Jesus is Jehovah

One of the most harmful ideas a Christian can have is that the Holy Trinity represents three persons, rather than three attributes of one Divine Person (like omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence).

Under this “polytheistic” concept the idea of Salvation becomes ludicrous. It portrays that God the Father became utterly disgusted with the human race but that His Son, after suffering on the cross for the sake of humankind, so impressed Him with compassion that He had second thoughts. Of course, this means the Heavenly Father only really loved His Son and humans are still to be considered as worthless crap. This divine shallowness makes it hard to reconcile how God can be infinite love and infinite wisdom.

This idea of the Trinity gets even worse when we consider that technically, Jesus saves no one, but that Jehovah God sends the Holy Spirit to do the actual saving. So worshiping God is tricky business. We mortals can easily make the mistake of approaching the wrong God at the wrong time. Such a spiritual faux pas can land us into eternal trouble (yes, people with good hearts can be damned on technicalities).

This confusing matter is cleared up when a person comes to understand that the stories of Scripture offer three distinct levels of meaning, each containing deeper interpretations of God’s revealed truth. But since it is extremely difficult to share with you entirely new levels of interpretation (quantum language) within a short post, I can happily say that even a careful inspection of the literal (lowest) meaning of the Holy Word verifies that there is only One God. In other words, it is Jehovah God who is eternally concerned for humankind and who is our redeemer and savior:

I will make mention of mercies of Jehovah; He hath requited them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His mercies; and He became their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His faces saved them; in His love and in his pity He redeemed them. (Isaiah 63:7-9)

In the amazing theological work of Emanuel Swedenborg, entitled the Apocalypse Revealed (pages 405-7) he offers several other biblical quotes that point to the idea that Jehovah Himself would come into the world and assume the Human form as our visible Savior. Here are a few:

It shall be said in that day, Lo, This is our God, whom we have waited for, that He may free us; This is Jehovah, whom we have waited for; let us exult and rejoice in His salvation. (Isaiah, 25:9)

Am I not Jehovah? and there is no God else besides Me; a just God and a Savior, there is none besides Me. (Isaiah, 45:21,22)

Unto us a Boy is born, unto us a Son is given, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, God, Hero, the Father of eternity, the Prince of peace. (Isaiah, 9:6)

Philip said unto Jesus, Show us the Father; Jesus said unto him, He that seeth Me seeth the Father; how sayest thou than, show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me. (John, 14:8-11)

Thankfully, most worshippers do not bother with the mind-numbing details of how their particular Church denomination explains the Holy Trinity. This spares many Christians from falling into false doctrines.

But should you be of an inquisitive mind, I invite you to ask your priest or minister to give you the exact and full details of how God, under the Trinitarian Doctrine, will save you. Since your salvation is at stake, DEMAND AN ANSWER. Then you be the judge of whether it satisfies Jehovah God’s first commandment.

If they tell you that faith in Jesus overrides following the ten commandments, then get the heck out of there!

If you would like more information on this topic see my two previous posts entitled, The Divine Rope-A-Dope, and Physics And The Easter Miracle.

Chapter VI. The Internal and the External Mind.

THE mind is here drawn in two planes-the internal or spiritual mind B and the external or natural mind C.

The spiritual body D though separately drawn, is yet closely conjoined with the external mind, and in the Writings is generally inclosed in it.

The internal mind is the primary and special abode of love to the LORD and of love to the neighbor. The external mind is the abode of self-love and of love of the world. (DLW 396; DP 324; TCR 401, 402; AC 9701-9709; NJHD 36-53.)

Divisions of the degrees into internal and external other than this occur in the Writings, and the same degrees are differently designated in different passages. A certain degree may in one passage be called the internal man, in another the spiritual man, in another the inmost man, in another the middle man, in another the rational man, and yet in others classed with and called the exterior or external man; all arising from different points of view.

In this diagram the internal mind B in the individual man or angel answers to the plane of the angelic heavens, and the external C answers to the region of the world of spirits.

In Apocalypse Explained, AE we read, –

“When the interior of man is purified from evils then the internal is opened which is above the interior, and which is called the spiritual internal; this communicates with heaven. There are two internals in man, one beneath and the other above. The internal which is beneath is that in which man is, and from which he thinks while he lives in the world, for it is natural this, by way of distinction, will be called the interior. But the internal which is above is that into which man comes after death when he comes into heaven; all the angels of heaven are in this internal, for it is spiritual.”- AE 940.

It should be noted that in the above passage the degree C is the natural internal, and is said to be below the spiritual internal which is B. This lower or natural internal is also called in this number and elsewhere in the Writings the interior.

In Apocalypse Explained, AE 940, this natural C is called natural internal in distinction to an extreme degree of the natural mind close to the body, which constitutes a natural external not here drawn, but to be drawn in Diagram XI

In the original Latin the internal mind is frequently called Mens, and the external mind and spiritual body together are called Animus, though Animus is sometimes restricted to the natural mind merely. In a wider sense Animus includes also that part of the external mind formed of natural substances as mentioned in Divine Love and Wisdom, 257. (See Diagram XV.)

In the prayer “Thy will be done as in heaven so upon the earth”, “as in heaven” means “as in the spiritual mind” and “so upon the earth” means “so in the natural mind.” “That your days and the days of your sons may be multiplied as the days of the heavens upon the earth,” (Deut. xi, 21), means that with the regenerate the states of the natural mind will accord with the states of the spiritual mind.

Creation and the Metrics of Love

While this has led some theorists to believe in a Creation out of nothingness (Creatio ex nihilo), the problem with such a scenario is that it leads us to a cosmic dead end if we have set our hearts at finding the first causal principles of reality. How can we understand agency and natural law emerging from a pre-physical void? What special initial conditions could exist in a non-spatial and non-temporal realm that would be capable of carrying the seeds for our fruitful universe?

Thankfully, some serious forward-thinking physicists are working with the idea that time and space may have emerged from a realm of pre-geometry. In this pre-space, pre-temporal realm, there is a new kind of “activity.” Rather than the usual concept of motion or trajectory as a displacement of position, this activity would involve a change of states.

Is there anything that falls within our human experience that can verify whether dynamical change can really take place apart from spacetime measurement? Yes there is! In fact, change of state or non-physical action actually represents the most intimate perception of reality that we are conscious of. We even apply a unique standard of measurement to this non-physical activity.

We experience these change of states as our mental states (and changing dispositions). The human mind cannot be said to be located in space yet the mind’s thoughts and feelings are real activities that have real trajectories and measurement (metrics). Our goals and wishes represent these non-physical trajectories and we possess an inner sense of the psychical “distance” between where we are and where we need to be upon accomplishing our goals. We can also have big goals and smaller goals.

Obviously, our individual mental goals are not measured in meters, inches, miles or yardsticks. They are measured by what we value (which are all derivatives of love). This inner measurement is even more real to us then our physical reality because IT IS “US.”

People can seem close to us, or miles apart, according to whether we have similar values and affections (which has nothing to do with physical distance). If a person is unselfish and loving, we see him or her as “big” person (sometimes a giant among others) but if an individual is selfish he or she is seen as acting very “small.”

So size, distance, and place all come under a different standard of measurement when concerning our inner or spiritual reality. In this inner world, love sets the parameters.

So what does all this have to with discovering the first principles and special initial conditions of the universe before the appearance of time and space? Well, rather than nothingness, perhaps the world was created from LOVE. In other words, love should be scientifically considered as fundamental formative substance.

If the universe had a beginning (and was created) then first causal principles and agency must be sought after in a non-physical realm where time equaled zero (t=0). This realm must provide us with the origin of natural law and offer an explanation of how the quantum world of possibilities can logically take us to the time-irreversible outcomes of least actions that we see operating on larger scales of the cosmos (Newtonian physics). But I believe first principles must do even more than this, much more!

There is a concept in physics called the correspondence principle in which prior realities must help explain posterior realities. So if we truly seek a priori or first principles these principles must show us why nature is unified and has a continuous compulsion (endeavor) for self-organization and increased complexity, including bio-complexity.

First principles must not only be able to function in a pre-space world but they must represent living and organic principles right out of the starting gate!

Existence is relationship. Nothing exists without co-existence. The essence of love is an endeavor to unite. Even the organized mutual cooperation of living systems is a physical analog of Love. In humans, the bio-complexity of the brain has reached a level of sophistication where we can consciously choose to improve civilization through noble acts of love and the mutual sharing of our talents.

In such a cosmic scheme, first principles descend from a non-physical realm into the world of matter, than ascend back towards the invisible realm through increased complexity, the evolution of human consciousness, and resulting in the development of a non-physical, inner reality. This non-physical realm is called heaven.

Therefore, religion was given to humans in order that their activities and lives could put the first principles of the universe on display and help God realize the ultimate scheme of creation – the exaltation of love.

Love is the only force I know of that manifests endeavor and possibility. And, since love seeks self-representation in all things created (which is why everything is interconnected through utility), it absolutely requires the correspondence principle, self-consistency, a principle of least action, and the fine-tuning of natural laws.

Love is the ultimate science. The purpose of my next book, Proving God, is to flush out all these ideas in order to unify science with God’s wonderful plan.

Bible images – How to understand?

Sacred writing is also full of story, parable, prophetic vision and poetry, much of which is rich in imagery expressing, many would say, a sublime message. For example would you accept that the creation legend and its Bible images about the world being made in seven days is really allegory and not meant to be taken literally? The same might be said concerning the visions reported with all their bizarre figures and scenes.

It is widely assumed that the interpretation of metaphor is an individual matter and that one person will understand the significance of a visual picture in a different way from another. That what is true for you is not true for me.

Furthermore, it is also thought that the meaning of an image say in one book of the Bible is not likely to be the same as its use elsewhere: that where Bible images are used, their symbolic meaning appears to differ from passage to passage.

Swedenborg’s idea about Bible images

I would like to offer you for your consideration an alternative idea. This comes from the 18th century theologian Emanuel Swedenborg who held that all the content of divine revelation including images and stories in the Bible, not only reflect a deeper significance – one that is relevant to our personal daily life – but that across all the books of the Word of God there is actually a consistent symbolic language. In other words that each literally understood thing that appears in the Word corresponds in a consistent way to something spiritual.

There is only time now to give one example. However, in my reading of the biblical content, I have experienced a consistency in the deeper meaning of each of a wide range of things such as types of animal, mineral, plant, astronomical feature etc. I would like to illustrate this consistency in relation to images of height.

Bible images of height

Bible images

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help!” (Psalm 121:1)

Our source of inspiration is said to be the hills above us.

Bible images“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

The space above the earth is associated with God’s manner of living and ideas that are said to be above mere mortal ones.

Bible images“Whoever takes refuge in me will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.” (Isaiah 57:13)

Again what is high denotes what is holy

Apparent inconsistent Bible images

It might be objected that sometimes a mountain or hill doesn’t suggest what is our source of inspiration, higher thought, or holiness at all.

“Every mountain and hill shall be made low” (Isaiah 40:4) Are the mountains to be made low? Yes I would say so. But only if we recognise that what is being exalted is not God and the presence of the divine within us but rather its opposite. What is the opposite? Is it not the pride of ego, exalting oneself?

I would say this interpretation becomes more apparent when we consider the valleys which will be raised up high. These might be said to stand for those people who are humble in heart and so who are not too proud to acknowledge the source of what is good and true as coming from outside of themselves.

Bible images

“You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.” (Psalm 88:6)

If what is low is distant from what is high and thus from what is Divine, then why would God put me so low as to be beneath the ground? From one perspective to be so low is to turn away from a divinely inspired way of living, as when one feels dissatisfied with life from being self-centred. But in an opposite sense I’m thinking of the pit of despair when one focuses on the hope of divine rescue – sadly a necessary attitude which we need to work through when we lose our moral and spiritual way in life. We sometimes need to learn that trusting mainly in one’s own strength or the things of the world is to no avail and that all that is good really comes from the Divine. This is a painful lesson for many but one God sees we may need if we are to find salvation.

Bible images – summary

I would suggest that sacred writing will not give glib answers and superficial understanding. In his idea of correspondences, Swedenborg claims that the significance of a biblical image can have one of two opposite meanings according to the passage in question. There is still a consistency here – just one that is not apparent until we recognise which sense is being revealed.

Positive sense Opposite negative sense
Elevation of mountain or hill Inspiration of higher thought Pride of self-exaltation
Lowness of valley or pit Humble acknowledgement of Divine Source Dissatisfaction arising from self-centredness

 

Considering whether the imagery is to be understood in a positive or negative sense will stretch our minds and require reading in a deeply reflective manner.

The doctrine of correspondences is no easy cook-book of symbol interpretation. Whether a positive or negative meaning is present, still requires our effort to find the truth.

Copyright 2015 Stephen Russell-Lacy
Author of  Heart, Head & Hands  Swedenborg’s perspective on emotional problems

Posted on12th February 2015CategoriesLatest post, Meaning of life, SymbolismTags, , , ,

Animals – Can they teach us spiritual lessons?

animalsWith the improvements in technology, close up and dramatic footage of behaviour of animals has become a top focus for television documentary programmes.

Behaviour of animals

We are amazed by the myriads of flying starlings forming beautiful patterns like clouds in the evening sky, the protection and encouragement of its cub by the polar bear, and the behaviour of sting ray fish as they appear to fly above the water to help in the hunting of their prey.

All this fascinating information stimulates the question about what such creatures might be able to teach us about our own lives.

animal

We see a brave lion caught on film with a huge roar as it fearlessly challenges a vicious looking crocodile at the water’s edge, successfully protecting the lioness and cubs and we wonder what reserves of courage we could call on to face the adversities in human life?

Similes for animals

Is it anthropomorphic to notice when someone is happy as a lark, busy as a bee, gentle as a lamb, slippery as an eel, proud as a peacock, sly as a fox, as angry as a hornet, slow as a snail, strong as an ox, or as stubborn as a mule? Or is it just recognizing that nature can mirror what we might find in ourselves if we were to look a little more closely?

Animals and correspondence

This idea of correspondence between the natural and the spiritual is an important part of Emanuel Swedenborg’s philosophy. The medieval alchemists put it this way:

“As above, so below; as below, so above”

And in their book Soul Symbols, Helen Newton and Becky Jarratt show how we can learn much about the human spirit by watching what nature is teaching us.  Images of animals have a symbolic value in that they bring something about what it is to be human  into ordinary awareness. They provide meaning and enrich our understanding of humanity.

Two perspectives on images of animals

The authors point out this works in two ways. They distinguish between two perspectives. Depending on one’s state of mind, one can perceive a symbol such as an animal, in terms of soul perspective or in terms of ego perspective.

The soul perspective derives from a transcendent reality and gives us a higher wisdom. The ego perspective however comes from our inevitable sense of separateness from the creative source of life, a state of mind that falls into illusions about what is good and true to suit our own individual needs.

animalsSnakes

How might these ideas apply to different animals? Take snakes. The gliding, insinuating motion of a snake is of course due to the fact that it has no feet. The point that it is in close contact with the ground doesn’t suggest a higher state of mind but rather an external one. From an ego perspective one might say the snake symbolises an orientation towards the world and enjoyment of the senses — pleasant taste, smell, sound, sight and touch. Physical pleasure is good, but it is important to notice when something spiritual is missing.

We should not trust our senses, which can give us a distorted view of reality, but should look to our ‘inner code’ for guidance.” (Helen Newton and Becky Jarratt)

From a soul perspective on the snake, one might say the senses are our point of contact with the world, and their enjoyments enable us to live wisely in the world. The sense of feeling warns us to avoid extreme heat and cold and other dangers, and to preserve healthful conditions. The sense of taste when unperverted and wisely educated is a guide in choosing wholesome food.

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes  and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:15-17)

Copyright 2013 Stephen Russell-Lacy
Author of  Heart, Head & Hands  Swedenborg’s perspective on emotional problems

Posted on18th September 2013CategoriesMeaning of life, Symbolism