The Cross of Light in the Acts of John

The Cross of Light in the Acts of John

The cross of light

Ode 27

I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord,
For the expansion of my hands is His sign.
And my extension is the upright cross.
Hallelujah.

16 Adv. Haer. 1. 2, 5 f. According to Refutatio vi. 31,5 f. another aeon, the Cross, was produced in order that the deficiency that had occurred within the Pleroma might not be made known to the perfect aeons. The Cross also separated that which was outside the Pleroma from the Pleroma itself, and was believed to contain in itself the thirty aeons at one and the same time.

The Acts of John 

97 Thus, my beloved, having danced with us the Lord went forth. And we as men gone astray or dazed with sleep fled this way and that. I, then, when I saw him suffer, did not even abide by his suffering, but fled unto the Mount of Olives, weeping at that which had befallen. And when he was crucified on the Friday, at the sixth hour of the day, darkness came upon all the earth. And my Lord standing in the midst of the cave and enlightening it, said: John, unto the multitude below in Jerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds, and gall and vinegar is given me to drink. But unto thee I speak, and what I speak hear thou. I put it into thy mind to come up into this mountain, that thou mightest hear those things which it behoveth a disciple to learn from his teacher and a man from his God.

98 And having thus spoken, he showed me a cross of light fixed (set up), and about the cross a great multitude, not having one form: and in it (the cross) was one form and one likenesst [so the MS.; I would read: and therein was one form and one likeness: and in the cross another multitude, not having one form]. And the Lord himself I beheld above the cross, not having any shape, but only a voice: and a voice not such as was familiar to us, but one sweet and kind and truly of God, saying unto me: John, it is needful that one should hear these things from me, for I have need of one that will hear. This cross of light is sometimes called the (or a) word by me for your sakes, sometimes mind, sometimes Jesus, sometimes Christ, sometimes door, sometimes a way, sometimes bread, sometimes seed, sometimes resurrection, sometimes Son, sometimes Father, sometimes Spirit, sometimes life, sometimes truth, sometimes faith, sometimes grace. And by these names it is called as toward men: but that which it is in truth, as conceived of in itself and as spoken of unto you (MS. us), it is the marking-off of all things, and the firm uplifting of things fixed out of things unstable, and the harmony of wisdom, and indeed wisdom in harmony [this last clause in the MS. is joined to the next: 'and being wisdom in harmony']. There are [places] of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships and demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root whence the nature of the things that come into being proceeded.

99 This cross, then, is that which fixed all things apart (al. joined all things unto itself) by the (or a) word, and separate off the things that are from those that are below (lit. the things from birth and below it), and then also, being one, streamed forth into all things (or, made all flow forth. I suggested: compacted all into [one]). But this is not the cross of wood which thou wilt see when thou goest down hence: neither am I he that is on the cross, whom now thou seest not, but only hearest his (or a) voice. I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not being what I was unto many others: but they will call me (say of me) something else which is vile and not worthy of me. As, then, the place of rest is neither seen nor spoken of, much more shall I, the Lord thereof, be neither seen [nor of spoken].

100 Now the multitude of one aspect (al. [not] of one aspect) that is about the cross is the lower nature: and they whom thou seest in the cross, if they have not one form, it is because not yet hath every member of him that came down been comprehended. But when the human nature (or the upper nature) is taken up, and the race which draweth near unto me and obeyeth my voice, he that now heareth me shall be united therewith, and shall no more be that which now he is, but above them, as I also now am. For so long as thou callest not thyself mine, I am not that which I am (or was): but if thou hear me, thou, hearing, shalt be as I am, and I shall be that which I was, when I [have]thee as I am with myself. For from me thou art that (which I am). Care not therefore for the many, and them that are outside the mystery despise; for know thou that I am wholly with the Father, and the Father with me.

101 Nothing, therefore, of the things which they will say of me have I suffered: nay, that suffering also which I showed unto thee and the rest in the dance, I will that it be called a mystery. For what thou art, thou seest, for I showed it thee; but what I am I alone know, and no man else. Suffer me then to keep that which is mine, and that which is thine behold thou through me, and behold me in truth, that I am, not what I said, but what thou art able to know, because thou art akin thereto. Thou hearest that I suffered, yet did I not suffer; that I suffered not, yet did I suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it flowed not; and, in a word, what they say of me, that befell me not, but what they say not, that did I suffer. Now what those things are I signify unto thee, for I know that thou wilt understand. Perceive thou therefore in me the praising (al. slaying al. rest) of the (or a) Word (Logos), the piercing of the Word, the blood of the Word, the wound of the Word, the hanging up of the Word, the suffering of the Word, the nailing (fixing) of the Word, the death of the Word. And so speak I, separating off the manhood. Perceive thou therefore in the first place of the Word; then shalt thou perceive the Lord, and in the third place the man, and what he hath suffered.

102 When he had spoken unto me these things, and others which I know not how to say as he would have me, he was taken up, no one of the multitudes having beheld him. And when I went down I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as he had told me the things which they have said concerning him; holding fast this one thing in myself, that the Lord contrived all things symbolically and by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation.

In the Acts of John the Cross has many names such as logos, mind (Greek: nous), Christ, door, way, son, father, spirit  and life

These names of the cross of light show that the cross is a mode in which Christ reveals himself. But at the same time John sees him on top of the cross.

And the cross is not just Christ; it is also a symbol of the unity of the true, redeemed believers.

The crossbeam divides the universe into an upper world and a lower world, and humanity itself also appears to be divided: around the cross there is a multiform multitude that has not yet been saved. In the cross the redeemed can be found.

The Cross is a symbol for the pleroma the centurion and the roman soldiers around the cross represent the unsaved and that state of consciousness termed "mind of the flesh, or the thinking of the flesh." This is the "carnal mind" of Paul

The friends and followers of Jesus represent the church and the 12 aeons

The Cross and the Crucifixion are a Valentinian metaphysical principle of separation and unification. In this process, the Cross became a symbol of the two-fold process in which the lower essences (the Dyad) are separated from the higher ones, and at the same time, the purer essences are strengthened into a unity (the Monad). 

Extracts from the Works of Theodotus:

42 The Cross is a sign of the Limit in the Pleroma, for it divides the unfaithful from the faithful as that divides the world from the Pleroma. Therefore Jesus by that sign carries the Seed on his shoulders and leads them into the Pleroma. For Jesus is called the shoulders of the seed and Christ is the head. Wherefore it is said, “He who takes not up his cross and follows me is not my brother.” Therefore he took the body of Jesus, which is of the same substance as the Church. (Extracts from the Works of Theodotus)

the Cross plays a double role: it both separates and strengthens 

The strengthening power of the Cross is depicted in the words of Jesus according to which “whoever does not take his cross cannot be my disciple” (Mt. 10:38) and the separating power of the Savior is depicted when Jesus says “I came not to send peace, but a sword”, i.e. the Cross (Mt. 10:34).

The Testimony of Truth The males dwell [...] the virgin, by means of [...] in the word [...]. But the word of [...] and spirit ...
... (4 lines unrecoverable)
... is the Father [...] for the man ...
... (1 line unrecoverable)
... like Isaiah, who was sawed with a saw, (and) he became two. So also the Son of Man divides us by the word of the cross. It divides the day from the night and the light from the darkness and the corruptible from incorruptibility, and it divides the males from the females.

Barnabas 9:7 For the scripture saith; And Abraham circumcised of his household eighteen males and three hundred. What then was the knowledge given unto him? Understand ye that He saith the eighteen first, and then after an interval three hundred In the eighteen 'I' stands for ten, 'H' for eight. Here thou hast JESUS (IHSOYS). And because the cross in the 'T' was to have grace, He saith also three hundred. So He revealeth Jesus in the two letters, and in the remaining one the cross..

The superscription on the cross

The superscription on the cross:

Gospel	Quoted language?	Reason	Wording of inscription
Mat 27:37	Latin (Matt was Roman official)	Civil, legal	"Hic est Jesus rex Judaeorum" (This is Jesus the king of the Jews).
Luk 23:38	Greek	Intellectual, cultural	"This is the king of the Jews".
Joh 19:19,20	Hebrew	Religious, national	"Jesus of Nazareth the king of the Jews".
Mark 15:26	Greek, but only words common to all three	Summary of other 3, most concise	"The king of the Jews"

"His crime became his title" -- the "titulus" = inscription board, commonly used in Roman executions.

The fullest title, in Hebrew -- "Yeshua [Jesus] Ha-Natzr [of Nazareth] u'Melek [the King] Ha-Yehudim [of the Jews]" -- spells out, as an acronym, the very name of God: "YHWH". And for this reason, too, the leaders of Israel would demand that the title be removed!
"His crime became his title" -- the "titulus" = inscription board, commonly used in Roman executions. The fullest title, in Hebrew --  ישוע הנצרי מלך היהודים (Yeshua HaNazri Melekh HaYehudim), "Yeshua [Jesus] Ha-Natzr [of Nazareth] u'Melek [the King] Ha-Yehudim [of the Jews]" -- spells out, as an acronym, the very name of God: "YHWH". And for this reason, too, the leaders of Israel would demand that the title be removed!


The cross has four points. "The four points of the cross symbolize the 4 letter of the divine name of God YHWH, Yahweh the divine name and the four faces of the Cherubim the four faces were: that of a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle. They represented the emblems of the four leading tribes of the fourfold division of the nation of Israel: the lion for Judah; the ox for Ephraim; the man for Reuben; and the eagle for Dan. Yahweh is revealed fourfold as Light (Jn. 1:5), Fire (Deu. 4:24) and Spirit (Jn. 4:24), and His characteristics are manifested through the Man (Jn. 1:14)

"The cross does not alone represent a cross upon which a man was hung, this is called a crucifix. The cross also represents a manifestation of God his glory and fullness. The cross is the symbol of one crucified and reborn into the divine nature, by torture and pain. Crucifixion means one who has mastered his lower nature that is the outward senses, and has been made clean in the consciousness of his mind

Crucifixion The giving up of the whole personality.

In the early Church, the cross symbolizes mankind's fall and restoration

Bible Dualism

Dualism

dualism is a noun meaning

1.
the division of something conceptually into two opposed or contrasted aspects, or the state of being so divided.
"a dualism between man and nature"


2.
the quality or condition of being dual; duality.

Bible Dualism

Biblical Dualism for example, body-soul dualism; two-age dualism; devaluation of this

evil age, with the age to come

Isaiah 45:7 King James Version (KJV) 

7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.

The “good” is one, but “good and evil” is already a mixture, a duality, and that explains why God would prohibit this tree of “knowledge.”

  The Jews of course were monotheists, Yahweh as source of both good and evil, blessing and disaster. Dualism was not to be Israel's religion; their one God, Yahweh, was responsible for all

Dualism in the form which influenced Judaism and later apostate Christianity is really proposing two gods. Yet the Bible is emphatic from cover to cover that there is only one God, the Father, the God revealed in the Bible. This leaves no space for a second god or a bad god.


According to the Jewish Apocryphal writing The Visions of Amram, human beings choose to live under the control of one of two angels. Amram has a vision of the two opposing angels who have been given control over humanity (4Q544 frg. 1, col. 2.10–14 [Visions of Amram-b] = 4Q547 frgs. 1–2, col. 3.9–13). The good angel supposedly has power “over all the light”, whereas the evil angel has authority “over all the darkness”. Thus the idea of dualism – which is so attractive to all people – was alive and well amongst the Jews; and thus Is. 45:5–7 was also aimed at the developing Jewish belief in Babylon in a dualistic cosmos.

the third and fourth centuries, Lactantius and Athanasius appeared as the leading Christian thinkers about the Devil. They continued the struggle to justify belief in a personal, fallen angel Devil against the obvious holes in the argument. In doing so they succeeded in accreting yet more to the Devil idea, at times backtracking to or contradicting the arguments of previous “fathers”, as well as adding their own variations on the theme. Lactantius especially developed the idea of dualism towards its logical conclusions. Dualism was the error picked up by the Jews in captivity which influenced the first significant corruption of the Biblical concept of the Devil and Satan. They had been influenced by the old Persian idea that there is a god of evil who somehow mirrors and stands in independent opposition to the God of love. This idea remained embedded in Judaism and eventually crept into early Christianity (1) . Lactantius really became obsessed with the idea, and concluded that Christ and Lucifer were originally both Angels, sharing the same nature, but Lucifer fell “for he was jealous of his elder brother [Jesus]” (Divine Institutes 3.5). This idea meshed in with the growing departure from the Biblical position that Jesus was the begotten Son of God and as such had no personal existence in Heaven before His birth. The whole of Hebrews 1 and 2 are devoted to emphasizing the superiority of Christ over the Angels, and how He had to be human in order to save us; and that He was a human and not an Angel precisely because He came to save humans and not Angels. But that was overlooked due to the pressing need to explain how Christ and Lucifer were somehow parallel with each other. And of course Lactantius created another problem for Christianity by claiming that Christ was of the same nature with Lucifer – for if that nature was capable of sinning and falling, then what guarantee is there that one day Christ may not likewise fall, and the whole basis of our salvation come crashing down? The Persians believed that the good god would always win out over the evil god; but that was their assumption. If there are indeed these two gods, why assume one is bound to win? Not only does the Bible insist this theology is untrue (e.g. Is. 45:5–7); but if there are indeed two gods, why make the a priori assumption that the good god has to win out? What concrete evidence is there for that, beyond blind hope?

Dualism: Gnostics believed that the world was divided into the physical and spiritual realms. The created, material world (matter) is evil, and therefore in opposition to the world of the spirit, and that only the spirit is good. Adherents of Gnosticism often constructed an evil, lesser god and beings of the Old Testament to explain the ​creation of the world (matter) and considered Jesus Christ a wholly spiritual God.

There are two basic doctrines of the Bible: (a) The nature of flesh; and (b) the spirit manifestation of God. The former teaches us what we are, and what we must guard against; the latter outlines what we can become, and what we must aim for.




Men were not ushered into being for the purpose of being saved or lost! God manifestation not human salvation was the great purpose of the Eternal Spirit. The salvation of a multitude is incidental to the manifestation, but was not the end proposed. The Eternal Spirit intended to enthrone Himself on the earth, and in so doing, to develop a Divine family from among men, every one of whom shall be Spirit, because born of the Spirit, and that this family shall be large enough to fill the earth, when perfected, to the entire exclusion of flesh and blood (1 Cor. 15:28)."







The two classes of believers




There are two classes of believers the one the fellowservants, and the other the brethren, The brethren are fellowservants, but all the fellowservants were not brethren -- even as true believers are Christians, but all christians so-called are not true believers.

There are two states or kingdoms

There are two states or kingdoms

Common to the basic "Gnosis" is a form of dualism of the two worlds light and darkness, good and evil. the two worlds the present kingdom of men whose King is Sin or the kingdom of Satan and subject to corruption and death and the Kingdom of Heaven which is spread out over the earth.

18:36 Jesus answered: “My kingdom is no part of this world. If my kingdom were part of this world, my attendants would have fought that I should not be delivered up to the Jews. But, as it is, my kingdom is not from this source.

Joh 17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Joh 17:16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

,the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of Father a spiritual kingdom made up of the believers 

Thanking the Father who rendered you suitable for your participation in the inheritance of the holy ones in the light. He delivered us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.” (Col. 1:12, 13) 

Thus they were transferred from under the authority of worldly darkness into the spiritual kingdom of God’s beloved Son

The following article is taken from Elpis Israel by Dr. John Thomas

Sin made flesh, whose character is revealed in the works of the flesh, is the Wicked One of the world. He is called by Jesus, the Prince of this world. Kosmos, rendered world in this phrase, signifies, that order of things constituted upon the basis of sin in the flesh, and called the kingdom of Satan (Matt. 12:26), as opposed to the kingdom of God: which is to be established upon the foundation of "the word made flesh" obedient unto death.

Incarnated sin, and incarnated obedience, are the bases of the two hostile kingdoms, of God and of the adversary. The world is Satan's kingdom; therefore it is, that "the saints", or people of God, both natural and spiritual Israel (Rom. 2:28,29; 9:6,7; John 1:47), are a dispersed and persecuted community.

Satan's kingdom is the kingdom of sin. It is a kingdom in which "sin reigns in the mortal body", and thus has dominion over men.

The kingdom of sin is among the living upon the earth; and it is called the kingdom of Satan, because "all the power of the enemy", or adversary, of God and His people, is concentrated and incarnated in it. It is a kingdom teeming with religion, or rather forms of superstition, all of which have sprung from the thinking of sinful flesh.

The kingdom of Satan is manifested under various phases. When the Word was embodied in sinful flesh, and dwelt among the Jews, the Kosmos was constituted of the Roman world, which was then based upon the institutions of paganism. After these were suppressed, the kingdom of the adversary assumed the Gothic domain, which was subsequently changed in the west to the Papal and Protestant order of things; and in the east to Islam. These phases, however, no more affect the nature of the kingdom than the changes of the moon alter its substance. The lord that dominates over them all from the days of Jesus to the present time is SIN, the incarnate accuser and adversary of the law of God, and therefore called "the Devil and Satan".

There are two states or kingdoms, in God's arrangements, which are distinguished by constitution. These are the Kingdom of Satan and the Kingdom of God. The citizens of the former are all sinners; the heirs of the latter are saints. Men cannot be born heirs by the will of the flesh; for natural birth confers no right to God's Kingdom. Men might be born sinners before they can become saints; even as one must be born a foreigner before he can be an adopted citizen of the States.

It is foolish to say that children are born holy, except in the sense of their being legitimate. None are born holy, but such as are born of the Spirit into the Kingdom of God. Children are born sinners or unclean, because they are born of sinful flesh; and "that which is born of the flesh is flesh", or sin. This is a misfortune, not a crime. They did not will to be born sinners. They have no choice in the case; for it is written, "The creature was made subject to the evil, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it in hope" (Rom. 8:20). Hence, the apostle says, "By Adam's disobedience the many were made sinners" (Rom. 5:19); that is, they were endowed with a nature like his, which had become unclean, as the result of disobedience; and by the constitution of the economy into which they were introduced by the will of the flesh, they were constituted transgressors before they were able to discern between right and wrong.


This is the constituted order of things. It is the constitution of the world; and as the world is sin's dominion, or the kingdom of the adversary, it is the constitution of the kingdom of sin.

What is Belial?

What is Belial? 

Belial (Hebrew: בְּלִיַעַל‎) (also Belhor, Baalial, Beliar, Beliall, Beliel, Beliya'al) is a term occurring in the Hebrew Bible

Belial has a numerical value of 78 = 6 x 13.

01100. בליעל b@liya‘al bel-e-yah’- al; from 01097 and 03276; without profit, worthlessness; by extens. destruction, wickedness (often in connection with 0376, 0802, 01121, etc.): —  Belial, evil, naughty, ungodly (men), wicked. Greek 955. 

01100 בליעל bᵉliya‘al bel-e-yah’- al 

AV-Belial 16, wicked 5, ungodly 3, evil 1, naughty 1 ungodly men 1; 27 

1) worthlessness 
1a) worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow 
1b) wicked 
1c) ruin, destruction (construct) 

Deut 15:9 Watch out for yourself for fear a word of belial (worthlessness) should come to be in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of the release, has come close,’ and your eye should indeed become ungenerous toward your poor brother, and you should give him nothing, and he has to call out to Jehovah against you, and it has become a sin on your part

a common understanding among the Jews that ‘Belial’ referred not to an external supernatural evil being, but to evil thoughts within the heart of men. 

To have a ‘heart of Belial’ (a mean thought in one’s heart), was described as having ‘Belial in your heart’

Beware that there be not Belial in thy heart

In the Book of Jubilees, uncircumcised Gentiles are called "sons of Belial". Jubilees 15:32

The quality or state of being useless, base, good for nothing. The Hebrew term is applied to ideas, words, and counsel (De 15:9; Ps 101:3; Na 1:11), to calamitous circumstances (Ps 41:8), and most frequently, to good-for-nothing men of the lowest sort— (De 13:13); (Jg 19:22-27; 20:13); (1Sa 2:12); (1Sa 25:17, 25); (2Sa 20:1; 22:5; 23:6; Ps 18:4); (2Ch 13:7); (1Ki 21:10, 13); 

and men in general who stir up contention (Pr 6:12-14; 16:27; 19:28)

Any man or woman who was considered wicked, worthless, lawless, might be called a son or daughter of Belial. (See Deut. 13:13; Judg. 19:22; I Sam. 1:16, and II Sam. 16:7; in these texts "Belial" is used in the A. V.) .

Belial refers to the Adversary (Satan), or (in our interpretation) evil thoughts within the heart (consciousness) of men.

The deceiving phase of mind in men that has fixed ideas in opposition to the Truth. Belial assumes various forms in man's consciousness, among which may be mentioned egotism, a puffing up of the personality; and the opposite of this, self-deception, which admits the adversary into the consciousness. This adversary makes man believe that he is by nature good and without sin therefore man has no need of God.

Belial is Satan the "Devil," a state of mind formed by man's personal ideas of his power and completeness and sufficiency apart from God. Besides at times puffing up the personality, this thinking of the flesh often turns about and, after having tempted a believer to do evil, discourages the believer by accusing him of sin. Summed up, it is the state of mind in man that believes in its own sufficiency independent of the Deity.

By the time Bible writing resumed in the first century, “Belial was used as a personification
at 2 Corinthians 6:15 Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever?

"Belial" was a specifically Jewish term for 'satan'. The fact Paul uses it here demonstrates the degree of Judaist influence upon the Corinthians. The Bible doesn't teach the existence of a cosmic Satan figure as believed in by first century Judaism; the word "Belial" never occurs again in the Bible. But (as he often does) Paul reasons with them from their perspective. 

It was unthinkable in Judaism to suggest that there was middle ground between Belial and God; but this in practice was how they were living. But when "Belial" occurs in the Old Testament, the Septuagint translates it as transgressor, impious, foolish or pest. It does not occur in the Septuagint as a proper name- i.e. 'Satan' as a personal cosmic being. 

Belial in Hebrew means 'worthless', and it seems that it became personified in Jewish thought, eventually being twisted by them into a term for the cosmic 'Satan' figure which they came to wrongly believe in. So it could be that Paul is putting 'Belial' for what the Old Testament would call "sons of Belial", i.e. wicked men. They are then made parallel with "unbelievers", just as "Christ" is matched by "believers".

The term belial appears frequently in Jewish texts of the Second Temple period


And Manasseh turned aside his heart to serve Belial; for the angel of lawlessness, who is the ruler of this world, is Belial, whose name is Matanbuchus.— (Ascension of Isaiah 2:4

Levi tells his children to choose between the Law of God and the works of Belial Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs Levi 19:1

Naphtali ( 2:6, 3:1) contrasts the Law and will of God with the purposes of Belial.

"Belial shall be let loose against Israel, as God spoke through Isaiah the prophet."

The Fragments also speak of "three nets of Belial" which are said to be fornication, wealth, and pollution of the sanctuary. CD 4:13 CD 4:17-18

Testament of Reuben

2:1 And now hear me, my children, what things I saw concerning the seven spirits of deceit, when I repented.
2:2 For seven spirits are established against man, and they are the sources of the deeds of youth.
2:3 And seven other spirits are given to man at creation, so that by them every human deed is done.

The spirits of deceit are to be understood as human qualities according to the outward seanes

14 The first is the spirit of life, with which the constitution of man is created.

15 The second is the sense of sight, with which ariseth desire.

16 The third is the sense of hearing, with which cometh teaching.

17 The fourth is the sense of smell, with which tastes are given to draw air and breath.

18 The fifth is the power of speech, with which cometh knowledge.

19 The sixth is the sense of taste, with which cometh the eating of meats and drinks; and by it strength is produced, for in food is the foundation. of strength.

20 The seventh is the power of procreation and sexual intercourse, with which through love of pleasure sins enter in.

The other seven spirits would be identified as the spirits of Belial these evil spirits are personified given specific names or as agents of Belial

8 For many hath fornication destroyed; because, though a man be old or noble, or rich or poor, he bringeth reproach upon himself with the sons of men and derision with Beliar.

9 For ye heard regarding Joseph how he guarded himself from a woman, and purged his thoughts from all fornication, and found favour in the sight of God and men.

10 For the Egyptian woman did many things unto him, and summoned magicians, and offered him love potions, but the purpose of his soul admitted no evil desire.

11 Therefore the God of your fathers delivered him from every evil and hidden death.

12 For if fornication overcomes not your mind, neither can Beliar overcome you.

8 But if it incline to the evil inclination, all its actions are in wickedness, and it driveth away the good, and cleaveth to the evil, and is ruled by Beliar; even though it work what is good, he perverteth it to evil.

What are Demons?

What are Demons?

'Demons', daemons, in the original New Testament Greek, refer to ideas or natural principles that underly civilization, like gravity and magnetism. Daemons, spirits in Latin, were often personified as gods. Venus, for example, personified love; Sophia, "theoretical knowledge" (226); Apollo, intellect; and Neptune, the power in the oceans.

By the fifth century, the relationship of daemons and spirits was overshadowed by the belief that demons and spirits, in a supernatural sense, ruled the world. Medieval art, and especially poetry like Dante's Infernal, completed the change in definition of daemons, from ideas to supernatural imagery, depicting hell fires and demons.

demon--This word is used in Matt. 8:28-34, when the demons ask to be sent into the swine. The demons of the parable represent error states of mind that have been quickened by Truth and are repentant. When one knows the work of Jesus in regenerating or reconstructing the mind and body and that this work is typical of what all have to do, one sees that negative thoughts have to be dealt with. One also understands that the demons or devils are error states of mind that have to be lifted up by the quickening power of Spirit.

demons, de'-mons (Gk.)-- As a rule the Bible usage refers to an evil spirit or unclean spirit; that is, a emotional feeling that dethrones the normal reason. This we can see from the book of Numbers 5:14

14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled: (King James Bible)

the spirit of jealousy is a feeling of jealousy this can be seen from another translation

and if feelings of jealousy come over her husband and he suspects his wife and she is impure--or if he is jealous and suspects her even though she is not impure (New International Version)

Jud 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: (King James Bible)

That is God let develop a bad attitude between Abimelech and the landowners of Shechem again this can be seen from another translation

23 God put bad feelings between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem, who rebelled against Abimelech. (New International Version)

Demons, or evil spirits, are conditions of mind, or states of consciousness, that have been developed because the mental faculties of man has been used in an unwise or an ignorant way. If in thought or in word you are using your mental faculties in an ignorant way, you are bringing forth an ego or a personality of like character. The mind builds states of consciousness that become established in brain and body. Both good and evil are found in the unenlightened man, but in the new birth evil and all its works must be cast out. The work of every overcomer is to cast out of himself the demons of sin and evil, through the power and dominion of his indwelling Christ.

Obsessions, dual personalities, and all mental aberrations are the result of personal error thoughts' crystallizing around the will of man. This crystallization must be broken up with a focalized thought energy of greater power, such as is found in the Christ I AM. We are empowered by the name of Jesus Christ to "cast out demons" (Mark 16:17). To reach the place referred to as "my name," affirm your unity with the Christ I AM; then silently, or audibly if you are so moved, speak the word of rebuke directly to the false personality.

"Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him" (Matt. 17:18). He "suffered not the demons to speak" (Mark 1:34). These texts mean that Jesus did not admit for a moment that demons have any power; nor did He allow them to affirm power, but with the "finger of God" (Luke 11:20) He cast them forth. He concentrated the dissolving power of Spirit upon them and their hold was broken.

The meaning of demons

1. The following is an analysis showing that what was attributed to demon possession at the time of Jesus is today diagnosed in different terminology but involves the same symptoms. Jesus simply used the vernacular of the times:

   Description	Vernacular at the time of Jesus	Diagnosis Today
   Matt. 12:22 "Then was brought unto him one possessed with a demon, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."	"possessed with a demon	blind and dumb It is Yahweh who makes blind and dumb not fallen angels Ex 4:11  And Yahweh said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I Yahweh?
   Mark 5:1-5 "No man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones."	"a man with an unclean spirit"	insanity,schizophrenia?
   Mark 9:17-27 "He teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away . . . and often times it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him."	"hath a dumb spirit"	epilepsy
   Luke 13:11-17 "A woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself."	"spirit of infirmity"	arthritis
   See also John 10:20; Mark 3:21 where "he hath a demon and is mad" means "he is beside himself."

2. Patients today with epilepsy and schizophrenia respond to medication However in New Testament times they were said to be possessed with demons. This is significant, for if indeed the illness were due to demon possession, as some suggest, how can the patient's recovery through medicine and therapy be explained? Can pills cast out demons?
3. Although the narratives appear to indicate that the "spirits" cried out, it is clear that the vocalization of the sounds came from the demoniac. This is implied in the shift of pronouns in Mark 5:7, 9: "What have I to do with thee?"² cf. "I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not." cf. "My name is Legion: for we are many."
4. After the miraculous cure by Jesus, Legion is described as "clothed and in his right mind." (Mark 5:15). This implies that his affliction was insanity and not the influence of a fallen angel. (The request that the unclean spirits enter the swine is characteristic of some kinds of schizophrenics who fear the return of the insanity).

What is the Christ Consciousness?

What is the Christ Consciousness?

The Christ Consciousness

What is Consciousness?

Consciousness, as defined by the Cambridge Dictionary, is "the state of understanding and realizing something." Similarly, the Oxford Living Dictionary describes it as "the state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings" and "a person's awareness or perception of something." At its core, consciousness is the experience of awareness and the ability to process and respond to stimuli from the environment. It is a mental phenomenon that enables us to reflect, think, and act based on our perceptions.

Crucially, consciousness is not an ethereal, otherworldly concept, but rather is closely tied to the physical brain. It is a biochemical process, a product of the brain's workings, and as such, it is a physical property of the brain. This understanding helps ground our exploration of the Christ Consciousness within the context of the physical reality of the human mind.

The Concept of Christ Consciousness

The term "Christ Consciousness" refers to a higher state of awareness rooted in spiritual development, particularly through the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is the transformation of the mind and spirit that comes from cultivating a deep, personal understanding of God’s Word and a continual practice of prayer. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17), and through the study of scripture, one engages in a mental renewal. The Apostle Paul urges believers to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2), acknowledging that the mind—while a physical process—is capable of spiritual renewal.

The Christ Consciousness is not merely an abstract or mystical ideal; it is a transformative process that has a profound, practical impact on one's life. Studying the scriptures is akin to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), a method that helps reshape thought patterns. As Christians engage with the Word of God, they train their minds to align with the spiritual realities described in the Bible, ultimately developing a mindset that reflects Christ’s teachings.

The Christ Consciousness as the Spiritual Man Within

The Christ Consciousness can also be understood as the "hidden man of the heart" (1 Peter 3:4), a term used to describe the spiritual self. This hidden man is not an abstract or divine essence, nor is it an immortal soul as commonly conceived. Instead, it is an attitude of mind that resides deep within, representing the spiritual person being cultivated through relationship with God.

The hidden man, or the Christ Consciousness, is unseen by the world, and as such, it is often misunderstood by others. The world cannot comprehend this inner transformation because it is not of the visible, material realm. The Gospel itself is a "mystery," something hidden that will ultimately be revealed (Matthew 10:26). This hidden aspect of the believer’s spirituality is the dynamic power within, and it will be fully manifest when the Lord returns.

The Apostle Paul explains that "the inward man" (Romans 7:22) is the true spiritual self. The term used in the Greek Septuagint (LXX) in Leviticus 3:14-16, describing the fat surrounding the intestines, reflects the idea that God values what is hidden, what is developed in secret and unseen. The fat was not significant in itself, but it symbolized the most intimate and spiritual parts of a person, just as the hidden man reflects the essential spirituality that is nurtured within.

The Manifestation of the Christ Consciousness

The process of developing the Christ Consciousness is not merely an intellectual exercise but a transformative one, with physical implications for the believer. Romans 8:11 promises that the spirit of God, which raised Jesus from the dead, will also "quicken your mortal bodies." This spiritual power, which dwells in the believer, will one day be fully revealed, as the hidden spiritual man is made manifest in the believer’s body.

The life of the believer is "hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3), and will only be fully revealed at the return of Jesus. Even after death, the believer’s spiritual essence is preserved and recollected by God (Hebrews 12:23). The true, spiritual self—Christ in us—will be fully revealed at Christ’s return.

The Hidden and Revealed Nature of the Christ Consciousness

Romans 2:28 suggests that the true believer will circumcise their heart "inwardly," emphasizing the hidden nature of the spiritual life. The works of the flesh are manifest, but the works of the Spirit remain unseen (Galatians 5:18-19). Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 6:4, 6, and 18 emphasize that God sees in secret, and it is in this hiddenness that the true spiritual life is developed.

The Christ Consciousness is therefore not something that is only to be realized in the afterlife; it is something that is already at work in the believer, hidden yet powerful. The spiritual man, as Christ in us, will be revealed both to the believer and to others in the final judgment.

The Christ Consciousness, in its fullest sense, is the equivalent of the Christ-self, the hidden man of the heart, and the new man who is being transformed by the renewing of the mind. This transformation is both a present reality and a future promise, and it is through the cultivation of this consciousness that the believer aligns more fully with the will and spirit of Christ.

The word “Serpent” its symbolic meaning

The word “Serpent” its symbolic meaning

God used the word “Serpent” to symbolize disobedience and sin of man (human flesh) resulting from the desire (lust) of man’s heart (thoughts - imaginations).

Again we appeal to the Bible, for by the Word of God truth is established.

It is recorded at John 3:14-15 the words of Jesus: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Here we have a parallel drawn by Jesus, thus indicating the symbolism of the serpent. Because it was God who instructed Moses to make a “fiery serpent” and mount it on a pole, so Moses mounted a “serpent of brass” (Numbers 21:6-9). Thus signifying the method by which the serpent would be put to death (his head crushed) by the Seed of the woman (as prophesied in Genesis 3:15) brass signifying the flesh and serpent signifying the desires (lusts) of the flesh. So we see in the corpse of Jesus hanging on a tree (cross) the death of the devil (serpent) (Hebrews 3:14).

The actual putting to death “him who had power over death, the devil” was the life Jesus devoted to obedience to his Father, even to the death on the cross. This constituted the process of crushing the serpent’s head. Jesus accomplished this within himself, by his own choice, because it was his meat (desire) to perform the Father’s will (John 4:34).

When Jesus established the memorial table (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22;
Luke 22:19) he spoke only of his “body given” and his “blood shed”, in commemoration of his “death.” Paul in writing to the Corinthians, stated that this communion table is for the express purpose of “proclaiming the Lord’s DEATH until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). And Peter calls to mind the price paid for our redemption (1 Peter 1:18-19) is the DEATH of Jesus by his blood poured out.

So, in accordance with the Lord’s style of expressing his truth hid in a mystery, here we have an allegory. The Children of Israel, when wandering through the wilderness, were bitten by the little “fiery serpents” (because of disobedience and sins) which would result in death, unless and except they would (by faith) turn and look upon the “brazen serpent” hanging on a tree in order to be cured.

 So, likewise, the saints (Spiritual Israel) who are confronted daily by sins - “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8) - as they wander through the wilderness of mortal life, will reap death unless they turn by faith and behold the man hanging on the cross, where the devil (serpent) has been put to death. And so are they healed (see 1 Peter 2:21-25).

Although Jesus put to death the ‘diabolos’ within himself by the life that he lived and the death that he died, the influence of sin is still at work. However, the saints will be justified in due time by the grace of God because of Jesus’ obedience.

Bible Symbols Decoded

Bible Symbols Decoded 

Let's take a look at some of the bible symbols, so you may agree when you look up the chapter and verse, if you care to check it out.

The heavenly bodies are commonly used as denoting governments and leaders (see Ezek. 32:6-8; Isa. 1:1,10; Luke 21:25, etc.) SUN - The Throne of David - (Psalm 89 v 36) - which is the Throne of the Sun of Righteousness when he returns to the earth. MOON - The Moon Reflects the light of the SUN. The SUN is the Throne and the "Church" reflects light and power (like the moon does to the sun). The moon is the symbol of the Ecclesia Rev 12:1 STARS of heaven - Princes, rulers the saints who are the co-heirs with Christ. (it is a political symbol as can be seen from the U.S.A 50 stars on their flag, "STAR spangled banner" etc.)
HEAVENS - Political systems (above the mountains). MOUNTAIN - Government - (Micah 4 v 1). EARTH - Downtrodden people (oppressed and poor). EARTH-QUAKE - Great upheaval of the EARTH (as above). SEA - Restless, moving people who are not as oppressed and are free to move around (Psalm 65 v 6,7). WATERS - Peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues (languages) (Revelation 17 v 15). HORN - kingdom horns of the wild-ox; - Unique horns - "One Kingdom, without end" - God's Kingdom on Earth - coming soon. see Numbers 24:8

Numbers 24:8 GOD having brought him forth out of Egypt, The very horns of the buffalo, are his,--He shall eat up the nations his adversaries, And shall break their bones in pieces, And smite them through with his arrows. OLIVE - The "House of Israel" - (the people not country) FIG tree - Jews (Matt. 21 v 20), Christ cursing the unfruitful or unfaithful for ever in verse 19. DAY - Year in prophecy (Ezekiel 4 v 6) (Revelation 9 v 15). MONTH - 30 years in prophecy (Rev. 11 v 2,3 - 42 x 30 = 1260). SEVEN - The number of completeness in Scripture. You need to use discernment to see what is logical and sensible and whether the words are to be interpreted in their normal way or in God's symbolic language. A perfect example of this is when Christ said, "IF, you have enough faith and you say to this mountain, fall into the sea and it will (Matt. 21 v 21)", it clearly did not mean an actual mountain and the sea. It was symbolic language.

The mountain means government and restless dis-satisfied people are the sea.
Think about it. A mountain (that is a government) towers over and looks down upon the people (who are the sea) and the sea looks up at the mountain. The sea (people) cannot remove the mountain (government) without a tsunami. Now you can start to decode the Prophecies and understand them for your self.

What Is the Meaning of the Word “Soul”?

What Is This Thing Called “Soul”?

The English word comes from the Old English sawol, meaning the "intellectual and emotional part of a person.

The text from the nag hammadi libray The Exegesis on the Soul says "Wise men of old gave the soul a feminine name." This is true because the word soul is a Feminine Noun, in hebrew, Greek and Coptic

First when it comes to understanding the meaning of the word soul as used in the Bible we should look to the bible and Hebrew and Greek Lexicons of the old and new testaments for the interpretation

an article on wikipedia on the scriptural meaning of the soul says

The traditional concept of an immaterial and immortal soul distinct from the body was not found in Judaism before the Babylonian exile,[1] but developed as a result of interaction with Persian and Hellenistic philosophies.[2] Accordingly, the Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ‎, nephesh, although translated as "soul" in some older English Bibles, actually has a meaning closer to "living being". Nephesh was rendered in the Septuagint as ψυχή (psūchê), the Greek word for soul. The New Testament also uses the word ψυχή, but with the Hebrew meaning and not the Greek

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_in_the_Bible

The Lexicons define the Hebrew word Nephesh to mean: Breath, Soul, Spirit, Life, Mind etc. for these are its many uses in Hebrew. But the root meaning is breather. A soul is a breather literally.

In the N.T., "soul" is represented by the Greek psuche as the equivalent of the Hebrew nephesh. Of the 106 places where it occurs therein, in 45 places it is specifically said to be subject to death. In Matt. 6:25 where it is rendered "life", it is taught that from the soul spring the appetites of our present existence on earth. Both nephesh and psuche are derived from roots signifying to breathe; hence "a living soul" denotes a living, breathing creature.

The Scriptures give spirit, soul, and body as constituting all of man.

12 For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two-edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul [ ψυχή psykhḗ] and spirit [ πνεῦμα pneuma], and of joints and [their] marrow, and [is] able to discern thoughts and intentions of [the] heart (Hebrews 4). Compare Php 1:27; 1Th 5:23.

The “spirit” (Heb., ruach; Gr., pneuma) should not be confused with the “soul” (Heb., nephesh; Gr., psykhe´), for they refer to different things.

Paul the Apostle used ψυχή (psychē) and πνεῦμα (pneuma) specifically to distinguish between the Jewish notions of נפש (nephesh) and רוח ruah (spirit)

So the soul and the spirit are two different things, and the difference between them is explained by the bible.

The Nature of the Soul

The natural body of flesh and blood is referred to in the Greek as the body of the soul:

1cor 15:44 It is sown a body of the soul (literally in Greek - a soulical body) , it is raised a body of the spirit; if there is a body of the soul, there is also of the spirit:— 45 Thus, also, it is written—The first man, Adam, became, a living soul, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. 46 Howbeit, not first, is the [body] of the spirit, but that, of the soul,—afterwards, that of the spirit. (Rotherham's Emphasized Bible)

The word nephesh, soul, denotes the body; elsewhere it relates to the life: "the life {nephesh — soul) is in the blood" (Lev. 17:11, 14).

Koehler and Baumgartner’s Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros (Leiden, 1958, p. 627) defines it as: “the breathing substance, making man a[nd] animal living beings Gn 1, 20, the soul (strictly distinct from the greek notion of soul) the seat of which is the blood Gn 9, 4f Lv 17, 11 Dt 12, 23:

Gen 9:4 Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat (NWT)

The statement of this verse is literally true, for the bloodstream is the bearer of life throughout the body: a teaching of the Bible which science has confirmed. Blood was prohibited as an article of diet because it represented the life of the body which should be given up to God exclusively, as it is by self-sacrifice

Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (King James Version)

The word for "life" is nephesh, which is from a root signifying to breach. It is literally true that the breath is the blood, for the blood stream conveys oxygen as well as nourishment to the various parts of the body, without which it would die.

When God "breathed into Adam the breath of life" he became a "living creature" (Gen. 2:7). He commenced to breath, and hence to live. Blood and breath are vital to human life, but Dot to divine nature, such as is promised to the redeemed in the age to come (2 Pet. 1:4). Hence Paul taught that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor. 15:50), though flesh energised by spirit will do so. Originally, the prohibition of blood rested upon all in covenant relationship with Yahweh, but not upon those who were outside of the covenant (Deut. 14:21).

Lev 17:11 For the soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I myself have put it upon the altar for YOU to make atonement for YOUR souls, because it is the blood that makes atonement by the soul [in it]. (NWT)

gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (King James Version)

7:22 of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. (New American Standard Bible)

[body + spirit = living soul]

The Genesis account shows that a living soul results from the combination of the earthly body with the breath of life. The expression “breath of the spirit of life" (Ge 7:22) indicates that it is by breathing air (with its oxygen) that the breath, or “spirit,” in all creatures, man and animals, is sustained. 

Humans can kill human souls...

22 And in case men should struggle with each other and they really hurt a pregnant woman and her children do come out but no fatal accident occurs, he is to have damages imposed upon him without fail according to what the owner of the woman may lay upon him; and he must give it through the justices.
23 But if a fatal accident should occur, then you must give soul for soul,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 branding for branding, wound for wound, blow for blow (Exodus 21).

So there it is. A soul is a body. And a dead soul is a dead body.