What is the Biblical resurrection? Sadly, there is much misinformation on the subject leading to wild claims. To get a glimpse of what the true resurrection is, I am going to use the Old Testament concepts from the story of Cain and Abel, and then link it back to 1 Corinthians chapter 15. This chapter is greatly misunderstood by mainstream religion, so we’ll correct the fallacies and try to get a grip on what Paul meant.
Understanding the Biblical resurrection must come from a greater understanding of ourselves. The story of Cain and Abel fills in some important concepts for us.
The Symbolic Nature of Cain and Abel
Much of the esoteric nature of of the Bible is hard to interpret, but the story of Cain and Abel is relatively simple. The clues aren’t even hidden. They’re blatant! Let’s break it down.
The straightforward version: Adam and Eve conceive twin brothers. Cain comes first, then Abel. Cain is a tiller of the ground. Abel tends sheep. When the time comes, they both bring an offering to the Lord. For no apparent reason (at least not one revealed directly in the text), the Lord rejects Cain’s offering. But God accepts Abel’s offering of sheep. Is the Lord discriminatory against vegetables? Or maybe he just hates brussel sprouts and broccoli?
All joking aside, the key to understanding the deeper spiritual significance of the story is actually in their vocations. Cain was doomed from the beginning. Let’s see why…
Ancient adepts wrote this story to explain the very early stages of the One consciousness expressing itself through human kind. Adam and Eve being expelled from the garden symbolizes spirit expressing itself in duality on the lowest (physical) plane. Cain and Abel are two different paths the soul can take. One path aspires back towards unity with God (Abel), and the other (Cain), being unaware of this path back to unity, or even that there is unity, remains rooted in separateness, illusion, and the “I” feeling that consciousness experiences in duality on the physical plane. In many ways, the story of Cain and Abel represents the first metaphysical struggle between our lower and higher self.
Abel is that beginning aspiration which seeks to establish consciousness in the higher self through love and unity, while Cain is that which is rooted in the lower ego, and is only concerned with “I,” or “me.” As this very early stage of human consciousness, Cain always prevails over Abel.
Cain and the Ground
Cain is a tiller of the ground. The ground is a symbol of the lower nature within the soul. Think of the ground as the lowest point of involution of spirit, or the one consciousness, in physical matter. Cain is the personality and lower mind that fully functions at the beginning of incarnating into physicality.
God could never accept Cain’s offering, because his labor as a tiller of the ground symbolizes humans operating through the lower mind only. Paul tells us the carnal mind is at enmity with God. The carnal mind is not just sensations (physical), it is the entire personality comprised of mental, emotional, and physical consciousness at its lowest point of involution with the human (i.e., the ground).
Sidenote: For someone wanting to see the bigger picture, the line of Cain, metaphorically speaking, represents those living and staying in the lower ego. Adam and Eve’s next line, with Seth, represents mankind who aspires, through stages of consciousness, to transcend the lower ego experience and expands his or her awareness as symbolized in Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Solomon, Elijah, and Christ.
The First Murder was Metaphysical
Of course in the narrative Cain gets very upset. God tells him sin (separation and illusion) is always before him, but if he does well (seeks the higher self through through virtues and love like Abel), he will be accepted. And of course Cain cannot do this. Remember what the Apostle Paul also states:
“Because the mind set on flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be” (Romans 8:1).
“The mind set on flesh” is the carnal or lower nature. Again, Cain signifies one whose mind is set on flesh because he is a tiller of the ground.
You see! Poor Cain never had a chance! In fact, just understanding all this could make us predict would Cain would do next even if we hadn’t read the story. He kills Abel! The lower ego rejects love, always. Anytime we act from the lower aspect of ourselves, we act out of fear and survival. Keep in mind this isn’t literal. Cain never actually murdered a person. This whole fiasco is symbolic of the lower nature killing that aspect which seeks the higher nature / self. Why? Because it must in the early stages of consciousness evolution. It is always at enmity with God.
What about Abel? The sheep that Abel tends are symbolic of virtues. Christ said his sheep hear his voice. These are ever the virtues that the soul can become rooted in around the Christ nature, drawing the soul closer and closer back to unity with God. But in Cain, the lower nature kills that aspect of our soul which chooses to tend to the (sheep) virtues.
One more important point about Cain as a tiller of the ground: As Gaskell states, the lower nature must be sown and tilled to truly reap fruit. This long process of sowing, tilling, and reaping in the soul is what the soul’s sojourn on earth is all about. The soul that lives in ignorance, will need to be sown, tilled, and reaped over and over (karma and reincarnation) until that ego realizes it’s wretchedness and aspires towards something greater than it’s limited self.
Next, God banished Cain from his presence. Cain is banished to the Land of Nod. Nod represents the land where the personality is in total control of the soul, and is at the mercy of the desire-nature, rooted in total separateness of the true self. The personality is expressed through the physical, mental, and emotional consciousness rooted in this illusory separation. These aspects of us, thoughts, emotions and sensations (all three manifested in the physical temple) always begin the journey away from God’s presence in the land of Nod. At first, no man knows God, and the illusion of separateness through the ego is our Nod experience.
Cain’s Wife a Blatant Clue
Cain even gets a wife in Nod. Again, not a literal woman. The term “wife” is always symbolic of the emotion nature allied with the mind (man). This is what the personality is! This shows the template for the lower nature made up of thought and emotion exhibited through the physical body.
He is sent to the land of “Nod,” which is symbolic of being driven (or separate in illusion) from the presence of the Lord (higher self). Remember, the lower nature is at enmity with God and can never bring an offering (from the flesh) that would ever please God.
When Paul speaks of the carnal mind, or the mind of flesh, he is speaking of the lower nature in its entirety, which again, comprises the personality manifested through thoughts, emotions, and sensations within the physical temple. This is why Cain is allowed to get away with murder and begin a new journey with a mark to protect him. No matter how corrupt the lower nature is, it always has the chance (through many lives), to evolve through the experiences of adversity and suffering. Early humanity spent many incarnations doing this.
Abel doesn’t do much. But his symbolic meaning is the important part. Even in the beginning, the soul has aspirations towards something that is higher and greater than the limited ego rooted in the personality. For much of early humanity, it was just killed by our twin (within us) before it accomplished anything except the faintest of beginnings of a new consciousness experience.
The Template has been Set
Now we can begin to talk about Paul’s concept of resurrection. We understand from earlier Biblical stories (and not just Cain and Abel), that the lower nature, or the “I” feeling we all have, is comprised of a tri-part nature, or temple. Mind = thoughts, emotions, physical temple. All three make up the lower self. This is the grand illusion, and it is a very small and limited manifestation of who you really are.
The Apostle Paul understood this lower nature of man quite well. In fact, at times he seems completely annoyed by it. He states, that which I would do, I don’t. And that which I would not do, I do! It’s like the Abel in him is killed over and over and he admits it in frustration. But no worries. Paul also understands the power of the Christ within us, our hope of Glory, who is able to resurrect this lower self and cause a union of it with the higher self. And it is only the power of Christ manifested in our complete temple that can affect this transformation of the mind.
Yes! Christ is resurrected in a physical body, but it’s your physical body. One that is still alive. Not a body that’s already been literally put in the ground. He’s resurrected in your body! Most humans are past the Nod stage, but you still have to manifest an Abraham within you first that cuts covenant, or an agreement with God the higher self through faith. This is where the real journey begins. Abraham is the father of faith because he is symbolic of the divine nature becoming active in the soul by leaving his former land of the ego and traveling to a land that God will give to his seed. This is the Promised Land, and it is nothing like Nod. In fact, it is not a State of consciousness rooted only in the personality and lower ego, but a State of consciousness that receives the blessings of milk and honey (higher emotions – wisdom). Wisdom of what? Wisdom that comes from the intuition, the true reality, that is not separate from God. It is the spiritual food from above which transcends the human mind and intellect, and it is a remembering of where you came from before your descent (incarnation in matter).
Paul’s Resurrection is Purely Metaphysical
By this point in the article, you’ve already guessed it. Paul’s Resurrection is only metaphysical. The physical body will die. Your personality is fleeting. The labels and memories that make up who you are as the personality in this life, in the earthly vessel, will pass away. But the “who” you think you are now through labels and memory is really but a very tiny and limited aspect of your higher self. Paul knew this fact. He never ever spoke about a resurrection where literal physical bodies (along with all the thoughts and emotions and memories) would be put all back together from the grave. All his writings are spiritual in nature. Paul states flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Paul also taught that Christ must be fully resurrected within the individual which is this great process and the completion of the renewing of the mind of man. Not just a transformation of the lower mind, but a union of lower mind with the spiritual mind and higher self. When Christ is all in all within the individual, the higher spiritual mind and emotions are in unity, being ruled by the higher self or Christ within. This is why Jesus also taught seek ye first the kingdom of God, which is within you. Paul’s vision of Christ on the road to Damascus indicates this realization. Paul speaks of this in Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 15: 3-8
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received; how that Christ died for us according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he arose again the third day according to the scriptures; And that he was seen of cephas, then of the twelve.”
Let’s break down some more symbols here. Cephas, or Peter, signifies the natural man, or the ego. The natural man must first perceive that there is a spiritual truth higher than himself. This is the first step, and it is why Paul writes esoterically, mentioning Cephas first. Cephas is the little rock that God’s kingdom is first built upon.
The twelve are the disciples, which are symbolic of the soul qualities which have completed an initiation into the Christ-soul. Even Jesus went up to Jerusalem at twelve years of age for the feast (Luke 2:42). There are twelve signs of the Zodiac, twelves tribes, twelve disciples, and twelve apostles. All indicate the same. Now let’s continue quoting 1 Corinthians:
“After that he was seen of five hundred brethern at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James, then all the Apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also.”
What 500 signifies is too complicated to go into here, and would take another post about the book of Ezekiel to explain (maybe another day). But James is a symbol for the mind and enlightenment.
According to Gaskell: James is “…the mental edifice of the human being, that is, the mentality or instrument of the mind, which is built up by the soul-qualities through aspiration and enlightenment.”
Are we beginning to see a pattern here? Paul’s revelation of the Christ begins with the natural man, progresses through the soul qualities, goes through the state of James, and then to himself.
Notice how Paul then states Christ was seen of him also. Paul’s statement here indicates that Christ appeared to everyone in the same way. How did Christ appear to Paul? Again, read the road to Damascus. It wasn’t Jesus in a physical body that appeared to him. It was a bright light on the road to Damascus, indicating an experience within consciousness. Paul’s risen Christ is always metaphysical in nature. Paul never speaks of a virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, his early life, etc. Why? This was not important to Paul. Only the resurrected Christ is, which is the power within you. When Paul mentions Jesus as the son of David, he is still speaking allegorically.
Finally, Paul follows James as the last (and in many ways the greatest) apostle to see the resurrected Christ because Paul is symbolic of the mind being transformed by the Christ. His boasting in the New Testament has nothing to do with being the greatest Apostle. He’s simply the mind which has realized the Christ, and still has to correct the natural man (Peter) through life. Paul gives a sharp rebuke to Peter in Galatians. This rebuke is not between two people. The rebuke is about the natural man (Peter) still wanting to be in charge of the soul rather than the Christ, and getting mixed up from time to time!
Final Thoughts on the Resurrection and what it is that is resurrected
I am going to quote Gaskell on the resurrection:
“A symbol of the rising of the Higher Self from the potential to the actual in the minds of humanity: also the rising of the indwelling or incarnate Self from the lower nature ot the higher at the end of the cycle. In relation to the egos, the resurrection signifies the rising of the cosnciousess from the lower mind to the higher in the causal-body at the cycle’s end…”
For beginners, don’t let the language confuse you. The Christ seed is sown by the word. In the beginning, it is only a potential and has not been actualized yet. But the word is not actually the Bible. The word is Christ itself, this power within you that must germinate to bear fruit. I have a great respect of my Christian heritage, even my first church, because it gave me an appreciation for the allegories meant to awaken something already within me. But I realized after many years that my church leaders were more interested in doctrine and doing “good deeds” to follow Christ. But this is not his message. Good deeds are great, but often have very little to do with the transforming of the mind that Paul spoke of. Doctrine and religion still seek Christ through the personality and lower mind, which although can do much good, it is still not the direct realization of Christ within you. The causal body that Gaskell speaks of is a the body of the spiritual ego (not to be confused with the lower mind and ego). The aspects of the personality are attached to it, and come forth from it, but the higher mind, the Christ mind, is established in the causal body, and is not dissolved with death like the personality. The resurrection symbolizes the raising of this lower mind to come into union with the higher mind at some point in human consciousness. Every human life has the potential to express Christ consciousness through the physical body. Those who actualize it are those sheep that hear and follow Christ’s voice – the wisdom gleaned from above by seeking the inner kingdom within each individual, and the higher virtues received through the wisdom-love nature that the higher self contains. More of this to come in future posts.
So what is the resurrection? Let’s simplify it like this: the infinite, limitless POTENTIAL of the self cannot express itself (become actualized) in the physical temple, unless…
The self transcends the mind, beyond the physical, emotional, and thinking machine that it is, while still in the physical temple. When this Transcendence takes place, this awakening, this enlightenment, this realization of itself, then the “I-ness” of the self is retained within the physical temple, while on earth, and the self is thus resurrected. And the union, the Divine marriage, of the lower and higher self is consummated. This is the immortality spoken about in the Bible. This immortality does not mean of the physical body, but of bringing awareness of the self, through direct realization, into death, where the individual remains aware and does not fall alseep (go into complete unconsciousness until the next birth).
Blessings.
Does that means we will born again and again (in different bodies) til we achieve the connection?
Arthur…
Yes, this is what I believe is firmly established in all the ancient wisdom religions which have not been corrupted. However, no one should ever take anyone else’s word at face value. It should be contemplated and investigated.
I used to be against reincarnation. Of course this was during my early Christian upbringing. I had read Paul’s words where he states man has one life and then the judgement, and I took this as Paul stating it wasn’t true. But this was only because of my very limited understanding of what reincarnation was. In fact, even within reincarnation, the personality of the lower self does get one life, and then a type of judgement is meant. And then it is dissolved. But the personality is attached to the higher spiritual ego, and in the next life another is created. So there is no scriptural contradiction. Most that read Paul don’t have a good grasp on the complex language and symbolism he uses to teach bigger picture spiritual truths.
If we really want to believe that a fair and just God would expect everyone to get one chance at life, even though we are all born in diverse situations (some with immense hardship and terrible influences), then I don’t really see HOW? Reincarnation and Karma (the Biblical saying of reaping what we sow) is the only thing that makes sense. After I began understanding more about consciousness, what it is and how it works, and through some personal investigation and experiences in contemplation, it became apparent to me that reincarnation is the only thing that could make sense. Of course everyone will not agree.
We must also know our history. The Byzantine emperor Justinian most likely did away with reincarnation, which if the facts are correct, shows that it was so widespread and already taught in the Christian community that it merited someone so powerful and important actually care about abolishing it.
Again, everyone has to investigate for themselves. I hope that helps!
Josh
Brilliant breakdown, Josh! I wish more people would come around to interpreting the Bible this way. It’s so much more soul-satisfying. All of the discrepancies seem to fall away and it finally starts to make sense. I love what you do. Keep it up. Now get back to work on that book! 😁
Matt…
Thanks for the encouraging comment. Many times I feel the same away about others interpreting the Bible, but I also realize everyone has to come to these realizations in their own time, and much of that has to do with getting rid of prior religious and mental conditioning. The world of concepts, ideas, forms, doctrines, dogmas, etc. are very hard to overcome, and that’s natural. But you are correct! So many discrepancies in religion fall away when we see the esoteric wisdom displayed to the mental nature which has learned to divorce itself from the doctrine of men. We must always question, again and again, and again and again, everything (even within this site), and verify it for ourselves. If we continue to do this, boldly, I believe we allow a higher understanding to seep in, and eventually, our personal bias and egoic frameworks are exposed. Intuitive thinking becomes much more accessible.
That’s a great observation about becoming irritated about how others interpret these texts. I should adopt the view of the blind man from.Mark.
Mark 8:22-26 King James Version (KJV)
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
I think if we softened our gaze (elevated our consciousness) we all would see each other that way, as trees, and not judge each other so harshly. I guess we are all where we are in our jouney.
Knowing that, does it means I can be a sinner all my life and God will give me infinite chances of coming back or will God not give me any more chances because I’m conscious of reincarnation and I’m “abusing” and wasting my chances? Also.. Whats god plans for us when we achieve connection and perfection ?
Hello Ruben…
It is my personal belief that we have to understand the concept of sin. It means to simply miss the mark, to realize one’s identity in what we term “God.” More specifically, it is to miss the mark of the Self. Religion teaches that God is an omnipotent being apart from the universe that judges everything within it. This is contradictory. A being, of any sort, would be limited. So to say that God would “give” you infinite chances or hinder you from coming back isn’t how I would term it.
Everyone has the ability to use his or her intellect and emotion to decide whether they wish to strive for something higher, or remain uninterested and “cling” to the things of this world. Neither choice is good or bad, it has to be something which awakens in you, and depends on each person’s individual journey. If we wish to pursue things of this world, then yes, I believe consciousness will gravitate back towards physicality again through natural karmic law. Many times depending on how one chooses to live his or her life / lives. When the soul begins to yearn for the truth, it means you are on the path depending on whether you live a life of service to others, explore the deepest aspects of the self in contemplation and meditation, or study esoteric wisdom. All three paths are beneficial towards the development of consciousness, and when the yearning is strong enough, worldly cares will begin to naturally drop away. Slowly, and progressively. We still live in the world, mind you, but our focus is shifted. Adversity will still abound, but it will be analyzed and seen differently. Acceptance of things that you may not have accepted before will begin to naturally happen.
This is all up to you, not an outside agent. We are being judged every second of the day, by our thoughts, actions, and speech. We can choose to leave this to the fate of karma, or we can begin to self consciously begin the journey of changing it.
The Bible teaches us that we are to judge ourselves. What does this mean? It means to simply become aware of our own thoughts and actions and speech, and then to become aware of “why” we act and do the things we do. We we can step back as the observer of the lower personality, we begin to become conscious of the higher self. In the beginning, only intellectually, but through time and personal development, this conscious awareness will grow and become intuitive. As we learn about the inner self, we also learn about others and the world around us because we can see the same reasons for lower egoic actions in everyone. Then we become less judgmental of others and the judgement we place on ourselves will turn from guilt or shame to disappointment to personal conscious development with a deeper respect and awe of what the Self actually is, and how it relates to God. Reciprocally, we appreciate others more as well.
If you begin to understand higher esoteric wisdom, and choose to do nothing about it, then I guess in a way you could consider this an abuse of it. But even then, the choice is still yours, and you reap what YOU sow.
As far as what happens when we’ve resurrected the Christ within us and have entered the Divine marriage spoken of in scripture….
Well, since I myself have never experienced this, I can only speculate and you should be very skeptical of what I am about to say. I can only give you insight into what some of the wisdom teachings of ancient times said.
I have come to reject most of what I have read after careful scrutiny, especially from “New Age” teaching that has little to do with the original wisdom teachings, but I have an interest to continue contemplation into this. The Bible is vague on this but there are clues. Paul (or whoever his name REALLY was), spoke about graduating from the human kingdom, and thereby experiencing higher planes of existence with which the current human mind is limited to understand. We will no longer have bodies of flesh, but what Paul terms spiritual bodies. Ancient wisdom teaches that these bodies are still made of matter, but much finer than anything we can study in physics today. Ancient wisdom teachings tell that there are many grades of matter beyond solid, liquid, gas, and plasma. My best insight is that our new spiritual bodies will be made from a type of matter that is finer than any of these, and that we will still think as individuals with a greater capacity to perceive and integrate information without the limitations of a physical brain of flesh. Our purpose, interests, and hobbies will be nothing like they are now. We will no longer be limited to linear thinking, etc. I hope that was enough to at least pique your interest.
Josh
Hi Ruben,
Josh already gave you a very elaborate answer to your question.
My answer is: yes, God will give you (us) an infinite number of lives but if we do not learn from what we did or failed to do in a previous life, then that choice will probably return in the next one but maybe in a somewhat tougher version. Until we finally reach the intended goal, which I think is our return to the world of Unconditional Love and Unity in diversity, with conscious awareness gained. How many lives it takes in order to reach that goal is up to us I think.
So everyone, at some point, will achieve perfection and connection? Or some of us will always be bad? Could you guys please tell me (explain) a bit more about demons/angels? I can’t understand the goals of demons if they exist.. and will they always be evil?
This is a little bit harder to explain in a comment. As to the first part of your question, yes.
As to Angles abs Demons, I plan to cover a blog post on this at some point in the future.
I do indeed believe that everyone eventually achieves perfection as you call it, although some may be do that much sooner than others. It all depends on our attitude towards this and the steps we take to reach this goal. There is no judgement though, and time does not exist in Reality after all.
As far as angels and demons are concerned, I do not really know much about that subject. The only explanation I could give you is what the biblical terms for angel and satan mean to me.
An angel in Greek is called angelos, which means messenger and this is also the translation of the Hebrew word malach. In the biblical context this term is used for both human and heavenly messengers. So it is really up to us to decide which is which when we encounter the word malach in the Bible.
Satan is the Hebrew word for opponent. As Hebrew characters are numbers as well as letters it is written as 300-9-50.
• Threehundred I have learned to interpret as the divine process of gaining conscious awareness by going through the cycle of involution (originally descending out of a world of high vibrational frequencies but without much awareness of what that means) into the world of matter where we are learning through all the experiences we are going through during our many lives, after which we will start ascending again in order to return to the world of unity and oneness where we came from, with conscious awareness gained.
• Nine is the number of birth
• Fifty is the number of this higher conscious awareness.
So all in all you could see satan as the opponent who helps us to flex our spiritual and emotional muscles in order to learn to deal with everything we encounter during this journey in the right, loving way, and as such to enable us to ascend again whenever we are ready to do so.
As you can see this does not have much in common with ‘a demon’ which I think we might even create ourselves when living in an unloving way.
Any chance we could possibly be the fallen angels?
Reuben –
You may want to read The Mystic Bible by Dr. Randolph Stone and if you go to YouTube look up Bill Donahue and his many videos of interpretations of the stories of the Bible. Both of those resources will assist you in finding answers to questions regarding angels and demons.
Quick synopsis: the devil is actually the lower emotional nature of man. Demons are the lower emotional thoughts that come from our mind. Angels are the light from above (God) that reach our higher mind and give us information about reaching God.
Hi Josh,
A great article with a very interesting interpretation, although as far as I am concerned, this is only one of many more. But each one has its own special message, which is why we keep on writing about these first chapters of Genesis all the time. It contains so much wisdom!
You write: “One path aspires back towards unity with God (Abel), and the other (Cain), being unaware of this path back to unity, or even that there is unity, remains rooted in separateness, illusion, and the “I” feeling that consciousness experiences in duality on the physical plane.”
You might also say that Abel (Hevel in Hebrew which means vapour or air), remains in spirit and unity, and that Cain heads towards separateness etc. I do not think that the word remains should be used here as they started out from the same position but with different inclinations as they are meant to show different roads.
If we interpret this as the higher and lower ego of man struggling inside ourselves this virtually means committing suicide by cutting off the air, hence the need for reincarnation until Abel finally proves to be stronger than Cain and the higher ego transforms the lower ego completely.
Anny, yes!
In Greek philosophy, air is the third stage of development, and it stands for thought, mind. The ark (causal body containing the higher self principle) is raised from the ground, by the waters (astral nature) and then into air above the highest mountain top, which echoes meditation and the development of consciousness on each plane culminating on the upper mental plane. Noah is a type of this.
Even though Abel is killed out, we must go through all the other Biblical characters to Christ. Thanks for the comment.
Hi Josh,
Although I did read through your whole article once a few days ago, before I wrote my previous comment this morning, the quote underneath had escaped my memory.
“But I realized after many years that my church leaders were more interested in doctrine and doing “good deeds” to follow Christ. But this is not his message. Good deeds are great, but often have very little to do with the transforming of the mind that Paul spoke of.”
I do not quite agree with you there. It may of course apply to ordinary small gestures (although not necessarily so) but there definitely are deeds that surpass this kind of goodness by far and as always I refer to the persons who willingly gave (and give) up their own lives in order to save others. They may not do that in order to transform the mind but nevertheless their mind is being transformed by their selfless actions and intentions for sure. And I have read reports about people in the German concentration camps during WWII who did realize the Christ in themselves in this way as people told about seeing a halo about their heads after they died.
Do not deny this possibility because your way is another one and you want to shed light on another way of realizing the Christ in us which is no less valid.
Anny…
Absolutely. In fact, service to others is one of the paths, and each person is on one of the paths (some simultaneously) with different incarnations. I simply meant that religious dogmas places emphasis in the wrong places sometimes. Have a belief, and then follow that belief because another said so. It should come from an understanding that everything is stemming from the one consciousness expressed through experience. Some who have strong religious convictions have great motivations and do more good than many who have more knowledge of esoterics, but then their dogmas and beliefs can at the same time make them judgmental. All three paths (self sacrifice and service, meditation, and studying wisdom are equally important. But when we have a truer understanding of how it all works, one is more balanced.
This is a very interesting exposition and I really appreciate the care, time and attention you put into writing it. The topic of resurrection is an important one, I think. There are a lot of things worth pondering in this very interesting article. There is, however, one thing that raises a red flag for me, and it is the aspect of reincarnation (I DO believe in reincarnation) and the aspect of it taking “many lives” to achieve the resurrection.
I’m not sure one (reincarnation) has anything to do with the other (resurrection), as I see reincarnation as a natural/physical event (it simply has to do with our “rebirth” into the “natural”), while the resurrection I see as spiritual (an awakening of the massive power that lies dormant in the overwhelming majority of humans).
I see the resurrection as a “now” event, as opposed to something that happens in another life, or something that happens after you die. 2 Cor. 6:2 says this: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
You’ve given folks a lot of food for thought in this article, which I think is great. Thanks so much for the offering.
I do not quite see what you mean with this question, Paul. I see reincarnation as a series of lives during which we gradually grow towards resurrection, after which the need for reincarnation is gone in my view.
Understood, Anny. And there are many indeed that also hold to this view. As I’m sure you’re aware, I did as well once upon a time. I no longer do. Actually, this is a relatively recent event for me. The subject of resurrection is a fascinating one (this will be the subject of Josh’s and my next video, whenever we get around to recording it), and as I am fond of saying to Josh, there are three words I have fallen in love with. Those three words — “I don’t know.”
Hi Paul, I think I see what you mean but if that is true then I do not necessarily mean something else than you do, I think.
You write: “I see the resurrection as a “now” event, as opposed to something that happens in another life, or something that happens after you die. 2 Cor. 6:2 says this: “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “.
What you mean to say is also mentioned at least twice in the Gospel of Philip, which I quoted in one of my articles. Resurrection takes place during your life. It takes place ON the cross, and Philip writes that if you do not attain resurruction during your life you will also not experience resurrection after you have died.
What I meant to say is that once you HAVE obtained this resurrection you have completed your cycle as it were and it will not be necessary any more to reincarnate again.
And I fully agree with your last words. We never should think that now we have found the final answer to anything whatever.
Anny, you said this:
What you mean to say is also mentioned at least twice in the Gospel of Philip, which I quoted in one of my articles. Resurrection takes place during your life. It takes place ON the cross, and Philip writes that if you do not attain resurruction during your life you will also not experience resurrection after you have died.
This paragraph almost completely summarizes my perspective on the resurrection. The path to the Kingdom of God (which is at the end of the resurrection, as a period is at the end of a sentence) goes through adversity (fires, floods, the cross). Bringing Christ to our crosses is how we awaken, or “resurrect” him. What we do, however, is slay the Christ ON our crosses (through doubts, fears, unbelief, cursings, etc.)
Thanks so much for this great comment, Anny.
Greetings All,
Another beautifully written blog, Josh. Reading your blog gives me time to contemplate not only what you’re saying, but also, what I believe. And the beautiful thing is, I put my beliefs on trail and if I can not support those believes, I cast them aside. Through reading and educating myself, most of what I’ve been taught in church as well as in society has been replaced by a better understanding of service and love. I do not fear the Bible any longer. Learning how to interpret the scriptures has been an exciting and spiritual journey.
The question I have for you and your readers, What is the Mark of Cain? Is it a blemish on the soul that is removed once we find our heavenly purpose?
Thanks again for your words of wisdom,
Ken
Ken…
That which is natural first, and then that which is spiritual. The higher must be evolved through the lower, or the spiritual through the natural. God’s mark upon Cain is symbolic for the fact that the personality, the natural man, must come first in order to manifest consciousness established in the higher self.
The mark protects Cain, meaning, this is the natural way of the evolution of consciousness, and it is meant to be this way. And it is still good because it is the only way.
Ya’oh or YHWH is the giving of Logos (mind of Ala’ay or God) of Buddhi, Manas, Kama, and Sthula. Atma being the highest. Banned from presence of YHWH or Buddhi referred by Christians as Holy Spirit. I wish Christians would see the Bible through the eyes of a mystic as you because there is an angry desert God interpreting at a beta or Sthula level (earthly). I personally am not a believer but see a lot of mysticism in the Bible. Could it be that the Quran should be interpreted as a mystic??? Hmmmmm? Idk. Good article, SHALOHHHHM, Namaste, LOVE, and light.
You say that you aren’t a believer, but you have a good grasp of the esoteric terms through your comment. And yes, the Quran, through its esoteric interpretation, absolutely tells the same message. Thank you for your comment!
Hi Josh, I have recently found your blog and do enjoy reading it. I became born again, so you can say I am a Christian about 2 years ago! Before that I was a new ager for a few years… What I read on your blog, lot of it looks like a mixture of both, quite new for me and confusing though, you said in a comment that you selected well through new age, so you don’t identify with those doctrines? OK, can I ask you something, would you be kind to read a book and get back to me with a review – The second coming of the New Age by Steven Bancarz and Josh Peck, former New agers, actual Christians, is quite interesting… What ancient wisdom are you referring to generally and where do you find it? Thank you ❤️💐
Andreea…
Sorry for the late reply. Sometimes I am just very busy and it takes awhile to get back to comments.
I am very familiar with Steven Bancarz and Josh Peck. I think Steven is a great guy that has a true passion for discovering the truth. He has a keen intellect as well. What I am about to say is no criticism on Steve’s part and I hope it will be understood in it’s true motive.
Steve taught New Age formerly, and then converted to Christianity because of an experience he had, by his own admission, that went badly with an entity during his experience with astral projection. First off, I’ll say he was dealing with a very real phenomenon with which I wouldn’t recommend. Astral projection does nothing for the furthering of the development of consciousness, Biblically speaking. From what I have listened to from him, his understanding of New Age is a mixture of original metaphysical ideas and New Age mumbo jumbo taught by people like Charles Leadbeater and Annie Besant. Most New Agers aren’t even aware of how the current philosophy developed, and the terms universal consciousness and love just sound good to the mind. The combination of these two people (Leadbeater and Besant) form the basis of the New Age movement today a century later. It is simply nothing more than that: A New Age philosophical system of ideas which are a perverted version of original mystical and metaphysical teachings which are highly complex and are older than the civilizations taught in today’s history and present in all sacred scriptures.
Personally, I believe Steven had a fear-based experience, and therefore converted to the next thing that his intellect grasped (another religion) rooted in a further egoic mind structure, that helped alleviate this fear through the promise of something more comforting. In other words, it’s just another Pharisee ideal, argued (very intelligently), from the lower ego. And it is all rooted in fear, which is a very human and understandable process. The deeper workings of consciousness are very complex and Steven was playing with a fire that he didn’t fully grasp, and when he sparked it, his current incorrect paradigm of New Age belief couldn’t cope with higher realities.
Please understand that while this may seem a harsh criticism on the surface, it is not. I have much respect for Steve and would love to spend time with him personally in a deep discussion. Like I said, he seems to be a very genuine individual.
Original metaphysical ideas have a detailed explanation of what Steven went through, and why he experienced what he did. I cannot prove to you that these ideas are truth, because no man can prove anything to you. Only the Christ within can do that. Steve has made the grave error of thinking that a system based on religious ideas leads to truth. Neither Steve nor I can tell you what truth (the Christ experience, which is personal). If either of us tried, you should immediately shut us out.
I once watched Steven’s video on a debate with Marcus arguing over the concept of the trinity, and what it really is. Both fail to realize that from an intellectual experience, both could be proven right using scripture from the limited view of intellectualizing the text. The paradox is, both could argue all day long and both would be correct!
Wisdom goes way beyond this type of intellectual exercise, and can see the reality of both viewpoints while excepting neither, and then also excepting both. I know that seems confusing, but the ONE and the Many are both valid depending on which reality you are experiencing from.
Anyway, I hope that answers your questions. Personally I have not read the book you speak of, but I am willing to bet it all comes out in the wash intellectually 🙂
“Wow! Whoa whoa whoa Wow!” My words after reading the final paragraph. Reading your explanations has helped spark within me my inner desire to read and understand the Bible in a way I never imagined. May you keep on writing and inspiring people like me, bringing us ever closer to God then we were before.
Jason…
Thank you for your kind words. They are not my original teachings, and I have learned much from others before me that have dedicated themselves to learning also and personal experience. It is my pleasure to share and learn more myself.
Josh
Josh, indeed, what a beautiful reminder to always honor all who have blazed the trail before us. Many candles lit from a single flame. ~Jason