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‘CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN: Taking the Metaphysical Journey From Temptation to Transfiguration’ Pt. III

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I – “There will come a time in the last days when the mountain where the Eternal’s house stands will become the highest, most magnificent — grander than any of the mountains around it. And all the nations of the world will run there, wanting to see it, feel it, fully experience it. Many people of all languages, colors, and creeds will come.

People: Come! Let’s go to the Eternal’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, so that we might learn from Him how best to be, to go along in life as He would have us go. After all, the law will pour out from Zion, the word of the Eternal, from Jerusalem.”

(Isaiah 2:2, 3 – The Voice)

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II – “What Do Mountains Symbolize? Throughout the ages, people of all races and religions have associated mountaintops with heightened spirituality. And why not? Since ancient times, many have understood the cosmos as a three-part structure consisting of the heavens, the earth, and the dark spiritual places beneath the earth. So it makes sense that humans would attempt to draw closer to their gods by building temples, altars, and shrines on the highest peaks. Since the Bible gives us multiple indicators that Heaven is a locale where the One True Living God “dwells” ([Isaiah 66:1], [Matthew 6:9], [1 Peter 3:22]) it also seems natural, according to human logic, that Christians might attempt to draw closer to God by scaling mountains. However, the Bible makes it clear that God’s purpose for creating mountain ranges has nothing to do with drawing humanity closer to Himself in physical proximity—but the symbolism behind these majestic-peaked formations do have the potential to draw our hearts closer to His. Just like every other element in creation ultimately reveals the nature of its Creator—mountains divulge important information about who God is. In scripture we see this symbolism played out in over 500 verses and hundreds of events, involving 35 major mountain ranges.”

-Annette Griffin

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III – “According to Dr. George M. Lamsa, author of the Lamsa Translation, when translating the Aramaic into English; he states that 40% of the Bible is based on dreams, visions, trances, inner workings and/or an inner intuitive voice. When it comes to Abraham in Genesis 22, Lamsa attributes it to a dream, arguing that it was never a literal happening where Isaac is taken up to Mount Moriah offering him as a burnt offering. Lamsa contends that God never wanted human sacrifices nor animal’s offered as such. John 1:17 states that ‘the law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ’. The scriptures are very clear from Jeremiah 7:21-23, Isaiah 1:11-14, Micah 6:6-8, and other places where God had never spoken to the ancient fathers about offering sacrifices. In fact in Micah 6 God spoke that if an individual offered a human sacrifice it was an iniquity unto the offerer. The Aramaic of Micah 6:7 states: “If I should offer my firstborn it is an iniquity to myself; and the fruit of my body, it is a sin against my soul.” Therefore, we must conclude that God never asked Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering, but instead it was a dream which Abraham had. Consequently, what was being conveyed to Abraham through this dream? Western Evangelical Christianity teaches it as a picture pointing to the blood of Jesus shed to appease God for the sins of the world. They teach that Jesus died FOR the sins of the world, rather than BECAUSE of the sins of wicked men. That belief constitutes Penal Substitution. Love Itself never needs appeased! Since Abraham was around the ancient history (Canaanite culture) of the pagans sacrificing their sons, and since blood shedding was very common in those days, and since it was on his mind, he had this dream. In the dream he was being told that God never wanted human sacrifices, or any type of shedding of blood from animals. Why did his wife Sarah not go up with Abraham for the offering of their son? In a dream one goes alone, except for those present in the dream. When anyone has a dream and people or animals are killed it is not a literal happening—it’s a dream. The question remains: Why would Father/God be asking Abraham to offer his son, and why the ram caught in the thicket, if offering any type of human or animal sacrifice was considered an iniquity against the offerer, and a sin against their soul, and God never ordered? If blood sacrifices are to rid the individual of sins as ancient pagan traditions stated, why does the Bible contradict that by stating that it IS sin and iniquity to offer a blood sacrifice? *If we could clearly see that Genesis 22 was a dream, rather than a literal happening, it would help us rightly divide a large portion of scripture.”

-Kay Fairchild

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IV – “The central idea of the Eastern Fathers was that of theosis, the divination of all creatures, the transfiguration of the world, the idea of the cosmos and not the idea of personal salvation…Only later Christian consciousness began to value the idea of hell more than the idea of the transfiguration and divinization of the world…The Kingdom of God is the transfiguration of the world, the universal resurrection, a new heaven and a new earth.”

– Nikolai Berdyaev

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V – “Six days later, Jesus went up to the top of a high mountain with Peter, James, and John. There, something spectacular happened: Jesus’ face began to glow and gleam and shine like the morning sun. His clothes gleamed too—bright white, like sunlight mirroring off a snowfall. He was, in a word, transfigured. Suddenly there at the top of the mountain were Moses and Elijah, those icons of the faith, beloved of God. And they talked to Jesus.

Peter: Lord, how amazing that we are here to see these heroes of our faith, these men through whom God spoke. Should I quickly build some shelter, three small tabernacles, for You, for Moses, and for Elijah?

As Peter spoke, a bright cloud enveloped all of them.

Voice from the Cloud: This is My beloved Son. With Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.

This voice from heaven terrified the three disciples, and they fell prostrate on the ground. But Jesus—who was, by this time, used to His disciples being plagued by fear—touched them.

Jesus: Get up. Don’t be afraid.

And when the disciples got up, they saw they were alone with their Lord. The four men hiked back down the mountain, and Jesus told His disciples to stay silent.

Jesus: Don’t tell anyone what happened here, not until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

(Matthew 17:1- 9 – The Voice)

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VI – “Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus. Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing. Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.” The next minute the disciples were looking around, rubbing their eyes, seeing nothing but Jesus, only Jesus. Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you’re free to talk.” They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth “rising from the dead” meant.”

(Mark 9:2-10 – The Message)

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VII – “Listen to Jesus and follow him. That’s the message of the Transfiguration.”

-Pope Francis