And he became a Living Soul

Each and all of Adam’s children had a soul: a living soul, yes, but a living soul that was mortal, fashioned to wither and die when damaged by error. Who would have it otherwise, that they should enter into everlasting life burdened with the scar tissue of life on earth as it now is. But be of good cheer, for the soul is clothing, not essence. The life within the soul is hidden with la.

None of Adam’s children came to earth to put on life. They came to die, to sleep; and also, to dream. To that point the bards of earth have been known to sing, “life is but a dream,” even as the scripture admonishes, “Awaken, all you who sleep.” In heaven, earth’s dreamers had been immortal worms of angelic fire, but they agreed to humble themselves and to set aside their immortality, in favor of incarnation in perishable bodies of flesh as a reminder of vulnerability while offering opportunity for the soul’s incarnate angel to move forward on the trail of Truth, led by the teachings of anointed servants and aided by the benefit of HaShem’s council, as reserved for children of man.

In all things, HaShem reserves unto himself a remnant, a memorial. Beleaguered mortal souls that stumble will not survive the second death, but those things nearing the measurement of messiah can never be lost. Like the tender tips of vines ready for grafting, those inward things whose measurements are congruent with their counterpart in messiah can be embedded in new souls, made ready for additional incarnation. The remnant, both among the people and within the individual, is upheld without loss; for its savor, which is the feel, the aroma, and the taste of messiah, preserves both the substance and the ambience of HaMashiyach within the Sons of Man.

Death has no claim against perfection. It is loosed upon the world in heaven’s war with imperfection, but there can be collateral damage. There are twins struggling within the womb, on both universal and personal scales, but these are issues even the archangel Michael would not address directly when struggling with the forces of darkness for the attention of Moses, saying instead, “HaShem rebuke thee.” We war not with flesh and blood, nor do we war directly against the principalities and powers of heaven and earth. We war within ourselves, challenging ourselves to call upon myhla hwhy to show mercy by fighting for us and within us, that we may be One in HaMashiyach.

An individual who has put on the garments of messiah can be persuaded that his duty is to war against error. This is contrary to scripture, which says that hwhy will fight for them, and that they shall hold their peace: that the difference between the remnant and those who must perish is not ours to judge, as it has been put there by HaShem, lest any should boast. Should the remnant partake in carnal warfare, their garments will be bloodied: not the rags upon their backs, but the souls within their hearts.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Devils and demons know when HaShem is in a Son of Man, and they will flee when challenged by one with knowledge: not because of their fear of the man, but by reason of their fear of the one who stands within the man, ready to defend him, acknowledging him as a captain of the Lord of Hosts. For this reason, the anointed man of the gospels said to his remnant: “I say to you, ‘Do not resist’. . . . Take up your cross and follow me.”

We are well aware of the road Y’shua was on; for we travel it ourselves, if at the beginning of our faith, we left all behind. We know where that road leads; for we see its victims falling all about us: some to death, some to waste, and some to mere disarray. We know where it must end, by  one means of another; and our anticipation and experience of crisis would draw from us the cry, “It is finished!” But it is not finished. The great trumpet must sound, but until that moment, no one must endure more than he is able to bear.

Had they known what they were doing, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; nor would they have laid hands on the remnant of the Holy One; nor would they have accosted drunks in ditches; for HaMashiyach is with all always, known or unknown. The thread of hope for those who abuse others rests in the prayers of those they harm, who face mockery, cruelty, and death at the hands of evil men. Like St. Stephen before his murderers, they beseech the  father to forgive their ignorance. Because of grace, he will honor such prayer; for the mercy of HaShem endures forever. Mercy over sacrifice: it turns the ten commandments into ten prophecies.

The errant mortal soul does not die as punishment for sin, but to free its angelic worm of the sinful rags in which it has become bound through error. No man has power to retain the spirit, which is the life and the unity of all that he is. Natural death is the time of physical dissolution, and the components of man are gathered to their fathers. The physical body is left behind to whither and dry, just like a torn cocoon that has allowed its captive butterfly escape.

The smear of the pupa left behind is akin to the mortal soul; and it, too, will wither, dying the second death. Subsequently, if yet imperfect, the immortal worm of fire will be returned to Lake of Fire that surrounds the heavenly throne for purification in preparation for further alternatives. If the immortal core is perfected, however, the butterfly is free to ascend and will find blessing in the second death.

HaShem hwhy gives y life h and adjudicates w the life h he gives. His immortal ones, perfect and imperfect will live, perhaps to recycle again and again until the moment of perfection has fully come. At the last day, all but one of Adam’s children will be raised in perfection, to be counted worthy of the inheritance: the “land” of promise, which is the celestial body and its immortal soul. Behind them, their imperfect physical bodies and mortal souls are revealed to be tokens of the perfect immortal souls and celestial bodies awarded to all but the son of perdition, which is metaphorical Esau.
Although children of men are immortal, they will die: each of them; some, once; and some, as many times it will take for them to overcome the pitfalls of mortality and call upon hy. It is not for man to direct his steps; and every man will be called, chosen, and sealed in his order, according to the Wisdom of HaShem. At the end of days,  however, all will be brought together and reunited as one in congruence with the measurement of Yahushua HaMashiyach.

It is enough for the servant to be as his Lord. A most striking aspect of the many things Y’shua taught and the many things he did was his calm demeanor when he spoke in the room of HaMashiyach. He spoke with deep conviction and without urgency. He was at peace with himself and with his God; and we who listened knew he spoke truth.

Each and every one of us knew by the visceral witness of our hearts that Y’shua was empty of personal desire, and that he was filled with the spiritual joy of his calling. That he had conquered zeal was proof that his ministry was valid. All that he taught was taught with grace. All he shared was given in grace. There was no argument in the cadence of his words, no hesitation in his acts. All he did was filled with truth born of unbiased concern for the wellbeing of brothers and sisters.

He knew the father because he gave all that he had of himself to the father’s work on earth. He knew of the agony of mothers because what he did not have to give, he groaned in his spirit to receive, that he might give it also. The underpinnings of love are mysterious, but they were so apparent in his message; and we who heard what he had to say recognized the ambience of his words, and we understood the depth of his concern for each of us. He knew us all because he had listened to the tales of our lives and had encouraged us to set our sights beyond our horizons.

The world placed demands upon us, yes; and we will meet them as HaShem has decreed. We believe it to be so; for day after day, we discover miracles in the implications of his doctrine. And beneath it all— at the bedrock of our admiration—there was a simple desire to take part in the Life that was in him. We believed in his truth: not because of its profundity, but because of the humility that wrapped his teachings.

Here are two examples: one from the gospel of John—of Yahuchanan; the other, from the gospel of Marcos: the account of the encounter with the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well teaches of his compassion for those who live ordinary lives and have no reason to think God would waste a moment of time on such concerns as they faced, day to day. The second is of the man rescued from the tombs. Nobody was a stranger in the eyes of the anointed. He saw the humanity in all who were chained to error, and he moved against the bondage: not as a teacher come to save by erudition, but as a brother come to share a moment of love.