The Urim and Thummim are mysterious objects, possibly oracular stones, which were carried in the breastplate of the High Priest and used to divine the will of God.
It is thought that they represented contrasting ideas like light and darkness, yes and no, life and death, etc. They were shaken, or drawn out of the ephod. If each showed the same side, the answer was auspicious or inauspicious, according to the designation of each side, if different, no answer was forthcoming.
Thummim is a word derived from the consonantal root 't-m-n' meaning 'innocent,' while Urim derive from a root meaning 'light.' In consequence, the translation of the words, by taking them allegorically, mean 'Revelation of the Truth.'
In 1Samuel 14 is regarded as the key to understanding the meaning of the words. The passage describes an attempt to identify a sinner via divination, by repeatedly splitting the people in two groups and identifying which group contains the sinner. This imply that the purpose of the Urim and Thummim was an ordeal to confirm or deny suspected guilt. If the Urim was selected it meant guilt, while selection of the Thummim would mean innocent. In order for the Urim and Thummim to give an answer, it was first necessary for it to be loud enough for the individual to stand facing the fully dresses high priest, and vocalize the question briefly and in a simple way, though it wasn't necessary for it to be loud.
A passage of the Book of Samuel mentions 3 methods of divine communication: Dreams, Prophets, and the Urim and Thummim. They had to rest within the breastplate of the high preast mediating between God and mankind.
Dreams and Prophets are also mentioned copiously in Assyrian and Babylonian literature, and such literature also mentions 'Tablets of Destiny.' They also had to rest on the breast of deities mediating between the other gods or entities and mankind in order to function. Marduk was said to have put his seal on the 'Tablets of Destiny,' and came into use when the fate of a king or nation was concerned.
The 1st reference to Urim and Thummim in the Scriptures is the description in the Book of Exodus concerning the high priest's vestments. The chronological earliest passage mentioning them is in the Book of Hosea, one of the Books of the Hebrew Bible, where it is implied, by reference to the Ephod, that Urim and Thummim were fundamental elements in the Israelite faith.
Hosea was a prophet during a dark and melancholic era of Israel's history, the Northern Kingdom's decline and fall in the 8th BC. The apostasy of people was rampant, having turned away from God in order to serve other entities. The kings, their aristocratic supporters, and the priests had led the people away from the Law of God. Other sins followed, including homicide, perjury, theft, and sexual sin.
Hosea declared that unless they repent of these gross scenario of sins, God will allow their nation to be destroyed, and the people be taken into captivity by Assyria. God's unending love towards his people and His agony towards Israel's betrayal is expressed in this prophesy. It is summed up in this verse: "I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but Me, and besides Me there is no Saviour." (Hosea 13).
In a passage from the the Book of Ezra which overlaps with the Book of Nehemiah, it is mentioned that individuals who were unable to prove, after the Babylonian captivity had ended, that they were descended from the priesthood before the captivity began, were required to wait until divine priests in possession of Urim and Thummim were discovered. In that specific way it is understood that the divine priest could use again the Urim and Thummim to determine God's will this particular situation, because the heart of the priest works in direct and divine connection with the will of God.
With the coming of Christ, the representation of the Urim and Thummim was taken by Him. He is now the divine connection and we as his followers need to be in constant connection with his divine heart and mind.
In 1 Samuel 28 it is stated that a definite answer was not always obtainable, so it is not so simple to gain a divine connection, and do not take the understanding that the connection is like a simple tossing of two stones in the ground and gaining it.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
HOW WE CAN CONNECT TO THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.
In order to achieve a safe communication with the Spirit of Truth we have to take care of or keep an eye in the steps we surely need to follow to become fully aware of our mission as Christians in the mundane world.
We have to follow the example of the apostle Paul that except for Jesus, no one influenced the development of the early Christianity more than him. He was the foremost apologist for the conversion of the unbelievers, and the most eloquent defender of the centrality of Jewish traditions, the meaning of the Scriptures, deity, morality, and Christian principles for his predominantly community churches. The 13 of the 27 Books in the New Testament attributed to Paul gives us an eloquent testimony to the importance he had for the movement of the church and the divine connection that it had with Jesus.
Paul was born in Tarsus, sojourned in many places, and died as a Jew. Tarsus, the place in which he entered to this mundane world, was a thriving cosmopolitan, urban gateway to eastern Mediterranean, a vibrant intellectual center, and a transportation hub of strategic importance.
Here, in Tarsus, Paul learned his first language, Greek, also was taught a trade, and receiving his schooling, in the way of the world that surrounded him. Paul was a very well learned man and creative thinker.
The steps that his spiritual life followed during his life time were very similar to the steps that Moses' life followed in his life. Both were committed to God's plan of redemption and salvation of the souls belonging to Him. Both acted as mediators to reconcile humanity with God's Laws. Humanity was alienated from God by sin, but, according to God's plan, He designed a spiritual bridge formed by harmonious relationship with Him and able to be reached by the ones who truly rested in His Truth.
Mediation, in principle, has to be directed in the person of Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son, the only one who is properly qualified to mediate between God and humanity because he is both fully human and fully divine. He is the mediator and guarantor of a New Covenant, better than the Mosaic Covenant because it is founded upon his own blood from which each of us received a drop of it in our hearts.
As the anointed Messiah, he fulfills all 3 mediative offices of Prophet, Priest, and King in Him. God has spoken his final, living, and incarnated Word. By the atoning death of His incarnation Jesus became both High Priest and sacrifice forming the Way through the spiritual bridge that take us to the Gate of Heaven and opening the door that lead us into God's Presence.
He, who now rules in sincere believers' hearts and is seated at the Father's right hand, is the One who intercedes for us and will one day subjugate all His supernatural enemies and mediate God's universal Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace.
To take care of our spiritual heart and maintain a good communication with Jesus Christ our mediator and acquire knowledge about our spiritual surroundings and our Creator we need to follow these steps:
- Be knowledgeable with every aspect of the Word of God, as Paul was, and meditate very deep about its implications in our way of life specially in the enhancing of the spiritual principles that most of the time are weak in us because of the lack of understanding.
- As soon as we start mastering on it we will start passing the Gate of Time. We will feel like been in between sleeplessness and wakefulness. So we can remember something shown in this reality but specifically we are not being able to fully grasp the meaning of it.
- A continuous practice make the stage of sleeplessness decrease. When the conscious mind is not suppressed by sleep and is able to focus then we are able to receive the teaching of the truth and the spiritual meaning of the Word of God from the subconscious mind transported to the conscious mind and then be able to grasp and experience things that we never learned in order to improve the level of love in our own heart.
- When experiences become deep then the mental concentration is sustained as the state of spiritual somnolence is at its minimum. As soon as our mind is focused, the spiritual eye is activated. Then the conscious mind is not used to see through the spiritual eye so concentration comes and goes, like Peter's experience with Jesus when his spiritual eye was blocked by the human eye summoning Jesus about the purpose of His Death, in terms of conscious human understanding and sorrow. Gradually the spiritual mind gets familiar with this kind of visions and the mind focuses more in the understanding and is sustained in it. With practice we start considering ourselves a part of the experience shown in the Scripture rather than a mere observer.
- With this practice and doing so every day when we study the Word of God, the mind starts getting information that most people are unable to observe. The spiritual heart gets so energized that its desire focus in getting this type of knowledge by will. At this point all the spiritual senses become activated. We become free from both space and time. The spirit of knowledge and understanding is just right there.
- Then the complete annihilation of the material and carnal self takes place and we become detach from the mundane world even though we continue living in it but we are unconcerned about rewards or positions in it.
- We regain our soul individuality and we can back to our existence knowing what is our purpose of our life and the mission we have to accomplish before passing to the Afterlife.
We have to follow the example of the apostle Paul that except for Jesus, no one influenced the development of the early Christianity more than him. He was the foremost apologist for the conversion of the unbelievers, and the most eloquent defender of the centrality of Jewish traditions, the meaning of the Scriptures, deity, morality, and Christian principles for his predominantly community churches. The 13 of the 27 Books in the New Testament attributed to Paul gives us an eloquent testimony to the importance he had for the movement of the church and the divine connection that it had with Jesus.
Paul was born in Tarsus, sojourned in many places, and died as a Jew. Tarsus, the place in which he entered to this mundane world, was a thriving cosmopolitan, urban gateway to eastern Mediterranean, a vibrant intellectual center, and a transportation hub of strategic importance.
Here, in Tarsus, Paul learned his first language, Greek, also was taught a trade, and receiving his schooling, in the way of the world that surrounded him. Paul was a very well learned man and creative thinker.
The steps that his spiritual life followed during his life time were very similar to the steps that Moses' life followed in his life. Both were committed to God's plan of redemption and salvation of the souls belonging to Him. Both acted as mediators to reconcile humanity with God's Laws. Humanity was alienated from God by sin, but, according to God's plan, He designed a spiritual bridge formed by harmonious relationship with Him and able to be reached by the ones who truly rested in His Truth.
Mediation, in principle, has to be directed in the person of Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son, the only one who is properly qualified to mediate between God and humanity because he is both fully human and fully divine. He is the mediator and guarantor of a New Covenant, better than the Mosaic Covenant because it is founded upon his own blood from which each of us received a drop of it in our hearts.
As the anointed Messiah, he fulfills all 3 mediative offices of Prophet, Priest, and King in Him. God has spoken his final, living, and incarnated Word. By the atoning death of His incarnation Jesus became both High Priest and sacrifice forming the Way through the spiritual bridge that take us to the Gate of Heaven and opening the door that lead us into God's Presence.
He, who now rules in sincere believers' hearts and is seated at the Father's right hand, is the One who intercedes for us and will one day subjugate all His supernatural enemies and mediate God's universal Kingdom of Righteousness and Peace.
To take care of our spiritual heart and maintain a good communication with Jesus Christ our mediator and acquire knowledge about our spiritual surroundings and our Creator we need to follow these steps:
- Be knowledgeable with every aspect of the Word of God, as Paul was, and meditate very deep about its implications in our way of life specially in the enhancing of the spiritual principles that most of the time are weak in us because of the lack of understanding.
- As soon as we start mastering on it we will start passing the Gate of Time. We will feel like been in between sleeplessness and wakefulness. So we can remember something shown in this reality but specifically we are not being able to fully grasp the meaning of it.
- A continuous practice make the stage of sleeplessness decrease. When the conscious mind is not suppressed by sleep and is able to focus then we are able to receive the teaching of the truth and the spiritual meaning of the Word of God from the subconscious mind transported to the conscious mind and then be able to grasp and experience things that we never learned in order to improve the level of love in our own heart.
- When experiences become deep then the mental concentration is sustained as the state of spiritual somnolence is at its minimum. As soon as our mind is focused, the spiritual eye is activated. Then the conscious mind is not used to see through the spiritual eye so concentration comes and goes, like Peter's experience with Jesus when his spiritual eye was blocked by the human eye summoning Jesus about the purpose of His Death, in terms of conscious human understanding and sorrow. Gradually the spiritual mind gets familiar with this kind of visions and the mind focuses more in the understanding and is sustained in it. With practice we start considering ourselves a part of the experience shown in the Scripture rather than a mere observer.
- With this practice and doing so every day when we study the Word of God, the mind starts getting information that most people are unable to observe. The spiritual heart gets so energized that its desire focus in getting this type of knowledge by will. At this point all the spiritual senses become activated. We become free from both space and time. The spirit of knowledge and understanding is just right there.
- Then the complete annihilation of the material and carnal self takes place and we become detach from the mundane world even though we continue living in it but we are unconcerned about rewards or positions in it.
- We regain our soul individuality and we can back to our existence knowing what is our purpose of our life and the mission we have to accomplish before passing to the Afterlife.
Friday, July 1, 2016
THE STORY OF ELISHA.
Elisha (My God saves) the "man of God" and a Hebrew prophet, disciple of Elijah, who ministered to and succeeded him, after which Elisha performed miracles and pronounced visionary oracles.
He was active for more than 60 years. Elisha lived an especially holy life, and no flies were ever found at his table because of the fragance which surrounded him.
Elisha gained a double portion of his master's spirit as a reward for his loyalty and for staying with Elijah until his mentor was taken up into Heaven in a whirlwind riding in a fiery chariot. He was able to perform twice as many supernatural miracles done by his master.
Elijah came upon him when he was ploughing his father's land and cast his mantle over the youth's shoulders to indicate that he was to carry on his work of preventing Israel from offending God.
Elisha slaughtered his team of oxen for a farewell feast with his parents and followed Elijah.
The prophet's mantle fell upon him. From that specific point Elisha's collection of originally independent supernatural miracles in each story is arranged according to the principle of association: stories that have common words, themes, or locations are placed side-by-side, thereby telling the "life history" of Elisha.
The miracle stories are short, with one exception. Most feature the "sons of the prophets," members of a prophetic and spiritual guild who looked to Elisha for guidance and help. It suggests that conventicles of the guild were located at Bethel and Jericho. Elisha's movements suggest that conventicles also existed at Gilgal, Mount Carmel, and Samaria. Elisha appears as an itinerant holy man, traveling from group to group and performing miracles in response to pleas for help from his spiritual poverty-stricken disciples.
His main task in the public realm of Kings and royal officers, was to aid King Joab against the Syrians, and Israel war with Aram-Damascus throughout the reigns of Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. They are set in historically known wars and they showcase Elisha's supernatural knowledge. A prominent theme in the political legends is his ability to save the nation when the king has failed, and the belief in him as a God's prophet was essential to the nation's welfare. The people of Israel expressed both fear of ruin, being vastly outnumbered in battle, and the belief that God was in control of the spiritual War. If the God of Israel was directing the spiritual events, then God would ultimately save the nation through his prophet.
Like Elijah, he performed miracles, healing a spring, filling with oil a widow's empty jars so that she will not lose her children to a creditor, nullifying the poison in a stew so that his disciples can eat during a famine, restoring to life a Shunammite boy suffering from sunstroke, in a prefiguration of the raising of Lazarus; and feeding a multitude of 100 people with 20 loaves of bread and some fruit.
He also cured the Syrian general Naaman of leprosy by ordering him to bathe 7 times in the mud of the River Jordan, and made the borrowed iron ax that had fallen in the River, floats.
The legend of Naaman and Gehazi includes a healing miracle, but the focus is on a reversal of the two characters. Naaman was commander of the Aramean forces, but he listened to a captive Israelite maidservant and went to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy. He was cured and returned to Elisha and proclaimed his belief in God, an astonishing confession given the fact of the spiritual War between the nations. Gehazi then pursued Naaman and demanded some of the gifts that Elihjah had refused, for which he received Naaman's leprosy. The characters' status is thus reversed: the leprous enemy commander, the ultimate outsider, is cured and confess the God of Israel; then Elisha's aide, insider of insiders, betrays the prophet and is condemned. The legend explores the ramifications of a universal ethic based solely on fidelity to God, without regard for nationality, class, or religious status.
Yet he was not without his weaknesses and was subject to punishment by ill health. The common theme of these stories is Elisha's performance of actions as a Prophet of God that save the spiritual life of his marginalized followers from fleshy distress. The purpose of these actions were to induce veneration to the Word of God spoke or act through His prophets not the veneration of man performing the act. Because of the way he caused two she-bears to attack a group of children who were taunted him shouting, "thou bald-head,"he was punished. He was also punished in a similar fashion because he was very severe with his servant Gehazi, who took money from the Syrian general Naaman after Elisha cured him. There stories were told by Elisha's disciples in order to establish God's authority in the mundane World through the man designated as "holy" and their status as a "holy man' among his disciples. Not the other way around, that is, the veneration of the man and not his Creator. The story of Elisha cursing the boys who insulted him makes it clear that establishing his authority as man was the aim of the action. The death of 42 of the boys contradicted Elisha's mission as life-giver, orienting his lifesaving acts toward those who recognized his holiness.
The story of the Shunammite also contrast to the short miracle stories in its length and complexity. The story ends with Elisha summoning the Shunammite to take her child, and her silent bow before him. The efforts required by the Shunammite to summon Elisha and by Elisha to revive the boy are very elaborated. The existence of a sequel is unique among the miracle stories.
When Elisha died, his supernatural miraculous power that resided in him continued a little bit more, and a dead man was revived when his corpse came in contact with Elisha's body. Elisha was also enlisted along with Elijah in the after-the-fact legitimation of Jehu's bloody purge of the Omride dynasty.
The prophet Jonah was one of Elisha's disciples.
In some texts he is ranked second only to Moses as a prophet. The accounts of Elisha's discipleship of Elijah and succession of his Moses-like master are described in 1 and 2 Kings with the purpose to link God's Holy Men and show the presence of them in each generation.
The Spirit of God, representing His activity in the mundane World guided the Patriarchs, inspired the Prophets, guided the authors of the biblical books and continuous to guide the whole People of Israel.
The power of the Holy Spirit can be passed on from master to disciple as happened to Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and Paul, Paul and Timothy, etc. It was believed that a person would glow when the Holy Spirit rested on him.
He was active for more than 60 years. Elisha lived an especially holy life, and no flies were ever found at his table because of the fragance which surrounded him.
Elisha gained a double portion of his master's spirit as a reward for his loyalty and for staying with Elijah until his mentor was taken up into Heaven in a whirlwind riding in a fiery chariot. He was able to perform twice as many supernatural miracles done by his master.
Elijah came upon him when he was ploughing his father's land and cast his mantle over the youth's shoulders to indicate that he was to carry on his work of preventing Israel from offending God.
Elisha slaughtered his team of oxen for a farewell feast with his parents and followed Elijah.
The prophet's mantle fell upon him. From that specific point Elisha's collection of originally independent supernatural miracles in each story is arranged according to the principle of association: stories that have common words, themes, or locations are placed side-by-side, thereby telling the "life history" of Elisha.
The miracle stories are short, with one exception. Most feature the "sons of the prophets," members of a prophetic and spiritual guild who looked to Elisha for guidance and help. It suggests that conventicles of the guild were located at Bethel and Jericho. Elisha's movements suggest that conventicles also existed at Gilgal, Mount Carmel, and Samaria. Elisha appears as an itinerant holy man, traveling from group to group and performing miracles in response to pleas for help from his spiritual poverty-stricken disciples.
His main task in the public realm of Kings and royal officers, was to aid King Joab against the Syrians, and Israel war with Aram-Damascus throughout the reigns of Jehu, Jehoahaz, and Joash. They are set in historically known wars and they showcase Elisha's supernatural knowledge. A prominent theme in the political legends is his ability to save the nation when the king has failed, and the belief in him as a God's prophet was essential to the nation's welfare. The people of Israel expressed both fear of ruin, being vastly outnumbered in battle, and the belief that God was in control of the spiritual War. If the God of Israel was directing the spiritual events, then God would ultimately save the nation through his prophet.
Like Elijah, he performed miracles, healing a spring, filling with oil a widow's empty jars so that she will not lose her children to a creditor, nullifying the poison in a stew so that his disciples can eat during a famine, restoring to life a Shunammite boy suffering from sunstroke, in a prefiguration of the raising of Lazarus; and feeding a multitude of 100 people with 20 loaves of bread and some fruit.
He also cured the Syrian general Naaman of leprosy by ordering him to bathe 7 times in the mud of the River Jordan, and made the borrowed iron ax that had fallen in the River, floats.
The legend of Naaman and Gehazi includes a healing miracle, but the focus is on a reversal of the two characters. Naaman was commander of the Aramean forces, but he listened to a captive Israelite maidservant and went to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy. He was cured and returned to Elisha and proclaimed his belief in God, an astonishing confession given the fact of the spiritual War between the nations. Gehazi then pursued Naaman and demanded some of the gifts that Elihjah had refused, for which he received Naaman's leprosy. The characters' status is thus reversed: the leprous enemy commander, the ultimate outsider, is cured and confess the God of Israel; then Elisha's aide, insider of insiders, betrays the prophet and is condemned. The legend explores the ramifications of a universal ethic based solely on fidelity to God, without regard for nationality, class, or religious status.
Yet he was not without his weaknesses and was subject to punishment by ill health. The common theme of these stories is Elisha's performance of actions as a Prophet of God that save the spiritual life of his marginalized followers from fleshy distress. The purpose of these actions were to induce veneration to the Word of God spoke or act through His prophets not the veneration of man performing the act. Because of the way he caused two she-bears to attack a group of children who were taunted him shouting, "thou bald-head,"he was punished. He was also punished in a similar fashion because he was very severe with his servant Gehazi, who took money from the Syrian general Naaman after Elisha cured him. There stories were told by Elisha's disciples in order to establish God's authority in the mundane World through the man designated as "holy" and their status as a "holy man' among his disciples. Not the other way around, that is, the veneration of the man and not his Creator. The story of Elisha cursing the boys who insulted him makes it clear that establishing his authority as man was the aim of the action. The death of 42 of the boys contradicted Elisha's mission as life-giver, orienting his lifesaving acts toward those who recognized his holiness.
The story of the Shunammite also contrast to the short miracle stories in its length and complexity. The story ends with Elisha summoning the Shunammite to take her child, and her silent bow before him. The efforts required by the Shunammite to summon Elisha and by Elisha to revive the boy are very elaborated. The existence of a sequel is unique among the miracle stories.
When Elisha died, his supernatural miraculous power that resided in him continued a little bit more, and a dead man was revived when his corpse came in contact with Elisha's body. Elisha was also enlisted along with Elijah in the after-the-fact legitimation of Jehu's bloody purge of the Omride dynasty.
The prophet Jonah was one of Elisha's disciples.
In some texts he is ranked second only to Moses as a prophet. The accounts of Elisha's discipleship of Elijah and succession of his Moses-like master are described in 1 and 2 Kings with the purpose to link God's Holy Men and show the presence of them in each generation.
The Spirit of God, representing His activity in the mundane World guided the Patriarchs, inspired the Prophets, guided the authors of the biblical books and continuous to guide the whole People of Israel.
The power of the Holy Spirit can be passed on from master to disciple as happened to Elijah and Elisha, Jesus and Paul, Paul and Timothy, etc. It was believed that a person would glow when the Holy Spirit rested on him.
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