Enoch and Moses Elias and Jesus
Uranda July 18, 1953 pm Class
The pattern of Meditation which we have been sharing in services and in class work has all centered around the Magic of Living, in recent weeks—or Heavenly Magic—and step by step there has been a deepening realization not only of the vital importance of drawing near unto God but of the means whereby this may be accomplished effectively, expeditiously. And whatever we can do properly to expedite this pattern of fulfilment we should do. We need to realize that in the world pattern there has been a surface consideration, a surface experience with respect to the things of God; but to actually let them manifest in daily life on earth is something that human beings have not, generally speaking, learned to do.
The popular concept of the so-called Christian God is of an old man sitting on a throne in a heaven that relates particularly to this earth—it is up here in the sky somewhere—carrying the idea that all the stars in the heavens are merely incidental to this earth; that the sun, the other planets in the solar system, and all the stars in the sky, are merely incidental, for the convenience of this earth, the idea being that really this earth is the center of everything, as far as importance is concerned, and that heaven relates to this earth and wherever that heaven is—out in space, maybe up around the moon some place—and somewhere there is supposed to be an old man with a long white beard, sitting on a throne, overlooking the earth and particularly concerned about what goes on here, etc. That idea, which is so wide spread, so widely accepted really even in this so-called modern day, is one which impresses any thinking person as superstitious.
I know I was quite a young boy, perhaps in my very early teens, when I could not accept the idea any more that the religious folks around me were trying to impose upon me—this idea of a god in such a fashion, a more or less general so-called Christian concept; and I rejected it all and assumed that that made me an atheist. Of course, I found out later that it did not. It only gave me an opportunity to begin to know God. And yet, what do most people have offered to them in the world except the old husks that have been offered to mankind through the centuries, or reject them and be an atheist? Generally speaking the pattern of choice is assumed to be between these two factions or states of consciousness, but if we truly look at the stars in the sky we must recognize that surely there is intelligence back of them. We do not assume that the earth is the center of everything and that everything else is incidental to this earth—this earth is not the most important point in the cosmos. We have a part to play in the body of Being that is called the Cosmos, but this is not the center of it, and we have come to have a new vision of God. We never think of an old man sitting on a throne, waiting to wreck vengeance on some human creature that makes a mistake.
This idea is something that we will contact many, many times in the days to come, as we serve. One must either accept a prejudice pattern, refuse to think, or reject these things. And then the churches wonder why they lose members, why the young people do not stay centered and steady in the pattern. It does not make too much difference whether they call it Methodist or Baptist or Presbyterian or Lutheran or something else. The brand name is of very small importance from our standpoint. It is no more than that—the different brands of the so-called Christian religion, all the way from the Roman Catholics to the Holy Rollers. It is not just a brand that we are concerned about, but we will have to deal with the patterns of consciousness that have been engendered in the world by reason of all of these ideas.
If we are to deal effectively with such things we must ourselves know God, we must ourselves be channels through which the power of God operates, through whom the wisdom of God is made manifest, through whom understanding is expressed to the children of men. When we recognize these limitations in the patterns of consciousness in the world we are not in any sense condemning them or finding fault with them; we would not in any sense belittle any of them—but it is necessary that we have some understanding of them and be able to face the facts as they are. Recognizing the limitations which exist in the world, recognizing the need, the hungry ones, the thirsty ones, the prodigal sons and daughters who have been feeding upon the husks for so long, we should have a powerful incentive to cause us to utilize every possible opportunity to reach a point where we may function effectively.
We have in our meditations on the subject of the Magic of Living been giving a good deal of thought to the Shekinah pattern of Being. Our meditation thus far has been more or less introductory. We have recognized that the Shekinah pattern was known in both the Old and the New Testament periods. We have recognized that the Master used the Shekinah pattern of Being as a basis of His ministry. We have recognized that it was His correct function in relationship to the Shekinah pattern of Being that allowed Him to teach as He did, allowed Him to carry the healing power to ailing human beings, and this set up the cycle by which the Spirit of His ministry might reach down to us nineteen centuries later—the power of ministry extending for nineteen centuries, reaching to us, an idea, a heavenly idea, which has been misunderstood, distorted, presented on a faulty basis but nevertheless it is here, it is in the world and millions of people earnestly and sincerely seek to let that which He did have meaning in their lives. And yet, all these untold millions have not learned how to follow Him in letting the Shekinah pattern of Being have meaning in their lives.
This is the distinction—whether you examine Old Testament history or New Testament history—to the degree that any man, anywhere at any time, or any woman, allowed the Shekinah pattern of Being to manifest under the Law, there was something accomplished. That man or that woman rendered a true service to humanity, that person, whoever it was, stood out at least head and shoulders above the mass of humanity and they are remembered because of what they accomplished.
We remember, for instance, Abraham; we remember Isaac and Jacob; we remember Joseph; we remember Moses; we remember Caleb and Joshua; we remember David and Solomon; we remember Isaiah and Ezekiel and Daniel, and many others from the Old Testament pattern. In connection with all of this we have noted the great significance of the trinity in relationship to the One Who Dwells, making four. We began our cycle of instruction in the Servers’ Training Class considering the reality of the Four Forces, and we see how these Four Forces have been and are operating in relationship to all things whatsoever. There is the One Who Dwells, or the One whom the Master called the Father, the Centering of Being; and then extending out from the One Who Dwells, the Fire and the Light that Glows, and the Cloud of Glory. But seen from our standpoint we have the reverse—the Cloud of Glory, the Light that Glows, the Fire, and the One Who Dwells. And this is the Shekinah pattern of Being.
Under this pattern of Meditation we are reminded that in Biblical history we have a record of three men who ascended—three men who ascended. The first on record was Enoch, and it is written of him: “And Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” And later there was Elijah. Elijah who at one time because he was tired, in a moment of weakness, fled from Queen Jezebel and feared for his life, and failed to function perfectly at all times. And yet Elijah ascended, and his mantle passed to Elisha—the mantle of the prophet. And then the third was, of course, our Lord in relationship to His ministry on earth. The record of three who ascended.
We have considered together something of the laws and principles of ascension so that we could understand how the substance of the earth does ascend in its vibratory patterns. But we need to begin to see this pattern of ascension in a higher or deeper sense, with a larger vision. Let us note with respect to Enoch that it is written: “And Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” Enoch walked with God. It seems to me that that simple statement, so briefly put, describes something that is so limitless, so beautiful, so fascinating, so important, that the very simplicity inspires a deeper devotion and dedication. It causes us to ask, “If Enoch in the long ago could walk with God, why not me? Why cannot I walk with God?”
Strange as it may seem, in the midst of the religious dogma to which I was subjected as a boy, in all the attitudes and concepts that made my whole being rebel and which I finally rejected, that simple statement made a very deep impression on my consciousness: “And Enoch walked with God,” and God took him. And Enoch walked with God. Enoch did it before our Master came, before the revelation of law and principle, the exemplification and teaching which our Master gave to the world. If Enoch could do it before, why cannot we do it now? What does it mean to you, this thought, this simple picture, this brief outline? “And Enoch walked with God.” That was something that obviously took place on earth. He did not have to go to Heaven to walk with God; he walked with God before he went to whatever Heaven there is—that is why he went to Heaven. He walked with God. Where? On earth. “And Enoch walked with God.”
Before we expand that point any further, let us for the moment look at Elijah, the second one in the pattern of three. Actually Elisha, according to the record, or as far as the record goes, performed many more miracles than Elijah did. You read the story of the two prophets and you will find that through Elisha's ministry there were many spectacular things. Remember the ax head that floated, for instance. One of the men lost an ax head. Now we must remember that that was a very valuable thing in those days, far more precious and far more valuable than we would think an ax head to be, and it was borrowed, and the peculiar circumstances that were involved. And the man was chopping down a tree and the ax head flew off the handle and went in the water, and it was lost. And the man was greatly disturbed. And, according to the story, Elisha caused the ax head to float to the surface of the water so they could get it. It was a very important event if you recognize the peculiar nature of the situation at that time. It was very important. Elisha did a multitude of things, far more miracles, evidences of the manifestation of God's power, than were accomplished through Elijah; and yet, Elisha, according to the record, faced death the same as any other man or woman, and Elijah ascended. The chariot of God, the chariot of Fire, came down and took him. And as he started to ascend, he cast his mantle back and it fell upon Elisha, and Elisha carried on. But Elijah did do some very remarkable things.
In one of our patterns of Meditation we considered his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, a very wonderful outworking. We recognize that his function was at the time when the pattern of the children of Israel was breaking up, and the division was being established in relationship to Jerusalem and Samaria. But what do you remember outside of this experience with respect to Elijah on Mt. Carmel and the fact that he ascended? Perhaps you remember in relationship to him with respect to the famine that there was the cruse of oil and the barrel of meal that never failed, so that there was food during the famine for his landlady and himself. But outside of that, what do you remember about Elijah? I venture not very much, not very much; and yet he was one of the three of whom we have a record of ascension.
The third, our Master. We have shared many hours of Meditation upon His life, upon His teaching, the things He did, the terrible atrocity to which He was subjected at the conclusion of His ministry, but the fact that He came forth victor over death—for He did not die and in season He ascended. Human beings have seemed to have become lost in what we might call the mystical idea of leaving the surface of the earth with one's body. A very interesting thing, and I do not question but what under the right conditions at least, a desirable thing, something that is in harmony with the Divine Design, the Divine Pattern, the Divine Plan. But this which suggests something spectacular, the end result is that which appeals to the minds and hearts of the children of men, the idea of somehow, sometime, ascending with one's whole body. Now, I have not suggested to you or to anyone else that any of us would do it. I have never suggested that even I would do it. Perhaps—perhaps not. That is beside the point. Under the present circumstance it is not too important—the end result of total ascension. There is a partial ascension, in any case, and that is not the important thing at this present stage of events.
What was it in relationship to the lives of these three men that allowed the end result to be a fact? I wonder. Would you be surprised if I told you there was a fourth who had ascended? These three are generally known and recognized in this regard, but the pattern of the story is perhaps a little confusing with another. As we have looked at this pattern of three—and you remember what I said a little while ago about the Shekinah pattern of Being—perhaps you have wondered about a fourth, that somehow there must have been a fourth. And if there was, it had to be before the time of our Master, because it is obvious that any logical or reasonable understanding of the pattern of Being would have made His manifestation be the representation of what? That which was contained in the Fire of Love, the One Who Dwells. Yes, He was the fourth one. As we begin to see the patterns unfold, see the symbolism that has been provided down through the ages so that man could understand, it is obvious that there should have been three before His day. And there was. There was Enoch who walked with God and was not because God took him; and then we mentioned Elijah. But Elijah was the third one. Enoch was the first. What of the second?
In the Old Testament history pattern as it was translated, as it came down to us, the story is a little on the vague side with respect to Moses. There is the statement that he died at the age of a hundred and twenty; but that was an assumption. Actually, at a certain time he left the encampment of the children of Israel and went out into the wilderness. He went up on a mountain—the Lord's promise that he would be able to see the Promised Land. Now everyone assumed that the Lord was talking about Palestine, that he was going to look over Jordan and see the land where the children of Israel were to dwell. Now, I am not suggesting that it did not include that, but I am pointing to the fact that it was not limited to that. It is written that no man knew where the grave of Moses was, and the story goes, according to legend, that he was buried by some angels. We have a clue in the shortest book in the Bible, the book with only one chapter—Jude. In the Ninth Verse we read: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him (that is, against the devil) a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” In other words, we have here the picture of Michael the Archangel and the devil contending over the body of Moses, and the Archangel “durst not bring a railing accusation against the devil, but said. The Lord rebuke thee.” The devil is what? The prince of death, the prince of darkness. And if the Archangel said, “The Lord rebuke thee,” under this circumstance, there is at least some indication that it was possible that instead of some angels coming down from Heaven and digging a hole in the ground and burying the body of Moses, as so many have supposed according to the legend, it is possible that he ascended.
Now we do not have here in the Book a positive statement, and so you are free to believe what you will. But I would assure you that Moses did ascend, and he saw the Promised Land, not just the land that was filled with milk and honey, not just the land that lay across the Jordan, not just the land where the ten spies had seen giants in the land and the children of Israel had refused to enter in—but the Promised Land of the Kingdom of Heaven that is at hand. Moses did ascend.
And so once more our pattern of three leads us to a recognition of the pattern of four, the three phases of the Shekinah pattern of Being which lead us to the One Who Dwells. Enoch, who walked with God and was not because God took him. And there, if we begin to sense the beauty and the wonder of that simple statement, we begin to touch something of glory, something of exquisite glory, beauty. And then came Moses, and it was under the leadership of Moses, one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, that the Tabernacle was built, the Ark of the Covenant was formed, and the Shekinah manifestation appeared between the cherubims above the Ark of the Covenant, over the mercy seat. And the second is the Light that glows; and the Light that glows relates to Truth; it relates to design; it relates to control. And elements of Truth with respect to design and control were surely revealed through the life of Moses. So, it is reasonable to recognize that Moses was the one who symbolized that second phase of the Shekinah pattern in the revelation of Deity, the patterns of ascension as they are established in the record. But then the third was Elijah.
Now the Master said something during His ministry that is of vital significance in this relationship. You will remember that we have the simple statement with respect to Enoch: “He walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” And then Moses, in the midst of this pattern of outworking which he revealed, he ascended the Mt. Sinai and there he talked with God, there he received the tablets of the Law, etc., there he was upon the Mount of Glory. And then as we think of the Master's life and ministry, we recall that he took three disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration. He took Peter, James and John, the three disciples, up into the Mount of Transfiguration—again the three, with the fourth. But those who have considered the Mount of Transfiguration failed to see the Shekinah pattern of Being, they failed to recognize the great significance, the vital importance. But there was the Mount of Transfiguration, the three and the one. And as they were coming down from the mount, the Master said something. “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” Now, of course, some have taken that statement of Jesus to mean that He Himself was going to be crucified, that He was going to die and be resurrected from the tomb—again mere assumption. What did the Master actually say? “Until the Son of man be risen again from the dead”—mankind, the body of mankind, begins to rise from the dead. The dead, meaning the dust of the grave? Not at all. The state of mankind in which there are so many who are dead to God and the things of God. They are dead to life. You are here sharing a process of resurrection.
Now the story was told. They assumed it was all right to tell it because they did not understand what the Master mentioned. But where do you find this story? In the Gospel according to Matthew. Do you find it in the Gospel according to John? The only one who was there, of Peter, James and John, who wrote a Gospel, did not include this story in his Gospel, because he knew that the Son of man was not yet risen from the dead. Jesus had come forth from the tomb; He had been in a coma in the tomb, yes; but that was not what the Master was talking about. The disciples did not understand. “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” In other words, according to the Master's own statement, and that which He conveyed to the disciples, which they did understand, was that Elias or Elijah had incarnated and was made manifest as the one who prepared the way of the Lord, as John the Baptist. Now John the Baptist was beheaded. He did not ascend in the sense that we are talking about it tonight. But Elijah, who did ascend, incarnated in the body of John the Baptist, according to the Master's statement. Some people have tried to get around that, but it is a bit hard to do without calling Him a liar.
So, Elijah did come as John the Baptist. And coming down from the mountain the Master spoke of Elijah or Elias. And who was it that they had seen upon the mountain? Let us notice that. “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John … and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light”—the three, and in the midst the One Who Dwells, the revelation of the Shekinah pattern of Being. “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.” Moses and Elias talking with him. Moses was incarnated at that time as John, the disciple. Elias had incarnated, and his body had been beheaded by Harod. But on the Mount of Transfiguration they saw, with the Master, Moses and Elias, or Elijah.
Again we find correlating factors that indicate that Enoch, Moses, and Elijah were the three who revealed the essential elements of the Shekinah pattern over a long period of time in relationship to the revelation of the One Who Dwells, the revelation of the Father through the body of the man Jesus, being the fourth. This makes a complete revelation, something that is available to us, something that should have great meaning to us—for here, if we can read the signs aright, if we can see what is to be seen, we can understand what is to be understood, we can let the Shekinah pattern of Being bring forth in our lives the Victory, the revelation of the presence of the One Who Dwells. And if the One Who Dwells is the King of the Kingdom, and He is revealed as being the King of the Kingdom, there should follow a revelation of the Kingdom itself. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah—and finally our Master, the revelation of the King, the revelation of the One Who Dwells. And after the revelation of the King, what? The revelation of the Kingdom. And we are called, you are called, from the north and the south, the east and the west, to share in the revelation of the Kingdom by reason of the working of the Shekinah pattern of Being. And so once more I would call your attention to the words with which John opened his Gospel:
“In the beginning was Shekinah, and Shekinah was with God, and Shekinah was God.
“The same was in the beginning with God.
“All things were made by Shekinah; and without Shekinah was not any thing made that was made.
“In Shekinah was life; and the life was the light of men.”
Human beings have been searching for life, and where will they find it? In Shekinah. And not until we let ourselves begin to comprehend the vital significance of these words: “In the beginning was Shekinah, and Shekinah was with God, and Shekinah was God”—the three and the one, the four, all being Shekinah. “The same was in the beginning with God. All things,” not some things—all things. And if we would be creative and share in the making of something or the revealing of something, we must use Shekinah or let Shekinah use us. “All things were made by Shekinah; and without Shekinah was not any thing made that was made.” So if you begin to grasp even a little, to glimpse a little of the significance of Enoch, who walked with God, and of Moses and of Elijah, and finally of the Master, you will see that the three revelations in Old Testament have a direct relationship to the revelation in the so-called New Testament, and those who seek to divide them know not what they do. It is all a part of one thing, not really old and new—it is one revelation, one revelation of one Truth, of one God, of the Reality of Being. And if we would serve those who stumble in darkness and who rebel against the husks we must come to know Shekinah. He that dwelleth in the Shekinah of the most High shall abide under the evidence of the Presence, under the shadow, under the Shekinah of the Almighty. Let it be so in us, that the Almighty may accomplish His Will and His works because we live on earth in this day, in this time.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
