What Stimulated Me Today

THE ELOHEIM

Gnosis reaches us through the written scriptures, through enlightened masters, and directly through the Inner Light, but the source of all these is the Eloheim. This is a Hebrew term which is translated "God" in most Bibles, but it is actually a plural form (plural in Hebrew is indicated by im) which is sometimes more properly translated "Gods." However, this term too may be misleading because of our preconceptions of what it means, so gnostics often leave "Eloheim" untranslated.

False concepts of deity result from the belief, which most people have, that "god" or "the gods" are something totally unrelated to mankind. The gnostic, however, conceives of Deity as Exalted Mortal. "On the Origin of the World," an ancient gnostic text, speaks of the Deity (pl.) as "an enlightened, immortal humanity." Irenaeus explained that gnostics taught that "the Primal Father of the Whole, the Primal Beginning, and the Primal Incomprehensible, is called Anthropos [Man]...and that this is the great and abstruse mystery, namely, that the power which is above all others and contains all others in its embrace is called Anthropos [Man]. (Irenaeus, Libros Quinque Adversus Haereses 1.11.1) The Deity revealed itself to Enoch in these words, "I am one of the Eloheim. Man of Holiness is my name. Man of Counsel is my name." (History of Ezra 3:14) Gnostics believe that Jesus called himself the Son of Man because he is the Son of the Man of Holiness.

This means that the Eloheim were once mortals as we are, but through the application of the principles hidden in gnosis, they became enlightened and immortal. If we follow the same process they did, we can become like them; we can join the Eloheim in the celestial realm. Jesus said to his disciples,

I have come to open the Way of Life to all mankind. I will teach you the passageway through which the elect will pass into the presence of the Eloheim, that same passage through which each of the Eloheim has passed before you. (Teachings of the Master 1:2)

THE DIVINE MOTHER

Since both men and women may follow gnosis and become members of the Eloheim, the Deity is revealed to us as both Male and Female, Father and Mother. Jesus said, " You are the sons of the Eloheim. Should the son not be like his Father? You are the daughters of the Eloheim. Should the daughter not be like her Mother?" (Sayings of Jesus 2:10) Of those who unite with the Eloheim he said, " These will sit on the seat of power of the Eloheim, using instruments of power, and they will be the Fathers and Mothers of worlds through all generations." (Testimony of Mary 2:7) He also taught his disciples to pray in this manner "Hear us, our Father and Mother who are on the heavenly plane." (Teachings of the Master 1:5)

The word Eloheim, itself, is a predominantly feminine form.

...female imagery of the divinity persists throughout large portions of the Bible, perhaps starting with the plural form of the name of the divinity in Genesis one, ELOHIM, which is probably derived from the feminine form of the name for divinity, ELOAH.... (Leonard Swidler, WOMEN PRIESTS, p. 169)

It is their failure to acknowledge the Motherhood of Deity which has led many to regard "him" as a fierce, tyrannical, judgmental, vengeful tyrant who is looking for a chance to trip them up and throw them into hell. Only when we understand the Motherhood, as well as the Fatherhood of the Eloheim, can we begin to perceive the meaning of the scriptural assertion that God is Love.