Aristotle's God

Mainsteam Christianity doesn't consider members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to be Christian because we don't subscribe to the Trinitarian conception of God. However. the Trinity in many aspects sounds a lot like Aristotle's and the Greek Hellenistic conception of diety. Must LDS be Greek to be Christian? Aristotle's god sounds a lot like the god of Thomas Aquinas. 

Aristotle conceived of God as the Unmoved Mover, the ultimate final cause of all motion and change in the universe. This "God" is not a personal, intervening deity but rather the source of order and purpose in the cosmos, a purely intellectual and immaterial being engaged in perfect contemplation of itself. 

Unmoved Mover:

Aristotle argued that everything in the universe is in motion, and each movement must be caused by something else. This chain of causes can't go on infinitely, so there must be a first mover that is itself unmoved, the Unmoved Mover. 

Final Cause:

This Unmoved Mover is the ultimate purpose or end toward which all things in nature are striving. It is not a causal force in the way that a person might move an object, but rather it is the motivating force that gives things direction and purpose. 

Divine Nous:

Aristotle also described God as Divine Nous, meaning "divine intellect." This Nous is the perfect actuality of thought thinking itself, the most perfect form of being. 

Immaterial and Eternal:

God is not a material being but rather a pure spirit, incorporeal and without any physical attributes. God is also eternal, meaning that God has always existed and will always exist, as there would be no time without change and God is the cause of all change.

 

Contemplation:

God's activity is primarily one of contemplation, reflecting on itself in a state of perfect self-knowledge. 

Not a Personal God:

It's important to note that Aristotle's God is not a personal, anthropomorphic deity in the way that God is often conceived in the Abrahamic religions. God is not concerned with the affairs of the world or with human beings' actions. 

A Source of Order:

Aristotle believed that God's existence and nature explain the order and intelligibility of the natural world. All things in nature are ordered and strive towards a specific goal, and this order is ultimately traceable to the influence of the Unmoved Mover. 

Microcosms of Creation

The Bible reveals divine patterns that are reflected in creation as well as all throughout scripture. Symbolic elements in Creation can be seen in the biblical feasts, prophetic history, as well as pointing to and prophesying details of the coming of Messiah, the Son of God.

Day 1, light/dark, sin/death,

Dispensation: Adam.

Exodus: Plagues of Egypt

Tabernacle: Altar of Sacrifice

Ministry: Temptation of Christ

Passion: Christ enters Jerisalem

Gospel: Faith and Resurrection

Feast: Passover (Pesach) 

7 Churches: Ephesus, Adam, Apostolic Church, Labor, Secret Combinations, Tree in Paradise

1 Nephi: Feast of Trumpets, Zedekiah is King. Lehi is Shofar, 9 Prophets in Israel. 

Book of Mormon: Vision of Tree of Life

Restoration: First Vision 

Genesis: Adam has dominion in garden

Day 2, sky/water, flood.

Dispensation: Noah,

Exodus: Isrsel passes through Red Sea

Tabernacle: Bronze Laver

Ministry: Christ changes water to wine

Passion: Christ purifies the temple and curses the fig tree.

Gospel: Repentance and Atonement

Feast: Unleavened Bread

7 Churches: Smyrna, Enoch. Martyr Church, 10 week calender.

1 Nephi: Yom Kippur, Casting Lots. Laman cast out, Nephi (high priest) kills Laban (white one)

Book of Mormon: Crossing the Ocean

Restoration: Joseph Smith killed, Brigham Young flees into wilderness 

Genesis: Cain slays Abel and is cast out. Noah and thr Flood leaves Promised Land to Middle East. 

Day 3, water/land, plants/seed, covenant.

Dispensation: Abraham

Exodus: manna given

Tabernacle: Table of Showbread

Ministry: Christ gives the Sermon on the Mount

Passion: Christ teaches the Parable of the Tenants and the Olivet Discourse

Gospel: Baptism, Obedience and Knowledge

Feast: Fistfruits

7 Churches: Pergamon, Compromising Church, Moses, Balaam, manna.

1 Nephi: Sukkot,  Nephi marries, dwell in tents, vision of tree of life: stick (lulav) and fruit (citron), spacious building (sukka)

Book of Mormon: King Benjamin's Sermon.

Restoration: Church planted in Utah

Genesis: New Covenant, Joseph in Egypt

Day 4, sun, moon, stars appear, scripture, Dispensation: Moses.

Exodus: Israel given 10 Commandments

Tabernacle: Golden Lampstand (menorah)

Ministry: Christ heals the sick, blind and deaf.

Passion: Christ is anointed at Bethany.

Gospel: Gift of Holy Ghost, Sacrifice and Increase 

Feast: Pentacost

7 Churches: Thyatira, Catholic Church, rod of iron, star. 

1 Nephi: Shemini Atzeret, Liahona given, broken Bow, righteousness, God provides rain. 

Book of Mormon: Abinadi's Testimony 

Restoration: LDS Church spreads

Genesis: Abraham teaches Phaoroh to interpret stars, Joseph interprets dream. 

Day 5, fish/birds. Disciples spread gospel and bestow the Holy Ghost.

Dispensation: Peter

Exodus: Israel given the Tabernacle

Tabernacle: Insense Altar

Ministry: Christ multiplies the loaves and fishes

Passion: Christ celebrates the Last Supper, washes feet, suffers at Gethsemane

Gospel: Initiatory, Gospel and Second Conforter

Feast: Trumpets

7 Churches: Sardis, Reformation Church, white reinment, 

1 Nephi: Passover, judgement by water, Nephi in bondage, yizkor.

Book of Mormon: Alma Organizes Church of Christ.

Restoration: Gathering of Israel

Genesis: Joseph gathers wheat. 

Day 6, Man created from dust, apostasy and restoration,

Dispensation: Joseph Smith.

Exodus: Isreal wanders 40 years in desert.

Tabernacle: Veil of the Temple

Ministry: Christ raised Lazarus

Passion: Christ is tried, crucified and dies

Gospel: Endowment, Chastity and Divine Presence 

Feast: Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

7 Churches: Philadelphia, Revival Church, Peter, key of David

1 Nephi: Firstfruits, plants seed in Promised Land.

Book of Mormon: Rise of Gadianton Robbers

Restoration: Tribulation 

Genesis: Famine in Israel

Day 7, God rests, All enemies subdued.

Dispensation: Jesus Christ

Exodus: Isreal enters promised land.

Tabernacle: Ark of the Covenant

Ministry: Christ triumphantly enters Jerusalem and clenses temple.

Passion: Christ rests, preaches to the world of spirits

Gospel: Sealing,  Consecration and Deification 

Feast: Tabernacles (Sukkot)

7 Churches: Laodiceans, Joseph Smith, Worldly Church, rich and need nothing, lukewarm

1 Nephi: Shavuot, Pentecost, Nephi is listing and counting. gathering of Israel. 

Book of Mormon: Appearance of Jesus Christ in America

Restoration: Adam-ondi-Ahman 

Genesis: Israel rests in Egypt

Day 8,

Passion: Christ's resurrection, Olam HaBa

Judgements in Revelation can be seen as a kind of anti-creation.  There may be a pattern that follows the curse of the earth, sea, rivers, sun, locusts, and air. The Fall of Rome is an example.  First, Rome was invaded by Alaric and the Goths by land.  Second, Rome was invaded by Geiseric and the Vandals by sea. Third, Rome was invaded by Attila the Hun who followed the rivers. Fourth, Rome was divided from within by Odoacer and the Barbarian Foeterati. Fifth, Roman cities were overrun by Arab Muslims like locusts (arbeh and locust share a common Hebrew root).  Sixth, Constantinople was finally conquered in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks which moved their caliphate to Iraq and controlled the Euphrates river. Seventh, the curse of the air with the Thirty Years War and Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 and then the Battle of the Third Coalition and the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 marking the final end to the Holy Roman Empire. 

10 Plagues of Egypt are also an anti-creation. God speaks 10 times over 7 days. 

1. Water to Blood, Pharoah sin killing male babies of Israel. Water to Egypt was like light to creation. 

2,3.4 Frogs, Lice, Flies = water, earth air = undo separation of water and land as frogs inhabit both. Flies from the dust decreate man created from the dust. Flies multiply and fill the earth. 

5,6 pestilence and boils  = illness and uncleaned. decreate animals

7, 8 hail and locusts decreate grass, trees, and vegetation

9 Darkness the can be felt decreates light

10 Death of firstborn decreates man created in image of God. 

Creation Patterns and Parallels

The Bible reveals divine patterns that are reflected in creation as well as all throughout scripture. Symbolic elements in Creation can be seen in the biblical feasts, prophetic history, as well as pointing to and prophesying details of the coming of Messiah, the Son of God.

Day 1, God divides the light/dark. In the first 1000 years man falls, sin and death is introduced. Dispensation of Adam, Pesach.

Day 2, God divides the sky/waters. In the 2000 years the flood destroys the Earth. Dispensation of Noah. Firstfruits.

Day 3, God divides the water/earth and causes the plants/seed to grow. In the 3000 years, God covenants to bless the seed of Abraham with a promised land. Dispensation of Abraham, Unleavened Bread.

,

Day 4, God causes the sun, moon, stars to appear. In the 4000 years, Law of Moses is given. Dispensation of Moses, Shavuot.

Day 5, God createa the fish/birds and causes them to multiply, In the 5000 years Jesus Christ is born as the Messiah and Son of God. Disciples spread the gospel and give the Holy Ghost. Dispensation of Peter, Rosh Hashanah.

Day 6, God creates mankind and commands them to multiply and take dominion, subdue all animals (including serpent), In the 6000 years Israel was to subdued all enemies but failed and were overcome. The Great Apostasy, Day of Atonement.

Day 7, God rests and creates Eve. In the 7000 years, all enemies are subdued, The Earth enjoys its Millennial rest. Israel receives its full promised inheritance.  

Dispensation of Joseph Smith, Sukkot.

Testimony of Christ in Biblical Feasts

The holidays or feasts in the Old Testament look backward and commemorate aspects of the Exodus of Israel from bondage in Egypt while at the same time point forward to the coming of the Messiah; the Son of God.

Most Christians recognize the parallels between the Jewish feasts and the first and promised second coming of Jesus Christ. The Spring feasts corresponds to Christ's first coming in the Meridian of time, while the Fall feasts point to events which are to occur as part of Christ's Second Coming.

Spring Feasts

1. Passover (Pesach) = angel of death passed over the firstborn if lambs blood was placed over the doorway = Faith = Christ's crucifixion

2. Unleavened Bread (Hag ha-Matzot) = Israel left with haste from Egypt eating flat bread = Repentance = Christ's burial

3. Firstfruits (Hag ha-Besht) = giving of manna, barley harvest, Baptism = Christ's resurrection.

4. Pentecost/Weeks (Shavuot) = giving of the 10 commandments, wheat harvest, Gift of Holy Ghost = Coming of Holy Ghost.

Fall Feasts

5. Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Teruah) = trumpets sounded before the fall of Jericho. Initiatory = 50 year tribulation period preceeding fall of Babylon and Christ's Second Coming.

2001 = 9/11 (earth)

2007 = housing crisis (sea)

2014 = crimea (rivers, wormwood)

2020 = covid-19 (darkness)

2027 = ??? (locusts)

2035 = ??? (euphrates)

2042 = ??? (wrath)

2050 = ???

6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) = Israel punished for worshipping golden calf. Endowment = Moral corruption punished prior to Christ's Second Coming.

7. Tabernacles (Sukkot) = Israel dwelt 40 years in the wilderness. Sealing = Saints will again dwell in tents at Adam-ondi-Ahman before Christ's Second Coming.