An occult investigation of the hidden meaning concealed in the Bible
Guest article by John Temple
In the fifth of his articles on the Search for Truth, occult writer and theologian, John Temple investigates the hidden wisdom in the Bible, how and why it was concealed, and the tools the sincere seeker needs to dig it out.
Introduction
The Bible is regarded by many scholars as belonging to a special category of literature, sometimes called sacred texts. The distinguishing characteristic of this kind of writing is that, while many of its narratives have a historical basis, the language itself is largely, though not entirely, allegorical and symbolical; it is constructed of symbols and myths containing profound spiritual truths. Why this is so, and why the Bible was written in this way, I shall discuss later.
Not everyone is convinced there is any hidden meaning in the Bible. There are many people who accept nothing but the most literal interpretation of this sacred text. There are others who, whilst they acknowledge that there is a hidden meaning, insist on confining it within the straitjacket of Christian dogma, and are horrified and repelled in equal measure at the very suggestion that it has any connection with the 'occult', which they have been taught to believe is rank superstition at best and tantamount to devil-worship at worst.
Whatever your own convictions may be, or whether you have no strong opinions either way, I hope that this investigation will provide you with many good reasons to take up the serious study of the Bible. If you do so with an open mind and full attention I can promise you not a few surprises and a broadening of your understanding of many of life's mysteries, regardless of your religious convictions, or even if you have none at all.
How and why wisdom was hidden in the Bible
I have often been asked why, if such occult doctrines as reincarnation are true, are they not mentioned in the Bible? Actually, reincarnation IS mentioned in the Bible many times, but in a concealed manner (see John 1:21-27, 3:3-7 and 8:58; 1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 16:14; Mark 9:9-13; Luke 1:17). You can read more about the evidence for reincarnation in the Bible and the scientific research conducted into it by Dr Ian Stevenson and Peter Ramster, elsewhere on this website.
Now this raises another related question, namely, why was such knowledge hidden in the first place? Why not state such truths in plain words for all to read and comprehend? On the face of it this seems a perfectly reasonable objection, but is it? Let us examine it more closely. If we explain something in plain words can we be certain that all who hear it will understand it in the same way? The accounts given by eye-witnesses to accidents or crimes rarely agree and often contradict one another in several, critical particulars. If this is true of everyday facts, how much truer must it be when we are dealing with complex metaphysical concepts?
Suppose you tell a dozen people the facts of reincarnation as YOU understand them. Let us also suppose that you have thoroughly investigated the subject from every possible angle over the course of many years. Will each of your auditors share your understanding to the same extent? Will they even agree on the essential facts after you have patiently explained them? If you have any experience at all of human nature the answer to both questions must be in the negative. Moreover, by the time those 12 people have related what they have understood to another dozen of their friends, and these have passed this knowledge on in turn, how much of what you painstakingly conveyed in plain, simple words will be left? If you are honest, you will admit very little. Now imagine that some busybody, or even a whole meddling tribe of them, comes along every hundred years or so, and 'improves' your record to make it 'easier' to understand.
Had the wisdom hidden in the Bible been expressed in such a way it is doubtful whether any of it would have survived intact, especially during the early centuries of the Christian era, when every legitimate and illegitimate means were employed to expunge any taint of esotericism from the dogmas of the Church. By concealing such knowledge under the cloak of simple, allegorical tales all could read and understand, the compilers and authors of the Bible ensured the preservation of the hidden wisdom for posterity.
The parable of the prodigal son (see afterword) is a classic example of this technique. It appears to be a simple morality tale of redemption through suffering and the acquisition of wisdom through bitter experience. The universal appeal of such tales ensured their survival among the great mass of humanity, while at the same time preserving their hidden meaning for the few. Jesus affirms this fact when he says to his disciples: "Unto you (that is, the pledged, trained and tested pupil of the Master) it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but to them that are without (the masses), all these things are done in parables." (Mark 4:11).
The Mystery Language
As I made clear in an earlier article on the hidden meaning in the story of the birth of Jesus, it is not my desire to undermine the faith of any Christian in the literal reading of the Bible with all its beauty, consolation and inspiration. On the contrary, it is my aim and hope that such faith may be strengthened by an understanding of the hidden wisdom which is concealed in plain sight of all.
As I said earlier, the Bible, like other sacred texts, is written in a particular language full of allegory and symbolism. This very ancient language was designed to reveal the hidden truths of life, to convey metaphysical ideas, and to describe higher and lower states and planes of consciousness. It is constructed of symbols, metaphors, myths and allegories, none of which were intended to be taken literally. This at once answers the criticism of atheists and sceptics alike that the Bible "piles the incredible upon the impossible." It does so only for those who cannot, or will not see beneath the surface and know nothing of the Mystery Language.
This language was constructed millions of years ago by the great Sages and Seers of Atlantis who taught it to their carefully chosen pupils. Their descendants in turn founded the Mystery Schools of Egypt and Greece. It was only when the last of these schools finally closed some two thousand years ago, that an attempt was made to combine what was left of their teachings with the doctrines of the emerging religion of Christianity. Although the intention was good, the result was an uneasy marriage between the ancient Wisdom and Church dogma, mixed up with the superstitions of those times, which did little to enlighten mankind in the succeeding centuries. As the Church grew in power and influence, the wisdom hidden in the Bible became increasingly inaccessible to all but the very few who possessed the keys to unlock it. Thus we arrive at the modern era, when thanks to the labours of great occultists like H. P. Blavatsky and gifted scholars like Gerald Massey and R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, the existence of the Mystery Language is once again affirmed, even though there are few who teach it, and even fewer who understand it.
We have now learned that this language was carefully designed to achieve two things. Firstly, to communicate the occult or hidden knowledge of the Sages to those qualified to receive it, and secondly to conceal that knowledge from those to whom it would be a danger and a temptation. The reasons for such secrecy have been fully explored by the authors of this website in several of their excellent articles, so I will not recapitulate them except to say that the ancient Sages were only too well aware of the weaknesses of men ever to risk the smallest particle of the great occult secrets falling into the hands of those who might misuse them for their own selfish ends. It is for this reason that the Mystery Language had and has a triple meaning. The first level of interpretation was the literal or exoteric one, and this was what ensured its survival, as we have seen earlier. The second level was the esoteric which could only be understood with the aid of the keys of symbolism, allegory and metaphor. The third and deepest level was reserved for the great Sages and their immediate circle.
The keys to the Mystery Language
The keys to the Mystery Language are many, and each has several levels and aspects. To learn them all, and employ them is the work of a lifetime. The most I can hope to do in a short article such as this is to provide you with a few clues and hints, which if judiciously followed, may encourage you to take up the study of comparative mythology, religion and symbology, without which it is impossible to discover the hidden wisdom in the Bible. For we must bear in mind that the authors and compilers of the Bible were very learned men, steeped in Greek philosophy, Jewish mysticism and the remnants of the Mystery Teachings of ancient Egypt, Chaldea and Persia. Without some prior knowledge of these sources the Bible will remain a closed book to us.
My first hint is that you take nothing literally, but search diligently for the allegorical meaning. The dictionary tells us that an "allegory is the representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms." Parables are compound allegories which contain one or more abstract or spiritual meanings or principles concealed in concrete or material forms. In Luke 14:16-24 we may read about a certain 'supper' and the various excuses given by the guests, resulting in those who had not been invited (the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind) taking their places! Now whether we regard the 'supper' as an allegory for wisdom, truth, liberation from reincarnation, or any other desirable spiritual thing, the meaning is plain; the majority of mankind are far too busy to pay any heed to spiritual matters.
It is very different for the 'poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind.' Please pay careful attention to these words for each is an allegory in itself. They do not refer to physical ailments but to mental, emotional and spiritual ones. Those who suffer in these ways may be ready for a step up in their spiritual evolution, for they have seen and experienced the emptiness of material things. 'Poor' does not mean lacking in material things, but hungry for spiritual knowledge. 'Maimed' means hurt in some emotional or mental way, perhaps through illness or grief. 'Halt' has a similar but not identical meaning for it implies a want of development or a deficiency of some kind, such as doubt, indecision, prejudice, etc. Likewise, the 'blind' are those whose eyes are closed to anything spiritual or transcendental.
To understand such parables we must read them intuitively, opening our minds to that vaster and higher consciousness within us called the Higher Self, which is so often ignored or derided in favour of mere intellectual reasoning and cold logic.
My second hint is that many of the characters described in the Bible symbolize a specific state of consciousness. The actors in the great dramas we behold in both the Old and New Testaments are personifications of aspects of the lower and Higher selves of man. Just as in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets they illustrate human and superhuman attributes, qualities, powers and weaknesses. The devotion and selfless love of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is within us all, as are the doubts of Pontius Pilate, the cruelty of Herod, the vengeance of Moses and the faith of Job. The Christ principle, even if asleep in most, is present in every man and woman in the shape of the often sorrowing Master within—also called the Higher Self. It is up to each one of us to listen to His guiding voice or hearken to the selfish demands of the lower self and body. The choice is ours, though external circumstances may sway us toward one or other pole.
My third clue is that very many narratives in the Bible describe some phase of the evolutionary journey of the Higher Self from darkness to Light and ignorance to Wisdom. This applies both to normal evolutionary progress and also to the quickening that may be obtained through mystical and occult studies, especially those that lead to Initiation, which is the "strait gate" and "the narrow way" referred to by Jesus. There are times in the lives of all when a change of consciousness occurs that inspires a sincere aspiration towards the spiritual and transcendental. There are other times when we are "tempted in the wilderness", whether that wilderness is one of material want or a sort of mental or spiritual desert, in which our lower self tempts us to betray truth and goodness as we see it.
So we may say that we all, in our different ways, live out the great dramas of the Bible during our many lifetimes. There is not one genuine seeker after Truth, who alone and friendless, has not cried out in the bitter sorrow of their heart: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me!" (Matthew 27: 46). Equally, there is no seeker, who having found and embraced the One Light of Truth, has not exclaimed in joyful gratitude: "My God, my God, how Thou dost glorify me!" Both these extremes are encountered in our spiritual pilgrimage from darkness to light and from ignorance to wisdom.
My fourth and final hint is to study well the Occult Science of symbolism. The Mystery Language is primarily built on symbols whose meanings are the same throughout the whole world at all times. Whether we look to East or West, we find the same sacred symbols of the Cross, the Circle, Trees, and the Serpent or Dragon, to name but a few of the oldest symbols of all. A symbol may be regarded as an allegorical picture, describing in a few lines a specific idea, fact, law or principle. A good example of this is the circle which symbolizes infinity, whose centre is nowhere (or no place) but whose circumference is everywhere. You can find an explanation of a few mystical symbols in several articles on this website, especially in The Science of Symbolism. A fuller and more detailed investigation of the Mystery Language can be found elsewhere on this website, as well as in the further reading list in the sidebar.
Some examples of Hidden Wisdom in the Bible
Before I end this investigation, let us examine some well-known Bible stories to see what hidden wisdom they contain. Firstly, let us look at the story of Jesus and his disciples being caught in a severe storm on the Sea of Galilee. You can find this in Mark 4:35-41. The boat was in danger of sinking and Jesus was asleep in the stern when His disciples, in panic, awakened him. He rebuked them, saying: "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"
Using the keys we have learned, we may say that the sea symbolizes the waters of earthly life over which we sail in the boat of the lower self and body. In life we encounter storms of all kinds, whether these are minor trials and tribulations, major disasters, or simply the ever-present winds of our turbulent emotions, desires and passions that can so easily overwhelm us when we least expect it. Without faith even the smallest storms cannot be overcome.
But there is more to this story than the simple injunction to have faith. As I suggest in my afterword (see sidebar) many parables in the Bible bear a striking similarity to the didactic Wisdom literature of ancient Egypt. The symbolism of boats figures very largely in the religion of ancient Egypt, which is not surprising when we consider how important the Nile was throughout the long history of Egypt. In the Egyptian mythos it is Horus who is the Teacher in the boat, sometimes accompanied by 12 disciples as we find in the Bible, at others by seven. Now this is significant, for as man is composed of seven principles, the disciples of the Lord (whether he is Jesus or Horus) may well represent these different aspects of our consciousness, revealing a further and deeper level of meaning in the parable.
Let us now turn to another familiar story from the New Testament: the healing of the blind man found in Mark 10:46-52. As many of you will know blindness symbolizes a state of mental darkness and ignorance. Being cured of blindness means seeing with our spiritual eyes. This is not to say that Jesus did not cure purely physical blindness, or that his so-called 'miracles' are exclusively allegorical. One may mix allegory with actual fact without losing the verisimilitude of either, as I am sure my more discerning readers will know. Nevertheless, whilst it is highly laudable to restore a man's physical sight, I am sure you will all agree that the restoration of one's spiritual eyes—that is the ability to see and know spiritual truth in all its Divine effulgence and sublimity is a far greater blessing. The former only cures the physical affliction of one incarnation, the latter, if truly applied, may last for all eternity.
In this story, we find the blind Bartimaeus begging by the wayside. Significantly he is not on the road but sitting by the side of it. We may say the same of many would-be seekers after Truth, who, lacking the courage to walk the path to the Light themselves, sit down beside it ineptly, hoping against hope that someone, somehow, will notice them and give them a hand-out. This was the situation of Bartimaeus, who calls out to Jesus to have mercy on him. Do you recognise the type? I hope so, for there are many people in the world who beg for help but will do little or nothing to earn it!
In any event, Bartimaeus' self-pitying entreaties eventually succeed in arresting the progress of Jesus, who "stood still and commanded him to be called." Jesus' disciples call the blind man, saying: "be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee." This is significant. We must first rise by our own efforts if we are to benefit from the truth we wish to receive; we cannot do so if we remain sitting on our backsides by the wayside of life! But Bartimaeus does more than get up; he casts away his garments before he approaches the Teacher. This too is highly significant. Nakedness is one of the greatest symbols in the Bible. It may refer either to ignorance, to innocence, or as in this case, to the shedding of one's preconceptions, prejudices, superstitions, dogmatism, and all the rest of the mental encumbrances which prevent us from perceiving the true Teacher and the true Teachings.
Having cast away these useless garments, Bartimaeus receives the gift of sight from the Lord. So here, in a few words we have a most wonderful description of the processes of interior illumination. Note too that after he receives his sight, Bartimaeus "followed Jesus in the way." The way of Truth by means of the path to the Light. How simple it all is when one applies a few of the keys of the Mystery Language!
Conclusion
There have been several occultists and mystics who have written extensively on the hidden wisdom in the Bible, notably Gerald Massey and the Theosophical seer Geoffrey Hodson. There is much of value in the writings of these and other authors, but we should exercise our critical thinking when studying their books and accept nothing on trust, for as we have learned, there are many different ways in which sacred writ can be understood, and it is all too easy to seize on one particular interpretation to the exclusion of any others, thereby missing the wider picture.
There are other writers who have attempted to comprehensively explain the meaning of every symbol which appears most frequently in the Bible, such as fish, ships, trees, arks, mountains and valleys, serpents and snakes, birds, animals and flowers, and so on and so forth. I'm sure their intention was good, but the result on the whole has led to greater confusion and oftimes argument and strife among these well-meaning but misguided scholars and their followers. The moment we try to pigeon-hole a specific symbol, such as the serpent, dragon or snake (which reptile is mentioned more than 100 times in the Bible) by saying it represents Divine Wisdom, a host of nay-sayers rise up in wrath to claim it as the embodiment of the Devil. Many conspiracy theorists confidently assert that all the Biblical serpents represent extraterrestrial 'shape-shifting' 'lizards'. Yet others maintain that the serpent symbolizes temptation, or the animal cunning of the lower self, or physical sexual desire.
All these interpretations contain some truth, but not all the truth, and therein lies the snag, dear reader. To even begin to understand the hidden meaning of the grand symbol of the serpent we must first qualify which of the many 'serpents' and 'snakes' mentioned in the Bible we are discussing. Is it the serpent that "was more subtil than any beast of the field" which tempted Eve to eat the 'forbidden' fruit mentioned in Genesis, chapter 3? Or is it the "great red dragon" that appears in Revelation, chapter 12, "having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads" whose "tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven"?
Or is it perhaps the magical 'rod' which Aaron threw down before Pharaoh, which became a serpent that swallowed up the serpent rods of Pharaoh's magicians mentioned in Exodus, chapter 7? Then we have the "fiery serpents" that the 'Lord' sent among the disobedient Israelites which bit and killed them. If these serpents were 'good', what are we to make of the "serpent of brass" raised up by Moses, which healed those who had been smitten by the serpents of the 'Lord'. Was this an 'evil' serpent to counteract the 'good' serpents of the 'Lord', or is it the other way around? Or were both these serpents 'evil'? You decide! But think carefully before you do so. And what are we to make of the serpent mentioned in Genesis 49:17, in which we may read: "Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward."
What on earth can this mean? We seem to be getting deeper and deeper into a bottomless pit of slippery snakes, twisting and turning this way and that, so that it seems we shall never find our way out and so arrive at a satisfactory conclusion! One key to the mystery is the duality of ALL things, enshrined in the Hermetic Law of Polarity. A Higher state, quality or power may be good in relation to a lower one and vice versa. The "adder in the path" mentioned above illustrates this polarity very well, for it refers in a hidden manner to the lower self which may well be said to 'bite' us in the form of our animal desires and passions, so that perchance we, or rather our Higher Self (the 'rider' of the senses of our body) falls backward in its evolution.
Another key is that serpents symbolize material or spiritual power and energy in some form or other, which is neither good nor bad in itself, but may become so by its operation. This grand symbol is also described in the aforementioned article on The Science of Symbolism. Those of you who wish to learn more about the hidden wisdom in the Bible and the meaning of specific symbols found in it, will find a tremendous amount of information in the sources given in my Further reading list at right.
If all this shows us nothing else it shows us that the hidden wisdom in the Bible cannot be uncovered in a day or a month, but is the constant work and study of a lifetime. If you should doubt this, and I expect my readers to take nothing on trust, I refer you to The Mystic Rose by Ernest Crawley, who devotes no less than 300 pages to the mythology and symbolism of the rose! One could write similar books on each of the aforementioned symbols and not cover a fraction of their possible meanings in the Bible. For these reasons, the few examples I have given of the great spiritual treasure hidden in the Bible must suffice. If I have encouraged you to mine these riches by and for yourself, I shall be well content.
The Search for Truth
In this unique series of twelve articles, the author explores and investigates the many links between Religion and the Occult, focusing especially on the hidden meaning concealed within the Bible and its many correspondences with the Wisdom Teachings of ancient Egypt.
In late November 2024, a slightly different collection of these twelve articles approved and edited by the author was published by Aula Lucis in a limited edition hardcover book. See the brief review in the sidebar or our Occult Books page for more information. While each article can be read on its own, they form an ascending scale of revelation, the full import of which will only become clear when they are studied in their proper sequence, in the order of publication listed below.
Searching for Truth. The moving and true story of one seeker's troubled and eventful journey of spiritual discovery as related to the author.
Who are the REAL illuminati? The author dispels the many misconceptions surrounding the mysterious 'illuminati' and attempts to discover who the occult masters who are said to 'rule our lives' really are and what they do.
Esotericism in the Nativity. An investigation of the Bible story of the birth of Jesus, revealing the many layers of hidden meaning it contains, and the historical parallels between Jesus and the many saviours of other religions.
If God is good why does he allow evil?. An investigation of the problem of Good and Evil from the perspective of Occult Science and some important extracts from the Oera Linda Book which shed light on this age-old question.
Hidden Wisdom in the Bible (this article). Why and how it was concealed, and the tools the sincere seeker needs to dig it out. In his afterword the author examines the hidden meanings within the Biblical parable of the prodigal son
Esoteric meaning of Easter. An investigation of the true significance and esoteric meaning of Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, and the parallels between the Christian and ancient Egyptian religions.
Hidden meaning in the Book of Proverbs. An investigation of the origins of the Biblical Book of Proverbs and the hidden meaning in it, and their close similarity to the maxims found in the ancient Egyptian Teaching of Ptah-Hetep
The sayings of the Saviour analysed. An occult investigation and analysis of some parables from the NT gospels, the real origins of Christianity and its close connection with the wisdom teachings of ancient Egypt.
The metaphysics of Talent. An analysis of the hidden meaning in the parable of the talents in the New Testament, what talent is; whence it comes, where it leads, and its right and wrong use.
The power of Prayer. An investigation of the nature, purpose and power of prayer, the many misconceptions surrounding it, and an analysis of the occult truths contained in the Lord's Prayer.
Facts and fictions of the Church. An investigation of the origins of the Christian Church, some of its doctrines and dogmas, and the so-called 'heresies' which threatened its survival in the early centuries of our era.
The Mystery of Jesus. An investigation of the evidence for the existence of the historical figure of Jesus and the occult truths concealed in the Sermon on the Mount.
'John' (no relation)
About the author
John Temple is the pen-name of a writer who has studied and practised the occult sciences for more than 60 years. He graduated from Cambridge University with a first in Theology and Religious Studies and was ordained as a Minister in the Anglican Church in 1957. He left the Church in 1972 and has since lectured to students around the world on a wide variety of occult, religious and mystical subjects.
John retired in 2002 and now lives quietly in London with his wife, two Yorkshire terriers and a talkative African Grey Parrot called John, shown in typically meditative mood at left.
In my afterword to this article I examine the Biblical parable of the prodigal son.
Let us look at the well-known parable of the prodigal son together, to see what hidden wisdom we may discover in it. The story can be found in Luke 15:11-32. I alluded to the obvious or superficial meaning of this parable in my article at left, so I won't repeat myself, except to add that this is how most clergy would and do interpret it. But if we wish to discover the hidden or esoteric meaning we need to dig much deeper. To do so we must employ the keys described and discussed in my article. If you have a King James Bible, you may wish to open it at that chapter and see what YOU make of the story before reading further. If you don't have a Bible, you can find the parable in the sidebar of my first article on the Search for Truth. If you open this up in a new window in your browser you can follow my interpretation as we go along.
I say 'King James Bible' deliberately, because the changes made in later versions have significantly altered the meaning of much of the book. These changes may seem small to the casual or literal reader, but they are of the greatest importance if we wish to uncover the hidden wisdom in the Bible. The King James version and the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible, both of which are based on the Latin Vulgate of the 4th century, begin with the words "and a certain man had two sons", whereas most modern versions such as the New International Version (NIV) and the Revised Standard Version (RSV) omit the word 'certain'. This is important, for 'certain' implies something definite and distinctive which tells us at once that this was no ordinary man, or even a man at all as we understand the word.
Verse 18 confirms that this is the right interpretation, for there we find the son saying: "...I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." So we may safely say that the opening verse refers to the spiritual 'Father' of man in a concealed manner. It may well be that in the original version of this story, the 'certain man' was named as a specific 'god' or divine being, but that this was altered, either because the authors did not know the concealed meaning, or deliberately obscured it, the better to hide the truth from the multitude. We shall never know. What we can say is that the otherworldly flavour of this story has all the hallmarks of the wisdom literature of ancient Egypt, such as we find in the Teachings of Amen-em-apt, discussed by the authors of this website in their article on 'Inner Peace through applied Wisdom.'
It is only by carefully examining each sentence and sometimes parts of sentences, or even individual words, that we can discover the hidden meaning of such texts. Verse 12 refers to the 'portion' of the 'goods' that 'falleth' to the younger son, which he asks his Father to give him. 'Falleth' implies something inherited. So we may say these are spiritual goods, or abilities, inherited by the son from his Father in Heaven. We all possess such 'goods', some in greater abundance than others. They may manifest as great achievements in the arts, sciences or humanities, as deeds of kindness, compassion and charity. By the use or misuse we make of our 'goods' so shall we determine our future conditions, here on earth or elsewhere in God's Universe.
In verse 13 we learn that the prodigal son "took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living." That country is the material world, or earth-plane, far indeed, when we consider what a long and weary road we must travel to return to our Heavenly home.
Verses 14 to 17 seem very obvious on the face of it and bereft of any esoteric meaning whatsoever. The son is starving and his hunger forces him into an even lower condition where he has to feed swine in order to keep body and soul together. He is so far gone that he is prepared to eat the 'husks' the swine eat, but "no man gave unto him." But as we have seen so far, nothing is what it seems in such parables, and the specific words used often carry a concealed meaning, whether this is allegorical, symbolical, metaphorical, or a combination of them all.
The word 'swine' is not simply an archaic synonym for pigs. It was used by the Druids of Britain and Ireland to refer to their disciples. Jesus uses it several times to refer to the unready and unevolved as well as to those unfortunates possessed by 'evil spirits'. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Set, the 'evil' brother of Osiris, disguised himself as a pig in order to deceive and vanquish Horus.
The pig as we all know is a very intelligent animal which eats leftovers of all kinds and likes to wallow in mud. Does this suggest anything to you? I hope so, for it is not such a bad portrait of the lower self and human body! We may then say that having squandered his 'goods' in indulging the desires of his lower self, and forgotten the heavenly wisdom that once was his, the prodigal son condemned himself to descend ever lower in the scale of evolution, until, in the end, he was driven to seek sustenance in the scraps of leftovers fed to pigs.
In other words, he became a thorough-going materialist looking for answers (sustenance) where he was least likely to find them, just like humanity in the mass today who look to material science and politics to solve the great problems and questions of life. But as it is always darkest before the dawn, so must each one of us reach rock-bottom, or close to it, at some point in our long cycle of incarnations, before we are ready to take the upward path to the Light.
So, in verse 18, we find the words: "I will arise and go to my Father..."
What power there is in these wonderful, moving words! "I will arise." I will no more dwell in darkness and ignorance. I refuse any longer to be lonely, lost and afraid. I have tasted the bitter fruit of grief and despair and know that only God can assuage my hunger and loss. "I will arise and go to my Father." And so the prodigal son turns his face to Heaven and completes the long journey you and I are still making.
"But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him" (verse 20). His Father instructs his servants to "Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet," and he showers him with blessings and good gifts of all kinds, "For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found."
Note that his Father sees him when he is still a 'long way off'. He meets his son halfway, so to speak. So does the Divine Soul of Man meet us halfway once we have made the effort to rise up out of the gutter of material life. Our inner light, whatever form it may take, is seen and recognised by those in the Higher realms. Their kisses are the inspiration and guidance that fall like purest nectar upon the heart of every prodigal son or daughter who truly longs to return to the loving arms of their Father in Heaven.
The 'robe', 'ring' and 'shoes' are all symbolical of the spiritual riches wherewith the returning son is now arrayed, which may be regarded as the fruits of his experience, or wisdom. Wisdom that he could not possibly have acquired had he remained in 'Heaven' like his elder brother. So we have now seen that this parable is no more nor less than a very condensed and largely correct description of the evolutionary journey of the Higher Self from Light to Darkness and back to Light again, laden with the riches of experience garnered through its many incarnations. The younger brother thus represents the descent of the Higher Self into material and corporeal existence and its return home. But what are we to make of the elder brother who complains to his Father in verses 29-30?
If you have followed my interpretation so far, it will be clear to you that the elder brother has either already completed his journey, or has yet to begin it. This is confirmed in the following verse when his father tells him: "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." We may take 'ever' as a synonym for a 'long time' rather than Eternity. Though in a deeper sense our Souls are truly 'ever with' our Father in Heaven, it is the Higher Self which seems to be separated from its Divine Parent for a time, or times, those 'times', like the 'days' of the parable, being symbolical of one or more incarnations, during which we lose all knowledge of, or desire for, our Divine inheritance.
Such then, is something of the hidden meaning of this beautiful parable. Now, if you would discover more, take up your Bible and turn to any chapter or verse in that sublime book which most appeals most to you and try to apply what you have learned in this article and my afterword.
To help you in your quest, I heartily recommend that you read The Book of Sa-Heti by J Michaud PhD. This reveals many of the secret teachings of Jesus and occult knowledge not found in any other books or online sources. The Book of Sa-Heti is free to read on this website (see book review). I also recommend the articles and books suggested in my Further reading list at the end of this sidebar.
Further contributions by John Temple
John Temple has written several further articles and afterwords for us. These are listed in order of publication below, oldest first. All these contributions are well worth reading in their own right as well as extensions to this series of articles on The Search for Truth.
A Modern Easter. In his afterword to this satirical story by Gabrielle Annunziato, John Temple unveils the hidden meaning of the Last Supper.
The Mystery of Love. In his afterword John Temple examines the many references to Love in the Bible.
The Importance of Being Humble. In his afterword to this article by Seán Mac Gréine John Temple examines some known and unknown quotations about humility.
Folly and Wisdom. The wisdom of Folly and the foolishness of Wisdom. Afterword: an analysis of the book of Ecclesiasticus in the Old Testament Apocrypha.
Star Children. An occult analysis and appreciation of a short story by Charles Dickens.
Mr Tilly's Séance. An appreciation and occult analysis of a ghost story by the novelist E. F. Benson.
The anatomy of Sin. An occult investigation of the theological concept of Sin and its origins, and the macabre custom of sin-eating.
An unwritten story unwrapped. An occult appreciation of a short story by Rudyard Kipling and his friendship with Rider Haggard.
Further reading
The Symbol of the Cross In this, the seventh Vision, or chapter of The Golden Star, the author explores and explains the symbolism of the Cross in great depth and clarity. His discourse includes many diagrams, the symbolism of which is well worth studying for the occult truths they reveal.
The Mystery Language An investigation of the universal language of Occult Science and the keys to it.
Numerology. An introduction to the sacred science of numbers which play a large part in revealing the hidden wisdom in the Bible.
The Secret Doctrine by H. P. Blavatsky remains the most complete and comprehensive sourcebook on the hidden meaning in the Bible ever published.
The Hidden Wisdom in the Holy Bible by Geoffrey Hodson. Quest Books, USA, 1996. 2 vols., 230pp/320pp. Available from Amazon.co.uk and other booksellers.
An exploration of the many links between religion and the occult by John Temple
The content and arrangement of this new book differs from the series of twelve articles in this series. The main changes are the exclusion of the first two articles in the series and the addition of 'Folly and Wisdom' and 'The anatomy of Sin', which were published separately. John Temple decided, rightly in our view, that these two articles were more relevant to a printed book than the two excluded articles, neither of which fitted into it quite as effectively or harmoniously.
The Search for Truth is a unique investigation in twelve chapters that explores the many links between Religion and the Occult, focusing especially on the hidden meaning within the Bible and its many correspondences with the Wisdom Teachings of ancient Egypt. You can read more about the book and where to obtain it on our main Books page.
