(between R. Shem Tov ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut and
the Cardinal Pietro (Pedro) de Luna (the Antipope Benedict
XIII in 1394):
Proofs from [Scriptural] verses about the Messiah, that he has not come yet but will come in the future.
It is written, I will gather them unto their own land, and I will leave none of them there (Ezek. 39:28) - This has not yet been fulfilled, for in the [time of the ] Second Temple only forty [two] thousand three hundred and sixty returned, as explained in the Book of Ezra (Ezra 2:64).
Also it is written, For the nation and the kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish (Isa. 60:12); however, in the Second Temple they [the Children of Israel] were subject to [other] kingdoms.
Also it is written, in connection with the downfall of Gog, And I will call him to judgment with pestilence and with blood, and I will cause to rain upon him and upon his followers overflowing rain and great hailstones, fire and brimstone (Ezek. 38:22)--and this has not yet been fulfilled.
Also it is written, And the Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea, etc., and there shall be a path for the remnant of His People, etc. (Isa. 11:15-16)--and this has not yet been fulfilled.
Also it is written, And the Mount of Olives shall be cleft in half toward the east and toward the west (Zech. 14.4), And living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, etc. (ibid., v.8) - and this has not yet been fulfilled.
Also it is written And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, etc. (Isa. 2.4)--This points to the multiplication of peace which will be in the world, and in the Second Temple, and thereafter as well, there was the opposite.
Also it is written, And the Lord shall be King over all the earth, in that day the Lord shall be one and His Name one (Zech. 14.8), and in the Second Temple, and to this day, most of the world practices idolatry, a great part of the world.
Also it is written that the land of Sodom will be rebuilt and reestablished (cf. Ezek. 16.53,55)--and this has not been fulfilled.
Another strong proof is in the portion B'Huqqotai where He says that if you do not listen to Me, I will scatter you among the nations, etc. (Lev. 26.33), because, even because they rejected My ordinances (ibid., v.43). And at the end of the portion Q'doshim He said, ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, etc., so that the land whither I bring you to dwell therein, vomit you not out (Lev.20..22). And in the portion Ki Tavo, But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, etc., that the Lord shall scatter thee among all peoples, etc. (Deut. 28.15,64). And in the portion Nitzavim, And if thou shall return unto the Lord thy God, etc., then the Lord thy God will bring back thy captivity and have compassion upon thee (Deut. 30.2,3). And in the portion Ha'azinu, ....to observe to do all the words of this Tora, because it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life, and through this thing ye shall prolong your days upon the land (Deut. 32:46, 47).
From these passages six principles emerge concerning our Redemption contrary to the opinion of the Christians. The first is that the neglect of the Tora will bring curses and exile upon them [the Jews], while its observance will make their standing in the land [of Israel] permanent, [which is] the opposite of the opinion of the Christians who say that our exile is for the sin of killing their Messiah. The second, that it was because of the neglect of the commandments that our king was exiled and our rule was discontinued, while they say that this was caused by the killing of the aforementioned. The third is that it is destined for us that even if we sin and go into exile, if we turn back to Him, blessed be He, He will gather us and bring us back to our land, etc.., that is, this depends on our repentance, and if we do turn back to him, blessed be He, He will inevitably bring us out of the exile. The fourth is that our turning back to Him, blessed be He, consists of the observance of the commandments of the Tora, the opposite of their opinion that the Tora has been exchanged. The fifth is that the Redemption will consist of the bringing back of all of us to our land, and He will circumcise our hearts to love the Lord our God and to observe His commandments. And from this it can be seen that Jesus, who did not fulfill the commandments, was not the Messiah.
Also it is written, Only be strong and [very] courageous, to observe to do according to all the Tora which Moses My servant commanded thee; turn not from it to the right or to the left (Josh.1.7). And so at the end of the book, Be ye very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the Tora of Moses that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right or to the left (ibid., 23.6). When ye transgress the covenant of the Lord, etc., then ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you (ibid., v.16). In this two principles are explained: one, that one must not turn aside from the Tora of Moses to the right or to the left, that is, to do evil or to do good; and the second, that those who transgress the covenant of the Lord will be exiled from the Land of Israel, etc., the opposite of the opinion of the Christians.
Also it is written in Kings, in the testament of David to Solomon, Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, etc., as it is written in the Tora of Moses, etc., that the Lord may establish His word, etc., [that] there shall not fail thee [a man] on the throne of Israel (1 Kings 2.3,4). And it is written, As for this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes and execute Mine ordinances, etc. (1Kings 5.12), then I will establish [the throne] of thy kingdom over Israel for ever, etc. But if ye shall turn away from following Me...then will I cut off Israel out of the Land (1 Kings 9.5,6,7). And it is written at the end of Kings, And the king of Assyria carried Israel away unto Assyria, and put them in Halab, etc., because they hearkened not to the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed His covenant, [even all] that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded (2 Kings 18.11,12). Therefore, two principles emerge from this: one is that the continuance of the rule of the House of David depends on the observance of the commandments of the Tora; the second, that the exile of Israel from their land came about because they transgressed the Tora.
Also it is written in Isaiah, And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples (Isa. 2.4), and Jesus hid himself even from Israel. And in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eight [sic!], he said, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 15.24). And likewise in chapter 43 [sic], when he sent twelve disciples he said to them, Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans but go rather to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt. 10.5,6).
Also it is written, He shall judge the poor with righteousness...and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth (Isa. 11.4). From this we derive ten principles. The first is that the Messiah will come and will smite and slay with the breath of his lips, whereas Jesus was smitten and did not smite. The second is that he will multiply peace until the wolf shall dwell with the lamb (ibid.v.6), and in the Second Temple, and even more so after Jesus, wars multiplied. The third one is that They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain (ibid.v.9), and the opposite happened: the city and the Temple were destroyed. The fourth is that The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord (ibid.), and in the Second Temple all the sages were slain; and, moreover, according to the opinion of the Christians, Israel did not know and did not recognize Jesus that he was God. The fifth is what he said, Unto him shall the nations seek (ibid., v.10), and this did not happen in the Second Temple, nor with Jesus, for Israel was in darkness, and the Gentiles even more so. The sixth is, And his resting place shall be glorious (ibid.), and the Christians say that Jesus received contempt and disgrace from the people. The seventh is that in the days of the Messiah, The Lord will set His hand again a second time to recover the remnant of His people...from Assyria (ibid., v.11), but in the Second Temple Israel were not redeemed from Assyria and from the rest of the countries; only a few of them from Babylonia, and even more so after the coming of Jesus when Israel were exiled from their land. The eighth, The envy of Ephraim shall depart (ibid.,v13), refers to the Ten Tribes, and in the Second Temple there was not one of them, and at that time the quarrels multiplied in Israel. The ninth, And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines to the west, together they shall espoil the children of the east (ibid., v.14), and this has not been fulfilled. The tenth, And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea, etc., And there shall be a path for the remnant of His People (ibid., v.15-16), and this, too, has not been fulfilled.
Also it is written in Jeremiah, Thus saith the Lord: There shall not be cut off unto David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall there be cut off unto the priests and the Levites a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, and to burn meal-offerings, and to do sacrifice continually...[and] as the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither [the sand of the sea] measured, so will I multiply the seed of David My servant and the Levites [that minister] unto Me (Jer.33.17-18,22). From this three principles emerge. The first is that there is no king but David, and if they say that He is Jesus, is it not that he never reigned in his life, but was killed. The second is that there is no burnt offering and no sacrifice, and no ministering priest, and the Christians say that it was uprooted from them and given to the masses of the people. The third is that He said that He will multiply the seed of David and the Levites, and in the Second Temple the family of the Hasmoneans was lacking, as well as the seed of David.
Also it is written in Ezekiel, Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions, etc., and I will make them one nation in the land, and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations...and My servant David shall be king over them (Ezek. 37.19,22,24). And from this three principles emerge: One is that a time will come when all the tribes of Israel will be gathered in their land. The second is that all [of them] will become one nation in the land. The third is that he [the messiah] will rule over them. And of this not one thing has come to pass thus far.
Also it is written there in Ezekiel, This shall be the border whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the [twelve] tribes of Israel, Joseph receiving two portions, etc. (Ezek. 47.13); And ye shall divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel (ibid., v.21); And these are the names of the tribes, etc. (ibid., 48.1). Behold, he has let us know and described the portion of each tribe, as well as the property of the Levites, and this has not yet happened.
Also it is written in Joel, And it shall come to pass afterward that I shall pour out My spirit upon all flesh, etc. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered (Joel 2.32). I will gather all nations, and will bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there over My people Israel and My heritage whom they have scattered among the nations, and My land they have divided (ibid., 4.2). And from this three principles emerge: One is that all flesh shall prophesy. The second, that he will vouchsafe signs in heaven and earth, and on the Mount Zion there will be a remnant. The third, that at the time of Redemption He will bring down all the nations to the Valley of Jehoshaphat there. And when has this happened?
Also it is written in Zechariah, Behold a day of the Lord cometh, etc., and I will gather all nations against Jerusalem, etc. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth, etc. And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations, etc., shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14.1,2, 9, 16). And from this five principles emerge: One is that all the nations will come to wage war against Jerusalem. The second, that those who are left will accept God, may He be exalted, as King. The third, that every year they will go up to worship Him, blessed be He. The fourth, that they will accept the commandments of the Tora and will celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The fifth, that if they will not go up the rain will not come upon them. And all this has not yet happened.
Also it is written in Obadiah, And the captivity of this host, etc., and the captivity of Jerusalem that is in Sepharad shall inherit the cities of the South, and saviours shall ascend Mount Zion, etc. (Obad. 20,21). And from this three principles emerge. One is that the captivity of the host which is as far as France and the exiles of Spain (Sepharad) will inherit the cities of the South. The second, that saviors will ascend from Mount Zion to judge Mount Esau. The third, that then the kingship will be the Lord's and He will be King over all the earth. And all this has not yet come to pass.
Also it is written in Daniel, At that time up shall stand Michael the great prince, etc. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, etc. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake (Dan. 12.1,2).
As I have said, sometimes, in going down an old road, it is better to put on old shoes, rather than new shoes. But they must be sanctified with the Holy Spirit, anointed with the Holy Anointing Oil of God, if one is to put on the shoes of the Messiah. In truth one must become the Son of God, * as Moses. For does not our translator of the Zohar say:
Can a human being experience Shekhinah directly? The Talmud had posed this question rhetorically: "Is it possible for a human being to walk behind Shekhinah?" "Is it possible to cleave to Shekhinah?" No. Rather, one should engage in good deeds and thus imitate God. Kabbalah is more daring. In the words of Joseph Gikatilla, a friend and colleague of Moses de Leon, As to what the Rabbis have said: Is it possible for a human being to cleave to Shekhinah?,' it certainly is possible!"7
Did not Jesus the Nazarene say the same thing?:
Luke 6.40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect Shall be as His Master.
Matthew 5.48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.
Since we are all agreed on this point; it is clear that a step in this direction is to study the Torah and even, as the Rabbis say, the Oral Torah. One must strive to be even the Righteous Servant who is as Moses, but even then He must also be as Isaiah; for does not the Yerushalmi say:
Yerushalmi, VII. I But he killed Isaiah, who was equal to Moses, as it is written concerning him, "With him I speak mouth to mouth.."
Thus, we have Isaiah saying:
Isaiah 6.7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
6.8 And also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I; send me.
6.9 And He said, go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Now in walking in the shoes of God, as the Messiah must do, and as we are all expected to do, we can perceive his light as the shining of a wonderful star in the sky:
The enlightened will shine like the zohar of the sky,
and those who make the masses righteous
will shine like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12.3).14
And He appears like an Angel of God:
Genesis Rabbah, LXVIII:XII 4.E. "'And behold, the angels of God': these are Moses and Aaron.
4.F "'Were ascending': 'And Moses went up to God' (Ex. 19.3).
He who despises the appointed times will have no share in the world to come.16 And the appointed times include the Anointed King washing his garments, which are garments of light, in the words of the Torah:
Genesis Rabbah XCVIII:IX 1.J: "'He washes his garments in wine': for he will link together words of Torah.
For as Isaiah says, He reviews with these people the Bible, precept upon precept, line upon line, until they fall backward and are taken:
Isaiah 28.9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
28.10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
28.11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
28.12 to whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
28.13 But the Word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
And He will shine like the Zohar of the sky. Which sky? As it is said:
The sky of Moses.17
And this will occur when Israel comes forth out of exile; and shall be as the opening of a Tent: As it is said:
as the Psalmist says:
'Open for me the gates of righteousness...'
(Psalm 118.19).This is the first opening to enter.
Through this opening, all other high openings come into view.
One who attains the clarity of this opening
discovers all the other openings,
for all of them abide here.
Now that Israel is in exile, this opening is unknown;
all the openings have abandoned Her.
It is impossible to know, impossible to grasp.
But when Israel comes forth from exile,
All the soaring spheres will touch down upon this opening,
one by one.Then human beings will perceive wondrous, precious wisdom
never known by them before,
as it is written:
'The spirit of YHVH shall alight upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and insight,
a spirit of design and power,
a spirit of knowledge and awe of YHVH'
(Isaiah 11.2).All these are destined to alight upon the opening below,
The Opening of the Tent.
All these are destined to alight upon King Messiah
So that He may judge the world,
as it is written:
'he shall judge the poor with righteousness...'
(Isaiah 11.4).
As it is said:
Isaiah 29.14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
Psalm 37.6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psalm 37.30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of Judgment.
and:
Psalm 37.37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
Therefore, Shiloh is that Perfect Man:
Genesis 49.10 The Sceptre shall remain in Judah, nor shall the Lawgiver pass from between his feet, Until Shiloh come, and to Him shall the gathering of the people be.
For R. Yose the Galilean said:
"The name of the Messiah is Peace, for it is said, Everlasting Father, Prince Peace (Isa. 9.5)...and Great is peace, for in the hour in which King Messiah is revealed to Israel, he begins with peace, for it is said, How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings who announceth peace (Isa.52.7)"
Confirming this is:
Psalm 37 Mark the perfect man and the upright, for the end of that man is Peace.
Psalm 33.15 He fashioneth their hearts alike; He considereth all their works.
Psalm 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.
27.5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.Psalm 26.8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honor dwelleth.
Psalm 19.1 The heavens declare the glory of God...In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the sun,
19.5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.Psalm11.4 The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Isaiah 16.6 And in mercy shall the throne be established; and He shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness.
Isaiah 32.1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
32.2 And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Isaiah 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in His Beauty: they shall behold the Land that is very far off.
33.20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.Psalm 11.6 Upon the wicked he shall rain sares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Psalm14.2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
14.3 They are all gone aside; they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.Psalm 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
9.5 Thou has rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.Psalm 2.9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Psalm 18.44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the stranger shall submit themselves unto me.
18.33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon high places.
18.11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
18.12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
18.14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
18.16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
18.29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.Psalm 40.7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
40.17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my god.Psalm 45.1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Habakkuk 3.4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
Zephaniah 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.
For the Psalm says:
Psalm 50.23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God.
King Messiah must first set the example, by introducing one pure language by which all will call upon the name of the Lord to serve Him with one consent; and in so doing, He will be the first to order his conversation aright, through whom you will see Salvation. But he who does not order his conversation aright, will not see Salvation. This is confirmed by the Sons of Zadok who, in their commentary on Habakkuk, say:
For the wicked besets the righteous...The reference (in the word 'righteous') is to the Teacher who expounds the Law aright [ ].
Thus:
Psalm 45.6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.
Psalm 52.8 But I am like a green olive tree in the House of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
And what is the name of this Green Olive Tree in the House of God? We begin with Jeremiah, who says:
Jeremiah 17.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.
17.8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
As it is said in Psalm 46:
Psalm 46.1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
46.2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
46.3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
46.4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the Holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High.
46.5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her and that right early.
and:
Jeremiah 11.16 The Lord called thy name, A Green Olive Tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.
11.17 For the Lord of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the evil of the House of Israel and of the House of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
11.18 And the Lord hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
11.19 But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut Him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
And this Thesis is repeated in Isaiah, concerning the Suffering Messiah. who is, as it were, cut off from the land of the living (Isaiah 53); and who is called by the Rabbis Messiah ben Joseph. And He is different than King Messiah whose mouth is like a sharp sword, who is, as it were, hidden in the secret Pavilion of God:
Isaiah 49.2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me; and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
49.3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
49.6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the Preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
Here we have a character whose function is to restore the Preserved of Israel: i.e., He is the Gatherer. And from the Sons of Zadok we have this Testimony:
Dead Sea Scrolls, 1-4 [But out of the stock of] Jesse [shall come forth a shoot], and a scion [shall sprout] from his roots. And upon him [shall re]st [the spirit of the Lord, the spirit of wis]dom and discernment, the spirit of counsel [and of might], the spirit of knowledge [and of the fear of the Lord. And He will inspire him with fear of] the Lord and [he shall not judge after] the sight of [his eyes, niether dec]ide [after the hearing of his ears], but judge [the poor with righteousness and decide with equity for the humble of the land].
[The reference is to the scion of] David who will exercise his office at the end [of days]. His [ene]mies [will be felled], but him will God uphold [by bestowing upon him po]wer, a throne of glory, a h[oly] crown and broidered robes. A [ shall be placed] in his hand, and he shall bear sway over all the hea[th]en, and Magog [shall be vanquished by him], and his sword shall wreak judgment upon all the peoples. And as for the statement, He shall not [judge after the sight of his eyes] neither decide after the hearing of his ears, the reference here is to the fact that [he will follow the instructions of the priests; only] as they direct him will he judge, and by their advice [will he decide]. [ ] one of the (more) distinguished priests will come forth, bearing in his hands the vestments of [royalty]..
Is this not what the rabbis have asked of the Messiah also, that He will follow their lead in judgment, first addressing the Torah and confirming their Truth with them? And is not King Messiah also concerned with vanquishing Magog? Here, it appears, the Rabbis and the Sons of Zadok are in agreement.
But this character, whom we can call the Scion of David, or King Messiah, is not the same as the Suffering Messiah, whom we see in Isaiah, for the Suffering Messiah is at odds with the people and priests of Jerusalem. The Heathen are not the ones who caused his Suffering; rather, it was the people of Jerusalem and Judah, as we have earlier shown, in particular by illustration of the Sign of the Virgin, who is not a sign of the Latter Days of Redemption.
We are justified in referring to the Sons of Zadok because:
The Zadokite Document, 12-iv, 6-12: They that hold fast unto Him are destined for life eternal, and theirs is all mortal glory, even as God has sworn unto them by the hand of the prophet Ezekiel, saying: "The priests and the levites and the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, these it is that shall offer unto Me the fat and the blood' [Ezek. 44.15]. By 'priests' is meant those in Israel that repented and departed from the land of Judah. [By 'Levites'] is meant those that associated themselves with them. By 'sons of Zadok' is meant those elect of Israel that have been designated by name and that shall go on functioning in the last days. Behold, their names have been specified, the families into which they are to be born, the epoches in which they are to function, the full tale of their tribulations, the length of their sojourn in exile, and the precise nature of their deeds...And when the present era is completed, there will be no more express affiliation with the house of Judah; every man will 'mount guard' for himself. 'The fence will be rebuilt, and the bounds be far-flung' [cf. Mic. 7.11].
And they also watched for Two Messiahs, as you:
The Manual of Discipline ix, 8-11: Until the coming of the Prophet and of both the priestly and the lay Messiah, these men are not to depart from the clear intent of the Law to walk in any way in the stubbornness of their own hearts. They shall judge by the original laws in which the members of the community were schooled from the beginning.
vi, 1-8: When they set the table for a meal or prepare wine to drink, the priest is first to put forth his hand to invoke a blessing on the first portion of the bread or wine.
In any place where there happen to be ten such men, there is not to be absent from them one who will be available at all times, day and night, to interpret the Law (Torah), each of them doing so in turn.
The general members of the community are to keep awake for a third of all the nights of the year reading books, studying the Law and worshiping together.
Three characters are recognized by the Sons of Zadok as pertaining to the last days: The coming of a prophet, which is as the Prophet of whom Moses spoke and of whom Malachi spoke; The Interpreter of the Law, who is called the Messiah of Aaron and Israel, the Priest King; and the King Messiah, who appears with the Messiah of Aaron and Israel.
As concerning the Interpreter of the Law, this has been said:
The Damascus Rule vi: And they dug the Well: the well which the princes dug, which the nobles of the people delved with the stave (Num. 31.18).
The Well is the Law, and those who dug it were the converts of Israel who went out of the Land of Judah to sojourn in the land of Damascus. God called them all princes because they sought Him, and their renown was disputed by no man. The Stave is the Interpreter of the Law of whom Isaiah said, He makes a tool for His work (Isa.54.16); and the nobles of the people are those who come to dig the Well with the staves with which the Stave ordained that they should walk in all the age of wickedness - and without them they shall find nothing - until he comes who shall teach righteousness at the end of days.
vii: ...The star is the Interpreter of the Law who shall come to Damascus; as it is written, A star shall come forth out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel (num.24.17). The Sceptre is the Prince of the whole congregation, and when he comes He shall smite all the children of Seth (Num. 24.17).
viii: None of the men who enter the New Covenant in the land of Damascus, (BI) and who again betray it and depart from the fountain of living waters, shall be reckoned with the Council of the people or inscribed in its Book from the day of the gathering in (BII) of the Teacher of the Community until the coming of the Messiah out of Aaron and Israel....From the day of the gathering in of the Teacher of the Community until the end of all the men of war who deserted to the Liar there shall pass about forty years (Deut. 2.14). And during that age the wrath of God shall be kindled against Israel; as He said, There shall be no king, no prince, no judge, no man to rebuke with justice (Hos. 3.4). But those who turn from the sin of Jacob, who keep the Covenant of God, shall then speak each man to his fellow, to justify each man his brother, that their step may take the way of God. And God will heed their words and will hear, and a book of reminder shall be written before Him of them that fear God and worship His Name, against the time when Salvation and Righteousness shall be revealed to them that fear God. And then shall you distinguish once more between the just and the wicked, between one that serves God and one that serves Him not (Mal.3.18); and He will show lovingkindness to thousands, to them that love Him and watch for Him, for a thousand generations (Exod. 20.6).
...But all those who hold fast to these precepts, going and coming in accordance with the Law, who heed the voice of the Teacher and confess before God, (saying, 'Truly we have sinned, we and our fathers, by walking counter to the precepts of the Covenant, Thy judgments upon us are justice and truth'; who do not lift their hand against His Holy Precepts or His Righteous Statutes or His True Testimonies; who have learned from the former judgments by which the members of the Community were judged; who have listened to the voice of the Teacher of Righteousness and have not despised the precepts of righteousness when they heard them; they shall rejoice and their hearts shall be strong, and they shall prevail over all the sons of the earth. God will forgive them and they shall see His Salvation because they took refuge in His Holy Name.
The Messianic Rule, II: [This shall be the ass]embly of the men of renown [called] to the meeting of the Council of the Community when [the Priest-]Messiah shall summon them.
He shall come [at] the head of the whole congregation of Israel with all [his brethren, the sons] of Aaron the Priests, [those called] to the assembly, the men of renown; and they shall sit [before him, each man] in the order of his dignity. And then [the Mess]iah of Israel shall [come], and the chiefs of the [clans of Israel] shall sit before him, [each] in the order of his dignity, according to [his place] in their camps and marches....Thereafter, the Messiah of Israel shall extend his hand over the bread, [and] all the Congregation of the Community [shall utter a] blessing, [each man in the order] of his dignity.**
Thus it is said with good insight:
Isaiah 44.3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
44.4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
44.5 One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call Himself by the name of Jacob: and another shall subscribe with His hand unto the Lord, and surname Himself by the Name of Israel.
As it has been said, we must ask for what other reason would the Messiah subscribe with His Hand unto the Lord, and surname Himself by the Name of Israel, except to review the Torah in Righteousness with you? And that person is called Israel, which is a name upon whom you have agreed. And He has been called, by agreement, a Stave of God. To which purpose we add:
Zechariah, 11.7: And I will feed the flock of Slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me Two Staves; the One I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock.
Now these, by the rules of the Sons of Zadok, are Lawgivers, and are the "tools' by which Righteousness is brought into the world, and by whom the Well of Righteousness is digged. The rabbis call them Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David. The Sons of Zadok call them Messiah ben Aaron/Israel and Messiah ben David, as it appears. But Ephraim, it has been said, will be trodden under feet:
Isaiah 28.3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet:
28.4 And the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer; which when he that looketh upon it seeth, while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.
28.5 In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people.
28.6 And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate...For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
And if we turn back to Him He will inevitably bring us back from our exile (The Book of Disputation)... This concerns the modern and recent precept of the Rabbis from the day of dispersion and the sack of the temple, to the modern era. Through faith in Him and rigorous study of the Torah, they believe the residue of God's People will be restored to the Holy Land. And in that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a Crown of glory and for a Diadem of Beauty unto the residue of His People. And they will say:
Isaiah 26.17 Like as a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and crieth out in her pangs; so have we been in thy sight, O Lord.
26.18 We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
Where, O Israel, is your child, your Messiah? I see the Children of Israel have been Redeemed to their Promised Land and the residue thereof in wonder.
Behold, O Israel, I will do a good thing. For I will call your daughters Holy. For has it not been said, referring to the carrying of the Ark of the Covenant, that it, being Holy, must be carried on the shoulders; and anything carried on the shoulders is Holy? Therefore, I call your daughters in Jerusalem Holy, for they were carried on the shoulders of the Gentile, as it was said:
Isaiah 49.22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.
62.12 And they shall call them, The Holy People, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called Sought out, A city not forsaken.Numbers 7.9 But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none: because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.
Is there no truth to this saying, that your daughters were brought by the Gentiles upon their shoulders to the Holy Land? Behold, I am a witness to the Testimony, for I saw them wading ashore to the Promised Land, from the ships waiting off shore, carrying your daughters upon their shoulders. Therefore, I have called them Holy...
Referring to the Gates of Righteousness, the Rabbis said:
Zohar: O gates, lift up your heads! Be lifted up, openings of eternity, so the King of glory may come..for He is Neshamah of Neshamah Completely Hidden away.
Zohar: The Opening of the Tent is the Opening of Righteousness, as the Psalmist says: open for me the gates of Righteousness (psalms 118.19).
The Zohar says that the Shekhena, the Cloud of God, is the opening to the Divine. And to know the Cloud of God, one must go into His Sanctuary, the Tabernacle and its Ark, upon whose Mercy Seat, between the Two Cherubim, it dwells. Thus, by this work I am come to introduce you to Him.
and:
Zohar: Light is sown for the Righteous One. Joy for the upright in heart...But until the day when the word that is coming arrives,18 it is stored and hidden away...
I don't think there should be any disagreement as concerning the Restoration of the Tabernacle in the Latter Days, when the Exiled are restored to their land, Israel. Nor should I think there is any disagreement with the Rabbis that the Messiah shall introduce its restoration, as Moses did in the Wilderness. And at that time, as He went upon the mount and saw God, He was hidden by the Hand of God so that His Image would not destroy him. Thus, we have said of the Messiah:
Isaiah 49.2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
49.3 And said unto me, thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Odes of Solomon, 41.8 All those will be astonished that see me. For from another race am I: For the Father of Truth remembereth me: He who possessed me from the beginning.
Psalm 71.7 I am a wonder unto many; and thou art my strong refuge.
Psalm 40.7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.19
Psalm 77.13 Thy way, O God, is in the Sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?
Psalm 19.4 ...In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun. Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a Strong Man to run a race.
Psalm 18.7 He made darkness His Secret Place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
Psalm 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the Beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple.
27.5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His Pavilion: in the secret of His Tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.
As concerning these qualities, the Rabbis say:
Bavli, LLXXXX 1D The soul of a righteous man is balanced against the whole world.
Isaiah 13.12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Now the Zohar says God took his most precious possession and brought it down to them, saying, Israel, now you have my pledge; so I will never part from you. So I will place my Mishkan in your midst. And thus we can anticipate how the Cloud of God and the Tabernacle in which it resides, is His Most Precious Possession. And in all the sayings of God it becomes a criteria all of his disciples have used to measure the coming of His Anointed One.
Isaiah is commenting upon this: And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible..(Isaiah 13.11).
What kind of man would most likely fall into this precious concern? It would be the Righteous Man, the Son of Righteousness. As it is said:
Zohar. Then Human beings will perceive wondrous, precious Wisdom never known by them before; all these are destined to alight on King Messiah so that He may judge the world.
Bavli, CCVIIIB: Even with such anger may the all merciful rage against us, so long as He Redeems us.
And He is compared to a Concealed Mirror:
Zohar. Moses attained the mirror that shines, which oversees the one that does not shine. But the mirror that shines, which is concealed - This is described as knowing. As it is written: I was not known...And Wisdom gives life to those who have it. (Eccl. 7.12).
What makes the Messiah acceptable, in the criteria of the Rabbis, is that He must Redeem the Children of Israel to their Land. They have already been Redeemed. I wonder if they will still stand by their word?
Let us remember David, who said:
Psalm 78.59 When God heard this, He was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
78.60 So that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;
78.61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.
78.62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.
78.63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
Psalm 78.64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
78.65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.
78.66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.
78.67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
Now this is how I came to see all these things through David:
Psalm 73.10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.
73.11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?
73.12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.
73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.
73.14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.
73.15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children.
73.16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
73.17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end;
73.22 So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beastbefore thee:Thou has holden me by my hand.19
78.68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.
As it is said:
Psalm 60.7, 8 Gilead is mine - Judah is my scepter.
Psalm 78.69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.
78.70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:
78.71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.
78.72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Now I know that it has been said, Reciting verses at the wrong time is evil (Bavli CXXXIV.B) So I ask all of you, whether this is the wrong time, so that my soul may be justified. For you are my judge, and my prince, as it is said:
Bavli, CLXXVII.C Where one earns the disapproval of men, it is proof that he has earned the disapproval of God.
Bavli CCXLIX.H "'"Let them not have dominion over me, then I shall be upright" (Ps. 19.13), so that the rabbis will not hold me up as an example.
Bavli, CLXXVII.F Both had many enemies yet were truly righteous men (referring to David and Nehemiah).
Thus:
Psalm 26.6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Lord:
26.7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
26.9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
26.10 In whose hands mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
26.11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
26.12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord.
For I know the mind of the Most High; as it is said:
Bavli CCXVIII.N He knew how to tell the exact time at which the Holy One, blessed be he, was angry.
Genesis Rabbah, , XLII:III.2.d says:
So thought Ahaz, If there are no kids, there will be no he-goats. If there are no he-goats, there will be no flock. If there is no flock, there will be no Shepherd, if there is no Shepherd, there will be no world.
How true this is! For the Plan of God is to Redeem the World, not just Israel; and He Redeems it in Israel's name. For did not God say to Abraham:
Genesis 12.4 And in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Thus, through Abraham it has always been God's intent to bless all the families of the earth --not to destroy them. And though there be a curse upon us all, we can be redeemed and that curse can be turned into a Blessing. The world can be saved. And just as one man can condemn the world, so too can one man save it.
As concerning this, what matter is it to me, I may ask, whether a small number of the Ministry, even one, or the whole lot, have turned their faces from me and not received me? Have I not shown that as the first one has passed over me, so too have all the others? Thus, I need not write to a cast of thousands, or a multitude, to ascertain truth; for if Truth resides in man I should find it in one, and, as a mirror, all the others will reflect it. But what I have found in the Ministry is not Truth, but rather, Vanity and the precepts of their own words: words not made by the Wisdom of God, as it is written, but by their own vanities. For they call themselves the Chosen Ones of God, not understanding how Israel came to be so called, and forget that God said, Because you alone I have known among the nations of the earth, I will punish you! And He left the Heathen to rest and reserved His Anger unto them unto this day.
But God did say that He would cast Israel away, because of their sins and iniquities, and would call His Children by another Name. He would turn His Face unto the Gentile. And Isaiah shows how He did this:
Isaiah 66.19 And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations...and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.
And this has been done.
As concerning most of the other things God said He would do, these things have been done also; even to the extent that Israel has been returned from exile and restored to the map again. Surely the rabbis cannot complain to their Lord and ask, How Long O Lord? For their nation has been restored. Suddenly they have been Redeemed; this is the meaning of Grace. And they should not walk in it grudgingly.
Now according to the Bavli, the visitation of the Lord, whom they await, suggests the fulfillment of "doom".(CLIX.G). And the Bavli further admits:
Bavli CVI.C R. Joseph said, "May he come, and may I have the merit of sitting in the shade of the dung of his ass."
D. Said Abayye to Rabbah, "What is the reason [that some do not wish to see the coming of the Messiah]? is it because of the turmoil of the Messiah?
F. "His disciples asked R. Eliezar, "What should someone do to save himself from the turmoil of the Messiah?"
G. "[he replied to them], "Let him engage in study of the Torah and acts of loving-kindness."
H. "And lo, the master [at hand] practices Torah-study and acts of loving-kindness. [So why not want to see him?]"
I. He said to him, "Perhaps he fears sin will cause [him to suffer], in line with what R. Jacob bar Idi said."
J. For R. Jacob bar Idi contrasted two verses of Scripture, as follows: "it is written, "And behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go' (Gen. 28.150, and another verse states, "Then Jacob was greatly afraid' (Gen. 32.8).
CVII. A. So said R. Yohanan, "Let him come, but let me not see him."
J. ...Because the suffering would be so great that even the Almighty would lament it, Yohanan desired to be spared the Messiah's coming.]"
K. Said R. Pappa, "This is in line with what people say: "The ox runs and falls, so the horse is put in its stall.' [Freedman, p. 667, n.3: Then it is hard to get the horse out. So the Israelites, having fallen, were replaced in power by the gentiles, but on their recovery, it will be difficult to remove the gentiles from their position without inflicting much suffering.]"
Surely the Messiah is alone in his work, if the Rabbis do not want to see Him, for as it is said:
Zohar: There is no man to join himself to me, to be with me, as it is said, ' The man of Elohim is to be on the level of Zaddiq'.
Leviticus Rabbah XIII:V.6.G: I have trodden the winepress alone.
And He sees that the Reapers of the field are few, for thou hast rebuked the heathen (Psalm 9.5). And, according to the Zohar,
Zohar This one is not known by any name in the world., for something sublime is in Him; it is a secret. The flowing light of his father shines upon him! This secret has not spread among the Comrades.
As it is said, Like father like son, and:
Psalm 136.4 To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
and:
Psalm 145.9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies (compassion) are over all his works.
Mustn't the Messiah, then, show compassion to all men? As it is said, In Abraham are all the families of the earth Blessed.
He may rebuke, and He may chastise, because He is Judgment; but His desire is Life, and He is the Lord of the Living, not the dead; and, as the Zohar says, For the Blessed Holy One is alive and He dwells among the Living.
But what is the number a child can write? The Bavli says, "Ten" (Bavli LXXIV. C). Now I can relate to this, for we have seen that the minimum number of the congregation in the Sons of Zadok is Ten. And I thought they were the only ones who could understand what I was talking about!
As one can see, if you knew all these things, wouldn't the Messiah know them also? Would He not feel remorse at your thoughts, of being afraid to look upon Him? And what would He say to your thoughts sic. when all the world are heretics the Messiah will come. And as it has been said,
Bavli LXXXVII.F. Would he then, if all the world is heretic, be also, to the world, a heretic?
And the people say:
Bavli XCIV.C "For they might say, 'Since the end has come and he has not come, he will not come'.
Who, then, can convince these doubters that The Lord's Will is Truth? As Jesus said,
If they do not believe the Laws of Moses and the Prophets, how can they be convinced though a man is risen from the dead?
In Truth, the rabbis forget their own words, not realizing that the Messiah will not forget them, for He must know them to get through the Gate of Righteousness.
But let us put all these doubts aside and leave the subject without addressing all of their doubts and rest upon one thing: He who brings the Shekinah of God (in the Tabernacle) ought not to be scoffed at. For as it is said:
Zohar: The opening of the Tent is the opening of Righteousness as the Psalmist says: Open for me the gates of righteousness (Psalms 118.9).
and:
Zohar: The Shekenah is the opening to the Divine...
But I wonder, considering all these things, and more, whether you are willing to have that Opening; and I get the feeling that there can be no Shepherd for this world; but if there is no Shepherd, there can be no World...
And who among you is willing to be that Shepherd? For I suspect that He must be afraid of you all...Yet, He knows that without The Shepherd there can be no World...
So this is the meaning of Light and Truth. For as I have done, so will the Messiah do; and He will learn the Truth as I, when I went into the Tabernacle of the Lord. For I saw what is in the hearts of all men: the Ministry abhor it; the Rabbis watch for it; and yet, there is a strong sentiment that no man can bring it.
Now there have been many false Messiahs. And I was shocked to find that of all the false Messiahs Jesus the Christ is treated as the least; more is said of the others than is said of Him, as concerning the learning from the Rabbis which I have achieved. And I wonder, if the Rabbis have considered whether the Messiah of the Tabernacle might also mention Jesus as the Messiah and override their doubts and speculations that Jesus could not be the True Messiah. And if He did so, where would it get Him? For would He not come to Rebuke the Heathen; must He also rebuke the Rabbis and create confusion?
Let us dwell on this for a moment, for in Isaiah, Chapter 61. the Lord says:
Isaiah 61.7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they (the Gentile) shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the Double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
Since the prophesies on the Suffering Messiah clearly address the fact that the cause of the Suffering is Jerusalem and Judah, as we demonstrated: he looked upon them who had pierced Him; it follows that the Messiah of the Tabernacle is given the problem of showing those who Pierced Him his wounds; and those who pierced Him is Jerusalem and Judah. This provokes Shame. And it certainly provokes Confusion. And it certainly says in the text that for the sake of the Confusion the Gentile shall rejoice in their portion. So Isaiah anticipated Confusion in the Last Days, as concerning the appearance of a character who is called The Double. And if Isaiah knew this, do you not also think that the Messiah might see it and know it? Thus, He must address the Confusion. And we have been told, in those days, One pure language shall be given you, so that all may call upon the Lord with One Consent. Now the Messiah also knows this, and it would seem that out of His Works will be the reconciliation of Confusion and the Coming Forth of Righteousness in One Language of God. And this has been my end also, that by similitude I may cause you all to call upon the Lord of Hosts by One Common Consent. For the end of my work is Peace, as it has been given to me, and to create Peace I must do as the Father has bid and forgo any honor given to me that all the families of the earth may be blessed. Such is my world and I would hope that you all would agree, that though I have done it in similitude, the Messiah must follow it in perfection.
In the beginning of this book, I knew that it would lead to this end. It was an innocent undertaking, and perhaps a bit too naive; and I often think to myself that I ought to rewrite the book to show it from the perspective of its end. It sounds like a riddle, I know, for it seems to me to be like the riddle, What is an eagle that nests in a tree that never was? ......Two who are one and one who is three.
But such things are riddles and not reality. And if I called myself an Eagle in this book, it is because I truly would like to be in the similitude of an Eagle, who can see from afar and who, incidentally, mates for life.
Now I couched myself in a Tree, seeing as how I had taken it upon myself to draw in myself the Similitude of a Goodly Olive Tree mentioned in the Bible. For to understand the Messiah, and therefore God, one ought to take on His Similitude, and try to be as much like Him as possible. And in spite of my weaknesses, I endeavored towards this goal.
At the end of these things rested the Parchment of the Rabbis; and I knew that anything I would dig up would confirm what I had been saying in regard to this Tree. And I took it upon myself to dig a few of them so that they could live in me and I in them. For I learned that the Rabbis say by quoting a master one becomes the master and gives Him life. (In this aspect we can see how the Word is Life). So I have had it in my heart to give as many of them life as possible. From Job on. And in doing so I could see how my life had become part and parcel a little of each. For I had suffered as Job and I had walked up to God with no fear; for I had Trust in His Light and Salvation as Moses before me. As for the others, David, and all the rabbis since time began, I have honored them in my heart; even those with whom I bore some little disagreement. Even now, thinking about the Mishnah and all the wisdom of the rabbis, I wonder whether I ought to give them more honor by answering them on all their concerns and wonders. But I feel that I have done enough; and anyone who doubts that I have looked into them is welcome to dig through my notes.
I thought to take the critical passages of the Bible, such as that involving the Two Anointed Ones in chapter 4 of Zechariah and a few others, and compare them between the King James Bible and the Masoretic Texts. But their agreement is so well that I think it would be of little worth. I thought also to show some comparisons between them and the New American Standard versions; but this also would serve little use in consideration of the points I have made. But I can ask you to check me out, if you will, concerning the Two Olive Trees and Two Olive Branches which Zechariah saw in chapter 4. In the King James and Masoretic versions the reader is caused to wonder what the Two Branches or Two Shoots are, as relating to the Olive Tree. The New American Standard versions describe what you might have thought them to look like; and, as a consequence, they have tampered with the Word of God to the extent of interpreting through translation. Further, the Description of the Two Anointed Ones becomes, in the New American Standard versions, "Two Anointed Dignitaries". So now we have not only to wonder about Two Anointed Staves (which also means lawgiver) of God, but also two more dignitaries, which seem to be of a lesser function as servants of God. Let us leave them as they have been read for these past hundreds of years: Two Anointed Ones. For that is the description of David: The Anointed One of God; He was not an Anointed Dignitary. He was a King. And the intent of prophesy, in using the term Anointed One, has been to raise up another King like unto David, who will smite the Heathen and restore the Preserved of Israel as David Smote Goliath and saved Israel before Him. I applaud the King James and Masoretic texts because they thought not to interpret during their translation and rather ciphered the text directly even though it may not have made much sense. In this it appears they did not seek to impose their Will upon God; and I am obliged to them because of it.
Every story has to have a resolution. But my story is like a cloudy day before me and I cannot see what the end of it will be. Nor do I think I should want to know what the end of it is all about. But I have written this book with this ending always in mind: For I know how the Messiah must feel when He arrives, as I have seen what He must see and I have heard what He must hear before Him: Because I have taken on His Similitude to better understand Him. And I did it not for any Glory or honor or prestige; but for the sake of understanding. And all the time I wondered whether any of you would do as I asked in the beginning: to do as I have done, so that you would better understand me. But then I lament, when I think of this, because I recall that I said, If you do this each one of you will hate his neighbors. For I explained this in terms of the Price of Knowledge. So it is that I have come to know the Long Suffering of My Lord, and what patience He has to have, to tolerate day by day the things that I have seen and heard. But this is my Testimony and you need not be burdened with it any more.
I happen to believe that not a single word has failed or will fail of My Lord's Good Words. And I believe that His intention is towards Good, not evil. And I believe that He, as a Father, has given us good advice when He said, Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This carries into all things, from the family environment to the communion of nations.
As for all of you who think that the punishment of others is justified, and pray for it from God, for whatever reason; I say unto you, as Jesus said long before me: Love thy enemies as you do yourself. And forgive them their trespasses against you. And think not of revenge, for Revenge is Mine, so saith the Lord.
Concerning the price the Messiah must pay to enter through the Gates of Righteousness, I have no idea. But I hope that it is not as I have seen: that He may have to pay with His own Blood; I can only lament upon the expectation placed upon Messiah ben Joseph, for instance. Rather, I should hope, as it is said:
You shall be redeemed for no money. All of you shall be redeemed for no price.
This has been my criteria from the beginning of this book. That you shall be redeemed without having to pay so much as a Dime for your Redemption.
This book has been resolved in one thing: The Tabernacle, in which is the Ark of the Covenant and its Mercy Seat, upon which are Two fair Cherubim, between whom the Lord, My God, was seen by the multitudes in the days of the coming out of Egypt. I sincerely believe that this Thing is the Key to Righteousness and Salvation in the earth in These Days. And in this I have stuck my neck out, so to speak, saying that if you build it as I have asked, you will see your God there face to face. As I was saying it in my early days, I had no idea you would all fear facing Him as much as you do.
Just as the resolution of this Book boils down to the Tabernacle, one thing; so too can I say that the effect of this book must also resolve into One Thing. And I trust that it is Peace.
Not desiring to quibble over several things in the Rabbis which provide no path to wisdom, but, rather, border upon absurdity, which is not Wisdom; I have thought to put them behind me and not remember them anymore. For I know that the Messiah would also react to them as I; for they have not written these things keeping in Mind that He might read them one day. And rather than ask them why they have put Him in conflict with Himself; I have left it resolved on one issue: The Mystery and Sign of the Virgin Birth.
If there is no understanding on this, or common consent, then there can be no common understanding on anything else in the Bible. And everything else, compared to this prophesy, is but chaff. I would hope that you will agree with me, that because the exiles have been returned to the Promised Land the Sign of the Virgin must have already happened. And let us then leave the bygones where they belong: in the past.
I did take exception to the Zohar in one small aspect, however; for it claims that the Center Bar of the Tabernacle is one of the five bars serving the boards on each of the Two sides, East and West, and locates the Gate in the Eastern Side, as I recall. The Center Bar of the Ceiling runs East and West, it is true. But it is the 16th Bar of the Ceiling, and you need only 10 bars to serve the twenty boards north or south and five bars to serve the ten boards on the Eastern Side and the eight boards on the Western Side (which has the doors to the Tabernacle). I mention this because this is a particular which is close to my heart.
Before I end, I feel it is obliging on my part to address my function in all this and how it came about.
As concerning my relationship with My Father who is in Heaven, I cannot say one way or another. But there is One who has given me some guidance (who introduced Himself to Me before I read the Bible and called Himself "I Am") though I wrote this book through the knowledge I gained wholly out of the Bible. This guidance, apart from the Word of God, came to me in several modes. The first mode is through letters, written by my hand but to me. Anyone can read them. They say nothing of this book; except there are parables in them which I have incorporated in my book, which things tended to guide the book. Like the parable of the "Goat's Milk", for instance.
I do not think of myself as one who is given some special mission from God, nor would I want anyone to accuse me of this. For my book is not unique in the sense that I have created something entirely new. I just did a lot of quoting of my Lord, calling Him into Remembrance, joining the loose pieces of a known, unending broken chain together. And as concerning this, anyone who attempts to tamper with this book, a sword to me, would be tampering with His Word; and I will curse them if they tamper with it. For this is the curse I have put upon it:
Let none presume to draw me from my scabbard, unless he can outdo and outdare every other. He who in any other circumstance unsheathes me should know he is foredoomed to injury or death. The truth of this requires no further proving.
Further, to remind you what I said earlier in my book, I will curse anyone using my name in connection with the thing it represents. I have said this for good reason. And I await the Wise to discover why I said it.
I had just three dreams which I can recall at the moment which had a great deal of guidance in the formation of this book:
The first dream dealt with my being in a place, which, I was informed, was Heaven, but seemed to look like a rather bureaucratic office building: very plain and simple. I recall the walls were green, like a typical government office building in which I used to work. I was met by a lady wearing glasses, late forties, I would guess, and not what you would call attractive. But she had a wonderful smile and was glad to see me. She then ushered me down a great hall, telling me that I was going to be shown something, but I could not take it back with me; and what I would be shown would be glorious: that you all would be happy to see it, but I would remember nothing of the event, of what I was to see. As she was talking I found a small note and pencil in my pocket and resolved to copy whatever I saw down and hide it in my pocket against their orders.. I would sneak the information out anyway. In this I was rebellious in following the orders of those angels, I admit; but my curiosity is one of the stronger parts of me: this is why I got in trouble with pursuing the case of the Tabernacle. Were my curiosity not so strong, I might have dropped the matter all together and done penance for trying to inquire into things I am told by the Ministry one should not inquire into. But I have always been a rebellious sort, as was reflected in my dream.
The next thing I remember is that I awoke and immediately went to my pocket for the note. It was missing and not to be found.
All dreams must have their interpretations: And this is the interpretation:
I was shown this book.
The next dream I saw was myself in front of a long line which seemed to go on forever. People were dressed in contemporary clothes, standing one by one behind each other in line. They were all terribly grieved, and many were crying. Many had their hand stretched out to me; yet, I could not touch them, and they could not touch me: and I did not understand why they were crying. And this is the interpretation of the dream:
I was standing in front of the Tabernacle.
The third dream of any significance involved me flying on the wings of a great Eagle. I was being used by Him to catch the fish. And I could see myself as a small thing lodged in his wing as he swooped down over the streams and valleys looking for fish. I would spot them for him. When we returned to his house, which was rather comely and small, with blue colored walls, He stood before me with great height. He had the body of a man and a magnificent head of an eagle. He was arranging a place for me to stay but seemed rather aloof from me. As all Eagles have wives, He had a wife also. But I couldn't see her very well. And this is the interpretation of the dream:
My Tabernacle is carried on the wings of an Eagle.
This is the extent of my dreams.
As concerning those who are to share in the world to come, which seems to have occupied the rabbis a great deal, let me also say this in particular; for my Lord has said:
If a man sins before me in much but repents, I accept him back.
Thus, I say to you all, if my Lord has such mercy, how could I not be a part of it? This sums up the Light and Salvation I have seen.
But let me leave you with this parable I conceived in the chamber of the Sphinx, when I visited the Celestial Suite on the hill. I call it the Parable of the Broken Sword:
As I entered the Celestial Suite, I saw my Lord resting in the arms of the Sphinx. And He pointed to the book in my hand, saying, "Come, bring thy sword unto me". And I took it to Him and put it into the lap of the Lord. Then He broke it. And I asked, "Why, my Lord, hath thou broken mine sword?" And He said, "I have broken it for Galahad, that He may be known by the world when He takes it into his hand and mends it into one blade again". And I lamented, because I had worked so hard to fashion mine sword into such a fine blade; and saw it broken again.
Then my Lord asked, "Why art thou so broken? Weep not my son" And I replied, "Because thou hast prevented me, My Lord".
"But thou shalt be drawn out and carried in the hand of Galahad", answered My Lord.
And I agreed, "Yes, My Lord, we shall leave it broken. For of a truth, it shall be a strong blade for Galahad when it is mended by Him.
But when and how shall my well beloved, Galahad, come forth to take it?" I asked.
"He shall be born like his father before Him, as Tages, who is like unto Apollo, and he shall know the domain of the Lord, marking off His father's Boundaries as having been set before Him. And when He learns those boundaries, Gog shall awaken.
"Lo, the day comes when Gog, that great prince in the land of Magog. shall be awakened to plunder my land of Beulah. And he shall descend upon it, with his troops and his horses, as a great and terrible cloud. And Galahad shall rise before him. But before that day comes, my well beloved, Galahad, shall be hidden in the arms of the sphinx and covered by those in the temple of Rhodes. Because Satan, that evil dragon, will be searching the world for him, to kill him; and his mother, with her son in her arms, will flee from one end of the world to the other to escape him. But those in the temple will know him and will cover him and his mother and hide them in the temple, and they will raise him and show him the Fisher King's book. And He will learn from it and know the Three Books of the Lord, as thou also hast come to know them. Then, on the day that He shall mend thy sword the shining shall come to the attention of those in the temple of Rhodes and they shall come to Him quickly. And they shall gather behind Him and call to themselves the eagles and come forth out of the temple as a great swarm of bees from their hive. And they shall elect Galahad, the great prince, my Grand Monarch, and raise Him and his ensign of the bees to the head of their column. And Galahad, with His great army, shall go into the land of Beulah and meet Gog and his terrible troop. And He shall raise His sword before the troops of Gog, and they shall shudder and wither in great fear, as a tree withers in dry ground. And many shall flee without so much as a fight in the face of the Sword of the Lord Because they will see the Three Books in His Hand.. And what is left of Gog's great army shall turn in great fright and attempt to flee the fire and the brimstone at the feet of my Galahad. And Galahad, my Grand Monarch, shall pursue them into their castle and destroy them; and the Devil and all of his servants will attempt to escape; but it will not be so, for Galahad shall cast them into a great burning pit, taking no pity upon any of them. For He carries the Sword of Judgment. And entering their castle He will give no man a ransom for his life. And He shall leave that valley of Hamon-Gog fallow for seven years, and all of Gog's weapons shall be melted and formed into plowshares and fish hooks; and their staffs shall be used as cord wood to fuel the fireplaces of the homes of my people, Israel. On that day all the people of thy book shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel; and I will not let anyone pollute my Holy Name any more; and by this they shall know I have sent you. And Galahad shall be a great prince over them for a short while; and his son shall sit on the throne of Solomon, and his sons after him, for ever and ever. And they shall sit in judgment over my people, Israel, as Kings for ever and ever. And I will remember my covenant with them and protect them and cover them with my wings as long as they remember my covenant with them and do my will."
What of the "Children of Jacob", I asked? "Shall they not be renamed also?"
"Verily, they shall be renamed", He answered. "For I have covered their shame and they shall be called Hephzibah from thence forth, for I delight in her; and their tents shall be a covering for ever and ever to my people, Israel. And I shall never turn my face from them again. And Jerusalem shall remain Holy for ever more, and she shall be called Our Lord her Righteousness, with the seed of David residing in her for ever and ever. For they shall remember Galahad's mother, for her righteousness, and her mother for her righteousness, as she is the mother of my new world. Mother of the World shall she be called, for she is become the New Jerusalem. And in her loins is my seed to last for ever and ever.
"My Lord," I asked, "Before times Thy Blessings always carried with them a Curse. Is there not also a Curse to be mentioned lest they again leave the Covering of thy Covenant? For is it not in Thy Sword? .
"Verily, it is there", He answered. "But as thou knowest, I have put a seal upon it lest I lose my patience again and release it. For I have sworn that I will not again take out my wrath upon the earth or upon the sons of Adam again. For I have restored my garden and the survivors thou hast named shall be covered in my light; and in that light they shall never be deceived again. For Satan shall never rise again."
"How long? I asked. "When shall Galahad arise?"
" He is near to come, as close to thee as The Sword that has been on thy thigh, which I have broken and sealed - lest the false prophet come and take it up. But Galahad shall take it up, and it shalt hang on Galahad's side, and his sons after Him, for a day, after which I shalt descend in my Shekinah and reveal the New Jerusalem that I have hidden in my Grail".
And I left the Celestial Suite, and sat down near a small bush, wondering why He loosed Gog so early; and I wondered whether, since those days were cut short, if Gog would rise again, after the day is up. And I felt foolish, for it was not my intent to change the revelation. But it is a truth I had known in my book, that lest those days be shortened nothing will survive. And as I sat there, hoping that this will come true, the Lord answered me from the bush over me and my shame was removed, because He said repentance came early for those of the book. Thus the days were shortened.
I reached into my small backpack and looked into the little book I had left in it. Verily what He had said was true, for this is the same that I had written in it long ago. And in the small crystalline bowl that I held in my hand it was there also.
Then, knowing this, I left the hill of the Celestial Suite and returned to my boat and removed the links that He had sealed in the book, for they would be a great chain in the hand of Galahad when He picks them up.
This is my understanding of the scriptures, and this is what I became: as I tried to look through My Lord's eyes and listen through his ears.
Those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, may they know these things also. For have I not been faithful and true to the scriptures of my Lord?
This is the end of my adventure in My Lord's Hidden Pavilion, as I have remembered it shown to me that day I went into the Dwelling Place of the Lord.
And to you who go in there, where I have gone, I must leave you a small caution. Forbear from thinking you can record all that you see in a small note, and hide it away as I have done, for you shall be prevented, as I, from removing it from the sanctuary. For only my well beloved, Galahad, can take it..... May God be with you all.
M
finis
Notes to Letter 11
(missing footnotes represent text deleted from the book)
(3) We see by ancient Hebrew authority, going back two thousand years or so, that Lawgiver is the same word for Stave in Hebrew. Thus, in reference to Zechariah's prophesy of the Two Staves of God, Beauty and Bands, chapter 11, we can legitimately read them as God's Two Lawgivers, whose names are Beauty and Bands, or, in the Masoretic text, Favor and Unity. One Lawgiver, therefore, would bestow God's Favor and the other would represent God's Unity: i.e., the Gatherer and Redeemer.. See "The Dead Sea Scriptures", with Introduction and Notes by Theodore Gaster, 1976, Anchor Books, Garden City, New York, p. 73.
(4) The Dead Sea Scriptures, p. 76.
(6) The King James Bible refers to the Shoot as the Branch. I prefer "Branch".
(7) Jesus referred to the Comforter, and his reference made note that He is Another, and since Jesus was a Jew who would know the name Comforter as a Messianic epitaph, as the other rabbis have known it, it seems doubtful that Jesus was referring to something other than a man who would walk the earth in the flesh as He.
(16) The Bavli, CXVI.K.
(17) The Zohar, p.108.
(18) This compares to Revelation 19.11-16; for the anticipation is for one who is known as the Word of God and in Righteousness sets the crooked ways straight. He rides on a White Horse, just as the Rabbis anticipated: one rides on an ass, the foal of an ass; and the other rides on a white horse. Certainly they both should not ride upon the ass into Jerusalem. For as it is said, In Righteousness He doth judge and make war (Rev. 19.11); and the proper animal upon which to make war is not an ass but a white horse. For as it is said, an ass is merely for carrying loads (Bavli, CCXVII.G)
(19) He is the same as that which created Him, therefore, the Book created Him and He is the Son of the Book: as it is said, whoever teaches the Torah to the son of a neighbor is credited by scriptures as if he had made him. (Bavli CXXIII.A). Thus, because I can say that neither you, the rabbis, taught me, nor the Christian Ministry, nor any other man; and rather, I am taught purely from the Bible, I am a son of that Bible. And, in particular, I can say I am a son of David, for it is David's Spirit who has guided me; and my horn shall be exalted like the horn of a Unicorn: for I did all this completely alone, and when I asked there was no one who could answer a word. As He said, But my Faithfulness and My Mercy shall be with Him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted; I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers( Psalm 89.24). As it is said, And he shall pass through the sea with affliction, and shall smite the waves in the sea, and all the deeps of the river shall dry up: and the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the Scepter of Egypt shall depart away (Zechariah 10.11).
(20) Just as Manessah was taken by the right hand to Father Israel for His Blessing, so too is it that the taking of the right hand is designation of the Son of the Inheritance. So He says, Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory; but it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works (Psalm 73.24-28).
* Zohar, the Book of Enlightenment , pps. 196, 197.
** Has it not been said, Whoever does not eat the bread of the Israelites does not taste the flavor of bread? (Bavli,CCII.B).
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