In this series we will continue to perform a temporary “about face” in our quest to discover wisdom. By reassessing the historical and literal validity of selected parts of the bible, we shall try to answer four questions. (1) Is the Messiah of the Gospels merely of allegorical importance, as one sect of the first century Gnostics proposed? (2) Does history and archeology regarding the Jewish people validate the existence of a flesh and blood Messiah? (3) Did this Messiah atone for the sins of others? (4) Do historical and allegorical messages in the bible oppose or complement each other? I shall explain later why the “about face” is necessary and only temporary. [Read more…] about Understanding the Messianic Prophecies, Part III
Archives for March 2015
An esoteric interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus
At the moment we live in the period leading up to Passion Week again, and therefore I would like to give an explanation of some of the names and words that figure prominently in the Passion story, interpreted from the hidden meaning of the Hebrew translation of these words, as they already explain what this story is really about. [Read more…] about An esoteric interpretation of the crucifixion of Jesus
Understanding the Messianic Prophecies, Part II
The Jewish people have always had a longing for Messiah. In Part I of this series we learned that the Hebrew prophets spoke of two archetype Messiahs – the Suffering Servant, one who would save them from the war against human sin within, and the Triumphant King, one who would save them from the political war without. In much of Jewish literature outside the bible, including the Talmud and the Targums (sermons delivered in the common language of the people) the rabbis speculated about how these two contrasting depictions of the Messiah would manifest. [Read more…] about Understanding the Messianic Prophecies, Part II