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The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
sabachthani--In sabachthani we find the root idea of loosening, setting free; letting alone and forsaking are secondary developments. The real root idea of the word expressed the cutting loose of bondage, or freeing from slavery.
On the cross Jesus cried, "Eli, Eli lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).
Metaphysically, sabachthani is the cry of the soul at the darkest hour of crucifixion. When the sensual is passing away it seems as though man were giving up his life, including every good. The sensual looms so large at this hour that, for the time being, it shuts God from the consciousness of the individual who is going through the experience. But God never forsakes His children; there can be no real separation from the divine, and a glorious resurrection into a greater degree of spiritual life than was ever realized before always follows each letting go of the old.
Sabbath--The true Sabbath is that state of spiritual attainment where man ceases from all personal effort and all belief in his own works, and rests in the consciousness that "the Father abiding in me doeth his works" (John 14:10). When we understand the true spirit of the Sabbath, we cease following prescribed rules laid down by a church and open our mind to God's rest and peace. We rest from outer work, cease daily occupation, and give ourselves up to meditation or the study of things spiritual.
The Sabbath is kept any time we enter into spiritual consciousness and rest from thoughts of temporal things. We let go of the external observance of days, because every day is a Sabbath on which we retire into Spirit and worship God.
sacrifice--A refining process that is constantly going on in consciousness; the renunciation of old beliefs that seem good for new ideas that are more of the nature of Christ.
salt of the earth--The thoughts in man that understand, love, and obey Truth as Jesus taught and demonstrated it.
salvation--The restitution of man to his spiritual birthright; regaining conscious possession of his God-given attributes. It comes as the result of redemption; the change from sin to righteousness. Salvation comes to man as a free gift from God. It embodies a knowledge of God that frees one from all limitations and points the way by which mind and body may be lifted up to the spiritual place of consciousness.
The belief that Jesus in an outer way atoned for our sins is not salvation. Salvation is based solely on an inner overcoming, a change in consciousness. It is a cleansing of the mind, through Christ, from thoughts of evil.
sanctification--The putting on of the nature of God and rising to the plane of dominion that gives man peace and satisfaction; the purity and holiness of the Christ consciousness. "This is the will of God, even your sanctification" (I Thess. 4:3).
sanctuary of the soul--The secret place within man's being where he has a rendezvous with God.
Satan--The Adversary, the great universal negative whose power is derived from the unlawful expression of man's own being. The serpent as "Satan" is sensation suggesting indulgence in pleasures beyond the law fixed by creative Mind.
Saviour--The Christ Mind is our Saviour. Through the Christ Mind we find salvation from poverty, sickness, sin, and death.
sayings of Jesus--To keep the sayings of Jesus is to
take the spiritual principles that He enunciated and square our own life by them, that is, use them as a working basis in all the life processes.
science, spiritual--Science is the systematic and orderly arrangement of knowledge. Spiritual science, which is the orderly arrangement of the truths of Being, does not always conform to intellectual standards, but it is still scientific. Spiritual science treats of absolute ideas, while mental science treats of limited thoughts.
scribes--Scribes represent the thoughts that come to us from the outer world; Spirit inspires us from within. When Spirit speaks, no person can be quoted as authority--the Truth itself is authority, and it bows to no human exponent.
"For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mark 1:22).
Scriptures--Although the Holy Scriptures are almost universally considered to be the printed Bible only, the real Scriptures are the book of life within our own consciousness. The written word, however, is meant as a clue to a more vital part of the Scriptures than appears, since there is both a literal and a spiritual significance to them.
The Scriptures are not like other books. They have an enduring life, because of the spiritual quality given them by the writers. They are a profitable source of instruction in righteousness, as they set forth the principle, or law, of eternal life.
The Scriptures contain in symbol a most wonderful description of the creative action of Divine Mind, and one who studies the Bible merely as a historical record or as a guide to morals fails to sound the depths of these ancient writings.
Truth students recognize that Bible history is something more than history. For example, they see in the journey of the Israelites to the Promised Land, a picture of man's
progress from sense consciousness to spiritual consciousness.
season of fruits--Bringing forth of the various powers of consciousness.
second coming--The second coming is the result of building the principles of Being into the soul of man, where they begin to express through him.
The events in the life of Jesus of Nazareth represent certain stages of spiritual growth in natural man. Jesus was the incarnation of the Son of God, and was the great Example, the Way-Shower, and manifested the Mind of God. If we are to attain full sonship we must follow His example. The second coming is right upon us. The Spirit of the Lord Jesus is here right now, and has been ever since He gave His spiritual body and blood to the race consciousness.
"secret place of the Most High"--(see inner chamber)
sects--In the spiritual interpretation of fundamental principles that underly the Scriptures, there are no sects, no differences among Truth students. But when the Bible is read according to the letter instead of the spirit, each reader views it from his own personal standpoint. This gives rise to a variety of opinions. Many a person who has what he considers the right viewpoint, tries to gain a following and convert others to his ideas, and in this way sects have been formed.
seed--The creative idea inherent in the Word. Its nature is inherited from its parent source, God. The "seed," that is, "the word of God," is the real man--not the external thinking personality that has consciousness of separation, but the internal Spirit center. The seed is a generative center through which intelligence manipulates substance and produces form. In itself it is powerless to produce anything, but it is the avenue through which interior forces manifest in the outer. Man draws on the universal forces
within and without, just as the tree draws on the invisible Spirit and earth, air, and water.
The illustration of the mustard seed is used to show the capacity of the apparently small thought of Truth to develop in consciousness until it becomes the abiding place of a higher range of thoughts (birds of the air).
"seek the things that are above"--(Col: 3:1). Seek spirituality, instead of materiality. Seek to unfold the Christ Mind and to abide in spiritual consciousness. This leads into the path of peace, joy, and abundance of all good.
selah--Tranquil, secure, at rest, silence, pause, quiet. Selah is that state of mind in which we relax from affirming Truth and wait on God in the stillness. Then the Holy Spirit may reveal more of its inspirations to us and may establish us more firmly in divine harmony and good.
self-control--The capacity to direct one's behavior in right ways.
One who tries to establish self-control through will power and suppression never accomplishes permanent results. Self-control is accomplished when all the forces of man come in touch with the divine will and understanding.
self--Christ, the divine idea, is the true self of every man. Adam, the natural man, is the incomplete self. The fulfillment of self is accomplished as man puts on the Christ.
selfishness--Overconcern for one's own interests or comfort and disregard for the welfare of others. Selfishness leads to strife, followed by anger and hate. These emotions generate thought currents that burn up the body cells in somewhat the way a live wire sears flesh. Selfishness is often the cause of unhappiness.
self-love--Care for one's own happiness and well-being. This care is entirely compatible with justice, generosity, and love for others.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself" (Luke 10:27).
selling one's birthright--When one denies his true inheritance as a son of God, in thought, word, or deed, he is to that extent selling his birthright.
sensation--A state of excited interest or feeling derived from stimulation of the sense organs. Spirituality, lifts up this divine creation and restores it to its pristine beauty. Through cultivation of the spiritual nature, sensation is crowned with purity, and the son of man becomes aware of God's presence in his body as life, power, love, and joy.
sense consciousness--A mental state formed from believing in and acting through the senses. It is the serpent consciousness, deluded with sensation.
Judgments based on outer appearances--the senses--produce discordant thoughts, jealousies, and a host of limiting beliefs.
senses, how to develop the--By declaring our senses to be spiritual and by speaking the increasing word of the I AM to every one of them, we multiply their capacities and give them a sustaining vigor and vitality. This is done through the simple word of the I AM, backed up by the realization of its spiritual power.
separation from God--Man, being the offspring of God, has the power to create. He has used his privilege and created a realm of error thought, which separates him in consciousness from the Father.
separation of religion and state--Some statesmen and politicians urge the separation of religion and state because they do not understand the true character or mission of religion. The clergy are responsible for this misconception; they emphasize the saving of the soul, that it may be prepared to dwell happily in heaven after death. This teaching removes religion from its true field of work, which is making people better and happier here and now. As a result of this teaching that the greater rewards of religion
will come after death, Christianity has been robbed of the major part of its power as a harmonizer of worldly affairs. Jesus did not promise rewards after death, but on the contrary, emphasized service in this world as the supreme thing. Mortal man thinks leadership is evidence of greatness, but Jesus taught that greatness is attained through service.
seraphim--Ideas of purity; the cleansing power of exalted ideas.
serpent--Sense consciousness or the desire of unspiritualized man for sensation. He seeks satisfaction through the appetite. By listening to the serpent of sense, man falls to his lowest estate.
sheep--Harmless and innocent animals; they represent the natural life that flows into man's consciousness from Spirit. It is pure, innocent, guileless.
The separation of goats from sheep is a mental process wherein the good, obedient, and profitable thoughts (sheep) are retained (placed on the right hand). The stubborn, selfish, useless thoughts (goats) are put away (placed on the left hand).
Sheba--The Queen of Sheba indicates the ruling intelligence of the whole consciousness pertaining to the part of being that has to do with nature.
shepherds--The shepherds watching by night are the protecting entities of God that watch over us. They are the conservers and protectors. To affirm "Jehovah is my shepherd" is to acknowledge that God (Spirit) is the source of understanding and of all help.
seven--the number seven represents fullness in the world of phenomena; seven refers to the divine law of perfection for the divine-natural man.
seven golden candlesticks--Refers to the seven nerve centers in the organism that have been quickened, purified, and transmuted into spiritual intelligence.
seven stars--The sevenfold powers of man in intelligent action are represented by the seven stars.
shoes--Represent the words with which understanding (Truth) is clothed. When holy ground, or substance in its spiritual wholeness, is approached by man he must put off from his understanding all limited thoughts about the Absolute--he must put his shoes off his feet.
shortcomings--Mental transgressions, which must be mentally denied. Many persons refuse to deny their shortcomings. They hold that they are perfect in Divine Mind and that it is superfluous to deny that which has no existence. But they are still subject to the appetites and passions of mortality, and will continue to be until they are "born anew." The Pharisees refused to be baptized by John. They did not consider that they needed the repentance that He demanded. They thought they were good enough to take the high places in the kingdom of God because of their popularly accepted religious supremacy.
silence, the--A state of consciousness entered into for the purpose of putting man in touch with Divine Mind so that the soul may listen to the "still small voice" (I Kings 19:12).
When one goes into the silence he enters the "secret place of the Most High," the closet of prayer within. He closes the door and in the stillness of that meeting place he prays to God, he communes with God, and he meditates on Truth. Then he listens to what God has to say to him.
silver and gold--Symbolize love and wisdom.
sin--Missing the mark; that is, falling short of divine perfection. Sin is man's failure to express the attributes of Being--life, love, intelligence, wisdom, and the other God qualities.
Sin (error) is first in mind and is redeemed by a mental process, or by going into the silence. Error is brought into the light of Spirit and then transformed into a constructive
force. "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Rom. 12:2).
Through the Christ Mind, our sins (wrong thinking) are forgiven or pardoned (erased from consciousness). When we have cast all sin (error thought) out of our mind, our body will be so pure that it cannot come under any supposed law of death or corruption.
singing--Singing, praising, and thanksgiving are the great building impulses of man. Never repress the desire to give thanks through happy songs and words of praise.
Singing restores harmony to tense nerves because its vibrations stir them to action, thus making it possible for the ever-waiting, healing Spirit to get in. The organ of the human voice is located right between the thyroid glands, the accelerators of certain important body functions. To a greater or lesser degree every word one speaks vibrates the cells up and down the body, from front brain to abdomen.
single eye--The single eye sees only God (good) everywhere. This perfect vision heals all disease in mind, body, and affairs. "The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" (Matt. 6:22).
six days of creation--The six great ideal projections from Divine Mind, each more comprehensive than its predecessor. The climax is reached when that phase of Being called man appears, having dominion over the ideas that have gone before.
sleep--Sleep is a great harmonizer of discordant thoughts. It "knits up the ravell'd sleave of care." We do not know the deep mysteries of sleep or what goes on in the soul when the sense man is in repose. Those who go into the "deep silence" produce a state of consciousness analogous to sleep. All the outer thoughts are stilled, and the soul listens to the "still small voice." It may also see symbols, feel the inner forces, or catch divine ideas fresh
from the Fountainhead. Those who are expert in concentrating the attention on inner planes of Being find that a great rest and peace comes to them. Upon emerging from one of these sweet periods of communion with the Lord, they feel as if they have had a night of refreshing sleep.
solar plexus--The vital center of the organism, through which the subconscious mind connects with the physical body. The solar plexus is a large nerve center lying back of the pit of the stomach, and it controls the activity of the stomach.
Solomon's Temple--With its inner and outer courts, it is a symbolical representation of man's body.
Son of God--The fullness of the perfect-man idea in Divine Mind, the Christ. The true spiritual self of every individual. The living Word; the Christ idea in the Mind of God.
The Son ever exists in God. Father and Son are one and are omnipresent in man and the universe. Jesus represents God's idea of man in expression (Son of man); Christ is that idea in the Absolute (Son of God). The Christ is the man that God created in His image and likeness, the perfect-idea man. He is the real self of all men.
Son of man--That in us which discerns the difference between Truth and error. When we get this understanding we are in a position to free our soul from sin and our body from disease, which is the effect of sin. The Son of man must be lifted up, and there is no way to do this except through prayer.
son, prodigal--The "two sons" of Luke 15:11 are the two departments of the soul, or consciousness. The son who stayed at home is the religious or moral nature; the son who went into the far country is the human phase of the soul, in which are the appetites and passions. Going into a "far country" is separating the consciousness from the parent Source.
The first step in complying with the law of return to
the Father's house is repentance and confession. Confession should be made to God. If we are truly repentant, the Father will forgive; He will have compassion, and the bounty of Divine Mind will be poured out on us.
When we make unity between the outer sense and the inner Spirit (the return of the prodigal son to the Father's house), there is great rejoicing; the outer is flooded with the vitality (robe), unending power is put into his hand (ring), and his understanding (feet) is strengthened. The "fatted calf" is the richness of strength always awaiting the needy soul. When all these relations have been established between the within and the without, there is rejoicing. The dead man of sense is made alive in the consciousness of Spirit--the lost is found.
song--(see singing)
sonship--Man, through Christ within, is God's son. Man reveals his sonship to himself and to others by claiming it; by declaring that he is not a son of mortality but a son of God; that the Spirit of God dwells within him and shines through him; that this Spirit is Christ, Son of God.
soul--Man's consciousness; the underlying idea back of any expression. In man, the soul is the many accumulated ideas back of his present expression. In its original and true sense, the soul of man is the expressed idea of man in Divine Mind.
Man is Spirit, soul, and body. Spirit is the I AM, the individuality. The body is soul expressing, and soul includes the conscious and subconscious minds. Soul makes the body, the body is the outer expression of the soul, and bodily health is in exact correspondence to the health of the soul.
soul development--The unfoldment of divine ideals in the soul, or consciousness of man, and the bringing of these ideals into expression in the body.
soul, duality of the--That phase of the soul named subconsciousness, which draws its life from both the earthly
side of existence and the spiritual; it answers to both good and evil, light and darkness.
soul, food for the--The soul is fed by thought; the true soul food is the Word of God. The Word of God when properly appropriated makes the soul immortal.
source of all good--God is the source of all good. All good things flow to us from Him through love and grace. "All that is mine is thine" (Luke 15:31).
sowing--Every thought is a seed and brings forth after its kind. Every carnal thought, or thought of selfishness in any form, is seed sown to the flesh. It brings forth error and builds up flesh consciousness. The fruit of this sowing is death and corruption. Every spiritual thought is a seed sown to the Spirit. Spiritual thoughts feed and nourish and build up the spiritual man. The result is life and immortality to the whole man: Spirit, soul, and body.
Spirit--God as the moving force in the universe; Principle as the breath of life in all creation; the principle of life; creative intelligence and life.
We sometimes discover within ourselves a flow of thought that has been evolved independently of the reasoning process and we are puzzled about its origin and its safety as a guide. In its beginnings this seemingly strange source of knowledge is turned aside as a day-dream; again it seems a distant voice, an echo of something that we have heard and forgotten. One should give attention to this unusual and usually faint whispering of Spirit in man. It is the development in man of a greater capacity to know himself and to understand the purpose of creation.
When one concentrates all the faculties on Truth ideas, the conscious mind and superconscious mind blend, and there is a descent of spiritual energies into soul and body. Then the faculties receive new power to express Truth and the body is renewed.
Spirit of truth--The Mind of God in its executive capacity; it carries out the divine plan of the originating
Spirit. It proceeds from the Father and bears witness of the Son.
The Spirit of truth is God's thought projecting into our mind ideas that will build a spiritual consciousness like that of Jesus. The Spirit of truth watches every detail of our life, and when we by affirmation proclaim its presence, it brings new life into our body and prosperity into our affairs.
Spirit of wholeness--The Holy Spirit of the New Testament. In Greek mythology the Holy Spirit is symbolized by the goddess Hygeia. Modern medical men call it the restorative power of nature. (see Holy Spirit)
spiritual cosmogony--Spiritual interpretation of the creation of the universe. When science admits that the ether is moved by omnipotent Mind, the Bible will show forth a complete spiritual cosmogony.
spiritual discernment--Intuitive knowing of that which is true of God, or Spirit.
spiritual healer--One who helps man reform so that bodily healing follows as a natural consequence. In order to have bodily perfection it is necessary to bring the mind to a state of righteousness. This is the work of the spiritual healer.
spiritual quickening--Making active according to spiritual standards, by being linked to the activity of God-Mind.
spirituality--The consciousness that relates man directly to his Father-God. It is quickened and grows through prayer and other forms of religious thought and worship.
"spears into pruning-hooks"--(Isa. 2:4). Sharp, penetrating thoughts of cruelty turned into helpful ways.
stand--To hold fearlessly to the truth that Spirit is doing its perfect work and that there is no cause for alarm. Endurance is necessary to a soldier, and everyone who aspires to win the good fight of self must be able to stand against whatever comes. But before we can stand we
must be prepared to meet adverse thoughts and overcome unworthy desires.
standards--Man's intellectual standards are determined according to the judgments of the senses. The one true standard of thinking is absolute Truth.
star--Represents man's first awakening before he realizes his Christ wisdom and power. The morning star heralds the coming of light and the glory of the sun. In like progressive unfoldment, the mind has its star of promise, which leads on to wisdom, then to final glory in the sun of righteousness, which is the Son of God.
star of Bethlehem--Symbolizes our inner conviction of our divine sonship. This inner conviction of our ability to accomplish whatever we undertake calls forth the very best in us and helps us to succeed where others of equal ability fail. The accumulated wisdom and experience of a man (the Wise Men from the East) rejoice when faith in one's destiny to do the will of God begins to rise within, and all the riches of wise experience, such as gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, are bestowed on the young child. These gifts represent the subconscious reserve forces of the organism that enter into and form the new man in Christ.
stiff-necked--Self-sufficient, obstinate; descriptive of one who has attained a degree of spiritual dominion but is not obedient to the Spirit of truth.
stillness--A mental state of infinite peace, rest, and tranquillity where man's senses are hushed and he abides in God. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalms 46:10).
"still small voice"--The voice of Spirit speaking within the depths one's being. The "still small voice" is not an audible voice. It comes from within as spiritual knowing.
stimulant--Any external element that excites activity not characteristic of man's natural state.
stomach--The stomach stands for the meditative faculty
of the mind--its ability to receive ideas, turn them over and over, and get mental nourishment from them.
stone, white (Rev. 2:17)--When we redeem ourselves from bondage to sense, we shall be sustained by the inner or spiritual food ("hidden manna"), which is understanding of Truth and which is the foundation ("a white stone") upon which we build up and develop our true Christ self.
strength--The energy of God. Freedom from weakness; stability of character; power to withstand temptation; capacity to accomplish. Strength is physical, mental, and spiritual. All strength originates in Spirit, the thought and the word spiritually expressed being the manifestation.
stumbling block--Stumbling blocks at first may seem to be in the physical environment, but closer discernment reveals that they are primarily in the mind. Therefore, we should not put additional weight into the already existing obstacles by filling them with the thought-stuff of condemnation. We should not judge others but should strive to overlook their limitations. We should beware how we let our zeal to help others interfere with their freedom of choice.
subconscious mind--The memory mind; memory crystallized into function and form. It is the home of our habits, the storehouse of our past thoughts and experiences. It carries on all the bodily functions such as circulation, breathing, digestion, and so forth. We are not conscious of what goes on in these processes, but divine intelligence works perfectly in all of them unless man interferes through ignorant thinking.
The work of overcoming is carried on largely in the subconscious mind. All past thinking must be redeemed and the whole man, conscious and subconscious, brought into the harmony of the Christ consciousness.
substance--The divine idea of the underlying reality of all things. Substance is everywhere present, pervades all things, and inspires to action. It underlies all manifestation
and is the spiritual essence, the living energy out of which everything is made. Through substance all the attributes of Being are expressed. It sustains and enriches any idea that is projected into it.
Divine substance is man's supply. Out of it he forms whatever he will according to his faith and understanding. By entering into the silence, acknowledging divine substance, affirming his faith in and oneness with it, man becomes conscious of substance.
Spiritual realization of divine substance enriches the soil or thought-stuff of the mind. Jesus considered divine substance the treasure field in which He could find the fulfillment of His every need. Every demonstration over mortal limitations is followed by a realization of infinite reality. When man puts away the belief in the reality of matter, there follows a realization of the presence of true substance, of which matter is a mortal concept. Hence this thought-stuff may be made active by holding an affirmation. The rich substance of the kingdom of God is pouring its plenty perpetually into my mind and affairs, and I am in all ways prospered.
success--Attainment of a desired goal. Success comes as the result of faithfulness and earnestness in the application of God's law.
When success fails to crown our efforts, we sometimes become discouraged and quit. Then we try to console ourselves with the thought that it is God's will for us to fail. Failure is not God's will, but man lays it to the charge of God to excuse his own feeling of inadequacy and defeat. God's will is health, happiness, and prosperity for every man; and to have all that is good and beautiful is to express God's will for us.
suggestion--A mental process by which one mind influences another mind, or one's subconscious mind is influenced by one's own efforts.
Suggestion and realization differ in that spiritual realization
comes from consciously entering into the Truth of Being, while suggestion may be either of Truth or error. The results of suggestion are temporary; spiritual realizations abide.
sun--The realm of consciousness that has been illuminded by Spirit. "The greater light to rule the day" (Gen. 1:16).
superconscious mind--A state of consciousness based on true ideas, on an understanding and realization of spiritual Truth.
"Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint" (Prov. 29:18). Men must see beyond matter and material possessions, or civilization will perish from the earth. If the superconsciousness, or the Christ Mind, is not developed, the people will destroy one another in insane warring for the fleeting things of the world. Preaching the glories of heaven will not reach a mind that has no capacity for the enjoyment of heaven.
The connection between the superconscious mind and the conscious mind is established within--by meditation, by going into the silence, and by speaking the word.
The superconsciousness is man's only sure guide through the maze of the creative process. By trusting to the infallibility of this guide, man opens himself to the inspiration of the Almighty.
supermind--The Christ consciousness; the mind that knows all and is able to accomplish all things because it is one with the Mind of God.
superstitions--Beliefs of those who live on the mere surface of things; beliefs that certain things or occurrences are good or bad omens. Under all conditions and circumstances declare the perfect law of Divine Mind. "Thou shalt be perfect with Jehovah thy God" (Deut. 18:13).
supplication--The earnest prayer or entreaty of the mind for a way of escape from the dominance of sense.
supply--Spiritual substance. Supply often fails to flow
to one whose faith is fixed in some outer source instead of in substance. Jesus understood spiritual substance and could make from it whatever He wished, whenever He wished.
Anxiety about supply can be overcome by a recognition of the omnipresence of Spirit substance and the centering of faith in it as the one source of supply.
supreme Mind--God-Mind. The universal storehouse of all perfect ideas.
supreme voice--The voice of the Spirit of truth within each man.
swaddling clothes--Bands of cloth in which it was customary to wrap newborn babies. They represent confinement to the limitations of the physical nature of this first emanation of divine life, "because there was no room for them in the inn" (outer consciousness).
sword--Represents any weapon that man may turn against his fellow man. The tongue is called a sharp sword. Unloving words pierce like a sword. We reap whatever we sow. As we do to others so is it done to us. If we sow thoughts and words of destruction we will reap them.
sword, flaming--I AM is the gate through which the thinker comes forth from the invisible to the visible, and it is through this gate that he must go to come into the presence of Spirit. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Hence, we take words and go to God. We come into His presence through the I AM gate and we return the same way. On the inner side of the gate is the Garden of Eden, but "the Cherubim, and the flame of a sword" are there, "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. 3:24).
swords into plowshares--Destructive thoughts transformed into instruments of body culture.
symbols--Represent steps in the masonry of the soul. All scriptural symbols have to do with the spiritual progress
of man. In the Bible every name stands for an idea and has a meaning that gives a due to the symbol.
A symbol loses its usefulness when man clings to it as the reality and fails to see the Truth that it represents.
synagogue--Represents an aggregation of religious ideas based on Truth, thoughts that have not yet received the inspiration of the whole Truth. A synagogue also represents a fixed religious state of consciousness.
A Jewish synagogue was a little chapel, where anyone could hear the law read out of the Hebrew Scriptures; or if he was a rabbi he could read out of the law himself. A constant stream of people came and went in the synagogue, and it fifty represents the mind of man, or a phase of man's mind that is given over to religious thought. In the new birth, or regeneration, the rebuilding of man's consciousness begins in this synagogue or religious mentality.
The synagogue of Acts 17:1, 2 in which Paul "for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the scriptures," is the established religious thought bred in us by tradition, education, and inheritance.