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Jesus' Diet
for your Sins
A
health book,
based
on the Bible...
with
hundreds of references from the Bible
and from the "Essene Gospel of Peace"
The Teachings of Jesus
Copyright
1988
on Diet, Health, and Fasting
Christian Health Research
Library of Congress # 88-70985
ISBN # 0-9620449-0-3
All rights reserved
published
by
Biblical
Health
Research
(formerly:
Christian Health Research)
CONTENTS
Introduction
When Jesus appeared on earth two thousand years ago,
he was a teacher and a healer. He taught
"the way, the truth, and the life" to
mankind, and was a healer in every sense of the word,
like a doctor, teaching a way to wholesomeness and well-being,
physically, as well as spiritually. Jesus
cured the maimed, the blind, the lame, the crippled,
and the insane, and even brought the dead back to
life. He fed the hungry, and inspired comfort and hope
in the oppressed and downtrodden, while feeding the
bread of wisdom to those thirsting for more abundant
life.
It is a serious responsibility to write a health book based on the teachings of Jesus, because belief in Jesus means many different things to different people, and Jesus' teachings, also, have been interpreted with a multitude of understandings. The truth, however, will shine, and does shine, and those who examine Jesus' sayings can feel and understand their eternal vitality & validity - - as vital and valid for us today as the days they were spoken two thousand years ago. Jesus' teachings, when applied, lead to health, happiness, and more abundant life, which we all seek, and which is our birthright. Healthiness, happiness, and long life are the birthrights we are welcome to receive, if we obey the will of our Creator.
To do God's will is what all believers want, or should want; yet this is not always easy or apparent, because the world offers so many temptations and diversions, so many opinions and beliefs, that can lead astray the well-intentioned truth-seeker. That is why Jesus reminded us that "the path is narrow, but the road that leads to destruction is wide, and many go that way." (Matthew 7:13-14).
Doing
God's will is not always easy, but such actions do
lead to a feeling of well-being and a sense of
accomplishment, as we hear the assent of the inner
voice, saying: "Well done, faithful and honorable
servant," imbuing us with "a joy unspeakable
and full of glory," and "a peace which
the world cannot give nor take away." This is
the "peace of God which passes all
understanding."
The title of this book was originally "The
Teachings of Jesus on Diet, Health, and Fasting,"
and it is important to note that many of Jesus' most
famous acts were as a healer of physical diseases...
but it is all the teachings of Jesus which are
supposed to make us well, whole, wholesome, holy,
healthy, and free from all illness, suffering, and
disease -- physically, mentally, emotionally, and
spiritually. This book has since been re-named "Jesus'
Diet for Your Sins!" due to the universal
interest in the relation of diet to health, and
recently added the title "Heal Thyself: For
Christ's Sake!" because we can be more useful
to God if we are healthy than if not so.
Jesus taught that the "kingdom of heaven is at
hand" and also "within you."
(Matt 3:2; 4:17;10:17; Luke 7:21), but many people
are waiting to get their happiness in heaven, while
they remain as miserable as hell, here on earth....but
a healthy person is happier and more useful for God's
purposes here on earth. This book tries to show
a way to heal ourselves, so that we may be healthy and
holy, ready and able to do God's work here on earth.
Some believers assume that the physical, material
world is somehow degrading or degenerate; but this
magnificent, natural, physical world is obviously and
empirically the handiwork of an intelligent &
compassionate Creator. God did not make a
mistake when He designed the natural world as we find
it. The Bible states that "God saw all He had
made and pronounced it very good." The
Bible also tells us that "the body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit ...which temple ye
are...therefore glorify God in your body."
(Corinth 3:16; 6:19-20)
The divine Creator designed this world and our marvelous bodies, which are our precious inheritance at birth. The physical body is merely a temporary home for the spirit, but the care we give to it influences the quality of our lives, and a healthy body is attuned, and receptive to the influence of God's love, wisdom, and guidance. Jesus' parables about the "ten talents" and the "unjust steward" have important practical meanings, being that we must take care of those things which we are given in life. While we must live in these physical bodies, we should know them, understand them, and treat them as products of Mother Nature, which is a manifestation of God, and God's wisdom. The human body is a holy instrument and vehicle for God's spirit. It is a living machine of divine origin, whose operations are based on the laws of nature, also known as "mother nature," and a person who understands and respects those laws will be the recipient of greater health and happiness, than one who doesn't. A healthy physical body is robust and radiant, and this quality of health carries over to one's life and work. We can better serve God, and be useful for life's work, by being healthy ourselves.
Jesus
taught a way to be completely whole, and it is
interesting to note that the word "catholic"
is etymologically derived from the Greek "kata-",
a prefix meaning "completely," and "holos," meaning
"whole." In other words, the word "catholic"
means "completely whole" or "completely
well" (since the words "whole,"
"well," "wholesome,"
"holy," and "healthy" all derive
from the same linguistic root). The idea that
"catholic" means "universal" may
be a slight corruption of its original intent (since
it became the official religion of the Roman Empire),
although it is true that the teachings of Jesus are
meant for all, in this sense "universal."
However, not all are yet "completely whole,"
as may be understood by "kata-holikos." It
was this that Jesus encouraged. He was a
"healer" of men, who made men 'well,' by
making them 'whole.' He healed the
sick, the maimed, the lame, the blind, the crippled
and the insane, and even brought the dead back to
life. His healing and his ministry brought
comfort and hope to those weak and in despair.
Such an example of service to others he exhorted his
followers to imitate; yet how may we heal others, if
we ourselves are not well, whole, holy, and healthy?
Jesus' recommendation: "First, cast the log
out of your own eye, so that you can see well enough
to get rid of the little splinter in your brother's
eye." (Matt 7:3-5; Luke 6:42)
Therefore,
this book is devoted to Jesus' teachings on
well-being, so that we all may become wholly well and
totally healthy in order to be of the greatest service
to God that is possible. This message is offered
in the spirit of truth to all who seek for truth.
If the reader will seek for truth in the following
pages, truth will surely be found. "Seek, and
ye shall find." There will be
fault-finders too, which is what they will find.
"They have their reward." As
truth-seekers, may we discover truth, the evidence of
which shall reveal itself on the inside, in our
internals, in our minds and spirits and in our hearts.
Observations
on Scriptural Interpretation
As
truth-seekers, we should understand the messages which
Jesus conveyed when he was on earth. We must also
recognize that only a part of what Jesus spoke was
remembered, (only a portion of which was recorded),
and only a portion of that still survives as canonized
gospel. As John wrote at the end of his gospel: "There
are many more things which Jesus said and did, which
if they were written down, not all the books in all
the libraries in all the world could contain it."
(John 21:25). The language most
commonly used by Jesus and his disciples was Aramaic,
a language closely related to Hebrew, but no longer
spoken in the world today. Jesus also spoke in
Hebrew and in common Greek, and his teachings were
often given in parables. What was remembered was
translated from Aramaic, Hebrew, and/or common Greek
into ecclesiastical Greek, from Greek into Latin,
Latin into English, and from Greek into English.
Recognizing this maze of translations, in addition to
the fact that the parables were allegories of truth in
a culture and time far from our modern world, it is
understandable that we might be tempted to investigate
the current English texts, and try to better
understand the meaning of Jesus' words. Of
course, this is an outward maneuver only, as the Holy
Spirit is ever ready and willing to reveal the truth
to us on the inner plane, which is man's internals,
his heart, mind, and spirit. "Lo, I stand at
the door and knock ... I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world." Too many of us
are drowned, it appears, in outward experience, and
cannot hear the inner voice of God, God's angels, and
Holy Spirit, speaking to us.
The
Letter Killeth
In our
search for the truth and the undefiled word of God,
especially in terms of proper diet, which is a main
topic of this book, and a present-day concern of many,
we mustn't let that search, or our choice of food be a
"stumbling block" (Romans 14:21 & I
Corinth 8:9) either to ourselves, or to our brethren.
"If we have not love, we have nothing." (I
Corinth 13:1-3). Most of all, we should bear in
mind, as Paul wrote, that "the letter killeth,
but the Spirit giveth life." (II Corinth 3:6).
This is not meant to be construed to mean that any
arbitrary interpretation of the laws of God is
justified; for Jesus, on the contrary, said "Verily
I say unto you, 'til heaven and earth pass, one yodh
or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law."
(Matt 5:18) In another passage, Jesus says "Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my words shall NOT pass
away." (Matt 24:35).
It was Paul who wrote that "the letter killeth...," although Jesus to the contrary is quoted as saying that "one yodh or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law." A yodh (rendered "jot" in the King James Version) is the smallest letter in the Hebrew language, while a "tittle" (as in Matt 5:18) is a tiny ornament found above or below a letter or word, used as an aid in pronunciation. (In Greek, the letter corresponding to a yodh, or "jot," is an "iota," which corresponds to the English letter "i," also meaning a very small quantity of something).
It is useful to understand etymology (origin) and
lexicology (use) of certain words and phrases which
appear in the Bible, because this can explain the
origin and evolution of these terms, and thus give us
a truer understanding of what is really meant. This is
helpful to those who have faith in Jesus' words, but
are concerned that his teachings may have been
distorted or corrupted by certain forces out to twist
or change the meaning of his sayings. But the truth
will shine, and does shine, and "you can know
a tree by its fruits."
King
James Version
There
are many versions of the Bible, and they are all good
and truthful. For most of this book, we
have used the English translation called the The
King James Version (KJV), originally published
in 1611, after 46 of the world's leading Bible
scholars spent 8 years translating both the Old and
New Testaments. This translation is
unfortunately now in an antiquated form of English,
but it was the first of many modern English
translations, and is an original English version,
translated directly from the ancient languages spoken
by Jesus....
The King James Version also possesses the unique quality of being the most eerie, haunting, and spiritual of the many English translations, and there is something in favor of this. However, there are some expressions in King James' English which don't mean the same as they used to. One prime example here is the word "meat," which in King James' 17th century England, simply meant "food." In fact, a whole separate expression is used for "flesh-eating" by St. Paul (Romans 14:21; I Corinth 8:13)....
Although it is written in the Scriptures that we
cannot change the word of God (Matt 24:35; Isaiah
40:8), it is not meant to imply the outer word, but
the inner word that cannot be changed. We should
note that the Scriptures defend themselves as being
divinely inspired. "No prophecy of the
Scripture is of any private interpretation. For
no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but holy
men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
(II Peter 1:20-21). Similarly, holy people of God will
understand the Scriptures with the aid of the Holy
Spirit.
Caretakers
of the Temple
The
essence of the present message is that we are, and
must always be, ever watchful caretakers of our own
health - physically, mentally, and spiritually.
We must take care of what we are given in life, as in
the parables of the ten talents and of the unjust
steward, etc. This includes not only taking care of
the world around us, but also taking care of
ourselves. St. Paul wrote: "Do you not know
that you are a temple of God, and that the spirit of
God dwells in you? If any man defiles the temple of
God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is
holy, and that is what you are." (I Corinth 3:16)
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body." (I Corinth 6:19-20).
The all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving, all-merciful, well-wishing and beneficent Creator of this marvelous universe did not err to have made the world as we find it. The Bible tells us that the God-made, natural world is 'very good': "God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31).
The forces of nature, and the natural laws of life, were designed by God for the benefit and well-being of all. Man is both a product of Mother Nature, as well as dependent on Nature, living in symbiotic relationship with Her. She is in you, and you are in Her. This is the Creator's design, which we should work along with, and not deny.
Healthiness
is Holiness
If we
would work in harmony with the laws and forces of
Mother Nature, we would be well established in
wholeness and well-being. We would then be
"completely whole," as in the original sense
of the Greek term ‘kataholikos,’ completely
wholesome, or "completely well,"
which is a goal Jesus urged in his ministry. "Become
ye perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is
perfect." The point is not that we must "be
perfect," but to "become
perfect." For Jesus said: "No
one is perfect, except God." Healthiness
and holiness have more than just a linguistic
connection. It is holy to be healthy,
because physical health enhances the spirit, which
does God’s work, and receives God’s blessings.
The
ancient Essenes (a sect of Judaism which flourished
around the time of Jesus in the desert of the Holy
Land near the Dead Sea) were noted for their devotion
to health and purity, through mystical asceticism,
fasting, and eugenics. The very word "Essene"
comes from the Greek word "hasen,"
related to the Hebrew word "hasid"
(as in the sect known as "Hasidic" Jews)
and which means literally "pious"
or "holy."
The
Law is Life
Much
of this book compares the Bible with a first century
Aramaic manuscript called the Essene Gospel of
Peace. A more lengthy introduction to the
Essene Gospel of Peace may be found near the end
of this book. The Essene Gospel of Peace is a
short, inspirational narrative claiming to be
teachings of Jesus on healing via diet and fasting.
It was discovered in the archives of theVatican
library in the 1920's by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, and
has been translated into at least 20 languages, and
sold more than two million copies.
Many of the sayings found in the Essene Gospel of Peace correspond to verses in the Bible, although the Essene Gospel of Peace itself is not part of the Bible. Yet the truth of it shines like the daylight. In a passage about the laws of life, Jesus explains: "Seek not the law in your scriptures, for the law is life, whereas the Scripture are dead.... The law is living word of living God to living prophets for living men. In everything that is life is the law written. You find it in the grass, in the tree, in the river, in the mountain, in the birds of heaven, in the fishes of the sea; but seek it chiefly in yourselves. For I tell you truly, all living things are nearer to God than the Scripture which is without life... God wrote not the laws in the pages of books, but in your heart and in your spirit... I tell you truly, that the Scripture is the work of man, but life and all its hosts are the work of our God."
Cannot
Serve Two Masters
This
idea of serving life is also found in the New
Testament where Jesus says: "My God is a God
of the LIVING, not of the dead." (Matt 8:22; Luke
9:60), and in six places in the New Testament, Jesus
says he came to "save" us (Matt 18:11; Luke
19:10, 9:56; John 3:17, 5:34, 12:47). The
term "save" used here is a word that has a
meaning etymologically related to "wholeness,"
"well-preserved," "healthy,"
or "in sound condition."
In the
New Testament, Jesus also says that he came to
"give us life" that we may have it
"more abundantly." (John 10:10). And when
Jesus says "My God is a God of the LIVING,
not a God of the dead." (Matt 8:22; Luke 9:60),
there is a dichotomy in Jesus' way of seeing things.
There is a world of the living, and a world of death;
a world of seeing, and a world of blindness; a world
of the saved, and a world of the damned, and Jesus
counsels that we "cannot serve two masters."
(Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13).
Living
Death
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus
continually refers to a two kingdom dichotomy: the
"kingdom of life," and the "kingdom of
death." But here we find that Jesus is not
merely speaking of death after life, but rather
that it is an allusion to death in life, a
kind of living-death. In the New Testament, we
read that "the wages of sin is
death." (Romans 6:23). Note the present
tense. It does not say that the wages of sin will
be death, but that you are already living in death
when you sin. The "kingdom of death"
is the present life that leads to hell, and Jesus is
pleading with us to change our ways before it is too
late.
So
dire is his vision of hell, that he warns us: "If
thy hand or foot offend thee, cut it off, and cast it
from thee; it is better for thee to enter into LIFE
lame or maimed, rather than, having two hands or two
feet, to be cast into everlasting FIRE. And if thine
eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee;
it is better for thee to enter into LIFE having one
eye, rather than, having two eyes, to be cast into
HELL FIRE." (Matt 18:8-9). The experience of
"hell" is further described by Jesus as "the
FIRE that never shall be quenched, where the worm
dieth not, and the FIRE is not quenched." (Matt
9:43-44
Heaven
is Here and Now
We are
offered a choice between life and death, heaven or
hell, so let us celebrate life and living things, and
learn how to free ourselves from the "clutches of
Satan." Just as there is a living death, or
hell in life, so too the kingdom of heaven exists in
life. According to Jesus, heaven is not merely or
exclusively a "place" we go to in the
future: "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."
(Matt 3:2, 4:17, 10:7). "The kingdom of
heaven is within you." (Luke
17:21).
"Seek ye first
the kingdom of heaven..." (Matt 6:33).
Jesus wouldn't exhort us to seek it first (Matt 6:33)
if it came only after death, nor would he urge us to
seek for it if we couldn't have it, or if it wasn't
there. "Seek ye first the kingdom of
heaven..." (Matt 6:33). Jesus wouldn't exhort us
to seek it first (Matt 6:33) if it came only after
death, nor would he urge us to seek for it if we
couldn't have it, or if it wasn't there.
Strive
to Enter by the Narrow Door
The
present-tense, living experience of heaven on earth,
while alive in the body, remains dormant and
unfulfilled for many people. As Jesus said: "Straight
is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto
Life, and few there be that find it." (Matt 7:14).
Why is the kingdom of heaven experience so elusive? It
may be because of our disobedience, negligence, or
ignorance of the laws of life, which include the
physical laws of Mother Nature, as well as the moral
or spiritual laws of God, the Heavenly Father. "For
the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to
destruction, and many are those that enter by
it." (Matt 7:13).
If we live according to God's established laws and truths, we will be happy, healthy, and holy. God's way is more wholesome and life-enhancing than "the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction" (Matt 7:13). God's way is also simpler and easier, if we could only comprehend the light. As Jesus said: "Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest... For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28, 30).
Jesus also suggested that we should "strive to enter by the narrow door; for many will seek to enter and not be able." (Luke 13:24). In our search for that heavenly kingdom, which is earthly as well as spiritual, present as well as future, we must cooperate with, and live in harmony with the laws of nature, which come from a wise and benevolent Creator, for our benefit and well-being.
Holy
Spirit Will Guide You
In the Essene Gospel of Peace,
Jesus says: "God wrote not the laws in the
pages of books, but in everything that is alive and
has motion is the law written...For I tell you truly,
all living things are nearer to God than Scripture
which is without life."
In the Old Testament, God said to Moses: "I
will write the laws in their hearts and in their
inward parts." The Holy Spirit within us is
ever ready and willing to guide us and to teach us,
except that we sometimes don't hear hear its
inner voice, calling us and guiding us, urging
goodness.
Moses,
Jesus, Saint Paul
To the young rich man who asked "what shall I
do to inherit eternal life?" (Matt 19:16),
Jesus replied: "If you want to gain Life, keep
the commandments..."(of Moses).
(Matthew 19:17). Contrary to some modern
Christian and Jewish beliefs, Jesus did not intend to
overthrow or change the laws given by Moses (although
it is true that he did propose certain amendments or
reforms. More often than we might expect, Jesus
used the teachings of the Old Testament to explain or
give support to his own statements.
"How was it written in old times?"
Jesus frequently asked, in a rhetorical sense. "Think
not that I come to destroy the law, or the prophets;
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
For verily I say unto you, 'til heaven and
earth pass, one yodh (the smallest Hebrew letter) or
one tittle (a tiny ornament used for
pronunciation) shall in no way pass from the law,
'til all be fulfilled. Whoever, therefore, shall
break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of
heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them, the
same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say unto you that unless your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the
Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter the kingdom of
heaven." (Matthew 15:17-20).
St.
Paul, however, took the liberty of interpreting
Christ's message, suggesting that Christians are no
longer bound to the laws of Moses.
Jesus, however, explained that he came to
fulfill the law, not to destroy it, and recommended
we keep the laws of Moses.
Not
What Goes Into a Man's Mouth
Although Jesus urged his followers to keep the laws of
Moses, many Christians nowadays nevertheless
assume that it is 'lawful' to consume
almost any kind of food, thereby in many cases
unintentionally defiling the body, the "temple of
the Holy Spirit." The usual justification for
this, is found in the verse in which Jesus says: "It
is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a
man." (Matt 15: 11; Mark 7: 15). But this
verse is taken out of context and its meaning is lost,
unless we study Matthew chapter 15 as a whole.
When Jesus said, "It's not what goes into a man's
mouth that defiles a man," he was making this
statement in REPLY to accusations by the scribes and
Pharisees that his disciples did not wash their
hands before they ate, which was the custom
according to Jewish law. The scribes and Pharisees
frequently accused Jesus of doing wrong, trying to
find faults in his preaching. Here, they
ask: "Why do thy disciples transgress the
tradition of the elders? For they wash not
their hands when they eat...." (Matthew 15:2).
In reply, Jesus pointed out how minor that
transgression of the law was, compared with their own
infractions of it. Then follows the
part about the "mouth," what goes in and out
of it. First, Jesus rebukes his accusers,
calling them "hypocrites," and several times
refers to the fact that they don't do what they
"SAY" they do; that they "curse"
their father and mother; that they "SAY" one
thing and do another. Then Jesus adds: "Ye
hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
'This people draweth near unto me with their
"MOUTH," and honoreth me with their
"LIPS," but their heart is far from
me." After all this, Jesus adds: "It
is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles a
man, but that which comes out of a man's mouth that
defiles a man." Then, Jesus explains
what does happen to that which goes into the mouth:
"Do ye not yet understand, that whatever
enters in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast
out into the sewer" (Matthew 15:17) Mark
adds to this verse: "...purging all
foods" (Mark 7:19).
Jesus finishes this particular teaching by explaining how the things that come out of a man's mouth defile a man because "those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man." (Matthew 15:18-20).
...Jesus
also warned: "Woe to you hypocrites who strain
out a gnat, yet "swallow" a
camel." (Matthew 23:24)
Resist
Desires of Flesh, and Live By the Spirit
Note
that paying attention to food and diet is not rendered
in the Bible to be an important aspect of life, or of
spiritual progress, except in the sense of avoiding
gluttony and drunkenness (Proverbs 23:21), and
indiscriminate yielding to the "lusts of the
flesh."
In The Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus urges us to "live by the spirit and resist the desires of the body." In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and follow me." (Luke 9: 23). "Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."(Matthew 26:41). St. Paul wrote: "If you are living according to the flesh, you must die, but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the lusts of the body, you will live."(Romans 8:13).
Furthermore, St. Paul reminds us to "Set your minds on the things above, not on the things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2). The anonymous author of the New Testament book "Hebrews" sums it up well by writing: "It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, NOT BY FOODS, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited." (Hebrews 13: 9).
Jesus
said: "My food is to do the will of Him who
sent me." (John 4: 34).
Food and diet are not the way to salvation, or God's
grace. However, we are only doing as we
should, with wisdom and moderation in diet.
Self-control, combined with wise choice of foods, is a
moral imperative, and we should not expect any reward
for it.
Rewarded
By Fasting
We should not expect any 'reward' by paying proper
attention to diet. However, Jesus promised there
is a "reward" in connection with fasting.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave several
guidelines as to how we should fast, concluding "...when
you fast, show your fasting to no man, but unto your
Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in
secret, shall reward thee openly." (Matt 6:18).
Prayer
and Fasting Together
While
on the subject of fasting, and Jesus' teachings on
fasting, we should note that in the Essene Gospel of
Peace, Jesus emphasizes fasting first, and then
attention to diet, as the royal road to health and
healing. Fasting is urged repeatedly, in
conjunction with prayer, in both The Essene Gospel of
Peace (where Jesus urges us to fast and pray
"fervently" and to "persevere" in
prayer and fasting), and also in the New Testament,
where Jesus' teachings on fasting and prayer are given
in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapter 6).
Fasting and prayer are also mentioned together in the
casting out of the possessed spirit, where Jesus
claims: "This kind cannot come out by any
means, except prayer and fasting." (Mark 9:29).
It is in the very same chapter that Jesus claims that "all
things are possible to him who believes."(Mark
9:23)
"Purify the temple," says Jesus in the
Essene Gospel of Peace, "that the lord of the
Temple may dwell therein and occupy a place that is
worthy of him." In the New Testament,
we find this exhortation: "Therefore glorify
God in your body." (II Corinth 6:20). "I
urge you therefore to present your bodies as a living
and holy sacrifice." (Romans 12:1)
"Christ shall now, as always, be exalted in my
body, whether by life or by death." (Philipians
1:20). "You are the temple of God, and the
Spirit of God dwells in you. If any man
defiles the temple of God, him shall God destroy, for
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
"(I Corinth 3:16-17)
Cleanse
First the Inside of the Cup
One of
the quickest, most direct, and most efficient ways to
bodily purification, and renewed health, is by
fasting. Trying to "cleanse" the body
through dietary reform is a slower process toward this
same goal - - which is not merely for physical
purification, but also for spiritual enlightenment and
for achieving spiritual power. "Cleanse first
the inside of the cup, that the outside may be clean
also."(Matt 23:26) The old
saying goes: "Beauty (and health as well) comes
from within."
New
Wine Must Be Put in New Skins
As we
noted, the Essene Gospel of Peace teaches fasting
first, and then care with diet (not just what to eat,
but also when, why, how, and how much). An
explanation of why we should fast first, is alluded to
in the parable of the wineskins, which Jesus gave as a
reply to the Pharisee's questioning why his disciples
did not fast. Jesus said: "No man puts new
wine into old wineskins; else the new wine will
burst the wineskins, and be spilled, and the wineskins
shall perish." (Luke 5:37; Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22).
The word "wineskin" in Greek ("askos") is the same word used for human skin. Thus in effect, Jesus was saying that the old wineskins are our old bodies. The "new wine" or fresh grape juice ("new wine hangs in the clusters" - Isaiah 65:8) shall cause the old wineskins to break (to be spilled), to "perish' or be marred, destroyed. (The word used here in the Greek is "apollumni," indicating a state of continual suffering, the inevitable result of sin. 'Apollumni' is used by St. Paul in its present-tense, on-going context in which he contrasts those who "are perishing" with those who "are being saved."(I Corinth 1:18). Approximately twenty words in Greek are rendered in the King James Version by "destroy, perish, defile," although the most extensively used word is 'apollumni.' This word does not connote annihilation, however, but rather something that is ruined, and thus unsuitable or unable to fulfill its original purpose, (according to the New Schofield Reference Bible).
As a remedy against the "new wine" bursting the "old wineskins," Jesus cautions that "new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matt 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:38). Pure food, like fresh fruit (i.e., "new wine"), when consumed by a person who has been eating mainly the dead, lifeless, and often poisonous food of the "civilized" diet, will likely stir up an elimination of toxic wastes from the body -- a process which is likely to feel painful, as toxic substances and other physical encumbrances pass through the organs of elimination. But the body heals itself dramatically while fasting, specifically on account of the elimination of these burdens.... When a person whose body may be laden with toxic wastes from a previously poor diet begins to eat more of the cleansing foods, such as fresh fruits, the result is often trouble in the form of diarrhea, headache, and other symptoms of malaise, which is erroneously blamed on the new foods, rather than understanding it as a cleansing and healing reaction. The body is trying to heal itself, but a person in this condition often returns happily to the old diet, rejecting the healing powers of the new.
As
Jesus remarked at the close of the parable of the
wineskins: "No one, after drinking old wine,
wishes for the new; for he says, 'The old is
sufficient.' " (Luke 5:39). It is
important, therefore, to initiate dietary reform with
fasting, to "first cleanse the inside of the
cup." This will help to
eliminate toxic wastes, which the cleansing and
healing diet may otherwise aggravate. Also, after a
complete fast, the appetite and relish for simple,
natural foods is keen and sensitive, desiring that
which is best for the body, rather than continuing the
vicious cycle of old, perverted cravings. We might say
that food is "addicting," and that we
desire, or crave, those foods which we are accustomed
to eating. If we suddenly change our diet,
without salivating with a keen desire for the new
foods, it may result in indigestion or other problems,
which may be blamed erroneously on the new foods
rather than its interaction with our condition.
Therefore, fasting is prescribed prior to commencing a
new, improved diet.
Except
A Man Be Born Again
Fasting
has the power not only to purify the physical temple,
but also to rejuvenate the body, if done properly;
and it is also, as we have noted, a path for spiritual
enlightenment. "Except a man be born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3).
The word "rejuvenate" comes from the Latin
"juvens" meaning "youth," thus
meaning to become youthful again. "Unless you
become again as little children, you cannot enter the
kingdom of heaven." (Matt 18:3).
Lest the reader protest that this being "born
again" and becoming "again like little
children" is meant solely in a spiritual sense,
we should note that Jesus' suggestion that we must be "born
again" is mentioned only once in the Bible,
in the third chapter of John.
However, this saying has gained great popularity, and
millions of people around the world claim to be
"born-again Christians." Such a
spiritual rebirth, a new life with Christ, is
certainly part of Jesus' meaning in the gospel of John
chapter three; but there is also a physical
rebirth mentioned here, if the reader is attentive.
Nicodemus, the learned Jewish teacher whom Jesus was
addressing at the time, could not understand what
Jesus meant by being "born again."
Jesus in explanation, offered this statement: "If
I have told you of earthly things, and you believe
not, how shall I tell you of heavenly things?"
(John 3:12). Being "born again" is
meant in both a spiritual sense (John 3:8), as well as
in a physical sense (John 3:12). We have already
noted the linguistic connection between the words
"healthy" and "holy."
We should also add the words "hale,"
"heal," "well,"
"wholesome," and "wholistic."
The word "catholic," as we noted, means
"completely whole," not just spiritually
"well, whole, and healthy," but physically
healthy as well.
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus proclaims: "All
must be BORN AGAIN by AIR and by truth... by WATER and
by truth... by SUN and by
truth." Air, water, and sun are the
three most important and powerful healing agents
available to us. In the Essene Gospel of
Peace, Jesus recommends that the "angels" of
air, water, and sun embrace us always, urging us to
"let them" "enfold" us every day,
and "abide" with us through all our fasting.
In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying: "Except
a man be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter
into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5).
It should be noted that the word used here for
"spirit" is "pneuma" in Greek, a
word which also connotes fresh air, wind, and breath.
In Hebrew, the word "ruach" can likewise be
interpreted to mean fresh air, wind, breath, or
spirit. However, the meaning in John seems to indicate
clearly that Jesus is referring to the Spirit of God,
or Holy Spirit, in terms of a rebirth experience,
although physical rebirth is also mentioned in the
same passage. We have only briefly, so
far, touched on the subject of fasting, which is fun
and inspiring to read about, but which is hard to
start doing, and to "persevere in"
"until the end" (as recommended in the
Essene Gospel of Peace). Yet, as Jesus said
about fasting in the New Testament: "Great
shall be your reward" (Matt 6:18); which is
repeated again in the Essene Gospel of Peace.
Dietary
Laws Of Moses
Let us
turn our attention to the dietary laws of Moses, in
order to better understand Jesus' position on this
subject, since he urged us to "keep the laws
of Moses." Especially on the issue
of eating meat (i.e., the flesh of dead animals), we
should understand Jesus' position, because to many
people this is a 'stumbling block' (Romans 14:21;
and also I Corinth 8:9). The dietary
laws of Moses, on the surface appear to justify
meat-eating, if the kind of meat is of the
"kosher" variety, which means clean for
eating. The dietary regulations concerning
meat-eating were given to the Jews asa wise precaution
against the craving for flesh foods. Moses was
teaching his people that if they did eat animal flesh,
that they should as least eat the clean animals.
The criteria for determining which animals are clean
for eating, and which are unclean are laid out in the
Old Testament in Leviticus, chapter eleven, and in
Deuteronomy chapter fourteen. Let's quickly note
some of the main points: "You shall not eat
any detestable thing." (Deut 14:3). "You
shall not eat anything which dies of itself."
(Deut 14:21). Among animals which are clean for
eating are cows, goats, and sheep; but camels (see
Matt 23:24), rabbits, and pigs are unclean for
eating. All this is enumerated in much greater
detail in Leviticus chapter eleven, and
Deuteronomy chapter fourteen. Note, however,
what Moses wrote in Deuteronomy chapter twelve: "You
may eat these foods (i.e., the kosher animals) only
when your soul craves them." (Deut 12:15)
Honor
Mother and Father: Do Not Kill
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus explains why Moses
"suffered" (i.e., allowed) the Hebrew people
to eat these flesh foods, explaining it as a
"crutch." "For he whose feet are strong
as the mountain of Zion, needs no crutches; but he
whose limbs do shake, gets further having crutches,
than without them." This comes in a long passage,
as part of a reply to the question about what sins we
must avoid, so that we may never again see disease.
Here, Jesus explains at length about two commandments
which we must be diligent in keeping, if we are to
recover or maintain health and well-being, which is
the basis for the vegetarian diet, which is
recommended in the Essene Gospel of Peace.
Jesus
says that "the commandment given in the old days
was that we honor our heavenly Father and our earthly
Mother, that thy days shall be long upon the earth.
And next afterward was given this commandment: Thou
shall not kill, for life is given to all by God, and
that which God has given, let not man take away.
For I tell you truly, from one Mother proceeds all
that lives upon the earth. Therefore, he who kills,
kills his brother. And from him will the earthly
Mother turn away. For I tell you truly, he who
kills, kills himself, and whoso eats the flesh of
slain beasts, eats the body of death. And
their death will become his death ... For the wages of
sin is death. Kill not, nor eat the flesh of
your innocent prey, lest you become the slaves of
Satan. For that is the path of suffering, and
leads unto death. But do the will of God
that His angels may serve you... Obey therefore the
words of God: "Behold, I have given you every
herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the
earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree
yielding seed; to you it shall be for food."
(Genesis 1:29). "But flesh and the blood which
quickens it, shall ye not eat." Compare with
Genesis 9:3,4). Then, in the same
passage in the Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus was asked
why Moses, whom Jews considered the greatest in
Israel, "suffered" (i.e., allowed) their
forefathers to eat the flesh of clean beasts, and
forbade only the flesh of unclean beasts, while Jesus
now suggests avoiding the flesh of all beasts.
Jesus explained that God gave Moses ten commandments.
But they were hard, and the Jewish people couldn't
keep them. So Moses then gave them ten times ten
commandments, less hard, that they might follow them.
But Jesus suggests here that if the Jewish people had
been able to keep the ten commandments of God, Moses
would never have need of his ten times ten
commandments. "For that did Moses break the two
tablets of stone whereon... were the ten commandments,
and he gave them ten times ten in their stead.
And of those ten times ten, the scribes and Pharisees
made a hundred times ten commandments... But the
more nigh are the commandments to God, the less do we
need; and the farther they are from God, then
the more do we need." (Quote from the Essene
Gospel of Peace, pp 44-48).
Human
Digestive Anatomy Not Carnivorous
We
should note that the anatomy and physiology of the
human digestive system closely resembles that of
fruit-eating animals, but it is NOT comparable with
that of omnivorous, herbivorous, or carnivorous
animals, although man can adapt (at a cost) to an
omnivorous diet. A well-known scientific
observation is that the human digestive system
corresponds to that of fruit-eating animals by
comparison of the dentition (the kinds of teeth for
biting and chewing), the chemistry of the saliva and
digestive secretions, the length of the alimentary
canal, and the kinds of hands and fingers and
fingernails. In all of these, the anatomy
and physiology of the human digestive system is
comparable to that of fruit-eating animals.
The term "fruit-eating animal" (or frugivore),
implies animals that subsist chiefly on fruit.
Some people are "fruitarians" and subsist on
fruits almost exclusively, with seemingly great
benefit and radiant health. The gorilla is
chiefly a fruitarian animal, although it also
naturally seeks out succulent tubers and roots; and
just consider the strength of gorillas! Fresh fruit
contains about the same ratios of proteins, sugars,
vitamins, and water as is found in mother's milk (only
1-2% protein, 85% water), and look how well an infant
grows, nourished only on this low-protein food. Fruits
and herbs constituted the original God-given diet:
"Of every tree of Paradise you may eat
freely." (Genesis 2:16)
Note
also that the original sin was a dietary error!
Note, too, that almost all meat-eating animals eat
only herbivorous animals. Is it because
herbivorous and frugivorous animals are healthier, or
taste better, than their fellow carnivores?
Daniel
and Pulses
Let us
refer now to the Old Testament, in the first
chapter of the book of Daniel. Here we read how
Daniel refused to eat the king's meat and wine, and
chose instead to live on a diet of pulses (i.e.,
legumes), after which he not only appeared handsomer
and stronger than the other youths, who had been
eating meat and drinking wine, but also "surpassed
them in knowledge and intelligence in every branch of
literature and wisdom: Daniel even understood all
kinds of visions and dreams." (Daniel 1:17).
This, after only ten days on a diet of pulses and
water. The Bible states: "Daniel made up his
mind he would not defile himself with the king's meat
and wine." (Daniel 1: 18). "Let us be given
pulses to eat, and water to drink...At the end of ten
days their appearance seemed better, and they seemed
stronger than all the youths who had been
eating the king's choicest food." (Daniel 1: 12,
15). Moreover, those on the simple
diet of pulses and water were in the end "wiser
and more intelligent. " (Daniel 1:17)
Kingdom
of God Not Food and Drink
St.
Paul also has a few things to say about meat-eating.
Trying to resolve the conflict between vegetarians and
meat-eaters, he writes: "Him that is weak in
the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful
disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all
things; another, who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him
that eateth not, judge him that eateth; for God hath
received him." (Romans 14:2,3). "I know, and
am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing
unclean by itself; but to him who esteemeth anything
to be unclean, to him it is unclean."
"But
if thy brother be grieved with thy food, thou walkest
not in love. Do not destroy with your food him for
whom Christ died." (Romans 14:14,15).
"Therefore, do not let your good be evil spoken
of; for the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but
righteousness, and the peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit." (Romans 14:16, 17). "Do not destroy
the work of God for the sake of food. All
things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man
who eats with offense. It is good neither to eat
flesh-foods, nor drink wine, nor anything by which thy
brother stumbleth, or is offended, or made weak."
(Romans 14:20, 21).
Food
Commendeth Us Not to God
In his
first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes: "For
food commendeth us not to God; for neither if we eat
are we the better nor if we eat not are we the worse.
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours
becomes a stumbling block to them that are weak...
Therefore, if food make my brother to offend, I will
eat no flesh-foods while the world standeth, lest I
cause my brother to stumble." I Corinth 8:8, 9,
13).
So we find Paul admitting it is better to be a vegetarian, although "nothing is unclean by itself." Paul's main point is that it is better that the issue of diet not be a "stumbling block" for either others losing their love for you, or you losing your love for them, which goes for both vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians.
They
That are Well Have No Need of the Physician
The
fact that meat-eating seemed to accompany Jesus'
meetings with people is not sufficient reason to
believe that Jesus would recommend it, because, as he
said, "They that are well have no need of the
physician, but they that are sick. I come not to call
the righteous, but sinners to repent." (Mark
2:17). However, none of Moses'
dietary laws were transgressed, and since fish was a
common food in that time and place, it is
understandable that we find incidents in the New
Testament in which meat was served as food. But
this doesn't justify meat-eating or insignificance of
diet.
Far more often than images of meat-eating, the Bible abounds with mention of fruits. The Bible begins and ends with the tree of life, and its twelve fruits, the leaves of which are for the "healing of nations." (Rev 22:2). In the Old Testament, the Lord says that He "abhors the burnt offerings of animal sacrifices." (Jeremiah 6:20), and Jesus says: "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me." (Matt 25:40) "It is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should perish." (Matt 18:14). Far more often than images of meat-eating, the Bible abounds with mention of fruits. The Bible begins and ends with the tree of life, and its twelve fruits, the leaves of which are for the "healing of nations." (Rev 22:2). In the Old Testament, the Lord says that He "abhors the burnt offerings of animal sacrifices." (Jeremiah 6:20), and Jesus says: "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me." (Matt 25:40) "It is not the will of your Father in heaven that a single one of these little ones should perish." (Matt 18:14).
Loaves
and Fishes
Additionally,
we read of the miraculous catch of fish directed
by Jesus (John 21:1-11), and then afterwards
how he distributed the fish to his disciples (John
2l:12,13), which occurred after his resurrection.
But we do not read that Jesus himself ate the fish.
The several recorded instances of the feeding of
the multitudes (Matt ch 14 & 15; Mark ch 6 &
8; Luke 9; and John 6) were likewise miraculous
events, and because they were miracles, the law
against killing was not transgressed. In
the accounts of the feeding of the multitudes, we find
that Jesus did indeed receive "loaves and
fish," but in the majority of the reports he distributed
only the loaves. Neither is there
mention here that he ate any fish. It has been
said that the word for "fish" in ancient
Aramaic (the language most commonly used by Jesus and
his disciples) closely resembles the Aramaic word for
"bread"; and as we read the accounts, we see
that Jesus took the loaves and fish, and "blessed
and broke" them, which is the exact wording
in every account. (Matt 14:19, 15:36; Mark 6:41,
8:19-20; Luke 9:16; John 6:11). However
the blessing and breaking is a ritual in the Jewish
religion over bread only. It is not done over
fish.
Symbolism
of Fish
The
ancient Essenes shaped their bread like fish. Their
bread was made into flat wafers, by sun-baking crushed
wheat-berries that had sprouted for one day. The
wafers were designed flat in remembrance of the "matzoh"
of their forefathers, who departed in haste from the
land of bondage. They were shaped like fish to
commemorate the astrological cycle of the "piscean
age." Pisces, which is the last sign of the
zodiac, is symbolized by the fish, and the word "pisces"
is the plural of the Latin word for fish, "piscis."
Also, the astrological sign of Pisces is ruled by the
feet, which is the foundation of all, which Jesus
Christ represents. The fish is also the early
symbol of the Christian faith found in the Catacombs
(subterranean burial chambers of the early Christians
in and near Rome), and the sign of the fish is still
used today as an insignia of the Christian faith.
Inside the fish-shaped sign, there is often found a
five-letter Greek word, which supposedly translates as
initials of the words
"Jesus-Christ-God-Son-Savior."
This word, in turn, is connected with the Greek word
for Jesus, Iesous; in Latin Iesus; and with this, it
is claimed that the name for Jesus, in both Greek and
Latin, is related to another word for fish in those
respective languages: "ichthys" in Greek,
and "ichthus" in Latin (whence the English
words "ichthyology," a branch of zoology
dealing with fish.)
Essene
Matzoh
It has
been noted that the ancient Essenes shaped their bread
like fish, and that this bread (which was made from
crushed, sprouted wheatberries) was rolled into thin,
flat wafers which were baked by the sun. We mention
this because it has been claimed that these flat,
sun-baked, sprouted-wheat wafers were the original
form of communion wafers of the early church. The
instructions for making these wafers (made from
nothing but whole wheat-berries, with water, sun, and
air) are given in detail in the Essene Gospel of
Peace: Sprout the wheat berries for one day, crush
them, spread very thin, and bake both sides in the sun
all day until dry.
Meat-Eating:
Morally and Physically Unhealthy
The
problems with meat-eating are not only moral, but
physical. The chief moral issue, which we mentioned,
is the slaughter of innocent animals. "Thou
shalt not kill" was the commandment given to
man, and is still as valid today as it was then.
Jesus said: "It is not the will of your Father
in heaven that a single one of these little ones
should perish.' (Matt 18:14). "Whatever you do
unto the least of these, you do unto me." (Matt
25:40). All life was made by God, and only God can
take it away. "He who kills an ox is like one
who slays a man; he who sacrifices a lamb is
like one who breaks a dog's neck." (Isaiah 66:3).
It is wholly unnecessary to eat animal flesh, as witnessed by the millions of vegetarians in the world who maintain their health without it, and who generally have better health, and lower incidences of all the main degenerative diseases that afflict mankind. We should therefore understand that the vegetarians' good health is not surprising, but expected. Meat-eating is hard to justify in most cases.
Flesh
Pots of Egypt: The Quail and The Plague
When
the Israelites wandered through the desert after their
exodus from the land of bondage, they began to
complain of the daily diet of "manna," and
lusted for the former "flesh-pots" which
they had in Egypt. The Lord, in reply, promised
to give them flesh food to eat "until it comes
out your nostrils, and becomes loathsome to you."
(Numbers 11:33). "Therefore, the Lord brought
forth a strong wind, carrying quail from the sea, and
let them fall beside the camp, until the desert was
covered with quail, a yard deep and for miles
around." "While the meat was still between
their teeth, the Lord struck them with a very severe
plague." (Numbers 11:33).
The other moral issue about meat-eating we should consider is that because of famine, hunger, and starvation in so many parts of the world, the land area needed to raise and produce animal products is ten to twenty times the same area that would be needed to raise an equal amount of vegetable foods in terms of their nutritional value. Thus, eating meat, in today's world, indirectly contributes to the suffering of hungry, undernourished, starving people everywhere. The physical problems that come from eating meat are also manifold. "When you eat the flesh of slain beasts," Jesus warns in the Essene Gospel of Peace, "you eat the body of death... And its death becomes your death."
Moreover, meat-eating is difficult on digestion, leaves poisonous waste products that put extra burdens on the organs of elimination, are high in fats which contribute to heart disease, overweight, and other ailments, and are ten to twenty times more concentrated in environmental pollutants than an equal amount of vegetable foods. Such a concentration of pollutants is equally true for eggs and dairy products. All animal products, including milk, eggs, and meat, concentrate whatever pollutants may be in the animals' food. In former times, before wide-scale pollution from industrial chemicals, this was not a problem. But in today's polluted world, it is something to consider. Therefore, it behooves us to avoid meat-eating, which is an unnecessary indulgence, not morally virtuous, basically immoral, and certainly not conducive to optimum, radiant health and well-being.
Then
They Shall Fast
Let us
again consider Jesus' teachings on fasting, in greater
detail. If we are to believe the Bible,
fasting must certainly be considered an aspect of
Christian behavior. Jesus wouldn't have
given us instructions on how to fast (as he did in the
Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 6) if he didn't
expect us to fast, at least on occasions. Also
note Jesus saying this: "The days will come
when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then
they shall fast." (Matt 9:1; Mark 2:20; Luke
5:35).
We
should practice fasting because of its well documented
effectiveness as a catalyst for spiritual
illumination, or enlightenment, as well as for
physical purification, healing, and rejuvenation. The
true willingness to enter a fast comes with the
initial expressions of self-denial, and in this we see
a form of penance and desire for atonement.
This is the time to sacrifice one's will, and follow
the higher will of God. To this extent,
man's will becomes God's will, which is all powerful.
That is why Jesus said (in relation to fasting):
"To those who believe, all things are
possible." (Mark 9:23,29).
The
Ungodly Shall Perish
The
ungodly shall perish. "If thy hand offend thee,
cut it off." This is another example of one of
many figurative expressions in the Bible that should
not be taken literally. It is an
exhortation for self-denial and repentance, and Jesus
promises a "reward" in conjunction with
fasting, which is a form of self-denial, and sacrifice
of self-will. In the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus promises "...when you fast... great
shall be your reward," or "...your Father
shall reward you openly." (Matt 6:16-18).
Purify
The Temple
Fasting
is an age-old art, but the general knowledge of it has
been lost or obscured by modem civilization.
Fasting is a known cure for numerous ailments, and we
have many times heard the saying: "Starve a
fever, lest you feed a cold." Fasting is a
means of bodily purification, as well as spiritual
enlightenment. "Purify, therefore, the temple,
that the Lord of the temple may dwell therein and
occupy a place that is worthy of him." (From the
Essene Gospel of Peace: compare with I Corinth
3:16,17 and 6:19,20) "Your body is a temple of
the Holy Spirit ...Therefore glorify God in your
body." "Let us cleanse ourselves of all
defilement of flesh." (11 Cor 7:1)
Rebirth
Through Fasting
The
Essene Gospel of Peace is an inspiring and persuasive
document about purification, healing, rejuvenation,
and rebirth through fasting. In it, Jesus
teaches that we must "purify" and
"renew" our physical bodies in preparation
for a spiritual rebirth. A spiritual renewal, or
rebirth, follows the physical purification by fasting.
The Essene Gospel of Peace explains why we should
fast: "You do not understand the words of life,
because you are in death. Darkness darkens your
eyes and your ears are stopped with deafness... and so
the word and the power of God enter not into
you, because all manner of evil and abominations have
a dwelling in your body and your spirit. If you
will that the living God's word and power may enter
you, defile not your body and spirit; for the
body is the temple of the spirit, and the spirit is
the temple of God. Purify, therefore, the
temple, that the Lord of the temple may dwell therein
and occupy a place that is worthy of him ... And
from all temptations of your body and your spirit,
coming from Satan, withdraw beneath the shadow of
God's heaven... Renew yourselves and fast.
For I tell you truly, that Satan and his plagues may
only be cast out by fasting and by prayer."
"Go by yourself and fast alone, and show your fasting to no man. The living God shall see it, and great shall be your reward. And fast 'til Beelzebub and all his evil spirits depart from you, and all the angels of our earthy Mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except that you fast, you shall never be freed from the power of Satan and from all the diseases that come from Satan. Fast and pray fervently, seeking the power of the living God for your healing." (Quoted from Essene Gospel of Peace) "Go by yourself and fast alone, and show your fasting to no man. The living God shall see it, and great shall be your reward. And fast 'til Beelzebub and all his evil spirits depart from you, and all the angels of our earthy Mother come and serve you. For I tell you truly, except that you fast, you shall never be freed from the power of Satan and from all the diseases that come from Satan. Fast and pray fervently, seeking the power of the living God for your healing."
...Jesus
also warned: "Woe to you hypocrites who strain
out a gnat, yet swallow a camel."
(Matthew 23:24)
Fast in Secret
Note
that fasting is urged here, as it is in the New
Testament, in conjunction with prayer. (See Matt ch 6,
and Mark 9:29). Also note the correlation in the two
texts regarding the point that we should fast in
secret: "Show your fasting unto no man,"
says Jesus in the Essene Gospel of Peace. "...so
that thou appear not unto men to fast." (Matt
6:18). And both texts suggest that we show
our fasting to God, who "is in secret" or
who "is unseen," but who "sees in
secret," and "rewards openly."
Fasting in secret is very important because the
secrecy of a fast conserves and empowers inner
vitality. However, most fasting experts,
chiefly naturopathic doctors, do not advise long fasts
except under supervision. If you cannot
trust in God's omnipresent and omniscient supervision,
then you should seek the supervision of a fasting
doctor, through a nature-cure health clinic, or
health-spa, that specializes in fasting. These
may be "crutches" but "he whose limbs
do shake, gets further having crutches, than without
them." It is recommended that one should
consult with a doctor and study some of the literature
on fasting before undertaking a long fast.
Persevere
Until the End
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus says: "Fast and
pray until Beelzebub and all his evil spirits depart
from you...Fast and pray until the end," and
"Persevere until the end."
How long must we fast and pray "until the
end"? The answer is not
immediately clear, but if we examine the document
closely, we find three different suggestions by Jesus
as to the proper length of our fasts. Several
times, Jesus says: "Persevere in your prayer and
fasting until the Seventh day, which is sanctified by
God." In another passage, Jesus
explains that our heavenly Father "who loves us
without end" forgives our "sins of seven
years in seven days;" whereupon someone asked
Jesus "what if we have sinned for seven times
seven years?" To this, Jesus replies:
"Thus, likewise, does your heavenly Father
forgive your debts in seven times seven days."
Finally, a third suggestion regarding the length of
the fast: "Fast and pray fervently, until
Beelzebub and his evil spirits depart from your body
entirely."
Afterwards
He Was Ahungered
According
to the New Testament accounts, Jesus spent forty days
in the wilderness "without food or drink... in
fasting and prayer... tempted by the Devil."
(Matt 4:1,2; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:1,2). Then
note what the Bible says: "...and afterwards he
was ahungered." (Matt 4:2; Luke 4:2).
This is interesting to note, because most fasting
experts claim that "hunger sensations" or
"appetite" is lost within a few days of
abstinence from eating. And, they say,
"true hunger" returns only many days later,
suddenly, and with a passion, and that this is the
proper signal from Mother Nature that eating should
again be commenced. This is persevering to the
end. "Afterwards he was
ahungered." Note that the Bible does
not say that Jesus was hungry while he was fasting,
but only after forty days of fasting did he become
hungry.
Breaking
a Fast
Most
fasting experts are in agreement on one other aspect
of fasting -- that the most crucial point of the fast
is breaking the fast. The first food
taken is the most important, but all eating for
several days thereafter is also very important.
The reason for this is because of the danger in eating
wrong food, or in overeating of good, health-building
foods, and the subsequent return to the old, bad
eating habits which can jeopardize one's health, and
ruin the benefits accomplished from fasting, and often
make fasting necessary again.
All fasting experts stress the necessity to resume eating very carefully, slowly and gradually. The food should be of a laxative nature, easy to digest and assimilate. Freshly squeezed fruit- or vegetable juices, or other fresh fruit, or grated beets, are recommended. Too often people reduce the benefits gained by fasting by wrongly breaking the fast. Caution is advised, not only in fasting, or fasting to excess, but also especially in breaking a fast.
Detoxification
by Fasting
Another
caution with breaking a fast is that the time to end
it may be immature; during a fast, one may experience
pain from the radical elimination and cleansing, and
because of these discomforts and distresses from the
elimination of toxins from the system, known as
"healing crises," the faster chooses to eat,
and wrongly so. The consequence of this
can be harmful to the body, and is the chief reason
why we should persevere to the end in our prayer and
fasting. Fasting will literally "bring out
the devil" in you because it is such a radical
cleanser and purifier.
But Jesus promises that the devil is powerless, if we remain in the bosom and arms of our earthly Mother, and persevere in prayer and fasting. Speaking to those who have been fasting for many days, and are tormented by it, Jesus explains (in the Essene Gospel of Peace): "Satan torments you thus greatly because you have already fasted many days, and you do not pay him his tribute. You do not feed him with all the abominations with which you hitherto defiled the temple of your spirit. You torment Satan with hunger, and so in his anger, he torments you also. Fear not, for I tell you, Satan will be destroyed; for while you fast and pray, the angels of God protect your body, and Satan's power may not destroy you. And the anger of Satan is impotent against the angels of God."
In the Essene Gospel of Peace, we see fasting likened to a battle with Satan. For this reason Jesus urges us again to persevere in our prayer and fasting, and to show our fasting to no man, but only to our Father in heaven who is unseen but sees in secret, and He "shall reward thee openly."
Fast
With Air, Water, and Sun
Fasting,
as taught in the Essene Gospel of Peace, is implied to
be a "water-fast," although there is no
mention in the entire document that we should drink
water during our fasting. The New Testament
account says Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness
"without food or drink."
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus urges us to "seek
out the fresh air of the forest and the fields, and
there in the midst of them you shall find the angel of
air. Take off your shoes and your clothing and
allow the angel of air to embrace all your body.
Then breathe long and deeply that the angel of air may
be brought within you... After the angel of air,
seek the angel of water... let the angel of water
embrace all your body. Cast yourselves wholly
into its enfolding arms..."
Uncleanliness
Within Greater Than Uncleanliness Without
"Think
not that it is sufficient for the angel of water to
embrace you outwards only. I tell
you truly, the uncleanliness within is greater by
much, than the uncleanness without. And he who
cleanses himself without, but within remains unclean,
is like to tombs, that outwards are painted fair, but
are within full of all manner of horrible uncleanness
and abominations." (Compare this to Matt 23:
25-27). "So I tell you truly, suffer
the angel of water to baptize you also within,
that you may become as pure as the river's foam
sporting in the sunlight." Then,
after this, Jesus gives instructions how we may
baptize ourselves within, by way of enema (as were
made in those days): "Seek, therefore, a
large trailing gourd, having a stalk the length of a
man; take out its inwards, and fill it with water from
the river, which the sun has warmed. Hang
it upon the branch of a tree, and kneel upon the
ground... and suffer (i.e., allow) the end of the
stalk of the trailing gourd to enter your hinder
parts, that the water may flow through all your
bowels. Then rest, kneeling on the
ground.... and pray to the living God, that he will
forgive you all your past sins ... and free your body
from every uncleanness and disease.... Then let the
water run out from your body, that it may carry away
from within it all the unclean and evil-smelling
things of Satan. And you shall see
with your eyes and smell with your nose all the
abominations and uncleannesses, which defiled the
temple of your body; even all the sins which abode in
your body, tormenting you with all manner of pains.
I tell you truly, baptism with water frees you from
all these. Renew your baptizing with water on
every day of your fast, until the day you see the
water which flows out of you is as pure as the river's
foam." (Quote from the Essene Gospel of Peace).
Like
Whitewashed Tombs Outwardly Appearing Beautiful
Note
Jesus' words in the New Testament: "Woe to you,
hypocrites! ... you blind guides, who strain out a
gnat and yet swallow a camel! (an unkosher animal at
that!) Woe to you hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside
they are full of robbery and self-indulgence ... First
clean the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the
outside of it may become clean. Woe to you
hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs,
which on the outside appear beautiful but inside they
are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
Likewise, you also outwardly appear righteous to
men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and
lawlessness." (The seven woes, Matt 23:32-28).
Dry
Fasting
The
Essene Gospel of Peace urges not simply a water-fast,
but a fast which employs all three healing agents:
air, water, and sun. Water is supposed to be used, not
for drinking, but for bathing in, and inner baptism by
enema. Since the skin and bowels absorb water,
one won't die of dehydration, as may be supposed, if
one fasted without drinking water. Several
health writers note that a "dry" fast
(meaning not drinking even water) is a faster, and
more radical cleanser, compared with drinking water
while fasting. It is probably best to use
instinct as a guide. The important thing to
focus on is not how we fast, or how long we fast, but
whether or not we succeed in cleansing our bodies, and
purifying our mind and spirit.
Enema
Used With Fasting
Several
famous health writers, who advocate fasting, notably
Herbert Shelton, founder of the Natural Hygiene
Society, and Paul Bragg, author of The Miracle of
Fasting (recommended reading) point out that enemas
are unnatural and unnecessary. There have been
many successful fasts by people who did not take
enemas, but it is a tool we can use for better health
and physical comfort, especially at the beginning of a
fast. Even in the Essene Gospel of Peace,
Jesus advises that we should only "renew your
baptizing with water every day UNTIL you see that the
water that comes out of you is as pure as the river's
foam." Enemas should be used in
conjunction with fasting, although the temptation to
eat after an enema is greater because the bowels have
been emptied. But, also, it is easier and more
comfortable to fast when the bowels are empty.
John
The Baptist: The Greatest Of Men
Note
also that Jesus gave tribute to John the Baptist
"who came neither eating nor drinking" (Matt
11: 18) as "the greatest of men."
"John came neither eating nor drinking, and they
say he has a demon! The son of man came eating
and drinking, and they say, 'Behold a gluttonous man
and a drunkard, a friend of publicans and sinners. '
" (Matt 11: 19). But why was Jesus
found dining with sinners? As Jesus himself
explained: "It is not those who are healthy that
need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not
come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Matt
9:12-13; Mark 2:17; and Luke 5:31-32, which adds
"...to repentance. ") It is
directly after this that Jesus is called to explain
why the disciples of John and the Pharisees fast
often, but his disciples do not. This is when
Jesus suggests that after he was gone from them, his
followers would fast. "When the bridegroom is
with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come
when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then
they shall fast." (Matt 9:15; Mark 2:19,20; Luke
5:34,35.) And directly after this follows
the parable about putting "new wine" into
old "skins" or "wineskins," (both
same meaning), although we see it mentioned in
relation to fasting; these "wineskins"
being our human bodies.
Fast
Between Meals
We
should always "fast" between meals, and eat
only when called by true appetite. This is a healthy
habit, which is hard to practice in our affluent and
often over-nourished modern world. In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus teaches that we
should eat only once or twice during a day, at high
noon and again at sunset. "Trouble not the work
of the angels in your body by eating often.
For I tell you truly, he who eats more than twice in
the day, does in him the work of Satan."
Blessedness
Of Fasting
Fasting
generates a feeling of beatitude, of blessedness.
Whereas some people make every reason an excuse
to eat, fasting enthusiasts should find, instead,
every reason an excuse to fast, or keep on fasting.
Fasting is an ancient practice that is powerful and
effective at healing, rejuvenating, spiritualizing,
and enlightening. Among recommended reading pertaining
particularly to Christian aspects of fasting, are:
Fasting: A Neglected Discipline by David R. Smith;
Vitarianism: Spiritualizing Dietetics by Johnny
Lovewisdom; Rules for Fasting by the Peacock; The
History of Health and Its Derangements by Levi M.
Arnold; Jesus Was A Vegetarian: Why Aren't You? by the
Edenite Society; and The Essene Gospel of Peace,
translated by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely. There are a
many other valuable and instructive books on this
subject from a Christian perspective, too numerous to
name.
Original
God-Given Diet
We
have already noted that Jesus urged his followers to
keep the laws of Moses, who wrote Genesis, the first
book of the Bible. In Genesis,
in the very first chapter, we find one of God's first
dictates to man: guidelines as to the original,
natural food that God intended man to eat:
"Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, and every tree in which there is the fruit of a
seed yielding tree. To you it shall be for
food." (Genesis 1:29) The wording
appears open to interpretation, but apparently the
fruits intended for paradisiacal man were those with
seeds in them. "Of every tree of paradise,
you may eat freely." (Genesis 2:16)
Man
was placed in the Garden of "Eden" (which
means "delight" in Hebrew) "to tend and
cultivate the garden." (Genesis 2:15)
Man is supposed to plant the seeds. "Be fruitful
and multiply, and subdue and replenish the
earth," were the very first words God spoke to
man, according to the Biblical account. (Genesis
1:28).
Advent
Of Meat-Eating and Decline Of Longevity
In
Genesis chapter nine, after the Flood, we see that God
apparently gave Noah and his sons permission to eat
the flesh of animals, except that they were not to eat
the flesh with its blood, for "the life is in the
blood." (Genesis 9:3,4.) This commandment
against eating the blood of animals is repeated in the
dietary laws given by Moses in Leviticus 11 and in
Deuteronomy 14. Although God allowed Noah
to eat meat after the flood, the Bible indicates that
Noah became a farmer and planted a grape vineyard.
(Genesis 9:20)
Then
note, in the ensuing chapters, after the advent of
meat-eating, the rapid decline in the life spans of
the descendants of Noah (who himself lived 950 years).
Noah's son Shem lived only to 602, but Noah begot him
when he was 500; thus Shem lived 100 years
before the Flood, and his eating habits were formed
for 100 years before the advent of meat-eating.
Shem's son, however, reached only 438 - - part
of a continuous decline in lifespan over the first
seven generations of meat-eating!!! (See
Genesis 11: 10-25).
Glorify
God in your Body
Many
contemporary Christians hold the belief that the whole
matter of food, diet, and eating is inconsequential,
or unimportant, in terms of spiritual progress, or
being in God's grace. The usual justification for this
is found in the passage in which Jesus is quoted out
of context, saying, "Not what goes into a man's
mouth defiles a man..." But the true
meaning, noted earlier, is found at the end of that
chapter, where Jesus says "...to eat with
unwashed hands does not defile a man." (Matt
15:20)
Jesus,
or God, would not condone neglect of the body, through
diet or any other means, because "the body is the
temple of the spirit, which temple ye are." (I
Corinth 3:16-17; 6:19) "Therefore, glorify God in
your body." (I Corinth 6:20)
Diet
Mustn't Be Stumbling Block
As
Christians, we are warned not to let the issue of diet
be a "stumbling block" in terms of it
causing divisiveness among us. (I
Corinth 8:9,13; Romans 14:13,21) "For
the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but
righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit." (Romans 14:17) "Whatever,
therefore, ye eat or drink, do all to the glory of
God." (I Corinth 10:3 1)
St.
Paul Chose Not To Eat Flesh Foods
St.
Paul, as we noted, tried to mend the rift between
meat-eaters and vegetarians, stressing that we must
not judge one another for what we eat (Romans 14:2-3),
and that "all things indeed are clean, but they
are evil for the man who eats with offense."
(Romans 14:20). He writes that "Food
commendeth us not to God." (I Corinth 8:9,13;
Romans 14:13,21). "All things are
lawful to me, but all things are not EXPEDIENT.
All things are lawful to me, but all things EDIFY
not."(I Corinth 10:23). "Let us pursue
the things which make for peace." (Romans 14:19).
Meat-eating is neither edifying, expedient, nor does
it make for peace. St. Paul wrote he
wouldn't eat flesh- foods, so long as the world stood,
if it made his brother to "stumble" or to
"be grieved." (Romans 14:21).
The
Earth Is The Lord's and The Fullness Thereof
Paul
further writes about diet and choice of foods, that we
should eat whatever is sold in the marketplace,
without asking our conscience, because "the earth
is the lord's, and the fullness thereof." (I
Corinth 10:25-26). Likewise, he wrote that
we should not ask our conscience when served at a
feast, but that we should NOT eat for the sake of our
conscience when the food is offered up to IDOLS. (I
Corinth 10:27,28). Anything worshipped in the
place of God is an idol, including all forms of
selfishness or vanity. So don't eat for selfish
or vain reasons, but do it all to the glory of God.
Be Not
Anxious: Is Not Life More Than Food?
We
should note several other of Jesus' important sayings
about diet: "Do not be anxious for your life, as
to what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor for
your body as to what ye shall put on. Is
not life more than food, and the body than
clothing?... Look at the birds of the air, that they
do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they? ...Which of
you, being anxious, can add a cubit to his
stature?" (Matt 6:25-27; Luke 12:22-25). "Do
not be anxious then, saying, What shall we eat, or
what shall we drink? and do not keep worrying."
(Matt 6:31; Luke 12:29)... "Your heavenly Father
knows you need all these things, but seek ye first the
kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added
to you." (Matt 6:32-33; Luke 12:30-31).
Jesus said: "My food is to do the will of Him who
sent me." (John 4:34). We
should practice this ourselves, for this is a
blessing, and more valuable for us than any kind of
food.
Martha
and Mary
Note
what Jesus points out to Martha (in Luke, chapter ten)
regarding her concern over the preparation and serving
of a meal. Martha had complained to Jesus that her
sister Mary wasn't helping her prepare the meal, when
Mary, instead, was involved in listening to Jesus'
teaching.
Jesus
told Martha: "Martha, Martha, you are
anxious and troubled by many things. But one thing is
needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which
shall not be taken away from her." (Luke
10:38-42). This shows that the spiritual
aspects of life should take precedent over the
material; but these sayings should not be
construed to mean that we should neglect the
importance of a healthy, clean diet in maintaining our
bodies, which are "the temple of the
spirit." Food and eating, like all things
in life, are important, and should be treated with a
sense of sacredness. But what Jesus was pointing
out here was simply that paying attention to food and
eating should not supercede the importance of
spiritual matters. The anonymous author of
Hebrews tells us: "It is better for the
heart to be strengthened by grace, than by foods,
through which those who were thus occupied were not
benefited." (Hebrews 13:9). And Jesus
himself said: "That which goeth into the mouth,
proceedeth into the belly, and is cast out into the
sewer." (Matt 15:17)
Jesus'
Food to do the Will of God
What,
then, does Jesus recommend we should eat? He
tells us that he has "food to eat that you do not
know about... My food is to do the will of Him
who sent me and accomplish his work." (John 4:
32, 34). In the Essene Gospel of
Peace, Jesus recommends that we should eat all foods
prepared and ripened by our Earthly Mother. These
foods include the grasses and grains of the fields,
the fruit of trees, the honey of bees, and milk of
beasts clean for drinking.
New
Wine And The True Vine
Much
mention is made in the New Testament about "new
wine" and Jesus calling himself "the true
vine." "New wine" was the expression
used in those days for fresh grape juice; it was
distinct from "old wine" which refers to
wine as we know the word today, meaning fermented
grape juice. The word wine, of course, comes
from the word "vine," referring to grape
vine. Jesus metaphorically refers to himself as
the true vine, meaning the source of life, health,
nourishment, and sweetness. He calls us the
branches, and if we abide in him, we bear much fruit.
He tells us in the same passage: "If you abide in
Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish,
and it shall be done for you." (John 15:1-11).
This
Is My Body; This Is My Blood
At the
Last Supper (Matt ch 26), Jesus held the bread,
blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to his
disciples, saying: "Take, eat; this is My
body." And then he took a cup, giving
thanks, saying: "Drink from it, all of you; for
this is My blood of the covenant, which is to be shed
on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins. But I
say to you, 'I will henceforth no longer drink of this
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it with
you new again, in the kingdom of heaven."
(Matt26:26-29). Again, here, we see "new
wine" referred to as the "fruit of the
vine." In Isaiah, "new wine" is
explained as "hanging fresh in the
clusters." (Isaiah 65:8).
For
Remission of Sins
Jesus
said that the new wine (fresh grape juice) was his
"blood," shed for the "remission"
of sins. The very word "remission" is
the popular medical term used for the progressive
healing of cancer. The dictionary defines
"remission" to mean "a relatively
prolonged lessening or disappearance of-."
There is a health book called The Grape Cure by
Johanna Brandt, which is a classic among fasting
books, in which the author describes her
"remission" from cancer, via a diet of only
grapes, and grape-juice fasting.
Our
Blood Is Her Blood
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus explains that "the
blood which runs in us is born of the blood of our
earthly Mother... Her blood falls from the clouds;
babbles in the brooks of the mountains; flows wide in
the rivers of the plains; sleeps in the lakes; rages
mightily in the tempestuous seas."
Likewise, the juice of the fruits fed by these waters
should be likened as blood. "Take eat; for this
(fruit juice) is My blood." (Matt 26:27,28).
Your
Mother Is In You And You Are In Her
If the
waters of Mother Nature form our blood, then, as Jesus
explains in the Essene Gospel of Peace, "Our
breath is born of the breath of our earthly Mother...
our bones are born of the rocks and minerals, and our
flesh is born of her flesh, which waxes yellow and red
in the fruits of the trees." "
Your Mother is in you, and you are in Her.
Of Her you were born, and to her you must someday
return." "Dust unto dust"
reads the Genesis account.
The
Greatest of Men Abstained from Wine and Fasted
Whether
or not Jesus would condone wine-drinking, as we know
wine, is another question. Jesus said in Matt
11:19 that the people consider him a wine-drinker and
a drunkard. However, in this same passage,
he points out that John the Baptist was "the
greatest of men," (Matt 11:11).
John the Baptist was known to be a 'Nazarite,' which
was a Jewish sect which took a vow to abstain from
wine. It might also be noted that this
"greatest of men" was known for his fasting,
and how he lived on carob and honey. Carob is
also rendered in some Bibles by "locusts,"
which is really a corruption of another expression for
carob, also known as "St. John's bread."
John the Baptist, "the greatest of men," did not drink wine. Jesus urges us, warns us, to be ever watchful and prepared. We see, even at the Passover celebration, Jesus drank fresh grape juice (Matt 26:29) because "new wine" refers to the fresh grape juice. Paul writes: "Do not get drunk on wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18). Paul writes: "Be not addicted to wine." (I Timothy 3:3)
Simplicity
of Meals
One
thing we should notice in the Biblical narratives
describing foods, is how simple the meals were.
In the feeding of the multitudes, there is bread and
"fish." At the Last Supper, bread and
"wine," and also in the Essene Gospel of
Peace, Jesus teaches simplicity of diet.
Guidelines
for Eating
Toward
the end of the Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus teaches
important rules for eating. The simple diet
Jesus recommends here is both cleansing and building
to the human body. It's important to remember
that eating should be regulated by instinct, and we
should eat not only when actually hungry, but also
that which we truly desire. The seven important
guidelines for eating, according to the words of Jesus
in the Essene Gospel of Peace:
"Eat only when called by the angel of appetite...
Cook not... Neither mix all things with one another,
lest your bowels become as steaming bogs...
Be content with two or three sorts of foods, which you
will always find around you... Never eat unto
fullness... Satan and his power tempt you to eat more
and more, but live by the spirit and resist the
desires of the body...
Your fasting is always pleasing in the eyes of the
angels of God. So give heed to how much
you have eaten when you are sated (satisfied), and eat
less always by a third...
Let the weight of your daily food be not less than a
"mina" (a Hebrew weight approximately
99/100ths of a pound), but mark that it not go beyond
two...(i.e., between one and two pounds of food a
day)...
Trouble not the work of the angels in your body by
eating often. For I tell you truly, he who eats more
than twice in the day does in him the work of Satan.
Eat only when the Sun is highest in the heavens, and
once again when it is set... and if you will that
Satan shuns you afar, then sit but once in the day at
the table of God...
Eat not unclean foods brought from afar, but eat what
your trees bear, for your God knows what is needful of
you, and where, and when...
Eat not as the heathen do, who stuff themselves in
haste, defiling their bodies with all manner of
abomination. Eat always from the table of God: the
fruit of the trees, the grasses and grains of the
field, the milk of beasts, and the honey of bees.
For everything beyond these is of Satan, and leads by
the way of sins and diseases unto death...
Breathe long and deeply with all your meals, and chew
well your food with your teeth, that it become water,
and that the angel of water turns it into blood in
your body... And eat slowly, as it were a prayer
you make to the Lord. For I tell you truly, the
power of God enters into you, if you eat after this
manner... but Satan turns into a steaming bog the body
of him upon whom the angels of air (breathing long and
deeply at meals) and water (chewing food into a
liquid) do not descend at his repasts...
Put naught upon the alter of the Lord when your spirit
is vexed, neither think upon anyone with anger in the
temple of God. And enter only into the
Lord's sanctuary when you feel in yourselves the call
of his angels, for all that you eat in sorrow, or in
anger, or without desire, becomes a poison in your
body...
Place with joy your offerings upon the alter of your
body,. and remember every seventh day is holy and
consecrated to God. On six days feed your body
with the gifts of the earthly Mother, but on the
seventh day sanctify your body for your heavenly
Father. On the seventh day, eat not any earthly
food, but live only upon the words of God."
(Quoted from the Essene Gospel of Peace)
Value
of Raw Food
One of
the main dietary laws which Jesus expounds upon in the
Essene Gospel of Peace is the importance of eating our
foods raw, uncooked, alive, just as it was produced by
Mother Nature. Remember that Jesus described hell as
"fire" (Mark 9:43, 46, 48.)
In the Essene Gospel of Peace, we find two kinds of
fire, and Jesus saying: "Live by the fire of
life, and shun the fire of death." The fire
of life, Jesus describes "is in you, in your
blood, and in your bodies. The fire of death is
the fire which blazes outside your body... hotter than
your blood. With the fire of death, you cook
your foods. I tell you truly, it is the same
fire which destroys your foods and your bodies, even
as the fire of malice, which ravages your thoughts,
ravages your spirits. For your body is
that which you eat, and your spirit is that which you
think. Eat nothing, therefore, which a stronger
fire than the fire of life has killed.
Wherefore, prepare and eat all fruits of trees, and
all grasses of the fields, and all milk of beasts good
for eating. For all these are fed and ripened by
the fire of life...but eat nothing to which the fire
of death gives savor, for such is of Satan."
"Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth.... If you eat living foods, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your foods, the dead food will kill you also... For life comes always from life, and from death comes always death." For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. And everything which kills your bodies, kills your soul also... Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed. For burned, frozen, or rotted foods will burn, freeze, and rot your bodies also." (Quoted from the Essene Gospel of Peace).
Cooking
Destroys Nutritional Value
It is
a scientific fact that much of the nutritional value
of food is lost or destroyed by cooking. It is true
that cooking makes certain foods palatable, and many
will argue that they could not live in cold climates
without cooked foods. This may be so for some
people, but, "the wisdom of the world is
foolishness before God." (I Corinth 3:19; and
also see I Corinth 2:7,10). God wants man to be
perfect: "Become ye perfect." (Matt 5:48).
The way of God is not always the easiest to follow, or
the most commonly taken: "The path is narrow that
leadeth unto life, but broad is the gate that leadeth
to destruction. " (Matt 7:14,13). "Enter by
the narrow gate." (Matt 7:13). The ways of God
are simple, but sometimes difficult for man, although
Jesus told us that his "burden" was light,
and his "yoke" easy. (Matt 11:30).
Raw foods are not only scientifically more nutritious, but also one must consider all the time and energy that goes into cooking, fuel bills, water and dishwashing.... The return to a "noble savage" may very well be for our better health & long life.
The
temperatures involved in cooking render chemical
changes in food, destroying many of the vitamins, most
all of the enzymes, ferments, chelated minerals,
nucleic acids, and chlorophyll. Valuable minerals are
leeched into the cooking water, and the ratios of
amino acids making up the proteins also become
rearranged. Cooking also destroys the
fiber, or cellulose, in food, although we see so much
importance given to the value of a high-fiber diet for
intestinal health.
Also, cooked food is not only less nutritious, but
also contributes to a sort of autointoxication after
ingesting a cooked meal, a phenomenon known as
"digestive leukocytosis." In a
series of experiments, conducted by Dr. Paul
Kauchakoff of the Institute of Clinical Chemistry in
Lausanne, Switzerland, it was revealed that following
every meal of cooked food, there was a dramatic
increase in the number of leukocytes in the blood: the
usual 6,000 leukocytes per cubic millimeter increases
to about 12,000 to 18,000 leukocytes per cu. mm. T his
was previously considered a normal physiological
phenomenon. Kauchakoff, however, discovered that
after eating a meal of raw foods, there was no
increase in the number of leukocytes. In over
300 tests by Dr. Kauchakoff, there was no variation in
this phenomenon. (Supposedly, even boiled water caused
digestive leukocytosis, whereas eating raw meat did
not). Man is the only animal in nature that
cooks its food.
God Of
The Living
Similarly,
in the New Testament, Jesus says "My God is a God
of the living." (Matt 22:32; Mark 12:27). This is
true also of the power of living foods. God's
power enters into us when we eat live foods.
Also note in the New Testament where Jesus says:
"Rivers of living water shall flow from your
bellies." (John 7:38). "He who
believes in me shall never thirst." (John 4:14;
6:35).
Sun-Baked
Sprouted-Wheat Bread
In the
Essene Gospel of Peace, Jesus explains how to cook our
daily bread, using only the fire of life: "The
same sun which, with the fire of life, made the wheat
to grow and ripen, must cook your bread with the same
fire." He then gives detailed
instructions as to how to prepare this sun-baked,
sprouted-wheat 'bread," which is really more like
crackers or wafers, although the only ingredient is
whole wheat berries, sprouted for a day (beginning at
sunrise), then crushed or ground, and laid as thin as
possible to bake in the sun. "Let the angels of
God prepare your bread." These are the
angels of air, water, and sun. "And the blessing
of the three angels will soon make the germ of life to
sprout in your wheat..."
Sprouting
Opposite Of Cooking
We see
that Jesus is recommending not only raw foods, but
sprouted foods, which are, literally
"living" foods. While cooking destroys
the nutritional value of foods, sprouting does just
the opposite: it increases the nutritional value of
foods, which is a known scientific fact.
Sprouted seeds, grains, and legumes contain many times
more, sometimes a thousand percent more nutritional
value than the same food in its dormant, or raw state.
Cooking, on the other hand, destroys much of the
vitamin content of the raw food.
Also, while some nutritionists criticize the vegetarian diet for its lack of vitamin B-12, they overlook the fact that it is heat-sensitive, and that over 85% of its effectiveness may be lost in cooking. Sprouting, on the other hand, will actually generate B-12, and several cups of sprouts a day will supply more than the daily requirement of this vitamin. But if cooking destroys vitamin B-12, why isn't there a widespread epidemic of pernicious anemia, since most B-12 sources in the diet are cooked or pasteurized before eating? The explanation for this offers a solution for the problem of vegetarian sources of vitamin B-12. The ultimate source of the body's vitamin B-12 is from certain bacteria in the intestinal tract. The way to promote healthy bacteria in the intestinal tract, and the bacterial production of B-12 in one's own intestines, is to keep healthful eating habits, eating only when hungry, following proper food-combining, and eating an adequate supply of greens. The healthy intestinal bacteria are the "lacto-bacteria" whose name derives from the fact that their presence was first discovered in unpasteurized cow's milk. The so-called 'lacto-bacteria' are abundantly present on every blade of grass. Since cows eat grass, this accounts for the presence of lactobacteria in their milk. Thus, eating grass (like wheatgrass) will contribute to healthy intestinal flora, and the production of B-12 in one's own intestines, in addition to other B-Vitamins. A healthy intestinal flora will produce several times as much of many B-Vitamins as are present in a well-balanced whole-food diet. Vitamin B-17, most commonly known as laetrile, and famous in the treatment of cancer, is just one of many other vitamins that increase upon sprouting. The vitamin B-17 content in the sprouts of some grasses and legumes is often 50 times or more greater than the same vitamin in the mature plant. The large quantities of B-17 and other food factors that occur in the sprouting stage, may be completely absent in the mature plant. Most everyone knows that wheat-germ is one of the best and highest sources of vitamin E, but sprouting the wheat for 3 to 4 days causes the vitamin E content to triple, whereas processing the wheat, as in the case of extracting the wheat germ from the whole wheat, which also leaves a fractured food, not as nature produced it, may cause vitamin E loss up to 90%.
Thus, sun-baked sprouted-wheat wafers contain many times more vitamin E (weight for weight) than organic whole-wheat bread that has been oven-baked. Vitamin E is necessary for proper functioning of the heart, circulation, and skin; it is also necessary for fertility, and for sexual vitality. Sprouted wheat is the highest natural source of vitamin E.
Sprouting also increases the nucleic-acid content of the dormant seed, and a number of medical reports have shown these nucleic acids to have dramatic anti-aging effects.
All in all, for our better health and well-being, we should recognize and utilize the healing, strengthening, and rejuvenating properties of tender sprouts, young green plants, and other chlorophyll-rich green juices (commonly made from wheat-grass, but not exclusively). On the subject of sprouted seeds, we might note Jesus' parable about the farmer who sowed seed. This parable is found both in the Essene Gospel of Peace, as well as in the New Testament, although in the former it is given in a slightly altered version: Jesus speaks of the wise farmer who sowed "living seeds" ... "and their yield increased a hundredfold." Sprouted seeds and grains are actually sprouting; they can truly be said to be alive and growing. They are living foods, not merely raw, but alive with life and vitality.
There are many advocates of a raw-food diet, and of the healing and strengthening power of sprouts. Extensive research in this field may be found in Nutritional Evaluation of Sprouts and Grasses by Viktoras Kulvinskas, in which the healing powers of raw foods, sprouts, and chlorophyll-rich greens are documented at length, almost entirely from scientific medical journals. There are also many personal documentaries about the healing power of raw foods, including Dr. Kristine Nolfi's My Experiences With Living Food (story of an MD who cured herself of cancer through raw foods diet); Morris Krok's Fruit: The Food and Medicine for Man; Arnold Ehret's two classics: Rational Fasting and Mucusless Diet Healing System, Ann Wigmore's Why Suffer? and many other excellent and important works, by a number of researchers and writers in this field, among whom are: Dr. Bernard Jensen, Dr. Herbert Shelton, Dr. Henry Bieler, Paul Bragg, John Tobe, Paavo Airola, Norman Walker, and many others (see bibliography).
Most health writers, except for the proponents of "macrobiotics," stress the need for making a large portion of our diet from fresh, raw foods, although one point should be noted from the Essene Gospel of Peace teachings. In it, Jesus' suggests that we eat a relatively small amount of food each day. Such spartan-like eating habits can be healing, strengthening, and life-enhancing.
The
Essene Gospel of Peace stresses the value of
under-eating, which is really a form of rational
fasting. We can practice fasting, therefore,
every day, fasting between meals, eating always less
by a third, never eating more than twice in the day,
etc. The popular health writer Paavo Airola
stated that the two greatest health
"secrets'" are: periodic fasting, and
systematic undereating.
Importance
of Under-eating
The
value of under-eating, for better health and longer
life, has been scientifically demonstrated in lab
experiments with animals, and empirically observed in
parts of the world where extraordinary longevity has
been noted. In the latter, there
appears to be a definite correlation between
calorie-intake and longevity, which are, of course,
inversely related. The experiments of Dr. Clive
McCay at Cornell University in the 1940's have been
thoroughly documented.
His experiments showed that the life spans of rats were likewise inversely proportional to their calorie intake. The Essene Gospel of Peace teaches likewise: "Never eat unto fullness ... Flee the temptations of Satan, who tempts us always to eat more and more ... Note how much you have eaten when you are sated, and eat less always by a third ... Never sit at the table of the Lord more than twice in the day... Let the daily weight of your food be at least one mina (one pound), but mark that it go not beyond two."
Luigi
Cornaro
This
last suggestion, about weighing our daily fare, is
confirmed in the story of Luigi Cornaro, a man who
lived in 16th-century Italy, when the average life
expectancy was only 30 to 40 years. In his
30's, Cornaro fell extremely ill, and most everyone
gave him up to die, except one physician who
recommended severe and strict abstemiousness in the
quantity of food that Cornaro ate. Heeding his
doctor's advice from then on, almost to the day he
died, Cornaro not only recovered his health, but lived
to an astonishing 102 years, which was a remarkable
feat, more so then than now. Cornaro wrote his own
story about this when he was in his 90's, and mentions
that he was sick only a few times after recovering his
health, and that these occasions always followed
eating a larger quantity of food than had become his
habit. That habit, for him a daily rule,
was to limit himself to no more than 12 ounces of
solid food a day, and no more than 16 ounces of
liquids a day. We should note that these figures
coincide perfectly with Jesus' exhortation to eat only
one or two "minas" (one to two pounds) a
day. In his several books, written late in
his life, Cornaro attributes not only his
health-recovery, but also his eventual long life to
dietary abstemiousness.
Come
Unto Me All Who are Weary, and Suffer in Strife and Affliction
The
Essene Gospel of Peace teaches how to bring about
"peace" in our bodies and spirits.
It is this peace of God which passes all understanding
of those who do not experience it. The
Essene Gospel of Peace ends with Jesus saying:
"Now that you have found peace with yourselves,
go and make peace with your brothers... and work
unceasingly to bring about the kingdom of heaven on
earth ...Happy are they who strive for peace, for they
will find peace. Go and sin no more... Come unto
me all that are weary, and suffer in strife and
affliction. For my peace will strengthen you and
comfort you. My peace is exceedingly full
of joy."
Sexual
Continence Recommended
Sexuality
is a God-made part of human existence, and there are
many ways it expresses itself. There is a
form of sexuality that Jesus recommends, alluded to in
both the New Testament and in the Essene Gospel of
Peace. That path is sexual continence, which Jesus
himself followed. This is for our benefit and
well-being, but Jesus didn't expect everyone would be
capable of it. "Let him who can, receive
it." (Matt 19:12). There is a great
difference between celibacy and continence, and Jesus
focuses on the value of continence, which is the
practice of retaining one's seed, which Jesus refers
to in the Essene Gospel of Peace as a vital
"sap." The conservation of this energy
imparts added strength, vigor, drive, enthusiasm,
happiness, and a joy of life, although it may be
possible only for those able to "receive"
it. It appears that correct eating, as
taught by Jesus in the Essene Gospel of Peace, is
conducive to the ability to maintain sexual continence
without injuring oneself emotionally or
physiologically. Two very good books on
this are Raymond Bernard's Rejuvenation Through
Dietetic Sex Control, and Johnny Lovewisdom's
Spiritualizing Dietetics. Both authors
recommend low-protein diet of fruits and vegetables
(the original God-given diet of Eden).
"In the kingdom of heaven, men shall neither marry nor be given in marriage." (Matt 22:30; Mark 12:25). John wrote: "Whosoever is born of God, his seed ("sperma" in Greek) abideth within him."(I John 3:9). Jesus explained: "There are some eunuchs who were so from their mother's womb; there are some eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are some eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." (Matt 19:12).
Fasting
and Prayer Recommended instead of Divorce
Sexual
continence is not recommended for everyone. (Matthew
19:11,12) The sayings about eunuchs comes in the
same chapter in which Jesus speaks about marriage and
divorce. Here, Jesus recommends marriage for all
who are not able to renounce sex. (Matthew 19).
St. Paul also has something to say about this, and we
should note that he recommends "fasting and
prayer" instead of divorce. Paul
writes: "...it is good for a man not to touch a
woman… Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every
man have his own wife, and let every woman have her
own husband ... Defraud ye not one another, except it
be by consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves
to fasting and prayer; and come together again,
that Satan tempt you not because of your lack of
self-control.... For I wish that all men were as
myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one
after this manner, another after that. I say
therefore, to the unmarried and to widows, it is good
for them to abide even as I. But if they
cannot contain (i.e. practice sexual continence), let
them marry; for it is better to marry than to
burn." (I Corinth 7:1-2, 5, 7-9).
Virgins
and Oil, Jesus the Bridegroom
Then,
too, we have the parable of the "virgins"
who had "used all the oil from their lamps,"
and could not, therefore, attend the wedding feast.
(Matt 25:1-13). The Essene Gospel of Peace, likewise,
urges refrain in sexual losses, "lest ye be like
the tree whose sap has run out of it, and will dry up
before its time, and will never bear fruit." (The
word "virgin," in Hebrew, is the same word
that is used to mean "maiden" or "young
girl"). Meanwhile, several
times in the New Testament, Jesus likens himself to a
"bridegroom." It is chiefly in
the writings of St. Paul where we find condemnation of
sex.
Your
Faith Has Saved You
Jesus'
teachings on health are far-ranging, and not just
through diet and fasting may we be healed. That which
influences the spiritual will influence the physical,
and vice-versa. Note several instances in the
New Testament, where Jesus states "Your faith has
saved you" or "has made you whole."
(Matt 9:22; Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48).
The
word "salvation" (coming from the Latin
"salvare," meaning "to save") is
linguistically related to the Latin "salus"
meaning "safe" or "unharmed,"
related to the Indo-European base "solo-"
meaning "whole" or
"well-preserved." "Seek ye first the
kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be added
unto you." (Matthew 6:33).
Kingdom
of Heaven is Within You
The
human body is a magnificent living machine and
vehicle. It is the "temple of the
Spirit," and with it lays the potential for
health, happiness, long life, and heaven on earth.
We must take care of what we are given in life, which
is, at birth, this natural, physical, God-made body.
The parables of the "ten talents" and of the
"unjust steward" bear this message: take
care of what you are given. Man was put in the
garden of Eden to "tend and cultivate" the
garden. (Genesis 2:15). This we must do with the
earth, as well as with our bodies, which is our
precious inheritance in this life. The
human body remains as mysterious and fathomless as the
cosmos itself, and, indeed, as Jesus taught: "The
kingdom of heaven is within you."
Believe
and Be Well
"He
that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful
also in much." (Luke 16:10). "If you have
faith like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to the
mountain, 'Get up and move,' and it will obey you;
nothing shall be impossible for you.' (Matt 17:20).
History
of the Essene Gospel Of Peace
Much
of this study focuses on the health teachings of Jesus
found in the Essene Gospel of Peace, translated by
Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, author of about 100 books
(see bibliography). We find many sayings in the Essene
Gospel of Peace that are similar, if not identical, to
sayings found in the New and Old Testaments, although
there is a belief among many fundamentalist Christians
that the Bible alone, is the only true word of God.
Yet even in the Bible, we find St. John writing that "Jesus said and did many more things than are recorded in this book, which, if they were written down, not all the books in all the libraries in all the world could contain it all." (John 21:25). Jesus himself said: "I have many more things to tell you, but you are not ready to hear it."
The Essene Gospel of Peace was discovered in the archives of the Vatican library in the 1920's by Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, who was at that time a student at the Vatican, researching the life of St. Francis. Since the time of its discovery, this short, simple, poetic, and inspiring document has been translated into 26 different languages, and over a million copies have been disseminated around the world. It is a powerful document in which Jesus promises healing, rejuvenation, and rebirth, through fasting and prayer, and attention to correct eating. The reader can at once instinctively sense the truth of this work, as the words seem to leap to life from its pages. It is graceful, loving, and very inspirational, and the truth testifies of itself. As St. Paul wrote: "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Romans 14:5)
Fifty years after publication of the first edition of the Essene Gospel of Peace, Professor Szekely published an account of his finding the original document, which he entitled The Discovery Of the Essene Gospel of Peace: The Essenes and the Vatican. This is supposed to be a personal narrative, a documentary explaining Szekely's intriguing discovery of this gospel. This remarkable, inspiring text had been hidden for almost 2,000 years among a huge amount of untranslated scrolls, parchments, and codices from the era just before and proceeding the advent of Christ.
Surprisingly, Szekely presents more than one account of his discovery of the Essene Gospel of Peace. In the introduction to the original translation, Szekely gives a completely different account of how he found the book, involving its discovery in the Royal Library of the Hapsburgs (now the National Library in Vienna), and barely a word about its discovery in the Vatican. Both libraries, the Nationalbibliothek in Vienna, and the Vatican library, were contacted about this. The reply from the Vatican claimed that no library in the world possesses ancient Aramaic manuscripts from the first century AD, while mentioning 'first century' twice, although Szekely claims and the letter of inquiry mentions, of inquiry mentions, that these translations were made from third century Aramaic scrolls. The complete title of the Essene Gospel of Peace adds these words in capital letters: "Translated From The Third Century Aramaic Manuscripts: the Aramaic and Old Slavonic Texts compared, edited, and translated." In the forward to the book, we read: 'The contents of this book represents only about a third of the complete manuscripts which exist in Aramaic in the library of the Vatican and in Old Slavonic in the Royal Library of the Hapsburgs (now the property of the Austrian government). We owe the existence of these two versions to the Nestorian priests who, under pressure of the advancing hordes of Genghis Khan, were forced to flee from the East toward the West, bearing all their ancient scriptures and icons with them. The ancient Aramaic texts date from the first century after Christ (note that this does not agree with the subtitle about third century manuscripts), while the Old Slavonic version is a literal translation of the former. Exactly how the texts traveled from Palestine to the interior of Asia into the hands of the Nestorian priests, archaeologists are not yet able to reconstruct for us." (Quote from foreword to the Essene Gospel of Peace).
Jesus' teachings, when applied, lead to health, happiness, and more abundant life. In The Discovery of the Essene Gospel of Peace, Szekely gives us another account of how he discovered the document at the Vatican archives; yet in this book, he completely fails to mention anything about its discovery in the Royal Library of the Hapsburgs. What is most noticeable about the Essene Gospel of Peace is its many correlations of verse with those in the New Testament, specifically sayings of Jesus, and writings of St. Paul (and perhaps other gospel writers). More specifically, the Essene Gospel of Peace author was familiar with the writings of St. Paul, or else St. Paul used some of Jesus' own sayings in his writings, holding them in common with the Essene writers.
In The Discovery of The Essene Gospel of Peace, Szekely attributes the existence of the manuscripts to the Essenes, an ascetic Jewish sect that lived out in the desert near Qumran, some of whom followed Jesus and recorded what he taught about health and healing, by fasting and diet. (Edgar Cayce and others also connect Jesus with the Essenes). Szekely suggests that the Essenes made poetry out of Jesus' words. However, in early editions of the Essene Gospel of Peace (and the letters from both the Vatican as well as from Vienna seem to corroborate this), Szekely claims to have made the translation from the original manuscript of St. John.
Quoting from The Discovery of The Essene Gospel of Peace: 'When the time came at last for the Essenes to leave the desert and o to another place, the scrolls stayed behind as buried sentinels, as forgotten guardians of the eternal and living truth ...A dark age began, a time of savagery, of barbarism, of book-burning, of superstition and worship of empty idols. The gentle Jesus was lost forever in the image of a crucified God. The Essene brothers hid their teachings in the minds of the few who could preserve them for their descendents, and the scrolls of healing laid neglected beneath the shifting shallows of the desert.... until they were accidentally found by a wanderer named Jerome (the same Jerome who translated the New Testament into Latin!) in the second half of the fourth century A.D. Wandering through the Holy Land in search of answers his formal education had not provided, Jerome began to find fragments of ancient manuscripts in the possession of certain Jewish hermits and Rabbis living in the area. He found similar fragments of ancient manuscripts among a sect of anchorites living nearby, and with his knowledge of Hebrew, he began to decipher, translate, and coalesce these fragments... It was during this time that Damascus resided as the Pope in Rome. Damascus was a poet, an archaeologist, a lover of illumination, as well as the founder of the papal library. Upon learning of Jerome's knowledge of these first century manuscripts, Damascus invited him to come to Rome as his personal secretary. Moreover, Damascus gave Jerome the task of re-translating the entire New Testament, because the Latin translations of the second century, Damascus felt, had come to be full of errors and dubious passages due to the constant copying and recopying by scribes, so much so that each copy turned out to be a somewhat different version."
We might note here that the many different versions and nuances of Jesus' sayings in the various translations (both into the same language and into different languages), is an indication of their adulteration, contrary to the law against "adultery," which Jesus explained as changing what was originally made one. "What, therefore, God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." (Matthew 19:6). The word "adultery" is not linguistically connected to the word "adult," although it is easy to understand how this could be assumed, given the present definition. The word "adultery" comes from the Latin "adulterare" meaning to falsify or counterfeit. With regard to Szekely's account of The Discovery of the Essene Gospel of Peace, the point to note is that Pope Damascus was the first to establish a library at the Vatican, and it was his own personal secretary, Jerome, who first translated the Essene Gospel of Peace from the ancient Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts into Latin. Jerome also, Szekely relates, translated into Latin the entire New Testament (the Latin Vulgate, which became the official Bible for all Roman Catholics), the Septuagint Psalter, the Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Judith, the Book of Tobias, and other apocryphal documents, in addition to the Essene Gospel of Peace.
Continuing with the account from The Discovery of the Essene Gospel of Peace: "While Damascus lived, the veracity of Jerome's translations were not questioned, but with Damascus' death, St. Augustine came into papal authority, denounced Jerome's translations, and caused Jerome's exodus to the Holy Land again. There, Jerome persisted in his search for more Hebrew fragments, piecing together more and more of the story of the Essene Brotherhood, and producing also a translation of the Old Testament, the Chronicles, the Book of Job, and Coptic ascetic works, among others. After his death, however, his manuscripts were scattered, including his Hebrew and Aramaic translations, but many of the original manuscripts, including the complete text of the Essene Gospel of Peace, believed lost in the fifth century, reached sanctuary in the Secret Archives of the Vatican."
Also, as Szekely the student discovered, copies of these same texts survived in the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino, near Rome. The Benedictine Monasteries, Szekely noted, model themselves in many ways after the Essene Brotherhood. Apparently, Benedict, (later to become St. Benedict) stumbled upon Jerome's translation of this document, much as Jerome had stumbled upon the original fragments. For centuries, this precious document remained locked away, unnoticed, and undiscovered, until its rediscovery by Szekely at the Vatican Library in the 1920's.
Following are excerpts of Szekely's remembrances from those student days in the Secret Archives of the Vatican: "...the endless corridors ... the mysterious doors, all leading to more endless corridors. And everywhere lining the shelves which reached dimly beyond my vision were countless stacks of scrolls, codices, ancient manuscripts, and disjointed papers ... The Swiss guards never failed to ask for my pass before letting me descend the stairways to the Archives ... the solemn peace within those walls ... the 25-mile length of the long shelves of the Archives, the dozens of subdivisions, the Archivum Arci, the Miscelanea, the Instruments, the Miscelanea Fondi, and the index room, where the students struggled to make sense out of over 600 handwritten indexes, which were woefully incomplete... I felt somewhat like a small boy standing on an immense seashore, trying to pick up a few pebbles. At first, I did not know where to begin, for while the Vatican Library is mainly a large collection of individual books, the Secret Archives of the Vatican comprise more than 25 miles of bookshelves of scrolls, parchments, paper manuscripts and codices. Much of the Secret Archives is still terra incognita. In one square, dust-filled room, there were over ten thousand packages of unexamined documents!... I also started to notice with new interest a large, permanently closed door near the end of the lower corridor leading from Msgr. Mercati's office, to which only the Prefect had the key. I also gathered courage to descend a mysterious, circular staircase, which led to the oldest part of the Secret Archives, where the most precious and most ancient documents were kept. It was also at this time that I started my investigations of the fifteen enormous closets of the Miscelanea... Then (after spending many weeks studying in the archives of the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino), Msgr. Mercati handed me a key which I knew was to the locked room at the end of the corridor. 'Be sure to return this to my own hands,' he told me ... I entered the secret chamber as an initiate of old must have entered the sacred chamber of the Great Pyramid, and ... I burrowed through dusty manuscripts as if I had a map to show me the way, and it was not long before I found what I had been seeking ... A few days later, I returned the key to Msgr. Mercati and asked for permission to return to Monte Cassino... I delved into Monte Cassino like a fish returning to water. The River of St. Jerome, which I had discovered in the precious repository in the locked room, urged me on, and I poured over unexpurgated editions of Josephus, Philo and Plinius, along with many other Latin classics. Again I looked through the beautiful manuscripts of St. Jerome. Many of these priceless works had generally been considered long lost, and I read and read through a treasure-trove of unbelievable richness. I learned that other copies of his work survived in other Benedictine monasteries, such as the library of San Salvatore, where a beautiful copy remained for centuries until, with the destruction of the abbey, it reached the Biblioteca Laurenzianna of Florence, where it is now classified as "The Amiatino Gospel"...The original manuscripts of St. Jerome, believed lost in the fifth century, fortunately survived in the Benedictine Monastery of Monte Cassino and in the Secret Archives of the Vatican. Among the manuscripts was the complete text of the Essene Gospel of Peace. I had found the source: Hebrew fragments of the Essene Gospel, the Aramaic version of which I had just read from the shelves of Msgr. Mercati's locked room."
In the
ensuing years, this short inspirational narrative
called the Essene Gospel of Peace, has been translated
into more than 20 other languages, and sold more than
a million copies! We are reminded: "You
shall know a tree by its fruits." The truth will
shine, and does shine. The Essene Gospel of Peace is
like a beautiful poem or happy dream. Its
message offers comfort and inspiration on a level
unlike other inspirational stories, and reading it,
one intuitively senses truth.
Therefore, let us look for truth here, rather than for
error, because as you sow, so shall you reap...
and as you seek, so shall you find. Seek
truth and find truth.
Genesis 24:33.............Self-denial for religious reasons.
Exodus 33:5...............Clothing in sackcloth, in order to humble.
34:28..............Moses' 40-day fast, without food or water
Leviticus 16:29-31......Fasting on Yom Kippur, day of atonement.
("Afflict your souls, do no work at all.")
Deuteronomy 9:9.........Moses' 40-day fast.
9:18.......Moses fasts again, on behalf of his people.
Judges 20:24-28.........Repentant fasting to avoid God's wrath.
1 Samuel 1:7...............Unable to eat because of emotional distress.
7:5-6............Repentant fasting to avoid God's wrath.
20:34..............Unable to eat because of anger.
28:19-25.........Refusal to eat because of mental distress.
30:11-13.........Involuntary fast of lost Egyptian soldier.
2 Samuel 1:11-12........Mournful fasting.
3:33-36.........Mournful fasting.
12:15-23.........Fasting for God's mercy.
1 Kings 13: 9, 19-23....Ending fast prematurely with negative results.
19:8.................Elijah's 40-day fast.
20:31...............Clothed with sackcloth while fasting in humility
21:2-6..............Unable to eat due to of covetousness, jealousy
21:9-14............Hypocritical fasting.
21:27-29..........Penitent fasting.
2 Kings 25:3.................Enforced hunger.
1 Chronicles 10:12.......Mournful fasting for 7 days.
2 Chronicles 20:2-3......Fasting for God's mercy.
Ezra 8:21-23.................Fasting for God's mercy and guidance.
9:3-5.....................Fasting to avert God's wrath.
10:6.........................Fasting without water, to avert God's wrath.
Nehemiah 1:4................Fasting on behalf of others.
9:1-3..............Fasting with sackcloth to avoid God's wrath.
Esther 4:1-17: Three-day fast for special mercy, "neither eat nor drink"
9:21,27,31...........Special fasting days to commemorate event.
Job 33:19-20..................Unable to eat because "chastened with pain."
Psalms 35:13.............Clothed with sackcloth while fasting... to avert God's wrath.
42:3....................."Tears have been my food day and night."
69:10-11............. "Wept and chastened soul with fasting."
102:4......................So distressed, forgot to eat.
107:18................... Suffering soul abhors all manner of food.
109:24....................Knees weak from fasting.
Isaiah 40:31:"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."
58:1-14:Condemned for fasting for own pleasure, not God's chosen fast.
Jeremiah 14:10-12..........Condemned for fasting for wrong reason..
36:9................…Day of fasting for special reason.
Daniel 6:18......................Fasting because of misery.
9:3..........................Prayer and supplications with fasting.
9:20-21...................Visions while fasting.
10:2-3.......................Partial fast for 3 weeks.
Joel 1:13-14......................Fasting to avert God's wrath.
2:12-18......................Fasting to avert God's wrath.
Jonah 3:1-10.....................Fasting to avert God's wrath.
Zechariah 7:1-7.................Selfish fasting denounced by God.
Matthew 3:4......................Dietary temperance of John the Baptist.
5:4............"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."
10:1.............Jesus gives disciples power to heal sickness and disease.
15:32............Multitudes following Jesus have nothing to eat for 3 days.
16:24........"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself... and follow me."
23:1-4.....................Do not imitate heavy burdens of Pharisees.
Mark 1:6.............................Dietary temperance of John the Baptist.
1:12-13.................... Jesus in wilderness for 40-days of fasting.
2:18..........................Pharisees fasted often, twice a week.
8:1-4...Multitude absorbed in Christ's preaching, did not eat for 3 days.
8:34...................."Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself..."
Luke 1:15............................Dietary temperance of John the Baptist.
2:36-37......................Serving God with fasting and prayer.
10:5-7..........."Into whosoever house you shall enter ... eat and drink such things as they give."
18:11-12.......................Pharisees fasted twice a week.
John 4:32.................... Jesus could not eat, saying: "I have food to eat that you know not of."
6:63.........."It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing."
Acts 2:46............................. Eat food from gladness.
9:9 ..........................From guilt, Paul was 3 days without food or drink.
13:1-3.....Ministered unto the Lord as they fasted, resulting in God's guidance.
14:23...............................Congregational fasting.
23:12 & 21...................Hunger pact... in conspiracy to assassinate Paul.
27:9.....................Yom Kippur observed... during lifetime of the Apostles.
27:21 & 33..............Because worried... went without food for 14 days.
Romans 8:13..........................Mortification of the flesh gives life.
13:14........"Make no provision for the flesh...to fulfill the lusts thereof."
1 Corinth 9:25-27...................Bring body into subjection.
2 Corinth 6:4-5.......................Paul in fasting.
11:27.........................Paul in fasting often.
Galations 4:10........................No calendar for fasting.
5:24........................."They that are Christ's... have crucified the flesh."
Philippians 4:12........Secret of contentment: "how to be full... and how to be hungry."
Colossians 2:16.....................Not good to judge those who don't fast.
3:5.........................Mortify your members.
1 Tim 4:3........"Doctrines of devils... to abstain from foods, which God created to be received with Thanksgiving."
4:8......................."Bodily
exercise profiteth little; but godliness
is profitable unto all things."
By the same author:
Breatharianism:
The Secret You've Been Looking for!
Stop
Eating:
Fasting and Elimination are More Important!
Urine:
The Fountain of Youth!
