The Liar's World

 

The Liar's World


In the post on Illusion under the Philosophy label, we concluded that the physical world has an unreal quality. We can't say that it doesn't exist because in some sense it does. It just isn't what it purports to be. Numerous scriptures support this conclusion.

For example, we can consider the story of the Garden of Eden. The story of Adam and Eve is itself a symbolic tale, with its own message. Interpreted literally, it makes no sense at all. Eve being the only female, there was no wife available for either Cain or Enos. But the context reveals that there were actually other lands in existence at that time.

So, what is the real message of the Garden of Eden? God poses the question: “Who told you that you were naked?”. The answer, of course, was the serpent, symbolizing Deceit, who according to Jesus is, “a liar and the father of lies”.

As a second example, in the book of Job, Satan boasts that he rules the world, and agrees to demonstrate that fact by breaking Job's faith. He actually seems to be on the way to success, until God appears and reminds Job that he had brought the problems on himself by accepting the rules of the Liar's game. He (Job) believed that he was a weak body crying out for help, and not receiving it because he didn't need it. He was perfectly capable of healing himself simply by remembering who he was - not a body but a spirit, a son of God who existed before time began, and who had all of the capabilities of a son of God.

Nonetheless, the rest of the world, who did not receive Job's revelation, remained under the dominion of Satan, the liar.

Now, let's move to the New Testament. In Matthew, Ch. 4, vss. 8,9, we find:

“Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.'”

Of course Jesus resists the temptation, but he does not contradict the devil's assertion that he has possession of all the kingdoms of the world. In fact Jesus seems to support it when he says (John. 14:30), “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me”; and (Jhn.16:11), “because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” But Jesus also says, (John. 8:44) “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”. So, if Jesus is right on all counts, this apparent world ruled by a liar contains no truth, and so isn't what it seems to be. In fact Jesus said. “My kingdom is not of this world”.

It can be compared to a game like Monopoly. It is something: a game, but the transactions are not real. The whole thing is a simulation of reality.

Comparison to a game is appropriate, because you can win any game by violating its rules; that is, by cheating. But in this liar's world, the rules are lies; so the way to cheat is to know the truth, and act on that knowledge.

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Table of Contents for Mysticism Label (augustmarsblog.blogspot.com)




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