THE LOST PRE-CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS OF YESHUA - Wisdom Seminars

THE LOST PRE-CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS OF YESHUA

ORDER OF THE SEMINAR This introduction will take about forty minutes. After the introductory presentation, I will ask for questions, comments, and discussion. Please make notes of your questions and comments on your slide outline and save them for end of the introduction. That way we can stay on schedule and cover all the material. After questions, comments, and discussion, we will take a break.

HOW DID THE TEACHINGS GET LOST? Aren’t they in the Bible? Yes, in the New Testament Epistles and Gospels Also preserved in the Aramaic Core of the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas BUT: Written down 40-80 years (two to four generations) after crucifixion Mistranslated into Greek from earlier Aramaic (Hebrew) sources Gentile (non-Jewish) church writers misunderstood references in sayings and parables Paul (50-60 A.D.) and Gospel writers (50-100 A.D.) spun sayings and parables to support their own theological agendas Earliest authentic sources (Q and Thomas Core 30-50 A.D.) lost but have been recovered by scholarship Modern biblical scholarship has tools to recover the historical preChristian teachings of Yeshua

ARAMAIC AND HEBREW LANGUAGES AT THE TIME OF YESHUA (JESUS) Separate, but closely related, semitic languages in ancient world Most Jewish Scripture (Old Testament) written in Hebrew Babylonian Captivity in 6th century B.C.E. Large, well-educated, and thriving Jewish community in Babylon By second century B.C.E. all Babylonian and Palestinian Jews spoke in Aramaic. Became the common language of the entire Fertile Crescent Jews read Scripture in Hebrew and Aramaic, but spoke Aramaic in daily life Yeshua and the Jewish rabbis taught in Aramaic but used common Hebrew religious vocabulary.

THE NAME YESHUA hwvy The name “Jesus” originated about 200 years ago Real name was Yeshua Yeshua, Means “Liberation” in Hebrew (Aramaic) Represented by English name Joshua, Jehoshua in Bible Historical title was Mar: Aramaic term meaning Spiritual Master Greek New Testament uses Pharisaic Rav, Rab, Raboni Iesous (Gentile Greek Name AD 80) hwvy (Historical Aramaic-Hebrew Name) New Testament uses Greek ’IhsouV Continues to be usage in Greek Orthodox Church In these presentations I will refer to Mar Yeshua, the Master Jesus, Yeshua, Jesus, and the Master When I use the name Yeshua, I refer to the historical person. When I use the name Jesus, I refer to the legendary and non-historical Jesus Christ of Christianity and the New Testament

YESHUA: LIBERATION Yeshua: Root meaning from is LIBERATION Mt. 1.22: “You shall call his name Yeshua because he will liberate his people from their sins.” Liberation in the Messianic Age hvy According Luke’s Gospel, Yeshua chose to read from Isaiah in his synagogue. Isaiah 58 describes the concept of spiritual liberation: “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

YESHUA’S TEACHINGS CORRUPTED OR FORGOTTEN BY CHRISTIANITY Christianity as we know it emerged a generation after the execution of Yeshua The Epistles and Gospels written two to four generations after the crucifixion of Yeshua In a foreign language (Greek) Aramaic words and parables of Yeshua were misunderstood in Greek and spun to reflect emerging Christian doctrines about Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God Historical teachings of Yeshua replaced by Christian theological doctrines

EARLY GENTILE CHRISTIANITY SEPARATES FROM JUDAISM 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Why? Jewish and gentile church conflict Gentile churches focused on catechism, creed, doctrine Crucifixion-Resurrection of Jesus Sacrifice for sins of mankind Second Coming of Jesus Jesus as the only Christ NONE OF THESE WERE TEACHINGS OF YESHUA, BUT OF CHRISTIANITY!

HOW DO SCHOLARS RECOVER THE TEACHINGS OF YESHUA? Remove the “spin” of the writers Examine Aramaic words and concepts that underlie the Greek translations Ex. Greek basileion translated AramaicHebrew malkuth. But they mean different things. Yeshua did not teach a “Kingdom” of Heaven. MALKUTH not “Kingdom” [place, location] NOT VISIBLE, LIMITED, BOUNDARIED STATE LIKE DISNEYLAND IT MEANS Sovereignty, Rulership, Rule, Ruling Authority Divine Omnipotence, Power of Godhead, Our Father-Mother Abba That is why Yeshua said: Don’t believe them when they say the Malkuth is here or there (“Lo here, lo there”) “The Malkuth of Heaven [Sovereign Power of Godhead] is within you.”

TRANSLATION CAN DISTORT MEANING Aramaic Word Common meaning BELIEF Greek Word Aramaic-Hebrew words mean (denote) and suggest (connote) certain things, but these are NOT equivalent to their translations into Greek words Ex. Aramaic emunah means faithfulness, fidelity, perseverance. English phrase “keeping faith with” BUT the New Testament Greek word pistis that is used to translate emunah as “faith” means belief Most of the Aramaic meaning of “FAITH” was lost in the Greek of the New Testament Christianity defined faith (pistis) as “correct belief in creed and doctrine,” as opposed to Yeshua who understood faith (emunah) as faithfulness to the ways of God—justice, truth, compassion, etc. When you read the word “faith” in the New Testament, think “faithfulness.” Word for God used by Yeshua was Abba, wrongly translated by Greek Pater, “Father,” as in Our Father, who art in heaven ” Abba meant “Father-Mother.” More later. One way the teachings of Yeshua were corrupted was in translation.

HOW ELSE DO SCHOLARS RECOVER THE TEACHINGS OF YESHUA? Study the sacred scripture used by Yeshua--the “Bible” for his disciples, the earliest Jewish Christian communities, and other contemporary messianic communities like the Essenes of Qumran. Study the Talmudic, Mishnaic, and other literature of Jewish rabbis and mystics contemporary with Yeshua, much of which is derived from oral Kabbalah. 1st century and earlier Sefer Yetzirah, Sepher HaRazim, and the haggadah preserved in the Mishna, Babylonian and Palestinian Talmud, the Pirke Aboth, and the vast literature of the intertestamental period such as the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, known loosely as the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. Compare the words and concepts found in the teachings of Yeshua with other contemporary Jewish messianic words and concepts.

ABBA: GODHEAD Yeshua’s Aramaic word for God was Abba Incorrectly translated into Greek in the New Testament as Pater, meaning Father But the Hebrew word for father was masculine Ab, not Abba The name Abba is the masculine word “Father” plus a feminine ending Ab-ba Jewish wisdom and kabbalistic schools progressed beyond the concept of a Hebrew national deity to an eternal Godhead that is the source of all being, and like a Father-Mother generates and emanates all reality from non-being. Best English translation of Yeshua’s word Abba is Father-Mother

ABBA: THE FATHER-MOTHER GOD Godhead, angels, all heavenly beings, and Adam were male-female or androgynous—i.e., whole, complete, or shalem. In the Odes of Solomon and other psalms produced by Jewish mystics of Yeshua’s period, God was called Abba and regarded to be both Father and Mother EX: The first-century Ode of Solomon #17 declares, “The Spirit of Holiness opened the raiment of the Abba, and mingled the milk from the two breasts of the Abba ” For Yeshua, the Abba meant “Father-Mother.” Thus the Lord’s Prayer is properly translated NOT “Our Father ”, but “Our Father-Mother, Who art in Heaven ” Yeshua taught a Halakah of spiritual perfection through restoring the unity of heaven and earth, and the inner and outer self More about this later

ABBA: EMANATION INTO EXISTENCE For Yeshua, the mode by which Being came into existence was by emanation of the eternal attributes of Godhead out of NonExistence The kabbalistic Creation story—not Creation, but Emanation and Formation Ain “Not,” The Abba emanated NonExistence Ain Soph “Not Limited,” Infinite Space Ain Soph Aur “Infinite Light” The Anan or ‘cloud’ of Light that conceals the Abba Emanation of the Sephiroth or Vessels of God’s Names, Powers, Virtues 1st century Sefer Yetzirah: Kether Kingship, Hochmah Wisdom, Binah Compassion, and all the other Energies of the Abba. Shattering of the Vessels: TIME begins. The shards or qlippoth: Evil energies

THE BASOR OR PUBLIC PROCLAMATION OF YESHUA Jewish proto-Rabbis taught privately to small groups, usually their own disciples, although they also had public disputations that could be audited. Yeshua, however, delivered a specific public proclamation, although he also taught his disciples privately in a special seder meal. The disciples (talmidim) stood and teacher sat. He stood or sat, but his large crowds of hearers sat. In semitic culture and all the ancient Near East, this was the format for proclaiming a public Basor to all the people of a kingdom or nation. Yeshua’s historical public proclamation was not the teaching of a Rabbi, but the proclamation of a Basor.

WHAT WAS A BASOR? BASOR: A royal proclamation about the birth or anointing of an heir to the King. The Basor was proclaimed by an appointed messenger sent directly from the King’s Throne who went to all regions of the Kingdom to publically announce the royal birth/succession. WHY? So that there would be public support for the royal heir and successor, and to thwart any attempts at a coup when sovereignty would later be transferred.

WHAT WAS A MESSIANIC BASOR? hwhy YHWH (God): Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. KING: ORIGINAL MESSENGER FROM GOD’S THRONE WAS A PROPHET (Nabi, “Bubbling Fountain”): A righteous person (tzadik) appointed by God as a messenger to declare Divine Will to Israel. MESSIANIC PROPHET: Prophet who had ascended to the Chariot-Throne (Merkabah) of God and received Divine Revelations about the Messiah and the future of Israel and all humanity—Isaiah, Enoch, John the Baptist, Yeshua, others. We will discuss the Ma’aseh Merkabah or mystical Work of the Chariot later

WHAT WAS A MESSIAH? MESSIAH, MASHIAH (“Anointed with Oil”): Originally designation for a Jewish king. Not crowned, but anointed with oil Many ideas of Messiah The Messiah that Yeshua taught was the BarEnash or “Son of Man” Messiah Adam Kadmon was Old Humanity Bar-Enash Second Adam, or New Humanity Co-Sovereign with Godhead, the Abba Heavenly archetype of a New Adam (“Humanity”) into which people would be spiritually reborn through the practice of Halakah or conscious self-transformation. Babylonian “New Adam.” Greek Term for Messiah is Christos, Christ: One who has been anointed with oil (“chrism”) General outline of the Messianic Basor of John the Baptist, Yeshua, others

THE BASOR OR GOSPEL OF YESHUA: THE BABYLONIAN SCHOOL OF DANIEL THE BAR-ENASH OR“SON OF MAN” PROPHECY OF DANIEL WORLD RULED BY BEASTS Series of prophetic visions about the future rise and fall of the Greeks, Medes, Persians, and other “beasts”— ancient patriarchal dynasties built on blood, slavery, and conquest. BUT FINALLY he sees the future anointing of an archetypal new Adam in human form who will triumph over them all: The Bar-Enash