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By Koresh — Part XXII.
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324 The Flaming Sword THE KORESHAN SYSTEM OF COSMOGONY Ezekiel's Visions of God Prof. Totien's Misfit Key of the Book of Rev. "And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out ef the lation; His false Interpretation of Astronomy north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness By Koresh was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came PART XXII. the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their ap pearance; they had the likeness of a man."— (Ezek. i: 4.) WJNDER THE flashing head-line, "Revelation of St. John Solved by Cryptogram,'' the Chicago Ameri These four parts of a describable and visually ap can [Mar. '01] has a lengthy article on Cryptogramia proachable being were signalized by four distinct char Tottensonia, founded upon a false interpretation of acteristics; namely, the face of a man, the face of a lion, an utterly spurious system of astrouomy. If Profes the face of a bullock, and the face of an eagle. These sor Totten is correctly reported, he says: "The throne four living creatures constituted, in their summary, the itself was some grand central sun, where God dwells, likeness of a man, and this was the vision and the ap unaproachable, surrounded by ineffable light and fire; pearance of Deity himself. the one that sat thereon was indescribable, and the halo "And every one had four faces, and every one had four was themany-hued,iridescentrainbowreflected through wings. And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their the photosphere that clothed the terrible orb." feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and fefaey sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And they had the hands of a man un If it be admitted that this universe is what the term der their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces universe implies, it follows that it is one great system and their wings. Their wings were joined one to another; they governed by a complete and uniform function. It would turned not when they went; they went every one straightforward. As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a logically follow, that "some grand central sun"could be man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had no other than the central sun of the physical universe,— the face of an ox [bullock] on the left side; they four also had if we are to locate the throne of D<jity as a material the face of an eagle. Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one throne at any material center in space. to another, and two covered their bodies. And they went every Let us examine this cryptogram of Prof. Totten's one straightforward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; from the common astronomical point of view. First, and they turned not when they went. As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of the universe, according to Professor Totten, is illimita fire, and like the appearance of lamps; it went up and down ble; this is also in agreement with the universal astro among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and OHt of nomical modern conception. If the universe is illimita the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning. ble, then it has no limit. If it had a center, it would "Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel have at least one limitation, and therefore would not upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces. be illimitable. But according to the Copernican system The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their ap of astronomy there can be no central limitation, for pearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of there can be no central sun: hence no central material a wheel. When they went, they went upon their four sides: and throne upon which Professor Totten's god could sit. If they turned not when they went. As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of the Copernican system were true, the solar system eyes roundabout them four. And when the living creatures would revolve around a great sun in company with ten went, the wheels went by them; and when the living creatures thousand other solar systems as great as oufs—and were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their even greater. That center around which these thou spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: sands of solar systems are revolving, with all their for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels. When retinue of solar fields, would be revolving around an those went, these went: and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted other greater sun, incalculably distant, out in the inter up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was minable space. in the wheels. The very conception of the Copernican idea pre "And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal stretched cludes the possibility of any such thing as a central forth over their heads above. And under the firmament were throne of the physical universe. The impossibility of their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had the conception of a physically central sun has made im two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies. And when they went, I possible the conception of a central consciousness called heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as God; hence the atheistic determination of the Coperni the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of can system of astronomy. With the indescribability of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings. And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, the one who sits upon this nondescript throne, when they stood, and had let down their wings. And above we present another cryptogram from no less authority the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a than Ezekiel, who regards the occupant of the throne throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a not as indescribable, but rather as perfectly describable, man above upon it. and in agreement with every other Biblical description "And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearanee of fire of the Deity. Ezekiel declares he "saw visions of God;" round about within it, from the appearance of his loins [whose loins?] even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even he does not say from, but of, God. This means that downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had his visions were an analysis of Deity, and this analysis brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is was not indescribable, but altogether describable. in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the like What did he see when he had visions of God? He saw ness of the glory of the Lord; and when I saw it, I fell upon my Uod in symbolic configuration. face, and I heard a voice of one that spake." — (Ezek. i: 6-28 ) The Planning Sword 325 Was this the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ? Was with the spirit of its regeneration. Thisbowjs the same it the Lord Jesus who sat upon this throne? Is this the that is mentioned in the blessing of Jacob upon Joseph: throne of God? Is the Lord the God of heaven, as it is "His bow abode in strength." declared of him? And if so, is God a man? This is thebowofdivinenatural life, which surrounds Ezekiel has herein described what Professor Totten Joseph at the.timeof his final reincarnation at the close has declared to be "indescribable,'" if he is correctly of the Christian dispensation. The rainbow which John reported. Who is right, Prof. Totten or the prophet saw was none other than the group of faithful followers Ezekiel? We would rather take Ezekiel for our authority who will accompany the Messianic manifestation at the than the materialist, Professor Totten. If there be an beginning of the new dispensation. These are condi "illimitable universe," which thereforehas no center nor tions, qualities, and characteristics of the firstfruits of circumference,in which there areinnumerable suns which the new Church; but they are also the correspondences the astronomers say are, many of them, much larger of the things that are in the physical universe. than our sun, and have their planetary systems, why is Twenty-four seats round about the throne, signifies it that the wise Professor selects our seven little planets a definite number of persons, who will comprise the of this one solar system of thousands, to represent the order corresponding to the progress of the human race seven lamps or torches of fire? Are these planets mere through a period of time marked by the movement of specifically torches or lamps than the seven Pleiades? the sign on the physical Zodiac. This is because all Are the seven planets of this one solar system all the human progress is marked by astronomical progress, planets there are belonging to the great illimitable and its description is portrayed in language which cor thing which, according to Professor Totten, has no responds to astro-biologic signs. That they were limitation, and consequently no central sun? clothed in white raiment, means that they were made Center and Circumference of the Physical Uni chaste through the application of the principles of verse and their Correspondence purity. Crowns of gold upon their heads, implies that The physical universe has a center and a circumfer they are in the full fruits of righteousness. The head is ence; consequently it has form. It has its definite limi the all of life in first and last things. Gold symbolizes tations, and only one center. This physical universe is the goods or uses of natural life. the correspondent of the anthropostic domain, in which Out of the throne—out of the intellectual status, all intellectuality obtains and dwells. The bright and which is the throne, as the affectional is the altar—pro morning star in the physical heavens is not intellectual; ceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. Light it is merely physical light and various other essences. nings proceed from the conflict of truth with error, and But it is the correspondent of the Lord Jesus, who was are manifest when in the promulgation of truth the the bright and morning Star of the anthropostic cosmos. principles of truth are illustrated by rational processes. The throne of God and the Lamb was manifest at The promulgation of the truths of life will produce the the beginning of the dispensation as the Son of God. conditions of life, which are the conditions of immortal Jesus said, "I am the Door." If any Door is ever opened ity, hence the thunderings are the creations of immor in heaven, or if any has been opened, that Door was aud tality in the body. Jesus was the Word of God, hence will be Christ the Lord. John was in the spirit. All the he was the Voice of God. The regeneration of the Sons things seen by the ltevelator were from a spiritual, not of God constitutes the voices referred to in this descrip a natural point of view. They pertained to the anthro tion of John the ltevelator. postic cosmic order. The "seven lamps of lire" are the seven churches, The throne set in heaven was none other than the which are to appear at the end of the age as the fruit intellectuality in the interior of the human race. The of the dispensation. If this explanation is disputed, one who sat upon this throne was Jesus Christ the Lord. refer to the twentieth verse of the first chapter of Reve To look upon, He is like jasper, because it is white, and lation, and notice the explanation of "the stars" and as a symbol represents scientific truth. He was like the the "seven lamps of fire" as therein defined. The "seven sardine stone, because he united both truth and good stars" are the angels of the seven churches; and the in their ultimate degree. John saw the future of the seven lainps^are the seven churches. But Totten says church in its resurrected state, when at the end of the that the seven lamps or torches of fire are the seven age there should come another personal manifestation dominant planets; while we say that the seven domi of Deity, who would constitute the open Door, as the nant planets are only the correspondences of the seven man Jesus was the open Door at the beginning of the churches. These were the seven Spirits of God. As the age. natural sun manifests in the prismatic refractions of The rainbow round aboutthe thronelike an emerald, the solar radiations, the seven colors of the rainbow, so is predicated of those who will accompany the Son of the prismatic refractions of the mental rays of Deity man as his chosen vessels of Apostolic power and manifest the seven churches. authority. At the end aud beginning, when the Lord {To be continued.) sets his hand again the second time to recover the rem nant of his people, he will call around him a people of a specific character to be receptive of his life when, in the There is no essential unity of God with men in the theocrasis, he passes into his new Church to baptize it bonds of iniquity.—Koresh. 326 The Flaming Sword THE STANDING OF THE GREAT ENSIGN of Israel, and that this Stone is the Messianic character Z>he Root of Jesse. Koresh, the Messiah of of the end of the Christian dispensation. We emphasize This Age, in Contradistinction to Jesus the fact of the special, personal manifestation, in view [From the Writings of Kokhh.] of the predilection of the times to deny the personality "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall as an essential factor of prophetic fulfilment, as to the stand lor an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. And it shall come to pass in coming of the Lord and of the Sons of God. There are that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time some pronounced phases of antichrist made conspicuous to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from in the declaration of an inherent divinity in every person, Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush [Ethiopia], and from Elam, and from Shinar,and from Hamath, whether that person be good or bad. and from the islands of the sea."— (Isaiah xi: 10, u ) Distinct Phases of the Modern Antichrist JESUS WAS THE ROOT and the offspring; of David, So called "christian science" is an express denial of not the root of Jesse; nor did he fulfil the prediction the personal Lord, and is predicated upon the basis of a as above noted in the eleventh verse: "And it shall total ignorance of the laws of life and of the true charac come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his ter of God. It is the worst possible distortion of the hand again the second time to recover the remnant of Scriptures and the gospel of salvation that could be his people." This points emphatically to the "second conceived, but very consoling to such as would be coining, "not to Jesus. Jesus came of the tribe of Judah soothed into unconsciousness because of their desire to and of the lineage of David, as it had been predicted. live in sin. * Eldyism is a complete stultification The Shepherd of Israel comes of the posterity of Joseph, of the reasoning faculties; and for anyone having come according to a prediction as emphatic and even more within the blighting influences of its prostituting pow distinctly defined, because the prediction belongs to the ers, there is but little hope of resuscitation from its more literal phase of the world's development, and to deadly malaria. the time when religion should be grounded in scientifics, Mental science, or the so called "new thought," is to suit the genius of intellectual development. another subtle phase of antichrist. The unregenerate The coming of the Messiah (Cyrus, see Isaiah xlv: 1, man, the man not made alive by the power of the Son which in the Hebrew is Koresh, and in the German, of God, is a mass of corruption, dwelling in the corrupti Kores) at the end of the Christian dispensation is a ble and mortal body. The spirit is as mortal as the distinctively personal manifestation, fulfilling the bless body. The "new thought," which is neither new nor ing of Jacob upon Joseph as found in Genesis xlix, true, would lull the mortal and corruptible humanity beginning with the twenty-second verse. "Joseph is a into the deceptive conviction that sin is not sin; that productive son, even a productive son upon the foun evil is not evil; that mortality is not mortality; that tain [or eye, which meaus the same]. Her daughters death is not death, and that by a simple exercise of the ascend by steps to mount the wall." We have embodied will, immortality can be attained. A fair conception of the meaning of the text as defined by the Hebrew in its what is denominated the "new thought" may be had original significance, using the pronoun in the feminine from the statement, that at a"new thought" meeting held gender (her), because it is fn the Hebrew. It may seem in the Assembly Hall in Masonic Temple, June 28, 1903, somewhat strange that Joseph is referred to in this text it was announced that twenty-two varieties of the "new as of the femiuine gender; but it is not so far from right thought" idea would be represented. The object was, when the true significance of the text is comprehended. as announced, to see if there could not be found a com It must be remembered that the prediction of Jacob mon ground of unity. The difficulty is, there are in his blessing upon the head of Joseph, pointed down twenty-two kinds of wheels, no two of which were made to the last days when, according to the laws of progress for the same piece of machinery. In view of this fact, ive development and alternate metamorphosis of gender, the machinery could not be made to work. the posterity of Joseph should become feminine. We The Christ, the Son of God, came to save the race of will later discuss more elaborately this phase of the fallen humanity; he came as the life of a dead world, to proposition now being considered. "The archers have bring that world into the same kind of life which he had sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; attained through overcoming. TheLord wasa persona] but his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his Savior; and in the name Jesus, we possess the meaning hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty of his office as the Savior of men. Jesus was the incar God of Jacob; (from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone nate Deity, the fulness of the Godhead bodily; he was of Israel)." This is a specific declaration that the Shep Father, Son, aud Holy Ghost. The Christ office which herd, the Stone of Israel, will come of the posterity of he came to perform was the baptism of the race, and for Joseph, this being a distinct line from the Messiah which he was called the Christ. His life was planted in promised through the line of Judah and David. the race, and none save those who received that planting Let us press upon the mind of the student that, can possibly come into the condition of the flrstfruits according to the blessing of Jacob upon his beloved son now, at the end of the Christian dispensation. The Joseph, there was to come a distinctive Shepherd; and coming of the Christ will be ushered in at the end of the we here positively assert, upon the authority of a age, through the personal presence of the Shepherd from special illumination from the Lord, that through the the posterity of Joseph, the specially beloved son of posterity of Joseph there comes the Shepherd, the Stone Jacob. The Flaming Sword 327 No truer prophet ever lived thau the Patriarch Cyrus, king of Persia. This is simply one of the many Jacob. In his blessing upon the head of Joseph, he theological blunders. It referred to Cyrus, king of defined the channel through which the true Shepherd Persia, in so far as he at that time represented that should come to the world at the appointed time. We special stage of the progress of Joseph in his transposi are prepared to meet the opponents of this rational tion through the generations. Cyrus, king of Persia, conception of the Lord's coming at the end of the age. was the descendant of Joseph by virtue of the fact that The Messiah comes as a personal presence; he comes as in the blendingof the ten tribes of Israel with the nations the offspring of the posterity of Joseph. Of these facts into which the tribes were infiltrated, the blood of Israel there is no doubt in the mind of the critical student of permeated the life of Cyrus, king of Persia, who was not these Scriptures. only the offspring of Medo-Persia, but of Israel, whom Resurrection Identical 'with Reincarnation Media and Persia had absorbed. Cyrus of Persia was one of the embodiments of Joseph. So far, the prophecy There will beaspiritual coming of Christ the Messiah, pertained to Cyrus [king of Persia], but not further; for but it will besomewhatlikethecoming nineteen hundred at that time he did not in any sense fulfil the prediction years ago. The Lord came then in person, revealed his that he would be the Messiah, as was declared of him in character (the character of Deity as the human) in his the prophecy. perfection, and was then theocrasised—this being thedisCyrus, the Branch, and Zerubbabel Are One and solution of his body. He came personally, after which the .Vavne he appeared spiritually to his Disciples. The Lord comes now at the end of the age personally; he will pass "That saith of Cyrus, He is my Shepherd, and shall through his theocrasis,and will then come spiritually to perform all my pleasure; even saying to Jerusalem, thou all who are to be baptized with his presence. After this shalt be built; and to the temple, thy foundation shall will appear the Sons of God. The Messiah will come as be laid." Let the student take special notice of the fact the reincarnated Joseph, the Shepherd of Israel, having that Cyrus lays the foundation of the temple. Observe the name predicted by the great prophet Isaiah. in connection with this prediction, the special office of the Branch; but first dispossess the mind of the fallacy The doctrine of the resurrection of the dead is identi cal with the Eastern doctrine of reincarnation. The that the Branch is not another distinct development resurrection of the dead is the coming of the dead into from the Lord Jesus, who came nineteen hundred years the life of the resurrection in the flesh. Underlying this ago. Of the Branch (this is not the Vine) it is said: doctrine of the resurrection or reincarnation is an "Hear now, 0 Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy absolute science, which is only revealed through the fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered Universology of the Koreshan cult. The central fi«ure at:for behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. of the reincarnation which marks the divine manifesta For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; tion at the end of the Christian dispensation is the upon one stoueshallbe seven eyes; behold, I will engrave beloved son, Joseph himself. The spirit of Joseph has the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will been transmitted from generation to generation, accu remove the iniquity of that land in one day." The mulating experiences alternately in the natural and stone referred to is the Stone, Joseph, of whom it was spiritual worlds, which will fit him for the throne of the declared in Jacob's blessing: "From thence is the Shep Absolute, that of the eternal Eloah. herd, the Stone of Israel." , In Z?chariah vi: 12, 13, the office of the Branch is Elijah the Prophet and the Messiah Are One distinctly defined: "Speak unto him, saying, thus Identity speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, behold the man The Messiah who comes now at the end of the age is whose name is the BRANCH, and he shall grow up out the same Joseph whom the Pharaoh named Zaphnath- of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord. paaneah — the name signifying the Savior of the world. Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall But more than this; Joseph gathers into himself all bear the glory, and he shallsitand rule upon his throne, those who are to be redeemed from the spiritual world, aud he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel and who look for the Lord's appearing from the stand of peace shall be between them both." point of wisdom. When the Messiah fulfils his mission Let the student notice that the office of the Buanch as the gatherer, he will have aggregated into himself is to build Jerusalem, and also to build the temple. the entire New Jerusalem; this also means that the Lord Notice also that the office of Cyrus is to lay the founda constitutes the central Star or nucleus of the perfected tion of the temple. Now read Zechariah fourth chapter, heavens, this central Star being the veritable ego of the beginning with the sixth verse. "Then he answered and reincarnated Joseph. Thus in the manifestation of the spake unto me, saying, this is the word of the Lord unto Messianic character. God himself will have become mani Z9rubbabel, saying, not by might, nor by power, but by fest as Elijah the Prophet;— f/;e Messiah and Elijah my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Who art thou, 0 being one and thesame. This manifestation is the Sign great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become of the Lord's coming. a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone [the It is claimed by the modern theologians and doctors Stone, Joseph] thereof with shoutings, crying, »race of divinity, that the Cyiji's mentioned in the forty-fuurth grace, unto it." and forty-fifth chapters of Isaiah had direct reference to "Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me,
The Flaming Sword · Vol. 28, No. 11 · Nov 1914 · PDF pp. 6-9