Early Jewish and Christian literature share common mystical themes, such as visions of an anthropomorphic God and stories about heavenly ascent. April D. DeConick’s introductory essay suggests that the Christian mysticism of the late Hellenistic and Roman periods is really “Jewish”, which seems justified in this context. The throne world is to the Jewish mystic, while the pleroma, the “fullness”, the bright sphere of divinity with its potencies, aeons, archons, and dominions, is to Hellenistic and early Christianity.
The elements that constitute the mystical tradition and reflect the way Jews and primitive Christians imagined such experiences are discussed to define and systematize the mystical tradition. Genealogical studies reveal its origin in the Greek mystery religions (muo; mystikos), later taken up by the early Christian Fathers (mystical theology; mystical contemplation).
The persistent core of early Jewish and Christian mysticism is the belief that God or his manifestation can be experienced immediately, not just after death or eschatologically on the Last Day. In early Jewish and Christian literatures, mysticism refers to religious experiences that embody the act of revelation itself.
Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity, concerned with the preparation of the person for, the divine. Early Jewish and Christian mysticsm was related to the belief that a person directly, immediately, and before death can experience the divine. Early Christian mysticism customarily has been understood as a relatively late Platonic philosophical product of patristic theology.
📹 How Ancient Apocalyptic Jewish Ascent Esotericism Laid the Foundations of Christianity
Ancient Jewish Merkavah Mysticism sought to ascend into the palaces of the divine realm, bypass fearsome angels of destruction …
What is an example of a Jewish mysticism?
The New Age has brought about a renaissance in Jewish mysticism, with traditional mystical concepts still prevalent in mainstream Jewish thought. These concepts include tikkun olam, or the repair of the world, and tzimtzum, God’s self-limiting. Jewish liturgy has also incorporated mystical texts. Gershom Scholem, a scholar, has significantly contributed to the academic study of Jewish mysticism, discovering and interpreting various manuscripts.
The emergence of New Age spirituality has led to a popular renaissance, with groups like the Renewal movement teaching mysticism to nontraditional Jews, and controversial institutions like the Kabbalah Centre offering a more universal and magical mysticism to both Jews and non-Jews.
What is the Jewish mysticism in Christianity?
Mysticism is a modern scholarly category that refers to religious experiences in early Jewish and Christian literature, which embody revelation and encounter with God. Although only written records are available, these texts contain diverse projections and reflections of ancient authors’ beliefs and their desire to understand a reality beyond the human realm and experience a direct connection with a transcendent God. This connection can be accessed through ecstatic experiences or particular praxes, often leading to the transformation of the mystics and the attainment of esoteric knowledge.
Scriptural interpretation plays a pivotal role in the development of early Jewish and Christian mystical texts. The common mystical themes shared in both early Jewish and Christian literature include visions of an anthropomorphic God, stories about heavenly ascent, revelations of hidden secrets, angelic adjurations and liturgies, and transformative divine encounters. The range of materials brought to bear on early Jewish and Christian mysticism includes Jewish apocalyptic and pseudepigraphic texts, Hellenistic Jewish Texts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the New Testament, early Christian literature, Gnostic Texts, and Hekhalot Literature.
Scholem 1941 remains the starting point for most scholarly discussions on early Jewish and Christian mysticism, with controversy surrounding the notion of a single mystical tradition from the Second Temple era through the late rabbinic period. Some studies focus on the shared mystical elements among mystical texts, while others emphasize the philological, hermeneutical, and conceptual discontinuities surrounding Ezekiel’s vision. De Villiers 2018 and Lieber 2020 provide excellent overviews of the scholarship and the complicated history of interpretation of early Jewish and Christian apocalyptic and mystical texts.
What is the Jewish mystical doctrine?
Jewish Kabbalah is a set of sacred and magical teachings that explain the relationship between the unchanging, eternal God, the mysterious Ein Sof, and the mortal, finite universe (God’s creation). It is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal, and its definition varies according to the tradition and aims of those following it.
In ancient Hebrew, Kabbalah meant “reception” or “tradition”, and in this context, it tends to refer to any sacred writing composed after or otherwise outside of the five books of the Torah. After the Talmud is written, it refers to the Oral Law, both in the sense of the Talmud itself and in the sense of continuing dialog and thought devoted to the scripture in every generation. In the later writings of Eleazar of Worms (c. 1350), it refers to theurgy or the conjuring of demons and angels by the invocation of their secret names.
The understanding of Kabbalah undergoes a transformation of its meaning in medieval Judaism, with the books primarily referred to as “the Kabbalah” (Bahir, Zohar, Etz Hayim) being the books and literary sensibility to which the term refers. Even later, the word is adapted or appropriated in Western esotericism (Christian Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah), where it influences the tenor and aesthetics of European occultism practiced by gentiles or non-Jews.
Jewish Kabbalists originally developed their own transmission of sacred texts within the realm of Jewish tradition and often use classical Jewish scriptures to explain and demonstrate its mystical teachings. These teachings are held by Kabbalists to define the inner meaning of both the Hebrew Bible and traditional rabbinic literature and their formerly concealed transmitted dimension, as well as to explain the significance of Jewish religious observances.
What is Christian mysticism?
Christian mysticism is a tradition of mystical practices and theology within Christianity that focuses on the preparation of individuals for, the consciousness of, and the effect of a direct and transformative presence of God or divine love. Until the sixth century, the practice was known as contemplatio, c. q. theoria, which means “looking at” or “gazing at” God or the divine. Christianity uses both Greek (theoria) and Latin (contempio) terminology to describe various forms of prayer and the process of coming to know God.
Contemplative practices range from simple prayerful meditation of holy scripture to contemplation on the presence of God, resulting in theosis (spiritual union with God) and ecstatic visions of the soul’s mystical union with God. Contemplative practices have a prominent place in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, and have gained renewed interest in western Christianity.
What are the three stages of Christian mysticism?
Two authors, contemporary mystics and scholars, delineate the three principal stages of mystical life: the purgative, the illuminative, and the unitive. For further information, please refer to Fr. Spitzer’s article on Christian mysticism, accessible via the following link.
What are the three types of mysticism?
Mysticism, a term with various meanings, is a religious or spiritual practice that involves experiencing ecstasy or altered states of consciousness, often linked to the attainment of insight into ultimate truths and human transformation. It has its roots in Ancient Greek and has historically referred to the biblical, liturgical, spiritual, and contemplative dimensions of early and medieval Christianity. During the early modern period, the definition of mysticism expanded to include a broad range of beliefs and ideologies related to extraordinary experiences and states of mind.
Mysticism has been a significant part of various religious traditions, including shamanism, Western mysticism, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and has been a significant part of Western Europe and modern spirituality.
What was the Jewish mysticism in the Middle Ages known as?
Medieval Kabbalah is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses a diverse array of ideas and methods for understanding and addressing the mysteries of the divine realm. These ideas and methods were shaped by a multitude of sources among Kabbalists in the Middle Ages.
What is the study of Jewish mysticism called?
Jewish mysticism, also known as Cabala, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, and Kabbalah, is an oral tradition that emerged in the 12th and following centuries. Esoteric Kabbala claims to secret knowledge of the unwritten Torah, which was communicated by God to Moses and Adam. It provides a means of approaching God directly, giving Judaism a religious dimension.
The earliest roots of Kabbala can be traced to Merkava mysticism, which began in Palestine in the 1st century CE and focused on ecstatic and mystical contemplation of the divine throne. The earliest known Jewish text on magic and cosmology, Sefer Yetzira, appeared between the 3rd and 6th centuries, explaining creation as a process involving the 10 divine numbers (sefirot) of God the Creator and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The 12th-century Sefer ha-bahir, also known as the Book of Brightness, significantly influenced the development of Jewish esoteric mysticism and Judaism. It introduced notions such as the transmigration of souls and strengthened the foundations of Kabbala by providing extensive mystical symbolism.
What are the two types of Jewish mysticism?
Contemporary Judaism primarily practices esoteric Lurianic Kabbalah and its later commentaries, various schools of Hasidic Judaism, and Neo-Hasidism in non-Orthodox Jewish denominations. Academic studies of Jewish mysticism, particularly since Gershom Scholem’s Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, distinguish between different forms of mysticism practiced in different eras of Jewish history. Kabbalah, which emerged in 12th-century southwestern Europe, is the most well-known form, but it is not the only typological form.
Previous forms include Merkabah mysticism (c. 100 BCE – 1000 CE) and Ashkenazi Hasidim (early 13th century). Kabbalah means “received tradition”, a term previously used in other Judaic contexts. Medieval Kabbalists adopted the term to express their belief in revealing the ancient hidden esoteric tradition of the Torah. Alternative views on the origin of the Zohar, the main text of Kabbalah, attributed to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai in the 2nd century CE, have opened up the study of Jewish mysticism.
Traditional Kabbalists view Kabbalah as originating in Tannaic times, redacting the Oral Torah, while academic scholars view it as a synthesis from the Middle Ages, incorporating earlier forms of Jewish mysticism, possible continuations of ancient esoteric traditions, and medieval philosophical elements.
What is the simple definition of Jewish mysticism?
Jewish mysticism is a rich and diverse tradition that has taken various forms. Scholar Moshe Idel categorizes it into two fundamental types: moderate and intensive. Moderate mysticism is intellectual, aiming to understand God and His world, and ultimately affect and change the divine realm. It incorporates aspects of traditional Judaism, such as Torah study and commandments, with mystical significance. Intensive mysticism, on the other hand, is experiential, using nontraditional religious activities like chanting and meditation to commune with God.
The first forms of Jewish mysticism emerged in the early centuries of the first millennium, with Merkavah mysticism being the most common. It focused on understanding the divine throne and exploring the mysterious methods used by God to create the world. Kabbalah, the most famous form of Jewish mysticism, emerged in 13th century Spain with the writing of the Zohar, a commentary on the Torah. Kabbalah posits that God, also known as Ein Sof or “the Infinite”, cannot be comprehended by humans but can be understood through ten mystical attributes, or sefirot.
What is the symbol of the Jewish mysticism?
The Star of David is a symbol of Judaism and the Jewish people, believed to be the shield or emblem of King David. Jewish lore links the symbol to the “Seal of Solomon”, a magical signet ring used by King Solomon to control demons and spirits. The symbol is also linked to a magic shield owned by King David that protected him from enemies. Following Jewish emancipation after the French Revolution, Jewish communities chose the Star of David as their symbol, and it is found on the Flag of Israel. Lions often appear as heraldic supporters, especially of the Tablets of Law.
📹 What is Christian Mysticism?
Join me as I turn to explore Christian mysticism as we delve into the fascinating treasures of this tradition. From ancient practices …
Dear Dr. Sledge: Excellent. I have spent most of my life in this material. Excellent job here. And you did well centering on the Acts narrative. As a former greek orthodox priest, I can also wish to point out that the mysticism you describe here did find itself in an authentic mystical tradition of hesychasm (a kind of wonderful syncretism between jewish esoteric practices as well as the incubation practices of the greeks. Some day I would love to have tea/coffee with you to discuss these wonderful things, my friend). I appreciate your website.
Mexican Traditional Catholic here. Dr. Sledge, I love your website but rarely comment. I must say you totally killed it with this article. You correctly expresed what traditional christianity is all about. That’s what becoming sons of God in the image of the Son of God is all about: deification, theosis. May Christ bless you and Our Lady, the Mother of the Lord protect you always. PS. Loved your article on maya mysticism too!!
As an avid student of Christian mysticism, this understanding of Paul as a merkavah mystic makes a lot of sense to me. In his own words, “This is the way any person is to regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor 4:1). So too, Archbishop Alexander Golitzin released a article awhile back that suggested something similar from his research at Oxford and Mt Athos into the Jewish apocalyptic roots of early Christian mysticism. In looking at Jewish apocalyptic literature, Golitzin came to the realization that a mystical (rather than eschatological) view revealed the soul as the chariot-throne of God. Golitzin then pointed to the first homily of Pseudo-Macarius on Ezekiel’s vision of the throne. Here, he too found this same point of continuity, of merkavah mysticism at the roots of the Christian mystical tradition. Paul’s revelation marked a profound shift by locating the Messiah within, and likewise the kingdom of heaven within (2 Cor 13:5). As such, I would argue that Paul’s introduction of a “new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit” thus marked an obvious hermeneutical shift to the mystical (2 Cor 3:6). A shift from peshat to sod, to unveil the heavenly mysteries hidden in parable (Matt 13:10-13, 2 Cor 3:14). So too this marked a curious popularization of what was once held sacred for the elite. Thus “Remove this person from the world, for they are not fit to live.” Yes! Like Prometheus, revelatory fire is being brought down from the heavens, and thus Paul must be punished for sharing the kavod with the common!
I found your website a few days ago and have been bingeing it since! This is definitely a article I’ll return to. I grew up a Pentecostal Christian fundamentalist, so everything surrounding Acts and Paul was extremely important. I can’t think of a single sermon I’d listen to that didn’t ever mention him or what he did. Paul being an apocalyptic mystic makes SO much more sense than just all of a sudden Jesus showing himself and he decided to not imprison Christians because of it. I’m no longer Christian, but learning more about religious history and context is always fun and this article was a huge nerd moment for me!
0:00 Intro the Mystical experience 01:04 Summary of Paul’s mysticism & possible source 03:02 Esoterica website intro 0:4:22 Background of Corinth and Paul 05:54 Paul’s background & Esotericism of 2 Cor 12.1-12 10:15 Dr. Sledge Commentary on Passage 11:47 Questioning Historical Jewish Context 14:10 Merkabah and Hechalot (Palaces) Mystecism 15:54 Narrative & Phenomena 17:17 Mishna’s Warnings 19:18 Explanation of Mishna’s Warnings 20:52 Glory (Kabod) 21:32 Tosefta: 4 men and Pardes (Garden) 23:47 Ascent to Divine Throne 25:24 Ascent Narratives 27:17 Palaces Literature & Paul 30:43 Democratization of Esotericism? 31:53 Dangers of Ascent 32:45 Messengers of HaSatan 33:51 Signs, Wonders, Mighty Works 35:51 Transformation and Glory 38:00 Paul’s: When, Why, & to Whom? 41:04 Paul recounting his new faith (Acts 22) as a result of a mystical experience 43:23 Paul’s vision may be connected to the 2 Corinthians vision 43:35 “…not fit to live.” (Acts 22:22) & Mishna 45:52 Paul’s mystical vision & Authority to Apostleship 46:24 Paul’s Jewish Ascent mysticism may have lead to: Gentile mission, theology, understanding of Messiah, and understanding of redemption. 47:24 Paul’s mystecism downplayed in scholarship, Pauline mysticism changed world 48:45 Scholarship and Literature on Topic of Merkabah
Amazing article. This is the kind of stuff I watch this this website for. From your previous articles on Merkhavah and Third Enoch it was clear that there was an intersection between early Merkhavah and early Christianity, with hints that it might be more than just some brief contact, so this is that follow-up I was waiting for. And the connection between the 3rd Heaven vision in Corinthians with the temple vision Acts feels like the big punch line of this episode. This certainly goes a long way to explain Paul’s “I know a guy” approach and talk of not wanting to boast, beyond mere modesty. It feels crazy that having been a Christian for many decades it’s only in the last couple years that I’ve even heard of this stuff. And by all means, more Merkhavah information would be welcome.
Having had some mystical experiences myself, it was obvious to me that there were mystical bits at the root of Christianity, which were totally not understood by most of the transcribers and translators. I have read/ listened to a lot of stuff on the Gnostic sects going on around that time, but your exposition on a Pauline connection to Merkabah mysticism makes a lot more sense as the primary source. I have enjoyed your website for years now and, yeah, this is your best yet. Rock on! (I would make a donation but retired/ just living on Social Security now. I hope my good will does you some good!)
Yes please teach an entire class on Merkavah mysticism! Your articles and informative and insightful and your gentle humor makes them ever so watchable. The idea that the apostle Paul was Merkavah practitioner feels like finding a missing puzzle piece. A class on Merkavah would be a wonderful way to make this subject more accessible. I want to know more!
Absolutely amazing, your best episode yet! Thank you for your in-depth research on this topic, and I will be looking forward to future episodes about Paul’s mysticism. We are truly fortunate to have your years of education and research shedding light on the early roots of Christianity. Here’s to the day you reach (and surpass) one million subscribers!
You have no idea the impact this episode has had on me for some reason since I was a kid I always speculated that Paul’s experience in the third heaven and his experience with Jesus were one in the same. It’s also interesting how the mystics that descended to the throne room had physical after effects one dying and one going mad. In my mind it makes sense that Paul was blind for a couple days after his vision!
This was absolutely perfect. I have been saying that all Abrahamic religions (and possibly more) were all started with mystical experiences, but leaders of the church and it’s typical believers always deny it due to ignorance and blindness. Thank you for this, I’ve followed you and have been a Patron for sometime, I really appreciate your work.
I am just about to start my third viewing of this article. I am stunned and excited to see things that were taught to me as, “well, we will never understand what Paul was saying” to “this FITS!” Traditional Christian theology has left me feeling bored until I found your website. I am asking questions again and looking for answers. I would not even raise myself to your level of understanding to attend a class, but I would love it if you did have one. I definitely hope you will give us more on this topic.
This is one of your finest lectures, congratulations. What I find so refreshing is the cavalier yet erudite content of your dissertations. My mother was raised in a convent. I was taught to pray before I was pottie trained. Thus I have enjoyed a personal and nearly constant inner dialogue with my spiritual father dating from my first memories. The mystical experiences described by the prophets and apostles fascinated me as a child. I recall now how ardently I prayed for a mystical experience, and becoming skeptical when I wasn’t taken up to view Heaven and Hell from a chariot of fire. I found Paul’s revelations especially suspicious. Happily as I matured I began to witness to the miraculous in every day life. Again, my compliments and thanks. Your lectures are not only profoundly informative but great fun as well. CHEERS !
This is an amazing episode. I completely agree with you that this will, at the very least, force a new dimension into the scholarly discussion about the early Christianities. I’m working my way through Ehrman’s Lost Scriptures and can see parallels everywhere with other early Christian writings. How much dialogue and influence do you think gnostic, Merkavah, and other Eastern Mediterranean religious writings had on each other? Put in other terms, do you think that this is a Jewish tradition riffing on Greek religious practices, vice versa, or is it too difficult to tell? Definitely sign me up for any course that you develop about Merkavah mysticism. Between you, Dan McClellan, and Mythvision courses, I’m going to be spending most of my disposable income on courses! 😄
I’ve been digging through your website for months know as I work on pretty convoluted wizard shenanigans (trying to make my own magical circle) and it always blows my mind how accessible your content is without having ANY of the pseudo mystical stagecraft present in other ppls content. If esoterica has a million fans I’m one. If esoterica has 1 fan I’m that fan. If there are 0 esoterica fans it’s bc I’m DEAD.
I’m stunned by this episode. I knew these stories, I knew about Merkavah mysticism, I knew Paul was a mystic and so on. I have come close to tying it all together – but I didn’t. Until now. Thank you for this revelation. What do you think about Merkavah mysticism on the development of Gnosticism? I know Greek philosophy made a major contribution perhaps as a lens for explaining the Merkavah experience which led to Gnosticism. And a big YES Please to a class on mysticism.
This vid is top rate, like all of them! I’d also recommend “Religion of the Apostles” by Fr. Stephen DeYoung. He mentions Merkabah and Paul in the first chapter and says that it likely informed the practice of Hesychasm. He also discusses Enochian literature and its relationship to Christianity. As an Orthodox priest he is able to show how it all fits seamlessly into the Christian understanding.
Awesome! Just awesome! This is something so mystical, so esoteric, and so real. I had a similar experience as Paul, and I’m loathe to talk about it, even though it has been over four decades now. These experiences are sobering and life-altering. One can’t talk about it to just anybody. Only a few people can absorb and digest such heavy doses of the unseen realm. Much love to you for exploring this topic. Peace!
Superb article, Dr Sledge! Your emphasis on Paul’s mystical experiences – within the context of Jewish Merkabah and Hekhalot mysticism – as “a positively decisive linchpin in this story” (of the foundations of Christianity) is both exciting and refreshing to hear. I feel I must add – similarly, I also “just can’t hide my frustration and contempt for that long history of scholars that have attempted to sideline the importance of…” James’ mystical experiences. There is sufficient reason to distrust Saul-Paul’s sincerity, and we need to critically examine what could be a strategic tactic of appropriation in relation to James the Righteous? I want to reiterate here the fact that Paul was in contention with the three recognized and revered “Pillars”, the principal of whom was James the Tsaddiq as Head of the Jerusalem Assembly (the “Bishop of bishops, who rules Jerusalem, the Holy Assembly of the Hebrews and the Assemblies everywhere”) and “Protection of the People”. In addition to your compelling insights here, I would also encourage your viewers to additionally take a look at Dr Samuel Zinner’s work, “The Gospel of Thomas | In the Light of Early Jewish, Christian and Islamic Esoteric Trajectories” (the table of contents give a good indication of what to expect). Regarding Paul’s ascent narrative, take note of the following from Zinner’s work: “The (Slavonic) Ladder of Jacob … exhibits all the characteristics of a purely Jewish-Christian document in which the patriarch Jacob and James (=Jacob) the Just may coincide at an implicit level.
Would love a whole class on Merkavah Mysticism! While I originally turned to apocalyptic texts for inspiration for my own work of post-apocalyptic fiction, I’ve since found these works critically impacting my own spiritual foundations. As always, an amazing article from an amazing creator, may we be blessed with more to come ~<3
Top shelf content about some of the Top shelf liturgies known/not so known by mankind. Delivered up intelligently and bias free. For the people to consume, digest, and discuss. If you don’t know already….. You are a good man. Thank you for all your effort. It has enriched my life on many levels. And BTW the shirts at your store are sic af. I want’em all, but settled on the CNU 🤟🤟🤟….lol **Ladies & Gentleman be an Intellectual Bad Ass and go buy one of his shirts****
Can’t wait to listen to this again when I’m not distracted by cooking dinner. This requires some real consideration—I’ve always thought there was so much I could learn growing up Christian, if only I could understand Judaism in its context. Not for conversion’s sake but to understand the confusing era Christianity arose from. It is not nearly as simple as I was taught. Good stuff, as usual. I love it all. ETA: second time around—outstanding!—-Joseph Smith referred to the destroying angels who protected the highest kingdom of God—you needed special passwords and hand signals….and yes, he had been studying kabbala with a mentor. Yes, it was a rip off, but then again, most things are remixes.
Bravo, Dr Sledge! This may be my favorite Esoterica article yet. I have always found the Merkavah and Hekhalot mysticism more interesting and fascinating than the later mysticism of the Kabbalah. These experiences, at least the few I’ve heard or read in English, seem incredibly intense and full of mystery. Some of it also just amazingly entertaining literature; I would love for someone to make a film of the story of the Four who Entered the Pardes, perhaps containing other elements of other accounts from those who made the assent/ descent. As someone who was raised Catholic, it is amazing to see the Apostle Paul in this light; I think the idea of him being a mystic tracks well with both the Biblical descriptions of him, as well as the mystical literature from the centuries surrounding his lifetime. One of the things I believe Christianity has lost, particularly in its Western, American form, is the mystical experience that was perhaps at its very foundation, profound experiences and practices that have always been either downplayed, shunned, or labeled heresy by so many denominations. That this mystical experience may be one that truly changed the course of Christianity, and thereby changed world history is also stunning, and speaks to the power of the esoteric practices and literature of Merkavah and Hekhalot.
Hey, I found your website some months ago thanks to the crazy youtube algorythm. I´m an atheist, but I really like studying ancient knowledges and it´s story, the religion and occult are intimate connected, although the religious fundamentalists will never agree. I speak to you from Natal in Brazil. Oh how could I forget? COME TO BRAZIIL!! hahaha, congrats for the work, I admire your sincerity and dialetics
Hi Justin, I would definitely like to take classes on Merkabah Mysticism, if you offered them. I took a class on it with the professor/writer Zvi Ish Shalom, in his ‘Kabbalah and Consciousness’ class at Naropa University a few years back. Also, you were able to change my mind about Paul! Learning this important bit about him really changes my whole view about him! Thank you again for all your work! -Daniel L.
I rarely comment on articles but I’m compelled to do so here. Bravo! Through the years I’ve often wondered about this very subject and I hadn’t come across any solid scholarship for it (although I wasn’t really looking that hard, either). About 6 months ago I was reading Margaret Barker when she suggested Paul had a Temple vision in the same vein as Isaiah, where Isaiah sees the LORD high and lifted up on his throne. Paul even uses the same word Isaiah uses for being sent, “Apostle.” This must be where Paul receives his claim of Apostleship and I’m sure he argued for this case when in discussion with the Jerusalem “pillars.” The Jerusalem leaders certainly would have understood this claim from Paul’s perspective within the Isaiah prophetic tradition. And the equality with the angels one must have to behold and survive this vision might also help explain James Tabor’s claim that Paul may have seen himself as an actual Christ himself. Why else would he say he is completing Christ’s bodily sufferings? You mean the scourging and crucifixion weren’t enough?! Paul’s angelic understanding of himself could be understood within an angelic resurrection body resurrection tradition or teaching/understanding in that milieu. Just some thoughts for further exploration. Once again, thank you for this article and bravo!
Dear Doctor Sledge, thank you for your great article.The first time I read the merkava lectures published by brill, I had an imagination that the christianity espacially Paul and John are inspired deeply by the Merkava lecture. For example in the apocalypse John was asked by elder to explain the mystic, John could not and then elder did it, it’s very closed to the description of Yohanan ben Zakkai with his disciple on topic of Merkava . I’m very happy to know that I’m not lonely. I hope you could continue on this research and discover much more things.
I love this teaching. I was converted over to Christ through years and years of meditation in trance. I studied a lot of occultism. Then began studying a lot of metaphysics. This is where I began stumbling into a lot of Jesus Christ verses within the teachings of metaphysics. Shortly after I saw the face of Jesus on the wall. The face of a Jewish rabbi. This began my pursuit of studying more scripture. Eventually I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I completely converted over to Christianity. But in the teachings of Christianity I began feeling that they veer away from what brought me to Christ to begin with. Which was the practice of mysticism. So I wanted to say in the comments that I would be interested in a class teaching Merkavah. I’m always pointing out to my wife the parts of scripture that point towards trance and mystical experiences to show her there is more to Christianity then what we find on the surface. It’s taught throughout scripture.
This is really amazing FREE content Dr Sledge! Much of what you get into here I already knew after many years of searching for my own knowledge, but the relevance of Paul escaped me. I certainly like your take on Mystic vs Apocalyptic Prophet. There’s so much of biblical literature that needs unpacking, and I would include the Qur’an here as well. Thankfully we have a lot of research going into sacred Abrahamic texts right now, however it’s still apparent to me that “the fate of the books depends on the intelligence of the readers”. The encounter with Angels is also very well covered in Sufism even though that literature is sparse (especially in translation). I wonder if there will ultimately be a connection made to earlier Jewish texts during the Islamic period.
I always try to listen to your broadcasts; they are always exciting and thought-provoking. Nevertheless, this episode is genuinely outstanding. Firstly, Modern Jewish thought rarely discusses Hekhalot Jewish Philosophy (I am purposely not using the pejorative term: mysticism since I do not think it was ‘mystical’ for Jews in these early centuries. However, this episode is particularly outstanding in understanding the origins of Christianity and the split from Judaism. A break that is so relevant to our lives today, where antisemitism is on the rise and splits in Christian sects, is reverberating in our lives today. Thanks, Dr. Justin, for taking up such a complex topic. I look forward to follow-ups on this lecture.
I am merely a beginner on these topics, having mostly learned from your articles, which I discovered less than a year ago. However, even in this short time, what I learned about Merkavah mysticism has been fascinated, with concept that feels familiar, yet their approach being extremely different from what it is today. I would love to have a full course on this subject!
Oh Justin, you’re a godsend. I so appreciate you and your efforts to educate. “It is mystical experience which conceives and gives birth to authority.” – Gershom Scholem ON THE KABBALAH AND ITS SYMBOLISM, Chapter 1, Religious Authority and Mysticism Incubation practices in Hellenistic period, Merkavah practices, and Heyschasm are all examples of these Ascent practices. It’s unfortunate that all exoteric religious authorities, and especially the Abrahamic ones, have shunned and often killed these saintly practitioners. It seems to me that invocational prayer got tossed out in the efforts to wipe out magic, and significantly altered the way people prayed. Today, these prayer practices seemed to be heavily guarded by the various mystic orders of all faiths. But if one makes the effort, and much discipline, as well as patience, is absolutely required, they can be found.
I love your website so much, it is opening my eyes to the utterly VAST world outside what I was taught or allowed to learn in growing up “Christian”. One thing I was looking into just before this article came up, was the possibility of Jesus travels Eastward to learn from various teachers in India etc, which opened the possibility in my mind of him being more of a mystic than I had been allowed to believe (funny considering I grew up heavily charismatic Christian) Just curious what your thoughts are on that? Is there potential in the literature that this take on Jesus is plausible and that the more zealot themes were promoted by others for their personal reasons? Just spitballing on intricacies (sounds like a metal band lol) and trying to wrap my head around all this new info. Keep up the great work! Thank you, blessings
Wow, this is an extraordinary episode in your long series. Having a lifelong interest in the mystical experience, I did not know about this experience of Paul. Tying it to the Merkava tradition is an important achievement on your part. I would definitely sign up for a class in this subject at a reasonable subscription fee. Great work!
Possibly the best article on Youtube. You have a gift for making these topics understandable without having to talk down to the audience. I suppose this question is obvious and yet may not have an answer: Where did all of this go? For one such as yourself, are these practices truly lost? If these practices were producing “Messianic” figures in their time, why are they not still doing so? We should, perhaps, have never been without a tangible, present Messiah. Was the world once so magical that simple miracles didn’t amount to a claim to Messianic aspirations or fit the requirements of? It seems that the best of us, capable of understanding all of this (such as yourself), are limited to only studying what others have done in antiquity as opposed to applying what they did and doing it yourself or Ourselves. If that is the case, then I suppose Christianity is the correct “religion” since, essentially, that’s all we’re able to do.
Ive been thinking about this type of Jewish mysticism for awhile now, glad to see i wasnt the only one thinking it had an influence on the new testament. Wish more people wrote about this topic. Its sad to hear it wasnt until the 1900s that it became relevant to Christian academics, since Im Christian myself. The parallel between the idea of theosis in the Orthodox church and the ascension of the mystic in Merkavah, its a very interesting one.
Indeed, I would be interested in a class on Merkavah mysticism! (Of course, timing and cost and other things will be decisive factors in whether or not I can do it when you first offer it, but I’d certainly be up for it in theory!) I took a class my senior year as an undergraduate that was on The Theology of Paul and John, and first semester we did Paul. In one of the assigned readings we did, Paul and Merkavah/Hekhalot was the main focus…it might have been Segal, but I can’t recall off the top of my head now. But I was glad to have read it! I thought, based on that experience, that this was just a “standard” understanding for anyone who has delved into NT scholarship at this point, and who isn’t a hardcore Protestant (usually evangelical and/or non-denominational) fundamentalist who doesn’t want to know these things (or have a nuanced and historically contextual view of anything in their Bible!), but it’s sad to realize that the vast majority of people probably don’t know or recognize this, alas. 🙁
Thank you for giving me the history lesson I so wanted. I have long thought that what is problematic about modern Christianity is is divorce from Jewish and historical context. It’s Interesting to me how much the literature of these mystic experiences so resemble the Hindu Vedanta mystic experiences. With similar results. Very few striving for ‘samadhi’ come back to their earthly bodies. Many who do are never again quite sane. Thank you for your lesson, Dr. Sledge. I will share this with someone whom I think would be very interested in that course.
Thank you for the article. I literally got chills during that whole “but wait, there’s more” run-up to the end. I feel deeply, deeply stupid that I never made this connection before. Once you’ve said all this, it seems like the most obvious thing in the world. I’d made the relatively obvious connections among apocalyptic Judaism, gnosticism, and Christianity, and was familiar (not as a practitioner, of course!!!) with merkabah mysticism, and was even interested in possible genetic similarities between Pauline and Sabbatian theology as apocalyptic Judaisms (as much as I know Nathan and his messiah would hate to have that comparison made). But it never occured to me that Paul might have been a Jewish mystic. Not. Once. I even practically blamed him as the father of everything I perceived as wrong with Christianity, such as removing Jewish and mystical elements and making it soulless, and sometimes I quoted Ephrem the Syrian and saying, “Beware the poison of the Greeks” (that is, rational philosophy). Which I know, all sounds a bit insane for anyone who’s actually read Paul, whom I don’t think we can ever accuse of not being a deeply emotional and passionate and sincere writer and theologian, but it just goes to show that he’s such a deeply complex and world-historic figure obscured by the weight of two thousand years of positive and negative opinion about him, that practically any thought can find purchase in his writings. Lately, this past year or two, I’ve been trying to re-engage with Paul and appreciate him more.
God’s chariot! YES! Jewish mysticism has not been omitted from wider Christianity, only long-forgotten. It is recognized and remains in safe keeping – not by messianics, not by neo gnostic churches, or new age authors- but deep within the scholarly and monastic tradition of a particular branch of Christianity. Look where scholars of Greek, Syriac, and Hebrew overlap. Follow the Chariot! Dr. Justin thank you so much for covering this topic. I absolutely love your website. ❤
1 Corinthians 1:31 states “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” So boasting (only) in Jesus Who is Lord, I can honestly say from personal experience, that under Grace and in this Grace Age these mystical experiences are still available to be had. Many have had them and they are life changing. Thank you for dealing sensitively with this subject matter. I always appreciate the depth of the topics you present!
When Dr. Sledge said something to the basis of, “It’s hard to talk shop with people who have never been there.” it struck me as so true. I have had a profound mystical vision, at least for me, but how does anyone explain such a transformative event to someone who has not experienced anything of the sort?
It is always interesting to me to see how many of the cultural phenomena that are present in society today have ties to esoteric understanding. It is a shame that if someone were to claim to have such visions or insights that seemed to be from a divine source, in our current time and social atmosphere, they would instantly be a pariah and labeled as crazy.
23:23 I have been observing water in puddles on the sidewalk and mirages in curves as light bends and folds on the pavement of the road the liquidity is equally as reflective the mirage is mesmerizing they mistaken the illusion of the pure marble pavement of heaven as water also i live in north carolina i find it amazing how it can be cloudy and raining and mirages in cool temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit
Dr. Slege, First and foremost thank you for always providing such a great online educational experience. I have been a fan since your early episode of “The five misconceptions about alchemy”. I just wanted to take this time to support any effort concerning Merkavah. More material would be great on this topic especially as it pertains to the time period in which Paul may have been influenced by it. Thank you so much for you consistent delivery of estoeric and complex religious/mystical material. Sincerely, This youtuber
In card readings, whenever I get into the symbolism of The Chariot card, people are fascinated without fail. I would love a class. It seems like a common thread of mystical experience is the cyclical lesson of those chosen for revelatory experience being the most humble or meek people, and they also seem to experience the thorn of the gift of this mystical revelation being persecution or dismissal from the religious or cultural hierarchy. From Teresa de Avila, to Paul, to Juan Diego in Mexico, Joan of Arc or Moishe the Beadle. Then later they get celebrated and held as an example of piety. The old tear down and build back up. I guess that’s kind of stating the obvious but people never learn.
I once listened to a podcast episode from Data Over Dogma where Dr. Isaac Soon guest-starred. On the podcast, Dr. Soon expressed his belief that Paul was potentially suffering from some sort of disability, the aptly named “thorn in his side” and that his experience with coming to terms with it as exemplified in his message toward his doubters is what helped shaped his outlook on his ministry and his own relationship with God.
I agree with others. This one is one of your coolest. It’s really interesting to see Paul through this reality tunnel, to use Robert Anton Wilson’s term. Like many others, I’ve always seen Paul in the traditional way, and later in life in a rather negative way. Kind of how The Last Temptation of Christ shows him – an evangelical fraud. A couple of questions: Was Simon Magus a contemporary miracle worker like the ones you mentioned? Why do you think he wasn’t accepted as Paul was – at least later? About the thorn in Paul’s side from the angels of Satan. Was this Satan in the older sense? God’s district attorney? And these angels were testing Paul in the same way Job was. Or as Jesus in the wilderness was. Was Jesus seeking a mystical ascension experience in the wilderness?
This article is fascinating to me as someone raised evangelical who has since converted to Catholicism (and then gotten very loose about that). I have heard hundreds of sermons about verses 6-10. The thorn in Paul’s side has been interpreted as everything from heinous sin to clinical depression to closeted queerness. And the boast in question is always seen as boasting that he’s saved because he has a Personal Relationship With Jesus (TM). Verses 2-4 are either skipped or given vague “isn’t Paul’s grammar hard” hand waving. Universal evangelical interpretation is that you will suffer because you believe in Jesus even if you’re a Really Good Born-Again Christian (TM). The boasting bit gets tied to Matthew 5:5-6 where Jesus says not to pray flamboyantly and left at that. That never really made the passage make as much sense as this does. I let out a screech like a pterodactyl at the Lutheran Paul line because it’s SO TRUE. I’ve never heard of Paul having a mystical experience (though it’s obvious after thinking about it for 0.2 seconds). Not the vision on the road to Damascus, not this passage, and never the scene in Acts, which is seen as the “quiet voice of Jesus in your heart” that they teach in Sunday School. This article was like having something that’s been slightly tilted my whole life getting snapped into place. Because most evangelicals can’t tell you what the difference between belief in God as a fact and faith/trust is. The whole concept of being transformed by faith makes so much more sense in the context of Merkavah mysticism.
My mentor and rabbi has spoken to me of some of his mystical experiences and subsequent divinely given abilities. I have no reason to not believe him for he speaks very matter of factly of these incidents. I’ve had my own mystical experiences and i too have been struck and was afflicted for a long period like Paul. This has been one of my favorite articles of yours!
This was a very good episode of your show. I am glad, I have prior background in early Christianity due to a couple of people on YouTube including: Religion for Breakfast, Bart Ehrman and weirdly enough Trent Horn. It made this whole episode much easier to digest. I would definitely love a class in Mervah
This was an amazingly informative article, and I’d definitely be interested in a class about Merkavah literature… That being said, until this article i didn’t know i would be interested in that. You shouldn’t be shy about front-loading some of the Paul connection for that class, at least for us less informed types.
Merkovah might be the foundation for Paul’s writings and beliefs. Or maybe he actually encountered Christ on that road. Why does everyone try to discount Jesus and his life? If Paul was simply drawing upon Jewish mysticism why did he not just come right out and say it? He wasn’t the biggest Christian enthusiast, prior to his conversion, if im not mistaken. Didn’t he stone early Christians to death on behalf of the Roman empire? Wouldn’t it have been a more logical move for him to just lean closer to his Jewish upbringing? This, in fact, was not the case. His faith in Christ and resolve to convey his ideas to the vast reaches of the Empire only grew stronger as he got older.
Brilliant as always Dr Sledge. I ve been connecting the points after perusal your articles about this Hekhalot practices, The book of Jeu, and can I say this also links to the Egyptians practices of Coming fort the day and the earlier tales of Gilgamesh “Ascending to the avodes”? There is also something on the Sethians book os Zoroastrianos, Alogenes and Marsanes isn t it? I loved your series of 14 chapters on Kabalah, I woud defenitly join to one on Merkabah Mistycism… Thanks.
What I find interesting is this Jesus Christ character was an educated individual, yet never wrote anything himself? No, people who apparently knew the guy or had second hand knowledge of Jesus Christ wrote on his behalf and apparently quoted him word for word later on the timeline? His father, brothers, uncle never wrote about his childhood or life? No one in the time of his ‘existence’, recorded or scribed this miracle worker’s life and events? There is more evidence of Siddhartha Gautama existence then Jesus Christ. Figures of the individual, not just letters on papyrus/paper. Did this individual Jesus character even exist? If not, then that makes all Paul’s writings moot and anything derived from Paul. Which also brings the question, if Jesus never existed as the New Testament describes, then why the ruse on the Gentiles? Ideas, experiences and emotions translated to words/symbols and writing/scribing.. becomes tricky. It’s an avenue for deception as one relies on the ideas and experiences of written words (stories) to fulfill their understanding of reality, self, and the Creator aspect of what we as humans experience within the Universe and within ourselves. This deception is one that takes the individual away from self-experience and self-understanding, to that which is written in the external world. Thus the person looking for spiritual development and understanding is reliant on something they cannot replicate or grasp as what they are trying to replicate or grasp is nothing more then another persons experiences, ideas and understandings.
I think it’s easy to see Paul as a cynical, deeply unethical man, one who used the traditions of Jewish Merkavah-Hekhalot mysticism to give himself unmerited credibility as a follower of Christ; he essentially usurped the leadership of a minor Jewish messianic sect, and completely recreated it — possibly with the help of followers willing to make liberal revisions with scriptural copies & translations of the gospels — using the same species of pseudo-visionary bullshit that shaman-charlatans have been using to trick the gullible out of food & shekels for millennia. Muhammad duplicated Paul’s deceit, & a profusion of Protestant Christian sects soon found inventive new ways to herd & shear their own bleating flocks, breaking free of the Catholic monopoly on monetized ignorance. Eventually even the craziest cults went mainstream, with inexplicably successful cosmic fantasies like Mormonism & Scientology… though the latter associates itself not with Christianity, but with the idiotic & racist science fiction gibberish of The Nation of Islam, Moorish Science, etc. L. Ron Hubbard just eased people into his cult with the mindless pop psychology of ‘Dianetics’; this was followed by a bizarre twist on the Communist struggle session — preceded by a diagnosis of the subject’s ‘thetan levels’, using a B-movie prop pretending to be actual technology — designed to beat all logical resistance out of their mushy heads; he then tossed in a couple of the many novels he’d hacked out that were too terrible for even the worst paperback publishers, doling out ‘insight’-by-increments as they ascend through the many levels of Scientology, their rate of ascent completely arbitrary, based solely on whatever nebulous criteria Hubbard — & now that Hubbard is aboard a spaceship in the afterlife, his minion, Ron Miscavage — decide graduation should be based upon.
Fascinating presentation! I would definitely be interested in a complete course! Are you familiar with the Chinese Daoist tradition? I see parallels here, though I need to do much more research, and I would relish the opportunity begin with your course. Please do more articles on this subject. It would be invaluable to comparative religious studies. All the best.
This is really, really interesting. I’m a Christian theologian, but not a biblical scholar (although I did have classes in grad school, naturally). Anyway, I’ve generally heard in churches – coming in part from the Catholic side – that Paul represents the charismatic pillar of the Church where as Peter represents the institutional (and they share a feast day possibly for that reason?). I grew up in a Pentecostal church, but am Episcopalian now, fwiw, so while I’m familiar with Protestant traditions that downplayed Paul’s mysticism, I’ve never experienced that – but you’re talking about scholars, anyway, not average churchgoers & pastors. I think this is really fascinating to pair with some models of soteriology, particularly the idea that God became human in Christ to essentially join human nature to God, & as such, when (as Paul writes) we’re baptized into Christ’s death, death is actually our salvation (not in a substitutionary sense, but more participatory). That would make death & baptism (ritual dying) the ascent you describe, I imagine. Which is definitely a development in the understanding of Christian baptism from its origins with John the Baptizer. I’m definitely going to be thinking about this! Thank you so much. I love your website (and enjoy your little “metal band” jokes).
Best of your vids I have watched to date (although I’m kind of a newbie to your stuff). You are right to point out how these writings of Paul are so central to the core tenets of modern Christianity. Most Christians probably don’t think of themselves as mystics, yet their core beliefs (arising out of Paul’s version of Christianity) are essentially mystical. However, I can’t help but think about how Paul was facing a real dilemma at the time he suddenly declared his revelations. The status quo – all the powerful early proponents of Christianity at the time – were basically calling for his head to roll – politically if not physically. He REALLY needed an escape hatch. Leveraging his non-Jewish (i.e. Greco-Roman) connections would have been a brilliant pivot. I can’t help but see a bit of opportunism in all this. More Greeks and Romans were beginning to be open to Christianity, and to exploit this opportunity early on (to be the first to hit a vast new market, so to speak) could be a ticket to Paul’s not-so-spiritual salvation, by which I mean it put him out of the reach of his detractors, while simultaneously increasing his influence among the gentiles. I see Paul as kind of a “player” who profited from persecuting Christians for awhile, and then saw how flipping and selling the new religion could really propel him to the top echelons of the Roman- Mediterranean society of his time. Sometimes the person who can actually get away with telling the biggest whopper wins. And if the people of his time wanted a grand-slam spiritual whopper, he was smart and shrewd enough to give them exactly that.
i love this website. i was raised Roman Catholic (mom’s from El Salvador), and Jewish (dad’s from Lithuania); and although i’m no longer practicing either (now i’m more closely aligned with non-theistic Satanism, and indigenous Mayan/Mexica beliefs), i LOVE learning about different mythologies and mysticisms. i can never absorb enough knowledge, and your work has been an EXTREMELY welcome and valuable addition to the memory banks; much love, you’re dolphinately the mensch for the job 🤘👹🖤
Wonderful episode and it’s a very plausible theory, perhaps precisely due to the content of this website where we constantly learn who influenced what, where, how and why. I wonder if there are studies comparing Paul’s mysticism to that of later Christians, like the Desert Fathers in the Philokalia, Meister Eckhart, Jeanne d’Arc, St. John of the Cross et al. Do their mystical experiences reflect or hearken back to the Paulinian/Merkavah ancestry in content, tone and language as well as target audience? Or are they more akin to their cultural pagan ancestry?
Hi there. Thank you so much for all of your articles i really love them, and your charisma is superb! The content you’re making is epic, ive been enjoying it for some months now. I do alot of my learning online and do purchase courses for training. Am currently looking for some training online to join that calls to me strongly as my last course just finished.. I cant recall which article you mentioned you MAY do Merkabah training in? If enough ppl put their hands up you said. I was meant to write a comment and put a BIG HANDS UP from me under that article in comments section when I watched it yesterday. But i forgot, and now im hoping this is the article you spoke that in as i scrolled back in my history. As I would totally love to join a group of students willing to learn in more depth the art/mechanics of the Merkabah!!!. 🙂
I hope you are considering publishing a book about this and other topics. Maybe it’s just me, but I would be able to savor the fruit of your work much better if I could stop, think, reflect, take notes, underline, scribble in the margins, circle page numbers and all the stuff I have been doing with books for 60 plus years. The density of information you pack even in shorter articles is a distillation of erudition but also serious critical reflection and it deserves to be preserved in a much more solid format, duly catalogued and referenced. I know it would be a monumental task but you could start by running your lectures through speech-to-text software to get at least a rough transcript. You could even self publish and print on demand. I know I would buy your work for sure.
Hey Justin – I have a question that I’d like to ask after binging a lot of your fantastic content over the last few days (apologies if it appears obvious/naive or neglects knowledge you have already imparted in articles I haven’t seen): Is there a connection between Jewish ‘Merkavah’ mysticism and Ancient Egyptian records of various aspects of the soul including ‘ka’ and ‘ba’? I wonder if the similar sounds of the words evidence a connection between the peoples/cultures and their spiritual or religious practices. If you think I am getting at something here that I haven’t quite phrased so well, please let me know (if it’s at all possible for you to respond good sir). All the best and thank you
always thoughtful, stimulating and often challenging. I wonder if Justin adheres to any spiritual discipline? i continue with Anglican christianity here in Oxford even though much of the liturgy i find impossible to stomach. For me it doesnt matter. The focus is what is useful to me plus the mutual social support and opportunity to take part in my community.
…this is absolutely extraordinary stuff! I’m starting to see NT Paul in a completely different light after seeing this brilliantly put together discourse on a passage of Paul’s writing to Corinth that I’ve never really considered and thought about. The Catholic Church (I may be wrong) seems to downplay those visions of very important believer’s (like Enoch et al), who’s shared experiences through their books could continue to enhance a belief in the power of ones ‘individual experience’, thinking positively of about them, instead of with skepticism.. an opinion.. great work!
Fascinating, intriguing and very helpful in offering a very plausible insight into Paul’s own lived experience. I had long considered Paul’s theology to be very mystical in a democratic and generous sense. He seemed to want his audience to be drawn into the depths of their union with Christ / Yeshua ha Mashiach, who he sometimes describes as the express image of the Deity, the true Self (“Christ in you the hope of glory”) and the second Adam (who preceded the first, historical Adam in eternity), an equivalent to the idea of the Adam Kadmon. Paul calls his readers to a higher life, no longer conformed to the worldly or carnal (lower) mindset but to be transformed by the renewal of the mind into the mind of Christ, seated with him in glory. Paul himself, while starting out very thoroughly a man of his time and very grounded in Pharisaic Judaism, is engaged in his own transformative trajectory after his Damascus Road vision to seek a more resurrected life in this Christ he encountered and keeps learning from. While we can still detect vestiges of his old Pharisaic mindset showing themselves in his writings when he is offering his opinions (e.g., when he discusses marriage, women, sex, etc. in 1 Cor. 7) his ultimate goal is identification with the Christ in him (“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I (ego) who live but Christ who lives in me.” Gal. 2:20). However, like the scribe who belongs to the Kingdom whom Yeshua described as putting to use the old which is still useful along with the new, Paul seems to have continued to value and employ the merkavah mysticism of the Judaism of his time.
Dear Dr. Sledge: Thank you for this fascinating lecture. Speaking as a traditional Catholic, I find such disussions of the depth of St Paul’s thoroughly Jewish mysticism a great addition to my study of theology. With regard to the Elect gaining Angel like status, it does seem that Christ himslef illustrates the very same view in Luke 20:34-38, in which those deemed worthy of the Kingdom of God are re-made as anglic children of God and children of the resurrection. If I may ask, regard the concept of men (such as Moses) becoming angels, were might I find references to this in Philo ? Thank you once again.
Mindblowing! I need time to process, but as a kind-of-gnostic and Buddhist practitioner, with a left behind Lutheran background I’m absolutely blow backwards about/with/by the clarity of these connections. I do see YOUR fascination with the meanings for ‘ordinary Christianity’, and I would not care, dare or presume to neglect them. But what (I THINK?) IS revelatory to me is that among my mystic gnostic, Buddhist, Sufi teachings (and indeed some slightly elevated experiences ) I can now begin to count ‘standard Pauline Christianity’. Like WOW!
Thank you Dr. Sledge. At the roots of the Christian theology are the Jewish mystical traditions, of course! I am finding similar links expounded among contemporary scholar churchmen like Abp. Alexander Golitzin. He approaches Merkabah mysticism through the Dionysian corpus and Maximos the Confessor, and speaks of the hierarchies described in the Areopagite’s works in relation to previous mystical ascent traditions plied by Essenes and others in the Second Temple Period. He points up correspondences between the ascents of Orthodox mystics and Jewish kabbalists which both derive from the same roots in the older tradition. Essentially the literature of mystical ascents by Jewish holy men format the continuing esoteric practice among the monastics who have taken on that role in later centuries.
You beautifully communicated my own feelings and perceptions about mystical experiences, based on the ones that I have had, some incredibly powerful and not fitting into any known category or religious belief, and coming without a measurable cause and effect regarding spiritual practices I was engaged in at the time or just before the phenomena.
So… I grew up in a communist country, surrounded by a very communist family. My surviving parent is a retired prof of biochemistry. Needless to say, these topics have always been very distant and therefore infinitely interested me. This website is everything I could’ve ever wanted in terms of getting a broader education on it. However, while listening to the articles, from time to time, I do get a yell from the other room going “if you want to see the other side, i’ll open the window for you!” Regardless, this has to be among the top five educational websites on youtube and i’ll keep recommending it. Such a pleasure to listen to. Thank you.
I’ve had many mystical experiences and my fave is similar to Paul’s story. Except I wasn’t religious. I was in jail at the time and I had a very powerful vision that seemed to last for weeks. I was subsequently sentenced to prison for 5 years. A couple months later, through a series of highly unlikely occurrences spanning a couple months, I escaped and remained free almost 12 years. The mystical experiences never stopped and I have them all the time now in my late 60’s. I have plenty of evidence not only the escape but other events throughout my life. I wasn’t religious then and still am not in any religion but carved my own instead. From my perspective, it’s not necessarily connected to the Jewish traditions but there are parallels. Thanks again for great content.
I’m an Old Rite Catholic, and in our one-year cycle of readings the mystical experience of Holy Apostle Paul is heard every Sexagésima Sunday (almost two weeks before Ash Wednesday). Each year I reflect deeply on what exactly happened to him, and what a “Third Heaven” means in terms of the prevailing cosmology of the age, and what it means for someone to enter ecstasy like that.
I’ve been a mystic since 04/04/94. I see so much correlation between this and my own learnings, and I would LOVE to have the ability to take a class on merkabah mysticism. I absolutely think the path you’re seeing on this one is essential to the spiritual path in all the ways I’m sure you’re aware of.. If you catch my meaning..
Fascinating! I really enjoy being able to understand the fundational events that turned the world into what it is now through your scholarship. …Just a heads up, I got served an ad at the end of this vid from ‘One For Isreal’ which seems to be an organisation encouraging Jewish people to believe in Christ as the Jewish messiah. I dunno if you’d have any control over what gets advertised, or of this is even an issue but it does seem a bit… misplaced.
This absolutely blew my mind. I can tell you are truly passionate about this and can barely hold back your excitement, I love it ! As a Jew who seems to have fundamentally stuck to his faith I am curious your personal opinion on the truth of Paul’s revelation. Did Paul misconstrue what he saw, and lead the world to a potentially erroneous revelation? Or did he perhaps have a genuinely profound revelation who’s thread was lost in time due to corruption from the church and annihilation of the gnostics? I am also extremely curious about your analysis of Satan. It seems that Paul is referring to Satan in this passage, but from my understanding the Jews do not have a clear conception of the Devil like that in Christianity, and it also seems the Gnostics did not really discuss Satan as we know him in Orthodox and Catholic theology today, so where did Paul get his conception of the devil from? I would love to see an episode explaining the idea of the Devil.
I am so excited about this. It is revolutionary for me. It enables me to understand Paul without completely accepting everything he said or rejecting it. You are right that there is an unfortunate tendency today to blame him for everything that’s wrong with Christianity while idealizing Jesus. As I have said to people, “Paul was unlucky enough to have actually written books that we still have. We don’t have any books written by Jesus.” So Paul is easy to criticize.
I loved this episode! That is wild that no one talked about this until recently. It seems obvious doesn’t it! Certainly it’s never been discussed at church; but after finding the Golden Dawn in College, and learning some about Kabbalah from there (and seeing references to Hekhalot/Merkavah) – it doesn’t seem at all far fetched: it was a lot of that (Christianized) Cabala that gave me, raised fundamentalist, a totally new way of approaching the faith. I’m not sure if you’ve mentioned anything about it, or if I’ve just generated the question while listening to various of your articles, but does Teresa’s Interior Castle relate to this stream? I think some of this had to hang on a good long while: so much of the liturgy seems to allude to more than is often talked about: one collect (prayer at the start of mass) that I assume goes back to the 8th c. or so at least, runs, “Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.” This seems not unlike what Paul is talking about!
Tectonic shift, indeed. I’ve watched a few of James Tabor’s articles and have a hard time following his thoughts since it seems like I need pre-requisite knowledge. However, this presentation by Dr. Sledge seems easier to follow along on its own. Of course, my understanding of theologies and religious ideas and histories others is somewhat affected by my own religious journey. I didn’t ascend/descend… or if I did, I don’t remember it because I have amnesia from anoxia during an extended cardiac arrest. I wasn’t trying to do any meditation or anything like that. I just got tired of living and asked the Almighty to take me home, or show me a sign, or send the Messiah. I didn’t want to move forward and felt a tension like an immovable object meeting an irresistable force. I sighed and closed my eyes. When I opened then, I was in the ICU. They told me I had died, and had been in a coma, and had woken up on the third day. It was also Halloween. I had also been looking into archeoastronomy and religion and when I got out of the hospital a month later, I checked the sky map and the constellation directly overhead for the 40 minutes of CPR was Cygnus, AKA The Northern Cross. So, yeah.
dear Dr. Sledge, you have a great gift here, you have managed to put one book into its proper historical and literary place. I now understand my Christian programming as a child completely and accurately. I would add though, that these mystical experiences you described perfectly describe an acid trip. Only that it is just in the way someone of the time and setting might have explained it. The only way I could ever imagine this is when I was high.
So many thoughts ran through my head while perusal this. Chief among them is the idea that Paul was repurposing the imagery of being re-birthed as a semi-angelic being after ascending/descending into the 3rd heaven and surviving that experience to being ‘born again’ by faith/trust in Christ. If he was familiar with this esoteric mystic ascent and how it could ‘transform’ a person into an angel-like being, it’s likely he then used that ideology to refer to being ‘born again’ by understanding the mysteries of the Kingdom.
This was an amazing article. It makes so much sense to me, and also explains why there was such a tension between the Jewish and Gentile Christians. This article is also very meaningful to because, I used to be a charismatic minister, and believed I was an apostle, as did other people in the same ministry. It took me a long time to wake up to the fact that were were making stuff up with no basis in reality whatsoever. 🙂 This is a article I will return for sure!
I want to mention something about YouTube. I’ve subscribed to your (wonderful) website. I clicked on the little bell icon and selected “all”. But YouTube still doesn’t suggest your articles when you post a new one. Why does YouTube do this? You’re not the only website that YouTube fails to notify me of either. I think it’s dark magic. Or maybe YouTube’s technological incompetence. But probably dark magic.