The Spiritual Origin of the Four Major Religions: Brahmanic, Judaic, Islamic and Christian (myth, Revelations)

[MysticPhD]

Continuing in the tradition of my unique interpretations . . . I thought I would suggest a scriptural (instead of secular) explanation for the spiritual significance of one of Daniel's prophesies. The historians are always intruding into Scriptural interpretation using secular analysis . . . seemingly oblivious to the fact that the history of the mind has its own time frames and arena (human consciousness). Our Spiritual evolution is only indirectly concerned with secular history and has its own scriptural "fossil evidence."

Scriptures are primarily created to aid our consciousnesses in understanding our ultimate purpose, not to provide an anthropological description of our past! Our consciousnesses are on a spiritual quest, not a secular one. We shouldn’t be looking for the secular significance of what is written. We should seek out the spiritual significance. Since Scripture is dedicated to revelations of religious significance rather than secular significance, this seems eminently reasonable and defensible.

The prophesy of Daniel is repeatedly referred to scripturally in discussions of the end days. One of Daniel's dreams, the one about the four beasts, remains essentially unexplained (if you exclude secular interpretations of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome from contention as the kingdoms). Let's face it, scripture is true or it is nonsense and certain things are obvious. Despite its successes Rome did NOT devour the whole earth (and the world has NOT ended). Since no other "kingdom" has yet dominated the world, the vision must refer to things unfulfilled so no reasonable symbolic relationships should be attached to any other secular kingdoms.

It is quite easy to draw symbolic spiritual connections to Daniel’s dreams using various religious faiths that have emerged and persist even to this day.

From Daniel 7:2, the origin of the beasts,

. . . And behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts, different one from another, came up out of the sea.

Thus, the origin of the beasts is heaven, a logical source of religious beliefs.

From Daniel 7:4,

. . . The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle: I beheld till her wings were plucked off and she was lifted up from the earth, and stood upon her feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to her.

This could be a reference to Judaism (the lion of Juda) from whom the wings of eternity were plucked and the heart of Jesus was given to her in crucifixion.

From Daniel 7:5,

. . . and behold another beast like a bear stood up on one side: and there were three rows in the mouth thereof, and in the teeth thereof, and thus they said to it: Arise, devour much flesh.

This is likely a reference to Islam, (the bear of Persia) and the rows of teeth are the offshoots of it. Indeed, the holy war or Jihad that established Islam "devoured much flesh."

From Daniel 7:6,

. . . After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, and it had upon it four wings as of a fowl, and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it.

The four heads immediately bring to mind Brahmanism (the leopard of India). Originally five heads were assigned to Brahma, but one was destroyed by Siva. The four heads symbolize the main offshoots of it. The power that was given to it was probably the Taoist philosophy, or the way of life which stresses charity. The wings most likely symbolize the capability of each offshoot for flight into heaven.

From Daniel 7:7,

. . . After this I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and wonderful, and exceeding strong, it had great iron teeth, eating and breaking in pieces, and treading down the rest with its feet.

This could be Christianity, (the Iron of the industrial revolution) and the eating and breaking in pieces, could signify the splitting into various "Protestant" sects that it is undergoing during its spread throughout the world.

From Daniel 7:23,

. . . The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth which shall be greater than all the kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth.

[LogicIsYourFriend]

You are assuming that his revelations are true. How can consciousness alone be your proof that revelations are accurate, especially when you say the actual stories of the bible are not necessarily, and don't have to be, true?

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by LogicIsYourFriend

You are assuming that his revelations are true. How can consciousness alone be your proof that revelations are accurate, especially when you say the actual stories of the bible are not necessarily, and don't have to be, true?

I understand your predicament, LogicIsYourFriend . . . been there. But proof in the material world is a different beast with a different purpose than proof in the spiritual realm and the two are seldom related at all . . . they involve very different aspects of our reality with little overlap. Trying to merge them where they do not overlap just produces frustration and annoyance. Ignoring the spiritual while focusing exclusively on the material simply atrophies and starves the spirit.

Unfortunately, the spiritual has the requirement of belief that there is such an aspect to reality for any development and understanding to occur. Unlike scientific methods which require ultimate skepticism . . . spiritual methods require sincere belief and the absence of skepticism . . . quite the Catch 22 for the scientifically trained left brain dominant types. Fortunately for the spiritual or more balanced types . . . they are the only ones who have to "experience" confirmation . . . no need to provide proof to anyone else. Spirituality is a purely individual quest. JMHO . . . of course.

[LogicIsYourFriend]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

I understand your predicament, LogicIsYourFriend . . . been there. But proof in the material world is a different beast with a different purpose than proof in the spiritual realm and the two are seldom related at all . . . they involve very different aspects of our reality with little overlap. Trying to merge them where they do not overlap just produces frustration and annoyance. Ignoring the spiritual while focusing exclusively on the material simply atrophies and starves the spirit.

Unfortunately, the spiritual has the requirement of belief that there is such an aspect to reality for any development and understanding to occur. Unlike scientific methods which require ultimate skepticism . . . spiritual methods require sincere belief and the absence of skepticism . . . quite the Catch 22 for the scientifically trained left brain dominant types. Fortunately for the spiritual or more balanced types . . . they are the only ones who have to "experience" confirmation . . . no need to provide proof to anyone else. Spirituality is a purely individual quest. JMHO . . . of course.

So how can you even begin to apply the 'spiritual confirmations' to written words? How does your own experience have anything to do with mythologies? I see what you are saying about the difference between factual and spiritual, but I don't see how you are somehow linking the two.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by LogicIsYourFriend

So how can you even begin to apply the 'spiritual confirmations' to written words? How does your own experience have anything to do with mythologies? I see what you are saying about the difference between factual and spiritual, but I don't see how you are somehow linking the two.

Scriptures are the captured (recorded) "experiencings" of other sincere seekers of God. All human progress in understanding either realm occurs by stages . . . using the achievements of others who preceded us . . . so it isn't necessary to completely "reinvent the wheel," so to speak, to attain our enlightenment.

[Lady Ice]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Continuing in the tradition of my unique interpretations . . . I thought I would suggest a scriptural (instead of secular) explanation for the spiritual significance of one of Daniel's prophesies. The historians are always intruding into Scriptural interpretation using secular analysis . . . seemingly oblivious to the fact that the history of the mind has its own time frames and arena (human consciousness). Our Spiritual evolution is only indirectly concerned with secular history and has its own scriptural "fossil evidence."

Scriptures are primarily created to aid our consciousnesses in understanding our ultimate purpose, not to provide an anthropological description of our past! Our consciousnesses are on a spiritual quest, not a secular one. We shouldn’t be looking for the secular significance of what is written. We should seek out the spiritual significance. Since Scripture is dedicated to revelations of religious significance rather than secular significance, this seems eminently reasonable and defensible.

The prophesy of Daniel is repeatedly referred to scripturally in discussions of the end days. One of Daniel's dreams, the one about the four beasts, remains essentially unexplained (if you exclude secular interpretations of Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome from contention as the kingdoms). Let's face it, scripture is true or it is nonsense and certain things are obvious. Despite its successes Rome did NOT devour the whole earth (and the world has NOT ended). Since no other "kingdom" has yet dominated the world, the vision must refer to things unfulfilled so no reasonable symbolic relationships should be attached to any other secular kingdoms.

It is quite easy to draw symbolic spiritual connections to Daniel’s dreams using various religious faiths that have emerged and persist even to this day.

From Daniel 7:2, the origin of the beasts,

. . . And behold the four winds of heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts, different one from another, came up out of the sea.

Thus, the origin of the beasts is heaven, a logical source of religious beliefs.

From Daniel 7:4,

. . . The first was like a lioness and had the wings of an eagle: I beheld till her wings were plucked off and she was lifted up from the earth, and stood upon her feet as a man, and the heart of a man was given to her.

This could be a reference to Judaism (the lion of Juda) from whom the wings of eternity were plucked and the heart of Jesus was given to her in crucifixion.

From Daniel 7:5,

. . . and behold another beast like a bear stood up on one side: and there were three rows in the mouth thereof, and in the teeth thereof, and thus they said to it: Arise, devour much flesh.

This is likely a reference to Islam, (the bear of Persia) and the rows of teeth are the offshoots of it. Indeed, the holy war or Jihad that established Islam "devoured much flesh."

From Daniel 7:6,

. . . After this I beheld, and lo, another like a leopard, and it had upon it four wings as of a fowl, and the beast had four heads, and power was given to it.

The four heads immediately bring to mind Brahmanism (the leopard of India). Originally five heads were assigned to Brahma, but one was destroyed by Siva. The four heads symbolize the main offshoots of it. The power that was given to it was probably the Taoist philosophy, or the way of life which stresses charity. The wings most likely symbolize the capability of each offshoot for flight into heaven.

From Daniel 7:7,

. . . After this I beheld in the vision of the night, and lo, a fourth beast, terrible and wonderful, and exceeding strong, it had great iron teeth, eating and breaking in pieces, and treading down the rest with its feet.

This could be Christianity, (the Iron of the industrial revolution) and the eating and breaking in pieces, could signify the splitting into various "Protestant" sects that it is undergoing during its spread throughout the world.

From Daniel 7:23,

. . . The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom on earth which shall be greater than all the kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth.

To my mind prophecies are vague and designed to be able to fit a number of interpretations. It comes down to what is your personal philosophy. I'm sure if I thought about it for long enough I could come up with a theory of my own that would fit just as well. Just as people have been trying to jam their square pegs into these round holes for centuries. The same thing happens with Nostradamus, if a prophesy is around long enough somebody will be able to look at it and fit it somewhere and say it's come true.

I have been able to predict the future myself using various methods, but are they true predictions or educated guesses? I don't know. Too me it's like watching someone run toward a cliff and saying to them, "if you keep on running you will fall over that cliff". They cannot see the cliff and half the time are not even aware that they are running. Does that make me a prophet or just more aware? By the same token, predictions of world events or the end of our species is the same thing magnified on a bigger scale. It's saying, "look people if you keep on acting like this you will bring about your own destruction". The ways in which it will happen are vague enough to be able to put whatever you like in the interpretation.

[kdbrich]

* sigh *

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that some people go to deny truth.

[Lady Ice]

Originally Posted by kdbrich

* sigh *

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that some people go to deny truth.

And what is the truth? I think Mystic's interpretation is as valid as any other. It is what he believes to be true. Everyone has their own truth and their own path,why do people insist that their way is the only way? It is one thing to have an opinion on the topic but to say someone is in denial of the truth because their opinion isn't the same as yours is just a narrow minded way of looking at the world.

[elwill]

thank you MysticPhD
i liked your interpretation
but i oppose to it for just one reason

the order of dream ( rising of the beasts) are differ than facts

islam raised after christianity , why christianity appered after islam in the dream ( according to your thoughts ) ?

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by elwill

thank you MysticPhD
i liked your interpretation
but i oppose to it for just one reason

the order of dream ( rising of the beasts) are differ than facts

islam raised after christianity , why christianity appered after islam in the dream ( according to your thoughts )

The fourth beast is not the original Christian version of monotheism and asceticism which preceded (and informed Mohammed's beliefs). It refers to the modern Christianity born of Roman Catholicism which didn't flourish until after the Arabs destroyed the patriarchate in Constantinople. It was this modern Christianity which fostered the Industrial Revolution and subsequently split into separate Protestant sects (hence the iron and breaking in pieces). Besides . . . I don't think the order of the beasts is as significant as their origin . . . heaven . . . signifying that truth resides in them all, IMO.