The Messianic Consciousness is an integrating, comprising, encompassing and harmonizing approach to existence. All we are and experience in life that so far we have considered separated, divided, divergent, contrary or opposed will cease to be perceived such as in our Final Redemption. We have lived in confusion and conflict derived from a dual conception of the material world. We must understand this repetitive and prolonged predicament as a necessary learning process for us to appreciate and value what really matters in our existence, both material and spiritual.
In the perfect design of God's Creation, He wants us to know His ways and attributes, for all comes from Him. We are His creatures and we are destined to know our Creator. He wants us to discern by the qualities which He made us, and be aware that all is about cause and effect. In this context He makes us perceive a fractured existence where we must discern and distinguish what is right and wrong, for us to make the right choices. Hence we perceive separation and diversity as parts of a whole, and our purpose in life is to integrate and harmonize every part for an even greater destiny. The ability to transform a divided and conflicting perception into a unified and harmonized functional awareness is what is called the Messianic Consciousness.
We said above that our current human consciousness has been limited to perceive within opposite, divided and separate ways as a mostly painful learning process, for us to value and appreciate what truly matters in our existence, and that is Love. Our negative experiences out of making the useless and destructive choices sooner or later lead us to realize that Love is what integrates, comprises, encompasses and harmonizes all that exists. This also includes all aspects, levels and dimensions of consciousness. Thus we realize that Love is the cause and the effect that sustains life. Through Love we begin to know God's Love as the Source from where everything comes to exist.
As we become fully aware of the dynamics of Love as the material manifestation of God's Love, we begin individually and collectively to harmonize what we perceive as different, separate, diverse, and apparently opposite or against each other. Thus we understand the images described by the Prophet when he evokes the nuances of the Messianic Era.
"And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the suckling child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk's den." (Isaiah 11:7-8)
Our individual and collective complete awareness of Love as our Essence and true identity begins to experience cooperation among what we used to perceive as apparent opposite qualities. In practical terms, first we must proof ourselves that we have fully learned from cause and effect, right and wrong, goodness and wickedness, etc. In this long awaited stage in consciousness we begin to know the dynamics of Love's ways and attributes, and how to implement them in our intellect, discernment, thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions and instincts. Thus our nurturing and compassionate qualities (the cow) embrace our harsh and withdrawing reactions (the bear) to turn them (feeding together) into constructive and enhancing expressions (their young ones laying down together).
Violence will cease to exist as cause and effect in its never ending cycle, for the cause and effect will only be Love's. The same motivation that leads us to be peaceful and nurturing (straw) will be the food of our driving force (ego as the ox) as well as food for our drive to be and do goodness (the lion). We can see cooperation as the common purpose of two of the main traits of Israel.
The lion as the Tribe of Judah and the ox as the Tribe of Joseph, who later is referred as Ephraim by the Prophet. Innocence will again shape human consciousness (suckling and weaned children) to fearlessly approach what seems negative and destructive in our current perception (the hole of the asp, and the basilisk's den). These qualities are the premise and prelude to enter the total awareness of our permanent connection with the Creator.
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." (11:9)
There will not be anything negative or destructive to harm our connection with God -- what He calls His sacred mountain --, the Temple of Jerusalem. This permanent bond is the knowledge of the Creator, which will completely fill all aspects and dimensions of life as the waters cover the sea. In this sense, Earth is life itself. Maimonides, the Rambam, says it in his own words: “In that era there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor strife, because good will emanate in abundance and all delightful things will be accessible as dust. The one preoccupation of the entire world will be solely to know God. The Israelites, therefore, will be great sages and know the hidden matters, and they will attain knowledge of their Creator to the extent of human capacity, as it is said: 'The earth shall be full with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea!'.” (Laws of Kings 12:5)
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:10)
We just said that our awareness of Love leading all aspects and dimensions of consciousness is the premise and prelude of our permanent connection with God. This awareness is also the preamble to call into the negative trends in consciousness (the nations) to be transformed in the goodness of Love's ways and attributes. These are the root and stock of the Messianic Consciousness, the offspring of Jesse and king David, whose throne and regency will last forever.
"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people, that shall remain from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." (11:11)
We have said often that Love is the common bond with our Creator, that through our Love we reach out to God's Love. In this sense Love is the bridge and the link, with which we call out to Him. God's Love hears our Love as we call in His Name. He tells us in the Torah that He will gather us back to Him again from our dispersion and exile among the nations: "then the Lord your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion upon you; and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of Heaven, from there will the Lord your God gather you, and from there will He fetch you." (Deuteronomy 30:3-4).
"And He will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather together the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the Earth. The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." (11:12-13)
God reiterates His words through the Prophet. Again He reaffirms His promise to remove the negative trends in consciousness that create separation, division and conflict. These are the obstacles that keep us away from our individual and collective destiny to unite and reveal God's glory in all His Creation. Judah as the regency and Ephraim as the birthright will share their common purpose to proclaim and manifest God's will for the Messianic Era.
The remaining verses of this chapter refer again to the ingathering of the exiles as the final prelude to enter a new realm in human consciousness in the material world. Then, Heaven and Earth will share the common destiny to know the Creator as the waters cover the sea.
"And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people, that shall remain from Assyria, like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt." (11:16)
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