Monday, May 27, 2013

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)

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From the Book's Foreword

Let's reexamine our ancestral memory, intellect, feelings, emotions and passions. Let's wake them up to our true Essence. Let us engage in the delightful awareness of Love as the Essence of G-d. The way this book is written is to reaffirm and reiterate its purpose, so it presents its message and content in a recurrent way. This is exactly its purpose, to restate the same Truth originally proclaimed by our Holy Scriptures, Prophets and Sages. Our purpose is to firmly enthrone G-d's Love in all dimensions of our consciousness, and by doing it we will fulfill His Promise that He may dwell with us on Earth forever. Let's discover together the hidden message of our ancient Scriptures and Sages. In that journey, let's realize Love as our Divine Essence, what we call in this book the revealed Light of Redemption in the Messianic era.