Here are special unfoldments that came to me from studying this week’s lesson. They are from various sources… 1) an article by Rev. Kratzer, Hinderances to Healing, mentioned in last Sunday’s Roundtable; 2) a much earlier suggested reading of Rev. Kratzer’s Revelation Interpreted; and 3) Bible commentaries.
1. God – How to honor and worship Him
Deuteronomy 6:1, 4-9
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go to possess it:
(Barnes’ Notes on the Bible)
Moses proceeds to set forth more particularly and to enforce the cardinal and essential doctrines of the Decalogue, the nature and attributes of God, and the fitting mode of honoring and worshipping Him.
2. God – The rules for obedience, (which had formerly been written in man’s heart by nature).
(Webster 1828) Commandment 1. A command; a mandate; an order or injunction given by authority; charge; precept.
Exodus 20: 1-6
“And God spoke all these words, saying,”
(Benson Commentary)
This law God had given to man before; it was written in his heart by nature; but sin had so defaced that writing, that it was necessary to revive the knowledge of it.
3. God – Healing comes; obedience to God’s instruction follows. (Rev. Kratzer in Hinderances to Healing states that for healing, “Truth requires of them to gain a totally new and different understanding of life and health, and also in some ways to follow after a different manner of life;”
John 5: 1, 9
Jesus said to him, Rise, take up your bed, and walk.
(Benson Commentary)
“…this divine word was to be the vehicle of a divine power; it was a command to the disease to be gone, to nature to be strong. But it is expressed as a command to him to exert himself. He must rise and walk, that is, attempt to do so…”
“…But if he had not attempted to help himself, he would not have been cured…”
“…for the man did not recover strength by degrees, but from the extremity of weakness, he suddenly stepped into the highest degree of bodily strength;…”
”… He meant hereby to try the faith and obedience of his patient, who, by carrying his bed, would publicly expose himself to the censure of the ecclesiastical court, and become liable, at least, to be scourged in the synagogue. “
4. God – Obedience leads to a realization of spiritual consciousness
(Revelation 21: 1-5)
Rev. Kratzer on Chap. 21:1-4
“Chapter 21: 1-4 describes the eternal, spiritual heaven and earth and the conditions of the eternal spiritual consciousness. The eternal heaven and earth are spoken of as “new” merely because they are new to humanity’s advancing understanding,…”
“The first heaven and the first earth,” spoken of as passing away, are the false material concept of heaven and earth. This false material concept is merely a factor of mortal belief, as is also the “sea” which is the symbol of turbulence and division, and which is also spoken of as passing away.
“The holy city, new Jerusalem,” is the spiritualized consciousness, coming down to human beings from God out of the realm of harmony. This is, of course, not a coming down from a higher level of space to a lower, but an impartation of higher, heavenly consciousness to the lower order of human thought, destroying that lower order.”
“Verse 3. “The tabernacle of God is with men.” This means that man now realizes himself as dwelling in God, infinite Mind.”
“Verse 4. “And God (the realized presence and power of eternal good) shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;” and the verse goes on to again prophesy the final destruction of evil.”
“Verses 5-7. “And he that sat upon the throne.” The term “throne” signifies an exalted state of spiritual consciousness. In this case, God is represented as sitting upon the throne.”