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More Clairvoyant Dreams of the Numerical Symbolism of the Psalms
As stated earlier, I have been going through my translation and commentary of the Psalms, validating the translation with the numerical counts of words in the original Hebrew. I have been finding that the Masoretic text is very accurate, and the immediate benefit of word counts is one can determine if the text is accurate. I have found a number of occasions where a supposed "mistake" in the original Hebrew was actually not a mistake, but was done intentionally in order to arrive at a certain number count. There have been a few scholarly studies on this, including Cantos and Strophes by Van der Lugt, and Numerical Secrets of the Bible by Casper Labuschagne (see his web site at Casper Labuschagne's Homepage). Another scholar who has done good work on this is Duane Christensen. It is in reality an ignored area of study due to a number of "numerological quacks," not to mention the Jewish Kabbalists.
The one thing that got me started on this project in the first place is Psalm 145, which is missing a bicolon for the letter nun. This missing verse is found in the Septuagint, the Dead Sea scrolls, and one Hebrew manuscript outside of the Masoretic. I originally thought the Masoretic had dropped this verse, which led me to compare the translation of the Masoretic with the Septuagint (LXX) for the Psalms. I have found, after analyzing the word count of Psalm 145, that the additional verse for the letter nun found in the LXX and Dead Sea Scrolls is a spurious addition to the text. It completely ruins the pattern, which is obvious when one understand the underlying numerical pattern. Just like Psalm 9, 10, 25 and 34, the absence of an acrostic verse is intentional. I can now explain these acrostic Psalms, and why certain letters are missing. For that reason I had to withdraw an earlier article on Psalm 145, it needs to be rewritten due to this new research. In the translation I withdrew some LXX variants that I now know are also invalid. I am debating whether to include this numerical research in the translation and commentary of the Psalms, or if this should be separated into another work.
In the meantime, there have been more clairvoyant dreams about this numerical research into scripture (see the previous post A Clairvoyant Dream of the Numerical Symbolism of the Psalms). I thought these were rather funny and curious - they occur independently, when I happen to ask about other people's dreams. So in one dream, this woman is shopping for bread. She is in the store and cannot read the prices of the bread. I then walk into the store, and then I explain - "That loaf of bread is $1.49. The other loaf of bread is $1.69. And that one over there is more expensive, it is $5.99." The person who had the dream had no idea what it meant. To me it was immediately obvious. The loaves of bread represent the word of God which gives eternal life:
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Matt. 4:4)
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. (John 6:35)
In the spiritual sense, bread represents love, and water or wine represents truth. Those who read the Word, and follow it, immediately open their inward soul to receive a Divine influx of love and truth. This is the bread of eternal life.
So, what about the prices of bread in the dream? One was $1.49, another $1.69, and another was $5.99. Completely independent of the person who had the dream, I had been explaining the meaning of the numbers of Psalm 12:6:
The speech of Jehovah is pure speech: as silver refined in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Ps. 12:6)
Psalm 12 is an interesting and simple study in numerical research. It is composed of two stanzas of 4 bicolons (or verses, but verse numbers were added later so I prefer bicolons). Each stanza is exactly 37 words. But where things get interesting is Psalm 12:6. It is the sixth bicolon of Psalm 12, after which comes the seventh bicolon. The total word count of the Psalm up to the sixth bicolon, or verse 6, is exactly 49 words. The number 49, of course, is 7 x 7. I was explaining this exact passage to someone else, and the next day someone completely independent of this conversation had the dream. The price $1.49 = 149 cents = 100 + 49. And in the number research, I was seeing that large numbers over 100 would be decomposed into smaller numbers, using 100 as one of the sums.
So that explains the number 149. What about 169? Well that was simple, the night before I did a numerical study on Psalm 69. As for the number 599, that I am not sure, but there were a number of instances where I took note of the number 59 but that was earlier in my research.
THE DREAM OF THE ELEVEN PILLARS
So that was one dream, here is another, and this one just about blew me away. Another person approached me and said she had a dream of me where I was at a table, typing on my laptop. Underneath the laptop there was a circular platform, and there was a circle of 11 pillars. On top of the 11 pillars was my laptop. I then told her in the dream: "Count the pillars." She counted them, and there was eleven. I thought that was a curious dream, initially I thought she was mistaken. I asked are you sure they were not twelve? No, she was certain, it was 11 pillars.
At the time, I was about to do a word count on Psalm 75. I then looked, and lo and behold, here was the passage of the Psalm I was about to study:
The earth and all who dwell in her are dissolved, I balance the pillars of it (Ps. 75:3)
In the spiritual sense, the "earth" is not planet earth, but whenever the earth is mentioned in scripture in the majority of cases it represents the church as to truth. The "pillars," in the spiritual sense, are the lower natural truths derived from scripture that support the church, for the church is built on doctrine. Pillars ascend upward, for within the lower natural truths there are higher spiritual truths hidden within them. This is the hidden reason why in the ancient world many temples were built with pillars, for back then everything was representative of spiritual things.
So I looked at Psalm 75, I did not find any reference to 11 pillars.
However, as I did the word counts based on the stanzas, an interesting pattern emerged:
The first stanza of Psalm 75 are the first 3 verses. The total word count of the first 3 verses in the original Hebrew is 22. And of course, 22 = 2 x 11.
The next stanza of Psalm 75 is verses 4-6. The total word count of verses 4-6 in the original Hebrew is 22, and 22 = 2 x 11.
In the next Psalm, Psalm 76, there are three stanzas that have a word count of 22.
The word "pillar" is mentioned one other time in the Psalms: Psalm 99. And of course, 99 = 9 x 11.
And that just took me by complete surprise. The person had the dream before I even did the analysis of Psalm 75. Some may call it "coincidence" or "synchronicity," but in reality there is a spiritual world which affects us in our daily lives. What Swedenborg discovered, when he was in a state of waking visions, that reading scripture, especially in the original Hebrew, opens the mind to direct communication with angelic realms.
I decided to do a bit of research, to see if there was any temple that had 11 pillars. Indeed, there is one where it appears in a temple site in Bolivia, and it is known as Tiwanaku. There is a wall of 11 pillars, and it is used to count by fives to divide the year into 20 half months of 18 days in what is known as the Tiwanaku soli-lunar calendar. Here is a graphic on how the wall of 11 pillars works:
Which is interesting, even though it is a flat wall the graphic shows a circle of how the sun moves throughout the year. For a complete explanation of the calendar, see the site, Tiwanaku Soli Lunar Calendar. For some "odd" reason, back then in Bolivia the kingdom used the Egyptian royal cubit. You won't find that information in your history books.
So what does this calendar have to do with Psalm 75? Not much, the Hebrew calendar is different. However, the arrangement of the 11 pillars is an easy method to count by fives. And of course Psalm 75 is a multiple of 5, and it happens to be the middle Psalm of 150 Psalms.
One last point here, in the original dream, my laptop was on top of 11 pillars. Psalm 75 is composed of sections of 22 words. It is easy to see here: the Hebrew alphabet of course has 22 letters, and this is why my laptop was seen on top of 11 pillars. And I was busy counting Hebrew words. Its boring, but when one makes discoveries like this it is rather nice - there are several aspects of the Psalms that I can explain why they were structured in the way they are. I have seen several more interesting items come up like this, but it take me away from the research just to blog about them. I did ask the person was she aware that the Hebrew alphabet had 22 letters, and she did not. So someone, somewhere, knew what I was going to discover in Psalm 75 before I even analyzed it.
Posted by Doug Webber at 12:08 AM 6 comments:
Labels: Bible, Dreams, Numerology, Psalms
A Clairvoyant Dream of the Numerical Symbolism of the Psalms
I have completed the first phase of a massive translation and commentary on the Psalms, which I initially discussed earlier in which someone had a clairvoyant dream about the corrections I had been making in the translation (see A Clairvoyant Dream of a New Translation of the Psalms). It documents every mistranslation, and not only that, it restores the lost poetic structure of the Psalms. It includes commentary on just about every single Psalm gathered from the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, to explain its spiritual sense. So it was complete for every Psalm, except for Psalm 119. Psalm 119 has defied interpretation, even for computer analysis, and to most it is just an endless repetition of the same phrase, over and over again.
So there things stood. However, I noticed an odd numerical symbolism for the number 119, which I discussed earlier (see The Bow of Brass and the Numerical Symbolism of Psalm 119). I have now determined conclusively that this numerical symbolism is not accidental, it is intentional, In fact it pervades all the Psalms. Hints of this can be seen here and there - for example, the eight terms of the law that are repeated in Psalm 119 are all found together in Psalm 19, and of course 119 = 100 + 19. Psalm 119 is the longest acrostic Psalm, and we also have Psalms 9 and 10 which were split from a single Psalm. Some scholars, including the Greek Septuagint, prefer to merge Psalm 9 and 10 into one. But this is a mistake, the division was intentional. 9 + 10 = 19, and 19 + 100 = 119. So, something is afoot here, and it involves numbers.
So as Psalm 119 sticks out like a sore thumb, I decided to dig a bit to see what other researchers have done. I decided to start with Psalms 9 and 10, which form an imperfect acrostic and seemed easier to handle. I found this interesting poetic analysis, in which they dive into several details, but one thing the researchers discovered is that different stanzas (or strophes, as some prefer) have balanced word counts. For those who want to take a look, see it here: EVIL AND THE DISRUPTION OF ORDER: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE ACROSTICS IN THE FIRST BOOK OF PSALMS. However skim through it, its overwhelming, and unfortunately while some insights are given about word counts the authors make some errors. One researcher who seems to have gathered a lot of data on the numerical structure of the Psalms is Pieter van der Lugt, who has written no less than 3 volumes on the Psalms discussing their poetic structure (see Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry). It is three volumes, and just about inaccessible as can be to the general public: each volume is over $200.
Fortunately, I know the methods that are used, and I have started to incorporate that into the poetic analysis of each Psalm in the translation and commentary. The numerical analysis has turned insightful in many cases. I can explain oddball features and sometimes what scholars called "mistakes" which are not "mistakes." Sometimes I corrected what I had in the Psalms; at other times I saw mistakes these researchers have done. So I was going through each Psalm fixing the poetic structure, doing the numerical analysis, and then I saw a pattern that I thought was a fluke. I put it in the "interesting" box and continued. Then it popped again. And again. Not only was I able to fix the poetic structure, but in several cases I could determine which text was the accurate one among the variants. I was absolutely stunned. One or two Psalms is a coincidence. But after having gone through over half of them, I can say now there are very detailed numerical patterns. And I am not talking about gematria (which is probably invalid) nor creating silly crossword puzzles. It has to do with word counts and letters counts. A hidden symbolism in scripture was opening up. And the authors were very clever in hiding it. And then I had that Eureka moment, where I went through a huge Psalm and validated the theory.
It was when I had that "Eureka" moment, someone had a clairvoyant dream about me. They saw me in my office, and some very old spider webs were removed. A very hard to find spider was also taken away. This was very similar to a dream concerning a spider which represented a Biblical mistranslation (see A Clairvoyant Dream of a New Translation of the Psalms). Now, some very old knowledge was being uncovered. I then explained to the person who had the dream what it meant - that day or two before I had just discovered I numerical pattern. There was also another dream, in which I was traveling, and injury was removed from my foot by a Jewish doctor. They asked for his "phone number" repeatedly. But he would not give it. That was obvious - I had uncovered some numerical symbolism in scripture. But this was something the Jewish scribes had kept secret, who of course back then were also known as "doctors" of scripture. Removing an injury in the foot? That was precognitive, around this time I caught an illness which effected my feet. But in the spiritual sense, feet represent the external, and in this case I am dealing with the external representation of scripture. Some errors are being removed. It is at the literal level, the lowest natural, which is represented by numbers. But when one sees the symbolism of the numbers, it then gets elevated into the spiritual interpretation.
So that is where I am at, but unfortunately counting words in the Hebrew text takes time, and if one is off by one word the pattern disappears. The Masoretic it turns out is over 99% accurate. So the blog unfortunately has to take a backseat. I am finding the reason why every jot and tittle of scripture is important, and how the Jews were able to preserve it. In the meantime one can read this post: Spiritual Meaning of Numbers, or Numerology.
So expect in the future a publication on the spiritual commentary on the Psalms, which will include this numerical analysis, and will open up a new chapter in Biblical research. Or at least bring obscure research that has been collecting dust to the general public.
Labels: Bible, Psalms
How did Jesus Save Humanity?
The essence of Christianity is that God descended and became incarnate in human form as Jesus Christ, in order to save humanity. So why was this necessary? And how was it effected? It is at the heart of Christianity, for once one understands this, one understands the rationale for the Christian way of life.
This is a common question that will come up, one can see it here on Christianity Stackexchange: How does Jesus' death and resurrection save humanity? There is even a question asked on Yahoo answers: How did the self-sacrifice of Jesus save humanity? After reading Yahoo answers, and seeing no one gave a right answer, I wrote this answer:
Jesus saved humanity by assuming a human form that could be tempted to do evil, as the human form had inherited evil tendencies from the mother. However as His soul was Divine, He could not commit any evil, so in His human form a spiritual battle arose between Jehovah and all of hell. Through resisting and conquering temptation in His human form, Jesus conquered the power of hell, and this continued until Jesus rose from the dead at which time His human form was made Divine. The Divine could now flow through His human form into all humanity through the Holy Spirit, and it is through that that each person can call upon Him when one tries to resist and repent from evil. Without His coming, the dominion of hell had cutoff heaven, and angels could no longer influence humanity towards heaven as they could at the beginning, and all would have been lost had not the Divine directly intervened.
There are several passages in which it is stated that sins are remitted and removed by the "blood of Christ." But "blood" in scripture is symbolic of the Divine truth, which is shown in What is Blood Atonement or Vicarious Atonement? Swedenborg shows this from multiple passages, as found in Heavenly Arcana, True Christian Religion, and Apocalypse Explained. When this is known, the Divine truth that flows into humanity through the Holy Spirit is known to be the blood of Christ. Sins are removed only through repentance, in which one shuns evil and resists, while acknowledging that it is the Lord through the Holy Spirit acting though the self effort of our own will and thought. Acknowledgment of the Lord as the source of good and truth, as the one who fights against one's sin, humbles and removes the selfish ego which is the origin of evil in the first place. One acts "as if from self" acknowledging this is but an appearance, as all good and truth flow in from the Lord through us when we act according to His will.
That Jesus saved and saves humanity in such a manner can be shown from scripture. Jesus said,
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (John 17:17-19)
Note that Jesus stated that He must first sanctify Himself - to sanctify is to cleans oneself of evils by the truth. Jesus was Divine truth incarnate, but His human form, which he inherited from the human mother, had inherited evil tendencies. Thus His entire life was a spiritual war against all of hell, and some of this is explained metaphorically by His temptation in the wilderness, but they are spelled out in prophetic detail in the Psalms. Once the Lord conquered all sin and evil in His external human form, the human form became united with the Divine, or glorified as a Divine Human. Before the resurrection there was a dichotomy between the internal soul and external human form, but after the resurrection Jesus was completely Divine, and one with the Father.
So, this is why the resurrection was needed - once the external human form was glorified, the Holy Spirit could be made available:
But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet; because that Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:39)
This is a problematic passage for those who have a false idea of a trinity of three person: how come the Holy Spirit did not exist yet? The answer is that the Holy Trinity exists in one person, Jesus Christ: the soul, body and spirit of Jesus Christ is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Divine had to sanctify the external human form, and once the human form was glorified, the Holy Spirit could flow through that external Divine form to all humanity.
The effect of Jesus' coming in the spiritual world was dramatic: for the Divine has infinite love to each and every person of the human race. And the greater the love, the greater the hell that opposes it. For each person born in this world there is a balance between heaven and hell, between good and evil spirits, which is effected in external form in the thoughts of our mind. Thus when Jesus came, it was all out war against evil spirits, which had even ascended into heaven:
And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. (Luke 10:17-18)
This spiritual war culminated in a final judgment, in which the evil were separated from the good in the spiritual world, and hell's dominion no longer had the same power as it once did over the inhabitants of this earth:
Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. (John 12:31)
This last judgment and its effects are described by Swedenborg in detail in his work, The Final Judgment. Although the spiritual realms of heaven and hell are hidden to us until we die, this spiritual battle played out in demoniacs who had taken possession of people's minds. Evil spirits had begun to take control over people's minds, where they had no self control. Today, many suffer from internal depression, or weakness against sins they hide from others. It is for this reason Jesus came into the world, for inasmuch as one receives Him, and lives by His commandments, and trusts and hopes in Him, He can give the will power to resist evil and falsity. As Jesus lived, so shall we: as He resisted temptation in Himself, so we must conquer in temptation through Him. This is what it means to bear one's cross - evils must be removed in temptation and repentance, before the Lord can live in our heart in love:
Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mark 8:34)
In the Christian revelation, the complete revelation of God and His will is shown in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ there is a complete union between the Divine and the human, where He is now the Divine Human at the center of all of heaven. For God is Man, and we are but his images, for the human form is the external visible form that effects love and truth, and God is Love and Truth itself. In the union of the Divine with the human in Jesus Christ, it is revealed that God loves us, and desires to be one with us in love: we are conjoined to the Lord through love in our heart. As God is love, so He desires to love others. And that is the purpose of creation, that is the reason why we exist. Love, is the answer to all things.
Labels: Christus Victor, Divine Human, Repentance
The Venusians of Proxima Centauri
In the 1960s, remote probes to Venus showed that Venus is not a habitable planet, with temperatures rising to 864 degrees Fahrenheit (462 degrees Celsius) and having an atmospheric pressure over 90 times greater than that of earth. This seemed to invalidate speculation and reports that Venus was habitable. Until now.
A model of ancient Venus used in a NASA simulation
In early August of this year, NASA made an "discovery" (or more likely a disclosure) that Venus in its past may have been habitable (see NASA Climate Modeling Suggests Venus May Have Been Habitable). And not marginally - it is quite possible that Venus was habitable with an earth like climate for 2 billion years. With oceans of water on the surface. Hints of this were first detected in atmospheric measurements in the 1980s. But as Venus was so close to the Sun, calculations showed any ocean water would have quickly evaporated. In the current study by NASA, scientists who studied the topography of Venus realized it may have had more land are than water, which would slow down the water evaporation. The other factor they considered: the ancient Sun was 30% dimmer than it is now. The result: the Sun's ray would cause some evaporation, but this would create a cloud layer that would insulate Venus from the Sun's rays, and Venus had a climate just like earth, only a few degrees cooler.
I want to point this out, because we should not jump to a conclusion based on science, which is based on limited factual information at our disposal and thus is constantly evolving. This opens the door to some interesting possibilities. Such as that Emanuel Swedenborg was correct in what he reported on extraterrestrial life in our solar system in the 18th century. What was reported this month by NASA is nothing less than a dramatic turn around. But I already said this over a year ago. I wrote this after discussing the ancient habitability of Mars in Extraterrestrial Contact, Emanuel Swedenborg and Christianity:
There is one other planet of our solar system which also may have been habitable on the surface in the past - and that is Venus. It is too hot to support any life as we know it right now. But in its distant past, what many people do not know is that it probably had an ocean.
At the time, it had been proposed by some scientists that Venus had a liquid carbon dioxide ocean. With this new study, these oceans now become water. Just like on earth. So what does this mean? From There's mounting evidence that Venus was once habitable:
"Both planets probably enjoyed warm liquid water oceans in contact with rock and with organic molecules undergoing chemical evolution in those oceans," David Grinspoon at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona told Aviva Rutkin at New Scientist. "As far as we understand at present, those are the requirements for the origin of life."
According to the current climate model, Venus was habitable up until 715 million years ago. Thus what Swedenborg saw and described concerning life of Venus was from its very ancient and distant past. But that past may not be so distant that scientists are currently declaring.
ANOTHER "DISCOVERY" CONCERNING PROXIMA CENTAURI
Artist's impression of planet orbiting Proxima Centauri (with Alpha Centauri also in background)
Again in this month, another "discovery" (or disclosure) was made concerning the star Proxima Centauri, which is 4.2 light years away and is probably part of the Alpha Centauri system. Scientists have announced that they have detected A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri. It has an orbital period of 11 days, but Proxima Centauri is such a dim star that even this planet has a chance of supporting life, and its temperature would support water on its surface. According to Wired magazine, scientists may have "jumped the gun" on this one. From
Y'all Need to Chill About Proxima Centauri b:
First off, scientists only know Proxima Centauri b's minimum mass—the smallest it could be—and they don't know its radius, which means they actually don't know if it's rocky or not. "Remember we only have a minimum mass for the planet!" astronomer Elizabeth Tasker wrote on Twitter. "By those stats, I'm a twin of most life forms on Earth!"Plus, the star blasts the planet with high-energy radiation, perhaps baking away all the water long ago. If hydration did survive, it likely only lives in the most sunlit areas. And while "warm enough to have water or not" is a valuable binary, it doesn't equate to actual habitability.
Why make such an announcement when such basic information is not known? We don't know if it is habitable or not. At least we don't know from the information that is publicly being released.
THE ANCIENT VENUSIANS OF PROXIMA CENTAURI
So what does the announcement in early August that Venus may have been habitable in its ancient past have to do with the announcement almost within the same week that the star Proxima Centauri b may host a habitable planet. At first nothing. But for me, I find these two announcements and their timing quite curious. Why? Because in the 1950s, there was a contact in which it was claimed a human race that once inhabited Venus migrated away from this solar system and settled the planets in Proxima Centauri b. This is described in the book Beyond the Light Barrier by Elizabeth Klarer, published in 1980. This was before science discovered evidence that Venus had oceans, and before evidence indicated that Venus once had a climate just like earth.
So, are the two announcements that Venus was once habitable, followed by the discovery of a possible habitable planet orbiting Proxima Centauri b, just a coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe not. If not a coincidence, thanks to the censors for uncensoring that information (or quietly guiding scientists as to what to study and where to point our telescopes). To me, it looks like we are on a delayed disclosure release plan. So thanks for those responsible for releasing information.
So, there is quite a bit of subject matter on this affair, and I will in turn disclose a part of it by quoting portions from Beyond the Light Barrier. It is claimed in this book that human life did not evolve on planet earth, but on Venus:
The cradle of humankind, the mother planet, brought forth the human race out of vast, warm seas covering her surface with sapphire blue.
And this of course goes against what everyone is taught: that Homo Sapiens evolved here on earth. This statement I consider questionable. But we are recent, and there are gaps in our evolutionary history. And according to this story, they planted some of the life here on earth. These descendants of the Venusians describes a life in which they would enjoy an idyllic life on the shore of the seas. And what else? They were protected from solar radiation by a dense atmosphere:
Through eons they lived in the seas and on islands of breathtaking beauty, getting their nourishment from the plants of the seas and the land. Radiation from the star was filtered through a dense atmosphere during daylight when our ancestors spent their time in the sea.
Eventually they developed technology to explore other star systems, including Alpha Centauri. But then a flaw in the solar radiation of the Sun was detected:
But ever alert to protecting their heritage in a violent universe, the scientists of this utopia detected a flaw in the rhythm of the Sun. As it aged, it became a variable star and expanded with lethal radiation in cycles of time in its path of evolution. The cycle recurs more frequently as the star ages and loses the pressure balance within.
And this is again confirmed by scientists, who state in the distant past our sun was 30% dimmer. As solar radiation from the sun became more lethal, these ancient Venusians migrated from this solar system towards Alpha Centauri, settling the planets around Proxima Centauri b. Before doing so, they left a remnant of their civilization on earth. In other words, Venusians are not exactly "extraterrestrial." They are us, and we are them.
Eventually, the planet Venus died due to the increased solar radiation:
Venus died in the last cycle of solar expansion when all flora and fauna were destroyed by lethal stellar radiations. Her proximity to the star of her system caused our scientists to study the Sun very closely. They found that the Sun's atmosphere engulfs the planetary system, and that any changes occurring in the Sun would affect the planets and their atmospheres.
However it is stated that Venus supported life much more recently than what scientists are currently saying:
Venus, the cradle of humankind, remained shrouded and bereft of life after the Pleistocene cycle of solar expansion, its fruitful eons of fertility at an end and its vast warm seas that nurtured our beginning dried out and barren.
The Pleistocene age lasted from about 2 million years ago to 12,000 years ago. Something is perhaps amiss in the scientific data gathered yet far. But there is more scientific information that can be confirmed from the book first published in 1980:
There is thunderstorm activity in the atmosphere of Venus, as the upper atmospheric layers are cold, while those near the surface are very hot.
This information was not known in 1980, much less in the 1950s when the reported contact occurred. Only much later did it become known that the upper atmosphere of Venus was similar to that of earth. And, as I stated earlier in Swedenborg and Scientific Evidence of Extraterrestrial Venusians, lightning and thunderstorms in the Venusian atmosphere was only publicly confirmed by NASA in 2007. There was a separate contact with Venusians in which this was written down in another book in the 1950s by Orfeo Angelucci.
Now that's one among several factual predictions. What about this factual evidence from the book. One Venusian is claimed to have said this:
Mars still has active volcanoes, which are the breath of life.
Mars has active volcanoes? Is this true or not? Yes it is, from another recent scientific discovery that was announced just last year in 2015. From Evidence for recent volcanic activity on Mars, from evidence gathered by the Curiosity rover, combined with evidence of Martian meteorites, scientists now know that the Martian volcano Mount Olympus erupted some time in the 20th century. Also in the book, the Venusians stated that Mars was once a habitable planet, and that has also been recently confirmed.
A PROPHETIC WARNING
So there are a few subject matters I can discuss, it it hard to bring them all up, as each answer given here is going to raise more questions. I would like to focus for now on a warning these Venusians gave concerning those on Earth. The Sun is a variable star, and changes in its solar radiation output can have an adverse effect on this planet. Here is what one Venusian said concerning those of Earth:
"There is a strange urgency to the question of their space flight propulsion, It is a fact that their star, the Sun, is dying, or changing in the cycles of time. It is purely a metamorphosis. They need to pool all their scientific knowledge and ability to perfect space travel and seek another waxing star. They must stop their eternal warring among themselves before it is too late and the Sun expands again in its cycle of lethal radiation.
"The vast amount of human energy and time now being spent on rocket research is of no avail. It will not solve the problem of interstellar travel. Men of Earth continue to fight with violence to attain power over others while their planet is in mortal danger, and the selfishness of nations restrains a struggling humanity from becoming aware of the portents of danger encircling their world."
And another warning:
Violence and annihilation will be the outcome for people of Earth, unless they change their attitude of mind. They need to become enlightened to the truths of the universe in which they live, and follow their forebears into space to find the escape route to the stars and their destiny.
So our Sun is apparently a variable star. I see this rarely discussed. Evidently the warning here is the climate of Earth will be severely altered from increased solar radiation of the Sun. Is this true or not? Yes it is, and it again has recently been confirmed by NASA in 2003. From NASA STUDY FINDS INCREASING SOLAR TREND THAT CAN CHANGE CLIMATE:
Since the late 1970s, the amount of solar radiation the sun emits, during times of quiet sunspot activity, has increased by nearly .05 percent per decade, according to a NASA funded study.
It is significant enough to provide an additional source for the cause of global warming:
Historical records of solar activity indicate that solar radiation has been increasing since the late 19th century. If a trend, comparable to the one found in this study, persisted throughout the 20th century, it would have provided a significant component of the global warming
More data is needed, the changes noted would be significant if they continued to persist for a century or more. Right now all the study says is it would definitely contribute to "climate change." Evidently the long term danger may be greater than we think. So are we doing something about it? Yes, but this is the subject matter of black budget programs, and it is kept away from the eyes of the public. The U.S. military has apparently been doing some very remarkable things:
But this of course brings up more questions than answers. Why do they not contact us? Why do they not help? The main issue is our lower selfish nature, and the desire of politicians and military for power. There are, however, contacts permitted on a private individual level where deemed useful. But unless humanity raises its spiritual level of awareness, and lives by the truths in the revelations God has given, there will forever remain a barrier between us and them where contact will generally not be permitted.
THE VISIONS OF EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
There is enough information available out there now where one can easily determine that not only are we not alone, but just maybe... the visions received by Emanuel Swedenborg were right all along. And what did he say about Venusians? He said the following:
1. They are human just like us.
2. They are a gentle and loving race. Others report they need to maintain separation from violent and low moral societies to protect their society.
3. They know who Jesus Christ is, who appeared to them, and,
4. They are in contact with another society that travels between solar systems.
And all of this was stated back in the 18th century, long before anything like space travel was ever imagined.x
Labels: Proxima Centauri, Venusians
The Spiritual Meaning of Works in Scripture, and Why Protestants have it Wrong
The Protestant churches have committed a major error which is the foundation of their theology, in which they have misinterpreted the meaning of the "works of the law" in the letters of the apostle Paul. The end result is that many (not all) have made religion one of belief alone, and that they do not have to do anything with their lives. And yet scripture says all will be judged according to their works (see Matt. 16:27). If all are judged according to their works, how is it that Paul says we are justified by faith without works of the law? I bring this up because this became a matter of discussion for the "life review" we will all experience after death, which I describe in the previous blog post The Life Review of the Near Death Experience and the Visions of Swedenborg, as well as The Christianity of the Being of Light of the Near Death Experience. What the Near Death Experience shows is that God cares about what we do with our life, and we will be held accountable for what we do with our life. It is not about one's belief. It is about how we love others.
This issue of "works" comes up repeatedly in discussion with Protestants. What many do not understand is the word "works" is used in different contexts in scripture, and in each context it has a completely different meaning. There are three main definitions of works, and the same word is used in all contexts:
The works of the law refer to the rituals of the Jewish or Mosaic law.
Works refer to self-meritorious works, works done for the sake of one's self or for the sake of appearance towards others.
Works refer to acts of love and charity based on faith, or one's love towards God and others.
I will repeat this again: in the letters of Paul, Paul speaks of works of the rituals of the Mosaic law, which have been abrogated. Unfortunately a large number of Christians thinks that Paul is speaking about all works in general, and thus they have made religion one of praise and lip service only. Many Protestants in particular think all works are by nature self-meritorious or hypocritical (#2 above) and they completely forget about works done out of faith.
PREVIOUS POSTS EXPOSING THE ERROR OF PROTESTANT THEOLOGY
Instead of completely repeating myself, I recommend for anyone interested to explore the following posts in which I discuss Protestant theology:
The Fallacy of Salvation and Justification by Faith Alone - explains how Jesus condemned belief alone. How "faith" is not just merely belief, but means "living by the truth." How Protestants falsely teach the will of each person is passive instead of active.
Is Salvation a Free Gift? - explains the fallacy of the teaching that one must do nothing to enter heaven. A covenant is a TWO WAY relationship, and is based on love and doing God's commandments.
The False Theological Definition of the word "Grace" - Grace does not mean "unmerited favour." This is a false theological definition invented by Protestants.
The Fundamental Error of the Protestant Faith - this lists multiple quotes from scripture, showing that a spiritual life is not just a belief system in the memory. It is a life of works according to faith.
The Error of the Protestant Churches - this again explains what Paul meant by "works of the law."
A New Perspective on Paul and the New Church Perspective on Paul - Protestant theologians have comes to realize, from indisputable research on Jewish religion of the first century A.D., that Paul was talking about the rituals of the Mosaic law. But Swedenborg pointed this out over 250 years ago.
The Prophecy of Pauline Christianity - this discusses how scripture foresaw how the false teaching of belief alone would come to invade and destroy the church from within.
IS NEW CHURCH THEOLOGY PELAGIAN?
One interesting view I have heard from a Protestant is that New Church theology is a blatant form of Pelagianism. This was new to me. So I looked up what Pelagianism was, I had never heard of it. From Pelagianism:
Pelagianism is the belief that original sin did not taint human nature and that mortal will is still capable of choosing good or evil without special divine aid. This theological theory is named after the British monk Pelagius (354–420 or 440), although he denied, at least at some point in his life, many of the doctrines associated with his name. Pelagius taught that the human will, as created with its abilities by God, was sufficient to live a sinless life, although he believed that God's grace assisted every good work. Pelagianism has come to be identified with the view (whether taught by Pelagius or not) that human beings can earn salvation by their own efforts.
Note the last sentence: opposition to any effort by someone to obtain salvation. Swedenborg did not discuss Pelagianism directly, but merely lists it as a heresy in Apocalypse Revealed. Anyone familiar with what was taught in the New Church theology knows that it has nothing to do with Pelagianism. Here is what the New Church teaches:
All good is from God alone. God alone is good.
Man of his selfish ego is nothing but evil. All of one's evil comes from the selfish ego.
Inasmuch as one turns against one's selfish evil, and repents, one opens oneself to receiving God's love.
God's love flows into us inasmuch as we act from the will according to love.
Although we do good as if from ourselves, we must always acknowledge it is God who allows us to do good.
This is spelled out in more detail in the works Doctrine of Life and Doctrine of Faith, which are both found in the work Doctrines of the New Jerusalem.
Protestant theology, in its worst form, declares the will of a man passive, that God does everything through the Holy Spirit. But we are not passive, our will is active. There is an influx of Divine good into our will inasmuch as we receive it, and do it. For that is the nature of love: it desires to do good, to make others happy, in outward act.
ARE WE CAPABLE OF GOOD?
Having been introduced to Protestant theology, I can tell you that most Protestants are introduced to Christianity through the writings of Paul, especially the book of Romans and Galatians. And here it is not understood that Paul was writing against the Judaizers, who kept trying to get the early Christians to follow the rituals of the Mosaic law. But there is an interesting quote that Protestants will use, to indicate that each person has no capacity to do good:
For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?
And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just.
What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Rom. 3:7-12)
This passage is interesting. Throughout the letters of Paul, Paul is constantly defending himself against being a liar, but in verse 7, he actually admits to having committed a lie. There is actually a bit of historical evidence of a big conflict between the apostle Paul and the apostle James - for more information on this, see Christus Victor, Pauline Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Another interesting point here is that in Rom, 3:13-18 Paul is quoting the Septuagint version of Psalm 14, which contains 8 lines not found in the Masoretic and were a later addition. But besides that, what of this verse from the Psalm:
There is none who does good, no, not one. (Ps. 14:3)
Does this mean that no one can do any good, and that thus works are of no account? No. This is an example of how a verse taken out of context can be distorted. Psalm 14 begins as follows:
The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. (Ps. 14:1)
Thus the Psalm is speaking of those who do not believe in God, and do everything for their own self. These become self-meritorious or hypocritcal works, depending on the intent. Thus they are incapable of doing good, for actions are judged according to intent, and anything done for selfish purposes is regarded as evil, not good. That this is so, is shown by other passages:
Many say, Who will show us good?Jehovah, lift up the light of Your face upon us. (Ps. 4:6)
This speaks of those who deny that anyone can do good. But the second half speaks of the Divine truth (the light) from the Lord's face, which signifies Divine love and mercy. Divine love and mercy flows into all people who do according to God's will. God's light flows into our understanding through faith, and God's mercy flows into us through our will. We have no good apart from God:
You have said unto Jehovah, You are my Lord,My goodness is not beyond You. (Ps. 16:2)
This is an acknowledgment that one's good originates from God. We are but recipients of it. But we are not passive recipients, for the will by nature is active. Jehovah is Divine Love, which flows into the Lord as to the Divine Human (Heb. Adonai), and from the Lord flows into us through our will. One must seek good from the Lord, and not from the selfish ego:
They who enquire after Jehovah shall not want any good. (Ps. 34:10)
And who says we should not do good? That is against all of scripture, and destroys Christianity from within. That it is not true, and a false teaching, can be shown from this verse:
Depart from evil and do good (Ps. 34:14)
So telling people that they must do good, by refusing evil, and following the commandments, is not Pelagianism. It is the Christian way of life. It is an active effective Christianity, one that is useful not only in this life but the life to come. When one understands that one's good and truth are from the Lord alone, he or she then give glory and honor to the Lord alone:
"By giving to the Lord glory and honor nothing else is meant in the Word but to acknowledge and confess that all truth and all good are from Him, and thus that He is the only God; for He has glory from the Divine truth and honor from the Divine good. These things are signified by glory and honor in the following passages: Jehovah made the heavens; glory and honor are before Him (Ps. xcvi. 5, 6). O Jehovah God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with glory and honor (Ps. civ. 1). The works of Jehovah are great; glory and honor are His work (Ps. cxi. 2, 3). Glory and honor Thou layest upon Him, blessings for ever (Ps. xxi. 5, 6). These things are said of the Lord. Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O mighty in glory and honor; in Thine honor mount up, ride upon the Word of truth (Ps. xlv. 3, 4). Thou hast made him little less than the angels; Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. viii. 5). The glory of Lebanon hast Thou given unto it, the honor of Carmel and Sharon: they shall see the glory of Jehovah, and the honor of our God (Isa. xxxv. 1, 2). These and the foregoing are concerning the Lord; besides other places, as Ps. cxlv. 4, 5, 12; Apoc. xxi. 24, 26. Besides, where the Divine truth is treated of in the Word, the word glory is used (n. 629); and where the Divine good is treated of, honor." (Apocalypse Revealed, n. 249)
If you have been taught otherwise, examine the scriptures, and determine what you have been taught is according to the truth.
Labels: Protestant, Works
The Life Review of the Near Death Experience and the Visions of Swedenborg
There are many who have clinically died and were revived by doctors in the last 50 years, and there is now a wealth of testimony of a common "Near Death Experience" that everyone follows after they die. Many report seeing a Being of light at the end of a tunnel, and in the 18th century Emanuel Swedenborg had waking visions of the spiritual world of heaven and saw a "central sun" in which God dwelled in heaven. This is confirmation that Swedenborg did indeed receive a heavenly revelation, for this was long before doctors had the medical expertise to revive people after they had died (see The Christianity of the Being of Light of the Near Death Experience).
In the previous blog post, I concentrated on Being of Light or the central Sun of heaven. Here I want to focus on the life review that people have, in which they see every moment of their life flash before their eyes, in which they see how their actions have effected other people. We can learn a lot from reports of this life review: one is, the Biblical doctrine of judgment after death is not a myth, it is real. The other is, we can learn how to review our lives NOW, in fact review it every day, and think how our actions effect others. We can learn that it is love which is most important in life, that we should rise above our own selfish desires and love others. This is what is important to the Being of Light: love is the answer.
First I will give a summary of the life review of the Near Death Experience, and then I will quote passages where Swedenborg was able to describe the exact same phenomenon in his waking visions of heaven. The comparison is interesting, for it describes how the life review takes place in more detail. While most NDEs only last several minutes, imagine having an experience lasting 27 years. So we can learn a lot from the writings of Swedenborg on this matter.
THE LIFE REVIEW OF THE NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE
There are many testimonies to choose from for Near Death Experiences. It was once a taboo subject. It also was once a foreign and unknown topic to traditional churches whose ministers and priests did not understand it, but even that is beginning to change. Now there is a flood of information on the subject. There is a good summary at The Life Review and the Near-Death Experience and I will be quoting portions here.
The purpose of the life review is to learn, gain insights, and grow as a spiritual being. We essentially see how we effect others. The Golden Rule is the essence of it all.
Here is a list of the mechanics of the life review:
a. Viewing a movie of your entire life.
b. Viewing a movie of important segments of your life.
c. Viewing a video of knowledge concerning your entire life.
d. Viewing a panoramic view of your entire life.
e. Viewing a vivid, three-dimensional color display of your entire life.
f. Viewing hundreds of television screens with each screen showing a home movie of one event in your life.
g. Viewing a three-dimensional hologram of your life in full color, sound, and scent.
h. Viewing scenes of your life in little bursts.
i. Viewing scenes of your life flitting from scene to scene.
j. Viewing scenes of your life at a tremendous speed.
k. Viewing scenes of your life in fast-forward.
l. Viewing scenes of your life in a way that can be slowed down or paused in order to focus on a particular detail of your life.
m. Reliving your entire life with scenes of your life projected around you.
n. Having a feeling like a dam has burst in your mind and every memory has flowed out.
o. Having a religious figure or higher being initiating the life review.
p. Having the life review occur when getting in close proximity to the Being of Light.
q. Having a higher being reading from a Book of Life (for Christian experiencers).
r. Having a higher being reading from the Akashic Records (for Hindu experiencers).
s. Having a life review before a Council of Elders who are seated at a table.
t. Having a life review take place in a domed room with square screens up and down the walls and on the ceiling.
u. Having a life review take place in a amphitheater the size of a sports stadium filled with light beings who will observe your review.
Here is a list of the characteristics of the life review:
a. Instantly becoming everyone you came in contact with in your entire life (feeling their emotions, thinking their thoughts, living their experiences, learning their motives behind their actions).
b. Reliving every detail of every second of your life, every emotion, and every thought simultaneously.
c. Re-living the way you dealt with others and how others dealt with you.
d. Viewing a few special deeds in your life.
e. Replaying a part of your life review to focus on a particular event for instruction.
f. Viewing past lives and/or your future.
g. Feeling a strong sense of responsibility.
h. Feeling a sense of judgment or self-judgment (often these feelings transform from judgment to self-judgment).
i. The review is a fact-finding process rather than a fault-finding process.
j. Your motives for everything will be as visible as your actions.
k. The negative events you expected to see did not show up because you had a change of heart.
What is important here to note: all of our memories are recorded. And not just the external actions, but also our motives and intentions for each of our actions. This is important to note, because many of these same features were described in the visions of Swedenborg in the 18th century. This again is evidence that Swedenborg was indeed given an accurate account of heaven and hell, and that the spiritual teachings concerning the Bible and Christianity are indeed correct.
Here are some insights gained from the life review:
a. Deeds which we might consider to be unimportant may turn out to be more important than we can possibly imagine on the Other Side.
b. Deeds which we might consider to be important may turn out to be insignificant on the Other Side.
c. Deeds which we might consider to be "very good" may not be considered as such on the Other Side if the deeds were done solely for self.
d. Deeds which we may have given "no second thought about" might amaze us when we learn how much they meant to God and the Other Side.
e. Deeds which are considered most valuable on the Other Side are those which express love in a greater, purer and unconditional manner.
f. Deeds which are considered to be "greatest" on the Other Side are usually those which are not done with great fanfare, but are small acts of kindness toward others.
g. Deeds which are considered "greatest" on the Other Side are often the little things we do out of kindness and love because they are more spontaneous and reveal our true motive behind the deeds. Such deeds demonstrate in a better way who we really are.
What this shows is God cares about what you do with your life, what are your deeds and works - and the intentions behind them. Deeds that are self-aggrandizing, to promote one's selfish interest, are not important. Small acts of kindness are what are important. It is one's life, not one's belief system, is what influences one's life review. And we see there is no man is an island, we all effect others in one way or another. We are all part of the butterfly effect.
THE INTERNAL MEMORY OF THE SOUL
So we have all these reports of a life review after death, how does it happen? Swedenborg was given an interesting explanation: in addition to an external memory, the physical one, we have an internal spiritual memory. Everything is recorded in this spiritual memory, what we do is written in our very nature. Despite all the research on the Near Death Experience, scientists cannot go as far as Swedenborg in providing an explanation. I thought it was interesting enough to quote Swedenborg in full on this matter:
"It is to be known that all the good a man has thought and done from infancy even to the last of his life, remains; in like manner all the evil; so that not the least of it altogether perishes. Both are inscribed on his book of life, that is, on each of his memories, and on his nature, that is, his disposition and genius. From them he has formed for himself a life, and so to say, a soul, which is such after death. But good is never so mixed up with evil, and evil with good, that they cannot be separated; for if they should be so mixed, the man would perish for ever. The Lord provides for this. When a man comes into the other life, if he has lived in the good of love and charity, the Lord then separates his evils, and by what is good with him elevates him into heaven. But if he has lived in evils, that is, in things contrary to love and charity, the Lord then separates from him what is good, and his evils bring him into hell." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 2256.2)
The life review actually comes from the internal memory of the soul. And note that, there are two results from the life review: a life in heaven, or a life in hell, depending on what course of action the person chose of his or her own free will.
"Whatever things a man hears and sees, and by which he is affected, are without the man's knowledge inserted as to ideas and ends in his interior memory, and remain in it, so that not anything perishes; though the same things be obliterated in the exterior memory. Such, therefore, is the interior memory that particulars are inscribed on it; and indeed the very least particulars which the man has ever thought, spoken, and done, even what has appeared to him as but a shadow, with the minutest particulars, from earliest infancy to the last of old age. The memory of all these things the man has with him when he comes into the other life, and he is led successively into full recollection of them. This is his Book of Life, which is opened in the other life, and according to which he is judged. Man can scarcely believe this, but still it is most true. All the ends, which have been in obscurity to him, and all the things thought; also all that were spoken and done therefrom, to the smallest point, are in that Book, that is, in the interior memory, and whenever the Lord grants, are made manifest before the angels as in clear day. This has several times been shown to me, and has been attested by so much experience that not the least doubt remains." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 2474)
The internal memory of the soul is the "Book of Life" which is mentioned in scripture, but more on that later. Note that Swedenborg reported all of this, even though he knew at the time few people would believe it. Thus no one should think that their own thoughts are hidden from view in the other life:
"Before I had been instructed by living experience, I imagined with others that no spirit could in any way know the things in my memory and in my thought; but that they were solely in my possession, and were hidden. But I can attest that the spirits with man know and observe the smallest things of his memory and his thoughts, and this much more clearly than the man himself; and that the angels observe the ends themselves, how they bend themselves from good to evil, and from evil to good, and many more things than the man knows; as those which he has merged in his enjoyments, and thus as it were in his nature and disposition; for when this is done, they no longer appear, because he no longer reflects upon them. Let man, therefore, no longer believe that his thoughts are hidden, and that he is not to render an account of his thoughts, and of his deeds according to the thoughts that were in them; for deeds have their quality from the thoughts, and the thoughts from the ends." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 2488)
THE SYMBOLISM OF THE BOOK OF LIFE
In the other life, one's internal memory, and what is written on it, is represented by books, or the "book of life" or the Akashic Records, depending on one's background. Swedenborg confirms this in the visions he received. For example, one's name that is written is not literally one's name, but rather one's spiritual quality as to good and truth:
"Names written in heaven do not mean their names, but the quality of their faith and charity. So is it with names written in the book of life, in the Apocalypse: Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments. . . . He who overcometh shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels (iii. 4, 5)." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 6674.6)
One's internal memory is represented in heaven by books:
"Concerning the book of life it is thus written in Daniel: The Ancient of days did sit . . . the judgment was set, and the books were opened (vii. 9, 10). Again: At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book (xii. 1). And in David: Add iniquity unto their iniquity; and let them not come into Thy justice. Let them be blotted out of the book of lives, and not be written with the just (Ps. lxix. 27, 28). In John: He who overcometh shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life (Apoc. iii. 5). Again: There shall not enter into the New Jerusalem any but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life (Apoc. xxi. 27). Again: I saw . . . and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. . . . They were judged all according to their works. . . . And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire (Apoc. xx. 12, 13, 15; and also, xiii. 8; xvii. 8).
"He who does not know from the internal sense what the book of life is, also what the books are out of which the dead are to be judged, cannot form any other idea than that in heaven there are such books, and that in them are written the acts of all, whereof the memory is thus preserved. When yet by books in the above passages are not meant books, but the remembrance of all things which have been done; for every one carries with him into the other life the memory of all his acts, thus the book of his life (n. 2474). But no one save the Lord alone can judge any one according to his acts; for all acts proceed from final causes, which lie deeply concealed within. According to these causes man is judged, and no one knows them but the Lord." (Heavenly Arcana, n. 8620.1-2)
And one other quote:
"That the book which Jehovah wrote, which in the following verse is called My book, or the book of Jehovah, and in other places the book of life, is the internal, is because the internal of man is in heaven, thus where the Lord is, and therefore those things which are in his internal are from heaven of the Lord, all which things are Divine celestial and spiritual things. These can be received by the internal of man, but not by his external separate from the internal, since the external is in the world and is formed to receive the natural things which are in the world and which without influx through internal things have no heavenly life and thus are called dead.
"From these things it may be evident what is meant in the Word by the book of life, and who they are who are said to be written in that book, namely, they who are in the life of truth and of good, thus who do the Divine commandments from love and faith. For a life according to those commandments opens the internal man and forms him, and what is therein inscribed is inscribed by the Lord and remains to eternity. These are meant by those who are written in the book of life" (Heavenly Arcana, n. 10505.2-3)
DID SWEDENBORG SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE LIFE REVIEW?
The answer is yes. And like the life review, it was presented visually for all to see. Nothing was kept secret. One man had secretly poisoned another and was condemned to hell. A woman maintained her innocence, and then all her adulteries and whoredoms were presented in full view to others. Even minor things, such as one withholding and stealing property, and even what one had written in their own private diary. Only when one was in denial and did not confess were these memories brought out in full view. Accounts of this are described in detail in Swedenborg's work Heaven and Hell and others in Heavenly Arcana. As in some Near Death Experience reports, Swedenborg also reports some of these review are done by angels:
"When man's acts are disclosed to him after death, the angels to whom is given the office of searching, look into his face and the search is extended through the whole body, beginning from the fingers of each hand, and thus proceeding through the whole. Because I wondered as to the reason of this, it was made known to me, namely, that as all things of the thought and will are inscribed on the brain, for their beginnings are there, so also they are inscribed on the whole body; since all the things of thought and will extend thither from their beginnings, and there terminate, as in their ultimates. Hence it is that the things which are inscribed on the memory, from the will and its thought, are not only inscribed on the brain, but also on the whole man, and there exist in order, according to the order of the parts of the body. Thus it was made plain that man in the whole is such as he is in his will and its thought, so that an evil man is his own evil, and a good man his own good. From these things also it may be evident what is meant by the book of man's life, spoken of in the Word, namely this, that all things, both what he has thought and what he has done, are inscribed on the whole man, and appear as if read in a book when they are called forth from the memory, and as if presented to sight when the spirit is viewed in the light of heaven." (Heaven and Hell, n. 463)
There you go - the panoramic life review was seen by Swedenborg in his visions. Again, this is very strong testimony that Swedenborg indeed receive heavenly revelations. It was this kind of material that made me reassess what I had been taught to believe.
So what to take from all of this? Do your life review now, every day. Don't wait until it is too late. Self examination is actually a spiritual exercise of self repentance. Don't just examine your actions, examine your intentions - do you do things for your self, or for others? Ask yourself the question, What have you done with your life? How can you improve it? What can you change? At first it may be hard, but if done repeatedly, it can become a matter of habit, and one small change will have a ripple effect that would not have been foreseen.
Labels: Near Death Experience, Visions
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Not only are we working on trying to get the baby a decent living space, in the same breath we are also trying to get our new living space put together.
We are converting what we used to use as an office into the master. It sits right off of the baby's room and while some people may consider it small, it's the perfect size for us and our needs. One of the most exciting things for me is that this space is big enough to fit a king size bed!
But before we can get a bed in here, we need to finish the rough stuff. First on that list is finishing the drywall. You may remember we created this bump out to create our appliance wall in the kitchen and while the kitchen side of things is in pretty good shape, this side has been sitting incomplete for awhile since we could just close the door and forget about it.
But since we are inching closer and closer to needing to be in this room, we had to get on it and finish things up. Nate went to town with the putty and a couple of nights and a lot of hard work later, the walls are looking good... kinda like actual walls!
We are taking full advantage of the vertical space in the room (part of the room has really tall ceilings and the other half has lower ceilings) on either side of the bump out. The space on the left is going to be a hanging closet. It has enough space to get 2-3 (we haven't decided yet) rods in so we will be able to hang a ton of clothes. On the right we will have floor to ceiling shelf for folded clothes.
The fact that we will have clothes storage in the vertical space and we'll have the closet that is in the bathroom means that we don't need to have any dressers in the master which is why this space works for us as our bedroom.
It's not an overwhelming list but it is a list and it needs to get done. We are super excited to get our measurement for carpet tomorrow so that will bring us one step closer!


Why Southeast Asia is a region with many elections but little democratisation.
Democracy in Southeast Asia is on the defensive.
A recent map of "Freedom in the World in 2016," from Freedom House, illustrates the point starkly.
Based on their current rankings, Freedom House counts no Southeast Asian country as "Free." It is possible to quibble with individual country evaluations, and there are other rankings of political rights and civil liberties to consult, but they all point to the same basic conclusion.
Southeast Asia's democratic deficit is an important challenge to an influential new literature in political science on the democratising power of elections.
This idea, most carefully evaluated in a 2009 volume, holds that repetitive elections are not just a defining feature of democracy, they can also be an independent cause of authoritarian breakdown and democratic change.
This theory of "democratisation by elections" is particularly attractive to policymakers and activists because it implies that even deeply flawed multi-party and multi-candidate elections overseen by authoritarian regimes can have democratising effects.
For scholars of democratisation, it calls attention to the numerous ways that electoral authoritarian regimes attempt to manage political contestation and opposition mobilisation, with sometimes mixed results.
In a new paper (PDF), we observe that this new literature on democratisation by elections has been almost entirely silent about Southeast Asia. In fact, between 1945 and 2015, Southeast Asia has seen no less than 110 executive and legislative elections under authoritarian rule.
Southeast Asia is a region with many authoritarian elections but little democratisation. General propositions in comparative politics need not explain every country or every case, but when they confront an entire region of "recalcitrance," in Donald Emmerson's words, this calls for further investigation.
Taking into account both the history of elections in Southeast Asia and the ways in which Southeast Asianists and others have thought about democratisation, and updating Robert Taylor's conclusion from two decades ago that "elections for presidents and legislatures have never directly caused a change in government", we argue that two sets of factors explain why elections almost never lead to democratisation in Southeast Asia.
The first is state strength, which Dan Slater has considered an important antecedent of authoritarian resilience in the region. Strong states can deploy resources to target potential sources of electoral opposition, they can repress or even crush opposition movements using either the legal system or the security forces. They can also deliver broadly shared economic growth. Elections are not threats to regimes in strong states. The classic case in Southeast Asia is Singapore, but in various ways Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar exhibit such patterns as well.
The second factor that explains the resilience of authoritarian rule in the face of elections in Southeast Asia is neopatrimonialism. When dictators effectively use patronage to reward key supporters and bind them to support the incumbent regime, then elections are just as much opportunities to build and/or nurture these clientelistic ties as they are moments to contest incumbent rule. Cases as diverse as Cambodia under Hun Sen, the Philippines under Marcos, Indonesia under Suharto, and even Malaysia since the 1980s show elements of this neopatrimonial channel at work.
What makes elections dangerous for authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia is the combination of state weakness and the evaporation of patronage resources. The Philippines in 1986 is the best candidate for a democratising election in Southeast Asia.
Here, Marcos presided over a weak state in the midst of a long-term economic decline, and then held a deeply flawed election that effectively galvanised opposition forces against his rule. Under these particular conditions, democratisation by elections worked as the literature expected.
However, our close examination of other cases of democratisation in the region—several instances in Thailand, and Indonesia in 1999—reveals that even when elections coincide with democratisation, the causal process often works differently. In these cases, elections mark the culmination of the democratisation process rather than causing democratisation on their own.
In this way, taking Southeast Asian cases seriously tells us not just about the limits of democratisation by elections within one world region, it can also help others to reconsider democratisation by elections as a general theoretical proposition. For example, Africa has figured very prominently in the literature on democratisation by elections. Why that region in particular?
The Southeast Asian experience suggests that what would make African states particularly vulnerable to democratisation by elections would be state weakness and the evaporation of patronage resources. The comparative weakness of African states is an established theme in history and the social sciences, as is the failure of patronage mechanisms in the era of structural adjustment, which might explain why democratisation by elections is so much more common in this region.
Within Southeast Asia, though, the implication is that elections are best understood not as independent causes of democratisation but rather as venues through which regimes and their opponents deploy the resources at their disposal. Rather than examining the venues in which political actors compete, activists and analysts alike might instead consider the resources that they bring to the competition.
Lee Morgenbesser is a Research Fellow at Griffith University. Tom Pepinsky is Associate Professor of Government at Cornell University.
America should top Freedom House's 'Countries to watch in 2016'.
Good grief, Mr smarty pants professors.
Busy studying theory with theories, huh.
Go there, live there, work there, experience reality and then you would no longer "study", but perhaps, "Act".
And besides; what good do your study-theories do for the people there?
Value of your "observations and studies"?
Except, you may want to take your studies and get another DR or Prof..
Studying authoritarianism rather than democratization might make sense.


One of Virginia's biggest recruits this season has decided where he will play football next year. K'Vaughan Pope, the superstar ATH for Dinwiddie High School, has committed his talents to the Ohio State Buckeyes. He had offers from the likes of Clemson, Florida State, and LSU. The final decision came down to Ohio State and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Pope, who is heading into his senior year at Dinwiddie, has a career total of 99 receptions, 1,733 yards, and 13 TDs at the WR position according to maxpreps.com.
In a game against Hanover, Pope showed shades of Odell Beckham Jr. with a one handed grab on a PAT over four defenders.
His talents aren't just on the offensive side of the ball. The 6'2″, 210 pound star has tallied 179 total tackles, six sacks, and six interceptions at the LB position. 40 of those tackles were for a loss. Pope's high motor and relentlessness to be around the ball is what makes him a special player.
Ohio State will be getting a player labeled an athlete due to his performance on both sides of the ball. Pope's new Head Coach, Urban Meyer, knows a thing or two about developing players. Over the past five seasons, Meyer has had 37 players drafted in the NFL. 11 of those players played either LB or WR, the positions Pope may play in 2018.
Ohio State is just two years removed from hoisting the College Football Championship. Since the College Football Playoffs started in 2015, the Buckeyes have made two appearances.
Pope's senior season at Dinwiddie High School kicks-off on August 25th in a non-conference game against Denbigh High School.


OSIsoft created a new version of Data Archive (Version 3.4.395.64) to mitigate 56 vulnerabilities in its own PI System software, according to a report on ICS-CERT.
All versions of the PI Data Archive prior to Version 3.4.395.64 suffer from the remotely exploitable vulnerabilities.
An attacker who exploits these vulnerabilities could create a denial-of-service condition or allow remote code execution on the Windows OS running this software.
•	CWE-384: Session Management (2 issues).
These security-related issues ended up discovered in PI Data Archive 2012 as part of OSIsoft's SDL process.
Some of these vulnerabilities could end up exploited remotely. No known public exploits specifically target these vulnerabilities.
OSIsoft recommends that users upgrade to Data Archive 3.4.395.64 released June 25, 2015.
Users can click here to download the latest software version.
Users can click here to download release notes for the latest software version.
Users may also visit the OSIsoft technical support web site.
OSIsoft is a U.S.-based company that maintains its headquarters in San Leandro, CA, with operations globally.
Data Archive is the core server technology used in the PI System for real time data storage and distribution of instrument data, according to OSIsoft. The PI System uses this core server technology to manage and enhance stored instrument data for retrieval, analysis, and visualization. According to OSIsoft, PI Asset Framework sees action in several critical infrastructure sectors. OSIsoft estimates these products see use worldwide.


Our Cavoodle Santa has been an absolute delight . . . she is such an affectionate good tempered and adorable pup who is now a very much loved member of our family. You may recall that we told you both our daughters were very scared of dogs and her joining our household was a HUGE transition for them. Santa has however won their hearts and as this photo tells she is now a much adored best friend . . . . .
Just to let you know that Pip has fitted in to our family beautifully, he makes us laugh and we love him lots! He and Ella have started puppy school - Pip is the star, he learnt to 'sit' in the first evening! What a clever boy! As you can see below, he was the perfect birthday pressie!
We thought you might like to see an updated photo of our Cavoodle 'Scout' whom we collected from you in Katoomba in January. She has quite a cheeky personality!!!
Here is Jasper our Cavoodle. As you can see, he's grown a beautiful thick curly poodle-like coat. Whilst he's lost a lot of the beautiful colour his coat had as a pup, his ears have maintained the colour. The main part of his body is a rich creamy colour. He's as mad as a cut snake! Very good at getting up on his hind legs, but the trainer tells me that's a very poodle-like trait again, poodles have very strong back legs, so she tells me. Anyway, thanks again for my big, beautiful, boofy boy Jasper, he's a character.
Fluffy Puppies are model puppies!
We thought that you might like an updated picture of Puddles. He has been going great.
Just wanted to say how fabulous Toby our Moodle is! He settled in perfectly from day one and he has the sweetest nature and such a beautiful temperament. (Not to mention a gorgeous fluffy coat that does not shed!) Thanks for all your help and I can't recommend Fluffy Puppies enough for anyone considering a new puppy.
Just letting you know that Max has settled well into his new home and has become a very much loved part of our family. He has been to the vet for his needle and we were told that he is a very healthy dog and a perfect breed for a family pet. He visited school today for show and tell and didn't mind the attention at all. He is learning to sit and has started toilet training (usually doesn't make it out in time but he tries to get outside). We are looking into puppy preschool (just as much to teach the kids about training dogs as training the pup). Anyhow, thank you. We love Max!


Embassy Tower is a 5-story, mid-rise, residential property located in the Adams Morgan submarket. UIP purchased Embassy Tower in March 2015 and began a $6.9 million renovation. In-unit renovations include HVAC with separate controls in each apartment, upgraded electric and plumbing, new windows and doors, in-unit laundry, stainless steel kitchen appliances, granite countertops, and refurbished bathrooms. Common area improvements will include modernization of the lobby, hallways, and elevators, addition of a fitness center, community room, and bike storage.


Check out the main matches to be played on this Wednesday, March 27 at the Miami Open, the second Master 1,000 and the Premier Mandatory of the season.
This Wednesday the semifinal crosses are decided in the men's box and the women's Miami Open, the second Masters 1,000 and the Premier Mandatory of the season. In the men's tournament Roger Federer will complete the round of 16 after his match was suspended by the rain, while Roberto Bautista will seek a place in the semifinals of the tournament against John Isner. For its part, in the women's draw Simona Halep and Karolina Pliskova will seek to join Ashleigh Barty and Anett Kontaveit as semifinalists of the competition.


I finally had a few free hours to do a LO. This is my ds Jarrod (on the left) with one of his best friends. the pic was taken the day of their Hip Hop exam in 2008. I did this Lo for a couple of challenges on sb.com. I always struggle with boy LO's and always end up using the same old techniques, namely: painting, paper tearing and a lot of distressing.
I followed GarielleP's cabbage cardstock flower tutorial for these "flowers" but tried to make them not look feminine by scrunching them up and adding a lot of chalk and mist. I then attached them to a contrasting piece of cardstock which I also ditressed.


text:
Manhood Relationships
By Ayanda Zaca on Mon, Sep 28, 2020
For many years (while playing, and even until recently) I have struggled with the tension of being proud of that achievement and reaching what others around me only dreamt of, and the incessant feeling that I never belonged. I struggled with associating myself with the red daisy. I rejected being bundled together with the images of the supporters.
By Ayanda Zaca on Thu, Aug 6, 2020
One of the first games in that 1999 season was a fixture against Michaelhouse. It was in the early years of televised schools games of Maritzburg College . This was in the early days of televised school rugby games. At that time I was not selected for the 1st XV team, but for the 2nd XV. Playing for the second side was still a worthy achievement, but not the chief prize.
By Ayanda Zaca on Fri, Jul 31, 2020
One morning, at my new school of probably 3 months, we were required to select a sport for that new term. I had desperately hoped that soccer was one of the options, but alas…rugby and hockey (I think) were the choices. Wesley, a friend and class-mate suggested that I try rugby. "What's that" I said. "Come to practice tomorrow and I'll show you". My response…"okay!".
Marriage Relationships
By Ayanda Zaca on Sat, Jul 25, 2020
This is why the saying "opposites attract" is so true, and why we often tend to be attracted to and marry those who differ vastly from us. This difference is what we also often site as the reason for conflict and breakups, and do not recognise the purpose and opportunity of that very difference.
Fatherhood Relationships
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DADDY
By Ayanda Zaca on Sun, Jun 21, 2020
At least they have hand- made cards and presents. I hear stories of my son and I flying on rocket ships around the galaxy, why the sun is wearing sunglasses and earrings, and of bunnies eating carrots under the sun. My daughter crowns me with a paper crown with "King Daddy" written on it. "It might be a little too small or a little too big" she says, "I had to guess how big your head is".
Dear black husband
By Guest Blogger on Thu, Jun 18, 2020
Your American story is rare, yet enriches the collective black narrative of never feeling fully free. Never feeling like you belong—always having to prove yourself and play catch-up— striving for goals that put you at a different starting point than your white counterpart.
Poetry Relationships
By Ayanda Zaca on Sat, May 30, 2020
I can't breathe, he said.
We paused…
We can't breathe either.
The passing of this time
By Ayanda Zaca on Sun, May 24, 2020
Our faces were hid from one another for a time. We had thought that to solve our problems was to divide ourselves from our fellow man rather than multiplying ourselves with him.
4 Things you can do to improve your relationship
By Ayanda Zaca on Tue, May 12, 2020
Hopefully, you are reading this not because you want to merely not be divorced or alone, but want to have a fulfilling, loving and intimate connection that you and your wife will enjoy for a lifetime.
How to deal with emotional pain.
By Ayanda Zaca on Tue, Apr 21, 2020
It takes courage to be whole.
Your pain and your situation offer you the same opportunities to define who you are becoming.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Irish Setter Boots – RED WING, MN (December 2010) — Irish Setter adds the Black Bear to its line of award-winning welted big game hunting boots. The all-leather Irish Setter Black Bear boots are feature-rich with a CuShin Comfort Tongue, UltraDry waterproof construction, removable brushguard, 90 degree heel and oil- and slip-resistant flathead bob sole.
The CuShin Comfort Tongue technology was designed to minimize pressure some hunters feel on their shin from the top of the boot tongue. A four-way stretch nylon offers relief and flexibility during walking and hiking, with an internal padded waffle mesh maintains premium comfort.
The Flathead Bob sole includes a 90 degree heel making it perfect for horseback hunting. The flathead bob design increases the contact area between the sole and the ground – creating a tread pattern that performs both in the woods and on flat surfaces. All cleats are spaced and angled so mud is released as the sole is flexed.
"Top-to-bottom, these boots are built to deliver all-around performance and comfort," said Mark Dinndorf, Director of Irish Setter Product and Marketing for Red Wing Shoe Company.
The suggested retail price for the non-insulated dark brown Irish Setter Black Bear (#803) is $169. Style # 804 adds 400 grams of Thinsulate Ultra insulation for a suggested retail of $179. The new Irish Setter Black Bear boots will be available July 2011 at leading outdoor sporting goods retailers. Visit www.irishsetterboots.com for the retailer nearest you.


I love a good sketch challenge and I LOVE Rooted in Nature bundle! I had fun with the sketch challenge for today on Create with Connie and Mary!
With the temps in Ohio SO hot this week (I'm NOT complaining!), it was nice to think of cool shade trees while I made this card.
The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 NEW Shaded Spruce cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
A 4 x 5 piece of Crumb Cake has a 1-3/4 x 5 and 3/4 x 5 piece of two different patterns from Nature's Poem Desinger Paper adhered towards the bottom.
The tree slice was stamped with Crumb Cake Ink on Crumb Cake cardstock and cut out. The greeting was stamped on top with Soft Suede Ink. It is popped up on the front with Stampin' Dimensionals.
The trio leaves and ginkgo (?) leaf were stamped with Shaded Spruce Ink on Whisper White and cut with the Nature's Roots Framelits. The trio leaf was watercolored with a little more Shaded Spruce Ink and an AquaPainter. They were added to the front with Stampin' Dimensionals.
Some Calypso Coral Twine from Nature's Twine package was tied in a bow and added to the leaves with a Mini Glue Dot.
I know I've said it before, but I LOVE that tree slice!!! OK…check out the rest of the Challenge Team over at Create with Connie and Mary to see what they did with this sketch challenge! Everyone's card is SO different!
So pretty, Connie! Love the layout and how you added the twine tie to the leaves layer!


God expects us to make our plans. The ability to plan, to exercise choice, was given to us by God, who created us in His own image. But we do not control the outcomes. On the one hand, we do not control our own destinies. On the other hand, we are not left to our own devices.
We have the responsibility to plan our ways, but God determines the outcomes. We can spend our entire lives planning our ways without any thought to God, who determines our outcomes. We have the ability to live as if God does not even exist, but we do not escape the One who establishes the course we actually take. We may have no choice in the outcomes, but we have choice in our planning.
To that extent, we could plan our ways with God in mind, seeking God's wisdom, God's purposes and God's plans. Or we can choose to plan our ways without regard to God at all. God gives us that choice.
The actual courses we take, however, are affected by the "circumstances" of our lives, the opportunities and obstacles that come our way, and the almost unlimited variety of influences, happenings and factors that ultimately determine the "steps" we take. This is just another way of saying that God establishes our steps.
We don't control our own way though we often think (presume) and act as if we do. God doesn't frown on our plans. He made us with the capacity to plan our own ways, but we err (sin) if we fail to understand that we are not in control of the outcome of our plans. Our ability to freely plan our ways creates an illusion that we are the captains of our own destinies, but thinking and acting as if we actually do captain our own destinies is arrogance of the first order.
Don't presume about your life. Be mindful that life is short. Be aware that God is ultimately in control. God has his purposes. Pray and seek God and to understand His purposes. Make plans, but always be mindful of God and his plans and purposes. Invite God into your plans; seek for your plans to be harmonious with God's plans.
We can live our lives on our own, going our own ways or we can live life in harmony with God and His ways. God gives us that choice, and we are responsible for the way we exercise that choice. At the end of our short days, as the bloom withers, what will be the outcome of our lives if we lived them our own ways?
The creed of this world lived our own way, apart from God, is I Did It My Way. We can do that. We can boast we did it our way. But, to what end?
This is the question we all must face. This is point to which we all have or will arrive, either in this life, or when our days are done. How we respond to it is the ultimate choice we make or will make.
We don't control when the light that is our life will go out. Our days are numbered, and they are in God's hands. We don't control when the choice to accept and follow Him can be made.
We make our choices, but God is the determining factor in our destiny. Will we choose to submit our selves, our plans, our destinies to God? Or will we go our own way.
This, too, is my response. Though I often stumble, there is no other path for me. There is nothing else for me. There is nowhere else I want to be.
These familiar phrases from 1 Corinthians. 15:55 (quoting Hosea 13:14) jumped out at me as I read them again. Of course, I know that God has swallowed up death in victory through the resurrection of Jesus Christ! But, what does that really mean for us?


text:
ActiveRecord::Base.logger = Logger.new('tmp/debug.log')
ActiveRecord::Base.configurations = YAML::load(IO.read('tmp/database.yml'))
ActiveRecord::Base.establish_connection('test')

ActiveRecord::Base.connection.create_table(:users) do |t|
  t.boolean     :admin
  t.boolean     :banned
  t.belongs_to  :dude
end

ActiveRecord::Base.connection.create_table(:dont_saves) do |t|
  t.string      :name
end

ActiveRecord::Base.connection.create_table(:articles) do |t|
  t.belongs_to  :owner
  t.text        :content
  t.integer     :secrecy_level
  t.timestamps
end

class ActiveRecord::User < ActiveRecord::Base
  include Heimdallr::Model
  has_one :buddy, :class_name => self.name, :foreign_key => :dude_id
  belongs_to :dude, :class_name => self.name
  restrict do |user|
    scope :fetch
  end
end

class ActiveRecord::DontSave < ActiveRecord::Base; end

class ActiveRecord::Article < ActiveRecord::Base
  include Heimdallr::Model

  def self.by_id(id)
    where(:id => id)
  end

  belongs_to :owner, :class_name => 'ActiveRecord::User'

  def dont_save=(name)
    ActiveRecord::DontSave.create :name => name
  end

  restrict do |user, record|
    if user.banned?
      # banned users cannot do anything
      scope :fetch, -> { where('1=0') }
    elsif user.admin?
      # Administrator or owner can do everything
      scope :fetch
      scope :delete
      can [:view, :create, :update]
    else
      # Other users can view only their own or non-classified articles...
      scope :fetch,  -> { where('owner_id = ? or secrecy_level < ?', user.id, 5) }
      scope :delete, -> { where('owner_id = ?', user.id) }

      # ... and see all fields except the actual security level
      # (through owners can see everything)...
      if record.try(:owner) == user
        can :view
        can :update, {
          secrecy_level: { inclusion: { in: 0..4 } }
        }
      else
        can    :view
        cannot :view, [:secrecy_level]
      end

      # ... and can create them with certain restrictions.
      can :create, %w(content)
      can :create, {
        owner_id:      user.id,
        secrecy_level: { inclusion: { in: 0..4 } }
      }
    end
  end
end

class ActiveRecord::SubArticle < ActiveRecord::Article; end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In addition, workshops cost €37,50 (for 3-hour workshops) and €75 (for 6-hour workshops). For students, the prices for workshops are €25 and €50, respectively.
A tapas-style dinner at the Casa de Convalescència, next to Sagrada Familia in Barcelona city, costs €45. Transportation and a music performance are included.
Please note that abstract submitters, session and workshop organizers need to be registered to the conference before the 15th of April. Abstract submissions that are not accepted will be refunded.
The EUSN is willing to provide 100% refunds before the 7th of May; 80% refunds can be provided between 7th of May and 2nd of June; 60% refunds can be provided between 3rd of June and 23th of June. After the 23th of June, no refunds will be processed.