Illustration by Yoseph Savan based on The Zohar
Ariel Ben Avraham – JERUSALEM IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS (XX-XXII)
XX
“The scepter of your strength the Lord sends from Zion, [to] rule in the midst of your enemies.” (Psalms 110:2)
This is another of the most profound verses in the Hebrew Bible, related to the Jewish final redemption and the Messianic era. We must understand it only in the context of God’s promised new consciousness in the advent of the end of times.
King David addresses the promised Messianic consciousness to Israel as his “lord”, telling us that its leading power is the ruling principle (“the scepter”) that comes from the Creator through Zion as the connecting point with Him and His creation.
We understand the Jewish final redemption as God’s fulfilled promise to Israel as the chosen people to become “a nation of priests” (Exodus 19:6) and “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 51:4). Therefore, Israel is the bearer of the Messianic consciousness, as it is addressed by King David.
Hence we assimilate that the quality of this future revealed consciousness will rule over the negative traits and trends, redirecting them to serve the ways and attributes of goodness. The verse that precedes this one confirms it.
“God says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’.” (110:1)
As long as we remain permanently close to goodness, which is His “right hand” to prevail in His creation, He will turn all that is against goodness into servants as a footstool.
Thus we realize that Israel represents the traits, trends and qualities of goodness destined to prevail in human consciousness forever, as it is later reiterated.
This means that evil won’t exist in the way we know it, but as another aspect of human consciousness that will be manifested in positive and constructive expressions. This is so under the direct emanation of the goodness God promised to reign forever from Zion as His dwelling place in the material world.
“The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (110:4)
This is Israel’s priesthood established by God as an eternal decree.
The Torah and the Jewish oral tradition tell us that Melchizedek was the king of Salem (later called Jerusalem) who received Abraham after his victory over four kings of Canaan and gave him the tithe of all (Genesis 14:18-20), officially passing the eternal priesthood to Abraham and Israel his descendant. Hence the kingdom of peace (Salem) was given to Israel as their divine inheritance, as King David states in this verse.
Thus we realize that Jerusalem and Zion represent the full awareness of peace as the means to bond with the Creator, who gives it to us as the utmost expression of goodness.
XXI
“I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. In the courts of the house of the Lord, in your midst Jerusalem, praise the Lord.” (Psalms 116:18-19)
Jerusalem is where we integrate through, in, with and for goodness, all levels and aspects of consciousness (“God’s people, the tribes of Israel”) with conviction and determination (“vows”).
The “courts” and the “midst” of the city of God are His ways and attributes, with which we “praise” Him by what we are and do in the material world. Living in the premises of goodness is dwelling in the house of God that is built in Jerusalem.
“I have rejoiced in those saying to me, ‘Let’s go to the house of the Lord’.” (122:1)
We can read this verse in several ways. King David is happy because of those who invite him to visit the Temple of Jerusalem. They certainly are not only his friends but also those in whom he rejoices, as his source or cause for happiness.
These are the positive traits and qualities that define goodness by their expressions in what we do for our individual and collective well being, hence the best reasons to rejoice, for they are destined to direct our lives as God’s will, which is His “house”. Going to God’s house is what the best in us does when live permanently in goodness.
“Our feet have been standing in your gates, Jerusalem!” (122:2)
Coming to Jerusalem, as well as anywhere, requires from us the full awareness and determination to move in that direction. Our feet indeed take us to where we need or want to go, but they only respond to our will. Once we stand where we want to be, it becomes our accomplishment.
The Psalmist makes the words in this verse sound as the culmination of a long journey, which is about leaving behind the negative traits and trends of ego’s fantasies and illusions, in order to commit to permanently live in the ways and attributes of goodness.
It is not an easy task, for it is an ongoing process of transforming our consciousness to redirect it in the right path. Once we complete this challenging journey we will be literally at the gates of the city of God, calling at her name to let us in and dwell in it bonding with our Creator.
XXII
This verse is the answer to those who want to divide it as the capital of two different peoples that don’t share the same connection and relationship with the Creator.
The divine establishment of Jerusalem, called here “built”, is meant to reflect the oneness of the God that calls her His house on earth.
This is the same oneness of goodness, which is not a divided or disperse ethical ruling principle as the head (in Latin, “capital” means “head”) that can’t be split into parts because it is a unit.
In Jerusalem everything is not only “together” but also “united”, forming a functional harmonic unity where all is bound by goodness which purpose is to unite the diversity in all levels, aspects and expressions of human consciousness through goodness, for the sake of goodness.
“For there have tribes gone up, the tribes of the Lord, companies of Israel to acknowledge [thank] the name of the Lord.” (122:4)
As we have mentioned, the tribes of Israel represent the potential of goodness in what comprises human consciousness, including creativity, inventiveness, skills and talents that must be elevated by and for goodness in order to ascend to God, from whom emanates all.
In this ascent we acknowledge what God is for us, and that compels us to revere Him in gratitude because thankfulness is the immediate response to goodness when we receive it.
The verse relates also to the offerings the children of Israel brought thrice a year to the Temple of Jerusalem, commanded by God in the Torah, as the means to renew their bond with Him in a united and harmonized fashion, consonant with the unity of Jerusalem.
“For there [in Jerusalem] are set thrones for judgment, the thrones of the house of David.” (122:5)
The verse clearly states that judgment as the outcome of discernment must come from the highest level of consciousness that Jerusalem represents, for it is the “place” were we connect with our Creator through goodness as our bond with Him.
Here we understand judgment as the righteous approach we must have in every instance of living. Hence, having a “good judgment” means letting goodness direct our thoughts, emotions, feelings, speech and actions. Thus we assimilate that goodness is the throne as the seat from which we rule all aspects and expressions of life.
The “thrones” mentioned in the verse refer to the ways and attributes of goodness that delineate its ethical qualities. From these we harmonize the necessary interaction of intellect, mind, thoughts, emotions, feelings, passion and instincts, in order to live a unified consciousness destined to function by and for goodness.
In this context, the house of David represents the willingness, commitment and determination to lead in goodness the tribes of Israel that, as we have said, encompass the positive creative potentials in human consciousness.
King David is the paradigm of the leading and ruling expressions of goodness, also called the Messianic consciousness destined to reign forever after the Jewish final redemption.
Jerusalem is the place where this new transforming consciousness is manifest to reign in the same chosen dwelling place of the Creator in this world.
