2006-10-16 05:36:00
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
This provides an interesting list of qualities that will hold us back from obtaining the New Jerusalem. Let us list them.
Fear is rarely thought of as a sin, but it is definitely a negative emotion that energizes all the lower emotions. One can never live in a new earth with "no more sea" if he lives with fear that energizes the sea of lower emotions.
To obtain the New Jerusalem we have to have a believing spirit. This is much different than a gullible spirit. The gullible spirit has no filters, discrimination or judgment. The believing spirit does not ignore the real but discerns the possibility that there is nothing too good to be true and all things are possible. He is not blind to the obstacles that may appear upon the path or be in his way as is the gullible one. The believing spirit sees these things, but believes they can be overcome with sustained effort.
This is a religious sounding word that isn't used much by the average person today. Some define it as merely something repulsive to God, or one's version of God, but is this the intended meaning? It comes from the Greek: BDELUSSO which basically means "one who gives off a repulsive stench."
This is not a physical repulsion but a spiritual one. In any group there are always a few who the main body has extreme difficulty in accepting, not because they are advanced but because of personality problems. There are various reasons for this. They may be obnoxious, overly critical, unsupporting, fearful, doubting, non-conforming, complaining, have a superior attitude, have an irritating personality, etc. We've all met these people, people that just cannot get along with any group.
The New Jerusalem has group consciousness so to be accepted the seeker must join in with that consciousness through the soul.
This does not mean he will lose his independence for he will be more independent than ever because many limitations will be removed. Instead it means he has an attitude of seeking oneness through the soul with his brothers.
Fortunately, these rejected ones have many lifetimes to improve themselves, but there is a time limit.
This word comes from the Greek PORNOS which is a male prostitute. Male energy is sending and radiant and female receiving and magnetic. Whereas the female prostitute sells beauty and charms the male symbolically sells his labor and the works of his hands.
How is labor prostituted?
To understand we must ask for what are we to labor? The answer is we are supposed to labor for that which has real value--that provides a useful service for humanity and is produced through honest harmless means.
The true whoremonger prostitutes his labor and is not concerned about the fruits of his labors or who gets hurts in the process. Ambulance chasing attorneys, corrupt politicians, misleading salespeople are just a few of these. Others would be companies that exploit their workers or use slave labor for the production of their products. Workers who shortchange their employees are also in this category as well as those who make inferior or harmful products. Lastly, those who are prostitutes and especially those who hire or encourage them would belong here.
Right livelihood from Buddha's eightfold path is the keynote here.
I'll quote what I previously wrote about sorcerers: The word "comes from the Greek PHARMAEIA. The modern words 'pharmacy' and 'pharmaceutical' come from the same Greek root as this word. In fact, one of the definitions of PHARMAEIA is "the use of administering drugs." Some of these ancient drugs that were used by the doctors of the time were so powerful they were seen as supernatural in effect and the druggist was seen as a sorcerer."
These then would be the drug dealers in our day, not only the illegal ones, but the legal ones who blindly prescribe and cause innumerable addictions. These probably do even more harm, as a whole, than illegal ones.
An idolater is one who worships a false god, or substitutes the true God within for a false god without. This is one who is subject to the power of the Beast and will believe that the outward authority of his minions is to be trusted above the voice within. An idolater is also one who worships and values money more than he values his own soul and will sell that which is sacred for mammon.
Notice is does not say some liars, but "all liars." This is because the most important lesson a disciple can learn is the value of the truth and telling the truth to the best of his ability.
Knowingly telling a lie places a cloud between the seeker and his soul. All have had difficulty in telling the truth one time or another in his life but when the seeker learns the value of total honesty then he will change his course and do all in his power to make sure all of his words are accurate.
This does not mean the seeker must tell all he knows, but he will make sure that what he does reveal will be true.
The scripture ends saying that these "shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
People in these categories who have not learned the basic lessons of the path of Spirit will be forced to remain behind and enter another world where death and decay are the dominate factors of learning.
Here are the next verses to consider:
9And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
10And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
11Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
12And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
13On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
14And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Revelation 21:10-14
It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument.
William G. McAdoo (1863 - 1941)
Copyright © 2006 by J J Dewey, All Rights Reserved