i've been hearing alot about Kabbalah, what is your opinion on it?
thanks
dave

I know nothing about it except I think Madonna is into it. What I learned is that we need every doctrine or word or action we see to be filterd through God's Word ummm like I mentioned before having "God colored glasses". God told me that I should judge my experiences by the Word of God & not judge the Word of God by what my experiences have taught me. So after you have a firm grasp of what the Word of God says & therefore a good idea concerning God's will for your life - you will be able to answer your own question about the merits of this or any other organization as you know how they align themselves compared to the Word of God.

Great insight and reminder Slade! This is an encouragement!

Hello Dave,

I agree with Slade and Shawn, in that what we adopt into our lives must be filtered through the Bible as to whether God would have us be involved in it. "Inquiring minds" however, get themselves into cults, various vague and misleading spiritual paths that promise a closer walk with God, but deliver pure evil and a road away from the truth.

I am more a of direct person, so tend to give my opinions that way too. I do not feel good about simply leaving it up to the individual to decide, when information that I trust delivers more specific guidance on a topic. In that vain, I pass this information on to you or anyone else with an "inquiring mind" on the topic of Kabbalah. Simply put, stay away from it, brother. It will not deliver "enlightenment" but a path away from Jesus Christ.

Nick P.

http://www.crossroad.to/Quotes/occult/kabbalah.htm

here's what i found out:
Kabbalah teaches that the universe began not with an atom or a subatomic particle, but with a thought of God. This thought of creation encompassed a world in which every human being would enjoy total happiness and fulfillment, free from any form of chaos or pain. This is what the Creator desires and intends.

For us to manifest complete fulfillment, we need to evolve into our greatest selves. In our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we need to erase negativity and replace darkness with Light. It is for this purpose that the teachings and tools of Kabbalah were given to all humanity"”and the greatest of these tools is The Zohar.

The Ultimate Resource of Connection with the Light
Physically, The Zohar is a book, a commentary on the Bible, structured as conversations among a group of friends, scholars, and spiritual masters. But the far-reaching reality and power of The Zohar transcends the limits of the physical world. Zohar is a Hebrew word meaning "splendor" or "scintillation," and The Zohar is literally an unlimited resource of brilliant spiritual Light. As the kabbalists explain, simply possessing The Zohar brings power, protection, and fulfillment into our lives. Then, as we scan the pages in the original language or study them in translation, a deep connection to the Creator's Light comes into being. As we gain intimacy and understanding of The Zohar, our consciousness deepens and expands. Spiritually, we grow and evolve. We become who we need to be in order to gain the joy and fulfillment that God intends for us. The Zohar is like a mirror in which we see our own expectations and intentions.

There are some who depict The Zohar as simply another "spiritual" text, or an object for academic study. They find The Zohar difficult and even forbidding"”but what they find was already determined by what they set out to look for. In contrast to this, the greatest minds in history have found wisdom and enlightenment in The Zohar's pages. From Pythagoras in ancient Greece, to Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century, to the architects of modern physics and biology in the modern era, students of Kabbalah and The Zohar have discovered startling insights and information.

On a practical and personal level, The Zohar not only reveals spiritual principles that can assist us in our everyday lives, it also gives us the power to put those principles into action. This takes place in every area of our lives, including our relationships, our spiritual work, and even our businesses and careers.

The Language of The Zohar
The Zohar is written in the ancient language of Aramaic, a sister language to Hebrew that employs Hebrew letters. While Hebrew was the language of the upper classes, Aramaic was the language of the common people. The Zohar's revelation in Aramaic is a message that this tool of Light can and should be used by all people, regardless of their spiritual level.

Above and beyond the importance of the Aramaic language, even the individual letters of The Zohar have special significance. In our everyday lives, we're used to thinking of the letters of the English alphabet in purely functional terms. The letters are units that we put together to create words, just as bricks are the units we use to create a wall. We think of both the letters and the bricks in practical rather than spiritual terms"”they're small, inert objects that we use to create larger objects.

The letters of the Hebrew alphabet (used for both Aramaic and Hebrew) should be understood in an entirely different way. In addition to their functional importance as components of words, each Aramaic letter is also a channel to a unique form of spiritual energy"”and this is true whether or not we know how the letter sounds or how it fits into a given word.
The Aramaic alphabet is a gift of the Creator, just as The Zohar itself is a gift. The gift is for all humanity, not just the few who know the ancient languages of Hebrew or Aramaic. Scanning the letters"”just letting your eyes pass over them"”opens an unlimited channel to the Light.

A Wellspring of Spiritual Energy
The Zohar not only reveals and explains, it literally brings blessings, protection, and well-being into the lives of all who come into its presence. Nothing is required but worthy desire, the certainty of a trusting heart, and an open and receptive mind. The Zohar's ultimate purpose is to draw Light into our lives, and thereby bring complete fulfillment. The Zohar, therefore, is an opportunity for us to transform our natures. To bring about this transformation is why all the teachings of Kabbalah exist, and why The Zohar should always be in our homes, our thoughts, and our hearts.

Hello Dave,

Are you saying that you believe what you have stated about the Zohar? Do you see a contradiction in the teachings of Kaballah and the Bible? I just don't know where you are coming from or trying to accomplish by delving into writings that are Biblical heresy and deceitful lies. Are you trying to convince others of these so called teachings or are you simply seeking a refutation of them?

Nick P.

quote:

i've been hearing alot about Kabbalah, what is your opinion on it?

as i stated in my 1st post, heard somethings about it and wanted to know if anyone had any info on it.

never said i believe in it or practice it,

once again, just looking for info
thanks again
dave

Thanks, Dave, for the additional clarification. Based on what you have read, what do you think?

Nick P.

My friend told me "like the Torah is the Jewish book of law, the Kaballa is the Jewish book of mysticism" & that it is incorporating a lot of anti-biblical practices like astrology & numerology.

Like I tell the Jehovah's Witnesses every time they tell me that they will come back with another book to back up their words I say "You can come to me with a hundred books it makes no difference; because I come to you with just one book; the bible (maybe 2, a Strong's Concordance) & I have showed you that it is not my words but God's words that I am preaching & nothing you say that is in any of those other books can convince me that God lied when He wrote the bible"

I could tell that Dave had just pasted something he found on the net; it just so happened to be very biased; almost to the point of saying that it was a divine gift without using those words. I would have to get my own copy & give it some study to make a final judgement about any merits or mistakes or lies in it, so for now I have no opinion, I just report heresay (there is some good & bad in most, so called "spiritual" books. The deal is that the devil himself told some truth, but don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?) - but I am uninterested in studying it. I still haven't finished studying (or even just scanning or reading) another most likely heretical book that I do own yet (the Urantia Book, it's huge), so I have no interest to get another that I don't already own. When I was 18 yrs old I studied just about everything I could get my hands on as far as the worlds religions - I read the Bagivad Gita & glanced at the Vedas, I studied the sayings of Buddah & Confucious & I think Zoaraster I looked at Essene Gospels & Catholic Teachings, the Egyptian Book of the Dead & Mormon Books like the Articles of Faith & Pearl of Great Price Not to mention the main one the Book of Mormon (I could never get my hands on their 36 or so secret books); I Studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses & Still own a copy of their version of the Bible - I studied a few chunks of the Koran or the other spelling (Qu'aran I think? I never got my hands on an interlinear or just aramiac or was it sandskrit? version of this) I have an interlinear Bible with Hebrew, Greek & english on the same page along with a 1611 reprint of the King James with the Apocrapha I have the Oxford Annotated Bible that has more Apocrypha then the Catholics because the Greek Orthodox & some other denomination uses more books. I just got a Septugant that I didn't study yet either. I have the Gospel of Thomas in print & 1st 2nd & 3rd Enoch on PC I have a few Dead sea scroll translations also; but I barely study any of those other things but the Bible anymore because I came to the conclusion that the bible (without the apocrypha) is the clearest window to God; well at least in my opinion. And if we have faith that the Bible is indeed inspired or breathed out by the one true God, & that it has contained within it all we need to know about spirituality & salvation; do we really need to waste time studying any other books? I mean I learn something new from the Bible every day, there will never be an end to what I can learn from the bible. Well I suppose if you are in a mission field where you have to combat these teachings you might as well study it so as to find out what it does say & therefore you know what scriptures to use when you are disputing it's faults. But studying another book won't help anyone & may even confuse you into some lie if you have not studied the Bible enough before hand. I used to believe that the Jehovah's Witnesses were correct & that Jesus was a lesser God, not equal to God the father - then I read the Bible for myself & found out the truth; that Jesus is part of the anatomy of God.

like you stated:

My friend told me "like the Torah is the Jewish book of law, the Kaballa is the Jewish book of mysticism" & that it is incorporating a lot of anti-biblical practices like astrology & numerology.
i do notice some of that so far and it takes parts of the bible.

so do you recommend i get the Urantia Book and Strong's Concordance?

found some interesting info:

Kabbalah - Why the different spellings for Kabbalah?
Kabbalah is found spelled in many different ways -- Qabbala, Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Qabala, Qabalah, and Kaballah. The reason for this is because some letters in the Hebrew alphabet have more than one usage in the English alphabet. The Hebrew letter can be written as a K, Q, or C, but the "Kabbalah" spelling is the most common.

Kabbalah - What is it?
Kabbalah is derived from the Hebrew root for "reception and acceptance." It is an esoteric (occult secret) system of interpretation of the Scriptures based upon oral accounts handed down from Abraham. It is also considered as secret oral teachings with a mixture of Jewish teachings, occultism, Gnosticism, and Neoplatonism. Jewish Kabbalah uses numerology to interpret the Bible's message.

Kabbalah concentrates the attention of Jewish mysticism towards the nature of divinity, the creation, the soul's beginnings and fate, and man's place in this world. It is considered an esoteric off-branch of Judaism because it teaches meditation, loyalties, and mystical enhancements to a select few. It originated for Jews only, but many non-Jews have studied Kabbalah for the last 500 years.

The non-Jewish version of Kabbalah is called Hermetic Kabbalah. Some Jews have opted for the preferences of Hermetic Kabbalah. For centuries, Hermetic Kabbalah has grown in many directions with influences from Freemasonry, Rosicrucianism, and its continued input from Jewish Kabbalah. The strongest philosophies of Kabbalah are ideals of religious humanism.

Kabbalah vs. Christianity vs. Judaism

* Primary Texts: Christianity uses the Bible. Judaism uses the Torah. Kabbalah texts are much like taking notes in a classroom setting, but utilize commentaries from Herchalat, Yetzirah, Sefer Chasidim, Malakh, Bahir, Zahar, Pardes Rimonim, Ets Khayim, and Sulam.
* Explanation of the existence of evil: Christianity determines evil as a disobedient rebellion against God. Satan, as an angel, of light first exercised it, when the devil tried to be like God. Then, the perpetrator enticed man to exercise the same rebellious disobedience. Judaism understands evil as the same act of rebellion. Kabbalah's philosophy of evil stems from the belief that both good and evil come from God.
* An existing need for a Savior (Messiah): Christianity teaches that the Messiah came as the Son of God (Jesus Christ) to redeem man from evil. Judaism teaches that the Messiah has yet to come and redeem Israel. Kabbalah's philosophy does not include the sinful nature of man, and therefore, there is no need of the redeeming qualities of a Messiah.
* One God or Ten: Christianity is built on one God, but expressed in the Trinity of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Judaism believes in One God -- Jehovah, no Trinity. Kabbalah's ideals believe that there are ten parts to God, which they call emanations.

Kabbalah – Practices
Some Kabbalahists utilize divination and clairvoyance to foretell events or to know occult events, and some deal with potions and curses. Practical Kabbalah is termed for use in referring to secret sciences (ESP, psychic readings, Ouija boards, tarot cards, reading tea leaves, reading bones, numerology, mediums, spirit guides, channeling, mysticism, etc.), mystic art, or sorcery.

Principals of Kabbalah are intertwined with: Greek and Egyptian deities, the Enochian tradition of angelic mysteries (taken from the "Book of Enus" found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, not written by the prophet Enoch of the Bible), Hindu and Buddhist Eastern ideals instituted within the Masonic-Rosicrucian-Style secret orders, and the occult. The teachings of both Christianity and Judaism prohibit magical means in foretelling the future.

I don't reccomend the Urantia book as most likely it is heretical. The reason I have it is because I know someone who believes in it, so I use it to try & understand his beliefs & have a reference during discussions.

I do reccomend a strong's concordance if you read/study the King James Version; as it is like a phone book giving you all the addresses of all the words that appear in that version. But if you read another version it may not help you as much but you can still use it to do topical studies just look up words like salvation & even if that word isn't in the other version it will be talking about it because all the versions are pretty close to each other in meaning if not ver batim.

Actualy what I reccomended in the last post was this clause:
"I came to the conclusion that the bible (without the apocrypha) is the clearest window to God; well at least in my opinion. And if we have faith that the Bible is indeed inspired or breathed out by the one true God, & that it has contained within it all we need to know about spirituality & salvation; do we really need to waste time studying any other books?"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Slade,

the more i looked into it , i found it is not right for me.

Hello Dave,

I am happy the Lord opened your eyes to the truth with regard to the teachings of Kabballah. I pray that while you say these teachings are not right for you, that you also have affirmed in your heart they are not right for any Christian. Looking at a different way, if a friend were to approach you regarding the subject, what would you tell them? Have you come away from this inquiry with greater widwom about how the enemy will try to deceive you?

Nick P.