This predicament stems from diverse and numerous sources. A number of these are: ** religious superstition, ** Biblical ignorance, ** false and inadequate teachers (and thus teaching), and ** the hardness and perversity of the human heart. This last point encompasses those sad individuals who are so entrapped in their own "self-righteous indignation over evil and sin" that they delight in the prospect of - to phrase it in crude, earthy (yet TOTALLY accurate) terms) - those "unrepentant, wicked sinners" burning in Hell !! Such was the problem that Jonah in the OT book bearing his name encountered when God commissioned him to carry His offer of forgiveness to Niniva if they were to repent. Jonah refused to so do !!
Though these misconceptions are embraced by MANY (Christian and non-christian alike), the individuals are usually of the nature of those who have either NEVER seriously read nor studied the Bible AT ALL, or whose total understanding of the matters under consideration is derived from a few common "proof-scriptures" - either gleaned by the individual him/her self or taught by ignorant, ill-informed "teachers". In either case, the individuals "understanding" is PURELY that of the natural, rational, sin-corrupted worldly mind - TOTALLY devoid of ANY enlightenment by God's "Teacher" - His Holy Spirit.
One is a Norwegian singer who possesses the most caring, inclusive, loving, warm-hearted and wonderful spirit that you will perhaps ever encounter. While she has been a Christian from her youth, her country (Norway) was dominated by the Lutheran "state religion". As a consequence, the depth of her Biblical understanding is rather humanistic and shallow. The lyrics from one of the songs that she both composed and sings expresses her heart, "I dream all priests will say, that they have been astray. As everyone is good, has done the best one could." Sadly, this is from a VERY discerning, god-loving, and intelligent woman.
Individual number two has been a leader and teacher in numerous churches for many years. God has recently moved upon his heart to turn him away from his more rigidly doctrinal and dogmatic positions. He has been deeply troubled over the issue of "a supposed God of all love versus the one of anger and vengeance portrayed in much of the OT". Unfortunately, he has fallen under the influence of a very much deceived and deluded "teacher". What this person "teaches" is that all of the OT pronouncements and threatenings by God's prophets and spoke-persons did NOT originate from the Jewish God "Jehovah" at all. They were merely (SOMEHOW??) transmigrations by the Jewish leaders, people, and teachers of their concepts and understandings relating to all of the heathen "gods" of the nations surrounding them attributed and transferred to THEIR "god". Therefore, ALL of these verses can be merely cut out of the Bible or ignored, since they do NOT really represent the nature of Israel's "TRUE God". I could not imagine a more "Diabolical ploy" to TOTALLY undermine ANY authoritative understanding of the Bible, since, according the aforementioned system, if certain verses don't comply with YOUR particular version of how or what God should act and/or be - just cut them out and ignore them !!!!
We are going to examine these things through the lens of the deep, profound revelations and visions that God gave to a Christian, German, Lutheran Mystic and Theosophist of the 1600's by name of Jacob Boehme. I am not going to refer to the Bible nor quote Scripture verses, though everything that I will write is in accord with the Scripture, although from a foundational and not a surface level. I am only going to present a VERY superficial version of what he has to say, since here I am only interested in clarifying the two points that I opened with. His writings are very long, very deep, and in many ways, very confusing. This is not because the basic premises themselves are that confusing or hard to grasp. Once you spend enough time with his writings to as least understand the foundational principles and tenants, they are reasonably clear and easy to understand, though EXTREMELY unorthodox and unique. His concepts and precepts remind you more of physics than of theology.
What makes reading and understanding his books so difficult is his atrocious writing style. He repeats himself endlessly, couching the same concept in different expressions, ideas, styles, terms and vocabulary. He uses the Alchemical, Astrological, Meaning of Words and Letters According to Nature, Numerological and "Signature" concepts that were popular in his day to express his thoughts. Also, and perhaps THIS is foremost -- in the Spirit, God revealed to Boehme the deepest Cosmic and Spiritual realities and truths. How does one with a merely human mind and tongue - in merely human words - convey such insights. After his initial revelation, he stated that he spent years clarifying and refining his writings.
I am sure that I remember some profound philosopher having written, "The BEST place to start a journey is at The Beginning". If I remember incorrectly, and no one else said that, I am writing it now !! SO -- To Begin !!
I want to clarify that what I am going to be stating regarding Boehme's Cosmology is but the barest of essentials needed to clarify and support the two questions under discussion. At the end of this article will be found a number of links that will direct you to a web site dedicated to expounding upon his concepts through ebooks, videos, and web pages,.
Boehme's Cosmology begins BEFORE there was ANYTHING - No creation, No manifested God, No time, No universe. He terms it the "Ungrund" or the "Abyss" - a great "NOTHING" - beyond comprehension, description or rationalization. This "Nothing" existed in a timeless eternity without beginning nor location. This "Nothing", this undifferentiated Will, desired to "know itself" and to be manifested as "Something". Thus It resolved Itself into three "Principles or Worlds". These were (are):
(1.) - The first principle (darkness, the raw, chaotic, wrathful, fiery source or "dark matrix")
(2.) - The second principle (light, the divine virtue/power, love, and harmony)
(3.) - The third principle (an "out-birth" of material creation). At this point, "material creation" means an ethereal, eternal creation and NOT the "gross, compacted" one that was the result of "The Fall".
(4.) - It MUST be understood, however, that these are NOT three "self-existant worlds or properties" that can exist independently and separately. They comprise "one unity" and must coexist and function together to maintain harmony in the creation. The "Light" mollifies and harmonizes the chaotic fire and power of the "Darkness", in which lies the true strength and "power of life". It was because of a break or disunity in these properties that Adam and Creation corrupted into its present form.
It was also HERE, at the beginning, that "theology" became corrupt and spread its corruption throughout its whole system. "Darkness" is NOT merely the "Absence of Light", nor is Darkness in itself "evil". As has been and will be shone, Darkness is and was a necessary and substantial component of God's creating Fiat. It has been stated somewhere, "Building upon a Correct and Sound foundation in the first place eliminates trying to fix and patch up problems later" !! The church and its theologians have been busy for hundreds of years trying to patch-up the breaks and holes in their decaying foundation - and STILL they won't acknowledge their errors and rebuild on a solid and true one !!
It is essential to grasp this concept, because ALL of Boehme's Cosmology and Christology hinges upon it. In his scheme, ALL of creation and existence - YES even the "manifested God or the Trinity" - depends upon these three "Worlds" for its existence. Within The Trinity, the first principle represents "The Father", the second principle represents "The Son" and the third principle represents "The Holy Spirit". Now, as theology DOES rightly represent, these three are profoundly NOT "three distinct and separate entities", but rather ONE "unity" functioning according to three different principles of manifestation and purpose.
It is said of Adam (in the Bible) that he was created after "the Image of God". Well, THIS is the "Image" that his eternal or inner man was created after. Within the Trinity, it is not possible for these three worlds to separate. However, within man (Adam) it WAS possible. He could (if he wished) turn his will or "imagination" from the harmony of the Light into the power of the Darkness. Spurred on by Satan - whose "Fall" was on account of committing this very same transgression - Adam succumbed to the desire to explore the power of the "dark world" by entering into it, therefore separating himself from the "light world" of God's indwelling presence. Basically, this separation resulted in - both for Adam and for the material creation - a falling from the divine harmony of Paradise (separation from the Light World) into the chaos and disharmony of the Dark World.
THIS was Adam's "SIN" or "transgression", and not simply eating a piece of fruit or willfully disobeying one of God's "arbitrary commandments, regulations, or rules" !! Thus, as you might intelligently and reasonably deduce, this "fallen" condition could not be remedied by God simply saying to Adam, "That's okay, you are immature, you made a mistake, I forgive you, all is again as it was !!" It could also not be remedied by another (Jesus Christ) appearing before God's "throne of justice" and taking upon Himself Adam's guilt and penalty.
NO -- In modern language, it resulted in a disruption in the very fabric of God's created order!! It required REPAIR --- not FORGIVENESS of GUILT. It was for THIS purpose that the Son was incarnated as the man Jesus Christ - to enter into the heart of this fissure in creation, and by the "Divine Alchemy of Love" mend it again. YES - in one respect, "He paid the penalty of Adam's Sin" - in that it fell upon Christ to do that which Adam was not able to do. YES also - in the same sense - "By His stripes we are made whole" - in that by some "Divine Mystery", they were a part of this "Divine Alchemy" that made restoration of the broken creation possible.
At the point of Adam's "Fall", God immediately implanted within him "the bruiser of the serpent" or the "Seed of Divine Life". This would, at the appointed time, under the influence of the "Son (SUN) of Righteousness" take root and grow once more into the indwelling "Divine Presence or Spirit of God" which Adam had lost through his transgression. A VERY large part of this "Divine Mystery" is the question as to why this must be a process rather than an instantaneous accomplishment. To this, Boehme responds with a VERY complex "Alchemical Process-Freedom" answer. I will leave this point for the interested reader to explore further.
Suffice for the purpose here to state the bare fact that, as it was by his WILLFUL choice that Adam "imagined" himself into the Dark World, it must be by the WILLFUL choice of him and each of his "children" that they again "imagine" themselves, back into the Light World. This is done by means of the power now made available to them through the work that Jesus Christ accomplished. However, the Creation itself will NOT be restored merely to its previous unfallen form, but ultimately to a degree of "Paradisiacal Perfection" that EXCEEDS such as it had before Satan's Disruption.
This SHOULD answer the MANY controversies and disputes regarding the method and mode of man's reconciliation and redemption again with God.
(1.) - If you have AT ALL followed the above discussion, you will HAVE to see and concede that man does NOT merely need God to say, "I forgive you - come home again to papa".
(2.) - As Jesus Christ Himself proclaims, "I am the ONLY door, road, route and way back to The Father" **** John 10:9 and 14:6.
(3.) - All religions DO NOT lead to God.
(4.) - Having a "sincere heart" and doing the "best that you can" will NOT reunite you with God.
(5.) - The meaninglessness of the argument so often put forth, "God would NOT deliberately condemn a person to an eternity of suffering for merely making a few little mistakes during their finite, VERY short lifetime".
This "short" discussion should address the basic contentions and points in answer to the first question. There are MUCH deeper and more comprehensive details of course, but this "brief" article is already becoming too complicated and lengthy. If you are interested, consult the materials available at the links at the end of the article. The same applies to the following discussion regarding question number two.
Question number two can be more concisely and readily answered than can question number one, especially since the solution has already been partly described in the preceding discussion regarding the "Three Principles or Worlds".
As stated, God has within Himself both the World's of Darkness and of Light, each contributing their respective powers to the overall "Unity or Whole". The chaotic and wrathful Darkness is mollified and rendered meek by the loving power of the Light. At the same time, the gentle, loving and meek Light is given power and strength from the Darkness.
However, as has already been noted, this present, corrupted creation has had the powers of Darkness and Light severed within it. It now consists in a mixture of Good and Evil, Light and Darkness. There is still a measure of "Light" in this creation, but it is no longer the predominant, ruling influence or power. The Eternal Divine Light has been locked out, with the physical Sun doing in a very limited way what the true Light did in Paradise. This present creation (including, or maybe ESPECIALLY, Man) is a "battle ground" where the properties of chaos, competition, disharmony, disunity, envy, hatred , wrath, etc. rule. It is only the power of the sun bathing the earth in its pleasing, soothing, and sustaining light, life and warmth - and the hidden presence of God in ALL men, and especially of God's Spirit working in the lives of believers - that keeps this creation from being a chaotic, frozen hell !!
Therefore, when we encounter a "wrath" in the world, in the elements, in others, in ourselves, or PERCEIVED to be in or a part of God - though it might (can) be called "the Wrath of God" in-as-much as it originally burst forth from His Creating Fiat - the "wrath" is NOT actually IN nor a part of God Himself, but is in and manifested through a creation that is broken off from Him.
In other words, within the being of God Himself, there is NO Wrath. The "Wrath" of the Darkness is swallowed-up or neutralized by the Light or Love. However, within the creation, where the Darkness and the Light are now separated, the Chaos and the Wrath are freed to occur in their primordial or raw state.
It might also be said that mankind has - IN FACT - "created God after its own image". God STRICTLY warned the Israelites not to erect any images in an attempt to capture His likeness. He likewise warned them about the danger and penalties of idolatry (worshipping foreign or strange "gods"). However, that is EXACTLY what our churches have done. Many of them are filled with heathen idols (pictures and statues) supposedly depicting Jesus, Mary and the saints. The churches, aided by theology, have painted a picture of God the Father in anthropomorphic terms, where, in the minds of countless millions of Christians, if they have any image of Him at all, it is in the form of a "created creaturely being possessing humanoid attributes and form".
To the contrary, when the similitude of God appeared to Moses, it was in the form of FIRE (the burning bush and the pillar of flame). The images in Ezekiel and Revelation are decidedly non-creaturely, non-humanoid and non-corporeal. God is frequently described or likened to an "all-consuming fire" (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29)
God also went out of His way to stress to the Israelites that, no matter what THEY thought, He was in NO way like unto them !!
God declares His divine compassion and holiness by stating, "I will not execute My burning anger... For I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst" ** Hosea 11:9 ** See also: Isaiah 46:9 and Isaiah 55:8-9
The statement "as are the people, such is their god" suggests that a group's (or individual's) beliefs and behaviors about a deity are a reflection of their own values and character. It implies that people create "gods" in their own image, often with attributes that mirror their own flaws and desires. This concept is mirrored in Psalm 115:8 ** "Those who make them (idols) will end up like them, as will everyone who trusts in them."
Likewise, how we perceive God to be and to act is a reflection of our own character, nature and values. "You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful; you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent; you prove to be reliable to one who is blameless -- but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse." ** Psalm 18:25,26
