The Skekinah
An Apostolic Study on the Shekinah
originally printed by Jason L. Weatherly (C) 2006
Introduction
What is
the “SHEKINAH”? Many ministers use this term today, but what exactly is the
“SHEKINAH”? No doubt you have heard countless times ministers speaking of
entering into the “SHEKINAH GLORY” while in prayer or having the “SHEKINAH
GLORY” fall in their church services. What exactly do these terms mean?
Many
ministers use the term “SHEKINAH” in relation to the Holy Ghost or the Spirit
of God. Is the “SHEKINAH” the Holy Ghost? Ask a minister what the Shekinah is,
and no doubt they will tell you the Shekinah is the “Glory of the Holy Ghost”
or the “Brightness of God” etc., but is that really what the Shekinah is?
We
hear the term “SHEKINAH” used so often in church services that we really do not
even question its definition. The term “SHEKINAH” sounds Jewish enough, and we
have become so accustomed to hearing about the “SHEKINAH GLORY” that most
really do not even question whether or not the Shekinah is the Holy Ghost or
not.
Where
does the term “SHEKINAH” come from? Did the word “SHEKINAH” originate from the
pages of the Bible? If the term “SHEKINAH” is not found in the Bible, then
where did it come from? I hope that at
this point you are questioning in your mind, “What is the SHEKINAH?”
Shekinah is not in the Bible
The
term “SHEKINAH” is not found in the Bible. Look up the word “Shekinah” in a
concordance. You will not find it. Look up the word “Shekinah” in a Strong's
Hebrew and Greek dictionary. It is not there. Then why do so many ministers use
the term “Shekinah” in their preaching?
One
of the many arguments used by Oneness ministers to prove that the doctrine of
the Trinity is unbiblical, is the fact that the term “Trinity” is not even
found in the Bible. Yet, at the same time these Oneness ministers are pointing
out that the word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, they will turn right
around and refer to the “Shekinah Glory of God”; although the term “Shekinah”
is not found in the Bible.
The
fact that the term “Shekinah” is not found in the Bible carries more weight
than the fact that the term “Trinity” is not found in the Bible. The reason
being is that the term “Shekinah” was widely used in Rabbinical Judaism during
the time of Christ and His apostles, whereas the term “Trinity” was not—the
term “Trinity” would not be invented until approximately 200 years after Christ.
The term “Shekinah” was first used in the Targums, which were the Aramaic
interpretations of the Old Testament. The word “Targum” is simply the Aramaic
word for “translation,” but is used to refer to those “Aramaic
translations/interpretations” of the Old Testament—Targum Onkelos & Targum
Jonathan (pseudo-Jonathan). Targum fragments found in the
Dead Sea Scrolls indicate that use of written Targumim can be dated to
pre-Christian times. Jewish traditions trace the Aramaic Targums to the time period of Ezra
(The Jewish Encyclopedia, “Targum”). The Masoretic text of the Old
Testament in Isaiah 53:3 states,
“He was despised and
forsaken of men, a man of torments and acquainted with infirmity, and like one
from whom hides his face, he was despised and we esteemed him not.”
The
Targum (Aramaic interpretation) translates Isaiah 53:3 as,
“Then he shall be
contemptuous of, and bring to an end, the glory of all the kingdoms; they shall
become weak and afflicted, lo, like a man in pain and accustomed to illness,
and like us, when the Shekinah had
departed from us, leaving us despised and without esteem.”
You
can see that from this perverse translation (the Targum) that the truth of the
Messiah being “despised and rejected” was twisted into the Messiah bringing to
the end the nations (kingdoms) which would become as a man in pain. Also, we
notice the interpolation of the word “Shekinah” into the text, a term that is
foreign to the original text. The Targum translations were widely used by the
Rabbis and teachers in the days of Christ and His apostles. So, the term
“SHEKINAH” was not foreign to the early Church.
The
fact that neither Jesus nor His apostles ever used the term “SHEKINAH” should
at least make us question its use our preaching. Unlike the term “Trinity;” the
term “SHEKINAH” was not foreign to the ears of the apostles. If, indeed, the
Shekinah is the Holy Ghost, do you not think that at least one New Testament
writer would have stated so? If the Holy Ghost is the Shekinah, then why is
this term absent from our Bible? Something else to consider is that whenever
Jesus or the apostles quoted from the Old Testament; they never quoted from the
perverse Aramaic translations (the Targums). Whenever Christ or the apostles
quoted the Old Law they almost always quoted from the Septuagint or Greek
translation of the Old Law. The New Testament quotes the Old Testament 320
times. Out of these 320 quotes, only 22 do not agree with the Septuagint. Out
of those 22 instances, 14 do not agree with either the Hebrew (Masoretic) Text
or the Septuagint (Greek) Text we have today. So, those quotes come from some
Hebrew or Greek text we no longer have copies of. Therefore, out of 320 quotes,
only 8 can be proven not to be quotes from the Greek (Septuagint) Text.
Since
neither Jesus nor His apostles ever equated the Holy Ghost with the Shekinah,
then why do ministers do so today? If the “SHEKINAH” is not a part of the
“doctrine of Christ” (Heb. 6:1), then why do ministers try to make it a part of
their churches? We find no record of the early church inviting the “SHEKINAH
GLORY” into their services. The term “SHEKINAH” is not found anywhere in the New
Testament. Therefore, the “SHEKINAH” cannot be a part of the “Apostles’
Doctrine” (Acts 2:46).
Understand the term “SHEKINAH” was in wide use at the time of the writing of
the New Testament. Yet, not one New Testament writer ever used it in their
writings. If the New Testament writers were careful not to use the term
“SHEKINAH” in their writings, shouldn’t ministers be careful not to use it in
their preaching?
Since
we find no record of the apostles equating the Shekinah with the Holy Ghost,
then what exactly is the “SHEKINAH”? One might say that the “SHEKINAH” is the
Holy Ghost to the Jewish mind. Not so, out of the approximate eight New
Testament writers, seven were Jewish. Surely, if the “SHEKINAH” were the Holy
Ghost in Jewish thought, this would have been manifested in these Jewish
Apostolic writings. So, what exactly is the “SHEKINAH”? To fully understand
what the “SHEKINAH” is, we must first consider the history of Judaism.
Two Forms of Judaism
Within
the Old Testament there are two forms of Judaism. The first form of Judaism is
Mosaic Judaism. Mosaic Judaism is the Judaism of the Old Law of Moses. The
children of Israel
had been put under Egyptian bondage, when God called forth Moses to set His
people free. Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt on Nisan
14 (Exodus 12:6, 31). Moses led the children of Israel for forty-six days through
the wilderness arriving in the wilderness of Sinai on the forty-seventh day
(Sivan 1 see Exodus 19:1). Three days later (Sivan 4) Moses received the Old
Testament Law on Mount Sinai. That is Moses
received the Old Testament Law on the fiftieth day after Passover. This would
later be called the day of Pentecost (Lev. 23:16 cf. Acts 2:1). The receiving of the Old Law on Mount Sinai was manifested by thunder and lightning, a
cloud and a great voice (Exodus 19:16).
Thus, Mosaic Judaism is simply the true Judaism of the Old Testament. However,
this Old Mosaic Law and Mosaic Judaism were to be fulfilled by the coming
Messiah.
“For all the prophets and
the law prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:13).
“Think not that I am come to
destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill”
(Matthew 5:17).
Christ the Messiah fulfilled the Old Mosaic Law with
His crucifixion on Calvary.
“For Christ is the end of
the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4).
Not
only did Jesus Christ fulfill the Old Mosaic Law with His death, but He also
“confirmed” the Abrahamic Covenant.
“Now I say that Jesus Christ
was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the
promises made unto the father” (Romans 15:8, cf. Daniel 9:27).
The
old Mosaic Law was fulfilled in Christ, and nailed to the Cross at Calvary.
“Blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that were against us, which was contrary to us, and
took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross” (Colossians 2:14).
With
the Old Testament (Covenant) nailed to the Cross, Christ ushered in the New
Testament (Covenant). The New Testament (Covenant) replaced the Old Testament
(Covenant).
“For this is my blood of the
New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto
you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when
I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:28-29).
God
spent forty days with Moses instructing him in the ways of the Old Law. Moses,
then, received the Old Law on Mt.
Sinai on the fiftieth day
after Passover (i.e. the day of Pentecost). Jesus spent forty days with His
apostles instruction them in the ways of the Kingdom of God.
The Church received the New Law in the upper room on Mt. Zion
on the day of Pentecost. The Old Law was manifested on Mt. Sinai
by lightning, a cloud, and a great voice. The New Law was manifest on Mt. Zion
by tongues of fire, a sound from heaven, and a mighty rushing wind. Thus, Mt. Zion
replaced Mt. Sinai. The New Covenant replaced the Old
Covenant. The New Israel of God replaced the Old Israel of God. Therefore,
Messianic Judaism replaced Mosaic Judaism.
Messianic
Judaism is the only true Judaism of today. Messianic Judaism is the doctrine
that Jesus only is the Messiah, and that salvation is in the name of Jesus
Only.
“Neither is there salvation
in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
“Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the
promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38-39).
Messianic Judaism is the only true form of Judaism
today. Any so-called “Judaism” that does not teach that Jesus Only is the
Messiah and that salvation is in the name of Jesus Only (Acts 2:38; 4:12) is
false “Judaism.”
“For he is not a Jew, which
is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outwardly: but he is a
Jew, which is one INWARDLY; and circumcision is that of the heart, in
the Spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God”
(Romans 2:28-20).
The
Apostle Paul said that through the blood of Christ, we (the Gentiles) are now
made citizens of the commonwealth
of Israel.
“That at that time ye were
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers
from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: BUT NOW in Christ Jesus ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians
2:12-13).
The
New Testament Church (the “Stone” hewn out of Mt. Zion,
Daniel 2:45) is the true
Israel of God. Apostle Paul even refers to the church as the “Israel of God.”
“And as many as walk
according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy, and (kai—Greek even) upon the ISRAEL OF GOD” (Galatians 6:16).
The
true form of Judaism in the Old Testament (Mosaic Judaism) was fulfilled in the
true form of Judaism in the New Testament (Messianic Judaism) i.e. the New
Testament Church – the True Israel of God.
The
second form of Judaism in the Old Testament is called Talmudic Judaism.
Talmudic Judaism has its origins in the Babylonian Captivity. Because of the
sins and idolatry of Israel,
God gave Israel
and Jerusalem
over to Assyrian and Babylonian Captivity (2 Chronicles 36:14-20). During the
time of “the Captivity”, the books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, and most “minor
prophets” were written. These are called “Captivity Writings.” Those Jews
who were under Babylonian captivity soon forgot about Jerusalem and the Mosaic Law. The Jews in
captivity began studying and following the “Mystery Babylon Religion.” Hosea
prophesied of this.
“And she (Israel) shall
follow after her lovers (Babylon), but she shall not overtake them; and she
shall seek them . . .” (Hosea 2:7).
Ask
yourself this question, why was Daniel the only Jew thrown in the den of lions
(Daniel 6:16)? The obvious
answer is because Daniel was the only Jew who had not stopped praying to the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Daniel 6:10).
Why were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego the only three Jews thrown into the
fiery furnace (Daniel 3:15)?
The obvious answer is because all the other Jews were bowing down and
worshipping the gods of Babylon.
Those Jews who were studying the Mystery Babylon Religion began to apply this
“mystical” teaching to the Old Mosaic Law.
“A great number of Jewish
families remained permanently in their new country; and one of the most
celebrated of their schools was at Babylon. They were soon familiarized with
the doctrine of Zoraster, which itself was more ancient than Kuros. From the
Zend-Avesta they borrowed, and subsequently gave large development to
everything that could be reconciled with their own faith; and these additions
to the old doctrine were soon spread, by the constant intercourse of commerce
into Syria and Palestine” (Albert Pike, Morals
and Dogma, p. 256).
“Now the dominating
philosophic doctrine among the Chaldeans...was absolute pantheism...the cult of
the ‘deified man’, which was the basis of Chaldean pantheism...Chaldean thought
acted powerfully upon Orthodox Judaism and determined the growth of a sect in
its midst which was to transform Israel...This sect was that of the
Pharisees...What they borrowed from the Chaldeans in fact...was the essence of
the Pantheistic doctrine...It was then that was formed from these borrowings
that KABBALAH OF THE PHARISEES which
was long time transmitted orally from Master to disciple, and was 800 years
later, to inspire the compilation of the Talmud, and fount it’s completest
expression in the ‘Zohar’. . . This religion of the ‘defied man,’ with which
were impregnated in Babylon, was only conceived as benefiting the Jew, superior
and predestined being...The expected Messiah...was to be a temporal King, all
bloody from battle, who would make Israel master of the world and trample all
people under the wheels of his chariot” (Les
Juifs et le Talmud, 1913).
The Kabbalah
This new
“mystical” teaching of the Mosaic Law was called the Kabbalah (also spelled
Cabala, Kabala, Qabbalah, etc.). The word “Kabbalah” (meaning “traditions”)
comes from the Hebrew word “kabal” (Strongs 3025), which means, “to twist,
intertwine, or plait.” Thus, the Kabbalah is a twisting or intertwining of the
Mystery Babylon Religion into the Old Mosaic Law. These Kabbalist then rewrote
the Old Testament into their own interpretations i.e. the Targums. This new
“mystical” interpretation of the Mosaic Law (the Kabbalah) brought with it a
new type of teacher of the Law: the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. The
Kabbalah was the “Traditions of the Elders” that Jesus and the Apostles so
violently opposed.
“But he (Jesus) answered and
said unto them, Why do you transgress the commandments of God by your TRADITIONS? For God commanded, saying,
Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him
die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or mother, It is a
gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honour not his father
or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandments of God of
none effect by your TRADITIONS”
(Matthew 15:3-6).
“He (Jesus) answered and
said unto then, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you, hypocrites, as it is
written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from
me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the COMMANDMENTS OF MEN. For laying aside
the commandments of God, ye hold fast the TRADITIONS
OF MEN, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye
do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject (Greek “frustrate or confuse”) the commandments of God, that ye may keep
your TRADITIONS” (Mark 7:6-9).
These
“traditions” were the Kabbalah or the “oral law” of the Jews. These “oral laws”
were later written down, after the time of Christ, into the Talmud i.e. the Gemara and the Mishna. It was Talmudic Judaism that crucified Christ (Matthew
27:25). It was the antichrist forces of Talmudic Judaism that persecuted the
early Church (Acts 4:1-6). The “law” of Talmudic Judaism IS NOT the Law of Moses. Rather, it is the Kabbalah, which was
written down into the Talmud. Talmudic Judaism considers the Talmud to be more
sacred that the Old Mosaic Law.
“The Talmud, then, is the
written form of that which, in the time of Jesus was called the traditions of
the elders and to which he makes frequent allusions” (Michael Eodkinson, History of the Talmud, p. 70).
“The teachings of the Talmud
stand above all other laws. They are more important than the law of Moses”
(Rabbi Ishmael).
The
Kabbalah i.e. Talmud is the source of all false doctrine.
“The Kabalah is the key of
the occult science; and the Gnostics were born of the Kabalist” (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 626).
“All truly dogmatic
religions have issued from the Kabalah and return to it: everything scientific
and grand in the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Boehme,
Swendenborg, Saint Martin, and others, is borrowed from the Kabalah; all the
Masonic associations owe to it their Secrets and their Symbols” (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma, p. 744).
The
Kabbalah is responsible of the birth of the Illuminati, Freemasonry,
Rosicrucians, Serpent Seed Doctrine, Tarot Cards, Zodiac Signs, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, etc. and also the doctrine of the Shekinah. The Kabbalah is the Law
of Talmudic Judaism. Talmudic Judaism became Phariseeism, and Phariseeism
became modern-day Judaism.
“The Jewish religion as it
is today traces its decent, without break, through all the centuries, from
the Pharisees. . .The Talmud is the largest and most important single member
of that literature . . . and the study of it is essential for any real
understanding of Phariseeism” (Universal
Jewish Encyclopedia, article “Pharisees”).
It
is from the Kabbalah and Talmudic Judaism that the doctrine of “Shekinah”
originates. Remember that we have already pointed out that the term “SHEKINAH”
was first used in the Targum, the Aramaic (Babylonian) interpretations of the
Old Testament. Thus, the “SHEKINAH” comes neither from Mosaic Judaism, nor
Messianic Judaism. It is the offspring of Talmudic Judaism and the Kabbalah.
Shekinah the “She Presence”
The term
“SHEKINAH” is a feminine Hebrew/Aramaic word, which literally interpreted,
means “SHE PRESENCE or SHE DWELLING.” In Talmudic Judaism there were different
views concerning the “SHEKINAH”. One school of thought held that the “SHEKINAH”
was a being created by God.
“The Shekinah refers not to
God Himself, nor to any part of His Essence, but rather to an independent
entity, created by God” (Encyclopedia
Judaica Jerusalem, vol. 14, 1974, p. 1352).
“This glory of God is called
the Kavod & is understood by the mystics of this period to be not the
creator himself, but the first creation, the SHEKINAH” (Charles Ponce, Kabbalah,
p. 61).
The
most uniform school of thought held that God (the En-Sof) has both male and
female attributes. This school of thought considers the “SHEKINAH” to be the
feminine nature of God.
“In Kabbalistic mysticism,
the Shekinah is conceived as the FEMALE
ELEMENT of God” (Encyclopedia
Britannica, micropedia, vol. 9, p. 127).
“It is in this world that
the union of God & his SHEKINAH,
his FEMINIE COUNTERPART takes place”
(Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 65).
“It is in this work (Book
Bahir) that two doctrinal statements of speculative Kabbbalism appear...the
relating of the Sefiroth...& the identification & deification of a FEMININE PRINCIPLE in God, the SHEKHINAH, who not only represents the
spiritual body of Israel, but the soul of man itself” (Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 71).
“In Kabbalah, the basic
elements of the kabbalistic concept of the Shekinah are found in the earliest
kabbalistic work, the Sefer ha-Bahir, where the Shekinah, or Malkhut, is
described as the DAUGHTER, the PRINCESS, the FEMALE PRINCIPLE in the world of the divine Sefirot . . . The
Shekinah, or Malkut, is the tenth and last hierarchy of the Sefirot. In the
divine world it represents the FEMALE
PRINCIPLE, while Tiferet (the sixth Sefirah) and Yersod (the ninth)
represent the masculine principle...The main goal of the realm of the Sefirot
(and of religious life as a whole) is to restore the true unity of God the
union of the MASCULINE PRINCIPLE
(mainly Tiferet) and the SHEKINAH,
which was originally constant and undisturbed by was broken by the sins of
Israel...The symbolism describing the Shekinah is the most developed in
kabbalist literature...In kabbalistic theology the Shekinah is the divine
principle of the people of Israel. Everything that happens to Israel in the
earthly world is therefore reflected upon the Shekinah who waxes and wanes with
every good deed and every sin of each individual Jew and the people as a whole;
on the other hand everything that happens to the Shekinah, HER relationship with Tiferet and other Sefirot and HER battle against evil powers, is
reflected in the status of Israel in the earthly world. Study of the Torah and
prayer bring a Jew near the Shekinah, for SHE
is symbolized as the ORAL LAW” (Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem, vol. 14,
1974, p. 1353).
To
explain this quote better, in Talmudic Judaism, the Kabbalist believe that God
represents Himself through ten “EMANATIONS,” “RAYS,” or “OUT-FLOWINGS” called
“SEPHIROTH”. Out of ten “EMANATIONS” or “SEPHIROTH”, nine are grouped into
three groups of three or “TRINITIES.” Each of these “TRINITIES OF THE SEPHIROTH” (The
Jewish Encyclopedia, Funk & Wagnall, vol. 3, 1902, p 475) is composed
of a “Father, Mother, and Son”.
The Sefirothic
Tree, from Paulus Ricius, Porta Lucis, Augsberg, 1516
“In the Kabalah, or the
Hebrew traditional philosophy, the Infinite Deity, beyond the reach of Human
Intellect, and without Name, Form, or Limitation, was represented as developing
Himself, in order to create, and by self-limitations, in ten emanations or
out-flowings, called SEPHIROTH, or rays. The first of these, in the world
AZILUTH, that is, with the Deity, was KETHER, or the Crown, by which we
understand the Divine Will or Potency. Next came, as a pair, HAKEMAH and
BAINAH, ordinarily translated ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Intelligence,’ the former termed
the FATHER and the latter the MOTHER. HAKEMAH is the active Power or
Energy of Deity, by which He produces within Himself Intellection or Thinking:
and Bainah, the passive Capacity, from which, acted on by the Power, the
Intellection flows. This Intellection is called DAATH: and is the ‘Word’, of Plato
and the Gnostics; the unuttered word, within Deity. HERE IS THE ORIGIN OF THE TRINITY of the Father, the Mother or Holy
Spirit, and the Son or Word” (Albert Pike, Morals
and Dogma, p. 552).
“The kabbalistic system is
far more complicated. True, it also represents the divine substance as the
unique substance, the inexhaustible source from which all life, all light, and
all existence flow eternally; but instead of three manifestations, three
general forms of the Infinite Being, it recognizes ten—the ten Sefiroth, which
subdivide into THREE TRINITIES, and
then unite in one single TRINITY and
one supreme form” (Adolphe Franck, The
Kabbalah, p.50).
“The Kabbalah is important
because the Christian doctrine of the trinity may be found ‘hidden’ there”
(Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 228).
“The object of religion, the goal of our prayers, can only be ‘the God
of Israel’ and its unity or union of his SHEKINAH. From this original
dualism some Sabbatians developed a TRINITY of the unknown God, the God
of Israel and the Shekinah, and it did not take long for the idea to develop
that the completion of Salvation is dependent upon the appearance of a Messiah
for each of these three aspects of Trinity, with a FEMALE MESSIAH for
the last!” (Gershom Scholem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, p.
320).
The Ten Sephirot connected by Twenty-two Hebrew letters
These
ten SEPHIROT are connected together
by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet to make thirty-two paths (or
degrees), which connect the finite to the infinite. These thirty-two paths (or
degrees) are the paths in which the SHEKINAH travels to be united with the
masculine part of God. The thirty-third path (degree) is the final path
(degree) to unity. Freemasonry borrowed this concept from the Kabbalah to get
their thirty-three degrees of the Masonic Lodge.
“Step by step men must
advance toward Perfection; and each Masonic Degree is meant to be one of those
steps” (Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma,
p. 136).
The
concept of the Shekinah, the feminine principle of God, is borrowed from
Babylonian goddess worship. The Babylonians worshipped Ashtoreth as the “Queen
of Heaven” (Jeremiah 44:15-19). Those Jews under Babylonian Captivity
intertwined this “goddess worship” into their concept of the Godhead. Thus
Talmudic Judaism gave God both masculine (“Tifereth”) and feminine (“Shekinah”)
attributes. The Talmudic Rabbis then interpolated the doctrine of the
“Shekinah,” “she presence,” or “female principle” into their Aramaic
translations i.e. the Targums. In many places the word “Shekinah” was used in
place of the name of God (Ehyeh—“I AM”). The “Shekinah” is also closely related
to the “Tetragrammaton,” the “four-letter” name of God YHVH [yod, he, vau, he],
which was also invented by the Kabbalist.
The Tetragrammaton in relation to the Sephiroth
“Because the Hebrew language
does not employ vowels in its written form, the correct pronunciation of this
ineffable name of God was lost & not rediscovered until about 300 c.e. by
the Kabbalist who gave it the title Tetragrammaton, ‘the word of four letters’
& ‘the square name’ or more simply, ‘the square.’ At that time the Shem
ha-meforash became represented by the simpler form YHVH” (Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 175).
“In terms of the Sefiroth,
the SHEKINAH . . . is also known as the SUPERIOR SUPERNAL MOTHER & the
Inferior or Infernal Mother, the MOTHER
& DAUGHTER, the upper Shekinah & the lower Shekinah – all
appellations referring to the Sefiroth Binah & Malkuth respectively. She
therefore also figures in the figure of the TETRAGRAMMATON, the upper (first) & lower (last) He” (Charles
Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 217-219).
The
“Shekinah” or “She Presence of God” was said to have rested in the Temple over the mercy
seat. In the Talmud, each Jew is said to have the “Shekinah” or “She Presence
of God” abiding in them. Thus, Israel is seen as the “Shekinah,” the wife (and
daughter) of God; or the FEMININE
aspect of God.
“The Shekinah is not only
spoken of as a divine entity in its own right, a portion of God himself, but as
a FEMINIE POWER… Furthermore, the
mystical ecclesia of Israel, the religious community, is the Shekinah as well”
(Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 72).
“Shekinah” shackled
by the wrist between God and man, Robert Fludd, Collectio Operum, 1617
According
to the Talmud, the “Shekinah” or “She Presence of God” departed from the Temple
due to the sins of Israel, and both Israel and the “Shekinah” went into exile.
Thus the “Shekinah” or “feminine principle” of God was separated from the male
principle, “Tifereth.”
“We also mention the
Kabbalist later took up this idea of a presence & made of it part of God, a
FEMININE PART, pointing out that
when the Biblical statement was made to the effect that God’s Shekinah went
into exile with Israel, a portion of God Himself went into exile. The
redemption of the FEMININE HELPMATE
of God is actually the redemption of a portion of God Himself” (Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, p. 219).
Charles Ponce, Kabbalah,
p. 271, 1973
After
following the thirty-two paths of the “Sephiroth” Israel is united sexually
with the divine.
“The goal of mysticism is the union of the human with the divine. Since
in the Jewish mystical tradition the Divinity, insofar as it relates to
creation, is known as the female SHEKINAH, it is with her that the
Jewish mystic strives for union. This of course simply continues the ancient
Hebrew tradition of Hokmah being God vis-à-vis creation, with whom union was
avidly south by human beings. In one instance in the Zohar this union of a
human being (Moses – he was the only case) with the Shekinah was described as
having taken place in terms of sexual intercourse,” (Leonard Swidler, Biblical
Affirmations of Woman, p. 56).
“The Matronit (synonym for Shekinah) … became mated with Moses. Moses had intercourse while he was in the body
of the moon (the moon is a symbol of the Shekinah)” (Zohar 1.21b
– 22a).
Kabbalist teach that God came to the
“Shekinah” at midnight on the Sabbath in Paradise, and that is when He had
fellowship (intercourse) with her.
“Some Kabbalist even go as far
as to say that when God enters paradise every midnight to converse with the
righteous, he also performs SACRED UNION
with his SHEKINAH...It is for this
reason that students of the Torah who dedicate themselves to their studies for
six days of the week, & are therefore in constant presence of the Shekinah
because of their righteousness, are obliged to ‘gladden their wives for the
sake of honoring the Shekinah’” (Charles Ponce, Kabbalah, pp. 256, 220 respectively).
Because of this, it is
customary among Talmudic Jews for a man to “cheer up his wife” on the Sabbath
day in commemoration of God “cheering up” the “Shekinah”. The ten emanations of
the “Sephiroth” are actually ten steps of sexual perfection reaching from the
divine into the lower material world, and from the material world reaching up
through ten levels of sexual perfection into the divine. This is where Joseph
Smith, founder of the Mormon Church & a Freemason, got his teaching of
having children to obtain Godhead.
“To have God’s name upon
them, they teach, they must fulfill their ‘sacred’ duty to have offspring, for
that is their first step to perfection. Only through sex can they climb the
ten-runged ladder of the ‘tree of life’ to the perfection of the SHEKINAH, that is the state of perfect
liberty in sexual expression...Christians often use the term SHEKINAH to describe the glory of God
or the fire of this presence. The word IS
NOT found in the Bible, but it comes from a Hebrew word shakan (to dwell),
and the Jews relate it to shakab (to lie down sexually). Thus in Judaism those
who learn the perfect methods of performing the sex act attain the glory of the
Shekinah” (Stephen Jones, The Babylonian
Connection, p. 144).
In
Kabbalah, the “Tifereth” or male principle of God was represented as a black
triangle pointing down. The “Shekinah” or female principle of God was
represented as a white triangle pointing up. Their union (intercourse) was
shown in the black triangle being intertwined with the white triangle in the
symbol of the “hex” or “six-pointed star.” This is the thirty-third or final
path of the “Sefiroth” where the “Shekinah” (Israel) becomes the “god-mother”
or “Queen of Heaven.”
“Tifereth” and “Shekinah” intertwined into the Hexagram or
“Star of David”
One
might be blown away at such perverse sexualism tied into the Talmudic doctrine
of the “Shekinah,” but remember Talmudic Judaism is nothing more than “Mystery
Babylon the Great.” The “Babylon Mystery Religion” was full of sexual
perversions; and this filtered right into Talmudism where the doctrine of the
“Shekinah” originated.
Many,
today, now associate the “Shekinah” with the Holy Ghost, never knowing that
this term contains a mystical background. It is simply due to ignorance that
Ministers refer to the Holy Ghost as the “Shekinah.” Most use this term simply
because it gives them a “Jewish twang;” thinking this will make them sound
impressive; never knowing that the “twang” is Talmudic Judaism i.e. Kabbalah.
Is the “Shekinah” the Holy Ghost? ABSOLUTELY
NOT!
“There is also an affinity
between the Shekinah and the Holy Spirit, though the two are NOT IDENTICAL” (Encyclopedia Britannica, micropedia, vol. 9, p. 127).
I
plead with every minister; STOP
PREACHING ABOUT THE “SHEKINAH”! Stop inviting the “Shekinah Glory” into
your churches. You are actually invoking upon Babylonian mysticism. Preach
about the Holy Ghost. Preach about the presence of the Lord. Preach about the
Glory of the Lord, but STOP PREACHING
ABOUT THE “SHEKINAH”!
CONCLUSION
“Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter . . .” (Eccl. 12:13).
10 GOOD REASONS NOT TO USE THE TERM SHEKINAH
1. The word SHEKINAH is not found in the Bible: If one of the Oneness
proofs against the doctrine of the Trinity is the fact that the word “trinity”
is not found in the Bible, then why not the doctrine of the “SHEKINAH.”
2. The idea of SHEKINAH comes from the Talmud: As we have shown the first
use of the term SHEKINAH is found in the Targum (Aramaic) translations and the
development of the SHEKINAH is found in the Talmud.
3. Jesus never called the Holy Ghost the SHEKINAH: If the SHEKINAH is not
a part of the “doctrine of Christ,” then we should not make it part of it.
4. Although the term was widely used by the Rabbis, no Apostle ever called
the Holy Ghost the “SHEKINAH.” If the Apostles were careful not to use the term
“Shekinah” in their writings, then we should not try to make it apart of the
“Apostles Doctrine.”
5. SHEKINAH is the female principle of God. The SHEKINAH doctrine, from Kabbalah, teaches that
God has both masculine and feminine attributes (hermaphrodite).
6. SHEKINAH comes from Jewish mysticism. As we have shown, the SHEKINAH or “She
Presence” is based upon the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah.
7. SHEKINAH is associated with the Trinity. The ten emanations of the
Sefiroth, of which the SHEKINAH travels, is composed of three Trinities:
Father, Mother, & Intellect.
8. SHEKINAH applies to God a perverse sexualism. The Jews related the
SHEKINAH to the term shakab, “to lie
down sexually,” and believe God copulated with the SHEKINAH in paradise.
9. SHEKINAH is based upon the “Traditions of the Elders”. Jesus said the “traditions
of the elders” made the word of God of none effect. Why would we want to preach
something that makes the word of God null & void?
10. SHEKINAH takes away from the real Truth of the Holy Ghost. Since the Bible never
equates the Holy Ghost with the SHEKINAH, then why not just stop preaching
about the SHEKINAH.
