Many readers of SOS may remember a book called The Bible Code by Michael Drosnin. It was first published in 1997 and remained on the New York Times best seller list for months. I was recently sent a copy of this book by a friend, and we had a brief discussion on its relevance to Biblical interpretation. I’ve since finished the book and think a post would be relevant material for this site, especially since Drosnin has written two more books on the subject which continue to do very well in Christian circles.
The premise of the book is that the Bible contains a code that can be cracked by computer, using Equidistant Letter Sequence (ELS). Such methods got a jump start when around seventy years ago a Rabbi named Weissmandel discovered that if you take the beginning of the book of Genesis and skip every fifty letters you get the word “Torah.” This can be repeated in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Weissmandel was working by trial and error, much like Isaac Newton who also believed that the Bible contained a hidden code. But with the advent of computers, finding a hidden code in the Pentateuch through Equidistant Letter Sequencing became much more productive and the Bible Code was born.
Drosnin states that many important events have been found in the Torah using the method of Equidistant Letter Sequencing. His claims are substantial. For example, he claims to have predicted the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. In a personal letter before the assassination, he states:
“An Israeli mathematician has discovered a hidden code in the Bible that appears to reveal the details of the events that took place thousands of years after the Bible was written. The reason I’m telling you about this is that the only time your full name—Yitzhak Rabin—is encoded in the Bible, the words ‘assassin that will assassinate’ cross your name. That should not be ignored, because the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and both John and Robert Kennedy are also encoded in the Bible—in the case of Sadat with the first and last names of his killer, and the date of the murder, and the place, and how it was done. I think you are in real danger, but that danger can be averted.”
Of course Yitzhak was assassinated so it would seem that Drosnin had stumbled onto something incredible here. The book continues to detail some amazing events he claims were foretold in the Torah and revealed through the method of ELS.
Below is a very brief list of some of those events:
- Nixon’s Watergate scandal
- The Great Depression
- WWII
- Landing on the Moon
- Shoemaker-Levy’s collision with Jupiter
- The extinction of the dinosaurs by an asteroid
- The Gulf War
What seems to make these predictions so impressive is that each of the above events has detailed information such as exact dates and/or correlating names in the same area of the original Hebrew text. For example, Drosnin states the words “Economic Collapse” and “Depression” appear together, along with the word “stocks.” In the same place is the year 1929, designated by the Hebrew year 5620. If you’ve never heard of the book, you might be wondering what are we to make of all this? Is it true? Does the Bible really have the future of mankind and the world encoded in it, all of which can be discovered through a computer program?
The writer of the jacket cover thought so. On the left inside cover it states:
“For three thousand years a code in the Bible has remained hidden. Now it has been unlocked by computer—and it may reveal our future.”
I thought about including a write-up on the negative criticisms of the book, but decided that if you were interested you could read them yourself. I will provide links at the end of this post. Have fun if you so desire. Some are interesting and cast serious doubt as to the method of Equidistant Letter Sequencing to discover a hidden code in the Bible, but honestly, I don’t think that’s necessary, because the answer to whether Drosnin’s Bible Code is beneficial or not can be answered from a different perspective.
The Ego’s love affair with sensationalism
Man loves sensationalism. Take the ego’s propensity to get caught up in gossip. To hear about another’s life’s problems often artificially strengthens one’s own position mentally and emotionally if we’ve managed to avoid that life problem or have been through it but feel we have overcome it. Why? Because we might feel that we’ve gained the knowledge and discipline to rise above it, and it makes us feel good to know that we’re better than that now. It’s a natural response until we have learned the deeper spiritual meaning of love and that we’re all somehow connected, and therefore my brother’s problem is also a reflection of our own.
How about the nightly news? Often time the ego feels a sense of satisfaction to judge what’s going on in the world around us, either positive or negative, and man rushes to wrap himself up in current events when our dogmas and opinions are strong enough to take a strong position against this or that. The reality is that what the news and media outlets are reporting on is always biased and full of half-truths, and the ego is drawn in to the sensationalism of it. Why do media and news outlets make so much more money when something BIG is going on? Because the ego loves to be enmeshed in the next big thing.
My point is not to argue whether watching the nightly news is bad or not; that’s not the issue. I am only pointing out the ego’s proclivity to get entangled. I will argue that the same is going on behind the scenes with the Bible code. In the Christian world, it was the “next big thing” since the core message of the Bible code is a sensational one; it’s a reason to entangle the ego in what could be instead of focusing on the more important issue of spirituality: individual conscious development in the present moment.
The message of the Bible is the evolution of the soul and the development of consciousness through myth
While I believe that Drosnin’s efforts are sincere, he is himself a reporter, trained to view things from an analytical, left brain view. But true Biblical interpretation requires more than this. To understand its message, we have to go beyond literalism. Yes, Drosnin’ code can be considered esoteric because it is purportedly hidden in the text. But in one respect Drosnin’s approach is more of a literal one; it takes the original Hebrew characters and plugs them into a software program to derive meaning. Forget the beauty of the actual plot and drama of the Biblical Stories where the real meat is.
Ironically, the real truth of the Bible is found within the myth!
Joseph Campbell once stated:
“Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth–penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words. Beyond images, beyond that bounding rim of the Buddhist Wheel of Becoming. Mythology pitches the mind beyond that rim, to what can be known but not told.”
In other words, myth allows us to probes the depths of the conscious experience beyond what the literal words can relate to us. That also includes a computer program that uses Equidistant Letter Sequences to uncover future events.
A further quote from Campbell that I thought relevant here:
“Computers are like Old Testament Gods; lots of rules and no mercy.”
I also find it ironic that anyone could believe an unconscious computer program can decode a book which reveals consciousness itself through its stories and wisdom sayings. The Bible is a book of the human condition and its potential, which itself is consciousness and soul, full of emotion and will, and it is through an esoteric interpretation of the plot and symbolism in the stories and wisdom sayings that we come to understand its message.
What if the Bible Code really did have validity and reveal our future?
I do not take the above question seriously, but even if it were true, what would it matter in the end? So what? How is knowing the future really going to benefit mankind? Will it bring profound changes to consciousness? To the soul? I don’t think so.
History has already proven that if there is one thing we can learn from history, it is that mankind doesn’t learn from history. We repeat the same mistakes generation after generation. Why would it be any different to know the future?
We have to learn to focus on the present moment, and the future will take care of itself. Jesus told us to take no thought for the morrow, because today has enough in it to learn to become consciously present and aware. It’s about the kingdom within, not the kingdom without. To get caught up in something like the Bible Code would seem to me to do more to reinforce the ego, not transcend it. I am all for planning, but it is never a good idea to get so caught up in something that we put all our eggs in one basket just because something could happen.
One of the reasons Drosnin wrote the book was to warn us of a possible Apocalyptic nuclear world war, which he believed the Bible Code suggested could happen within the decade after the publication of the book. It didn’t happen of course, but in all fairness to Drosnin, he ended the book with these words:
“…the Bible Code is more than a warning. It may be the information we need to prevent the predicted disaster. ‘Code will save’ appears right above the information ‘atomic holocaust,’ just below ‘the End of Days.’ It is not a promise of salvation. It is not a threat of inevitable doom. It is just information. The message of the Bible Code is that we can save ourselves.”
As you can see, Drosnin admits that what he has uncovered “is just information” instead of some definite prophecy of world doom. In that, I have to admit he was a step above the fundamentalist who believes the Bible is about a literal Christ who will return EXTERNALLY to save some. The esoteric truth is that the return of Christ comes within the individual and is not seen with physical eyes. And I don’t think it is a “code” or even “mankind” that will save himself. Rather, it is through a commitment with one’s self to embrace the path inward and then a surrendering of one’s self to the divine. Yes, the initial decision and step is ours, but somewhere between that initial step and decision man must come to embrace that the divine within will take over and complete the process in a way that is ultimately beyond our comprehension and doing.
So where does all this leave us about the validity of the Bible Code?
Overall, I have come to the same conclusions about the Bible Code as Vernon, a Spirit of the Scripture reader who sent me the book. I think he sums it up quite nicely below:
“What these literary men in this book are actually dealing with isn’t future prognosis hidden in cryptographic style by authors who lived in the flesh, but rather and simply the beauty of cosmic order; i.e. the fashion and result of the organizational precision of the collective written word, the imprint, or signature of God. For example, an underlying explanation and point of clarity to what this so-called code is all about can be seen in Werner Heisenberg’s “Uncertainty Principle” (P.42) which posits the realization that there isn’t only one future ahead, but rather many possible ones. And it is a fundamental process of cosmic organization, such as the way Divine inspiration is with the Word, to gather the different clues and possibilities for every contingent future. And this is basically what the Hebrew bible holds for us. Perhaps that’s why the values of the arranged word characters are found only in the roots of the Hebraic text; the untainted inspiration free from alteration, interpolation and mistranslation.
And most metaphysicians will tell us that part of mankind’s function in life is creating cosmos out of chaos. And there is splendor as well as mystery to be found in the organizing processes of cosmic consciousness where the past is linked to the present. The evolution of cosmic consciousness exists both in and outside of time. And the beauty of cosmic order couldn’t be more eminently noticeable in anything other than in the Word of God itself.
If we believe, in accordance with the law of correspondences (as above so below, vice versa) that the spiritual world is holographic in much the same way our physical universe is holographic, which I believe is, then we must conclude that the cosmic collective memory (akashic records), the collective unconscious as well as the living present consciousness of mankind are all intimately related and interdependent. And the written word leaves its imprint accordingly. Notice that these terms, as metaphysical descriptions are not in the book’s index. Which leads me to believe that there must be reason why a metaphysical approach to explaining this subject, as a whole, has been avoided, at least in this present work.
Although there are sincere intentions with Drosnin and the others involved in this book, but as a project I don’t believe it is without ulterior motives, socially and politically. It’s easy for rogue elements to involve their selves in such a project which can so easily be misunderstood and abused.”
—Vernon McVety Jr.
Thanks, Vernon, for bringing this info to light and giving SOS readers the chance to consider it.
As promised earlier in the article, the links below delve into the validity of the Bible Code itself if you are interested.
https://www.maa.org/external_archive/devlin/devlin_6_98.html
http://skepdic.com/bibcode.html
http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Articles_V/torah_extracts.htm
Hi Josh,
I still remember that this book came out and it was at the time that I had just started looking into the Bible codes in the works of prof. Weinreb myself. From what I remember, the book did not appeal to me very much at the time as it was so different and did not have to do very much with interpretation, if anything at all. So I never read it. It seemed to be too sensational for my taste.
You seem to think so too. But is the book sensational, or the behaviour of people around it? As you say, people love all things sensational. They twisted around the meaning of the Bible itself too. So that does not necessarily mean anything in itself.
You write: “The message of the Bible is the evolution of the soul and the development of consciousness through myth” and “…. Forget the beauty of the actual plot and drama of the Biblical Stories where the real meat is. Ironically, the real truth of the Bible is found within the myth!”
With these statements and others, you enter the territory of “either ..or” again. What you say is true, but that does not necessarily mean that what Drosnin says is not true.
What you are referring to is esoteric interpretation and what he discovered might be something totally different.
If what he discovered is true, it may have nothing to do with interpretation of Bible texts as before the computer era no one could possibly have stumbled upon this code, but it might have been a message for people of our time, which is the end of a great cycle after all.
It may have been a warning, just like the biblical prophecies in their time, which I believe were also not the foretelling of disasters as a punishment but warnings of what would be the consequence if people kept to the course they were on. If they would listen, nothing of what had been foretold would happen. If it did happen after all, then the people had not listened to the warning. The things that happened then were the result of their own actions.
You write: “What if the Bible Code really did have validity and reveal our future?
I do not take the above question seriously, but even if it were true, what would it matter in the end? So what? How is knowing the future really going to benefit mankind? Will it bring profound changes to consciousness? To the soul? I don’t think so.”
I believe that – if this code really exists within the Bible – it does have validity. It does not reveal our future but does seem to warn us what will happen if we keep going the way we are going, but if we heed the warning, nothing will happen at all in that respect. Just like with the biblical prophecies that were given to people of other times.
That things like mentioned in this code could be foretold so precisely is maybe not as strange as it looks when we consider the fact that time as we know it does not really exist. Everything is happening all at once as I understand it.
If this code really exists, then this Mike Drosnin (did he discover it or only write about it?) discovered it just in time and we should turn away from all sensationalism and listen to the message. A message that I think is coming to the surface in esoteric Bible interpretation as well these days.
Lovr,
Anny
I am commenting on this so I get a notification when Joshua responds.
Awesome article, Joshua; and great question, Anny.
Hi Anny,
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Drosnin didn’t discover the method, but he took what others had begun developing and made it popular through his book. You could say that he took it to a whole new level when he found many significant events in through ESL that others had previously not. This is what made the method such a sensational one.
In one respect, it would be proper to say that Drosnin’s Bible Code is an esoteric work because it seeks to take what is supposedly hidden and unveil it. But I did not consider this the type of esoteric interpretation beneficial because it sidelines the message found in the myth in isolation of the myth. This is like trying to get the taste of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the peanut butter. For me the Bible is useless without consideration of the myth in any type of HIGHER interpretation beyond literal entertainment or amusement.
You stated:
“I believe that – if this code really exists within the Bible – it does have validity. It does not reveal our future but does seem to warn us what will happen if we keep going the way we are going, but if we heed the warning, nothing will happen at all in that respect.”
Again, with this suggestion you have placed yourself also in the “what if” category. We must ask ourselves: can the code have validity when other similar long works like Tolstoy’s War and Peace or Melville’s Moby Dick can also be found to contain similar codes of prophecy through the methods of ESL. Certainly we wouldn’t think that those works were written with esoteric meaning concerning doomsday prophecy for mankind to find. The human ego naturally wants to find something like this in the Bible because the Bible is already believed to be a book of religious prophecy, and this is why I believe the book has caught on so well in Christian circles.
We must also consider that the Torah is the only books of the Bible these codes are revealed in. This is most likely because they are long enough with the amount of characters it takes to generate such messages through change. Does this mean the other books aren’t valid? You see, we run into all kinds of problems if we go along with Drosnin’s theory.
I believe that Drosnin’s efforts are sincere, but I just don’t think it works. For me, the Bible’s real value is through its deeper understanding of the myth. Myth is the great work of literature that can speak to us in ways no other form of spoken and written language can because it is the language of the soul.
I do see what you mean through your comments, and they’re great points to consider, Anny, but personally I don’t think the Bible Code is going to ever be a great benefit to humanity, and I don’t think it leads people to unveiling the Bible’s true message. As you say, there are a lot of “what if’s” on both sides of the argument, so it can be hard to make a decision on something like this, but it just couldn’t resonate with it.
Hello Josh,
Thanks for your reply but I do not think that you understood what I wanted to convey.
You write: “In one respect, it would be proper to say that Drosnin’s Bible Code is an esoteric work because it seeks to take what is supposedly hidden and unveil it. But I did not consider this the type of esoteric interpretation beneficial because it sidelines the message found in the myth in isolation of the myth.”
It is clear that you do not appreciate this approach to the Bible but what I meant is that there are many levels of interpretation that might appeal to different people and that all are or might be valid. It does not mean that everyone has to be involved in all levels of interpretation but I do think that we should not judge those levels that do not appeal to us to be invalid, or useless or whatever, simply because we feel drawn to something else.
If you do not like it, just leave it but do not judge it.
When I use the word “if”, it does not mean that I am entering the “what if”-area of considering all sorts of possibilities. It just means that I have not read this book, nor studied any material about it, and as such I cannot really say whether all this is true or not. There are two possibilities here: either it is or it is not. The only thing I want to say is that if it is, then there must be a message in it, in my opinion at least, and then we should listen to it.
I also do not mean to say that now we should all set about finding out all about it. It obviously does not really appeal to any of us, but if others would find that it is in fact true, then we should listen to the message it has for us.
Further, as you wrote about an Israeli mathematician finding out about this, I automatically drew the conclusion that this could only be Hebrew original, not any translation.
Then you write: “We must also consider that the Torah is the only books of the Bible these codes are revealed in. This is most likely because they are long enough with the amount of characters it takes to generate such messages through change. Does this mean the other books aren’t valid? You see, we run into all kinds of problems if we go along with Drosnin’s theory.”
You did not write this in your article I think but the fact that only the Torah is involved speaks for it instead of against it.
The Torah has a very special place within the Bible. The other books – the prophets (Nebi’im) and writings (Ketubim) – are of less importance. The Torah is written on a scroll and read in the synagogue every Shabbat. It is the Love of the orthodox Jewish people. It is also the text that has not been changed for at least two thousand years as the Torah scribes have to be very careful that absolutely no error creeps into the text. So, if there should be a secret code hidden in the text, it would have to be in the Torah. In all other texts it would have disappeared through the centuries by changes and mistakes.
I believe that codes and signs are hidden on all levels of interpretation in the Scriptures, not only the Bible, and in nature, the seasons, the zodiac as Jakob is telling us about and probably in many more places, just to enable us to find our way back out of this world of illusion again, each in his own way and his own time.
Whether this is one of those codes, I do not know but I do not want to deny it on forehand, just because it does not speak to me.
I love the biblical phrase in Matthew 24: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:24). This information, even if true, obscures the more spiritual meaning and intent of the scriptures, in my view. I agree that this kind of sensationalism titillates the ego more than anything.
Scripture says “be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). That perfection is love, which never fails 1 Cor. 13:8), and when that which is perfect (love) comes, that which is in part shall be done away. This is what I believe to be the key and vital message of the scriptures. Love is the more excellent way.
The Bible is definitely written in code, but I don’t believe that this kind of code is productive. Although I don’t know how true this is, I’ve read that Nostradamus directly foretold over 35 prophecies, derived from his understanding of the scriptures, that ultimately came to pass. Even if those prophecies were true, what value would they have for us from a spiritual perspective, other than to convince us of the power of the prophesier, which still takes us off spiritual course? I believe that this “code” kind of thinking takes our eyes off the “prize” and puts it on things that engender fear, doubt, etc. Drosnin tells us what could happen, for example, but not how he suggests we avoid it (or at least that aspect is not addressed in this article).
I am only one person, and I don’t have to be right about this, but I am in agreement that this kind of sensationalism presents an obstacle to, or a diversion from, the intended meaning of the scriptures. With that said, everyone should follow their own path. Some may be lead to follow this teaching. Who are we to say they should not? Sometimes, (and I’m not necessarily saying this about this article), sometimes it takes getting off-track before we realize we are off-track and make the necessary correction(s).
Another great article, Josh.
Hello Paul,
I appreciate your comment and do agree that Love, Unconditional Love, is the greatest message of the Bible.
However, that does not mean that there cannot be other meanings as well, which there are, and their meaning is by no means nullified if something additional is discovered.
I do not at all say that this bible code really exists – I have never even seen the book of Mike Drosnin. let alone read it, but I only want to state that if – and that is a big if – it really exists, then we should not ignore it because we do not like it but listen to the message it has for us. And in that case there has to be a message or this code would not be there.
Love,
Anny
Hi Anny:
Looks like this is going to turn into an interesting discussion.
You said: I do not at all say that this bible code really exists – I have never even seen the book of Mike Drosnin. let alone read it, but I only want to state that if – and that is a big if – it really exists ….” (emphasis mine)
This is an interesting choice of words. This word IF can apply to anything. If Drosnin is correct, IF the Christians are correct, IF the Muslims are correct, IF the Jews are correct, etc. The way I am understanding your conclusion here (and please correct me if I’m wrong), I should not ignore anything anyone has to say because they COULD be correct, and if they are “we should not ignore it.”
What this says to me is that I should validate his view, and then if it is correct, then I should I think this approach would spread us far too wide and thin. It would also cause us to spend much too much time validating what others have to say, rather than seek the wisdom within us. Now if the wisdom within us is inspiring us to go in that direction, that is one thing, but do I need to spend an excessive amount of time validating the beliefs of others, when the spirit within me is seeking to communicate with me?
For example, there have been many people throughout history that have been erroneously imprisoned — some for many, many years — because all of the evidence pointed to their guilt, but in the final analysis they were not guilty. They were convicted of crimes they did not commit, despite all of the “signs” appearing to say otherwise. This shows that the appearance of correctness does not necessarily make it so. The people involved may have dozens of hours attempting to prove the person’s guilt, and in the process racked up a ton of evidence in favor of it, but they were wrong.
You also said in response to Robert: We have to remain open all the time to the need to change our attitude towards all other sentient beings that share this one earth with us..
This is absolutely true, but I don’t believe that having the right attitude towards others means we need to agree with everyone, because it would then become impossible for us to form our own views, which I believe to be a critical facet of spirituality. I think one of humanity’s greatest problems is a general intolerance for the beliefs of others. We need to be able to love others without necessarily agreeing with them. In this way, we are able to get along without making agreement a prerequisite. This alone would make our world a much nicer and more tolerant world. It is not really all that difficult to respect the beliefs of others without agreeing with them. We uphold the person, but not necessarily that person’s views, if in fact they do not resonate with us. In essence, we can agree to disagree, without being disagreeable.
Just my two cents.
Hi Paul,
You state: “You said: I do not at all say that this bible code really exists – I have never even seen the book of Mike Drosnin. let alone read it, but I only want to state that if – and that is a big if – it really exists ….” (emphasis mine)
This is an interesting choice of words. This word IF can apply to anything. If Drosnin is correct, IF the Christians are correct, IF the Muslims are correct, IF the Jews are correct, etc. The way I am understanding your conclusion here (and please correct me if I’m wrong), I should not ignore anything anyone has to say because they COULD be correct, and if they are “we should not ignore it.” “
I already answered this in my reply to Josh:
When I use the word “if”, it does not mean that I am entering the “what if”-area of considering all sorts of possibilities. It just means that I have not read this book, nor studied any material about it, and as such I cannot really say whether all this is true or not. There are two possibilities here: either it is or it is not. The only thing I want to say is, that if it is, then there must be a message in it, in my opinion at least, and then we should listen to it.
You then say: “What this says to me is that I should validate his view, and then if it is correct, then I should I think this approach would spread us far too wide and thin. It would also cause us to spend much too much time validating what others have to say, rather than seek the wisdom within us. Now if the wisdom within us is inspiring us to go in that direction, that is one thing, but do I need to spend an excessive amount of time validating the beliefs of others, when the spirit within me is seeking to communicate with me?”
No, I do not mean to say that now we should all set out to find out all about it. It obviously does not really appeal to any of us, but if others, who are really interested in it, were to carefully research it and find that it is in fact true, then we should listen to the message it has for us. No more than that and only then.
I definitely do not mean to say that we all should examine everything there is to examine. In that case nobody would get to accomplish anything as we would all drown in the material to be researched. We should all stick to what we are called to do and leave the rest to others who are called to that.
However, we should not judge these other subjects or methods, or the people who feel called to immerse themselves in them, only on the basis of our own feelings about them.
In fact, we should not judge at all.
You write: “You also said in response to Robert: We have to remain open all the time to the need to change our attitude towards all other sentient beings that share this one earth with us..
This is absolutely true, but I don’t believe that having the right attitude towards others means we need to agree with everyone, because it would then become impossible for us to form our own views, which I believe to be a critical facet of spirituality. …..”
In this instance I was not referring to humans but to animals and plants, and even the minerals that make up part of this earth, which I believe to be a conscious being as well. We can no longer exploit living animals and plants (like forests) or the totality of the ecosystem of planet earth as it has become most obvious that we have come close to destroying it, which is the absolute opposite of God’s command to care for it in Genesis. That is meant literally as well as symbolically, as far as I am concerned. There is no more either .. or for me in this respect.
As far as human beings are concerned, I fully agree with you here. I only do not understand why you should be of the opinion that I might think otherwise. I think that you of all people should know that I do not want everyone to agree on every subject. I frequently disagree with people, even when they are considered to be authorities in their field and I am not, but I respect everyone’s view and everyone’s right to have his own view, as long as they are respectful to others as well. You and I are prime examples of people who frequently disagree about things but are great friends nevertheless and on the way to the same goal.
We just go different ways and that is fine.
If you are referring to Mike Drosnin’s book again in this respect, I only propose to listen to the message it has for us if honest research by others shows that this code does indeed exist and has a definite message for us. We can do that and then decide for ourselves what to do about it, if anything.
That’s my two cents. Hadn’t we got on to pesos somewhere along the line? I forgot.
Love,
Anny
I meant to day (addition in bold/underscore):
What this says to me is that I should validate his view, and then if it is correct, then I should not ignore what he has to day. I think this approach would spread us far too wide and thin.
Paul,
I take the same line of reasoning. It obscures the deeper, and more important, spiritual message.
Josh, Paul, Anny,
I am taking the middle road on this issue. In this case the Bible Code book author’s technique was eventually proven to be non-conclusive because other more expert researchers proved any message can be found by this technique in any book by a computer if it is applied long enough. However, I am thinking it is egotistical to try to automatically counter any technological advance that might seem to challenge a theological perspective, no matter how much we are attached to the perspective. For instance, can computer’s have a soul. Well, they are not supposed to according to our treasured theologies, which assert such things as our souls are pre-existent and incarnate into human bodies, therefore an advanced artificial intelligence cannot posses a soul. The truth is, we simply don’t know if a computer can network with consciousness of the cosmos. This issue was explored in the TV science fiction series “Battlestar Galactica” in which the Cylons (advanced artificial replicas of people) wondered themselves if they could commune with God. I doubt if the President of the Southern Baptist Convention would allow them to. Nevertheless, we really do not know.
We are learning that animals that are closest to us on the evolutionary scale are sentient and may also have a consciousness linked to their slightly more primitive physical brains. We cannot define consciousness according to what we want it to be in order to feel good about our own concept of it, and sense of security we find in that concept. We have to stay open or we will put ourselves into a position to potentially do what the Jesuits did to Galileo.
The computer has come a long way since its inception, when Allen Turin built the first advanced thinking machine to unscramble Nazi coded messages, and the intel he was able to get prevented the war from dragging on another two years and costing millions of lives. The new movie “The Imitation Game” tells his story. It was kept a military secret until 2013. His life ended in tragedy two years later because of human ignorance. I can only imagine what his life would have been if he had learned to meditate, and what technological wonders he would have invented if he had lived.
Can artificial intelligence learn to vibrate like us? A better question would be, do we want to allow them to?
Hi Robert,
Thanks for your comment. I quite agree with your opening statements: “In this case the Bible Code book author’s technique was eventually proven to be non-conclusive because other more expert researchers proved any message can be found by this technique in any book by a computer if it is applied long enough.”
I also do not agree with this “proof” that with this technique you can find any message in any book if only you search long enough. I am sure that you will always come up with something eventually but not with such a consistent series of details that are consequently true. Given of course that they are, which I do not know, but that is another question.
And the next quote: “However, I am thinking it is egotistical to try to automatically counter any technological advance that might seem to challenge a theological perspective, no matter how much we are attached to the perspective.”
This I have found to be something almost universal whenever someone – be it scientist, scholar, theologian, historian or whatever – is confronted with something that threatens their view on things, their truth, their dogma. Then they have to deny categorically the validity of whatever has been brought up. People are interested in learning things that add to their knowledge but mostly not in things that have the possibility to invalidate it.
I have recently seen videos about research that shows that animals and even plants do have consciousness and even intelligence. That means that we do not have the right to do with them whatever we want, whether we like that or not.
We have to remain open all the time to the need to change our attitude towards all other sentient beings that share this one earth with us.
Love,
Anny
Robert,
It would throw a wrench in this discussion if a computer achieved the level of consciousness we have. This is something to consider. Some argue that our thoughts seem to be very complex algebraic expressions, but I believe there is more going on here with the “I” of the self, something which a computer will never attain, simply because it could never be a part of the whole. You might be interested in an article published in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy about Leibniz’s philosophy of mind.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/leibniz-mind/
Liebniz’s ultimate beliefs are a little hard to pin down and everyone seems to disagree on exactly what he was saying, but it couldn’t hurt to try, and may even give you a different perspective.
All,
Thinking a little more along the middle road, the human spirit or other external spiritual forces might influence a mechanical method of divination. In the case of ESL, you end up finding what you are looking for by telling the computer what to recognize as an important match. In the case of Gematria or Tarot, it can be a personal thing as to how one participates with the process. So even though ESL might have been shown to be faulty, in regard to Rabin’s assignation it might have been a legitimate warning that was unfortunately ignored.
Even seers with good reputations are known to make gross errors. So the fact that ESL predicted a nuclear war that never happened is excusable on those grounds.
We probably cannot stem the tide of mass sensationalism. It is an exaggerated process that gets the word out on something new and unusual. We should be thankful that there are checks and balances after that damage is done. We often don’t like skeptics who burst our bubbles, but we need them, and they need us.
Vern brought up an interesting point regarding the holographic projection theory. If our experience is a result of data on some surface that is then projected into our four dimensional holograph of a world, then we are likely to start discovering anomalies in that projection, events that are strange but not consistent, maybe a peak into the future or past with unsteady accuracy. The Star Trek crew would often notice these anomalies when they used the holodeck.
All,
I have one more comment. This one is on the left side of the road. Some may think I am being mischievous.
The drawback of ESL is that it makes a superficial comparison between strings of words found equidistant in a book with a person or event in our world, without tracing cause and effect. Why is this event going to happen, and in what manner? Or why should we trust the prediction? Perhaps it is a form of leaping without looking, and we all know what happens to the acrobatic show off who dives into a pool without water. Oops.
How much of new age theology is also based on impulse comparisons, by judging a book by its cover. Intuition is good to have but it is not our savior. In fact, some lower levels of intuition are responsible for racial discrimination, homophobia, and maybe even churchaphobia.
Let us pretend that I am concerned about my spiritual path. I started out doing mediation because it helped me see things differently in a way that I decided improved my life. People from the old school warned me that it would lead me astray from the faith. I could not see at the time how it could do any harm.
Now, sometime later, everything I believed has been challenged. Salvation is no longer exclusively through the church. They say the Gospel may not be historical. They say Jesus did not die for me. My way of praying using ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) is considered a waste of time. Meditation is now my salvation, but maybe it is just an exercise that changes perception a little, and people have played it up into a new religion and philosophy, just like hippies did with mind-altering drugs. Maybe I have fallen for a subtle form of newfangled sensationalism, and have lost my trust in the old rugged cross. Have I been led astray?
Robert, this is an awesome comment, and I feel you every step of the way.
First, I believe life is a progression. Just a few minutes ago I was speaking with a friend that asked me if I still believed that we can communicate with the dead. She said that while at one point she believed that, she is no longer sure about it.
Her beliefs are thus evolving.
The same is true for all of us. We are ever evolving. It is all a process, and this is one of the biggest reasons why we should never condemn another. Our journeys all begin from different points, and none of us are anywhere close to where we will ultimately end up. “Racial discrimination, homophobia … churchaphobia,” and any other phobias we may have are merely NOW experiences (for those so “infected”) that only denote where we have come to so far. “Christ consciousness” always follows the flesh, and this takes an “awakening.” When we judge another, we are judging ourselves, for we who judge are doing the same things. That doesn’t mean we are doing the exact same thing, but that we are suffering from the same spiritual illness.
Awakened consciousness is an experience that no one can give us. We cannot learn it studying esoteric literature, and we cannot learn it by sharing thoughts and experiences with others. These things can help us in our journey, but they cannot take us to our ultimate destination. Thus, New Age, Church Age, philosophy, religion — none of these can give us raised consciousness.
Just as I don’t believe the person of Christ ever truly existed, neither do I believe in the literal existence of the Apostle Paul, but I have learned much from the spiritual meaning of the Apostle Paul (and the lessons I learned are the reasons that I changed the name by which I desire to be addressed from Bernard (my first name) to Paul (my middle name), back in early 2012.
I believe the meaning of the Apostle Paul to be one who awakens. If you will recall, on the road to Damascus, Paul sees a light and hears a voice. The others with him “hear a voice but see no man.” Thus, Paul actually hears God for himself. This constitutes the awakening. Then when we come to understand what the Apostle Paul truly represents, we find this mind-boggling scripture in 1 Cor. 3:5 (mind-boggling because I am absolutely certain most of you have never seen this scripture before), even as I had not before about 2008:
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers
by whom ye believed, EVEN AS THE LORD
GAVE TO EVERY MAN?”
Fascinating! Every man has a Paul and an Apollos within himself. This is that self-awakening that the scriptures are speaking about. When we look to man for our answers, we are breaking the Seventh Commandment, the command to not commit adultery, and this is what the commandment really means — cease looking to man for your answers. It is Christ IN YOU that is the hope of glory.
That last sentence may need to be read multiple times. It is NOT an easy concept to grasp.
People are always going to judge you, Central to the spiritual warfare theme is the concept of not allowing yourself to be judged by others. Of course you cannot stop people from judging you. That’s not what is meant by the scripture. What it means is don’t give in to other people’s judgments. I can tell you from experience, this is some of the hardest spiritual labor you will ever put forth. This is the meaning of David killing the lion and the bear (symbolic of men whose teeth are spears, and whose tongues are sharp swords (Ps. 57:4)).
Finally, straight is the gate and narrow is the way to life, and few are there that find it. This “finding” to me denotes “seeking,” or “searching.” The great problem is, we are eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Another way of saying this is “cursed be the man that trusts in man” (Jer. 17:5). We are counseled not to eat from that tree, but we do so anyway, and thus are prevented by that “flaming sword that forever protects the way to the tree of life” (Gen. 3:24).
Eternal life is within each one of us, and as the Indian sage says, “because God sought to hide himself from man where he would never find him, he ultimately hid himself within man’s heart, for man would never look there.”
Robert, if we are truly part of the one, simply as a limited extension, then meditation is said to be one path to achieving integration. I believe mind has the potential to see both perspectives, but the ego only allows us to experience one. Meditation is a way of helping to open our perspectives and transcending our limited perspectives.
I don’t think your way of praying is a waste of time, either. Thanksgiving and supplication never are. These are positive emotions that are part of the wonderful experience of duality, even through the ego. Salvation is the aspect of being complete, to becoming one through a profound realization beyond the understanding of the intellect. I don’t think we should consider where we are not “saved,” but rather part of the conscious experience on the path to a much greater perspective. Salvation is about the liberation of the soul from our limited experiences and understanding through the lower nature.
I must admit that I cannot fully explain this process because I have never experienced what some consider enlightenment. I am on the journey as you, but my limited experiences in life and some of the more profound moments experienced during meditation lead me to believe it is all true. It is thus faith, but I feel that it is an experiential faith.
Hi All,
Great conversation!
I’m in agreement with the following post excerpts from both Josh and Vernon:
Josh wrote:
“My point is not to argue whether watching the nightly news is bad or not; that’s not the issue. I am only pointing out the ego’s proclivity to get entangled. I will argue that the same is going on behind the scenes with the Bible code. In the Christian world, it was the “next big thing” since the core message of the Bible code is a sensational one; it’s a reason to entangle the ego in what could be instead of focusing on the more important issue of spirituality: individual conscious development in the present moment”.
Vernon Wrote:
“Although there are sincere intentions with Drosnin and the others involved in this book, but as a project I don’t believe it is without ulterior motives, socially and politically. It’s easy for rogue elements to involve their selves in such a project which can so easily be misunderstood and abused.
My own view:
Not having read this publication, which I’m sure makes for interesting reading, I can only respect those who have, particularly those whom I know are coming from an esoteric or Higher Self level of spiritual understanding. And, of course, that includes Anny, Paul, Robert and others here on SOS without saying.
Attempting Revelation through this method, to me, sounds like spiritual exploitation. I say this because, having undergone many translations, not to mention its questionable chronological sequencing, “the Bible” cannot be pined down to a definitive premise point (of translation) from which to proceed with decoding. I agree with Robert’s quoted individual: ‘that this decoding formula could be applied to any book’.
I find when the ego is introduced to, and tempted with, words such as “Secret Codes” or “historical secrets”, it latches onto this word picture fantasy, then creates a form of dreamland to vacate to for a while in evolution. An escape mechanism or distraction away from some unpleasant reality to be faced up to in our life, in our sub conscious: that the kingdom of God is found within through a transforming consciousness.
Publications as these, I feel, attempt to create a new follower-ship, a new or different digitized “lost spiritual horizon” that needs to be discovered, traversed, where the illusion-based ego can fantasize in comfort. A kind of computerized “hope zone” where additional material from the publisher will some day validate this conditioning. From the publishers perspective, Bible Code offers such a way of manipulation, thereby maybe achieving a critical mass, thereby, power and control. Dogma and Religion come to mind. BE MINDFUL of who you invite as teachers into your already “All-knowing” inner Christ Being!
When will exploitative publishers realize, that, the donkey has gotten wise, has gotten wings, has bypassed the dangling carrot, the media-created mirage. He (the donkey) won’t be fooled again. Through awakening he’s not going to follow another glamorized illusion, a computerized carrot in the hope of reaching a digital promised land. There’s no need for us to behave as woolly sheep followers anymore. The map to Heaven has already been decoded…on this blog, and by other biblical scholars! Let us study these Archives.
The focus, in my view, should be on developing the real hidden secret: Theta brain speed (4—7 cycles per second) and Delta brain wave frequency (1—3 cps). At these levels of stillness, of transcendence, biblical decoding will inner reveal quite spontaneously in consciousness: it will reveal what You / Soul / Christ already know. But, that, it needs coming upon by way of the brain attuning out of the higher market place Beta brain speed of between 20/30 cps, to encounter at least 4-7 lower cps. This form of regular transcendence brings about cosmic or bliss consciousness.
When these brain levels have been experienced, explored and modified into our physiology, made permanent within as our everyday consciousness, thus Divine Love will most definitely be our experience. Books, as the above, will not be so attractive to the lower ego, for there will be no ego to be tempted as previously. All answers will then naturally be sought through the Self-inquiry process, through our highly developed Theta / Delta brain speed consciousness. Which, amounts to direct Pure contact with our own inner Christ.
Blessings
Raymond
Raymond,
You stated:
“I find when the ego is introduced to, and tempted with, words such as “Secret Codes” or “historical secrets”, it latches onto this word picture fantasy, then creates a form of dreamland to vacate to for a while in evolution. An escape mechanism or distraction away from some unpleasant reality to be faced up to in our life, in our sub conscious: that the kingdom of God is found within through a transforming consciousness.”
Great way of putting it. Following after such revelations don’t transform the individual, they simply sidetrack the individual.
I am in full agreement with you, Josh. I have reached a level in my spiritual growth, where, for myself personally, I easily sense what is good for my continued growth and what is impeding it, therefore would only prolong it. I know, as you do, that my only focus should be on my own spiritual path, striving to live by the golden rule at every turn and relying less and less on the outside world for truth. As I gain more knowledge and the wisdom to use it through meditation, I’m finding that books had their purpose for me when I was in a half asleep half awake state; but with what I know now through the bible’s true meanings, no other books have the substance my soul seeks; unless someone writes a book compiling all of the mythological interpretations of the bible into one book…hint hint…I haven’t been drawn to read any in over a year. It’s not to say that I haven’t had family or friends suggest I read a particular book, and in order to know what they’re discussing with me about it, I will begin reading it, but am led away from it because it’s nothing new that I haven’t already known only written with a different twist using different labels. Therefore, I end up only reading about a quarter of it if that. And not only that, but most books I’ve read could be half or even a quarter of its length, if all the repetition was left out. Just another way to preoccupy my precious time.
Thanks, Josh. I resonate fully with the thought that books like this one can only do one thing, at least for me, keep me from what’s most important–my spiritual work–by having my attention focused outside of myself, which won’t get me anywhere but wrapped up in the ego.
Be blessed, be well!
Eva