The Bible In The Light of Christian Science, Vol. II: Exodus

Price: $8.00 Product Code: 0-942958-01-2 Manufacturer: Kappeler Institute Publishing Author: Max Kappeler Quantity: Add to a new shopping list Email this page to a friend

Paperback, 90 pages Level: SUBJECT(s): The Bible in the Light of Christian Science RELATED RECORDINGS: F-1, The Minor Prophets in the Light of Christian Science (32 hours, audio) F-2, The Epistles in the Light of Christian Science (31 hours, audio) SYNOPSIS: There is a definite spiritual structure underlying the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. This series of books, The Bible in the Light of Christian Science, Vol. I–IV, uncovers and illuminates this structure within the Bible. The Bible in the Light of Christian Science, Vol. I: Genesis leads thought to the point of Joseph—the consciousness that recognizes that error (Egypt) must be handled. Vol. II: Exodus takes spiritual evolution further to show exactly how error must be analyzed, uncovered, and annihilated. Exodus covers: Mind = the birth of Moses (seven steps) Spirit = the calling of Moses (seven steps) Soul = the seven plagues Principle = the seven proofs attending the exodus out of Egypt Life = the seven ascents CONTENTS: Chapter 1: Birth and Calling Chapter 2: The Seven Plagues Chapter 3: The Exodus Chapter 4: The Seven Ascents Chapter 5: Summary Appendix EXCERPT: From Max Kappeler, The Bible In Light of Christian Science, Vol II: Exodus, pp. 23–32. The seven plagues: the annihilation of error Spiritually explained, Moses demonstrated the complete annihilation of error through only seven plagues, not ten. This may lead to criticism, for Bible commentaries are not united on this question. The prevailing opinion is that there were seven plagues, although ten plagues are also sometimes mentioned. Why is there this discrepancy? One must realize that the Bible was not written by one author but draws its material from various documents and from different historical periods. For example, biblical scholars generally categorize these periods into four styles of writing: the Jehovistic writing, the Elohistic writing, the Deuteronomic, and the Priestly writing. In uniting all these writings, the compilers of the Bible tried to preserve traditional symbols. As a result, one often finds that a single occurrence is explained through different sets of symbols. In the case of the plagues, one sees unmistakably that in three instances, one basic teaching is illustrated through two different symbols—symbols which nonetheless mean the same thing. Thus, while the Bible describes ten different modes of destruction, both Psalms and Revelation speak of seven plagues. How then can we deal with this discrepancy? The plagues in Egypt cannot be interpreted literally. Such an interpretation would have no practical or lasting value. Rather, these plagues show how an understanding of God as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, and Love (S&H 465:10) destroys the beliefs of mortal mind. The Israelites had accepted the numerous gods of Egypt. Likewise today, pantheism and polytheism flourish and thrive, even if these beliefs are not recognized or named as such. These root misconceptions can only be "rooted out" through a better understanding of spiritual reality. In the Bible, this eradicating process is represented by "plagues." The seven plagues symbolize the determination and certainty with which divine ideas destroy the falsehoods of mortal mind. "Marvels, calamities, and sin will much more abound as truth urges upon mortals its resisted claims; but the awful daring of sin destroys sin, and foreshadows the triumph of truth" (S&H 223:28). Again and again, the resistance to Truth in us (the Pharaoh) says: "I know not the Lord"; he "will not let the people go." Although we would like to have harmony and peace, we shrink back from handling error in ourselves and in the world, even though this is the only price of true peace. Nonetheless, despite our own resistance to this divine demand, we discover in our own lives that we cannot experience harmony without first handling mortal mind, error. Mary Baker Eddy writes: "It is scientific to abide in conscious harmony, in health-giving, deathless Truth and Love. To do this, mortals must first open their eyes to all the illusive forms, methods, and subtlety of error, in order that the illusion, error, may be destroyed; if this is not done, mortals will become the victims of error" (Ret. 64:24). As in the familiar saying, "a good offence is the best defense," we must take the offensive against error. If we allow the embers of error to smolder, we never know when a puff of wind will kindle them into an all-consuming fire. By contrast, if we keep alive in us a consciousness constantly filled with ideas of Spirit, no false influences can enter our consciousness. The floods of Truth wash error away. Moreover, if we remember that the ideas of Truth are self-applied (Mind), spiritually unfolded (Spirit), divinely determined (Soul), system-proven (Principle), self-perpetuated (Life), self-affirmed (Truth), and divinely completed (Love), we recognize that we live in a harmonious realm of ideas which always serves and protects us. Then Aaron's rod swallows up the rods of the magicians. The first plague: Mind annihilating mortal mind (Ex. 7:14–25) "Behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river" (Ex. 7:17-18). In Egypt, the Nile was worshipped as the creative force, for without the waters of the Nile nothing grew. In general, river symbolizes channels of thought. The water of the river was changed into blood. In this context, blood symbolizes mortality. If we put all these symbols together in this context, we see that the transformation of the Nile waters into blood shows that the material stream of thought is not truly creative but mortal. Divine Mind alone is the creator. Everything which bases itself on something other than the divine Mind as a creator is mortal and transitory. Thus the first plague illustrates that divine Mind destroys its opposite, mortal mind, and that mortal mind contains in itself the elements of its own self-destruction. Again the self-destruction of error indicates, not that error has power, but that Truth is at work. "And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them" (verse 22). Not surprisingly hypnotism, occultism, psychology, and mesmerism also show that mortal mind both works and can be used destructively. The second plague: Spirit annihilating materiality (Ex. 8:1–15). The third plague: Soul annihilating sin (Ex. 8:16–23). The fourth plague: Principle annihilating personal sense (Ex. 9:1–12). The fifth plague: Life annihilating the belief of life in matter (Ex. 9:13–35). The sixth plague: Truth annihilating the belief of mortal consciousness (Ex. 10:1–29). The seventh plague: Love brings total annihilation of error (Ex. 11:1–12:32).