First of all I will like to give the definitions of different words used in our topic Kabbalah – Judaism: Is it tradition, occultism
- Judaism: <<According Merriam-Webster dictionary>>
- It is a religion developed among the ancient Hebrews and characterized by belief in one transcendent God who has revealed Himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with scriptures and rabbinic traditions.
- It is the cultural, social, and religious beliefs and practices of the Jews.
- It is conformity to Jewish ritual, ceremonies, and practices.
- The 5 beliefs of Judaism:
- God exists
- There is only one God.
- There are no other gods.
- God cannot be subdivided into different persons. (Unlike the Christian view of God).
- Jews should worship only the one God.
In Judaism there are two dimensions
- What is written or Torah.
- What is added by men on top of the Torah, all these extra information are written in what they call Talmud.
It is from the Talmud that mysticism is introduced in Judaism, which led to Kabbalah.
Kabbalah Meaning << British dictionary>>
- It is an ancient Jewish mystical tradition based on esoteric interpretation of the Old Testament.
(Esoteric means what is meant to be known only by a small number of people with specialized knowledge or interest) Inside the Kabbalah they claim to possess the secret knowledge of the unwritten Torah, which they call divine revelation but indeed is mysticism. The Kabbalah is not something new; it is very old Jewish mysticism that appeared in the 12th century. The kabbalah provides different means by which we can approach God directly in a mystical ways. But in Christianity, there is only one way to the Father God which is Jesus.
John 14:6-10 NKJV:
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”
8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
In the kabbalah they focus much on necromancy, numerology, angiology, astrology than on building true relationship with God.
4 Occultism:
- The Disclosure or Communication of Unknown information Unavailable to Humans Through Normal Means.
This involves things like horoscopes, fortune-telling, psychic hotlines and tarot cards. - The Placing of Persons in Contact With Supernatural Powers, Paranormal Energies, or Demonic Forces.
This involves things like spiritual energy in a crystal or any other entity, attempting to summon up a spirit or a deceased relative through a séance.
- Any Attempt to Gain and Master Paranormal Power in Order to Manipulate or Influence Other People Into Certain Actions.
In other words, all forms of witchcraft and the casting of spells.
In Christianity we receive revelation and power only by the Holy-Spirit.
John 14:26 NKJV:
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
Acts 1:8 NKJV:
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit is the only source of true power, outside of Him all other power are not genuine.
The bible shows clearly that God is against occultism:
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 NKJV:
9 “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritism, or one who calls up the dead. 12 For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.
In this scripture there are height specific practices mentioned in which are part of occultism. All these practices are also found in the Kabbalah; therefore we can conclude the Kabbalah is not Christianity but occultism.