The Messianic Consciousness in Jewish Prophecy (VI) Zephaniah

We have said that the messages of the Jewish Prophets are divided in three main aspects. In general, these are presented in the following order: The estrangement of Israel from God and its consequences, the beginning to return to Him as the result of such consequences (also known a "repentance"), and the reunification with Him as the culmination of the Final Redemption (what we call here the Messianic Consciousness). In a broader view of these stages, they encompass a learning process through which we become aware of the connection with the Creator and our relationship with Him. We also have mentioned that all this process is totally dependent on the free will God has infused in our consciousness. In this context free will is one of the main qualities that honor our image and likeness of Him.

In free will we choose to separate from our Creator, His ways and His attributes He relates to us; and also in free will we choose to return to them. However, we must be aware that the dynamics of free will are bound to cause and effect in order not to be as an immutable law but as a learning process. In this sense, human consciousness unfolds within the frame of cause and effect. We also have said that what we experience as negative, evil, destructive, constraining or subtracting exist as references to choose the opposite of them. They are references, not choices. This learning process is designed for us to ultimately know and experience what is good and positive as the ways and attributes God wants us to choose for every aspect and dimension of life in the material world. The Prophet reminds us this.  

“And I will leave in the midst of you an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the Name of the Lord.” (Zephaniah 3:12)

Our estrangement from God is the direct result of leaning to ego's fantasies and illusions, which end up afflicting and impoverishing us at the expense of Love as our Essence and true identity. This is a reminder of the second Commandment of the Decalogue, which is a warning against serving other gods and idols before God's Presence. This means that His Presence, before Whom we live because He created us and sustains us, does not cohabit with anything different from His ways and attributes toward us. As we experience the pain and suffering out of fantasies and illusions that afflict us, God's Love awaits for our return to Him in the refuge of His Name.

“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies, neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” (3:13)

Again, the second stage leads us through a cleansing process where we individually and collectively remove the negative traits and tendencies from our consciousness. That which always remains in us, after we clear ourselves from what is unnecessary, is our Essence and true identity that begins to reveal its ways and attributes. Then Love, as the material manifestation of God's Love, unfolds its goodness as the opposite of iniquity, lies and deceit represented by ego's illusions. We nurture our goodness from Love's ways, and rest in peace and tranquility where there's no room for fear, doubt or uncertainty. In the peace of Love's ways we rejoice. 

“Sing, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem. The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of you. You shalt not fear evil any more.” (3:14-15)

As we have said frequently in this blog, Jerusalem represents the awareness of our permanent connection with God. In this context the daughter of Jerusalem is the offspring of this awareness, which we attain as we return to God's ways and attributes as His will for us. These deliver us from our material fantasies and illusions.

“The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be silent in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (3:17)

In our awareness of God's Presence as the regent guide of our consciousness we achieve true freedom as the Final Redemption we yearn for. That's the final jubilee after we complete the years, the weeks and the days of our lives. Moses our teacher phrased it this way: 

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing Love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us [from our separation from You], for as many years as we have seen trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children. May the pleasantness of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands." (Psalms 90:12-17)

And we hope He fulfills His promise to redeem us soon in our days through the grace of His Love.

“I will gather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of you, that has borne the burden of reproach.” (Zephaniah 3:18)

As we integrate God's Presence in all levels and dimensions of life through His ways and attributes, we enter the Messianic Consciousness as the promise of His Final Redemption. We as Israel will be all gathered, integrated and united. The diversity of our multidimensional creative potential in the material world will be fully manifest as the gathered children of Israel. 

“At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the Earth, when I turn your captivity before your eyes, says the Lord.” (3:20)

The Messianic Consciousness in Jewish Prophecy (V) Zephaniah

“Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! She hearkened not to the voice, she received not correction; she trusted not in the Lord, she drew not near to her God.” (Zephaniah 3:1-2)

We have said that cities (beliefs, principles), fortified cities (attachments, addictions, habits), mountains and hills (ideas, ideals) all represent aspects of consciousness. Likewise, peoples and nations represent tendencies to act according to negative thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions and instincts. In the third part of his message to Israel, the Prophet refers to negative beliefs that soil, corrupt and oppress all aspects of consciousness. These negative conceptions result from choosing ego's materialistic fantasies and illusions as idols to serve, instead of Love's ways and attributes as the material manifestation of God's Love, embodied in His Torah and Commandments. Idolatry is the cause and consequence of separating from God's attributes. This happens when we trust ego's desires and fantasies more than God's ways.

“Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the desert, they leave not a bone for the morrow.” (3:3)

The ways we implement or apply ego's ways are symbolized by kings, princes, rulers and judges. We fulfill ego's desires and fantasies when our consciousness is controlled by pride and loftiness, which act as lions and wolves that completely devour their prey. Their attitude and the circumstances where they act are desolating as a desert. Fantasies, mirages and illusions all take place out of the nothingness from where they come. All come from a false belief or feeling of lack, a deserted place in consciousness.

“Her Prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her Priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the Torah.” (3:4)

In our own desolation there is no clear discernment under negative beliefs, ideas, thoughts, emotions, passions and instincts. Any possible advice to escape from them turn against our way out and the yearning to free ourselves from them. As we deny and reject Love's ways and attributes, we desecrate what is holy in us. We become traitors of ourselves without knowing it. Our best discernment and judgment (represented by the Prophets and Priests), capable of bringing consciousness close to our Creator, turn against us. The soiled, corrupted and oppressing aspects of consciousness transgress and violate God's ways and attributes He instructs us in the Torah.

“The Lord who is righteous is in the midst of her, He will not do unrighteousness; every morning He brings His right to light, it does not fail; but the unrighteous knew no shame.” (3:5)

This verse means that God maintains His goodness and righteousness, and never turns away from us. He doesn't act treacherously as we do, because His ways are not our ways. He makes the sun appear every morning in His unconditional Love to us, but we don't reciprocate with the same loving kindness. We are shameless to reject His Love in the ways and attributes He instructs us.

“I have cut off nations, their corners are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passes by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.” (3:6)

God's Love clears negativity we store in our consciousness. The metaphor of the desert is two-fold. On one hand, it represents the desolation we create in our life when negativity rules. On the other, it symbolizes the emptiness we must create in every aspect and dimension of consciousness in order to be filled with God's ways and attributes. Our ancestors spent forty years in the desert to transform their consciousness into vessels for God to reveal His Presence in the material world. The Prophet points this out as the prelude to invite God's Love to dwell permanently in our consciousness.

“Therefore you all wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.” (3:8)

Again is reiterated the principle that God's ways don't cohabit with anything different from them. All aspects, potentials and tendencies of consciousness, represented by nations and kingdoms, must be gathered by God's ways. This is the beginning of God's Redemption. The process begins when we realize that we have to transform our consciousness through the fire of Love. Through loving one another and fulfilling God's Commandments in His Torah we are close to Him. In this closeness there is no jealousy, because there is no separation.

“For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” (3:9)

We are devoured and desolated by our separation from God's Love. As we realize this, we begin our return to His Oneness. This means a permanent connection with our Creator in one language, one consent in which we walk not only in God's ways but also with Him. We initiate our individual and collective Redemption as we unify all aspects and dimensions of consciousness in what we are, have and do. This unification comes as we allow Love to rule and direct all facets of life. Thus we call God's Name. We have said that God's Name and God's Glory is God's Love: All the Earth (as well as all His Creation) is full of His Glory.

“In that day you won't be ashamed for all your doings, wherein you has transgressed against Me; for then I will take away out of your midst your proudly exulting ones, and you shall no more be haughty in My holy mountain.” (3:11)

Only Love, as the manifestation of God's Love in the material world, has the power to transform the negative tendencies of our consciousness (our transgressions against Him). In order to allow God's Love to redeem us, we must remove ego's fantasies and illusions. These are the proud ones, the haughty ones that can't coexist with the ways and attributes of the Creator. We must be aware that in the place and time where we bond with God, His holy mountain (Zion, the Temple of Jerusalem), there is no room for ego's agenda.

The Messianic Consciousness in Jewish Prophecy (IV) Hosea

Hosea's message points out Ephraim's defection from God's plan for Israel. Let's recall that Ephraim represents the birthright he inherited from his father Joseph. In this context, Ephraim epitomizes the extension of the intention Israel embodies in our Covenant with the Creator. Ephraim symbolizes the rebel consciousness that rejects the unity of God with Israel, and prefers to embrace idolatry. Ephraim's rebellion antagonizes Judah's loyalty, crowned with the kingdom, which chose to remain in Jerusalem.

“Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.” (Hosea 4:17)

In a deeper meaning, the strength of our intention to fulfill Israel's destiny – the birthright inherited by Ephraim – has the power to dominate and control the remaining aspects, levels and dimensions of consciousness, represented by the Tribes of Israel, except for the priesthood (Levi) and the kingship (Judah) that remained in Jerusalem. Kingship is the culmination of God's will. This is why Judah carries the Messianic Consciousness, the fulfillment of God's final Redemption in the material world. The Messianic Consciousness prevails above all. Judah and Levi remained loyal to Israel's destiny, and stayed in Jerusalem while Ephraim rebelled and dragged the remaining Tribes into idol worship.

“I, even I, know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you have committed harlotry, Israel is defiled.” (5:3)

If one aspect of our consciousness is defiled by ego's fantasies and negative ways, our entire consciousness is also defiled. In this sense, there is no separation because our consciousness is one despite its diverse traits, levels and dimensions. This implies that, even if Judah and Levi remained in Jerusalem, they also ended up defiled and corrupted by idol worship and wickedness.

“But the pride of Israel shall testify to his face; and Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity, Judah also shall stumble with them.” (5:5)

Our Essence and true identity is defiled when we succumb to selfishness and self centeredness under a false belief or feeling of lack, which we satiate at the expense of our life and other people's lives. Thus we understand what the Psalmist means when he wrote that the idol makers become like their idols, the works of their hands. Hosea eloquently illustrates the fate of Ephraim and Judah with their choice to abandon God's Covenant with Israel. Hence it is up to us to return to Him because He heals the wounds left by our negative approach to life.

“I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their guilt, and seek My face; in their trouble they will seek Me earnestly: 'Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for He has torn and He will heal us, He has smitten and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us, on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His Presence.” (5:15, 6:1-2)

Our estrangement from the Creator is not long. It may last few days or as long as we turn back to Him. Two days represent the two first temples of Jerusalem. The third day is the Third Temple where we dwell permanently with the Creator. As we yearn for God's Love, He also yearns for our Love as the common bond with Him.

“For I desire loving kindness and not sacrifices, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.” (6:6)

The more we know our Creator, the more we love Him and become more attached to Him. The foundation of the Messianic Consciousness is the knowledge of God, and also its purpose as it is written by Isaiah. God's Covenant with us is eternal, and we must be always aware of this. In this awareness lies our true Redemption, as God promised long before our estrangement from His Love.

“And it shall be at that day, says the Lord, that you shall call Me Ishi, and shall call Me no more Baali [my idol]. For I will take away the names of the Baalim [idols] out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.” (2:18-19)

In our awareness of God's Love in all dimensions of consciousness, He clears them from the darkness of ego's fantasies and illusions. Our consciousness becomes free from negative traits and tendencies, symbolized by wild beasts as passions and sensual desires; destructive thoughts and feelings represented by predatory fowls; and lower passions and instincts depicted as creeping animals.

“And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely.” (2:20)

Our conflicting, rebelling, confronting, antagonizing and potentially violent beliefs, ideas and thoughts are the bows and swords that turn life in a battleground. As we allow Love's ways, means, attributes and ends direct and guide all levels of consciousness, we begin to enter into our individual and collective Redemption. We begin to live our Redemption as we marry our consciousness with Love, as the material manifestation of God's Love.

“And I will marry you to Me forever; yea, I will marry you to Me in righteousness, and in justice, and in loving kindness, and in compassion. And I will marry you to Me in faithfulness; and you shall know the Lord.” (2:21-22)

In the knowledge of God we redeem our existence in the freedom of the ways and attributes of His Love, which are the heralds of the Messianic Consciousness. As we recognize and embrace God's Love as our Essence and true identity, and live by it as what we are, have and do, we begin to live Heaven on Earth.

The Messianic Consciousness in Jewish Prophecy (III) Joel and Hosea

We have said that the messages of the Jewish Prophets have three levels to discern on. In Joel the first level related to our estrangement from the Creator is harsh in its words. This harshness indeed is what we experience while we live without bonding with God. However, He doesn't forget His Covenant with Israel.

“And you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and there is none else; and My people shall never be ashamed.” (Joel 2:27)

We also have said that our Final Redemption arrives when we make the choice to return to His paths and Commandments by embracing goodness and Love's ways and attributes as the material manifestation of God's Love. As we allow Love to guide all aspects and facets of live, His Love is fully revealed to us.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit.” (3:1-2)

Then there will be no fantasies and illusions that blur our discernment, thoughts, beliefs, ideas, emotions, feelings, passions and instincts. All these belong to the flesh, to the material consciousness God imprinted on us. God's Spirit, His Love, will fill them all. All we are, have and do – our sons and daughters – will finally serve the purpose of our true Essence and identity. Prophecy is what makes us see with clarity. What we have learn (our old men) throughout life and our history will have multiple dimensions we never imagined before. New thinking and new expressions (our young men) will see and approach life and the world with different vision. All our talents, skills, traits and qualities (our servants and handmaids) will be filled with God's ways, means and ends.

In order to enter the dimension of God's Spirit we must leave behind our old, useless and negative ways. These are the lovers, wives and husbands we have been attached to for too long, and far from who we really are. God's Love speaks to us every moment to make us aware of our true Essence and identity. God constantly reminds us who He is for us. He is our Creator whose Love forms and sustains everything. Through the prophecy of Hosea, God lovingly calls us to return to Him.

“Plead with your mother, plead; for she is not My wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her harlotry from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts” (Hosea 2:4)

Our mother is our consciousness, and particularly the aspect of it that knows we belong to our Creator. In this context, the awareness of our permanent connection with God is represented by Jerusalem. Here the Prophet allegorically calls her our mother. As long as we allow ourselves to be “married” and “whore” with the lower aspects of consciousness and ego's materialistic fantasies and illusions, we know that the goodness of Love's ways and attributes are far from us. We have indicated often in our commentaries in this blog that in the same way that God doesn't dwell with anything different from His ways and attributes He shows us in this world, the same thing goes for Love's ways and attributes. This means that neither He is married to our prostituted consciousness or our prostituted consciousness to Him. In His loving kindness and compassion God never forgets or annul His Covenant with us. We return to the Creator when we let Him help us clear our consciousness from what we don't need.

“Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.” (2:5)

We take the first steps back to God when we remove the negative ways and ego's fantasies as the garments that keep us attached, addicted and bound to what denies our real freedom, which is with God. Once we empty all that denies Love's ways, we will thirst for God's ways as our true home.

“And I will not have compassion upon her children; for they are children of harlotry. For their mother has played the harlot, she that conceived them has done shamefully; for she said: 'I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink'.” (2:6-7)

If we don't yearn to be in our true home, and take the steps to our way back, we still remain in the realm of ego's fantasies and illusions. These are the children of the negative aspects of consciousness, the result of cohabiting with anything different from Love's ways and attributes. We live in ego's illusions believing they sustain and nurture our life. It's exactly all the way around. We feed them with the energy that comes from our true Essence and identity, the Soul our Creator gave us to live. We waste our Love and goodness to feed ego's fantasies and illusions.

“And she shall run after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then shall she say: 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now'.” (2:9)

The recognition that God's Love is our true Essence and identity has the power to compel our consciousness to return to Him.

“For she did not know that it was I that gave her the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they [the children of Israel] used for Baal.” (2:10)

Let's remind ourselves that the Tribes of Israel are diverse traits and qualities imprinted in the consciousness of every Jew. The Torah, which defines our Jewish identity, tells us that all the Tribes must be united to serve God in their individual ways and capacity. We honor our identity by serving God's ways and not ego's fantasies and illusions. These are the idols, the Baal and Baalim, in which we waste our vitality (corn, wheat), our well being and happiness (wine), our intellect and knowledge (oil), and the goodness of life represented by silver and gold.

“And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, wherein she offered unto them, and decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgot Me, says the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly unto her.” (2:15-16)

As we leave behind all our material fantasies, desires and illusions, and embrace Love's ways and attributes, God's Love will call us tenderly and speak to our heart. Once our Love embraces God's Love, He will fill all aspects, levels and dimensions of consciousness with His Redemption. Here the Messianic consciousness begins to manifest in us.