The Forbidden Fruit

In a related note to my previous article, I want to discuss this forbidden fruit that is mentioned in the Genesis account. What is it?  What is it’s significance?

You will often see this reference in western culture to an apple. Now just to set the record straight, while the account does talk about a tree, it never says what the fruit is.  But if one becomes more familiar with Hebrew culture, you will find this symbolism of trees, fruits, branches, harvest, etc. is common throughout the scriptures. This is a symbol. Many creationists and biblical defenders often make this mistake of trying to defend a literal interpretation of what they find in Genesis. The reality is that the story of Adam and Havah is a parable. I’m not saying it doesn’t have many true aspects rooted in fact, or that it didn’t really happen. What I’m saying is that the story is still presented as a parable with symbols meant to teach certain ideas. 

In symbology, trees represent many things, the most common things are family, life,and knowledge. In the case of this store you have a tree of like and a tree of knowledge.  The tree of knowledge is described in the account as knowledge of both good and evil. 

So to continue I will explain an idea, which is an idea presented in the very story itself. There are many things which are true, but that you must be prepared to grasp and understand before you can receive it. If this truth is given to you prematurely, it can actually be harmful.  Now in the account we know the “tree” was placed there, such that it could be taken. Now one could argue in this story that if God didn’t want them to partake, why did He put it there?  

To answer this I am going to give an example.  When you were a young child, no doubt your parents told you not to EVER touch the stove. Why did they say this?  Because as a young child the stove can be very dangerous.  At that age you didn’t understand how to use it properly. It can burn and could cause very serious harm if not treated with the utmost respect. But did this mean that you could never touch it, EVER?  Of course not. In that state you are not ready, but with preparation one day you may be. 

So it is with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The whole idea was that it was to be partaken of, but Adam and Havah needed to be prepared to do so. They needed to learn and grow first so that they could be properly prepared.  Along comes Satan and he convinces Havah to partake by telling her the benefits of partaking in that knowledge, but he deceives by not telling the consequences of doing so, and of course he doesn’t tell her his motives.  I think an important part in this is understanding Satan’s motive.  His plan was to get Adam and Havah to do what they were destined to do anyway, but try to get them to do it in a wrong way.  If he could introduce a corruption to it from the very beginning, then he could do as much damage to the plan of salvation as possible from the very foundation.  I just wanted make this distinction clear. There is a big difference between God telling them that they were ready to partake and them partaking on their own prematurely. 

Hopefully this sheds a new light and makes you think a little differently of our first parents. Hopefully this gives you a new love and respect for them. I intend to continue this discussion, but I leave this with you for now to ponder and consider and pray upon. 

To Be Like God

In my last article I struggled to figure how I wanted to say what I had been trying to say. But I figured there really isn’t that delicate of a way to introduce the idea. If you read my previous articles on the subject I have been introducing this concept of the plurality of Gods. Showing how Elohim is plural, how Adonai is plural, and in an important way YHVH is also plural. 

My goal is not to tear God down and make us think of him as just a man, even as great an idea as the first man is. I’m trying to teach my readers who they are. I am trying to teach my readers who Adam actually was, and what he actually did. And very importantly Eve Havah  too. Understanding the plan of Salvation in this context is important because it cuts through the false teachings and doctrines. It cuts through the excuses. 

So hear this version of the account. Elohim created the heaven and the earth. This is both symbolic and literal. Many think this means the stars, the moon, the planets, the sun, and the earth itself. And it does. But the heaven and the earth are also symbolic of a bigger picture. The Elohim, the council of the Gods created the heavens. The heavens are all things spiritual. And they created the earth. The earth representing mortality, all things we thing of as physical.  Then in Genesis and the other accounts, it details this process. Understanding that when it says God did this it is actually saying Elohim did this, or a council who is perfectly united in goal and purpose. They are so united that they are referred to as one. 

Then when this process is completed, one of them chose to give up His Immortal God form.  A being of incredible power and knowledge chooses to give that up an instead become human. A being that by comparison is fragile, weak, lacking in knowledge, lacking in understanding, prone to sickness, and death. And when the time is right He brings with Him another. 

And all this for what purpose?  To take this mortal form and make it like God. To bring about more Gods, if they will. Before I continue, I want to clarify a point lest pride convince men of something they are not. I will repeat this as often as necessary because it is important. Man is a god in embryo. That is man is capable of becoming a god. That does not mean that man is a god. Man is not perfect, man must purify this flesh of everything that is unlike God, in order to become a god. 

But that’s what this mortal earth and life is about. It is a testing and proving. It is an opportunity. What God did in becoming Adam was an act of love. Pure love. God knew that in becoming mortal He was falling. He knew that by becoming mortal that he was going to make mistakes. He knew that by becoming mortal he would himself be in need of salvation. But because of the great love he has for us, he will gladly give up his immortality for the chance that we might become like Him. 

I see so many criticize what Adam and Havah did. That they introduced sin into the world. But know this. They did what they did, knowing that if they didn’t, you would not be here now.  The story is true, but it is also a parable.  I plan on continuing this further, but I think I’ve said enough for now.   But please to all who read this. Pray about it and ask God for understanding and a confirmation of these words. 

Adam and Eve

Today I wish to share with you a truth about Adam and Eve. Or rather the original Hebrew version. Who are they?  Why are they so important?  Why is the story shrouded in mystery?  

Let's first examine Adam. If we look at the hebrew letters, Adam is  אדם. Let's examine these three letters to see the meaning. The first letter is Aleph א, which firstly is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is fitting here because it is used to represent the first man. Fatherhood is also symbolized. The formation of the letter contains two Yods. Recall that the Yod י is a symbol for God and the source of everything and is contained in everything. 

Next we will examine Eve. The first element is that Eve doesn't exist in the original Hebrew. Or rather not by that name.  

The original Hebrew text and Jewish tradition both tell us that the proper name is Havah, spelled in Hebrew as HVH הרה.  Havah basically means "mother of all living."  This is an accurate description.

But what many scholars miss is the full significance of the story. In this I want to point out that in the old Hebrew, HVH and YHVH are spelled so similarly. And this is not an accident or coincidence. This is deliberate. 

In this article I am going to outright say an eternal truth. I have been discussing and showing by the ancient scriptures themselves that God exists in plural. That God is one in purpose and truth, but that there are multiple Gods. Adam was one of them. And Havah was his wife. Now these names are really more titles, as they went by and today go by different names. As mortals, they were Adam and Havah. They were members of the council that created this Earth (Elohim), immortal Gods, who choose to risk their immortality in order that their children could receive the experiences necessary for them to likewise become Gods. The fall or Adam, often referred to as his transgression or the original sin, was nothing more than his choosing to become a mortal man so that he could produce mortal offspring. This was not a sin, it was an act made out of pure devoted love. And Havah choose to do likewise. 

Now I know this raises a lot of questions regarding the creation story. I plan to discuss that at some point, but for now I will summarize by simply stating that the creation story as contained in Genesis is a parable. It represents a general outline of the creation process. But it does not produce an accurate depiction of specific events. It is not intended to. 

Now my point in trying to teach this concept is to bring to our minds a realization that man, mortal men, can in fact become like God. And that an important part of that is the unity between man and woman. If we as mortals cannot become united in a real, true, pure love then we will never be able to become like our Heavenly Parents.