The Esoteric Kingdom of God

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:29 pm

The Esoteric Kingdom of God - Luke 17:21

It was a custom among learnt Jews of the First Century, especially ambulant Rabbis and Teachers, to gather around them disciples in the mystical number of twelve, and to teach them Torah, as they would prepare new Teachers and Rabbis to proceed with the custom

There were many of such groups, but there was something special about the one of Jesus, that the main theme of his message was to teach about the Kingdom of God, which he would sometimes explain the esoteric character of it, as of being within ourselves.

The Kingdom of God, according to Jesus, was taught only to select number, and not intended to the general body of disciples, designed for and understood by the initiated. However, the secret, as is always expected to, would leak out into the larger populace, and even get into the ears of the Romans.

Juxtaposed to this Jewish custom of the First Century, there was to the Romans, a policy throughout the Provinces of the Empire, to arrest the head of any subversive group, and crucify him, so that the disciples dispersed. That's exactly what happened in the case of Jesus, that when he was arrested, his disciples deserted him and fled, according to Mark 14:50.

Many were crucified in the same manner, scourged in the same manner, and suffered the same amount of torture. The only difference with Jesus is that Pilate was somehow aware of his special message about the Kingdom of God.

Of course, the Romans did not bother verifying what kind of Kingdom Jesus was talking about. For them, even the buzz about another kingdom which was not Roman, was enough to take one to the cross. That's why it didn't help Jesus to explain that the Kingdom he was talking about was not of this world. (John 18:36) The joke stuck to him, and he was crucified for being misunderstood as King of the Jews. Hence the plate on the top of his cross imposed by Pilate as a deterrant to any other candidate with the same aspirations.

Therefore, Jesus was crucified on mistaken charges. His Kingdom of God was esoteric. An inner state of mind. The Kingdom within.

Ben

TXatheist · Post by **TXatheist** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 8:10 pm

kayky wrote:
Seijun wrote:
This makes me wonder. Since man is made out of elements of the Earth, then man is God manifest as well. And is our "soul" God manifest? I would think so since, as you say, "Nothing exists outside of God." Then in the end, wouldn't God be sending a great deal of himself to hell? And is hell also God manifest?
There is no hell.

All of the good with none of the bad. I like your version of Christianity.

Goat · Post by **Goat** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:15 pm

kayky wrote:
Seijun wrote:
This makes me wonder. Since man is made out of elements of the Earth, then man is God manifest as well. And is our "soul" God manifest? I would think so since, as you say, "Nothing exists outside of God." Then in the end, wouldn't God be sending a great deal of himself to hell? And is hell also God manifest?
There is no hell.

Obviously, you have never been to Hoboken.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:12 pm

kayky wrote:Because God is everywhere. The physical universe is God made manifest.

This sounds Pantheism.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:15 pm

kayky wrote:It is based mainly on my own personal experience of God where this connection with all things was made apparent to me. In this experience (which has been described by others as well), there is an actual easing of boundaries between self and other--and a profound sense of oneness with all that is.

That's because God is absolutely One and Incorporeal.

kayky · Post by **kayky** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 12:50 pm

kayky wrote:Because God is everywhere. The physical universe is God made manifest.

Ben Masada wrote:This sounds Pantheism.

I am actually a panentheist. There is a difference. I agree with pantheists that God exists as the universe, but I also believe that God is at the same time transcendent to the universe.

Ben Masada · Post by **Ben Masada** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 8:30 am

kayky wrote:
Seijun wrote:
Are human beings also god made manifest or just the things around us?
Everything, including us.

There is no such a thing as soul or hell. Soul is a condition when the breath of life is in the body. Once it leaves the body and returns to God, there is no soul.

And hell, we all must know that it is only a weapon in the hands of religious crooks to play with people's feelings and make a living out of the naive ones of this world.