Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.” —Isaiah 62:3
Hebrew for “Crown,” Keter is the topmost Sefirot on the Tree of Life. It is the above and between Da’at (knowledge) and Chokmah (wisdom). “The first ‘holy’ is the highest Crown” (Sefer HaBahir 128).
The First Path is called the Admirable or the Hidden Intelligence (the Highest Crown): for it is the Light giving the power of comprehension of that First Principle which has no beginning and it is the Primal Glory, for no created being can attain to its essence.” —The Thirty-Two Paths of Wisdom 1
Keter is the first Sefirot we obtain because Christ’s Grace first fully perfects us. That Grace then guides us throughout the Tree. It is seen as interchangeable with Binah, the “hidden” Sephirot directly below it because with Sinah (understanding) our perception changes and we see through God’s eyes. Keter walks us through the first step: the broken heart, or pierced heart, and the contrite spirit. We acknowledge that we are fallen beings. We eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But, unlike Adam, Lilith, and Eve, we do so with God’s permission.
Knowing good from evil is not enough. God has given us free agency. This agency allows us two opinions:
- willingly allow Christ’s Grace to use, guide, direct, and transform us
- be used by God as a blunt instrument. God’s will shall be done regardless
Our freedom merely allows us to decide how we will be a part of the story. We either allow Christ to clean our kli (Hebrew for “vessel,” here representing our hearts) or we keep drinking from a dirty cup.
The Seven Days of Being born again may take a moment. It may take years. Regardless, it follows the seven days of the creation.
Keter
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” —1 Peter 5:4
- English: Crown
- Body part: Top of the head, just above the head, or third eye
- Color: White
- Element: Spirit; intelligence, priesthood, oneness
- Associated with: Ehveh “I AM” (the power of God, the unity of God)
- Herald: Enoch/Metatron “a divider and fixer of boundaries;” archangel known as the Recording Angel or the Chancellor of Heaven. See the herald of Binah for more information.
- Day of Creation: Before the creation. This represents everything we were, God is, and we will become.
The Word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man how man may become God.“ —Clement of Alexandria
Keter is the uppermost of the Sefirot of the middle line or kav emtsaee (Hebrew for “middle line”), the line of mildness or balance in the Tree of Life. In the Zohar, Keter is known as “the most hidden of all hidden things,” being incomprehensible to man. Only through God may the incomprehensible be known. Keter teaches us humility, “the last shall be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16).
To see the world through the Sefirot Keter:
- One’s thoughts should be pure
- One’s temperament should be gentle
- One’s face always shining
- One’s ears should listen to hear the good in all places
- One’s eyes should not seek evil, always looking for the good in all things
- One’s nose should be free from the breath of anger
- One’s mouth speaking nothing but good, righteousness
We see Keter through Binah, which is a reflection of this Sefirot as seen by the human soul once we are born again. Binah is the Holy Spirit giving us intuitive understanding, contemplation by Christ’s Grace. It is the womb, a temple inside us housing the Spirit of God. It is the birth of the soul.
In a mundane way, Binah may also be seen as deductive reasoning. It is God helping us understanding one idea pondering or gazing at another. Binah can be a rational process that within a person which guides us to develop an idea to its fruition. Thus scientific breakthroughs and revelation giving us guidance can both be Binah; understanding from divine knowledge and wisdom given us by God.
The Seven Days of Creation: Keter
1. Light from the Darkness: Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil without God’s permission. Today, God has called us to seek him. We are free to know good from evil that we may find him. We seek the light of the love of God to replace the darkness of our Ego. This begins with the prayer, a plea, to god inscribed in our hearts – our pierced hearts. (Genesis 1:1-5).
2. Water divide between the Earth and the Heavens: From this prayer, the firmament is divided from the waters. This is to say, God grants us Water; His Chesed, Mercy—Jesus Christ. We have partaken of the tree and now see that we are naked. This perception, a clearer view of reality, given us by God. (Genesis 1:6-8)
3. Dry Land is revealed and Vegetation Grows: On the third day, we must clothe our ignorance. Rain comes, and growth begins within us. The land is Earth, Chokhmah, the wisdom of Shekinah. She has given birth within us, the mercy of God in answer to our prayer. Our “clothing” are the “fig leaves” of our altruistic actions. We are moved by grace to do good works. And, by our fruits will they know us (Matthew 7:16-20). (Genesis 1:9-13)
4. Lights in the Firmament: The Holy Spirit leads us, showing us the way. There are ups and downs, and so God has given us the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars. These are the ups and downs we all go through as our faith is tried. Every degree we rise to creates new darkness, challenges that God will guide us through. (Genesis 1:14-19)
5. Living Creatures of the Sea and Air are Created: These living creatures represent the desires within us. These creatures are of Air and Water. These are Da’at, Knowledge and Chokhmah, Mercy; God the Father and God the Son. We grow in both Grace and Knowledge. (Genesis 1:20-23)
6. Bring Forth Living Creatures After Its Kind: It is here that we, humans, are created. We’re now born anew. What then of these “animals?” Remember, God brings the animals to Adam to name in the second chapter of Genesis. We see these desires within us, and through Christ’s Grace we tame them. Everything God has given us, every desire, we may use to glorify him. Here too are we given the charge to care for the world that God created. This is both a command to continue to grow in Grace, and also to share the fruit of that tree and bring more souls to Christ, back to that God that created them. (Genesis 1:24-31)
7. The Sabbath: At this point God’s work in creation is completed. What’s next? Rest and repeat. We are continuously Born Again in Christ every time we grow in his Grace. (Genesis 2:1-3)
God’s Creation
We are now God’s new creation. With our pierced hearts, we have access to the Tree of Life (1 Nephi 2:49 RAV, 8:10 OPV). By being Born Again, we are transformed into “new beings.” We are a new creation of God in that we reject Ego (the darkness) and move towards altruism (the light). Our kli, the “vessel” within our hearts, is washed clean that we may drink of the water of life freely and taste of its goodness. We accept Christ. We full accept him. This doesn’t mean we have let go of all of our sins or Ego. It means we, as a new creature, have been fully washed clean by Christ’s Grace. This transformation allows us to move forward as perfected beings into the second stage of return.
Each of us are Adam and Eve walking out of the garden, and we are also Joseph Smith Jr. walking into the grove. Mormonism is a very personal religion because it’s not about us as a part of a greater organization of people. It’s about our very personal relationship with God. Teshuvah is an oppertunity to deepen our relationship with our God. Because our God is a God of Love, we too must use this opportunity to grow in love, as we are the creation, thus a reflection of God.
Assignment 8: Teshuvah Week 2
In more than 300 words, describe your experiences meditating for 7 days, preferably in a row. How long did you mediate? Did you notice a change in yourself throughout the week as you meditated? What does teshuvah mean to you now, has your idea of it changed? and do you feel closer to the Lord after this week’s mediation? Why or why not?
Please send your written assignment to David Ferriman: dferriman@cjccf.org