Get Acquainted with the Work of Risto Santala

Risto Santala (May 1929 - September 2012)

Risto Santala, the Finnish Bible scholar and expert on Paul, has written about the corruption of the mystery of Christ. He wrote:

"The esoteric Qabbalah wandered off the right track in creating a very extensive literature on doctrines of angels and mysteries relating to God's being (razei El). Only those over the age of forty were allowed to study them. The angel RAZIEL, whose numeric value in gematria is 248 and who thus knew the inner secrets of the two hundred and forty-eight 'do'- commandments, gave Adam the 'Sefer Raziel', that is, 'the Book of Raziel', an esoteric source. The enormous literature of the Qabbalah is occupied with these imaginary conjectures. They indeed have 'an appearance of wisdom,' but both Jesus and Paul entirely renounced them."

Santala continues:

 "Paul did not fall into esoteric peculiarities. He rested on the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. But they too are, as it were, sealed until the time of fulfillment. Therefore, we are told about the disciples that the risen Jesus 'opened their understanding to understand the Scriptures' (Luke 24:45).

Jewish scholars often refer to Deut. 29:29: "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may follow all the words of this Law... it is said of the 'second Moses' or the Messiah that 'I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account' (Deut. 18:18-19)."

The Messiah walked among his Jewish people. He ate with them. He healed them. He proclaimed salvation to them, and all was done openly so that those who have ears to hear and eyes to see can receive grace, mercy, forgiveness, cleansing, healing and eternal life.

Jews and Christians who become involved in the esoteric writings such as the Books of Enoch have a dangerously narrow focus. The Books of Enoch are 1 Enoch, also known as the "Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch" and the Slavonic version that is referred to as 2 Enoch or "The Book of the Secrets of Enoch." 1 Enoch was originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic (probably both), but the only complete copy known today is in Ge'ez, a language of Ethiopia. 1 Enoch dates to no earlier than around 200 BC. The pertinent chapters are 1-36 (The Watchers) and chapters 72-82 (The Astronomical Writings). These books fit Risto Santala's description of literature that, like "the esoteric Qabbalah wandered off the right track in creating a very extensive literature on doctrines of angels and mysteries..."


Related reading: A Book about the Nephilim; Enoch: Angelic Being or Deified Ruler?