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The Zohar & Kabbalistic Mysticism By Berit Kjos ~ Updated on July 30, 2012 |
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Zohar: |
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Below are notes and quotes, not an article. The information
they contain provides valuable insights into
Jonathan Cahn’s mysterious Kabbalistic theology. They may also help to explain some of the
puzzles in his popular book, The Harbinger, with its guru-like prophet,
so-called mysteries, and bewildering misapplication of Scripture.
In a 2012 video, Cahn quotes from the Zohar [the mystical
rabbinical writings behind the Kabbala] and presents his view of
Golgatha [Gulgalta]. Notice in that partial
transcript that the “god” who is credited with salvation, redemption, spiritual
light and life is merely a place or object — a skull or Gulgalta — not Jesus
Christ our Lord! Apparently, the rabbis behind the Zohar have borrowed from the
actual Bible but twisted God’s Word into their own esoteric message. Please
remember this warnings from God’s true Word:
“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it…”
Deuteronomy 4:2
Some say that the Zohar is to kabbalists
what the Bible is to Christians. That’s partly true! Much of the Zohar even sounds Christian to those who are not
familiar with the Bible. But in reality, it presents a deceptive blend of
distorted truth and kabbalistic occultism.
Quoting from the Zohar, Jonathan Cahn affirms that an amazing life-changing
event did occur at Golgatha. But his teaching is a corruption of our Lord’s
redemptive work through the cross! It exalts a skull and a “thing” rather than our Savior
and King!
“…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose
them.” Ephesians 5:11
Let’s take a look at the video titled
The Zo-har Speaks: Gulgalta – The Cosmic Skul.
[Apparently, the original
video by Jonathan Cahn was replaced with a less controversial message. The new
link above is probably the original message. I suggest you compare it
with the quotes below, which were transcribed from a video that
suddenly disappeared in late 2012.]
The speaker is Jonathan Cahn. Notice how he twists Biblical truth, approves of
occult symbolism, and praises the mystical kabbalistic traditions that distort and
ignore our actual Savior:
“I found it in the mystical writings, Jewish writing of the Zohar…. The Zohar
speaks, the rabbis are writing of the redemption of the worlds with Messiah’s
coming. They speak of life from the dead, they speak of the resurrection — the
redemption of the worlds.…
[What “worlds”?
Our Lord doesn’t promise to redeem any ‘worlds.’
Instead He
calls us to choose between this evil world and life with Him in His Kingdom. My
kingdom is not of this world,” He tells us. Only those who trust and follow Him
— and who confess their (bondage to) sin — can share in the joy of His
redemption and eternal salvation! Perhaps this page will help explain the
many worlds that are part of
the Kabbalah]
“They say it all will come — the power
of all this, the miracle of all this —
will come from a sacred thing, a sacred place. And this place, this thing is
where all the mercy of God is stored….all the mercy of God pours out from this
place… all the blessings come from this place, this ‘thing’ … They call it
the Gulgalta….
[That’s an occult distortion.
God’s love, mercy, redemption and guidance doesn’t
dwell in (or come from) a “thing” or an earthly place! It comes from our
wonderful sovereign Lord Himself!]
“What is Gulgalta? … The rabbis are saying that all the mercy of God comes from Gulgalta. Gulgalta, the radiance of God that brings to life. Wow! That’s amazing
stuff. …the place of the skull.“All the mercy of God leads to a skull….
From this comes drips — salvation
drips, resurrection. For all the forgiveness of God you want, you have to go to
Gulgalta….“The rabbis are saying ‘From Gulgalta
is all the mercy of God you could ever need…. From Gulgalta the forgiveness of Adonai is poured out to the world.
From Gulgalta comes the
redemption of the universe… [This is from Rabbi
Zohar
1, 28b]
[What “universe” would be redeemed?
Will this corrupt world will be redeemed rather than destroyed?
(1 Thess. 5:2-6) This message is totally contrary to the
Bible!]
“In the
Gulgalta… sit thousand of myriad of worlds. And
from the Gulgalta
drips
dew and…
the
dew fills the world and the dead will awaken in the world
to come as the dew comes forth. The
dew is the lights of
the ancient one.
The
light of the ancient one comes from Gulgalta and as it touches, the dead comes
to life. From Gulgalta is the light of God bringing life from the dead…”
[But the Bible tells us that Jesus — not the physical place of His crucifixion
— is “the Light of the world.” John 8:12]
“Gulgalta,
the radiance of God that brings to life. Wow! That’s amazing stuff.
That may be the first times its ever been said….“The Rabbis in the Book of Moed unwittingly gives the name of it...
Gulgalta…. Moses
zeroed in on the place. He said where shall it be! It says ‘in that
Mountain the Lord shall provide the lamb,’ which is the mountain of
Moriah…. And now the very hill, the very place here in…the
rabbinical writings of the Zohar unwittingly gives the name of it: Gulgalta –
the center of everything. Listen to the rabbis!“
[Gulgalta is not the “center of everything!”
That honor belongs to our
Lord Jesus Christ! He should be at center of all! From Him we
receive all the spiritual riches of God: His love, life, light, joy, peace and
strength — everything we need! But He wasn’t even mentioned.]
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Notice the similarities between the next two
paragraphs. The first one is a quote from Cahn’s video message,
The Zohar Speaks. The second one is from the actual writings in the
Zohar. Neither one deals with sin, our fallen nature, the reason for
redemption, or the painful cost paid by Jesus. The Biblical context is
totally distorted!
1. …from the Gulgalta drips
dew and… the dew fills the world and the dead will awaken in the world
to come as the dew comes forth. The dew is the lights of the ancient
one. The light of the ancient one comes from Gulgalta and as it touches,
the dead comes to life. From Gulgalta is the light of God bringing life
from the dead…”2. In the Gulgalta sit
thirteen thousand myriads of worlds which move on feet and lean on them.
And from that Gulgalta
dew drips upon
Him who is outside, and fills his head every day…. And from that dew
which He who sits outside shakes from His head, the dead will awaken in
the World to Come, as it is written, ‘For a dew of light is Thy dew, and
the earth shall bring forth the shades (Isa. 26:19). That dew is the
light of the pale glow of the Ancient One [That’s not a reference to our
God!] And from that dew exist the supernal saints, and it is the manna
which they grind for the righteous in the World to Come. And that dew
drips down to the field of Sacred Apples…Idra Rabba, Zohar 3: 128b [Quoted in The
Messiah Texts by Raphael Patai, Wayne State University, 1979] (Jeremy James, an Irish researcher provided this information.)“Beware lest
anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the
tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and
not according to Christ.” Colossians
2:8
Compare Jonathan Cahn’s previous message with the
following quote from a lecture by the occultist
Rudolf Steiner (involved first in
Theosophy, then
Anthroposophy) titled “The Mystery of Golgatha:”
“MANKIND is reaching out to apprehend the
Mystery of Golgotha once more with all the forces of the human soul; to
understand it not only from the limited standpoint of present-day civilisation, but so as to unite with it all the forces of man’s being.
But this will only be possible if we are ready to approach the Mystery
of Golgotha once more in the light of spiritual knowledge.“…if as initiates of modern time we fill
ourselves with Christ, who made manifest His life in the Mystery of
Golgotha…then will Christ lead us even through this Death….
“These things must be regained in spiritual
knowledge, in the new Science of Initiation. Then only shall we take
hold of the Mystery of Golgotha as the true meaning of all
Earth-existence.” (From a lecture delivered in Manchester College
Chapel, Oxford, August 27,1922.)
In
a recent interview, Cahn responded with some interesting comments:
“The apostle Paul actually quoted from a pagan
hymn to Zeus [that’s not true] in order to share the truth of the Gospel
at Mars Hill. If we were to then to accuse him of being into Zeus
worship, or that pagan writings were behind the epistles, or accuse of
him of being secretly pagan I would think we would need to repent.
Its called bearing false witness.”
Berit’s response: Here is the Biblical
context for Cahn’s reference to Mars Hill. Notice that there is no reference
to Zeus. Instead, Paul happened to see the inscription on an altar “TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD,” then uses that reference to turn the idol worshippers from an
‘unknown god’ to our sovereign God who does makes Himself known to His
people:
“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus
[Mars Hill] and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you
are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the
objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO
THE UNKNOWN GOD.“Therefore, the One whom you worship without
knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything
in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples
made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with mens hands, as though He
needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
…since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the
Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art
and mans devising.” Acts 17:22-29
How true that is! But today’s post-modern churches
are rarely rooted in the solid foundations of God’s Word. Influenced by
secularism, ecumenism, pluralism, mysticism or even occultism, they are fast
losing sight of their only source of true hope. Like the Athenian pagans,
the American masses are learning to love the world’s darkening thrills.
“…what communion has light with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:14
From Webster’s Dictionary (G. & C. Merriam Co.,
1905)
The Zohar: “A Jewish Cabalistic book attributed
by tradition to Rabbi Simon ben Yochi who lived near the end of the 1st
century. Modern critics believe it to be a compilation of the 13th
century.”
The Cabala [or Kabbalah, Kabbala, etc]: “A kind
of occult Theosophy or traditional interpretation of Scriptures among
Jewish rabbis and certain medieval Christians [Gnostics]….It assumes
that every little word, number, and accent of Scriptures contains a
hidden sense; and it teaches the methods of interpretation for
ascertaining these occult meanings. The Cabalists pretend to foretell
events this means.”
The quotes below are from An Encyclopedia of
Religion (Edited by Vergilius Ferm, Philosophical Library, pp. 412-413)
1. Zohar: (Splendor, Brightnessderived from
Daniel 12.3) “A Jewish mystical work of diverse origin which became the
classic text of Kabbalah and the Bible of medieval mysticism.
“The Zohar is in the form of a commentary on the
Pentateuch*, written in Aramaic and in Hebrew, which purports to be the
record of the revelations made to Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai (2nd C. A.D.)
while hiding in a cave for thirteen years, and by him transmitted to his
disciples. This pseudepigrapha was… made public in 1300.“The body of the Zohar is interspersed and
supplemented with special tracts and dissertations which together form
an unsystematic and frequently contradictory compendium of Jewish mystic
lore on the nature of God, His attributes and dimension, the mysteries
of the Tetra_grammaton, the evolution of the cosmos, the nature of the
human soul, heaven and hell, angelology, magic and astrology…“Next to the Bible, the Zohar came to be
regarded in the centuries following its publication as the holiest book
in Judaism and profoundly influenced the theology, liturgy, poetry and
the messianic hopes of the people. The Zohar also influenced Christian
thought in the 16th and 17th centuries, and a considerable number of
eminent Christian scholars were attracted to it, translated portions of
it, wrote commentaries upon it and used it for purposes of Christian
apologetics.”
2. Kabbalah: (Heb. Kabelto receive, hence
tradition) “The esoteric mystic lore of Judaism based upon an occult
interpretation of the Bible and handed down as secret doctrine to the
initiated. The origin is obscure. Evidences of kabbalistic themes both as
speculative theosophy and practical thaumaturgy are found in Apocryphal and
Apocalyptic literature…”
“In the course of its long development, many
streams from alien sources flowed into itGnosticism, Neo-Platonism,
Neo-Pythagoreanism, possibly also Zoroastrianism and Sufism. Its
birthplace was Palestine, but it was in Babylonia, during the Geonic
period (550-1000 A.D.) that it experienced its first substantial
systematic development. At least two important Kabbalistic works were
composed….“The most significant book of this period,
however, and the one which came to be regarded as the holiest of all Kabbalistic writings, and the very epitome of Jewish mysticism, was the
Zohar, made known to the public by Moses de Leon in 1300.“The next great period of Kabbalah was in the
16th century. Its principal center was in Palestine, more especially in
the city of Safed. Next in importance was the center in Poland. The
foremost Kabbalists of this period were Moses Cordovero (1522-1570),
Isaac Luria (1533- 1572), the father of modern ‘practical’ Kabbalah….Luria
was the founder of a school of Kabbalistic speculation in which
redemption and messianism figured prominently….“With the advent of the Zohar, the study of
Kabbalah spread among the masses of the people. It ceased to be the
secret doctrine of the few…. Frequently leading Rabbinic authorities
inveighed against this popular absorption in Kabbalistic studies which
fed many superstitions and aberrations.
“
Kabbalism attracted the interest of Christian
scholars in the Middle Ages.…“The central themes of Kabbalah are the nature
of the Deity… and the ways by which He has made Himself manifestthe
‘Ten Sefirot’ (Emanations) the four Universes of Atzilah… the Soul of
man, its nature and consummation, the mysteries of the Divine Name, good
and evil, mans place in the universe, heaven and hell, the order of the
angels and demons, Israel, the Exile, redemption and the Messiah.“Kabbalah … regarded not only every word of
the Bible written in Hebrew, the very language of God but every
letter, every vowel and all their possible permutations and combinations
as holding profound mysteries. Thus the Bible was interpreted not only
literally, allegorically… but also through the devices of Gematria
(the interpretation of a word according to the numerical value of its
letters)…. Thus Kabbalah …never came into conflict with the written
Scriptures as Christian mystics frequently did.”
From Wikipedia: Kabbalism
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalism]
“The following article is about Kabbalah’s origin.
For specific Kabbalistic traditions see
Christian Kabbalah,
Hermetic Qabalah, and
Practical Kabbalah.”
“Kabbalah, also spelled Kabala or Cabala, is an
esoteric method, discipline and school of thought. Its definition varies
according to the tradition and aims of those following it, from its
religious origin as an integral part of Judaism, to Christian, New Age,
or Occultist syncretic adaptations. Kabbalah is a set of esoteric
teachings meant to explain the relationship between an unchanging,
eternal and mysterious Ein Sof (no end) and the mortal and finite
universe….“Inside Judaism, it forms the foundations of
mystical religious interpretation. Outside Judaism, its scriptures are
read outside the traditional canons of organized religion…..“Kabbalah originally developed entirely within
the realm of Jewish thought and kabbalists often use classical Jewish
sources to explain and demonstrate its esoteric teachings.”
Mystic elements of the Torah
[occult myths, not the truth]:
“According to adherents of Kabbalah, its origin
begins with secrets that God revealed to Adam. … When read by later
generations of Kabbalists, the Torah’s description of the creation in
the Book of Genesis reveals mysteries about the godhead itself, the true
nature of Adam and Eve… and the Tree of Life…
“…the time will come when they will not
endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires, because
they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned
aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-5
Warning:
God’s people are being deceived! It’s time to wake
up and take a stand! Will we search God’s Word for His Truth and guidance,
or will we simply flow with the crowd and accept each new and alluring
suggestion?
Remember Satan’s lures involves all kinds of
enticing but misleading expressions. For those who believe his lies, the
source and outcomes is essentially the same: deception, spiritual blindness,
and rejection (or false interpretation) of God’s true Word!
Jesus told His disciples that His way would be
narrow and difficult. “There are few who find it,” he said. But “wide is the
gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who
go in by it.” (Matthew 7:13-14) Yet, for those who walk with Him, there’s
abundant strength in Christ for all the challenges ahead! This promise is
for us today:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is
made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
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Please see
The Harbinger: Fact or
Fiction? (New book)The Harbinger, the Inverted Tree and Prophetic Speculation
A Prophetic
Dream | The Harbinger: Fact or
Fiction? (article)The Harbinger – Part 1: Revealing – or Concealing – America’s Ancient Mystery?