We have said that cities (beliefs, principles), fortified cities (attachments, addictions, habits), mountains and hills (ideas, ideals) all represent aspects of consciousness. Likewise, peoples and nations represent tendencies to act according to negative thoughts, feelings, emotions, passions and instincts. In the third part of his message to Israel, the Prophet refers to negative beliefs that soil, corrupt and oppress all aspects of consciousness. These negative conceptions result from choosing ego’s materialistic fantasies and illusions as idols to serve, instead of Love’s ways and attributes as the material manifestation of God’s Love, embodied in His Torah and Commandments. Idolatry is the cause and consequence of separating from God’s attributes. This happens when we trust ego’s desires and fantasies more than God’s ways.

“Her princes in the midst of her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the desert, they leave not a bone for the morrow.” (3:3)

The ways we implement or apply ego’s ways are symbolized by kings, princes, rulers and judges. We fulfill ego’s desires and fantasies when our consciousness is controlled by pride and loftiness, which act as lions and wolves that completely devour their prey. Their attitude and the circumstances where they act are desolating as a desert. Fantasies, mirages and illusions all take place out of the nothingness from where they come. All come from a false belief or feeling of lack, a deserted place in consciousness.

“Her Prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her Priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the Torah.” (3:4)

In our own desolation there is no clear discernment under negative beliefs, ideas, thoughts, emotions, passions and instincts. Any possible advice to escape from them turn against our way out and the yearning to free ourselves from them. As we deny and reject Love’s ways and attributes, we desecrate what is holy in us. We become traitors of ourselves without knowing it. Our best discernment and judgment (represented by the Prophets and Priests), capable of bringing consciousness close to our Creator, turn against us. The soiled, corrupted and oppressing aspects of consciousness transgress and violate God’s ways and attributes He instructs us in the Torah.

“The Lord who is righteous is in the midst of her, He will not do unrighteousness; every morning He brings His right to light, it does not fail; but the unrighteous knew no shame.” (3:5)

This verse means that God maintains His goodness and righteousness, and never turns away from us. He doesn’t act treacherously as we do, because His ways are not our ways. He makes the sun appear every morning in His unconditional Love to us, but we don’t reciprocate with the same loving kindness. We are shameless to reject His Love in the ways and attributes He instructs us.

“I have cut off nations, their corners are desolate; I have made their streets waste, so that none passes by; their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant.” (3:6)

God’s Love clears negativity we store in our consciousness. The metaphor of the desert is two-fold. On one hand, it represents the desolation we create in our life when negativity rules. On the other, it symbolizes the emptiness we must create in every aspect and dimension of consciousness in order to be filled with God’s ways and attributes. Our ancestors spent forty years in the desert to transform their consciousness into vessels for God to reveal His Presence in the material world. The Prophet points this out as the prelude to invite God’s Love to dwell permanently in our consciousness.

“Therefore you all wait for Me, says the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey; for My determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them My indignation, even all My fierce anger; for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy.” (3:8)

Again is reiterated the principle that God’s ways don’t cohabit with anything different from them. All aspects, potentials and tendencies of consciousness, represented by nations and kingdoms, must be gathered by God’s ways. This is the beginning of God’s Redemption. The process begins when we realize that we have to transform our consciousness through the fire of Love. Through loving one another and fulfilling God’s Commandments in His Torah we are close to Him. In this closeness there is no jealousy, because there is no separation.

“For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent.” (3:9)

We are devoured and desolated by our separation from God’s Love. As we realize this, we begin our return to His Oneness. This means a permanent connection with our Creator in one language, one consent in which we walk not only in God’s ways but also with Him. We initiate our individual and collective Redemption as we unify all aspects and dimensions of consciousness in what we are, have and do. This unification comes as we allow Love to rule and direct all facets of life. Thus we call God’s Name. We have said that God’s Name and God’s Glory is God’s Love: All the Earth (as well as all His Creation) is full of His Glory.

“In that day you won’t be ashamed for all your doings, wherein you has transgressed against Me; for then I will take away out of your midst your proudly exulting ones, and you shall no more be haughty in My holy mountain.” (3:11)

Only Love, as the manifestation of God’s Love in the material world, has the power to transform the negative tendencies of our consciousness (our transgressions against Him). In order to allow God’s Love to redeem us, we must remove ego’s fantasies and illusions. These are the proud ones, the haughty ones that can’t coexist with the ways and attributes of the Creator. We must be aware that in the place and time where we bond with God, His holy mountain (Zion, the Temple of Jerusalem), there is no room for ego’s agenda.

Ariel Ben Avraham (f. Zapata) was born in Cartagena, Colombia in 1958. After studying Cultural Anthropology in Bogotá moved to Chicago in 1984 where he worked as a television writer, reporter and producer for 18 years. In the 1990’s he produced video documentaries related to art, music, history and culture such as “Latin American Trails: Guatemala” distributed by Facets.org. Most of his life he studied ancient spiritual traditions and mysticism of major religions, understanding the mystic experience as the individual means to connect with Divinity. Since 2004 he studies and writes about Jewish mysticism and spirituality mainly derived from the Chassidic tradition, and the practical philosophy of the teachings of Jewish mystic Sages. The book “God as Love” is the compilation of his last years studying and learning Jewish mysticism, and the messages of the book are part of the content, exercises and processes of a series of seminars, lectures and retreats that he facilitates in Israel.