Hi,

Your post is interesting as there are so many different ways we can interpret words and names. When these are ancient like Elohim it is important to recognise that these different interpretations are often complimentary and equally valid. I am particularly interested in the fact that Elohim is plural, essentially ‘Gods’ rather than just ‘God.’ Scholars tell us that many Gods were recognised in the beginning of the biblical period. The Hebrews only really became monotheistic some centuries later, though there is naturally debate over dates and interpretations and everything else in any religious statement !

The Book of Job begins with ‘the sons of God’ and, in St John’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, ‘Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are the children of the Most High.’ So we shouldn’t be too single-minded about monotheism !

The Hindu religion is a good example of recognising many gods in an essentially monotheistic theology which dates back to the first Upanishads about 800 BC.  Brahma, with the Universal Spirit of Brahman, is the basis of the Hindu monotheism while the pantheon of Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Rama and so many more, present the many faces of God. This is not unlike the theology of the Christian Trinity with the Three in One doctrine of the Godhead, though Christians don’t really seem to understand this difficult concept very clearly any more.

I believe the Tree of Life presents just such a picture with the overwhelming unity of the Universal Spirit of the Sun at the centre, including the lesser divine spirits of the other planets and this seems to be the astrological model for the theology both of the Hindu pantheon and the Christian Trinity, as Heaven on Earth explains.

I’m afraid the middle of your message has succumbed to those rogue emoticons etc so I’m not quite clear what you’re saying there. This problem seems to come from pasting text in from another programme, eg Word. Using Preview will enable you to identify such problems and retype those bits. I’ve deleted the first identical message as it isn’t any clearer and meant we had two new Topics on the one subject.

Thanks for that clarification. The first letter of the alphabet, aleph, is extremely important in Judaism and this is firmly attached to the first Sephira, Keter, the place of Neptune. Clearly the Tree reflects an extremely sophisticated knowledge of the astrology of our heavens and the emphasis given to Pisces imagery in the Gospels makes it plain that Neptune’s nature was well known. Christ, the 'alpha and omega,' is the Lord of the Sea when he walks on the water, calms the storm and gives the Disciples a bountiful harvest of fish.

Elohim seems to represent the same figure as Jehovah, the magnificence of the divine spirit of Jupiter. One of the principle variations of Elohim is ‘Elohei Chasdi,’ God of my kindness, or mercy which derives from the word Chesed, Mercy, Jupiter’s seat on the Tree. 

It is important to recognise that this spirit, like Neptune, has a great affinity with the sea. Jupiter also rules Pisces, the Sign of the sea. So there is every reason for this name Elohim to carry this additional meaning, God of the Sea, and thank you for pointing it out.

It is valuable to really examine the origins of our faiths because this will expand our understanding. I believe we desperately need to do this for religion these days, to escape the narrow confrontations of fundamentalism and to really understand the spiritual facts of life.

Sid

Hi Zulkarneyn,

I have not replied to this post before because it is so full of hate and there is really nothing directly to say. I was particularly struck that you posted this message of hate on Christmas Day. This is the greatest day of love and fellowship and celebration in the Christian year.

An omnipotent God does not need to hate. God loves everyone much more than we can possibly imagine. If we can try to follow this example, we do God’s work. It states quite clearly in the Gospels that God is Love. Hate is the failure of love. All the best religious teachers have taught love and compassion, or caritas, charity.

I am sure one of the main questions we are asked when we die is, how much did you love others ? Did we manage to spread love ? That is the real measure and achievement of any life, partly because it’s often not at all easy.

Anyone who has taught anything new in religion, including even Jesus and all the best prophets, they have all been vilified and abused. I’m just putting out what I believe to be true and important for a better understanding of religion, to promote more love. I know some of the ideas will come as a shock to many but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. This is how religion has always moved forward. Jesus’ ideas certainly shocked the Jews, as did those of earlier prophets. Religious ideas are never set in stone but must move forward. So long as love is always at the heart of the message, this is a good thing.

I don’t even know what it is that has offended you so I can’t reply to it specifically. I hope you find love and charity in your faith. There is too much hatred in the world. This is not good for any of us.

No one can truly understand God. Even in the Bible there are many different ideas about God and one idea does not contradict another, it adds to it. God has many qualities, many sides, which our mere human minds can only partly understand.

With love,

Sid