Metaphysical Bible Interpretation of Isaiah Chapter 9
Metaphysically Interpreting Isaiah 9:1-7
9:1But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
9:2The people that walked in darkness
have seen a great light:
they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
upon them hath the light shined. 9:3Thou hast multiplied the nation,
thou hast increased their joy:
they joy before thee
according to the joy in harvest,
as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
9:4For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff of his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.
9:5For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult,
and the garments rolled in blood,
shall be for burning, for fuel of fire.
9:6For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
9:7Of the increase of his government and of peace
there shall be no end,
upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to establish it, and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from henceforth even for ever.
The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.
December 24, 1905: Isa. 9:1-7
The relation which Jesus of Nazareth bears to the Christ of God, who is to be formed in everyone, is a matter requiring careful thought. If we hold with the orthodox Christian church that Jesus was the only son of God, and we are saved from the result of our sins and insured a place in heaven after we die, through his personal crucifixion on the cross, we get lost in inconsistent situations that our logical minds refuse to accept. In the first place, it was not a post-mortem salvation that Jesus proclaimed. He said, “Let the dead bury their dead; follow thou me.”
Where Martha construed his statement that he was the “resurrection and the life,” to mean a future resurrection, he plainly said, “He that believeth on me shall never see death.” The life-giving force that animated his body was so great that the usual methods for putting out life did not work in his case - he raised that same body up after three days. Thus the proposition that we are saved by the death of Jesus is not tenable, because of the fact that he is not dead. He reanimated that Jesus organism and walked about in Galilee and showed himself to many people, according to the Scripture, then set its atoms into such a high rate of vibration that the eyes of his disciples could not receive the light, and they reported his ascension.
That ascension was not up into the clouds and far away, but interior. Jesus passed into the Universal Ether, a plane of consciousness right here in our midst. Those who open their minds on that plane can commune with him, as did Paul on the way to Damascus, and at others times. Thousands have personally talked to Jesus since that time, and are still doing so, as he is a most potent factor in the Christian movement of today everywhere.
It was not Jesus of Nazareth that Paul referred to when he said, “Christ in you the hope of glory,” “Let Christ be formed in you,” “We have the mind of Christ,” “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,” etc., but a certain principle or expression of God called Christ or Messiah.
It is quite evident that it is this saving principle in man referred to in Isaiah 9. The “people” are our thoughts, and they are in the “darkness” of materiality, but they perceive that there is a higher way, they have seen a “great light” - that is, the true understanding has dawned upon them that Spiritual Consciousness may be developed and save man from the shadow of death. This is the real Messiah, which Jesus brought to light in the mentality of the race. In doing this he proved our greatest leader, and among all the countless millions of earth none have surmounted the almost universal race negation called death as did Jesus. As a forerunner of that mighty demonstration which we must all make before we can enter into eternal life, he is our Savior. But we must bring forth this High Self within us as he brought it forth - in no other way can we round out the strength and beauty of the true man-character.
This wonderful saving principle makes its first appearance in consciousness as a little child. It has to grow in the individual as if he had become an infant again and was learning all over the lessons of life.
We must realize that this new birth, which the little child represents, is the guiding genius of man, inspired by the Most High. His “name,” or nature, is all one can conceive of as Wonderful, Counsellor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Then the Christ, or Messiah, is God demonstrated in man. This is our salvation.
UNITY magazine.
September 3, 1911: Isa. 9:1-7
To understand the metaphysical import of this lesson, it is necessary to know somewhat of the constitution of man. The Man-Idea is a living picture in the God-mind. This is the “image and likeness of God.” This picture is first cast in a thought of substance. “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” Then life is breathed into it - “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” But this living soul in its body of divine substance is not conscious of the inbreathing Spirit, the Lord God, until it has reached a certain perception. This is described by the prophet in the first verse of the lesson.
The breath of the Lord God, which became the soul of man manifestation, includes all emotions and energies that move in and through the organism, and it is always designation as feminine. Psyche is the name of the subtle essence that flows in and out of the great heart center called in physiology the solar plexus. But she inhabits the whole organism, and it is through her that we send our thoughts to the various organs and members of the body. She is like a very sensitive mirror that makes a living form of every thought-image reflected into it. She has brains in every part of the body, and they think the thoughts she reflects into them. Zebulun is the brain at the pit of the stomach that presides over the chemistry of the organism, separating and apportioning to each part its share of the food. Naphtali is the brain in the back, whose office is to direct the elimination of certain watery elements from the blood. This presiding genius is called Strength, because it keeps up the positive tone of the circulating medium.
When we have been worshiping material things and filling our thoughts with worldly conditions to the exclusion of the spiritual, there is a deterioration of the soul quality. A gloom and dimness of the mind prevails, that “afflicts” (R.V.) Zebulun (stomach) and Naphtali (kidneys). This is accomplished through the “Sea,” or nerve fluid, that is connected with the magnetic vibration (Galilee - “to whirl”). This was brought about by the sins of Ahaz (the Will), as described in II Kings 16:1-8, II Chron. 28.
But error works its own destruction. The organism gets weak and the functions no longer do duty - the soul and body will separate unless something is done. What is the saving element? It is through meditation - the thought of death. When man has time to think about God and himself, there dawns upon him a “great light”. We cannot describe how we see this light in the soul - spirit cannot be translated into sense - but we have the increasing joy and peace of that perception, and the battling thoughts of contention and antagonism, the warring confusion of error, all are purified by the fires of Divine life.
This “great light” is the open door that floods the soul and body with a power it has never before realized; there is a new birth - the Christ of God is beginning to form in man’s consciousness. This is the most wonderful experience that the soul can have. It is beyond all words. We can only exclaim, as this exalted force begins its descent into consciousness, “Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace!”
This great opening of the soul to the Supreme Self has its degrees of initiation. We do not put on the Christ at a single bound, nor does a single illumination put us in permanent unity with this “Father within me” of Jesus. It is a development from the first little ray of light and power, step by step. But “of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.”
UNITY - magazine.
February 13, 1916: Isa. 9:1-7
What does Zebulun represent? The intelligence at the pit of the stomach which directs the digestion.
What does Naphtali typify? The strength center at the back.
What is the effect of material thought? The eyes of the understanding are dimmed and shadows of mortal thought gather in consciousness. The whole organism is affected, particularly the stomach and kidneys.
What is the restorative power? The light of the Spirit.
How is the mind opened to the light? Through prayers and spiritual mediations. The light increases from day to day and the soul grows into consciousness with the Christ Mind.
March 25, 1934: Isa. 9:6
How can the unseen kingdom of principle be made manifest to all men? By right thought and conduct and by following only worthy impulses, the inner kingdom is made a manifest reality to all.
Does the birth of the Christ Spirit in man follow a definite law? Yes, there is first the embryo, or idea of possible perfection in the inner life; next the laying hold of surrounding substance through thought and action; then the acceleration of growth through habitual practice in spiritual living; finally, the full flower of the Christ Spirit.
What is the importance of true words? To gaining the habit of clear, constructive thinking, the use of true words is essential. The word of faith, the word of praise, and the word of love all belong in this list.
What practical inference can be made from the saying that the tree is known by its fruit? Man is known by his life, as the tree is known by its fruit. The two are produced by the same process of growth from within outward.
Through what avenue do man’s blessings reach him? Through the gateway of his own consciousness man receives all his good.
What work does faith accomplish in us? Faith frees us from inharmony with divine law, and allows the true instinct of the soul to express itself in action.
In what other way can man establish harmony in his life? By habitually recognizing the good, man brings himself into harmony with life.
What one thing makes forgiveness possible under all conditions? The power of love enables man to forgive all sins. He influences others for good by seeing in each one the ideal self, thus calling it into expression.
Why do we study the life of Jesus? Jesus was the Great Exemplar, and in His life we find our own possibilities magnified and made clearer to us. His devotion to Principle is a constant challenge to our endeavor.
Where does the Christ Spirit first become active in man? The sphere of action of the Christ Spirit is first the unseen thought life, and from there it works out, by the process of spiritual evolution, into man’s visible affairs.
What lesson do we find in the parable of the leaven and of the mustard seed? We learn that the kingdom of the heavens fills a constantly increasing place in our life when we implant the idea in mind and think of it constantly as a reality.
September 24, 1939: Isa. 9:1-7
Is the birth of the Christ in the heart of man according to the established order? The birth of the Christ is the soul’s act of conceiving life as pure and the bringing forth of that idea into visibility.
What light is referred to as shining upon those who dwelt in darkness? The light of freedom that comes through the enter in into man’s consciousness of the Christ love and wisdom.
What analogy exists between the joy of one who has become conscious of Christ in himself and the joy of a harvester? Perfect fulfillment is the basis of joy in both cases.
What forecast of peace is made possible by the coming of the Christ into manifestation? The prophet’s vision that “all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire,” following the birth of the Prince of Peace in the hearts of mankind. One burns what is of no further use, outdated and superfluous.
On what qualities is the Christ kingdom founded? On perpetual justice and righteousness actuated by divine zeal.
December 21, 1941: Isa. 9:6,7
What “child” is born unto us on whose shoulder the government is to be? The idea of the Christ as the I AM within each one of us is the “child” or initial idea of self-dominion that is born in us she we are quickened to perceive Truth.
To what does the new idea of our divine nature lead us? To the Christ consciousness.
The names “Wonderful, Counselor, Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” given to the Christ show a wide range of power and majesty. What else do they indicate? That the Christ idea, when it is received into the mind and cherished there, becomes all-pervasive. It is all things to all men.
What aspect of the Christ consciousness do men need most urgently at present? That of Prince of Peace. Individually and collectively man’s chief need is to realize the peace that surpasses mortal understanding. This realization will lead in time to world peace.
How can peace surpass understanding when it is through mutual understanding that lasting peace must come to the world? Peace so well founded that nothing can disrupt it is beyond our human understanding. But when men’s minds are opened to realize that all are one in Spirit and that the destiny of each one is to express the perfection that inheres in him as a son of God, mutual understanding will come to them at the same time and lasting peace will be established.
What does the “throne of David” represent? The reign of love that will begin when the Christ consciousness supplants the race consciousness.
December 16, 1945: Isa. 9:2,3
Who are “the people that walked in darkness”? Those who are bound within the limitations of sense consciousness and who have no knowledge of anything higher or more satisfying.
What is “the land of the shadow of death”? The domain of the senses. Death is the end of all in this domain, and its shadow lies always across the life that is without consciousness of God or the promise of enduring or eternal being in Christ.
What light shines upon this hopeless state of mind and lifts those who are summered in it into clearer understanding and the joy of living? The light of the Christ mind with its message of peace, good will, love, and Truth.
How is the joy of individuals and of nations increased? By their becoming assured that their life is in touch with the inner springs of the eternal and that the substance of Truth that they have realized will endure if they hold it fast in mind.
December 16, 1945: Isa. 9:6,7
What ground for rejoicing have those who accept the idea of the Christ as indwelling? The courage for living that is gained by reliance on the strength, power, and love of the ever-present Christ Spirit is ground for rejoicing on the part of all who have found the responsibilities of life weighing heavily on them. “The government shall be upon his shoulder.” They need not meet in their human strength alone what life brings them.
What is signified by the diversity of names that the Christ bears? That the Christ is “all things to all men” and that no one looks to Him in vain for help. All bring their inadequacy to the Christ power and find there whatever they need to supplement their own need.
How is the Spirit of the Christ best expressed? By divine love. As love is made a rule of conduct and an unfailing attitude towards others, he who loves enters the Christ consciousness and knows God.
December 21, 1947: Isa. 9:2-7
What is the “great light” seen by those who have “walked in darkness”? It is the understanding that life is eternal and that death is not a part of the divine law. This “light” removes the shadow of fear of death from the race mind. Death is not the end of life. Illumined by Christ, we see that life does not end but is continuous.
How does increase of joy “multiply” a nation? By giving them such an uplift of mind and soul that they gain additional strength, initiative, inspiration, and contentment. Joy has magnifying power.
What besides understanding dissipates the fear of death? The light of divine love as it is found in the Christ.
By what is military and material might to be set aside as of no importance or power? By divine love grown triumphant, although it dawns first on the mind as an idea without strength or power (as a newborn child).
How is the magnitude of the power of divine love represented or out pictured in this lesson? By the prophet’s description of the growth of the Christ from newborn babe to spiritual head of the world, to whom the names “Wonderful”, “Counsellor,” “Might God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Prince of Peace” are to be applied.
Why is the name “Prince of Peace” placed last in the list? Because permanent peace is the last sign of dominion to be realized. It must and will come through the work of those who are actuated by the Christ Spirit.
“Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end.” What does this prophecy envisage? It implies the triumph of the Christ over materialism and sense dominion with the consequent rule of unbroken peace. The Spirit of truth is to increase, becoming manifest in greater and greater measure, and the peace that passes understanding is also to increase to infinity.
Have we a part in ushering in the kingdom of heaven on earth? This is our work after we have first learned to rule ourselves.
December 25, 1949: Isa. 9:2-7
What is “the land of the shadow of death”? It is the race consciousness, in which death is thought of as the inevitable end of life.
Who are “the people that walked in darkness”? Those who are in the race consciousness, that is, in darkness as far as their understanding of the ultimate destiny of man is concerned.
What “great light” comes to the race? The light of the Christ consciousness, which gives understanding of eternal life and has power to make it manifest here and now.
In what sense does the dawn of the Christ consciousness in the mind and heart of man “multiply the nation”? By giving the people ground for rejoicing. Joy makes for more abundant life by quickening the life of the people, making them conscious of love, peace, wisdom, power, and other spiritual qualities inherent in life.
What “yoke” or “burden” is “broken” through the Christ consciousness? The burden or yoke of domination by the sense mind. The Christ consciousness frees us from all such material bondage. In sense consciousness life is a continual struggle.
Are the defenses erected by the sense consciousness against the shocks of a life of strife and contention (Midian) of any use to the one who is in the Christ consciousness? No, they lose all meaning and are dissipated like wood when it is burned.
What is indicated by the words “unto us a child is born… and the government shall be upon his shoulder”? In these words we see that the truth of the Christ consciousness grows and develops gradually in a person’s mind; it is not a sudden attainment. The term “Everlasting Father” also suggests that we grow in Christ consciousness as we grow in understanding, from infancy to maturity.
What are the chief characteristics of the realm of the Christ kingdom? Justice and righteousness, founded upon the reign of love (“the throne of David”).
Transcribed by Tracie Louise on 11-04-2013
