Sacred union
Posted: March 2nd, 2018, 9:50 pm
Disclaimer, please make sure and tread carefully with this and similar topics. Such doctrine is not canon in the LDS church, nor do I claim it to be. These are simply my own impressions, and I only speak for myself. If you disagree with me or my ideas or find them offensive, I'm just fine with that, but please do not trifle with or treat lightly the subject matter of this post, as it touches on highly delicate and sacred things.
There are a few main themes which can be detected in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. One is the process of learning to choose righteousness instead of wickedness. Another is the triumph of good over evil. These things are fairly well-known and agreed upon in Christianity and in the Church. I would submit however that another theme of the plan of salvation is that of Duality. The union/re-union of opposites. Balance, harmony, it sounds kind of like all that New Age rubbish, but there are clear examples of this in the scriptures and in nature. While there are evidences from many sources for all this, I'm going to try and stick with the scriptures, veering toward LDS-acknowledged true sources.
But maybe such ideas aren't so foreign to LDS members. We understand there to be an "opposition in all things". With all living, real, things, there is a continuous tension between two polar opposites, within their own spheres. It is evidenced in the seasons - from winter, to summer, to winter again; a balance. Dark vs Light, Cold vs Heat, Ice vs Fire. It is this balance and union of opposites which supports Life. What is electricity, but the joining of the positive and negative forces? Or magnetism, but the attraction of reverse polarities? This opposition, this enmity and tension between said opposites begets power. Real power is produced in the uniting of reverse electrical charges and polar fields. So it is with spiritual things.
I could go on at length talking about opposites and the many examples of this principle, but I'll skip to the meat of it. The most quintessential example of union of opposites is Marriage - the joining of male and female, two separate become joined forever. It is through this that men may become as the Gods, acting upon a righteous sexuality and begetting children (the literal flesh-union of the two parents). One thing people fail to comprehend is the connecting link between sexuality and priesthood power. This is why an unmarried man cannot receive the fulness of the priesthood, nor can a single person be anointed priest and king before God. Thus we see how dualism, marriage and anointing in the covenant & priesthood power are all interrelated.
The idea of the "sacred union" is an incredibly old one, and as I've researched it's become apparent to me that there are clear recurrent patterns and themes. The doctrine was prized by ancient Mesopotamians and royal Egypt. The Life and Health of the world and everyone in it became symbolised in the image of the twin serpents intertwining and ascending. It also sheds light on the meaning of the powerful messianic symbol of the flaming serpent. Both Fire and the Serpent are hallmark symbols of Duality, and union of opposition. Fire is both life and destruction, vitality and death, righteous and wicked. So with the serpent imagery, in which the devil has hijacked the holiest of messianic tokens by appearing to Adam and Eve as the serpent (a symbol they doubtless would have associated with Christ), and later the Dragon, or the Living Serpent. Satan always follows this pattern. He is incredibly unoriginal, always stealing and copying what God copyrights, making it his own and twisting it to conform with his own contorted nature. Satan has hijacked a good many symbols, in his continued pathetic efforts to be Jesus (the true messiah), including the pentagram, the serpent, even very Name of God (YHWH). In every instance, there is the dual and parallel symmetry in Christ taking on the true and righteous fulfillment of these symbols. All except for that of "Dragon". The main apparition of Lucifer as "Dragon" is in the book of Revelation, a book highly associated with apocalyptic knowledge, especially concerning the very endtime. Being the final book in the Bible, it kind of leaves a cliffhanger of sorts when you ask yourself where Satan came up with appearing as the "Dragon", and why there is little enough reference of that title to Christ anywhere.
I would contend that the title of "Dragon" belongs to God, and originates with Him, and that this symbol will be made manifest in the endtime Davidic heir's mission, being a teaching point of Who God really is. What is a dragon anyway? Firstly, like serpents they are potent symbols of duality, resembling both polar evil and polar good. He is the undisputed Lord over all other serpents. Covering the earth, even going back to the most ancient of times the myth of dragons is one of the most universal notions in human imagination, the "serpent who's breath is a flaming fire" (harking back to the "fiery flying serpent" motif found all over the Bible, Book of Mormon and hosts of less-trustworthy books). The fiery breath is an extremely potent symbol denoting a naturally occurring fulness of duality within the serpent. In the Bible, as the JW's like to bring up so much, the words "breath" and "spirit" are usually interchangeable. Thus the Dragon (the Person) is He who's breath (spirit) is naturally hot, denoting a naturally-inherited priesthood power unto self-salvation, or a salvation purchased by the Father for his Son, like unto the ceremony thus practiced in ancient Israel of consecrating the firstborn to God.
There seems to me to be two manifestations of the Holy Marriage, though they are still pretty vague and intertwined. In both the man is the crown prince, future leader of his house, country and people. He is a clear messianic figure. The role of the female however is much more murky and obscure. One reason may be simply that God holds womanhood sacred and is relatively more silent on the subject. Another possibility is that due to the messiah's polygamous household, there are multiple and different consorts whose roles vary one from another.
Hoping you have a strong stomach, in one version of the drama, the queen seems to be the man's sister (often twin sister), or in some instances daughter. Throughout the ages, the stigma and taboo of incest have been universal, yet there is extant evidence that such is practiced by Those highest in Heaven. Royal Egypt interbred throughout the centuries, in order that they might be "like unto the Gods". Such incestuous practices were not only a means of preserving political power within the ruling family, but it was seen as a means of setting them apart from everyone else, and keeping their line pure. There seems also to be a recurring motif of these birthright twins being raised in different settings, sucking from different wetnurses (medically shown to help override the usual genetic/hereditary issues with first-degree incest. figuratively symbolic of the seperatory phase, and two different upbringings for the brother and sister), thus dispelling the "normal" sibling dynamic, and making the union seem slightly less icky. Clear parallels for this is found in the consecutive lives of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob (symbolic of the Godhead), in which all of them married to a close relative who had been raised apart from them.
If the sister/daughter version has truth in it, it very well may be a visible lesson to all people on what distinguishes the Saviour from those whom He saves, what makes God the Most High. The children of Adam have been commanded to 1st: love God, 2nd: love fellow man. Love is like faith; it must be centered on something or someone to become activated. God has taught that for all people it is righteous to focus one's love and devotion outward, chiefly centered on God Himself. While incest is found all over the Hebrew Bible, the only place that formally denounces it is in Leviticus, based on the reasoning that by loving your relative, you are "uncovering your parents' nakedness", or in a sense "loving yourself", being a "lover after your own flesh", which is improper. Focusing one's love inward, or selfish love is always considered a sin and major vice. But ask yourself, what about in the instance of Christ? Where does He focus His love and devotion? The obvious answer is His Father, but one must understand that His filial love is different from the mean man's. Being the natural Heir to Salvation, and the Object of universal devotion from saints of all ages, He may therefore focus His love on His own house, and on Himself, Him being His Father's own flesh. The idea of the sacred union is that it is what produces the Holy Offspring, the Messiah who will be the Anointed of the next generation of salvation. By divine command, love must be directed towards this Godly line, (i.e. God the Father, Son, and on). Christ Himself was no exception to this, Him being uniquely fit to enjoy a condition allowing for a righteous form of "self-love", directing that devotion to the Line of Gods that makes life and salvation possible throughout the generations.
The other major version is just as provocative as the first, though in a different way. This one is the kingly messiah marrying the daughter of his enemy, often together forming the two dominant factions of a greater nation/tribe. An example of this is Judah and Ephraim, two dominant tribes locked in a power-struggle that divided and broke Israel anciently. From Eden there was established a dual heritage in earth - the holy and blessed heritage as well as the cursed and treacherous seed. This paints the female figure in a more dark light, being a daughter of Mahan, or of Lucifer himself if you subscribe to the serpent's-seed doctrine. In this drama however, the daughter of the wicked one is repentant, and chooses her new husband over her father. In their union is resolved the enmity between the seed of the serpent and of the woman, and opposing powers in general. A profound example of this is found in Psalm 45.
Psalm 45 is a wedding song, specifically the messiah's royal wedding to the "the queen in gold of Ophir". The psalm begins with praise for this messiah-groom and then the attention shifts to the bride, a relatively unusual occurrence in the Old Testament.
The narrative continues, and things get even weirder. The psalmist goes out of his way to provide yet a third title and description of the bride: the "king's daughter". The third one was "in gold of Ophir", denoting a vast worldly wealth. The second title again suggest being "of the world", or "of below", but this time in the act of offering "a gift" to her royal husband. The third then calls her the most exalted title of the three, the king's daughter. The poet then continues to give her yet a third time a description suggestive of worldly wealth, but also "all glorious within", hinting at where the bride's heart truly is. The third and last description is the only one to mention inner beauty and spiritual wealth in addition to mere physical beauty and worldly power.
Like seemingly everything, it all begins in Eden. The Fall came not by Adam alone, but him and his wife. The plan of salvation was set into motion not by a person, but a by a married couple, a holy union. Thus, plain spiritual logic implies that not only the establishment of the plan of salvation would be brought about by the healing union of the holy bond, but its resolution as well. Adam and Eve form the archetype.
A further example is Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who travelled far and wide to hear Solomon's wisdom, and to make a gift for him, among other things. Another is of Jesus and Mary of Bethany. In order for Jesus to fulfil his messianic role, he needed to rejoin Israel again by means of strategic marriage. He was emblematic of Judah, Mary of Joseph. People have supposed she is a daughter of Benjamin due to Bethany belonging to that tribe, though the notion is false, and nullifies the need for and result of the strategic marriage. Rather she is typed in Genesis, in the story of Joseph and his brothers, when they come (the 2nd time - with Benjamin, without their father) to Egypt, are received by Joseph in his hall, and then depart with their food. This is when Joseph curiously has his silver cup hidden away in Benjamin's sack. I think this is symbolic of Mary being "Joseph's cup in Benjamin's sack", which ultimately enables Israel to be reconciled, the northern kingdom with the south, just as Joseph was with his brothers anciently.
Anyway my fingers are tired and I've written too much already. Any thoughts? ideas? impressions?
There are a few main themes which can be detected in the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. One is the process of learning to choose righteousness instead of wickedness. Another is the triumph of good over evil. These things are fairly well-known and agreed upon in Christianity and in the Church. I would submit however that another theme of the plan of salvation is that of Duality. The union/re-union of opposites. Balance, harmony, it sounds kind of like all that New Age rubbish, but there are clear examples of this in the scriptures and in nature. While there are evidences from many sources for all this, I'm going to try and stick with the scriptures, veering toward LDS-acknowledged true sources.
But maybe such ideas aren't so foreign to LDS members. We understand there to be an "opposition in all things". With all living, real, things, there is a continuous tension between two polar opposites, within their own spheres. It is evidenced in the seasons - from winter, to summer, to winter again; a balance. Dark vs Light, Cold vs Heat, Ice vs Fire. It is this balance and union of opposites which supports Life. What is electricity, but the joining of the positive and negative forces? Or magnetism, but the attraction of reverse polarities? This opposition, this enmity and tension between said opposites begets power. Real power is produced in the uniting of reverse electrical charges and polar fields. So it is with spiritual things.
I could go on at length talking about opposites and the many examples of this principle, but I'll skip to the meat of it. The most quintessential example of union of opposites is Marriage - the joining of male and female, two separate become joined forever. It is through this that men may become as the Gods, acting upon a righteous sexuality and begetting children (the literal flesh-union of the two parents). One thing people fail to comprehend is the connecting link between sexuality and priesthood power. This is why an unmarried man cannot receive the fulness of the priesthood, nor can a single person be anointed priest and king before God. Thus we see how dualism, marriage and anointing in the covenant & priesthood power are all interrelated.
The idea of the "sacred union" is an incredibly old one, and as I've researched it's become apparent to me that there are clear recurrent patterns and themes. The doctrine was prized by ancient Mesopotamians and royal Egypt. The Life and Health of the world and everyone in it became symbolised in the image of the twin serpents intertwining and ascending. It also sheds light on the meaning of the powerful messianic symbol of the flaming serpent. Both Fire and the Serpent are hallmark symbols of Duality, and union of opposition. Fire is both life and destruction, vitality and death, righteous and wicked. So with the serpent imagery, in which the devil has hijacked the holiest of messianic tokens by appearing to Adam and Eve as the serpent (a symbol they doubtless would have associated with Christ), and later the Dragon, or the Living Serpent. Satan always follows this pattern. He is incredibly unoriginal, always stealing and copying what God copyrights, making it his own and twisting it to conform with his own contorted nature. Satan has hijacked a good many symbols, in his continued pathetic efforts to be Jesus (the true messiah), including the pentagram, the serpent, even very Name of God (YHWH). In every instance, there is the dual and parallel symmetry in Christ taking on the true and righteous fulfillment of these symbols. All except for that of "Dragon". The main apparition of Lucifer as "Dragon" is in the book of Revelation, a book highly associated with apocalyptic knowledge, especially concerning the very endtime. Being the final book in the Bible, it kind of leaves a cliffhanger of sorts when you ask yourself where Satan came up with appearing as the "Dragon", and why there is little enough reference of that title to Christ anywhere.
I would contend that the title of "Dragon" belongs to God, and originates with Him, and that this symbol will be made manifest in the endtime Davidic heir's mission, being a teaching point of Who God really is. What is a dragon anyway? Firstly, like serpents they are potent symbols of duality, resembling both polar evil and polar good. He is the undisputed Lord over all other serpents. Covering the earth, even going back to the most ancient of times the myth of dragons is one of the most universal notions in human imagination, the "serpent who's breath is a flaming fire" (harking back to the "fiery flying serpent" motif found all over the Bible, Book of Mormon and hosts of less-trustworthy books). The fiery breath is an extremely potent symbol denoting a naturally occurring fulness of duality within the serpent. In the Bible, as the JW's like to bring up so much, the words "breath" and "spirit" are usually interchangeable. Thus the Dragon (the Person) is He who's breath (spirit) is naturally hot, denoting a naturally-inherited priesthood power unto self-salvation, or a salvation purchased by the Father for his Son, like unto the ceremony thus practiced in ancient Israel of consecrating the firstborn to God.
There seems to me to be two manifestations of the Holy Marriage, though they are still pretty vague and intertwined. In both the man is the crown prince, future leader of his house, country and people. He is a clear messianic figure. The role of the female however is much more murky and obscure. One reason may be simply that God holds womanhood sacred and is relatively more silent on the subject. Another possibility is that due to the messiah's polygamous household, there are multiple and different consorts whose roles vary one from another.
Hoping you have a strong stomach, in one version of the drama, the queen seems to be the man's sister (often twin sister), or in some instances daughter. Throughout the ages, the stigma and taboo of incest have been universal, yet there is extant evidence that such is practiced by Those highest in Heaven. Royal Egypt interbred throughout the centuries, in order that they might be "like unto the Gods". Such incestuous practices were not only a means of preserving political power within the ruling family, but it was seen as a means of setting them apart from everyone else, and keeping their line pure. There seems also to be a recurring motif of these birthright twins being raised in different settings, sucking from different wetnurses (medically shown to help override the usual genetic/hereditary issues with first-degree incest. figuratively symbolic of the seperatory phase, and two different upbringings for the brother and sister), thus dispelling the "normal" sibling dynamic, and making the union seem slightly less icky. Clear parallels for this is found in the consecutive lives of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob (symbolic of the Godhead), in which all of them married to a close relative who had been raised apart from them.
If the sister/daughter version has truth in it, it very well may be a visible lesson to all people on what distinguishes the Saviour from those whom He saves, what makes God the Most High. The children of Adam have been commanded to 1st: love God, 2nd: love fellow man. Love is like faith; it must be centered on something or someone to become activated. God has taught that for all people it is righteous to focus one's love and devotion outward, chiefly centered on God Himself. While incest is found all over the Hebrew Bible, the only place that formally denounces it is in Leviticus, based on the reasoning that by loving your relative, you are "uncovering your parents' nakedness", or in a sense "loving yourself", being a "lover after your own flesh", which is improper. Focusing one's love inward, or selfish love is always considered a sin and major vice. But ask yourself, what about in the instance of Christ? Where does He focus His love and devotion? The obvious answer is His Father, but one must understand that His filial love is different from the mean man's. Being the natural Heir to Salvation, and the Object of universal devotion from saints of all ages, He may therefore focus His love on His own house, and on Himself, Him being His Father's own flesh. The idea of the sacred union is that it is what produces the Holy Offspring, the Messiah who will be the Anointed of the next generation of salvation. By divine command, love must be directed towards this Godly line, (i.e. God the Father, Son, and on). Christ Himself was no exception to this, Him being uniquely fit to enjoy a condition allowing for a righteous form of "self-love", directing that devotion to the Line of Gods that makes life and salvation possible throughout the generations.
The other major version is just as provocative as the first, though in a different way. This one is the kingly messiah marrying the daughter of his enemy, often together forming the two dominant factions of a greater nation/tribe. An example of this is Judah and Ephraim, two dominant tribes locked in a power-struggle that divided and broke Israel anciently. From Eden there was established a dual heritage in earth - the holy and blessed heritage as well as the cursed and treacherous seed. This paints the female figure in a more dark light, being a daughter of Mahan, or of Lucifer himself if you subscribe to the serpent's-seed doctrine. In this drama however, the daughter of the wicked one is repentant, and chooses her new husband over her father. In their union is resolved the enmity between the seed of the serpent and of the woman, and opposing powers in general. A profound example of this is found in Psalm 45.
Psalm 45 is a wedding song, specifically the messiah's royal wedding to the "the queen in gold of Ophir". The psalm begins with praise for this messiah-groom and then the attention shifts to the bride, a relatively unusual occurrence in the Old Testament.
Hearken, consider, incline your ear - the psalmist three-times beseeches the bride to pay close attention to his following advice. "Forget also thine own people and they father's house". This is incredibly similar to the hieros gamos rights practiced in ancient time, and the religious belief surrounding them. One notable example is the story of Innana and Dumuzi, the royal marriage of the King to the "Daughter of Sin". The psalmist implores the bride to forget her father's house, to forget her her family influence, her upbringing and heritage. Were a davidic king ever to marry someone such as the daughter of sin, this would certainly be sound advice for the wife.10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house;
11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.
Dialogue shifts again to narrative and the psalmist names the bride the "daughter of Tyre", marking reference to the presentation of her dowry to her new royal husband. Tyre was the gentile city just north of Israel, and in the scriptures symbolises worldly splendour and temporal riches. This again supports this ancient Sumerian notion of the righteous son of heaven marrying the repentant daughter of the underworld. Curiously, the poet uses a parallel writing structure in which he equates the union of the bride and groom with the general welfare of the nation and people. This again falls in line with ancient semitic notions of the hieros gamos (holy marriage) rite, the sexual union of the royals bringing fertility to the earth and life to the nation.12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favour.
13 The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.
The narrative continues, and things get even weirder. The psalmist goes out of his way to provide yet a third title and description of the bride: the "king's daughter". The third one was "in gold of Ophir", denoting a vast worldly wealth. The second title again suggest being "of the world", or "of below", but this time in the act of offering "a gift" to her royal husband. The third then calls her the most exalted title of the three, the king's daughter. The poet then continues to give her yet a third time a description suggestive of worldly wealth, but also "all glorious within", hinting at where the bride's heart truly is. The third and last description is the only one to mention inner beauty and spiritual wealth in addition to mere physical beauty and worldly power.
Whoever the psalmist was, he was not only very inspired but was masterful with his language to convey such big and powerful ideas in so little words. This is reminiscent of verse ten, when the bride was advised to forget her father's house. The narrative ends temporarily and the writer once more addresses the bride. Her father(s) is referenced again, who's legacy seems to be displaced by the sons the bride shall bear her new husband. The wedding is not only a union of opposites, but it's also the lesser submitting to the greater, the wife's house being superseded by the husband's. It is suggestive of a new beginning for the bride, who comes from a wicked family and heritage, but repents and is redeemed as she is joined with her husband. She is to forget her past and instead face a brighter future. It denotes the duality of polar Good and polar Evil, as well as Good's superiority over evil.16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
Like seemingly everything, it all begins in Eden. The Fall came not by Adam alone, but him and his wife. The plan of salvation was set into motion not by a person, but a by a married couple, a holy union. Thus, plain spiritual logic implies that not only the establishment of the plan of salvation would be brought about by the healing union of the holy bond, but its resolution as well. Adam and Eve form the archetype.
A further example is Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, who travelled far and wide to hear Solomon's wisdom, and to make a gift for him, among other things. Another is of Jesus and Mary of Bethany. In order for Jesus to fulfil his messianic role, he needed to rejoin Israel again by means of strategic marriage. He was emblematic of Judah, Mary of Joseph. People have supposed she is a daughter of Benjamin due to Bethany belonging to that tribe, though the notion is false, and nullifies the need for and result of the strategic marriage. Rather she is typed in Genesis, in the story of Joseph and his brothers, when they come (the 2nd time - with Benjamin, without their father) to Egypt, are received by Joseph in his hall, and then depart with their food. This is when Joseph curiously has his silver cup hidden away in Benjamin's sack. I think this is symbolic of Mary being "Joseph's cup in Benjamin's sack", which ultimately enables Israel to be reconciled, the northern kingdom with the south, just as Joseph was with his brothers anciently.
Anyway my fingers are tired and I've written too much already. Any thoughts? ideas? impressions?