The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
The Revealing Word, by Charles Fillmore, [1959], at sacred-texts.com
calf of gold--Represents the tendency of man to form images after the pattern that he sees with the eye rather than from the ideals that rise in the silent meditations of the mind.
Calvary--(see Golgotha)
camel--In individual consciousness the camel is a symbol of power, endurance, strength, and patient perseverance.
candlestick--The candlestick of the Temple represents the intelligence in man. The "seven golden candlesticks" of Rev. 1:12 are receptacles of spiritual light.
capacity, spiritual--Transcending intellectual knowledge. Nearly everyone has at some time touched this hidden wisdom and been more or less astonished at its revelations.
cause and effect--The law of sequence; the balance wheel of the universe. This law, like all other divine laws, inheres in Being and is good. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Man lives in two worlds, the world of cause (the within) and the world of effect (the without).
causes, primal--Primal causes are complete, finished, absolute. All that man manifests has its origin in a cause that we name Divine Mind. The one Mind is absolute, and
all its manifestations or effects are in essence like itself. This being true in logic, it is not a difficult matter to arrive at the conclusion that the effect proves the character of the cause.
cells of the body--Structural and functional units of organism made up of atoms composed of electrons and protons, which, in reality, have their origin in the supermind.
These cells are adjusted one to the other through associated ideas. When divine love enters into man's thought process every cell is poised and balanced in right order. Law and order rule in the cells of the body with the exactness that characterizes their action in the worlds of a planetary system.
center in consciousness--A faculty through which a mind quality is expressed. When a center loses its power it should be baptized by the word of Spirit. This cleanses all material thought; impotence is vitalized with new life, and the whole subconsciousness is awakened and quickened.
chaos--Disorder; confusion; discord. Chaos in body and affairs results from chaos in mind, a product of the sense man.
character, spiritual--The true estimate of man's qualities. Character building is ever from within outward. Spiritual discernment of the reality of man's origin and being in God is the only enduring foundation of character.
cheerfulness--A steady, quiet, beautiful expression of the joy of God. It is conducive to good health because it frees one from tension.
chemicalization--A condition in the mind that is brought about by the conflict that takes place when a high spiritual realization contacts an old error state of consciousness.
The mind of man is constantly at work, and this work results in the production of thought forms. These thought
forms assume individual definiteness; they take on personality, which works out into the body. Whenever a new spiritual idea is introduced into the mind, some negative belief is disturbed. It resists. With this resistance comes more or less commotion in the consciousness. This is called chemicalization. This can be greatly modified or eliminated by putting the mind in divine order through denial.
If the cleansing baptism of denial does not precede the Holy Spirit's descent, there is conflict in the consciousness--the old error thoughts contend for their place, refuse to go out, and a veritable war is the result. When the conscious mind has been put in order, the Holy Spirit descends with peace like a dove.
cherubim--Protection; sacred life. The inner, spiritual life is protected from the outer, coarser consciousness. The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the Ark and covered it. Also in the Scriptures cherubim are symbolic figures representing the attributes and majesty of God.
childlike--(see meek)
Children of Israel--The thoughts of reality or the true ideas about Being that have to be brought out in every part of man's consciousness. These thoughts are brought down from the land of Canaan into Egypt (the flesh consciousness) and, for a season, are submerged in the fleshly realm, or thoughts in form.
Heaven, according to Jesus, is within man; and with this understanding we see that the escape of the Israelites from Egypt is paralleled by the escape of man from ignorance and materiality.
chosen of God--God has chosen each of us as a medium for the expression of Himself as love, life, wisdom, abundance, health, and so forth. "Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit" (John 15:16).
chosen people--The "royal priesthood" making up the Christ body; by overcoming, they have incorporated into their consciousness the attributes of God. They are the living expression of His righteousness and glory.
Christ--The incarnating principle of the God-man; the perfect Word or idea of God, which unfolds into the true man and is blessed with eternal life by measuring up to the divine standard, thus fulfilling the law of righteousness. "Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11).
Christ is the divine man. Jesus is the name that represents an individual expression of the Christ idea. Christ existed long before Jesus. It was the Christ Mind in Jesus that exclaimed, "And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was" (John 17:5).
Christ abides in each person as his potential perfection. Jesus Christ, the embodiment of all divine ideas, exists eternally in the Mind of Being as the only begotten Son of God, the "Messiah" or "anointed one," and is the living Principle working in man.
Christ and Jehovah--Jehovah of the Old Testament is the I AM, or Christ of God invisible; the Messiah is the promise of the visible manifestation of that I AM, or Christ, and Jesus Christ is the fulfillment in man of that original spiritual I AM, or Jehovah.
Christ, abide in--To dwell continually in the consciousness of Christ to the point of realization of unity with the Father and Son. To abide in Christ is to live in the perfection of God-Mind, the thought of God, the living Christ.
Christ, birth of--Man is the bringing forth (the birth) of God's idea of man, the Christ of God. This is done through the quickening power of the word of Truth. The birth of Christ is the beginning in the inner realms of consciousness of a higher set of faculties, which, when
grown to full stature, will save the whole man from ignorance, sickness, and death.
Christ, first coming of--The dawning in mind that spiritual man is the real Son of God.
Christ, formation of--When man appropriates words of Truth he partakes of that which forms the spiritual soul, substance, and life of Spirit and which manifests as Christ in the perfect body. Every student of Truth is letting "Christ be formed" (Gal. 4:19) in him when he constantly abides in the Christ Mind through daily meditating on words of Truth.
Christ, indwelling--The Son of God or spiritual nucleus within each person. All our thoughts must harmonize with this spiritual center before we can bring into expression the divine consciousness. Each man has within himself the Christ idea, just as Jesus had. Man must look to the indwelling Christ in order to recognize his sonship, his divine origin and birth, even as did the Saviour. This real self is "closer . . . than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet." It is the kingdom of God in each person. "Neither shall they say, Lo, here! or, There! for lo, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21).
Christ in you--The true light, which guides every man coming into the world, is, and ever has been, in man. Even the outer man was formed and came into existence through it. This is "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
Christ, joint heirs with--We are joint heirs with Christ to all that the Father has. This truth alone--the belief that in the regenerate state we are to be like Jesus, who became Christ manifested--leads us to a desire and an effort to attain our inheritance of eternal life here and now, because we know that there is no other thing in the universe worth striving for.
Christ, second coming of--The awakening and the regeneration of the subconscious mind through the superconscious or Christ Mind.
Christ body, work of the--The work of the Christ body is the "restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old" (Acts 3:21). (see body of Christ)
Christian conversion--A letting go of sin; a moral cleansing. This type of conversion is good as far as it goes, but it is far from complete. (see conversion)
Christianity--The science of eternal life. It is governed by scientific principles of mind action, which are really the foundation of all the various sciences.
Christianity began with Jesus and was carried on by His apostles. He commanded them to cast out demons, to heal the sick, to make the blind to see, even to raise the dead. Whenever Truth is declared in the name of Jesus Christ, the demons of fear and disease are cast out.
Christianity, esoteric--Christianity that deals with the deep metaphysical truths that Jesus taught. "The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life" (II Cor. 3:6).
Christianity, exoteric--Christianity that deals with the letter or surface meaning of the teachings of Jesus.
Christianity, practical--The teachings of Jesus practically applied to the everyday life of man. Practical Christianity is not a term applied to an arbitrary theory of human origin; neither is it a revelation to humanity from some prophet whose word alone must be taken unquestionably as authority. It is, in this respect, different from most religious systems of the world. Its students are not asked to believe anything that they cannot logically demonstrate to be true. Thus, it is the only system of religion before the people today that, because of its universal appeal to the pure reason in man, can be accepted and applied by every nation under the sun.
Christian, or Gentile--In the New Testament symbology
Christian typifies the spiritual and Gentile the material.
church--The word church is derived from a Greek word meaning "the Lord's house." The individual's consciousness is his "Lord's house," and assembled within it are groups or aggregations of ideas (thought centers). The spiritualized will carries to the different "churches" (thought centers) the word of Truth and builds them up into a knowledge of their perfection and divinity by training them in spiritual thinking.
church of Christ--Spiritual consciousness, first individual, then collective. In the general usage the word church applies to persons who have been "born anew" (John 3:3) through the quickening power of the word, gathered together in one body, their union being typified by the human body.
Jesus never organized a church on earth; neither did He authorize anyone else to do so. He said to Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18). He did not tell Peter that he was to be the head of the church, with a line of popes to follow. He said, "I will build my church" (ecclesia, assembly, or called-out ones). Jesus is still the head of His "assembly," and its only organization is in Spirit. He gave but one guide, one source from which His followers should receive their inspiration: "The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you" (John 14:26).
circulation, spiritual--The inner stream of life, substance, and intelligence flowing freely through the entire being.
circumcision--Symbolical of the cutting off of mortal tendencies; indicative of purification and cleanliness under divine law. Circumcision is fulfilled in its spiritual meaning by the freeing of the individual from the law of sin and
death. "Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit not in the letter" (Rom. 2:29).
clairvoyance--"The power of discerning objects not present to the senses but regarded as having objective reality" (Webster). Intuitive perception; clear vision. Everything that takes place in the world of manifestation first takes place in the realm of thought. If one is spiritually quickened to the measure that he can discern the thought movements, he can gain a foreknowledge of what is about to occur.
coats of skins--The body of flesh. Man was connected originally with the spiritual-body idea, but when he took on personal consciousness he was given "coats of skins," which, under divine law, corresponded with the quality of his thought world. When spiritual thought becomes supreme in consciousness, the coats of skins will give way to the manifestation of the spiritual body, which is the immortal body that was spoken of by Paul.
coat without seam--The "coat . . . without seam," which the soldiers did not separate, represents the great unified doctrine of Truth that Jesus left (John 19:23).
cocreator, man with God--"My Father worketh even until now, and I work" (John 5:17). God creates in the ideal, and man carries out in the manifest world what God has idealized. Jesus treats this relation between the Father and the Son in the 5th chapter of The Gospel According to John: "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, the Son also doeth in like manner" (John 5:19).
Comforter, the--The Holy Spirit, the only authorized interpreter of the gospel of Jesus; He who gives comfort and cheer and reveals the Truth of God to us.
commandments--Having to do with the law or the orderly working out of divine principles. Moses represents the "Thou shalt not" phase of law; Jesus represents the "Thou shalt" phase of law.
commandments, to keep His--This is to command, to control, and to direct every thought according to the harmonious law of love one to another.
communion--Sharing the deep aspirations of our heart with the indwelling Father and hearing His "still small voice" (I Kings 19:12).
communion, kept secret--There are times when it is to our own spiritual benefit and to God's glory to keep things concealed and, like Mary, to ponder them in our heart until due time for expression. There are joys of the Spirit that are secret between a man and his Lord. One feels a sense of condemnation and depletion if he talks too freely about his communion with the Lord.
companionship--Association of those who are in divine harmony. This perfect fellowship is best found by those who practice quiet communion with God.
compass, points of the--In scriptural symbology east means the within, which is spiritual; west, the without, which is expression; north, the above, or intellect; south, the below, or physical.
compassion, divine--In the heart of God exists an eternal tenderness and mercy for His children. "Jehovah is gracious, and merciful" (Psalms 145:8).
compassion, human--A characteristic of love and mercy prompted by an understanding heart. A compassionate mind sees the error, but does not condemn. "Neither do I condemn thee: go thy way; from henceforth sin no more" (John 8:11).
compensation, law of--The order under which one receives just remuneration. The law of compensation is universal and not subject to personal demands. If the mind is turned toward man as one's recompense, it is turned away from divine law.
concentration--A thought center; a nucleus of faith or spiritual confidence. The centering of the attention on a particular idea. Concentration forms a mental loadstone in
the mind to which thought substance rushes like iron filings to a magnet, bringing the forces, whether mental or physical, to a common purpose.
conception--Power of forming ideas in substance; the embodiment of an idea.
condemnation, dangerous--According to Webster, condemn means "to pronounce to be wrong." There is always a cause for every mental tangent, and that which would kill the sense man, root and branch, has its point of departure from the line of harmony in the thought of condemnation. In John the Baptist it seemed a virtue, in that he condemned his own errors, but this led to his condemnation of Herod, through which action he lost his life. We are to learn from this that condemnation is a dangerous practice.
conditions, evil--In Divine Mind there is no recognition of evil conditions. Such conditions have no basis of reality. To rid ourselves of any appearance of evil, let us change our thought at once and begin to build a consciousness that knows nothing but good. Let us affirm: "I am a child of the Absolute. God is good, and I am His perfect child. Everything that comes into my life is good."
conqueror--Metaphysically, one who attains mastery over sense consciousness. "We are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).
conscience--There is a divine goodness at the root of all existence. It is not necessary to give in detail the place of abode of each sentient part of this central goodness, for it is there, wherever you look, and whenever you look. No man is so lowly but that at the touch of its secret spring this divine goodness may be brought to light in him. This goodness sleeps in the recesses of every mind and comes forth when least expected. Many stifle it for years, maybe for ages, but eventually its day comes, and there is a day of reckoning. This is the law of universal
balance--the equilibrium of Being. It cannot be put aside with transcendental philosophies or metaphysical denials any more than it can be smothered in the forces of the blind passions.
Whoever has felt the prick of conscience has been spoken to by the Holy Spirit. Whoever has sat at the feet of his own inner convictions has been aware of God's presence.
conscience, accusing--A state of mind that refuses to remit past sins and keeps one in a state of self-condemnation and remorse.
conscious mind--The mind that makes one know of one's mental operations and states of consciousness; that phase of mind in which one is actively aware of one's thoughts. The mind through which man establishes his identity.
consciousness--The sense of awareness, of knowing. The knowledge or realization of any idea, object, or condition. The sum total of all ideas accumulated in and affecting man's present being. The composite of ideas, thoughts, emotions, sensation, and knowledge that makes up the conscious, subconscious, and superconscious phases of mind. It includes all that man is aware of--spirit, soul, and body.
It is very important to understand the importance of our consciousness in spiritual growth. Divine ideas must be incorporated into our consciousness before they can mean anything to us. An intellectual concept does not suffice. To be satisfied with an intellectual understanding leaves us subject to sin, sickness, poverty, and death. To assure continuity of spirit, soul, and body as a whole, we must ever seek to incorporate divine ideas into our mind. A consciousness of eternal life places one in the stream of life that never fails.
consciousness, ascend in--Rise to the spiritual realms of mind.
consciousness, body--The subconscious mind in its work in the body--repairing, renewing, and conducting the functions of the body in harmony and health if right ideas are given to it, or disintegrating the organism and producing inharmonious action of the functions if untrue thoughts are sown in the mind.
consciousness, centers of--The subconscious realm in man has twelve great centers of action. Each of these twelve centers has control of a certain function in mind and body. The twelve centers are: faith, strength, judgment, love, power, imagination, understanding, will, order, zeal, renunciation (or elimination), and life.
consciousness, Christ--Consciousness built in accordance with the Christ ideal, or in absolute relationship to the Father. The perfect mind that was in Christ Jesus.
consciousness, illumined--A mind purified by the light of Truth.
consciousness, inner--The realm of the supermind as contrasted with the outer or conscious mind.
consciousness, material--A state of mind based on belief in the reality of materiality, or things as they appear. It is carnal mind expressing its unbelief in the omnipresence of God.
consciousness, negative--A mind filled with un-God-like thoughts, such as fear, hate, greed, lust, resentments, discouragement, sickness, and poverty.
consciousness, positive--A mind filled with God's thoughts, such as power, strength, generosity, purity, and optimism.
consciousness, sense--A mental state that believes in and acts through the senses. To rise out of sense consciousness, we determine to return to conscious oneness with God. "I will arise and go to my Father" (Luke 15:18).
consciousness, Son of God--A state of mind that is conscious of God's ideal man.
consciousness, spiritual--(see Christ consciousness)
consciousness, total--Conscious, subconscious, and superconscious phases of mind working as a whole, as a unit.
consecration--The dedication of one's everyday thought to God; a complete surrender of oneself to God. The entire mind is brought under the control of the Christ consciousness with whole-souled devotion to spiritual ideas. It is the one way to perfect peace of mind. Consecration also means the application of all one's tact, skill, and inspiration to bringing other men into the Christ light. Thus, the whole world is to be brought into the Christ fold and transformed by Truth. "Who then offereth willingly to consecrate himself this day unto Jehovah" (I Chron. 29:5).
contemplation--A form of meditation; a thought of becoming a child of God.
convalescence--That period during which pure life from on high is cleansing the consciousness, and the waters of negation are receding. The body does not always at a single bound regain its natural condition, but there is a gradual recovery.
conversion--"The experience associated with and involving a definite and decisive adoption of religion, especially a Christian religion" (Webster). Conversion is a change of heart and is a real experience, but it is merely introductory to the new life in Christ. When a person arrives at a certain exalted consciousness through the exercise of his mind in thinking about God and His laws, he is lifted above the thoughts of the world into a heavenly realm. This is the beginning of his entry into the kingdom of heaven. When man attains this high place in consciousness he is baptized by the Spirit; that is, his mind and even his body are suffused with spiritual essences, and he begins the process of becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus.
conviction--The state of being convinced. Metaphysically, it is the divine assurance that comes to one when he is fully satisfied of the worth of Truth. Conviction refuses to be influenced by the senses because it is founded in spiritual thought.
cords, scourge of--The specific statement of denial. General denial cleanses the consciousness, but secret sins may yet lurk in the inner parts. Small definite statements that cut into them like whipcords will erase these specific transgressions. "And he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen" (John 2:15).
corruptible--The corruptible body is that which is subject to decay. When it is transformed into the spiritual body, it becomes incorruptible and is forever enduring. "This corruptible must put on incorruption" (I Cor. 15: 53).
cosmos--Order; system; harmony; the opposite of chaos. The universe is a cosmos because it expresses Divine Mind, the essence of all harmony and order.
country, far--A state of consciousness in which man has separated himself from an intimate spiritual association with the Father and thereby does not have the benefit of divine wisdom in his affairs.
courage--A spiritual quality that enables one to remain poised and centered in God amidst great difficulties and danger. The realization that the almighty God of the universe is a spiritual presence which is constantly striving to express in and through us fills us with new courage and a fearlessness that is beyond description. "Be strong, and let your heart take courage" (Psalms 31:24).
covenant--A solemn agreement or compact between two or more parties. "My covenant shall stand fast with him" (Psalms 89:28).
covenant, new--Jesus established a new and higher
consciousness for man and taught and practiced the truth of the inner kingdom. This teaching is known as the "new covenant" (Heb. 12:24). The new covenant is to be written in the heart of each person.
Covenant, Ark of the--(see Ark of the Covenant)
covetousness--Insatiable desire to possess that which belongs to another. Covetousness has no wisdom. When a man gives up to its demands he does foolish things to gain possession of the coveted object. "Thou shalt not covet" (Exod. 20:17). (see acquisitiveness)
creation--The original plan of an idea in Spirit. Back of the visible universe are both the original creative ideas and those that are brought forth as earthly things. In the creative process Divine Mind first ideates itself. In the Scriptures this idea is named Jehovah, meaning I AM the ever living--He who is eternal. The creation is carried forward through the activity of the Holy Spirit.
The order of creation is from the formless to the formed, from the invisible to the visible. This goes on perpetually, and there is never a beginning or an ending to the process. The ideal is continually pouring itself into its creation and lifting it higher and yet higher. Apart from mind nothing can be done. Man, in his forming and bringing things into manifestation, uses the same creative process in mind that God uses. First is mind; then the idea in mind; then the materialization of the idea.
creation, described in Genesis--The 1st chapter of Genesis describes the creative action of universal Mind in the realm of ideas and does not pertain to the manifest world. This truth is substantiated in the 2d chapter, where it is stated that there was not a man to till the soil. This proves conclusively that the first creation described is in the realm of ideas.
(The account of creation rendered by Ferrar Fenton gives an enlightening translation from the Hebrew: "By periods God created that which produced the Suns; then
that which produced the Earth" [Gen. 1:1]. This is in line with Truth.)
creative force in man--Spirit-mind is the creative force constantly working in man and all other creation. Those who fail to recognize Spirit-mind shining within them dwell in a continuous state of darkness and ignorance. To them the almighty Christ is nonexistent. "And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not" (John 1:5).
creative intelligence--Mind of God forever upbuilding His universe.
creative Principle--God as the cause and moving force in and through all creation.
Cross--The Cross represents that state of consciousness termed "mortal mind." This is the "carnal mind" of Paul also, and it burdens the body with its various erroneous beliefs. "He went out, bearing the cross for himself" (John 19:17). The center of action of this "carnal mind" is in the brain, and it is here that it has to be met in the final overcoming that the I AM undertakes. "The place called The place of a skull" (John 19:17).
The Cross is not a burden as commonly understood, but a symbol of the forces in man adjusted in their right relation.
crown--That which imparts honor or splendor. Highest state or quality. The crown of eternal life is the prize to all who overcome carnal mind.
crucifixion--The crossing out in consciousness of errors that have become fixed states of mind; the surrender or death of the whole personality in order that the Christ Mind may be expressed in all its fullness.
The crucifixion of Jesus represents the wiping of personality out of consciousness. We deny the human self so that we may unite with the selfless. We give up the mortal so that we may attain the immortal. We dissolve the
thought of the physical body so that we may realize the spiritual body.
cup--The consciousness of eternal life. This must be attained by an utter crossing out of the personal self. This is "the cup which the Father hath given me" (John 18:11).
curse--To affirm evil for or on something or someone. Cursing has a variety of meanings as used in the Scriptures. The whole human family is pictured as under the curse of God for not bringing forth spiritual good, because of disobedience and failure to observe divine law. "If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart" (Mal. 2:2).
God is love, and God's law of love cannot be broken. Man brings evil on himself by not obeying the law. Jesus redeemed mankind from the ancient curse of Jehovah, but men are themselves responsible for avoiding transgression of the law. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13).