2022-Q4-L11

2022-Q4-L11: End-Time Deceptions

Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 7:21-27, John 11:40-44, 1 Pet. 3:18, 1 Sam. 28:3-25, Eph. 6:10-18.

Memory Text: “And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14, 15, NRSV).

Introduction. Although the Bible does touch on lies and deceptions by the Devil, it does not dwell on them. It just declares them as false and evil and moves on with the truth. Why not waste your time on deceptions and falsehood? Answer:

Because time is short and studying falsehood takes away from your precious time to learn what is true.

The more you study and contemplate evil, the greater the possibility that you will be tempted by it. You might be drawn to it; you might become deceived.

Because you will not convince someone caught in falsehood by arguing against falsehood but, rather, by presenting the truth. That is, light disspells darkness; truth dispells lies.

The problem with this week's lesson is that the topics covered from Monday through Thursday are flat out lies and deceptions, while Sunday's lesson on "Mysticism" has some truth. We can knock out Monday's through Thursday's topics in short order and then spend more time on Sunday's. I chose not to dignify much study to them this week.

Identifying the True Church (carryover discussion from last week's lesson). What characterizes the True Church.

Evangelical topic. One of the topics covered in our evangelistic programs is how to identify the Remnant or True Church—the church that will be around at the end of time. Given that we believe we are at the end of time, it would seem important to know this.

Church (definition). The church is the people. The church is a living "body" not a building. In the apostolic age people didn't "go" to church, they where the church. Thus, the Remnant (or True) Church involves identifying the characteristics of the Remnant People, not a corporate entity or building. You are not a Christian because you come to a church building every Sabbath to worship. You are a Christian because you believe and practice Christian principles. This will become more evident when the sifting comes, when people's beliefs will be tried and tested to the bone.

Romans 16:3-5: Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house.

Colossians 4:15: Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.

Qualifications. What makes up the true church? The Old Testament and New Testament qualifications.

The Old Testament qualifications.

Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV): To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Teachings the Law and the Testimony. The church's teachings are backed up by the Law and the Testimony of the Old Testament.

What is the "testimony"?

Exodus 31:18: And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Exodus 32:15: Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.

Exodus 34:29: When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.

Exodus 40:20: He took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark and set the mercy seat above on the ark.

What is the "law"?

Exodus 24:12: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

Deuteronomy 29:21: And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law.

Deuteronomy 30:10: when you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 31:26: Take this Book of the Law and put it by the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against you.

Nehemiah 8:1,8,14: And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

Tablets of the Testimony (H5715: edut). See Hebrew word study on 'edut'. The Ark of the Covenant is also called Ark of the Testimony and Tabernacle of the Testimony. What is the testimony? A testimony of stone. The meeting of the divine with the human; the connection of the divine/human. The testimony and commandments are the same. In a court of law, someone's testimony has equal weight to a law/commandment.

Exodus 32:28-29: . . .Thus he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words. 29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain

What is the testimony? The two tablets are the OT testimony while the Son of God is the NT testimony. Both testify of who God is. They testify of His character. One in stone and the other in flesh. God will take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh. Jesus becomes the stone in the NT. Jesus becomes the chief cornerstone.

Revelation 15:5: After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.

The New Testament qualifications.

Revelation 12:17: those who keep the commandments of God [the testimony of God] and hold to the testimony of Jesus

Revelation 14:12: those who keep the commandments of God [the testimony of God] and the faith of Jesus

Testimony of Jesus. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12).

Revelation 19:10: . . . For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The Testimony of God and of Jesus. He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son does not have life. It all revolves around Atonement. Oneness with the Father and the Son.

John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

John 17:20-23: I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Laodicean Condition.

Church of Laodicea. The promise for Christ to dwell (eat with; John 14) and reign with the Father and Son.

Revelation 3:20-21: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Union with divinity. As Jesus prays in Gethsemane. See John 17:3, 20-23.

The characteristic of the True Church. It is the MYSTICAL union of the Father and Son with the Church.

John 14:23: Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Eastern Orthodox Church. The theology of the Eastern Orthodox is essentially mystical. If you want to learn about mysticism, study the Eastern Orthodox Church.

What is Hesychasm? - Mystical Practice in Orthodox Christianity. Duration 24:55.

Mysticism. A slippery term. A rational study of the divine versus the experience of the divine is at its center.

Roman Catholic vs. Eastern Orthodox. The difference between Roman Catholic (Latin) and Eastern Orthodox (Greek) is that the Roman Catholic is more rational while the Eastern Orthodox is more mystical.

Union with God. The primary goal of the Christian life is to reach union with God.

Becoming divine (theosis). "God became human so that we might become God" (Athanasius).

God is beyond human understanding (apophatic). That nothing can be said about God, only what isn't true about God. Thus, according to Clement of Alexandria (d. 215), we cannot attain to what He is but only in what He is not.

Mystical Theology. We cannot know God, since He is by His very nature, unknowable. Only by "unknowing" can we approach God. Proceeding by negations one ascends from the inferior degrees of being to the highest, by progressively setting aside all that can be known, in order to draw near to the Unknown in the darkness of absolute ignorance. In practice. By turning away from all that is *not* God, then one can being to approach God.

Contemplative meditation and prayer. One is to practice certain postures, breathing techniques and prayers in order to be united to God and receive the grace of God and turning inward. The kind of prayer is the prayer of the heart. This form of prayer is called the "Jesus prayer." One receives the light of God by entering the darkness of the soul, a denial of self. God is not to be reached out there in the external world, but turning to the innermost parts of our being.

Jesus Prayer. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me (a sinner)." An Eastern Orthodox monk will repeat this prayer during meditation for long periods of time.

Theologian. A "theologian" in the mystical sense is one who has direct experience with God, as opposed to western idea of a theologian being one who is more knowledgable in the Bible, original languages and dogma.

Living Theology. Given that we are created in the image of God, "Each of us is a 'living theology', and because we are God's icon, we can find God by looking within our own heart, by 'returning within ourselves.'"

Luke 17:21 (NKJV): nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.

God's Essence and God's Energies (or God's Fire). God's essence is beyond all comprehension and experience. God's energies (or God's fire) is how He relates to the created world. He communicates or manifests Himself by the outpouring of His divine nature. Think of it like the Burning Bush which Moses saw in the wilderness. It was burning but not consumed. Or like the cloud that followed the Israelites through the wilderness. It was a fire by night (that provided warmth) and a cloud by day (to provide shade).

Mysticism vs Moralism

Moralism. Your religion becomes defined by your teachings of what you can and cannot do. The Jewish leaders in Jesus' day were moralists. The scribes, Pharisees, and teachers of the law became a kind of moral policemen. They would judge and criticize and condemn. Their religion revolved around sin management.

EGW - "partakers of the divine nature"

Lifetime Works (1845-1917). 1,782 occurrences of the phrase "partakers of the divine nature."

17LtMs, Lt 153, 1902, par. 27: It is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. God has plainly stated that He requires us to be perfect; and because He requires this, He has made provision that we may be partakers of the divine nature. Only thus can we gain success in our striving for eternal life. The power is given by Christ. “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God.” [John 1:12.]

17LtMs, Lt 153, 1902, par. 28: God requires of us conformity to His image. Holiness is the reflection from His people of the bright rays of His glory. But in order to reflect this glory, man must work with God. The heart and mind must be emptied of all that leads to wrong. The Word of God must be read and studied with an earnest desire to gain from it spiritual power. The bread of heaven must be eaten and digested, that it may become a part of the life. Thus we gain eternal life. Then is answered the prayer of the Saviour, “Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth.” [John 17:17.]

RH June 1, 1905, par. 18: Brethren and sisters, let us have characters so pure and holy that Christ can with joy present us to the Father. Let us be filled with the living principles of the truth for this time. Let us live lives that will lead sinners to the Saviour. Christ carried his humanity with him into the heavenly courts, and all humanity can claim him as their representative. We may be made complete in him. How?—By becoming partakers of the divine nature. To be partakers of this nature means more than many of us realize. It means giving up one's own way, and following the path that Christ has marked out. As we become partakers of the divine nature, we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Method: Power is given by Christ; man works with God; heart and mind emptied of all that leads to wrong; the Bible (the truth) studied to gain spiritual power;

Christian Mysticism - the law of life

God is transcendental while we are analogous. That is, God is love itself; God is truth itself; etc. We, as created beings sustained by God, possess existence, life and wisdom from God and in God and not in itself.

Image of God. We are in the image of God and reflect God, but are not God. We are partakers of divine attributes while these attributes belong only to God. God is being while we are partakers, channels, reflectors. Love and truth are not innate with us, but are received and flow out from us. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us."

God is the Source, we are the Channel. The fire (or "boiling") within God and the fire (or "boiling over") radiating out.

The Law of Life.

DA 21.2: But turning from all lesser representations, we behold God in Jesus. Looking unto Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not Mine own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father's life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.

Extremes with the practice of mysticism

Balance of Mind and Heart. Balance of Truth and the Spirit. Your experience does not determine the truth. It's the other way around. Your experience is validated by the truth. You may one day see a departed relative, but your understanding ("knowledge") of the state of the death invalidates that experience.

Red flag: "I know God communicates with me through the Bible, but I needed something more."

Mystical view of God. "God is everywhere (pantheism)." "God is spirit." The belief that God is not a personal God, but an essence or principle. Mysticism can be made to deny the absolute and bring in the mystical and relativism. Truth is no longer absolute, but it's "your" truth. Subjectivity. That there are more ways to salvation. Christ is not the "only" way.

Dilusion of grandeur. The worst thing about mysticism is the "dilusion of grandeur." That you are a god. That you have attributes of God that need to be unleashed. You become the answer to all your questions.

Ever searching. Another aspect of mysticism is the search for a "new voice." There is ever searching for the truth.

Mysticism can lead to spiritualism. The idea of free floating spirits.

Pantheism. "We are all part of God." Objective reality is an illusion. There is no objective reality beyond your own experiences.

Can we obtain a direct knowledge of God through objective factors like your feelings?

The Bible generally speaks in absolutes and in the literal. That is, you are either saved or lost. There is not an in between state like purgatory. In the Hebrew language, things are material and concrete.

Mysticism and Music (or Sound)

Music and prophecy. Music used in connection with prophecy.

1 Samuel 10:5-6: After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim,[c] where there is a garrison of the Philistines. And there, as soon as you come to the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre before them, prophesying. 6 Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.

2 Kings 3:14-15: [Jehoram king of Israel asking Elisha for help]: And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, were it not that I have regard for Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would neither look at you nor see you. 15 But now bring me a musician.” And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

Music affects a person so that they can be "in tune" with God and receive revelation. A state of blissfulness.

Music and Mysticism. Resonance. Playing a note on one violin will cause another violin to sound the same note. Analogously, what happens down here, happens up there. Our singing makes God and the angels sing. EGW describes angels singing with the choir.

Music and the spirit. God's presence descending on a person who is "in tune" with God's spirit. God's spirit dwelling in our spirit. Spirit in the OT being ruach (or wind) and pneuma (or breathe) in the NT. The song is a spiritual energy, a way to respond to the divine with a human activity that affects the union between the two "forces."

Rabbi Zalman: "If words are the pen of the mind then music is the quill of the soul."

Coffee and Tea connected to Mysticism. Coffee was (exported from Ethiopia and) used by the muslim in Yemen, Southern Arabia as a way to stay awake in their ritual practices (Hadra, Dhikr). The names of God are repeated together with music (tamborines,etc.) for a very long time to enter into a trance or estatic state. Tea originates in China. Originally chewed. Buddhist monks spent long hours in meditation and the consumption of tea helped them go through it or to recover after it.

Lucifer Music. Has composed the best mystical music the Devil can compose. It is subtle and hypnotic. It is found at Bethel, Hillsong and Elevation.

Christ and music. Evangelism 498: When Christ was a child like these children here, He was tempted to sin, but He did not yield to temptation. As He grew older He was tempted, but the songs His mother had taught Him to sing came into His mind, and He would lift His voice in praise. And before His companions were aware of it, they would be singing with Him. God wants us to use every facility which Heaven has provided for resisting the enemy.

Evangelism 499: Often He expressed the gladness of His heart by singing psalms and heavenly songs. Often the dwellers in Nazareth heard His voice raised in praise and thanksgiving to God. He held communion with heaven in song; and as His companions complained of weariness from labor, they were cheered by the sweet melody from His lips. His praise seemed to banish the evil angels, and, like incense, fill the place with fragrance. The minds of His hearers were carried away from their earthly exile, to the heavenly home.

Chanting. "OM" in Buddhism. Putting oneself into a trance state. Also called "Trance Music".

The emphasis on drumming. Forcing a "heart" beat.

Mysticism and Rock and Roll.

Gurus. The Beatles had guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Carlos Santana had Sri Chinmoy (1972-1981). Pete Townshend of The Who had Meher Baba (Indian spiritual leader who claimed to be an avatar).

Culture of violence. Rolling Stones, "Sympathy to the Devil." Charles Manson (1934-2017) was a musician and indirectly linked to the Punk Rock movement.

Reverberation. A sound that remains in the room after the initial sound has stopped. It's not an echo, which a repeat of a distinct sound. If you hit a (snare) drum, you hear the sounds that bounce off the walls--a reflection and diffusion pattern that arrives at different times and intensities to your ear.

Reverberation in Psychic Music. Not unlike vespers in cathedrals. Also see "Music for Zen Meditation." Also see "Paul Horn: Inside the Great Pyramid."

Music as the Primary Tool of Evangelism. Heretical music: Bethel, Hillsong, Elevation. Powerful "New Age" music. Hypnotic. Example: "What a Beautiful Name". Emotional ecstacy.

Why Your Church Shouldn't Play Bethel and Hillsong Music. Duration 21:53. Health and Wealth Prosperity Gospel is rooted in the metaphysical cults, Christian Science, New Age, Gnosticism. Have an aberrant view of Christology - if you are a Christian, you are just like Jesus. Rather than raise Christ up, they bring him down to their level. We are "little" gods - Mormonism. Positive confession doctrine - that we can speak things into existence. The two most powerful appeals: the desire to be wealthy and the desire to be well. Rarely talk about sin. Man is inherently good (Bethel Church). Sin is something that prevents you from having your best life now. Sin prevents you from living the abundant life. Bethel teaches "grave soaking" which is that if you are sick, you can go out and lay on the grave of one of their deceased "saints" that you will be healed from "soaking up" their anointing (like the story of Elisha's grave). Creepy lyrics with romantic emphasis - Jesus is your boyfriend/lover.

Charismatics. Speaking in tongues. "Park your mind."

SUNDAY. Mysticism. Matthew 7:21-27.

Matthew 7:21–27 (NKJV): 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

From the lesson: Our world has been flooded by the strong waves of mysticism. The word “mysticism” is a complex term that encapsulates a huge variety of ideas. From a religious perspective, the word implies the union of the individual with the Divine or Absolute in some kind of spiritual experience or trance. This characterizes the worship experience of even certain churches. The phenomena can vary in form and intensity, but the tendency always is to replace the authority of the Written Word of God by one’s own subjective experiences. In any case, the Bible loses much of its doctrinal function, and the Christian remains vulnerable to his or her own experiences. This kind of subjective religion does not provide a safeguard against any deception, especially end-time ones.

Notes

The idea of substituting or "enhancing" one's religious experience with an emotional, subjective experience.

MONDAY. (The Lie of) Near-Death Experiences.

Definition: Also referred to as OOBE (Out of Body Experiences). The more belief-centric labels include "astral projection" or "spirit walking".

Notes

"Near death." If you are near Canada, are you in Canada? If you are "near" death, are you really dead. No, you are dead when your bodily functions cease entirely.

Real death is necrosis, where the body rots and decays.

OOBEs can be induced by traumatic brain injuries, sensory deprivation, near-death experiences, dissociative and psychedelic drugs, dehydration, sleep disorders, dreaming, and electrical stimulation of the brain,[4] among other causes.

Psychologists and neuroscientists regard OBEs as dissociative experiences occurring along different psychological and neurological factors.

Along the same lines as an NDE, extreme physical effort during activities such as high-altitude climbing and marathon running can induce OBEs. A sense of bilocation may be experienced, with both ground and air-based perspectives being experienced simultaneously.

THE LIE: They are not real. Also, the testimony of these individuals can be at odds with what the Bible says.

TUESDAY. (The Lie of) Reincarnation

WEDNESDAY. Necromancy and Ancestor Worship. 1 Samuel 28:3-25 [Saul and the Witch of Endor.]

Notes

Necromancy - talking to the dead. There is the aspect of the spirit of a deceased person entering a living person and there is the aspect of a spirit itself appearing as a deceased person.

Seeking knowledge away from the truth of the Bible. Biblical truth is convicting truth. It is truth that demands change of behavior, a change of heart. It, ultimately, is a judge of character.

THURSDAY. (The Lie of) Personations and Other Appearances.

EGW

GC 557: “The apostles, as personated by these lying spirits, are made to contradict what they wrote at the dictation of the Holy Spirit when on earth.” —The Great Controversy, p. 557.

GC 624: “As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ.” —The Great Controversy, p. 624.

FRIDAY. Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Dealing With False Science, Cults, Isms, and Secret Societies,” pp. 602-609, in Evangelism; and “Spiritism,” pp. 86-93, in Confrontation.

APPENDIX.

Spiritism and Spiritualism. This week is about spiritualism in its many forms. This subject is deserving of many hours of discussion. Spiritism (41,592 occurrences) or spiritualism (12,517 occurrences). The "unholy influence" of Satan.

Note: Inconsistent casing with the phrase, "spirit of Christ".

GC88 506.3: The antagonism that exists between the spirit of Christ and the spirit of Satan was most strikingly displayed in the world's reception of Jesus.

EW 56.1: I turned to look at the company who were still bowed before the throne; they did not know that Jesus had left it. Satan appeared to be by the throne, trying to carry on the work of God. I saw them look up to the throne, and pray, “Father, give us Thy Spirit.” Satan would then breathe upon them an unholy influence; in it there was light and much power, but no sweet love, joy, and peace. Satan's object was to keep them deceived and to draw back and deceive God's children.

1 Timothy 4:1: Now the spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

COL 74.1: Notwithstanding Christ's warning, men have sought to uproot the tares. To punish those who were supposed to be evildoers, the church has had recourse to the civil power. Those who differed from the established doctrines have been imprisoned, put to torture and to death, at the instigation of men who claimed to be acting under the sanction of Christ. But it is the spirit of Satan, not the Spirit of Christ, that inspires such acts. This is Satan's own method of bringing the world under his dominion. God has been misrepresented through the church by this way of dealing with those supposed to be heretics.

Notes on Eastern Orthodox

Vladimir Lossky: The eastern tradition has never made a sharp distinction between mysticism and theology; between personal experience of the divine mysteries and the dogma affirmed by the church. ... There is, therefore, no Christian mysticism without theology; but, above all, there is no theology without mysticism.

Primary goal of mysticism. The primary goal of the Christian life, the purpose of theology of religious endeavor, is to reach union with God. To receive the grace of God. This union in the Greek is called "theosis."

Theosis. "Becoming divine" or "becoming divinized." This was made possible by Jesus Christ. The idea of sacred quietness in God.

Athanasius: "God became human so that we might become God."

Apophatic. Defined as God is beyond any human understanding. That nothing can be said about God, only what isn't true about God. Thus, according to Clement of Alexandria (d. 215), we cannot attain to what He is but only in what He is not.

Mystical Theology. We cannot know God, since He is by His very nature, unknowable. Only by "unknowing" can we approach God.

Vladimir Lossky: Now God is beyond all that exists. In order to approach Him it is necessary to deny all that is inferior to Him, that is to say, all that which is. If in seeing God one can know what one sees, then one has not seen God in Himself but something intelligible, something which is inferior to Him. It is by unknowing that one may know Him who is above every possible object of knowledge. Proceeding by negations one ascends from the inferior degrees of being to the highest, by progressively setting aside all that can be known, in order to draw near to the Unknown in the darkness of absolute ignorance.

In practice. By turning away from all that is *not* God, then one can being to approach God.

"...in fact many of those who used the apophatic approach saw it, not just as a philosophical device for indicating God's utter transcendence, but also, and much more fundamentally, as a means of attaining union with Him through prayer."

Hesychasm. A practice of contemplative meditation and prayer. Derived from "hesychia" which means "inner stillness." One is to practice certain postures, breathing techniques and prayers in order to be united to God and receive the grace of God and turning inward. The kind of prayer is the prayer of the heart. This form of prayer is called the "Jesus prayer." One receives the light of God by entering the darkness of the soul, a denial of self. God is not to be reached out there in the external world, but turning to the innermost parts of our being.

Jesus Prayer. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me (a sinner)." A monk would repeat this prayer during meditation for very long periods of time.

Theologian. A "theologian" in the mystical sense is one who has direct experience with God, as opposed to western idea of a theologian being one who is more knowledgable in the Bible, original languages and dogma.

Living Theology. Given that we are created in the image of God, "Each of us is a 'living theology', and because we are God's icon, we can find God by looking within our own heart, by 'returning within ourselves.'"

Luke 17:21 (NKJV): nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.

St. Anthony of Egypt: He who knows himself, knows God.

God's Essence. God's essence is beyond all comprehension and experience. "God is not a nature, for He is above all nature; He is not a being, for He is above all beings... No single thing of all that is created has or ever will have even the slightest communion with the supreme nature or nearness to it."

God's Energies. God's relationship with the created world. The way God communicates/shows himself to created things. Non-created, identical to God but not the same as the Essence. They are the outpourings of the divine nature.

God's Fire. "...all creation is a gigantic Burning Bush, permeated but not consumed by the ineffable and wondrous fire of God's energies." An idea, which in the extreme, can lead to pantheism.

The Way. (1) The purgative way. Purified like gold. (2) The illuminative way. Looking at the virtues that we can adopt through battle with self and wrong habits. (3) The unitive way; the mystical. We are united with Christ and see Him in everything we do. God is always calling us to be closer to Him, to be in union with Him. Through prayer, meditation, study of His Word. We become one body with Christ.