1 In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Ched-or-lao'mer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,
While the individual thinks he is fulfilling the law of Creation by amassing possessions and land (this belief is symbolized by king Amraphel, meaning “keeper of the treasures”), believes in the duality of good and evil (Shinar), is dominated by his\her misdirected ambition\Greed (Arioch, meaning “lion-like”), which dominates when the individual tries to force their will on others (Ellasar, meaning “strong rebellion”). The individual at this state has their Consciousness in the body dominated by Greed (Chedorlaomer, meaning “handful of sheaves”) which dominates the place in consciousness where they would comprehend spiritual Truth (Elam). Tidal (“veneration”) represents the prominent place that physical possessions have in the physical, animalistic human. Goiim symbolizes the carnal, material thoughts and states of consciousness that belong to the animalistic man.
2 these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
Bera represents the directing thoughts and desires of the sensual state of consciousness denoted by Sodom. The name Gomorrah means "material force," "tyranny," "oppression." Gomorrah denotes a state of mind that is adverse to the law of Spirit. This state of mind has to do with the submerged or hidden subconscious phase of man's sensual life. Birsha represents the ruling thought in this state of consciousness in the individual. Shinab ("sharpened desire," "father of mutation," "father of transgression") represents the presiding thought of the state of consciousness denoted by Admah. Admah ("dumb," "unrelenting," "tomb") represents the seeming strength and mercilessness of the death thought and condition that enters into man's experience as the result of his carnal, material, adverse thoughts and activities. Shemeber ("superior brilliance," "high flight," "superior name") represents the innate spiritual ideal implanted in man from the beginning that causes him to grow, unfold, and unceasingly desire and seek to attain a higher and better understanding. Zeboiim ("wars," "rending with the teeth") represents ravenous appetites, sensual passions, the wild-beast nature holding sway in the subconscious. The fact that Shemeber was King of Zeboiim shows that the desire to expand consciousness and attain higher levels of understanding means that the physical senses and desires are the result of the inner spiritual drive for understanding that expand into the consciousness and are corrupted by the animal consciousness. Zoar ("reduced," "lessened") denotes inferiority. It was one of the wicked cities of the plain belonging to Moab (carnal mind). Bela ("swallow up," "utterly consume or destroy") represents the destructive tendencies in consciousness. The city of Bela symbolizes a group of spiritually destroying, consuming thoughts.
3 And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).
Siddim ("extensions," "stony land") represents the very lowest material idea and manifestation of substance in the sense consciousness and the animal consciousness of the individual.
4 Twelve years they had served Ched-or-laomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
These influences empower the material greed until they are purified. Their rebellion symbolizes the weakening of the lust for possessions and power by the purification of consciousness.
5 In the fourteenth year Ched-or-lao'mer and the kings who were with him came and subdued the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim,
The material greed (Ched-or-laomer) still retains some of it’s power and merges (as in an Empire) with the fear-producing, opposing thoughts in consciousness. These thoughts are called Rephaim ("bonds," "terrors," "giants"). This occurs when the individual places too much honor in their intellect and not enough in their Spirit. This is symbolized by Ashteroth-karnaim. Zuzim represents the confusion, fears, unrestrained emotions, and general terrors of the physical consciousness of the materialistic human mind that has placed it’s confidence in the physical and excluded the spiritual. This is the state of consciousness symbolized at this point by Ham. Metaphysically, Emim represents giant terrors and fears in human consciousness that are a result of man's believing in the outer, formed world and the conditions that man has built up as being real and true. Shaveh-kiriathaim symbolizes the balancing and concentration of consciousness on a materialistic belief system and containing all it’s fears.
6 and the Horites in their Mount Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness;
The Horites ("cave dwellers," "dwellers in black holes"), inhabitants of Edom, represent forces in action in the consciousness of the individual, more especially the deep-seated, subconscious, fleshly forces and tendencies. Seir ("bristling," "hairy," "rough," "horror") represents the Material or Animal consciousness in man. El-paran ("strength of Paran," "oak of the region of the caves") denotes the seeming strength of the multitude of confused and undisciplined thoughts and energies in man's subconscious mind that are given over to the furtherance of sense expression. The wilderness symbolizes the external world that is perceived by the senses.
7 then they turned back and came to Enmishpat (that is, Kadesh), and subdued all the country of the Amal'ekites, and also the Amorites who dwelt in Haz'azon-ta'mar.
Enmishpat symbolizes the truth that under the law of adjustment, when it reaches a certain point in expression, sense indulgence destroys the very error desires that keep it active in consciousness. Then these desires die for lack of fuel to keep them alive. Kadesh represents the Divine Presence within the individual consciousness. The Amalekites ("warlike," "valley dweller," "that licks up") represent the base desires of the individual; the animal forces, appetites, and passions of the subconscious mind. The Amorites represent the race thought of the generation of the flesh. Hazazon-tamar ("a division of palms," "felling of palms," "victory divided") represents a divided mind. This mind must be conquered before one can become fearless and so gain a real victory over error. When the thoughts are divided the results are divided.
8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) went out, and they joined battle in the Valley of Siddim
The directing thoughts of the sensual state of consciousness (King of Sodom), the subconscious tendencies of sensual thought (King of Gomorrah), the self-destructive thought pattern that results from his carnal, material, adverse thoughts and activities (King of Admah), the innate spiritual ideal implanted in man from the beginning that causes him to grow, unfold, and unceasingly desire and seek to attain a higher and better understanding (King of Zeboiim), the inferior state of consciousness ruled by the carnal mind (King of Bela\Zoar), manifest together in the very lowest of substance in the sense consciousness and the Material consciousness of the individual. (Valley of Siddim).
9 with Ched-or-laomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar, four kings against five.
They fought Greed which corrupts understanding of spiritual Truth (Elam), the prominent place to which sensuality has been elevated within the consciousness which rules the carnal, animalistic thoughts and states of consciousness that belong to the animalistic man, the belief held by the individual that they are fulfilling the law of Creation by amassing lots of property and possessions, which dominates when the mind views things through duality, the domination of the consciousness by sexual lust, which rules the lustful state of consciousness, each side weakening the other.
10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits; and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the mountain.
The bitumen pits symbolize the breaking up of the thinking of the sense consciousness of the individual at this level. The sensual thoughts and subconscious tendencies are weakened by the breaking down of these patterns. Whatever happens to be left is transformed into a purer state, which is symbolized by them fleeing to the mountains.
11 So the enemy took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their provisions, and went their way;
12 they also took Lot, the son of Abram's brother, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
The carnal thought patterns feed on the sensual thought patterns and subconscious tendencies, and corrupt the lower level of consciousness which maintains them both.
13 Then one who had escaped came, and told Abram the Hebrew, who was living by the oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and of Aner; these were allies of Abram.
The Spiritual, Higher Consciousness (Abram) is made aware of the situation (It had continued dwelling in it’s purer state without empowered thoughts and abundance inspired by purer consciousness).
14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
The spiritual consciousness goes to seek and reclaim the lower consciousness. It travels to the place in consciousness where judgment is made to determine purity from impurity (Dan).
15 And he divided his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and routed them and pursued them to Hobah, north of Damascus.
The forces of spiritual consciousness represent pure spiritual thoughts and thinking patterns. These are divided in the place where exists consciousness founded on material conception of life in the body (Animalistic Ego)
16 Then he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his kinsman Lot with his goods, and the women and the people.
The bringing back of Lot and all the goods, symbolize the bringing of the lower consciousness into a purer state of consciousness by purifying them.
17 After his return from the defeat of Ched-or-laomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley ofShaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
The defeat of Ched-or-laomer symbolizes the removal of Greed from the place of dominion within the consciousness, this allows the perception of Spiritual Truth. After this occurs, the directing thoughts of the lower\animal consciousness meet the Spiritual, Higher Consciousness on equal ground (Valley of Shaveh) in peace.
18 And Mel-chizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High.
The Spiritual Consciousness in the individual, who rules the innermost part of the mind brings our bread and wine, symbolizing spiritual nourishment. This consciousness is the mediator between human and the Spiritual Consciousness (God).
19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth;
The blessing of Abram symbolizes the purity of the spiritual consciousness reached by this state, because the higher and lower consciousness have been purified and united.
20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!" And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
The blessing of God Most High symbolizes the acknowledgement that this new consciousness is the preferred state which is in line with the plan of Creation. The giving of a tenth of everything symbolizes the lessening of the physical acknowledgement to increase the spiritual within the consciousness.
21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself."
The king of Sodom asking for the persons but relinquishing the goods symbolizes the material consciousness asking for thought patterns to continue to feed it in return for it acknowledging the spiritual consciousness.
22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have sworn to YHVH, God Most High, maker of heaven and earth,
23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal-thong or anything that is yours, lest you should say, 'I have made Abram rich.'
The refusal of Abram symbolizes the relinquishing of attachment to materialism. In it’s place spirituality is increased.
24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me; let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share."
Those things that the young men have eaten symbolize the things understood primitively. They are excused from divine law because they do not interfere with this new state of consciousness.