Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Messianic Consciousness in Jewish Prophecy (II) Amos

Most of the messages our Prophets delivered to the people of Israel are divided in three levels. First, the constant reminders about living separated from God's commandments, ways and attributes, and its consequences. This separation is repeatedly emphasized as the result of choosing idolatry over God's will for Israel. In this context, idolatry is the choice to follow ego's fantasies and illusions over Love's ways and attributes. The negative actions mentioned by the Jewish Prophets are the result of disregarding the Commandments that define our identity as the Chosen People. Second, the transition to the ways God wants us to follow in order to return to Him. Third, the Final Redemption after we choose to return to the Creator.

We must pay attention to the second and third levels in the messages of our Prophets. They show us the means and paths to return to God and fully embrace His plan for which Israel chose to be His partner. In order to start our transition from the negative patterns we have imprinted in our consciousness throughout centuries of generations, we have to return to the attributes that God has showed us in the Torah since the beginning of His Creation.

“For He that forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares unto man what is his thought, that makes the morning darkness, and treads upon the high places of the Earth; the Lord, the God of hosts, is His Name.” (Amos 4:13)

The first step to redeem our consciousness from ego's dominion is to acknowledge that we are less than dust in the vastness of God's Creation. Taking a thorough look at the world and the universe, and contemplating their endless dimensions we can't grasp with our discernment, make us humble enough to yearn for returning to our Creator. Then we realize that all we are and have come from Him, and we don't own or possess anything. Once we die we learn that what we used to possess was never truly ours, and that all was there to fulfill God's will.

God is the sole Owner of His Creation, and through what He gives us we are destined to fulfill His Commandments. Even what we perceive as divided and opposed to each other --such as darkness and Light -- serves His will. In the highest levels of consciousness God treads in His majesty to reign within us, as He also reigns over the multitudes He created. He is the God of the countless in His Creation, and such is His glory, His Name. Let's never forget that He loves all His Creation, because it also comes from His Love.

“Him that makes the Pleiades and Orion, and brings on the shadow of death in the morning, and darkens the day into night; that calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the face of the Earth; the Lord is His Name.” (5:8)

In this awareness we realize that we are nothing without our Creator, and we strive to return to Him as He wants us to. In this awareness a true life means living in what He wants for us. Otherwise we remain in the fantasies and illusions of our own inventions, the idols we created under the belief that we are our own gods.

“For thus said the Lord unto the house of Israel: Seek Me, and live.” (5:4)

As we mentioned earlier, the transition from ego's fantasies and illusions to Love's ways begins when we embrace goodness and all that comes from it. God tells us in the Torah what is the meaning of goodness in His ways and attributes with which He relates to us.

“Seek good, and not evil, that you may live. And so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, as you say. Hate the evil and love the good, and establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.” (5:14-15)

We know since we are born that goodness is what keeps us alive. Goodness belongs to Love's ways and attributes, because there is no goodness without Love. The goodness of life is Love, for which we live. Love gives sense and purpose to life. Love is what creates and sustains life, therefore life also must manifest Love as its purpose. As we pursue the goodness derived from Love, God's Love is with us. As we reject all that opposes Love's ways and attributes, we indeed are righteous.

As we love being and doing goodness, we manifest righteousness in what we are, have and do. We do justice when we live by goodness and Love's ways. As we live by goodness, God's Love is gracious to Joseph as the epitome of Israel's birthright. Joseph represents the realization of the destiny of Israel's descendants, his remnants.

“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old.” (9:11)

In our transition from exile in ego's domains to the Redemption in Love's ways, God's Love rebuilds our permanent connection with Him. The Prophet Amos refers to this connection as the tabernacle of David, which represents the Messianic Consciousness. God reminds us that He also yearns for our return to Him after the pain and suffering we inflict on us with our separation from Him. He restores His Presence in our willingness to be with Him permanently.

“That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all the nations, upon whom My Name is called, says the Lord that does this.” (9:12)

Once we conduct our thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions and instincts under the guidance of Love's ways and attributes, we are able to redirect our negative trends into goodness, righteousness and justice for ourselves, for others and for our surroundings. The remnant of Edom and all the nations are the negative aspects of consciousness we must direct in Love's ways. In our individual and collective transition, we leave the exile in ego's rule and start restoring the goodness of Love's attributes as the cities and vineyards in which we rejoice as our Redemption. This is the beginning of our eternal connection with God's Love.

“And I will turn the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.” (9:14)

King David also reminds us the blessings of the goodness of Love: “He loves righteousness and justice. The Earth is full of the loving kindness of God.” (Psalms 33:5), “For the Lord is righteous, He loves justice; the upright will see His face.” (11:7), “The Earth is filled with Your loving kindness, Lord; teach me Your decrees.” (119:64), “Loving kindness and truth have met, righteousness and peace have kissed.” (85:10)

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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.