The Seven Sefirot of God --

are they for Christians?

Can we learn from the Jews? Or has God rejected His people,

since they rejected Christ? What about some of the teachings

of the Jewish rabbis, such as the “Seven Sefirot” of God? Is that

nothing more than superstition and mysticism? Does God’s

Spirit really work with unconverted people? Is there any real

reason that we should study and memorize and utilize the

knowledge of the “Seven Sefirot” in our Christian lives?

William F. Dankenbring

A few months ago, I received a letter from a sincere, devout Christian, who took issue with some of our teachings derived from the practice and experience of the Jews. In particular, he took issue with the concept of the “Seven Sefirot” of God.

To paraphrase his letter, he wrote saying, “Most Jews do not accept Christ as their Paschal Lamb. Can they therefore be truly inspired and have God’s Holy Spirit if they don’t accept His Son’s death on account of their sins?

“There is a subject which you teach -- ‘seven sefirot’ of God – which I find meaningless and unproductive for my spiritual growth.”

He went on, “Some of it sounds to me like human philosophy -- the idea that there are various levels of perfection, and the attainment of perfection through human endeavor, privation, self-inflicted castigation and separation from things that cause sensual lusts. I’ve listened to your Bible studies on the subject, 4-5 times, and each time I ask myself – ‘Where does it get me?’ I can’t remember a thing a few minutes after hearing it. I’m sure none of our members can repeat the seven sefirot in sequence and give the meaning of each. Why try to remember strange new words?”

What in the world are the “Seven Sefirot”? Many people would no doubt wonder about that. It sounds so strange, so mysterious. What could these “sefirot” have to do with the Christian life?

Have the vast majority of Christians completely overlooked an incredibly important teaching of God’s Word? How could it be possible! Of course, maybe we shouldn’t be too surprised, since we know that Satan is the “god of this world” (I Cor.4:4), the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph.2:2), and is the “great deceiver” of all mankind (John 8:44; Rev.12:9).

What do you mean, “Seven Sefirot,” anyway? What are they? The term “sefirot” in the Hebrew language comes from the word safar which means, “to score with a mark, as a tally or a record, i.e. (by impl.) to inscribe, and also to enumerate; intensively, to recount, i.e. to celebrate.” This this could be understood as the “Seven Records,” or “Seven Inscriptions,” “Seven Recountings,” or “Seven Celebrations,” by extension.

Seven, of course, is God’s number – the number of Perfection or Completion. The seventh day of the week, which completes the week, is the Sabbath.

So, then, what do the “Seven Sefirot” mean to us, of this generation?

Can We Learn from the Jews?

Are the “Seven Sefirot” really of God, or just Jewish mythology, fables, and useless teaching? Does God’s Spirit really work with unconverted people? Can we, as Christians who follow Christ, learn from the Jews? What about the “Seven Sefirot” of God – is that just meaningless mumbo-jumbo? Should we try to learn a few Hebrew words which sound so strange to the average person?

These are good questions, and deserve an answer. Many years ago, I was taking a college class in Biblical Hebrew, and enjoying learning the language, as it is the language in which God inspired the Old Testament Scriptures. One day, as I was walking up the hill to the Hebrew class, at Ambassador College, I ran into Ted Armstrong and a few of his friends coming down the hill from the television studio. He saw me and said, “Where are you going, Bill?” I answered, “Hebrew class.” He retorted, “He-e-e-br-r-e-e-w? Why on earth do you want to study THAT?!!” And he and his buddies laughed, and continued down the hill.

I was somewhat shocked and nonplused by his attitude. It still disturbs me today. I think that encounter gave me a deep insight into his own character, or the lack thereof, and his own real attitude toward the holy Word of God.

Should we look with such disdain on the Hebrew language, the original language of the Word of God? Are there not key insights we can learn by knowing the ORIGINAL Scriptures – the very words which God Himself inspired to be written?

Should we have a flippant, cavalier attitude toward the Jews, and all things Jewish, simply because they have not yet accepted Jesus Christ – Yeshua – as the true Messiah?

If we take that attiltude, then we deny Christ – and His very own words. For Jesus Himself told the Samaritan woman, “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). What did He mean by that? Simply that the word of God and the Torah of God were revealed to the people of Israel, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Law or Torah came through Moses, of the tribe of Levi, related to the Jews. Salvation is made available to mankind through the writings of Scripture, given to the tribes of Israel and preserved by the Jews. Also, He Himself, our Saviour, is Jewish by birth and is “of the Jews” (John 1:11).

We should not, therefore, be in too much of a hurry to dismiss everything that is considered “Jewish”! Doing so could be a fatal blunder – a death-threatening mistake!

In the soon-coming Millennial reign of the Messiah, we find that people will once again turn to the Jews for instruction and guidance, from around the world. The prophet Zechariah wrote, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve [literally, “wing,” corner of a garment] of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you”’” (Zech.8:23). In that day, anti-Semitism will give way before philo-Semitism. Hatred of Jews will be replaced worldwide by love for the Jews!

“Blinded in Part”

Most Jews, as the writer said, certainly don’t accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah or regard Him as their Paschal Lamb. Can they truly be inspired by God’s Spirit if they don’t accept His Son’s death for their sins?

Even though the Jews do not accept Christ as their Saviour, today, does not mean God has cut them off from Him completely, or cast them away. God forbid! I am sure that the vast majority of Jews, like Christians, are very sincere in their beliefs. And many of the Orthodox Jews spend many hours studying the Scriptures, and discussing them with each other. The apostle Paul declared, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! . . . God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew” (Rom.11:1-2). Paul went on to show that it is God Himself who has blinded them (verses 7-8), “to this very day” (v.8). He continued, “Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel shall be saved . . .” (vs.25-26). This blindness is “in part” – that is, partial. It is not complete blindness. They don’t see who the real Messiah is, at this time, but they do see many other things that most so-called “Christians” do not see regarding the laws and word of God!

Contrary to what may be the writer’s impressions, I do not follow Jewish Kabbalah or mysticism. It is, like any other field of study, a mixture of good and evil, and if we do study into it, we must be very careful to separate the good from the bad, based on our knowledge of the Word of God as our foundation of all knowledge. Our guide should be the words of Isaiah who wrote of the Bible: “If they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).

However, it should be obvious to anyone that we can learn from Jewish writings, tradition, the Talmud, Mishnah, commentaries, Biblical helps, extra-Biblical writings (such as the book of Enoch, Jubilees, Jasher, etc., etc.). I do not close the door to truth, no matter where it comes from. There is much of value in Jewish Biblical commentaries and writings from ancient times. Even though they are cut off from God in some respects, and are therefore under the condemnation of sin, so is the whole world, or world as a whole (Rev.12:9; I John 5:19).

In spite of the Jews’ spiritual blindness concerning the Messiah, they are still God’s people and He is working with them, and throughout history He has been working with them throughout their history. This should be obvious from the history of their incredible trials and persecution, during the Middle Ages, and throughout their wanderings, throughout the world. I believe their spiritual exile will continue UNTIL they come to recognize who is the real Messiah and acknowledge Him.

Jesus Christ Himself said to the Jews, as He was about to be crucified, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Matt.23:37-39, NKJV).

However, God has never left the Jews without hope. His Word has always been available to them, and they have studied it prodigiously, searching for the answers as to why they are suffering and punished. During this exile, many great Torah scholars have arising among the Jews, who have taught that men should love one another, do good to others, and live in a godly manner in all things. When anti-Semitic uprisings have occurred, it has inspired many Jews to attempt to draw closer to God, despite their blindness concerning the Christ. Much of that persecution and agony was caused by the wicked “Christian” world and “Christian” authorities, which has compounded their blindess. How can they accept a Messiah whose followers, they think, are responsible for all the hatred and vehement persecution of the Jews, for their alleged stubbornness and refusal to accept “Church” teachings and “Church” authority?

Nevertheless, as individuals, in heart-felt faith, so far as they knew, called upon God, and sought Him, He was blessed them with incredible understanding. And as they have studied His Torah, He has revealed wonderful truths to them – even in their present state of exile! The Jewish people still have many lessons to learn, of course. But so do the vast, overwhelming number of “Christians”! And so do ALL of us!

However, if we take the time to read Jewish Biblical and spiritual studies, we will discover that many of their most esteemed rabbis, such as Maimonides, had a vast understanding of the Scriptures in many respects. For example, although Torah scholars still deny Christ, they do embrace the Torah and study it to tremendous lengths, even dissecting words, roots of words, the numerical values of letters and words, comparing words and so forth, striving for illumination and greater understanding. This has led to some amazing discoveries! Would that God’s people would study so diligently!

The apostle Paul warned, of course, that we must beware of ANY and ALL false teaching. We must be very circumspect concerning what we believe and accept. He declared, “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must he stopped, who subvert whole households” (Titus 1:10-11). Paul warned that we must “be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth” (verse 14).

But Paul also warned against “Christian fables.” He declared, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (II Tim.4:3-4).

Certainly, we must beware of many “traditions,” or “fables,” such as the apostle Paul warned us against – whether they are Jewish OR “Christian” ones. But a “fable” is clearly recognized by the context. A story, or an apocrypha anecdote, is just that – a story – not doctrine. We do not need to believe such stories.

What about the Talmud? This vast repository of Jewish learning, history, and knowledge, is one of the most amazing “encyclopedias” ever written. It contains a wealth of history, spiritual teachings, anecdotes, rabbinical discussions, written down in Babylon and Jerusalem during the centuries that followed Christ. As a work of men, it contains much of great value, and much that should be carefully evaluated, as merely being the opinions of this or that rabbi. In reading any such work, we should be careful, cautious, and guard our minds from any error, but open to any truth. We should also be careful and not throw out the entire Talmud, just because some parts of it were written with an anti-Christian bias because of the persecution the Jews were suffering on account of various Christian religious leaders, over the centuries, such as the Roman emperor Constantine, the Pope of Rome, or even Martin Luther who was vehemently anti-Jewish.

Can God Inspire the Unconverted?

Can God inspire a Jew who denies that Jesus is the Christ? I would answer, Why not? God can do anything He desires! In fact, He often has inspired men who were not His true servants, on occasion, when it suited His will!

God is not limited. He can work with or inspire whoever He chooses to, whether or not they are “begotten” with His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon many people in the Old Testament times, and inspired them to speak – even decidedly unreligious people, such as king Saul -- or even Balaam the evil prophet (see I Sam.10:1-11; Numbers 24:1-2).

The Spirit of God is capable of working with anyone, to whatever degree that God desires. For example, the world has become astonished at the incredible “Bible codes,” written in the Scriptures from ancient times, foretelling events, and even the names and birthdates of Rabbis, and their most famous works, thousands of years in advance, providing incredible proof of the divine authorship of the Scriptures. These discoveries were made, not by Christians, but by Torah-observant, Orthodox Jewish rabbis! The whole area of the secret, hidden “Bible codes” came to us through the diligent research of Jewish rabbis, based upon their ancient traditions and beliefs. Let us give credit where credit is due!

Can God speak through, or can His Spirit inspire, “unconverted” people? Of course! I already mentioned king Saul, and Balaam. On the other hand, many evangelical Christian ministers in history have said or written some very inspiring things – even men who observed Sunday, Christmas, Easter, etc. Such men as Willliam Tyndale, who translated the Bible into English, and George Mueller, the “apostle of faith.” Others, such a John Wesley, or Cotton Mather, an early minister in the United States, gave some very powerful, inspiring sermons, that helped lead many people to repentance from sin and spiritual revival in the land. Even American presidents, such as George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln, who were devout, God-fearing men, also at times spoke with the inspiration of the Spirit of God. To some extent, it is obvious that they did know God, and were very sincere – and who are we to judge otherwise? I judge such men by their words and actions -- their “fruits.” A the old saying goes, “If the shoe fits, wear it!”

Caiphas Spoke Under Inspiration

What about “unconverted” Jews? Does God ever speak through them? Of course! In the New Testament, we find that God Himself inspired the Jewish high priest Caiaphas – who commanded that Christ be crucified – spoke under divine inspiration from God, at one occasion. The apostle John records: “Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people” (John 18:14).

John said earlier, of this man: “And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.’ Now he did not say this on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only,but also that he would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad” (John 11:49-52).

The Seven Sefirot

The letter writer took particular issue with the “seven sefirot” of God, which I have often spoken of, especially during the time between Passover and Pentecost. He says this concept has not been of much value to him. Perhaps he is looking at it from the wrong vantage point or in the wrong way.

What about the “seven sefirot” of God? Where does this concept really come from? Is it truly Biblical? Although most Christians have never heard of it at all, the seven sefirot refers to the seven basic characteristics of God which He reveals to men – the seven foundational principles upon which all creations rests.

These seven primary characteristics of God are revealed in the Scriptures. The key verses are especially Exodus 34:5-7 where we read: “The LORD, the LORD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and sin, by no means clearing the guilty” (Exodus 34:6-7).

The Hebrew word translated “mercy” here is chesed, and means “kindness, piety, beauty, merciful-kindness, mercy” (Strong’s Concordance, #2617).

Also, we read in II Chron 29:11 – “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all.”

The word “power” here is gevurah and means, “force, valor, victory, mastery, might, power, strength” (#1369).

The word “glory” is tiferet, meaning “beauty, bravery, comely, fair, glory, honor, majesty” (#8597).

The word for “victory” is netzach, which means “a goal i.e. the bright object at a distance traveled toward; hence, splendor, truthfulness, confidence; but usually continually, always, constantly, end – evermore, perpetual, strength, victory” (#5331).

The word for “majesty” is hod, “grandeur i.e. an imposing form or appearance, beauty, comeliness, excellency, glorious, glory, goodly, honor, majesty” (#1935).

The word for “kingdom” is from malak, “a primitive root, to reign, to ascend the throne, to induct into royalty,” from which we obtain “king, reign, royalty, kingdom, sovereignty” (see #4467, 4427).

The word for “foundation” in the Scriptures is yesod, meaning “to set, to found, sit down together, to settle, consult – appoint, take counsel, establish, lay the foundation, instruct, lay, ordain, set” (#3245). Proverbs 10:25 declares, “But the righteous has an everlasting foundation.” God says through Isaiah, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation” (Isa.28:16).

Jewish prayers, and traditions, going back thousands of years, ascribe the understanding and revelation of the seven sefirot of God to the prophet Elijah who connects them with the parts of the human body, as a help for our understanding.

We read in the Jewish Siddur, Prayer Book: “Elijah opened [his discourse] and said: ‘Master of the worlds, You are One but not in the numerical sense. You are exlted above all the exalted ones, hidden from all the hidden ones; no thought can grasp You at all. You are He who has brought forth ten ‘garments’, and we call them ten sefirot. . . You are He who binds them together and unites them; and inasmuch as You are within them, whoever separates one from another of these ten sefirot, it is considered as if he had effected a separation in You. . . . And they are described [anthrpomorphically] in the following manner: chesed (kindness) – the right arm; gevurah (severity, power) – the left arm; tiferet (beauty) – the torso; netzach (eternity, victory) and hod (splendor) – the two thighs; yesod (foundation) – the end of the torso, the sign of the Holy Covenant; malchut (kingship) – the mouth, which we call the Oral Torah; chochmah (wisdom) – the brain, that is, the thought within; binah (understanding) – the heart; by means of which the heart understands; and concerning the latter two [sefirot] it is written, “The secrets belong to the Lord our God”; supernal keter(crown) is the crown of kingship, concerning which it is said, “he declares the end from the beginning”’. . .” (“Minchah for Erev Shabbat, from Siddur Tehillat Hashem, page 125).

These are the ten “garments” or characteristics of God revealed to man, called the sefirot. The last one mentioned, keter (crown) is often called by another name – dat (knowledge). Although this may seem very mysterious, and it probably is, rememer that the Bible speaks of “the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ” (Col.2:2), “the mystery of Christ” (Eph.3:4), and “the mystery of God” (Rev.10:7). The concept of the ten sefirot is intended to help us comprehend and understand God and His nature, and is r evealed in a way that the human mind can embrace.

Altogether, there are ten sefirot – three hidden ones, and seven revealed ones. The hidden three are wisdom, knowledge and understanding. They comprise the “head” or “crown” -- keter in Hebrew. They are kochmah, dat, binah. The seven sefirot are as follows:

Chesed – lovingkindness

Gevurah – self-control, self-restraint, containing power

Tefirat – beauty, harmony, peace, compassion, mercy

Netzach – victory, triumph, overcoming, prevailing power, eternity

Hod – glory, majesty, splendor, shining light

Yesod – foundational strength, strong beginning

Malkut – kingship, rulership, sovereignty, manifestation, completion

I have found that learning these qualities of God, and striving to grow in them, together with the NINE fruits of the Holy Spirit (Gal.5:22-23), has been a wonderful experience and helpful in growing spiritually and overcoming. This is a formula for overcoming which can be utilized throughout the year.

The Seven Sefirot of God and the Omer

In volume 2 of The Book of Our Heritage, by Eliyahu Kitov, the author explains the connection between the Seven Sefirot of God and the counting of the omer, from Passover to Pentecost. He reveals that the Seven Sefirot of God give us a deeper understanding of the characteristics of God. He explains that these seven characteristics are the seven attributes upon which the temporal world is based. When sin and transgression entered the world, these attributes became marred. Says Kitov, the “forty-nine days [seven weeks] of the counting of the omer [is] a period in which one can rectify the deficiencies which have marred the seven attributes upon which the temporal world is based.” He goes on:

“Our sages, who delved into the deeper meanings of the Torah, teach that in the verse Genesis 1:31 the Torah is referring to the world thus rectified: ‘And the Lord saw all that He had done and behold it was very good.’

“These seven attributes were replanted in the world – after the sin of Adam had made them deficient – by our great ancestors, ‘the seven shepherds.’ After they were reintroduced and strengthened, they remain in place even after the sins that Israel has committed after the giving of the Torah. In every generation and in every time, whenever man chooses, he can come and cleave to the attributes of the seven shepherds, for the qualities that they implanted have eternal strength. The period during which the omer is counted is most auspicious, for once Israel left Egypt and became a part of God’s portion, a gate of purity was opened for them – a gate that the people of that era entered and through which they became purified over a period of forty-nine days. They rose from the status of brickmakers and straw gatherers serving the Pharaoh of Egypt, to become a people especially chosen by God, a nation of kohanim, kings, and ministers, all devoted to His service.”

Seven Shepherds and Seven Qualities

Who are these “seven shepherds” and the seven attributes? Kitov continues:

“Our forefather Abraham was the personification of the attribute of lovingkindness. He fed and sustained everyone with his great love, and with his over-whelming kindness he brought them under the wings of the Shechinah. He had no jealousy, cruelty, or hatred in his character.

Another author, Joel Ziff in Mirrors in Time, also writes of the Seven Sefirot and the seven shepherds of Israel. He says of the first sefirot: “Chesed – Loving-kindness: Chesed is also known by the name Ahavah – love. It is associated with Abraham, the patriarch who was known for his hospitality and care for others. It refers to the experience of unconditional love and acceptance. It is the ability to see the positive in everything, to appreciate and accept all aspects of life” (page 104).

Kitov continues with Isaac, the next pillar of character:

“Our forefather Yitzchak personified the attribute of strength. Through him fear of God was introduced to the world. All of his strength was devoted to serving God and fearing Him. In this he did not falter. When he was bound on the altar it was not his faith that was being tested, but Abraham’s.”

Ziff says of Isaac and the second attribute: “Gevurah – Strength: Gevurah is also known as Yirah – awe or fear. Gevurah is associated with Isaac. It refers to strength that comes from containment, the power to contain and hold the energy of love. It is the power of inhibition, the power of discrimination and judgment, that allows one to make choices. It refers to our ability to know when not to express or act.”

Kitov continues with the third shepherd, Jacob:

“Our forefather Ya’akov was the personfication of glory. Everything that he accomplished was done with simplicity and perfection. He was pure in his relationship to Heaven and to his parents. All that he did, he did with perfection . . . We might think that he was devious or crooked in his dealings with his father or his brother Esau, but the Torah (Gen.25:27) testifies to his true stature before God and man. ‘And Ya’akov was a perfect man’ – perfection to an extent that had never been seen before. There are people who seem righteous in their nature and just in their actions, but are really corrupt. On the other hand, although Ya’akov’s actions may appear devious, when we closely examine his character, we find that he is the epitome of glory and uprightness.”

Before going on, discussing these seven great men of God and their attributes, which we all need to inculcate into our character, permit me to comment on the verse Genesis 25:27, cited by Kitov concerning the character of Jacob. The Hebrew word here for “perfect” is tam. In the King James Bible in this place it is translated “plain.” A better word might have been “transparent,” as in “totally honest.” The Hebrew actually means, “complete, pious, gentle, dear – coupled together, perfect, plain, undefiled, upright” (Strong’s Concordance, #8535). Jacob had a beautiful character and was a man of peace, harmony, uprightness, mercy, and compassion.

Ziff says of the third attribute of the sefirot:

“Tiferet – Beauty: Tiferet is also known as Rachamim – mercifulness. It is also a symbol of peace because it represents the perfect balancing of the left and right sides, integrating love and containment, Chesed and Gevurah. Tiferet is associated with Jacob.

Kitov, on the fourth quality:

“Our teacher Moshe was the personification of eternity – the eternity of Torah. All that man acquires is transcient. . . There is nothing transcient or temporary as regards the Torah; thus Moshe – who was willing to give his life for the Torah – merited to become its teacher and to transfer it to all generations.”

Says Ziff:

“Netzach – Victory: Netzach begins the second triad of the Sefirot, associated with the translation of feeling into energy. Netzach is linked to Moses, the archetypal leader who guided the Israelites through the desert. It refers to the quality of power, desires, and plans which translate feeling into form.”

The fifth shepherd is Aaron, the brother of Moses, the High Priest. Says Kitov:

“Aharon personified the attribute of splendor, loving peace and pursuing it, loving mankind and bringing them close to the Torah. Anyone who saw Aharon’s splendor and holiness was immediately drawn to emulate him and his way. Of him people would say: ‘Look at Aharon who learned Torah from his younger brother and rejoiced in his greatness and was never jealous. How pleasant were his ways and how much splendor shown upon him.”

Ziff writes of this quality of the sefirot:

“Hod – Glory: Hod refers to the quality of presence and being, the light in a person’s face. Hod is associated with Aaron, the high priest, and brother of Moses. It parallels the Sefira of Gevurah insofar as it is more receptive than active. In contrast to the plans and images for expressing feeling, Hod refers to the experience of feeling.”

The sixth quality is typified by Joseph. Says Kitov:

“Yosef personified the attribute referred to as the foundation: moral virtue. The righteous morality of Yosef was so great that he achieved the highest level of sanctity. This characteristic is called the foundation, for it is the main base upon which the world rests. Had the generation of the Flood not sinned by deviating from the foundation of morality, their other sins would not have been considered sufficient grounds to bring the destruction that they caused.”

Ziff explains this attribute as follows:

“Yesod – Foundation: Yesod represents the integration of Netzach and Hod, the balance between power and presence. Joseph, the son of Jacob, is linked to this Sefira. It is associated with sexual energy, the expression of the life force in the body.”

The seventh characteristic and seventh shepherd of God is explained by Kitov:

“David ha-Melek was the personfication of the attribute of sovereignty. L David did not attain rule on his own. He did not become king through his might or wisdom, nor did he wear the crown because he inherited it. His kingdom was granted to him by the King of kings, who took him from tending the sheep to become the faithful shepherd of the flocks of Israel. God chose David because He knew that even if he were granted the ability to rise to the greatest of heights, he would forever remain a servant in his own eyes. David remained humble – when he tended sheep and when the kings from west and east came to his court to pay him homage. It was David who made God sovereign among mankind. It was he who provided humanity with the means to sing God’s praises. He rejoiced in the greatness of others and combined that greatness with his own to pay tribute to the One to whom greatness belongs.”

Says Joel Ziff of this attribute:

“Malchut – Kingdom: Malchut represents manifestation, the translation of energy into action, doing in the material world, behavior. Malchut serves as the intermediary between the spiritual domain and the material world. For this reason, Malchut is associated with the Shechina, the feminine aspect of God’s Presence that flows into creation. King David is associated with this Sefira as the one who brought fruition to the Israelites’ dream for a land” (pages 104-105).

Eliyahu Kitov sums up the seven attributes, saying: “Each of these seven attributes is related to the others; if there is no strength then there is no lovingkindness, for the latter attribute becomes soft-heartedness if it is not joined to strength. Similarly, if loving-kindness lacks an element of glory, it can degenerate into sin. In the same vein, none of the other attributes can be considered complete if they lack an element of loving-kindness. Each attribute has a light of its own that shines forth from its combination with the others” (p.685).

Counting the Omer

How does all this relate to the “counting of the omer during the seven weeks (49 days) from Passover to Pentecost?

Jewish rabbis have designated the counting of the omer as the period in which we “are to correct the deficiencies of each attribute and all those joined with it. The forty-nine days are divided into seven weeks, during which one attribute reigns supreme.”

Says Kitov: The first week is devoted entirely to kindness. On the first day of that week, the emphasis is laid on the epitome of kindness. On each subsequent day of the week, the stress is placed on a different quality combined with kindness. During the second week the stress shifts to strength, with which each of the other characteristics is interwoven in turn on consecutive days. This pattern is repeated throughout the seven weeks.

“When the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they counted forty-nine days until they reached Horeb and stood at the foot of the mountain to receive the Torah. Throughout this period they gradually improved, adding each virtue in turn and combining it with the one previously acquired, until, on the last day, they achieved complete sovereignty and the whole world became, in their eyes, a kingdom of Heaven and they themselves became a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation, sanctified forever by the Torah” (p.686).

Here is a chart to help you to learn the Seven Sefirot of God:

THE SEVEN SEFIROT OR MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD

Hebrew	Quality	Strong’s Number	Character
CHESED	Loving Kindness	2617	Abraham
GEVURAH	Strength Of Character, Fortitude	1369	Isaac
TIFERET	Beauty, Glory	8597	Jacob
NETZACH	Eminence, Eternity	5331	Moses
HOD (HADAR)	Splendour, Majesty	1926	Aaron
YESOD (YASAD)	Foundation, Beginning	3246	Joseph
MALCHUT	Kingdom, Sovereignty	4438	David

If you will take the time and make the effort to learn these seven qualities or attributes of God, and He manifests Himself to the world, and strive to inculcate them into your own character, you will be benefited tremendously, spiritually!

This is an especially important exercise during the seven weeks when we are commanded in God’s Word to “count the omer” from Passover till Pentecost (Lev.23:15-16; Deut.16:9). During those seven weeks, or a total of 49 days, we meditate on one sefirot per week, and during the days of the week, we meditate on one of the seven aspects of each sefirot.

For example, day one of week one is chesed of chesed, or the fullness of lovingkindness. Day two would be the gevurah aspect of chesed, that is, the self-control aspect of lovingkindness. Day three would be the tefirat of chesed, that is, the compassion, harmony, peace, mercy aspect of lovingkindness. And so forth. It is a wonderful spiritual exercise – not just “Jewish fables” or useless or unproductive. It is a vital KEY, when exercised properly, to overcoming the lusts of the flesh and human pride and vanity.

Origin of the Seven Sefirot

As I mentioned previously, the Jewish prayer book, going back thousands of years, clearly attributes this basic understanding to the prophet Elijah. Jewish tradition also attributes to Elijah the understanding of the 6,000 years of mankind before the Messianic age! Should we accept one and reject the other? I try to reject nothing unless it is clearly wrong, based on Scripture, or unless it is unproven and therefore merely conjecture.

The seven sefirot are based on the verses mentioned above, and were developed more fully through diligent research of the Scriptures. The prophet Elijah himself was apparently instrumental in their revelation and teaching. Should we as Christians make use of them in our own daily lives, and especially during the period from Passover to Pentecost?

Personally, I have found them to be a very valuable aid to drawing close to God, worshipping Him, overcoming my own faults and weaknesses, and growing spiritually. It saddens me that some have been blinded to their potential as a tool for overcoming in their own lives. Perhaps, some people without realizing it have accumulated a veneer of anti-Jewish, anti-rabbinical, and anti-Semitic prejudice, in their own minds and hearts. If so, then that is very sad.

Perhaps such people have a “blind spot” in this area, and in regard everything “Jewish.” Beware! Remember, “Salvation IS of the Jews”! Lest us be willing to HUMBLE ourselves, and to seek the true principles of God, without prejudice or bias or wrong feelings or thoughts in our own minds. There is a great deal that we can learn from the Jewish rabbis and their teachings. Just because they still do not see who is the true Messiah does not mean we should reject everything “Jewish,” or despise their in-depth Biblical research, and similar things we can learn from the Jews. Let us not foolishly “throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

Blessings of the Jews

The Jews have much of great value to teach us, as it is they who have preserved the Words of God, Old Testament Scripture, and many valuable Biblical commentaries, study aids, and similar texts which give us insight and greater understanding.

Paul plainly wrote of the Jews, and their spiritual learning, “Who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God” (Rom.9:4-5). Being is this position, the Jews have preserved an incredible amount of Biblical and related knowledge, including the “Oral Law,” with its many points, and Bible-related traditions, and histories. Of course we must strive to separate fact from fantasy, and truth from mythology, and that which agrees with the Scriptures from anything which contradicts the Scriptures.

As Paul also wrote, “What advantage then has the Jew? . . . Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God [written and unwritten, the things which God commanded Moses and were written down, and the things which were commanded orally, and spoken to the priests and appropriate persons]. For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: ‘That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged’” (Rom.3:1-4).

Jesus Himself said, “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not according to their works” (Matt.23:2-3). Counting the omer is a Biblical commandment. How we do it, and the part of the sefirot in doing it, is derived from the Pharisees and what they tell us to “observe and do.” Should we not do it therefore? I

It is certainly not contrary to any Scriptures. Counting the seven sefirot, and the seven aspects of each sefirot, for the 49 (7 x 7) days of the omer count, going on to “perfection,” is an exercise in overcoming and spiritual growing, from Passover to Pentecost – from “conversion” to the “resurrection” and “new birth.” For more understanding of the “Omer,” and “Counting the Omer,” and the Seven Sefirot, write for our articles, “The Meaning and Significance of Counting the Omer,” and “The Sefirot of God – Keys to Overcoming.”

The Christian Struggle

Is the concept of the seven sefirot of God derived from pagan philosophy, and related to self-flagellation, privation, or self-inflicted castigation? The answer of course, is absolutely NOT! Where would a person get that idea? There is nothing about them which is pagan, or based on pagan philosophy!

The seven sefirot are no more related to such things than the fruits of the Holy Spirit are! The last fruit of the Holy Spirit, is “self discipline” or “self-control.” Another is “humility.” The seven sefirot are no more negative than the fruits of the Spirit of God! Notice! Let’s compare them:

Sefirot Fruits of the Spirit

Lovingkindnes s Love

Self-control Joy

Peace, Harmony, Mercy Peace

Overcoming, Triumph Patience, Perseverance

Glory, Majesty Gentleness, Goodness

Foundation of character Faith, Humilty

Sovereignty Self-control

To my mind, it is clear that the seven sefirot of God and the nine qualities of the Holy Spirit are related and very compatible! There is nothing in the seven sefirot relating to pagan asceticism or gnosticism, such as what the apostle Paul condemned.

Paul warned Christians to be on guard against the vain philosophies of the pagans, and Jews, saying, “Therefore, if you have died with Christ from the basic principles [rudiments] of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourself to regulations – ‘Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,’ which all concern things which perish with the using – according to the commandments and doctrines of men?” (Col.2:20-22). Paul went on, “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23).

There is a vast difference between pagan philosophy and the seven sefirot of God! They represent seven vital character traits of God, His very divine characteristics! It is only right and proper that we should endeavor to become like Him, for we were creat4ed to be “IN HIS IMAGE” (Genesis 1:26). The apostle Paul wrote, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Rom.13:14). He also wrote that in Christ we are to be “a new creation” (Galatians 6:15). We are to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the NEW MAN which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Paul said, to the Galatian Christians, “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed IN you” (Gal..4:19).

Paul wrote to the Colossians, “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have PUT ON THE NEW MAN who is renewed in knowledge according to the IMAGE OF HIM WHO CREATED HIM . . . but Christ is all and in all” (Col.3:8-11).

The seven sefirot of God help us to UNDERSTAND God’s own nature and character, and also give us a guideline and blueprint – a road map—for developing those characteristics within our own selves, our minds, our lives!

Developing God’s Character

As such, therefore, it is true that real effort is required – developing true holiness and righteousness is not like falling off a log or floating down a river. Growing in Christ’s own likeness in character is not “automatic.” We must put forth much effort, and continual effort. Our own human endeavor or effort is required, as our part, assisted by God through the Holy Spirit within us!

Jesus Christ declared, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

Jesus also declared, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is PRESSING into it” (Luke 16:16). The word “pressing,” in Greek, is biazo and means “to force,” “crowd oneself into,” “be seized,” “suffer violence.” It has the idea of vital activity, force, violence.

Matthew has a similar passage, where we read: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt.11:12). Moffatt has this verse, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, they are pressing into the Realm of heaven – these eager souls are storming it.”

The Amplified Bible puts this passage in perspective, in modern English with full emphasis: “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize – a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion].”

The apostle Paul also wrote, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil.2:12). The Amplified has this passage: “work out(cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”

The Seven Sefirot picture a pathway of overcoming sin and every obstacle that would stand between us and the Kingdom of God! They portray a pathway of overcoming, growing, removing obstacles, and forging forward, pressing ahead toward the Kingdom of God.

Jesus declared, “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, andf I will be his God and he shall be My son” (Rev.21:7).

The apostle Paul shows us the way. He tells us that he fought himself constantly, striving for the victory. He said, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? RUN in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (I Cor.9:24-27). Paul also commands us to be actively “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor.10:4-5).

Climbing the Ladder of Perfection

The true Christian’s life is like climbing a mountain – or climbing a ladder that reaches into the heavens. We progress upward with effort and determination. We rise higher and higher, as we near our goal – the Kingdom of God. There are different levels as we go forward and upward. These can be called levels of perfection.

Life is a process of overcoming. We are going from one level to another, even as we climb one rung of the ladder after another, on the way up. If we do not climb the ladder, then we stand still, or we go down the ladder. Each time we go downward, it is due to giving in to sin, and disobeying God’s laws. Each time we succumb to temptation, it is like we go down a few rungs. Then we have to struggle to make up for the lost rungs, and redouble our efforts, and strive to climb upward. God forbid that we should grow careless, and plunge off the ladder, and fall all the way down to destruction and hell!

Is this so difficult for us to understand? Jesus said, “Therefore you shall be PERFECT, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt.5:48). The Amplified Bible has this: “You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

God told Abraham, “Walk before Me, and be thou perfect” (Gen.17:1). The Amplified has this: “I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).”

We are on the road to perfection. This requires effort, overcoming, growing. As we grow and overcome, we go through “stages” of overcoming, and rise to different “levels” of success, as we work on each weakness or problem.

Benjamin Franklin, an early American leader, scientist, educator, and patriot, set himself to overcome his deficiencies of character. He made a list of the qualities he believed every educated, decent man should acquire. He then set about working on improving his moral character, concentrating of a different “virtue” each week. He found humility the most difficult virtue to achieve! Maybe Franklin never really did achieve humility, but surely the effort helped him, and made him a much better man. It also helped teach him how to get along with others.

Tools to Work With

In other words, it is good to sort of “chart” our progress on overcoming, and achieving our goals, as we achieve higher and higher levels of perfection and overcoming. To this end, I consider the concept of the Seven Sefirot, as qualities of the Father revealed to mankind, and as qualities we should strive to inculcate into our own character, to be a valuable TOOL in our quest for perfection, in and through Christ, and by the power and indwelling strength of His Holy Spirit!

The Christian life is a struggle against the flesh, the devil, and the temptations of the world. We must guard our hearts and minds (Phil.4:7). As Paul said: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I PRESS TOWARD THE GOAL FOR THE PRIZE OF THE UPWARD CALL OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS” (Phil.4:12-14).

The gentleman who wrote to me asked about the Seven Sefirot, and said, “Where does it get me?” He also said, “I can’t get to grips with it.” I believe his problem was essentially a lack of understanding just what these qualities are and how they are relevant to the Christian life.

Maybe you, as an individual, have never heard of these Seven Sefirot of God before. Satan has done a masterful job of deceiving and deluding the entire world!

It is high time we learn these valuable spiritual lessons, in our quest for thee Kingdom of God and our effort to recapture the true values of the original faith delivered to the saints (Jude3).

Don’t Despise the Words of God

Some might be tempted to ignore and disavow studying and striving to obtain the characteristics of God in their heart and mind, by neglecting or rejecting the Seven Sefirot of God. They may think it is all a waste of time. How sad and unfortunate!

The attitude of disrespect, contempt, or sneering at the truths of God is a very dangerous one to hold. God told ancient Israel to wear ‘fringes” on their garments. He did not give a thorough explanation as to why it was deemed necessary. He did say they were to remind Israel of the commandments (Number 15:37-41).

But this commandment made no sense to Korah, a leader among the Levites. He just did not understand WHY he should wear “fringes” on his garments. He rebelled against this “silly” commandment – it seemed utterly foolish to him (see Numbers 16, and the sequence of events).

Not all things are explained. As God said, through Solomon, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter” (Prov.25:2). God also commanded His people not to eat pork, shrimp, or oysters (Leviticus 11, Deut.14). Many men, and most professing Christians, today, say, “Why not?” So they disobey God and eat what they like.

The Seven Sefirot of course are not “commandments” of God, as such, but they are derived from putting together certain Scriptures which describe God’s great attributes. They also stem from the ancient teachings of Elijah, according to Jewish tradition.

Should we, as God’s people, not strive to use EVERY TOOL which God puts at our disposal, to gain entrance into His Kingdom?