The Divine Council

[Dondi]

I would like to get a Jewish take on what is called the 'Divine Council', as perpetrated in the following article:

From the very beginning of the Earth's existence it was through the Divine Council that the Earth was managed and ruled. However, things did not always continue in perfect harmony within the Council, because conflict is always capable of arising among Beings possessed of Free Will. According to my understanding there were three major changes in the Divine Council and in the relationship between God, the b'nai ha elohim, and humanity in antiquity.

The Council and the Kabbalah

Is their any Jewish thought to this matter?

 

[dauer]

Negatory. A Divine Council composed of members, each with free will, is not a Jewish notion.

 

[Raksha]

Dondi,

I skimmed the beginning of the article and I think it's horrible, but that's pretty much all I'm gonna say for now. It's a biased and slanted Christian take on shamanism, channeling, etc. and no doubt Kabbalah as well. I know a little bit about so-called "Christian Kabbalah," and while it doesn't HAVE to be biased and dishonest, the sad fact is that it's usually just that.

Whoever wrote that isn't ignorant by a long way--but he's not honest either.

--Linda

 

[bananabrain]

i've skim-read it, but the opinion of the author in conclusion seems to be:

The Kabbalah has been one the most successful tools used by the fallen angels to deceive mankind, and its usefulness is reflected by the twin conclusions reached by the secular and occult worlds. The secular, that God does not exist, and the occult, that Satan is God. The Kabbalah invites people to make contact with the fallen angels and so it should be no surprise that the ultimate god they lead initiates to is their master.

in which case, it should also come as no surprise that i don't think this guy really understands anything about kabbalah as it works within the tradition. kabbalah is of course a very powerful set of tools and theories, but this is an extremely good example of why it can be a snare for the ego and a "stumbling block" for those who fail to anchor the hidden tradition in the revealed tradition. in short, he's really got the wrong end of the stick here if he thinks the kabbalists worship ha-satan!

b'shalom

bananabrain

 

[Dondi]

I'm sorry I referenced such a crappy article. It wasn't the article I meant to link. What I really meant to reference was this site: The Divine Council . The articles here are a bit more reasonable.

Specifically, though, I was interested in the scene in Job where the Sons of God presented themselves to the LORD, and Satan also presented himself. I mean, I know that the name means 'adversary', but what is his relationship with God and how does he find presence with God. I'm corrolating what I find in the meeting in Job with the the fact that Adam and Eve was cast out of Eden, and presumably from the presence of God, barred by the two cherubim from re-entering. But what's interesting to me is that there is no mention of the 'serpent' being cast out of Eden. And assuming that the 'serpent' is Satan, would that fact allow him to come in the presence of God?

BTW, I'm not really trying to bring anything of the 'Christian Kaballah' angle into this. I'm just fishing for any information you might have on the matter.

 

[dauer]

HaSatan is a heavenly being with no free will. He exists in order to fulfill the purpose for which he was created which is to test man on behalf of God. I'm not sure about the second half of what you said but is an interesting idea. Surely, if the serpent is identified with HaSatan, there's no reason it would get cast out because it never did anything wrong. There are some who identify HaSatan with the yetzer hara in which case, in a sense, it was cast out because it is something within man, but in that case it's more a matter of circumstance.

 

[pohaikawahine]

Dondi - I believe that the concept of "the council" is related to the human brain and how it moves energy throughout the body - the energy itself is metaphorically referred to as the movement of the "serpent". Two books that may be of interest to you are "The Cosmic Serpent - DNA and the Origins of Knowledge" by Jeremy Narby and "The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom" by Mark Amaru Pinkham. We have many legends throughout time that speak of various "councils" and one of my favorite is King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. All related to the concept of the "Council" and King Arthur of course is also related to the search for the "Holy Grail". In ancient Hawaii (before the Kings and Queens) all family and community decisions were made by a "Council of Elders" and the chants of creation have many levels of meaning that also speak to concepts like the "mo'o" or the "serpent". The ancient knowledge use to be passed on by the elders of this circle, but time buried the knowledge even from many of the elders today. Everything is buried deeply in the hidden meanings - that is where Kabbalah and other forms of mysticism come in - they are greatly misused and misunderstood, but when one reaches the point where they can begin to see the inner meanings, the doors begin to open and they are remarkable and beautiful in their structure. You are trying to make connections which is an important step to the next level of understanding and opening the portal to the ancient mysteries and knowledge. I wish you well in your search. He Hawai'i Au, poh