRAGEDY OF MISINTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURE

TRAGEDY OF MISINTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURES

Sadly today, most modern Christians are unable to accurately discern the deeper, mystical, inner levels of spirituality that are revealed in Biblical scriptures. They inherited a literal-historical presentation dating back to the Roman Empire and it's charge to create a literal Saviour based religion to unite and control the masses of the Empire. Science, history, and archaeology today still hints that much of the Bible's hidden mysteries are veiled and concealed from the majority of it's followers. 

In fact, todays Christian faithful are unaware that the ancient spiritual Wisdom contains keys that unlock the secrets of the hidden mysteries contained within the package of myth. Furthermore, trying to find these keys and reveal these ancient texts is difficult at best when dealing with English translations, taken from latin translations, taken from the original Greek and Hebrew languages. Remember that Revelation (Apocalypse of St. John) literally means an unveiling of that which is hidden. It so not the war to end all wars as has been perceived. 

Tragically, it is the people outside of the church system that have a better handle on what the ancient Wisdom was attempting to convey through allegory, metaphor, and myth. These researchers are the ones who possess the accurate understandings of the original scriptures and their predecessors. These hidden secrets deal with the spiritual evolution of the souls of mankind that lay hidden under the layers of parables, fables, and myth. 

Unfortunately, within countless denominations, Pastors, Priests, Ministers and the like are taught the dogmas and doctrines of their particular system much in the way a Ford Mechanic is taught how to repair Fords. Going to a Methodist Seminary for example, will teach you the ways of being a Methodist and the rules and rituals of the Methodist Church System. 

These Apologists, Priests, Pastors, and Seminarians are blinded to the Inner Mysteries (esoteric) and taught to present the Outer Mysteries (exoteric) to their congregations. There are TWO ways in which to interpret the stories in the Bible. One way, is as literal-historical real events, and the other as allegory, metaphor, and mystical ... metaphysical. Only ONE of these two is the correct and intended accurate manner in which to interpret what the ancients left behind for us to discover ... but not without a shovel. We have to dig through the layers and get to the roots. 

Unfortunately, most followers today rely on someone else from the pulpit to tell them what to believe instead of doing their own research and finding the Truth. All of the ancient writers of these scriptures veiled the true stories behind myth. These myths told deeper Truths that lay beneath the layers of what appeared to be a real event, location, or person. It is ALL allegory. It's Truth's were presented by earlier civilizations in exactly the same way except that the names and places were changed to fit the customs and traditions of the people. 

I should also mention the misunderstanding of the modern etymology of the word "myth." Myth comes from the Greek word "mythos." It doesn't matter if the literal event ever took place, because the Truth lies in the deeper lesson or message. Joseph Campbell said it best: "a myth is something that never was, yet always is." 

Now, It must be understood that in the Hebrew language, each letter of the aleph-bet (alphabet) had it's own symbolic meanings. Every word, name, geographic location; were all chosen to represent the inner meaning of the message that was being conveyed to those with eyes to see and ears to hear. 

When a Christian is asked if they are "spiritually discerned" as Paul had asked in 1st Corinthians, they say YES. However, when we look back at the original Greek and reference what "spiritually discerned" meant in the original Greek word "pneumatikos" we find that the meaning is that scripture is meant to be "figuratively, allegorically, metaphorically, mystically, metaphysically, non-literal, and non-physical." By interpreting scripture as literal-historical, the deeper spiritual message has been lost and history has been counterfeit. This falsely converts the Bible to a history book filled with presumed biographies of literal and historical persons and places. 

The modern Christian faith system is dependent upon historical events, simply because it separates itself from other religions by calling itself historical, based on historical events, historical miracles, a historical Saviour, a historical crucifixion and resurrection, and a historical wooden cross reserved for the suffering Saviour of Jesus Christ. This Jesus was presumably raised from the dead three days after his crucifixion. Therefore, modern Christianity is totally dependent on a historical literal Jesus dying and resurrecting ... as opposed to the ancient teaching of the dying and resurrecting Godman among many previous civilizations that was intended to describe what happens within each and every man esoterically. 

In reality, St. Paul (a Gnostic Christian), was speaking of the awakening and resurrecting Christ inside a person, NOT outside the person. He knew no historical Jesus. His Christ was Gnostic and esoteric ... part of the Inner Mysteries he had learned from the Mystery Schools of old. This is our darkness today. When we read the Bible literally rather than using the keys of allegory and myth. Luke tells us "look not here nor there for the Christ" because it is within us ... the Divine Spark of God. The story of Jesus, is OUR story, not HIStory. 

It was written for our benefit and for our spiritual journey back home from whence we came. It was written to benefit us as we sojourn in a foreign land ... Earth / matter. It is a guide, an archetype for us to follow esoterically as we travel through our earthly physical experiences as a spiritual being. Billions have gone to their graves not having learned the Truth. They still wait for a real historic Second Coming, a real historic Resurrection of The Dead, a real historic Rapture. These things will never occur ... literally or historically. They are spiritual metaphors for what takes place within us, not without us. 

Just a thought ... 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.