Review:The baptism of the Holy Spirit
(Aramaic roots III)
His disciples said
to him, "When will the rest for the dead take place, and
when will the new world come?" He said to them, "What
you are looking forward to has come, but you don't know
it." (Thomas 51)
According to Mr. Sasagu Arai, author of
the Japanese version of The Gospel of Thomas, the word
'rest' corresponds to the verse 50 of the Gospel of
Thomas, "If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your
father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'"
And "What you are looking forward to has come," is not a
"new world" but the "rest." And "it has already come"
means that "the Kingdom," that is, "the restoration of
original integration (propator = original Self) is
already realized in those who know the Self." Then Jesus
criticizes his disciples, "But you don't know
it."
His
disciples said to him, "Twenty-four prophets have spoken
in Israel, and they all spoke of you." He said to them,
"You have disregarded the living one who is in your
presence, and have spoken of the dead." (Thomas
52)
"Twenty-four prophets have all spoken of
you" is seen to speak for the point of views of the
Marcionites and the Orthodox church, that is, the
authors of the twenty-four volumes of the Old Testament
all spoke of Jesus. But Jesus rebuked the disciples,
saying, "Do you talk about the dead in front of living
me?" This is reminiscent of Zen Master DanXia TianRan
(丹霞天然739-824) who said, "You are originally impeccable!
Why do you need to take up a dust rag and broom?" when
he was asked by a monk called CuiWei WuXue (翠微無学?-?),
"What is the Teacher of all the Buddhas?"
The Eastern Christian Church
According to the social anthropologist
Mr. Yoshio Sugimoto, the Syrian Church refers to the
Jacobite Church in the narrow sense, which is included
in the so-called monophysitism Oriental Orthodox along
with churches such as Coptic, Ethiopia and Armenia.
However, in a broad sense, it means the church that
performs the Syrian liturgy, the Jacobite Church of the
West Syrian liturgy, the Nestorian school of the East
Syrian liturgy (Eastern Syrian Church = Assyrian
Church), and the current Malankara Church of India
(West) and Malabar Church (East). The Oriental Orthodox,
together with the Nestorians, make up Eastern Churches,
which, along with the Orthodox Church, are included in
Eastern Christianity. And Eastern Christianity is
confronting Western Catholicism and Protestantism.
Daqin Jingjiao Popular Chinese
Monument (Nestorian Stele)
According to Protestant Bible
commentator Mr. Arimasa Kubo, the Assyrian Eastern
Church (Syrian Church) was later passed on to China and
was called Jingjiao (景教: Keikyo).
In 635 AD, Alopen (阿羅本: Abraham) led 21
Jingjiao followers, headed to China and met Emperor
Taizong (太宗) of the Tang (唐) Dynasty and presented a
Chinese translation of the Bible. Then Jingjiao was
officially authorized to propagate in China. These facts
are recorded on 'Daqin Jingjiao Popular Chinese Monument
(大秦景教流行中国碑: Nestorian Stele),' which was discovered in
Xi'an (西安) in the 17th century by the Society of Jesus
(Jesuits). However, this is an official record, and it
appears that the Jinngjiao followers had been preaching
in China before then. Central Asian Turks and Tatars
were mass-converted to Jingjiao for some period of time.
According to a second-century historian, all Tatars
converted to Christianity in 129-140 AD, and Assyria
became the first Christian country in the world.
It is said that Jingjiao followers had
set up a language lab in Merv, Central Asia, to spread
the Bible, and contributed to the establishment of
Mongolian, Uyghur, Arabic, Tagalog, and Hangul
letters.
By the way, Assyria had already traded
with China since about 2400 BC, just after the flood of
Noah, and around 1200 BC China sent a mission to
Assyria. The Former Han (前漢) Dynasty sent Zhang Qian
(張騫) to Dayueshi (大月氏) in 139 BC, and in 101 BC
conquered the nations such as Fergana (費爾干納), Wusun (烏孫)
and Hujie (呼掲) near Lake Balkhash. Jews first arrived in
Kaifeng (開封) of eastern Henan province (河南省) in 231 BC,
and formed a Jewish community.
Nestorians
According to Mr. Kubo, the archbishop of
Constantinople, Nestorios (386-451), sought to
articulate Christ's humanity by calling Mary the "Mother
of Christ" rather than the "Mother of God" and
conflicted with the Athanasian Trinity theory. But, he
did not deny the Trinity itself. However, the Nestorians
were ruled heresy by the Council of Ephesus in
431.
Jingjiao (景教Luminous Religion, Keikyo in
Japanese) was called Nestorian Christianity, which was
born in the 5th century, but this is incorrect, and they
do not consider themselves Nestorian Christians. They
saw themselves as Christians belonging to the Eastern
Church with Thomas as their first Patriarch, and they
did not deny the Trinity, according to Mr. Kubo.
Mystery of 'Yata no Kagami'
Interestingly, Judaism had been
introduced to Japan before the birth of Prince Shotoku
(聖徳太子), who had the nickname of Prince of Stable (厩戸皇子),
and it was apparently the Tenson tribe (天遜族) itself, who
had descended to Takamagahara (高天原), that brought it. It
is said that the Imperial family of Japan originally
followed Judaism, but later converted to
Christianity.
In the era of Japanese Emperor Meiji,
Minister of Education Arinori Mori (森有礼1847-1889) said,
"I saw the words 'I AM WHO I AM (Ex. 3:14)' in Hebrew
behind the mirror of Yata no Kagami (八咫鏡)," according to
Mr. Kubo. Incidentally, 'Yata no Kagami' means 'eight-ta
(94.16 cm) circumference mirror' and is one of the Three
Imperial Regalia.
Around 1952, 'Japan-Judah Society
(日猶懇話会)' was formed, with the former Navy Colonel
Koreshige Inuzuka (犬塚惟重 1890-1965) as chairman. The
regular meeting on January 25, 1953 was held at a Jew
called Mikhail Kogan's residence in Minato-ku of Tokyo.
His Highness Takahito Mikasa (三笠宮崇仁 1915-2016) was also
present at this meeting. On that opportunity, Rev.
Kyoichi Ozaki (尾崎喬一牧師), founder of the Toyo Mission
Church Kiyome Church (東洋宣教会きよめ教会), spoke about mystery
of 'Yata no Kagami' in Japanese Palace. Then, Prince
Mikasa said, "I shall investigate the truth." The next
day, Tokyo Evening News reported, "Prince Mikasa will
investigate the Hebrew source theory of the regalia
mirror!" Prince Mikasa said to the newspaper, "I can't
see the mirror on my own, because even today, the Three
Imperial Regalia, the mirror, the 'Yasakani no magatama
(a comma-shaped jewel)' and the 'Ama no Murakumo no
Tsurugi (the sacred sword)' are considered too afraid to
be taken out of the deep sanctuary inside the Imperial
Palace. It is unlikely that even the emperor has ever
seen the mirror, so I will create my own survey based on
the Imperial Household Agency's statement or dictation.
... " However, it has not been told that Prince Mikasa
then announced the findings.
According to Mr. Wado Kosaka (高坂和導)'s
"Super Illustration: Takeuchi Document II (超図解・竹内文書II), "
Shinto priest Yutaro Yano (矢野祐太朗) went over to Ise
Shrine (伊勢神宮) and asked the chief priest to show him
'Yata no Kagami' in secret, and transcribed the pattern
on the back.
"I AM WHO I AM" or "Yahweh's
Light"
According to Mr. Kubo, if the transcript
is real, the letters in the center circle are similar to
the Hebrew word "I AM WHO I AM." If 'ehyeh' is read
twice, it'll be "I AM WHO I AM." But the seven
characters in the circle can be read as "Yahweh's
Light." The Bible says: "For with thee is the fountain
of life: In thy light shall we see light (Psalm 36: 9)."
As the characters of 'Yata no Kagami,' 'Yahweh's Light'
seems to be more appropriate. That is why the goddess of
the sun Amaterasu-omikami (天照大神) became the founder of
Japan from whom the Japanese imperial family claims
descent. The Psalm states, "The Lord God is a sun (Ps
84:11)."
Three Imperial Regalias are
duplicated?!
In addition, if the letters around the
circle are Greek letters, it means "This is a very
important thing. It is a copy of 'Yata no Kagami,'"
according to Mr. Kubo. "But if it is that meaning, there
must be some graphic errors and omissions," he
aded.
Generally, each Japanese shrine seems to
have a pair of mirrors, one is real sacred body and its
duplicate. The one, that is put before the altar during
non-holidays, is the replica, and the real one is kept
in the sanctuary and only brought out from it when the
ritual is held. During the war of the Minamoto family
(源氏) versus the Taira family (平家), Emperor Antoku (安徳天皇)
committed suicide being embraced by a maid in the sea of
Dannoura (壇ノ浦). At that time, if the Three Imperial
Regalia also went to the bottom of the sea, it would be
no wonder that the existing 'Yata no Kagami' is
duplicate one. However, 'The Tale of Heike (平家物語)'
states that among the Three Sacred Treasures (三種の神器),
only the sword Kusanagi (草薙劍) was not found.
Emperor Meiji's daughter Princess
Shinobu (仁内親王) told her son, Mr. Takatoshi Kobayashi
(小林隆利), "My father (Emperor Meiji) said, 'I examined the
history of Japan with the emperor's authority and found
that Shinto (神道: a religion originating from Japan) had
originally been a Jewish religion and later integrated
into primitive Christianity." Mr. Kobayashi said, "The
Imperial Family has been circumcised on the eighth day
of one's birth. I myself also was circumcised." Emperor
Meiji's grandson Mr. Kaoru Nakamaru (中丸薫) also
testified, "The Emperor's family has been circumcised on
the eighth day of one's birth."
The origin of the Yamato Imperial
Court
A Jew named Joseph Eidelberg
(1916-1985), author of 'The Biblical Hebrew Origin of
the Japanese People,' states that there was a place
named Yehoamato near the Lake Balkash and says that this
might be the etymology of Yamato. According to Mr.Kubo,
the Aramaic word 'Yehoamato' means 'Yahweh's people.' A
friend of Kubo tried to buy a Jewish horn Shofar at an
antique shop, and the shop owner told her "There are two
types of Shofars, long and short. The long ones were
used by people called 'Yehoamato,' a descendant tribe of
the ancient Israelites.
According to Mr. Joseph Eidelberg, the
full name of 'Jinmu,' the first enperor of Japan,
'Kamu-yamato-iware-hiko-sumera-mikoto' is derived from
the Hebrew-Aramaic words 'Kam Yamato Ivli Peko Shmelon
Makto' and can be interpreted as 'The king of Samaria,
the noble founder of the Hebrew nation of Yahweh.'
According to Mr. Kubo, Eidelberg interprets 'iware' as
'Ivli,' but 'iware' may have come from Ephraim. If so,
the name of Emperor Jinmu becomes "The king of Samaria,
the noble founder of the Ephraim tribe of Yahweh.' (In
other words, Ephraim, the son of the fourth generation
of Joseph counting from Abraham, who had been sold off
as a slave by his brothers and later become the Prime
Minister of Egypt and saved the famined Israelites, was
the same person of Emperor Jinmu?!)
A famous shintoist, Professor Chikao
Fujisawa (藤沢親雄1893-1962), who taught at Nihon University
and Kokushikan University, also believed that the roots
of the Three Imperial Regalia were ancient Israel.
In 1965, a mound tomb, which was thought
to be from late to last stage of Yayoi period (弥生時代),
was found in Arita (有田), Itoshima City (糸島市), Fukuoka
Prefecture (福岡県). A survey from 1988 to 1999 ultimately
found five tombs. A total of 40 made in China and made
in Japan copper mirrors, including five 46.5 cm diameter
mirrors, have been unearthed from Grave No. 1. According
to Archaeologist Mr. Dairoku Harada (原田大六1917-1985), who
surveyed, the diameter of 46.5 cm is the same as 'Yata
no Kagami (八咫鏡)' if it is converted to circle size. So
he thought that the burial of the first tomb would have
been Princess Tamayorihimenomikoto (玉依姫命), that is,
Ohhirumenomuchi (大日孁貴). (Wikipedia) Princess
Tamayorihimenomikoto is the wife of Ohokuninushinomikoto
(大国主命), that is, the protagonist of the Izumo Myth
(出雲神話). Ohhirumenomuchi is a synonym for Amaterasu
Omikami (天照大神). In other words, Mr. Harada seems to see
Amaterasu Omikami as the same god as Princess
Tamayorihimenomikoto, who had originally been the
priestess of Izumo.
By the way, 'Yata no Kagami,' one of
'Three Sacred Treasures,' may have been created in Japan
through imitating the copper mirror which had been made
in China. If Hebrew and Greek words were to have been
written, it was likely that those who understood these
words were involved, and that the period would coincide
with the time when Jingjiao (景教) was introduced to
Japan. And at that time, the Japanese imperial family
may have converted from Judaism to primitive
Christianity, because the Meiji Emperor said to Princess
Shinobu, "Shinto had originally been a Jewish religion
and later integrated into primitive Christianity." And
'primitive Christianity' may have referred to the
Jacobite which was faithful to the Mosaic Law, including
'circumcision.'
In addition, 12 vertical holes with a
diameter of 70 cm existed in the southeast of the first
tomb. According to the survey report, it is seen to be
remains of pillars related the worship of the sun
because they are located in the direction of southeast
of Hyugatoge Pass (日向峠), where the tribe of Tenson
(天孫族Imperial ancestors) is said to have descended. Mr.
Harada said, "It is considered to be the remains of
buildings related to Mogarinomiya(殯宮Mourning
Palace)."
Incidentally, the ancient Israelites had
a custom of worshiping toward the east. And although
this practice was inherited by Christianity, it seems
that the 4th century Fathers did not know why to pray
eastward. For example, St. Gregorios, Bishop of Nyssa,
who is said to have argued against the Arius (250 or
256–336) at the meeting of the first Council of
Constantinople and to have helped to establish the
doctrine of the Trinity, said, "We all look to the east
during prayer, but few know that we are in search of our
original home, Paradise, which God planted in the Garden
of Eden, to the east." It may be the remnant of "the
worship of the sun" that the Jews acquired when they
moved to Egypt. It is noted in the inscription of the
'Nestorian Stele' that the Jingjiao Christians, too,
practiced 'Eastern Worship.' Then, the worship of the
sun in Japan, too, may have been the ancient Israel or
Egyptian origin religion brought into Japan by Tenson
tribe.
The sign of Jonah
In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke,
Jesus, who had been asked by teachers of the law and the
Pharisees to show them evidence of the Son of God after
the Beelzebul controversy, said, "This
evil generation keeps asking me to show them a
miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is
the sign of Jonah (Mt 12:39, Lu 11:29)." and prophesied
that he would be revived three days after the
Crucifixion, just as the prophet Jonah had been in the
belly of a large fish for three days and three
nights.
In the Gospel of Mark, which was first
compiled in the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus
only said, "Why does this generation ask for a
miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be
given to it (Mr 8:12)." Therefore the Gospels of Matthew
and Luke seem to have inserted the story of Jonah in an
attempt to reinforce the doctrine of Jesus'
resurrection.
Prophet Jonah's career
Jonah, the protagonist and the prophet
of Book of Jonah of the Old Testament, was informed by
God of a plan to destroy Nineveh, the capital of the
enemy country Assyria, 40 days later, and was ordered to
go to Nineveh to preach repentance. However, fearing
going to the enemy country, Jonah boarded a ship from
Joppa and tried to flee to Tarshish.` However, the ship
was wrecked in a storm. The sailors and passengers each
prayed to one's own god, but Jonah was sleeping alone.
Prompted by the captain to seek his God's salvation,
Jonah confided all the details and said that if they
sacrificed him and threw him into the sea, God's anger
should melt. After failing of their attempt to get to
the shore, the sailors threw Jonah into the sea. Then
the storm subsided. Jonah was swallowed by the big fish
and prayed in the belly of the fish three days and three
nights. God let the big fish spit out Jonah to land.
Then, Jonah went to Nineveh, told the residents of the
city that the city would be destroyed 40 days later, and
preached repentance. Then the people fasted and begged
God for forgiveness. After knowing this, the king of
Assyria also fasted and repented at the forefront of the
people, and the disaster was prevented.
When Jonah grumbled against God because
he would not have destroyed the enemy city and kept to
stay the city to see what to happen to it. When Jonah
was suffering from the heat in the streets of Nineveh,
God grew a castor beside him and maid a shade for him.
But while Jonah was pleased, God withered the castor.
When Jonah was angry with God's treatment, God preached,
"You have spared only one castor, why should not God
spare the city of Nineveh, which has 120,000 people and
countless livestock? "
From the description of Old Testament 2
Kings 14:25 that Jonah the son of Amitai prophesied the
territory of the kingdom of northern Israel would be
restored, and the fact that the Northern Israel actually
recovered the land under the reign of Jeroboam II, it is
apparent that Jonah was a prophet in the days of
Jeroboam II.
Ephraim and idol worship of his
descendants
Ephraim, the ancestor of the tribe of
Ephraim, was born in Egypt as the second son of Joseph
and his Egyptian wife who was the daughter of a priest
of Egypt.
When Rehoboam, the son of Solomon,
succeeded to the throne after Solomon's death, Jeroboam
I, the tribe of Ephraim, who had been persecuted by
Solomon and exiled to Egypt, returned. Then ten tribes
of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar,
Zebulun, Ephraim and Manasseh and some part of the Levi
backed Jeroboam I and founded the kingdom of Israel
(Northern Kingdom of Israel). However. Jeroboam I
encouraged "the faith of the Holy Calf" brought back
from Egypt. (1Ki 12:28-31)
Jeroboam II, the thirteenth king of the
Northern Kingdom of Israel, gained territory comparable
to Solomon's era and the country's economic prosperity
culminated during his reign of 41 years, that is, the
longest reign of the country but he did not change the
country's idolatry tradition since Jeroboam I
Thus, the nomads Hata of Yamato and
Yuzuki, allegedly located near Lake Balkhash in Central
Asia, may have also maintained a conciliatory or
friendly style of religion different from the exclusive
monotheism of the Kingdom of Judah.
Now, even assuming that Tenson Tribe
(天孫族) were descendants of Ephraim, why did the royal
family hide it for more than two thousand and a few
hundred years? And why was that possible? The imperial
family had marital relationships with not only Soga
family (蘇我氏) and Fujiwara family (藤原氏) but also many
other clans. More over Genji (源氏) and Heishi (平氏), the
two major sources of Samurai (侍warriors), are both
originally branches of the royal family. Thus, Toyotomi
Hideyoshi (豊臣秀吉), who had enforced nationwide ban on
Chrisitianity, and Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康), who had
inherited the ban, both, too, must have known that the
members of Imperial Family had been circumcised on the
eighth day of one's birth. Indeed, facts are stranger
than novels.
Turning one's back on all the
sages
During the time of the Tang Dynasty of
China (618-907), once a monk CuiWei WuXue (翠微無学?-?) came
to study with Zen Master DanXia TianRan (丹霞天然739-824),
he asked the master, "What is the Teacher of all the
Buddhas?"
TianRan is famous for roasting the
wooden Buddha images to warm his backside on a frigid
cold winter evening.
The master exclaimed, "The poor lived in
a hovel needs to wipe and sweep with dust cloth. (You
are originally impeccable! Why do you need to take up a
dust rag and broom?)" WuXue retreated three steps. The
master yelled, "Wrong." WuXue again came forward three
steps. The master said, "Wrong. Wrong." WuXue then
lifted one foot in the air, spun around in a circle, and
started to go out. Master TianRan said, "Such an answer!
It's turning your back on all the awakened ones." Upon
hearing these words, WuXue had a clear understanding.
<To be continued>
What is "Baptism with The Holy
Spirit"?
According to the dialectic of the Gospel
of John,
【Thesis】"A man can possess eternal life
through accepting testimony of the Son of man and being
baptized by him." (John 5:24)
【Anti-thesis】But "The one who comes from
the earth cannot accept the testimony by one from
heaven." (John 3:32)
How then can a man possess eternal
life?
【Synthesis】"If you want to be baptized
with the Holy Spirit, you can just go back to the word
which was with God in the beginning (John 1:1) and
certify that God is truthful. (John 3:33)"
When he said, "You are Huichao," Zen
Master Fayan thrusted vivid Self in Huichao in front of
his eyes.
Purchase
here
One world:AD-SEAnews
Your Comments / Unsubscribe
SEAnews Messenger
SEAnewsFacebook
SEAnews eBookstore
SEAnews world circulation