Piscean Age

Historical background

• In 1945, the Nag Hammadi texts were discovered. They are Jesus' secret teachings published in 1977 in English. The teachings show Jesus was a mystic who taught Reincarnation.
• The Catholic Church takes the stand that the soul is separate from God, and so it is impossible to accept reincarnation that the soul can unite with God. In the middle ages if one professed a belief in reincarnation they were subject to excommunication at the least. Many were burned at the stake by the Church-- even their own clergy.
• Orthodox Christianity believes we cannot become Sons of God like Jesus but are separate. So the putting on the Mind of Christ that was in Jesus teaching is really meaningless?
• A mystic believes one can put on the Mind of Christ that was in Christ Jesus and therefore become Christed-- become the Christ. Not Jesus the Christ himself, but anointed with the Christ Consciousnesses, the Comforter he said would come to us, we can do greater works than Jesus because he said so!

Reincarnation at the time of Jesus

• Today Hasidic Jews believe in reincarnation. Kabbalists, medieval Jewish mystics, believed in reincarnation and is the root of Hasidic Judaism.
• Jewish Rabbis from before the time of Christ kept secret their belief in the ideas of reincarnation and direct mystical contact with God leading to the ultimate union with God. They were concerned about their beliefs being misinterpreted as a violation of the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other God's before me." The rabbis founded traditional Judaism from the roots of both mystical and rabbinic Judaism.
• The earliest Kabbalistic text Sefer ha-Bahir, published around 1180, treats reincarnation as a given. The early rabbis who interpreted Jewish scripture had instituted the practice of reading one word for another. The Bahir used this technique to show that in the Old Testament, the term generations can be replaced by the word incarnations. So God's covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:7 KJV refers not to just one life but many, if not thousands of incarnations.
• The Old Testament offers a less esoteric reference to reincarnation in Jeremiah 1:5 stating God knew the prophet before he was conceived in the sixth century B.C.
• The Pharisees dominated the Jerusalem Temple from about 164 B.C. to 37 A.D. teaching reincarnation, and so a large segment of the Palestinian Jews believed in reincarnation too.
• The first chapter of Ezekiel tells us that the prophet saw a vision directly related to the system of Merkabah mysticism. Some passages of Christian scripture reflect Merkabah and what became known as Hekhalot ideas. This indicates Jesus or Paul most certainly knew of the tradition. The Dead Sea Scrolls show these ideas were prevalent at the time of Jesus mission.
• In the prophecies of Jeremiah 31:31 & 33-34 was written in the 4th century B.C. where ideas of reward and punishment were a concern. He promised a new covenant from their God, "I will plant my Law, as writing in on their hearts. I will be their God and they my people, with no need to try to teach neighbor or brother of Yahweh!" Was this a reassuring idea for those who knew they may need to return to earth in another life after the Messia is born?
• It is important to note that at the time of Herod Antipas rule on behalf of the Romans, the cultural beliefs of reincarnation and that men could become a God was prevalent. From the mystery initiates of Plato and Pythagoras who believed in perfecting of the soul through union with God. To the prevalent Greek belief in the mythical teachings of Greek Gods and Goddesses working with mankind to perfect themselves into Gods. Or by man giving up the tendencies binding them to the matter universe ruled by seven planets and their negative energies or tendencies ruled by that planet.

The Nicene Creed

• In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea where some three hundred bishops that met for two months with the Emperor attending. They produced a confession of faith called the Nicene Creed. In which was a denial of the divine origin of the soul stating that humans are separated from God by a vast gulf.
• It was Bishop Athanasisus, not God or Jesus, that wrote, "neither we shall ever be as he, nor is the Word as we are".
• Another Bishop, Arius, and his supporters, asserted that Jesus was a created being just like the rest us. One who had passed his tests through the process of initiation by God.
• The majority of Bishops, along with the Emperor, signed the The Nicene Creed as a means to end the debate. The three holdouts that included Arius, were banished from the empire by Constantine.
• Constantine sent a letter to the Bishops who were not in attendance and among whom some questioned its authority. He stated that Church officials must regard it as "indicative of the Divine Will" because it was "determined in the holy assemblies of the bishops." The Roman God Constantine had spoken.
• The Emperor began the first persecution of dissident Christians issuing an edict agist "heretics," calling them "haters and enemies of truth and life in league with destruction."
• A few modifications were made to the Creed in the 4th Century. The Creed is still given in many Churches today.

Throphilus, Bishop of Alexandria

(Future location for some notes here starting on pg 215.)

Original Sin and Augustine's Doctrine

(Future location for some notes here starting on pg 228.)

• The origin of Adam was a mis-translation!

Biblical References to Reincarnation

• Elijah appears in the closing verses of Malachi (3:1; 5; 4:5) warning of a "great and terrible day of the Lord" when Elijah would be sent to "prepare the way" for God "drawing near to you for judgement." I've heard it said that judgement means reconciliation.
• The Gospels tell us people wondered if John the baptist was Elijah (Matt. 16:14; Mark 6:15; Luke 9:8). John denied who he was to the Priests and Levites but left a veiled conformation to reassure his followers. (John 1:23).
• Finally, in Matthew 11:13-14 (JB) we see Jesus proclaim that John is Elijah come again. Later, when the disciples see Elijah and Moses appear and talk with Jesus and suddenly disappear they ask Jesus "Why do the Scribes say that Elijah has to come first" (Mark 9:11). We can read his answer in both Mark 9:11, 13 and Matthew 17:13. The Gospel authors are showing that Elijah was reincarnated. When appearing to Jesus in front of the disciples, John the Baptist was in is finner body or spiritual body because we know his physical body was beheaded.
• In John 9:1, 2, 3, 7 we see reference to Jesus healing the blind man. We know in the Ten Commandments that common belief in Judaism is people can suffer for their parents transgressions (Deut. 5:9).
• But the first explanation presented by the disciples, "the man suffered for his own sins" shows a belief in reincarnation-- as reason for people being born different. Jesus clarified the reason the man was blind without refuting the disciples reference to reincarnation.
• We see no references in the bible refuting reincarnation, a common belief at the time for both Jews and Gentiles steeped in Greek and other traditions.
• By the way, Hebrews 9:27, 28 is a reference to the old covenant of Moses requiring blood sacrifices of animals but no longer needed with Jesus new covenant when he shed is blood once as a sacrifice for all. The argument was that our human bodies die once. Then there were those who argue we should be buried rather than cremated because our bodies will be literally resurrected with Christ. Embalming bodies was not common until the civil war and is a great money-maker for funeral homes. I plan on my body being cremated unless I make my physical ascension and disappear on earth.