Many of you have probably heard about all the catastrophic events that were supposed to happen on the earth sometime in September 2015. John Hagee, declared a prophet by many mainstream Christians, gave some the idea that the conclusion of the fourth and final Blood Moon from 2014-2015 would usher in a major change on the earth, a change so grand it would affect all our lives in a measurable way as it relates to the mainstream Christian idea of God and a divine plan. Other, less notable preachers, stated the Second Coming of Christ would be at hand by September’s end. Of course none of these things have so far materialized. And they won’t—at least not according to mainstream evangelistic Christian view. The second coming of Christ is not a literal event. As most here know, it’s about something measurable within the individual, not without. In fact the entire Bible was written as a psychological evaluation and guidebook of the human soul. It’s brilliant. It’s poignant. It’s honest. But it’s NOT literal. Exact dates predicted to usher in the Second Coming or the end of the world will never materialize because all these events signify the natural process whereby salvation takes place within us. And that is the true Second Coming, the true seat of Christ. Besides, the concept of the Rapture would be in direct violation of an Old Testament scripture that states:
“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever” (Eccl. 1:4).
The above author understood that the earth was the symbol for matter, the vehicle that will forever carry and help evolve the soul. The Rapture could not do that because it could never impart the complex experience needed to evict true change within the individual. The Rapture concept only embraces a brief scare tactic that could never invoke a genuine incorporation of the truth gained through the process the ancients called gnosis (knowledge gained through direct experience).
That being said, I want to briefly address a scripture this evening that used to perplex me. It states,
“Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves…As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven” (John 6: 53, 57, 58).
The above would be a very strange scripture if it were taken literally, correct? The same can be said for all scriptures used to prove a literal Rapture or Second Coming, but history and culture has veiled that pretty well for us. However that last scripture isn’t so easy to mask, or to unveil. The language seems archaic, ambiguous, and cryptic, even to mainstream Christians. So what does it mean?
Before we continue, consider the fact that the Egyptians used to use the metaphor of “eating their god” quite often. It’s an apt one, because before it is necessary to even try and understand the esoteric language, all we have to do is consider the natural one to decode it. Didn’t Paul state something to the effect of, first in the natural and then in the spiritual?
We instinctively understand that “eating” requires an ingestion and an assimilation of something into the body. When we assimilate food, we digest it, which in turn means we break down the nutrients in a way that the body is able to utilize for the purpose of energy and growth. Without this first breaking down and subsequent assimilation process, the body would die. It is the same for spiritual growth.
Flesh has always been a symbol of the lower nature in esoteric circles. But what about the flesh of Jesus?
The flesh of Jesus, which is the same as the manna of heaven in the Old Testament, is a symbol of truth. The life of Jesus as told in the New Testament bears witness to this concept. His life, as it unfolds in full dramatized detail, is the story of the universal human soul and the process it must go through in order to transcend the mortal experience and birth the spiritual Christ within. Therefore eating the flesh of Christ simply means to partake of the natural process whereby experience eventually leads the soul and the lower nature to conform to the higher nature. As Gaskell has stated,
“Except the qualities assimilate the outer Truth-nature of the Son of God born of mind, and partake of his divine life, they are of the lower nature, dead, transitory.”
Since the mind is often a symbol of the higher self, the Son of God being born to the mind is simply the acquisition of truth in which the lower nature conforms to the higher.
Jesus did nothing more than make a very simple spiritual statement, as did the Egyptian priest before Him. That is, without the assimilation of truth, our lower natures remain dead, and our life experiences remain transitory because everything we have experienced, as it remains outside of the assimilation of truth, will fade with the ego, and the human soul can only experience the Old Testament writer’s thought: “one generation passes away and another arises.” Devoid of truth, of the eating of Christ’s flesh, this statement seems only transitory.
I truly understand all the modern so-called prophet’s efforts to bring about salvation and God’s message on earth. I was once a mainstream evangelical Christian. At heart, most are good people simply trying to help save the world. But salvation is not so trivial!
As these times that we are in progress, let us remember that no one can predict an exact date for the Second Coming. As Jesus stated, no man knows the hour. In essence, that means the day as well. Why? Because true salvation is much more grandeur. The scale is much more encompassing.
Blessings!
Excellent article Joshua… Kudos!
I found this post an hour before reading your article, synchronicity is amazing, God works in mysterious ways! ;o)
“In English Gematria the words JESUS and LIGHT both sum to 27. Little do most Christians know that ‘Christ’ is a reference to the dynamic energy that resides dormant within them, also known as the Christ Consciousness. This internal power may be harnessed and RAISED up to awaken the human being to higher states of awareness. So often we hear religious literalists exclaim ‘PRAISE Jesus!’ and yet the true message and meaning behind this phrase has been largely misunderstood. To PRAISE JESUS is to RAISE the LIGHT within you. In no way shape or form does the contemporary idolizing of Jesus pay any respect to this supposed man who ‘died for our sins.’ The praising of Jesus, a MAN who may or may not have lived two thousand years ago, is not how one ultimately unifies with the divine. Do you want to be a good Christian? Do you want to worship Jesus? Well, the best way to do that is to start honoring and working with the LIGHT within yourself.”
– Claudia Pavonis
Nice esoteric perspective; while at the same time some people can never attain to the power of seeing within without having something to believe in externally, praising jesus being the beginning and formative stage of that power leading to our conscious depths. That first letter “p” means a lot. And more than what some of us may think. At least that’s how it was for me. Perhaps that’s what you were trying to get to. Just needed a little polishing.
Carlos, one more brief sentiment: the spirit inhabits praise. Biblically powerful. I should have included that. Blessings, – Vern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvKHPTMZI7E
You say “His life, as it unfolds in full dramatized detail, is the story of the universal human soul and the process it must go through in order to transcend the mortal experience and birth the spiritual Christ within.” But Jesus was a real man, isn’t it?
It’s like there is not difference between his life and his spiritual life, his exterior life and his interior life. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” or like the Hearth sutra “Form is empty. Emptiness is form”.
Maybe, this is the path, that your interior and exterior life go hand by hand, like Jesus did.
Thanks
I love this! I was just rethinking the ceremony of communion this past weekend. I watched part of the Pope’s Mass and observed his leadership during communion. So many followers take this literally. Although I believe most of the Bible is literal, I love this explanation! Taking away the literal meaning and thinking deeper causes certain verses to make more sense. This is a prime example. It is my prayer that more people can study the scripture and take away the true meaning!
Megan
The body of Christ is the bread of life. This bread is what keeps and sustain us in Christ consciousness. Christ consciousness or the he that is greater in you is home(Psalms 90:1-2). This is critical in spiritual progression because not only we need to be still but KNOW… Know who we are aka the new man: Christ consciousness! This teaching is important because the Kingdom of Heaven is within us(Luke 17:20-21), in fact, the church of Ephesus in the book of Revelation is the our Root Chakra! Why? Because the new man is our first love, and if we deny that, we deny ourselves(spiritual regression). For those coming to Christ Consciousness knowledge, make your home, your refuge, the rock of ages, your dwelling place where you and. your higher self meet(Colossians 2:6-7). Blessings!!!
Let Christ consciousness be your dwelling place, He is the greater in you(us), than he(ego/devil consciousness) that’s of the world.
Blessings!!!
Wonderful post Joshua, and so clear!
Learning through direct and challenging experiences is the main reason for the incarnation of so many souls on this planet. Our souls have known the importance of these learnings … for the greater good of the individual as well as the whole. I believe the Bible was actually designed / intended to help us with our lessons, and it was known back then that we’d need ongoing help to keep on the path … and to just keep going. It’s just that somehow the meanings of the Bible were misinterpreted.
I believe that people would be more empowered (to take charge of their growth) and more uplifted at the same time if what you write here was the mainstream understanding of spirituality. Humanity would make a lot more progress, quickly. That’s why it’s vital that messages like yours spread with alacrity.
Best wishes,
Christine
Amazing insight. Makes alot of sense, glad i found your blog. I began bible journaling the other week, and i can already see that reading this wisdom of symbolism and tne cloaked meaning of the literal events that have symbolic spiritual info underlying, i am going to have a heyday journaling showing the keys to wisdom in the imagery as i go.
Joshua-
It as been awhile to this blog. Glad to see that you have been graced with
the Spirit of Truth that Source is You. That you are the co-pilot. A Sun of God.
For you:
God serves those who serve themselves for it serves God well to serve itself.
imo the flesh and blood of christ can be taken literally, the flesh and blood saturated with spirit.
the process of eating transforming it into our own.
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. [+] 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
This is esoteric language people. What Jesus is saying is that the letters in the verses are His flesh and it the bread. Behind the letters are numbers which is His blood. This is revealing that in the KJV bible only you must convert the letters in the verses into numbers using simple english gematria A=1—Z=26 which is Golden Ratio 1618. The Word is simple math problems. This is the work you must do to have saving faith and eternal life and not dead faith. This is the Lord’s supper and communion.
Below is an example of who is the beast of Rev. 13:18.
Rev.13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
God didn’t say the number is 666. God said the number is SIX HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIX and to count it. We must use Simple English Gematria to count the number.
Simple English Gematria A=1———-Z=26
SIX HUNDRED THREESCORE AND SIX = 19+9+24 + 8+21+14+4+18+5+4 + 20+8+18+5+5+19+3+15+18+5 + 1+14+4 + 19+9+24 = 313
VLADIMIR VLADIMIROVICH PUTIN = 22+12+1+4+9+13+9+18 + 22+12+1+4+9+13+9+18+15+22+9+3+8 + 16+21+20+9+14 = 313
God said count the number, so we have 26 letters in the number. We need to count TWENTY AND SIX to get his birth date.
TWENTY = 20+23+5+14+20+25 = 107
AND = 1+14+4 = 19
SIX = 19+9+24 = 52
10-7-1952 Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin birth date and is the Beast.