The Late Great Urantia Revelation
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VERY important to be sure.
"There was war in heaven"
5. NATURE OF THE CONFLICT
53:5.1 Upon the outbreak of the Satania rebellion, Michael took counsel of his Paradise brother, Immanuel. Following this momentous conference, Michael announced that he would pursue the same policy which had characterized his dealings with similar upheavals in the past, an attitude of noninterference.
53:5.2 At the time of this rebellion and the two which preceded it, there was no absolute and personal sovereign authority in the universe of Nebadon. Michael ruled by divine right, as vicegerent of the Universal Father, but not yet in his own personal right. He had not completed his bestowal career; he had not yet been vested with “all power in heaven and on earth. ”
53:5.3 From the outbreak of rebellion to the day of his enthronement as sovereign ruler of Nebadon, Michael never interfered with the rebel forces of Lucifer; they were allowed to run a free course for almost two hundred thousand years of Urantia time. Christ Michael now has ample power and authority to deal promptly, even summarily, with such outbreaks of disloyalty, but we doubt that this sovereign authority would lead him to act differently if another such upheaval should occur.
53:5.4 Since Michael elected to remain aloof from the actual warfare of the Lucifer rebellion, Gabriel called his personal staff together on Edentia and, in counsel with the Most Highs, elected to assume command of the loyal hosts of Satania. Michael remained on Salvington while Gabriel proceeded to Jerusem, and establishing himself on the sphere dedicated to the Father—the same Universal Father whose personality Lucifer and Satan had questioned—in the presence of the forgathered hosts of loyal personalities, he displayed the banner of Michael, the material emblem of the Trinity government of all creation, the three azure blue concentric circles on a white background.
53:5.5 The Lucifer emblem was a banner of white with one red circle, in the center of which a black solid circle appeared.
53:5.6 “There was war in heaven; Michael's commander and his angels fought against the dragon (Lucifer, Satan, and the apostate princes); and the dragon and his rebellious angels fought but prevailed not.” This "war in heaven" was not a physical battle as such a conflict might be conceived on Urantia. In the early days of the struggle Lucifer held forth continuously in the planetary amphitheater. Gabriel conducted an unceasing exposure of the rebel sophistries from his headquarters taken up near at hand. The various personalities present on the sphere who were in doubt as to their attitude would journey back and forth between these discussions until they arrived at a final decision.
53:5.7 But this war in heaven was very terrible and very real. While displaying none of the barbarities so characteristic of physical warfare on the immature worlds, this conflict was far more deadly; material life is in jeopardy in material combat, but the war in heaven was fought in terms of life eternal."
5. NATURE OF THE CONFLICT
53:5.1 Upon the outbreak of the Satania rebellion, Michael took counsel of his Paradise brother, Immanuel. Following this momentous conference, Michael announced that he would pursue the same policy which had characterized his dealings with similar upheavals in the past, an attitude of noninterference.
53:5.2 At the time of this rebellion and the two which preceded it, there was no absolute and personal sovereign authority in the universe of Nebadon. Michael ruled by divine right, as vicegerent of the Universal Father, but not yet in his own personal right. He had not completed his bestowal career; he had not yet been vested with “all power in heaven and on earth. ”
53:5.3 From the outbreak of rebellion to the day of his enthronement as sovereign ruler of Nebadon, Michael never interfered with the rebel forces of Lucifer; they were allowed to run a free course for almost two hundred thousand years of Urantia time. Christ Michael now has ample power and authority to deal promptly, even summarily, with such outbreaks of disloyalty, but we doubt that this sovereign authority would lead him to act differently if another such upheaval should occur.
53:5.4 Since Michael elected to remain aloof from the actual warfare of the Lucifer rebellion, Gabriel called his personal staff together on Edentia and, in counsel with the Most Highs, elected to assume command of the loyal hosts of Satania. Michael remained on Salvington while Gabriel proceeded to Jerusem, and establishing himself on the sphere dedicated to the Father—the same Universal Father whose personality Lucifer and Satan had questioned—in the presence of the forgathered hosts of loyal personalities, he displayed the banner of Michael, the material emblem of the Trinity government of all creation, the three azure blue concentric circles on a white background.
53:5.5 The Lucifer emblem was a banner of white with one red circle, in the center of which a black solid circle appeared.
53:5.6 “There was war in heaven; Michael's commander and his angels fought against the dragon (Lucifer, Satan, and the apostate princes); and the dragon and his rebellious angels fought but prevailed not.” This "war in heaven" was not a physical battle as such a conflict might be conceived on Urantia. In the early days of the struggle Lucifer held forth continuously in the planetary amphitheater. Gabriel conducted an unceasing exposure of the rebel sophistries from his headquarters taken up near at hand. The various personalities present on the sphere who were in doubt as to their attitude would journey back and forth between these discussions until they arrived at a final decision.
53:5.7 But this war in heaven was very terrible and very real. While displaying none of the barbarities so characteristic of physical warfare on the immature worlds, this conflict was far more deadly; material life is in jeopardy in material combat, but the war in heaven was fought in terms of life eternal."
"You find it difficult to receive my message because you would build the new teaching directly upon the old......"
THE EVENING OF THE ORDINATION
140:6.1 Sunday evening, on reaching the home of Zebedee from the highlands north of Capernaum, Jesus and the twelve partook of a simple meal. Afterward, while Jesus went for a walk along the beach, the twelve talked among themselves. After a brief conference, while the twins built a small fire to give them warmth and more light, Andrew went out to find Jesus, and when he had overtaken him, he said: "Master, my brethren are unable to comprehend what you have said about the kingdom. We do not feel able to begin this work until you have given us further instruction. I have come to ask you to join us in the garden and help us to understand the meaning of your words." And Jesus went with Andrew to meet with the apostles.
140:6.2 When he had entered the garden, he gathered the apostles around him and taught them further, saying: "You find it difficult to receive my message because you would build the new teaching directly upon the old, but I declare that you must be reborn. You must start out afresh as little children and be willing to trust my teaching and believe in God. The new gospel of the kingdom cannot be made to conform to that which is. You have wrong ideas of the Son of Man and his mission on earth. But do not make the mistake of thinking that I have come to set aside the law and the prophets; I have not come to destroy but to fulfill, to enlarge and illuminate. I come not to transgress the law but rather to write these new commandments on the tablets of your hearts.
140:6.3 "I demand of you a righteousness that shall exceed the righteousness of those who seek to obtain the Father's favor by almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. If you would enter the kingdom, you must have a righteousness that consists in love, mercy, and truth — the sincere desire to do the will of my Father in heaven."
140:6.4 Then said Simon Peter: "Master, if you have a new commandment, we would hear it. Reveal the new way to us." Jesus answered Peter: "You have heard it said by those who teach the law: `You shall not kill; that whosoever kills shall be subject to judgment.' But I look beyond the act to uncover the motive. I declare to you that every one who is angry with his brother is in danger of condemnation. He who nurses hatred in his heart and plans vengeance in his mind stands in danger of judgment. You must judge your fellows by their deeds; the Father in heaven judges by the intent.
140:6.5 "You have heard the teachers of the law say, `You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every man who looks upon a woman with intent to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. You can only judge men by their acts, but my Father looks into the hearts of his children and in mercy adjudges them in accordance with their intents and real desires."
140:6.6 Jesus was minded to go on discussing the other commandments when James Zebedee interrupted him, asking: "Master, what shall we teach the people regarding divorcement? Shall we allow a man to divorce his wife as Moses has directed?" And when Jesus heard this question, he said: "I have not come to legislate but to enlighten. I have come not to reform the kingdoms of this world but rather to establish the kingdom of heaven. It is not the will of the Father that I should yield to the temptation to teach you rules of government, trade, or social behavior, which, while they might be good for today, would be far from suitable for the society of another age. I am on earth solely to comfort the minds, liberate the spirits, and save the souls of men. But I will say, concerning this question of divorcement, that, while Moses looked with favor upon such things, it was not so in the days of Adam and in the Garden."
140:6.7 After the apostles had talked among themselves for a short time, Jesus went on to say: "Always must you recognize the two viewpoints of all mortal conduct— the human and the divine; the ways of the flesh and the way of the spirit; the estimate of time and the viewpoint of eternity." And though the twelve could not comprehend all that he taught them, they were truly helped by this instruction.
140:6.8 And then said Jesus: "But you will stumble over my teaching because you are wont to interpret my message literally; you are slow to discern the spirit of my teaching. Again must you remember that you are my messengers; you are beholden to live your lives as I have in spirit lived mine. You are my personal representatives; but do not err in expecting all men to live as you do in every particular. Also must you remember that I have sheep not of this flock, and that I am beholden to them also, to the end that I must provide for them the pattern of doing the will of God while living the life of the mortal nature."
THE EVENING OF THE ORDINATION
140:6.1 Sunday evening, on reaching the home of Zebedee from the highlands north of Capernaum, Jesus and the twelve partook of a simple meal. Afterward, while Jesus went for a walk along the beach, the twelve talked among themselves. After a brief conference, while the twins built a small fire to give them warmth and more light, Andrew went out to find Jesus, and when he had overtaken him, he said: "Master, my brethren are unable to comprehend what you have said about the kingdom. We do not feel able to begin this work until you have given us further instruction. I have come to ask you to join us in the garden and help us to understand the meaning of your words." And Jesus went with Andrew to meet with the apostles.
140:6.2 When he had entered the garden, he gathered the apostles around him and taught them further, saying: "You find it difficult to receive my message because you would build the new teaching directly upon the old, but I declare that you must be reborn. You must start out afresh as little children and be willing to trust my teaching and believe in God. The new gospel of the kingdom cannot be made to conform to that which is. You have wrong ideas of the Son of Man and his mission on earth. But do not make the mistake of thinking that I have come to set aside the law and the prophets; I have not come to destroy but to fulfill, to enlarge and illuminate. I come not to transgress the law but rather to write these new commandments on the tablets of your hearts.
140:6.3 "I demand of you a righteousness that shall exceed the righteousness of those who seek to obtain the Father's favor by almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. If you would enter the kingdom, you must have a righteousness that consists in love, mercy, and truth — the sincere desire to do the will of my Father in heaven."
140:6.4 Then said Simon Peter: "Master, if you have a new commandment, we would hear it. Reveal the new way to us." Jesus answered Peter: "You have heard it said by those who teach the law: `You shall not kill; that whosoever kills shall be subject to judgment.' But I look beyond the act to uncover the motive. I declare to you that every one who is angry with his brother is in danger of condemnation. He who nurses hatred in his heart and plans vengeance in his mind stands in danger of judgment. You must judge your fellows by their deeds; the Father in heaven judges by the intent.
140:6.5 "You have heard the teachers of the law say, `You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that every man who looks upon a woman with intent to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. You can only judge men by their acts, but my Father looks into the hearts of his children and in mercy adjudges them in accordance with their intents and real desires."
140:6.6 Jesus was minded to go on discussing the other commandments when James Zebedee interrupted him, asking: "Master, what shall we teach the people regarding divorcement? Shall we allow a man to divorce his wife as Moses has directed?" And when Jesus heard this question, he said: "I have not come to legislate but to enlighten. I have come not to reform the kingdoms of this world but rather to establish the kingdom of heaven. It is not the will of the Father that I should yield to the temptation to teach you rules of government, trade, or social behavior, which, while they might be good for today, would be far from suitable for the society of another age. I am on earth solely to comfort the minds, liberate the spirits, and save the souls of men. But I will say, concerning this question of divorcement, that, while Moses looked with favor upon such things, it was not so in the days of Adam and in the Garden."
140:6.7 After the apostles had talked among themselves for a short time, Jesus went on to say: "Always must you recognize the two viewpoints of all mortal conduct— the human and the divine; the ways of the flesh and the way of the spirit; the estimate of time and the viewpoint of eternity." And though the twelve could not comprehend all that he taught them, they were truly helped by this instruction.
140:6.8 And then said Jesus: "But you will stumble over my teaching because you are wont to interpret my message literally; you are slow to discern the spirit of my teaching. Again must you remember that you are my messengers; you are beholden to live your lives as I have in spirit lived mine. You are my personal representatives; but do not err in expecting all men to live as you do in every particular. Also must you remember that I have sheep not of this flock, and that I am beholden to them also, to the end that I must provide for them the pattern of doing the will of God while living the life of the mortal nature."
Psalms 2:9
6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
155:1.1 Said Jesus: “You should all recall how the Psalmist spoke of these times, saying, `Why do the heathen rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers of the people take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break the bonds of mercy asunder and let us cast away the cords of love.'
155:1.2 “Today you see this fulfilled before your eyes. But you shall not see the remainder of the Psalmist's prophecy fulfilled, for he entertained erroneous ideas about the Son of Man and his mission on earth. My kingdom is founded on love, proclaimed in mercy, and established by unselfish service. My Father does not sit in heaven laughing in derision at the heathen. He is not wrathful in his great displeasure. True is the promise that the Son shall have these so-called heathen (in reality his ignorant and untaught brethren) for an inheritance. And I will receive these gentiles with open arms of mercy and affection All this loving- kindness shall be shown the so-called heathen, notwithstanding the unfortunate declaration of the record which intimates that the triumphant Son `shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' The Psalmist exhorted you to `serve the Lord with fear'—I bid you enter into the exalted privileges of divine sonship by faith; he commands you to rejoice with trembling; I bid you rejoice with assurance. He says, `Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish when his wrath is kindled.' But you who have lived with me well know that anger and wrath are not a part of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men. But the Psalmist did glimpse the true light when, in finishing this exhortation, he said: `Blessed are they who put their trust in this Son.'”
155:1.3 Jesus continued to teach the twenty-four, saying: “The heathen are not without excuse when they rage at us. Because their outlook is small and narrow, they are able to concentrate their energies enthusiastically. Their goal is near and more or less visible; wherefore do they strive with valiant and effective execution. You who have professed entrance into the kingdom of heaven are altogether too vacillating and indefinite in your teaching conduct. The heathen strike directly for their objectives; you are guilty of too much chronic yearning. If you desire to enter the kingdom why do you not take it by spiritual assault even as the heathen take a city they lay siege to? You are hardly worthy of the kingdom when your service consists so largely in an attitude of regretting the past, whining over the present, and vainly hoping for the future. Why do the heathen rage? Because they know not the truth. Why do you languish in futile yearning? Because you obey not the truth. Cease your useless yearning and go forth bravely doing that which concerns the establishment of the kingdom.
155:1.4 “In all that you do, become not one-sided and overspecialized. The Pharisees who seek our destruction verily think they are doing God's service. They have become so narrowed by tradition that they are blinded by prejudice and hardened by fear. Consider the Greeks, who have a science without religion, while the Jews have a religion without science. And when men become thus misled into accepting a narrow and confused disintegration of truth, their only hope of salvation is to become truth-co-ordinated—converted.
155:1.5 “Let me emphatically state this eternal truth: If you, by truth co-ordination, learn to exemplify in your lives this beautiful wholeness of righteousness, your fellow men will then seek after you that they may gain what you have so acquired. The measure wherewith truth seekers are drawn to you represents the measure of your truth endowment, your righteousness. The extent to which you have to go with your message to the people is, in a way, the measure of your failure to live the whole or righteous life, the truth-co-ordinated life.”
6Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. 7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. 10Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
155:1.1 Said Jesus: “You should all recall how the Psalmist spoke of these times, saying, `Why do the heathen rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers of the people take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us break the bonds of mercy asunder and let us cast away the cords of love.'
155:1.2 “Today you see this fulfilled before your eyes. But you shall not see the remainder of the Psalmist's prophecy fulfilled, for he entertained erroneous ideas about the Son of Man and his mission on earth. My kingdom is founded on love, proclaimed in mercy, and established by unselfish service. My Father does not sit in heaven laughing in derision at the heathen. He is not wrathful in his great displeasure. True is the promise that the Son shall have these so-called heathen (in reality his ignorant and untaught brethren) for an inheritance. And I will receive these gentiles with open arms of mercy and affection All this loving- kindness shall be shown the so-called heathen, notwithstanding the unfortunate declaration of the record which intimates that the triumphant Son `shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' The Psalmist exhorted you to `serve the Lord with fear'—I bid you enter into the exalted privileges of divine sonship by faith; he commands you to rejoice with trembling; I bid you rejoice with assurance. He says, `Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish when his wrath is kindled.' But you who have lived with me well know that anger and wrath are not a part of the establishment of the kingdom of heaven in the hearts of men. But the Psalmist did glimpse the true light when, in finishing this exhortation, he said: `Blessed are they who put their trust in this Son.'”
155:1.3 Jesus continued to teach the twenty-four, saying: “The heathen are not without excuse when they rage at us. Because their outlook is small and narrow, they are able to concentrate their energies enthusiastically. Their goal is near and more or less visible; wherefore do they strive with valiant and effective execution. You who have professed entrance into the kingdom of heaven are altogether too vacillating and indefinite in your teaching conduct. The heathen strike directly for their objectives; you are guilty of too much chronic yearning. If you desire to enter the kingdom why do you not take it by spiritual assault even as the heathen take a city they lay siege to? You are hardly worthy of the kingdom when your service consists so largely in an attitude of regretting the past, whining over the present, and vainly hoping for the future. Why do the heathen rage? Because they know not the truth. Why do you languish in futile yearning? Because you obey not the truth. Cease your useless yearning and go forth bravely doing that which concerns the establishment of the kingdom.
155:1.4 “In all that you do, become not one-sided and overspecialized. The Pharisees who seek our destruction verily think they are doing God's service. They have become so narrowed by tradition that they are blinded by prejudice and hardened by fear. Consider the Greeks, who have a science without religion, while the Jews have a religion without science. And when men become thus misled into accepting a narrow and confused disintegration of truth, their only hope of salvation is to become truth-co-ordinated—converted.
155:1.5 “Let me emphatically state this eternal truth: If you, by truth co-ordination, learn to exemplify in your lives this beautiful wholeness of righteousness, your fellow men will then seek after you that they may gain what you have so acquired. The measure wherewith truth seekers are drawn to you represents the measure of your truth endowment, your righteousness. The extent to which you have to go with your message to the people is, in a way, the measure of your failure to live the whole or righteous life, the truth-co-ordinated life.”
Jesus at Urmia before his public teachings began.
LAW, LIBERTY, AND SOVEREIGNTY
134:6.1 "If one man craves freedom —liberty—he must remember that all other men long for the same freedom. Groups of such liberty-loving mortals cannot live together in peace without becoming subservient to such laws, rules, and regulations as will grant each person the same degree of freedom while at the same time safeguarding an equal degree of freedom for all of his fellow mortals. If one man is to be absolutely free, then another must become an absolute slave. And the relative nature of freedom is true socially, economically, and politically. Freedom is the gift of civilization made possible by the enforcement of LAW.
134:6.2 Religion makes it spiritually possible to realize the brotherhood of men, but it will require mankind government to regulate the social, economic, and political problems associated with such a goal of human happiness and efficiency.
134:6.3 There shall be wars and rumors of wars—nation will rise against nation—just as long as the world's political sovereignty is divided up and unjustly held by a group of nation-states. England, Scotland, and Wales were always fighting each other until they gave up their respective sovereignties, reposing them in the United Kingdom.
134:6.4 Another world war will teach the so-called sovereign nations to form some sort of federation, thus creating the machinery for preventing small wars, wars between the lesser nations. But global wars will go on until the government of mankind is created. Global sovereignty will prevent global wars—nothing else can.
134:6.5 The forty-eight American free states live together in peace. There are among the citizens of these forty-eight states all of the various nationalities and races that live in the ever-warring nations of Europe. These Americans represent almost all the religions and religious sects and cults of the whole wide world, and yet here in North America they live together in peace. And all this is made possible because these forty-eight states have surrendered their sovereignty and have abandoned all notions of the supposed rights of self-determination.
134:6.6 It is not a question of armaments or disarmament. Neither does the question of conscription or voluntary military service enter into these problems of maintaining world-wide peace. If you take every form of modern mechanical armaments and all types of explosives away from strong nations, they will fight with fists, stones, and clubs as long as they cling to their delusions of the divine right of national sovereignty.
134:6.7 War is not man's great and terrible disease; war is a symptom, a result. The real disease is the virus of national sovereignty.
134:6.8 Urantia nations have not possessed real sovereignty; they never have had a sovereignty which could protect them from the ravages and devastations of world wars. In the creation of the global government of mankind, the nations are not giving up sovereignty so much as they are actually creating a real, bona fide, and lasting world sovereignty which will henceforth be fully able to protect them from all war. Local affairs will be handled by local governments; national affairs, by national governments; international affairs will be administered by global government.
134:6.9 World peace cannot be maintained by treaties, diplomacy, foreign policies, alliances, balances of power, or any other type of makeshift juggling with the sovereignties of nationalism. World law must come into being and must be enforced by world government —the sovereignty of all mankind.
134:6.10 The individual will enjoy far more liberty under world government. Today, the citizens of the great powers are taxed, regulated, and controlled almost oppressively, and much of this present interference with individual liberties will vanish when the national governments are willing to trustee their sovereignty as regards international affairs into the hands of global government.
134:6.11 Under global government the national groups will be afforded a real opportunity to realize and enjoy the personal liberties of genuine democracy. The fallacy of self-determination will be ended. With global regulation of money and trade will come the new era of world-wide peace. Soon may a global language evolve, and there will be at least some hope of sometime having a global religion—or religions with a global viewpoint.
134:6.12 Collective security will never afford peace until the collectivity includes all mankind.
134:6.13 The political sovereignty of representative mankind government will bring lasting peace on earth, and the spiritual brotherhood of man will forever insure good will among all men. And there is no other way whereby peace on earth and good will among men can be realized." UB 1955
LAW, LIBERTY, AND SOVEREIGNTY
134:6.1 "If one man craves freedom —liberty—he must remember that all other men long for the same freedom. Groups of such liberty-loving mortals cannot live together in peace without becoming subservient to such laws, rules, and regulations as will grant each person the same degree of freedom while at the same time safeguarding an equal degree of freedom for all of his fellow mortals. If one man is to be absolutely free, then another must become an absolute slave. And the relative nature of freedom is true socially, economically, and politically. Freedom is the gift of civilization made possible by the enforcement of LAW.
134:6.2 Religion makes it spiritually possible to realize the brotherhood of men, but it will require mankind government to regulate the social, economic, and political problems associated with such a goal of human happiness and efficiency.
134:6.3 There shall be wars and rumors of wars—nation will rise against nation—just as long as the world's political sovereignty is divided up and unjustly held by a group of nation-states. England, Scotland, and Wales were always fighting each other until they gave up their respective sovereignties, reposing them in the United Kingdom.
134:6.4 Another world war will teach the so-called sovereign nations to form some sort of federation, thus creating the machinery for preventing small wars, wars between the lesser nations. But global wars will go on until the government of mankind is created. Global sovereignty will prevent global wars—nothing else can.
134:6.5 The forty-eight American free states live together in peace. There are among the citizens of these forty-eight states all of the various nationalities and races that live in the ever-warring nations of Europe. These Americans represent almost all the religions and religious sects and cults of the whole wide world, and yet here in North America they live together in peace. And all this is made possible because these forty-eight states have surrendered their sovereignty and have abandoned all notions of the supposed rights of self-determination.
134:6.6 It is not a question of armaments or disarmament. Neither does the question of conscription or voluntary military service enter into these problems of maintaining world-wide peace. If you take every form of modern mechanical armaments and all types of explosives away from strong nations, they will fight with fists, stones, and clubs as long as they cling to their delusions of the divine right of national sovereignty.
134:6.7 War is not man's great and terrible disease; war is a symptom, a result. The real disease is the virus of national sovereignty.
134:6.8 Urantia nations have not possessed real sovereignty; they never have had a sovereignty which could protect them from the ravages and devastations of world wars. In the creation of the global government of mankind, the nations are not giving up sovereignty so much as they are actually creating a real, bona fide, and lasting world sovereignty which will henceforth be fully able to protect them from all war. Local affairs will be handled by local governments; national affairs, by national governments; international affairs will be administered by global government.
134:6.9 World peace cannot be maintained by treaties, diplomacy, foreign policies, alliances, balances of power, or any other type of makeshift juggling with the sovereignties of nationalism. World law must come into being and must be enforced by world government —the sovereignty of all mankind.
134:6.10 The individual will enjoy far more liberty under world government. Today, the citizens of the great powers are taxed, regulated, and controlled almost oppressively, and much of this present interference with individual liberties will vanish when the national governments are willing to trustee their sovereignty as regards international affairs into the hands of global government.
134:6.11 Under global government the national groups will be afforded a real opportunity to realize and enjoy the personal liberties of genuine democracy. The fallacy of self-determination will be ended. With global regulation of money and trade will come the new era of world-wide peace. Soon may a global language evolve, and there will be at least some hope of sometime having a global religion—or religions with a global viewpoint.
134:6.12 Collective security will never afford peace until the collectivity includes all mankind.
134:6.13 The political sovereignty of representative mankind government will bring lasting peace on earth, and the spiritual brotherhood of man will forever insure good will among all men. And there is no other way whereby peace on earth and good will among men can be realized." UB 1955
CNN, Space and Science
October 13 2016
"There are 10 times more galaxies in our universe than we'd estimated"
2 Trillion!
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/health/hubble-telescope-galaxies-trnd/index.html
October 13 2016
"There are 10 times more galaxies in our universe than we'd estimated"
2 Trillion!
http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/13/health/hubble-telescope-galaxies-trnd/index.html
freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
worlds without end..............
worlds without end..............
Yes, it is truly awesome to consider our place in our local universe within the Grand Universe, which is the Universe of universes. That every local universe has at least hundreds of inhabitable planets is quite reasonable which is revealed as a matter of fact in these papers, as we've shared earlier. All mortals on these worlds are evolving along their own evolutionary path of spiritual perfection and progress, our own planet having a most interesting and unique history, given the Adamic default, Lucifer Rebellion and other anomalies that make our planet most wonderful in the grand scheme of things
worlds without end..............
Yes, it is truly awesome to consider our place in our local universe within the Grand Universe, which is the Universe of universes. That every local universe has at least hundreds of inhabitable planets is quite reasonable which is revealed as a matter of fact in these papers, as we've shared earlier. All mortals on these worlds are evolving along their own evolutionary path of spiritual perfection and progress, our own planet having a most interesting and unique history, given the Adamic default, Lucifer Rebellion and other anomalies that make our planet most wonderful in the grand scheme of things
Lon
Well-known member
The 'grid-lock' could be your belief that the gospels contain all that Jesus ever said or did (John challenges that notion), or that the Bible is infallible/inerrant/perfect, etc. Gadiah is a character in the story of Jesus told in this particular narrative. There are some characters and names mentioned in the Bible that one could question if they ever really existed. Tradition, legend, allegory opens many possibilities.
I find your 'assumption' that I believe 'anything' somewhat comical
Er, no. 1) the Spirit, Himself (not me or you) indwells a believer and 2) the biblical message is so consistent that ANY extra revelation is both extemporaneous and contradictory. As an exMormon, that will be a foreign idea to you, but it is essential that you understand where your faith is wholly different from Judeo/Christianity.
freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
Assumptions......
Assumptions......
Not sure where you are coming from or what you're responding to without a direct quote, since this has little to do with the portion of commentary you quote of mine, you'll have to be more specific. Otherwise, the "gridlock" I mentions still remains - you cannot prove that all that Jesus said or did is found only in the 4 canonical gospels.
Of course the Spirit of God or 'thought-adjuster' indwells a human soul. You'll note that the essential teachings of Jesus are expounded and expanded on in the Urantia papers (part 4), affirming the core teachings found in the canonicals, so there is nothing 'contradictory' per se,...just an emphasis on the spiritual community and sonship of all souls having 'God' as their Universal Father, they being sons of God.
My being an 'ex-mormon' has nothing to do with my spiritual insights or observations, unless some true principle or insight has come along within my experience in Mormon culture, otherwise I left that institution years ago and have rejected its doctrines and mythology...unless they are useful in relating to any aspect of reality at any given moment.
Your effort to prejudge and marginalize me is noted, but that only reflects your presumptions and apologetic stance to assume your biblical world-view, however 'interpreted' is 'orthodox'. Beyond all these assumptions the truths, meanings and values stand in whatever religious book or tradition we are considering, and remains for the seeker of truth to discover those for himself. You cant put 'God' in a 'box'.
Assumptions......
Not sure where you are coming from or what you're responding to without a direct quote, since this has little to do with the portion of commentary you quote of mine, you'll have to be more specific. Otherwise, the "gridlock" I mentions still remains
- you cannot prove that all that Jesus said or did is found only in the 4 canonical gospels.Of course the Spirit of God or 'thought-adjuster' indwells a human soul. You'll note that the essential teachings of Jesus are expounded and expanded on in the Urantia papers (part 4), affirming the core teachings found in the canonicals, so there is nothing 'contradictory' per se,...just an emphasis on the spiritual community and sonship of all souls having 'God' as their Universal Father, they being sons of God.
My being an 'ex-mormon' has nothing to do with my spiritual insights or observations, unless some true principle or insight has come along within my experience in Mormon culture, otherwise I left that institution years ago and have rejected its doctrines and mythology...unless they are useful in relating to any aspect of reality at any given moment.
Your effort to prejudge and marginalize me is noted, but that only reflects your presumptions and apologetic stance to assume your biblical world-view, however 'interpreted' is 'orthodox'. Beyond all these assumptions the truths, meanings and values stand in whatever religious book or tradition we are considering, and remains for the seeker of truth to discover those for himself. You cant put 'God' in a 'box'.
Lon
Well-known member
:nono: and don't have to. Pay attention the gospel words (or don't) "But THESE are written that you may have life..." Which means closed canon both exegetically and by other scriptures given. The NT is a closed canon. A Mormon or exmormon will have a terrible time with that.Otherwise, the "gridlock" I mentions still remains
:nono: Jesus told Nicodemus he must be born again. it wasn't a command, it was "a condition to be enacted by God" hence to the goats "depart from Me I never knew you." It didn't matter that they thought they knew Him or not.
Sure it does. It never expected a supernatural process and so you grew up with very notion that 'knowing God' was acceptable when it is not. Rather, it is to be known and made a new creation else you or I, are left alone, are yet in our sins and without God in the world."
Ask, or what is noted is trivial and meaningless. Make sure whatever you note is of noteworthy and accurate value?
Er, you can't put God in a box and no matter how 'expanded' you think yourself, you are finite, fallen, limited (as am I). Only God can make a new creation and "this not of yourselves, it is a work/gift of God (entirely) not of your works so that no man can boast."
Scripture is SOOOO important if you are going to actually find God instead of pretending. We must be found by Him.
Lon
Well-known member
I've looked at your wanna-be's already, Zeke. You are following amateurs/charlatans/hacks. You need to wake up. I've debunked a # of them in service to you. Listen or not. I simply provide drive-by's in hope that "this time" you'll listen. I'm right, you are both wrong. Not because I'm arrogant, but 'just because' I'm right. That's it. Nothing else to see or say here. Done. Outty.
The 6 day creation story came from the confused ancient oral traditions that Adam and Eve spent their first 6 days on earth surveying the garden home prepared for them. They were o be the worlds new rulers replacing the regime of the fallen prince.
ADAM AND EVE LEARN ABOUT THE PLANET
74:3.1 And now, after their formal installation, Adam and Eve became painfully aware of their planetary isolation. Silent were the familiar broadcasts, and absent were all the circuits of extraplanetary communication. Their Jerusem fellows had gone to worlds running along smoothly with a well-established Planetary Prince and an experienced staff ready to receive them and competent to co-operate with them during their early experience on such worlds. But on Urantia rebellion had changed everything. Here the Planetary Prince was very much present, and though shorn of most of his power to work evil, he was still able to make the task of Adam and Eve difficult and to some extent hazardous. It was a serious and disillusioned Son and Daughter of Jerusem who walked that night through the Garden under the shining of the full moon, discussing plans for the next day.
74:3.2 Thus ended the first day of Adam and Eve on isolated Urantia, the confused planet of the Caligastia betrayal; and they walked and talked far into the night, their first night on earth —and it was so lonely.
74:3.3 Adam's second day on earth was spent in session with the planetary receivers and the advisory council. From the Melchizedeks, and their associates, Adam and Eve learned more about the details of the Caligastia rebellion and the result of that upheaval upon the world's progress. And it was, on the whole, a disheartening story, this long recital of the mismanagement of world affairs. They learned all the facts regarding the utter collapse of the Caligastia scheme for accelerating the process of social evolution. They also arrived at a full realization of the folly of attempting to achieve planetary advancement independently of the divine plan of progression. And thus ended a sad but enlightening day—their second on Urantia.
74:3.4 The third day was devoted to an inspection of the Garden. From the large passenger birds—the fandors—Adam and Eve looked down upon the vast stretches of the Garden while being carried through the air over this, the most beautiful spot on earth. This day of inspection ended with an enormous banquet in honor of all who had labored to create this garden of Edenic beauty and grandeur. And again, late into the night of their third day, the Son and his mate walked in the Garden and talked about the immensity of their problems.
74:3.5 On the fourth day Adam and Eve addressed the Garden assembly. From the inaugural mount they spoke to the people concerning their plans for the rehabilitation of the world and outlined the methods whereby they would seek to redeem the social culture of Urantia from the low levels to which it had fallen as a result of sin and rebellion. This was a great day, and it closed with a feast for the council of men and women who had been selected to assume responsibilities in the new administration of world affairs. Take note! women as well as men were in this group, and that was the first time such a thing had occurred on earth since the days of Dalamatia. It was an astounding innovation to behold Eve, a woman, sharing the honors and responsibilities of world affairs with a man. And thus ended the fourth day on earth.
74:3.6 The fifth day was occupied with the organization of the temporary government, the administration which was to function until the Melchizedek receivers should leave Urantia.
Adam naming the animals. Dictionnaire raisonné universel d' histoire naturelle, 1775. Jacques-Christophe Valmont de Bomare 74:3.7 The sixth day was devoted to an inspection of the numerous types of men and animals. Along the walls eastward in Eden, Adam and Eve were escorted all day, viewing the animal life of the planet and arriving at a better understanding as to what must be done to bring order out of the confusion of a world inhabited by such a variety of living creatures.
74:3.8 It greatly surprised those who accompanied Adam on this trip to observe how fully he understood the nature and function of the thousands upon thousands of animals shown him. The instant he glanced at an animal, he would indicate its nature and behavior. Adam could give names descriptive of the origin, nature, and function of all material creatures on sight. Those who conducted him on this tour of inspection did not know that the world's new ruler was one of the most expert anatomists of all Satania; and Eve was equally proficient. Adam amazed his associates by describing hosts of living things too small to be seen by human eyes.
74:3.9 When the sixth day of their sojourn on earth was over, Adam and Eve rested for the first time in their new home in "the east of Eden." The first six days of the Urantia adventure had been very busy, and they looked forward with great pleasure to an entire day of freedom from all activities.
74:3.10 But circumstances dictated otherwise. The experience of the day just past in which Adam had so intelligently and so exhaustively discussed the animal life of Urantia, together with his masterly inaugural address and his charming manner, had so won the hearts and overcome the intellects of the Garden dwellers that they were not only wholeheartedly disposed to accept the newly arrived Son and Daughter of Jerusem as rulers, but the majority were about ready to fall down and worship them as gods."
ADAM AND EVE LEARN ABOUT THE PLANET
74:3.1 And now, after their formal installation, Adam and Eve became painfully aware of their planetary isolation. Silent were the familiar broadcasts, and absent were all the circuits of extraplanetary communication. Their Jerusem fellows had gone to worlds running along smoothly with a well-established Planetary Prince and an experienced staff ready to receive them and competent to co-operate with them during their early experience on such worlds. But on Urantia rebellion had changed everything. Here the Planetary Prince was very much present, and though shorn of most of his power to work evil, he was still able to make the task of Adam and Eve difficult and to some extent hazardous. It was a serious and disillusioned Son and Daughter of Jerusem who walked that night through the Garden under the shining of the full moon, discussing plans for the next day.
74:3.2 Thus ended the first day of Adam and Eve on isolated Urantia, the confused planet of the Caligastia betrayal; and they walked and talked far into the night, their first night on earth —and it was so lonely.
74:3.3 Adam's second day on earth was spent in session with the planetary receivers and the advisory council. From the Melchizedeks, and their associates, Adam and Eve learned more about the details of the Caligastia rebellion and the result of that upheaval upon the world's progress. And it was, on the whole, a disheartening story, this long recital of the mismanagement of world affairs. They learned all the facts regarding the utter collapse of the Caligastia scheme for accelerating the process of social evolution. They also arrived at a full realization of the folly of attempting to achieve planetary advancement independently of the divine plan of progression. And thus ended a sad but enlightening day—their second on Urantia.
74:3.4 The third day was devoted to an inspection of the Garden. From the large passenger birds—the fandors—Adam and Eve looked down upon the vast stretches of the Garden while being carried through the air over this, the most beautiful spot on earth. This day of inspection ended with an enormous banquet in honor of all who had labored to create this garden of Edenic beauty and grandeur. And again, late into the night of their third day, the Son and his mate walked in the Garden and talked about the immensity of their problems.
74:3.5 On the fourth day Adam and Eve addressed the Garden assembly. From the inaugural mount they spoke to the people concerning their plans for the rehabilitation of the world and outlined the methods whereby they would seek to redeem the social culture of Urantia from the low levels to which it had fallen as a result of sin and rebellion. This was a great day, and it closed with a feast for the council of men and women who had been selected to assume responsibilities in the new administration of world affairs. Take note! women as well as men were in this group, and that was the first time such a thing had occurred on earth since the days of Dalamatia. It was an astounding innovation to behold Eve, a woman, sharing the honors and responsibilities of world affairs with a man. And thus ended the fourth day on earth.
74:3.6 The fifth day was occupied with the organization of the temporary government, the administration which was to function until the Melchizedek receivers should leave Urantia.
Adam naming the animals. Dictionnaire raisonné universel d' histoire naturelle, 1775. Jacques-Christophe Valmont de Bomare 74:3.7 The sixth day was devoted to an inspection of the numerous types of men and animals. Along the walls eastward in Eden, Adam and Eve were escorted all day, viewing the animal life of the planet and arriving at a better understanding as to what must be done to bring order out of the confusion of a world inhabited by such a variety of living creatures.
74:3.8 It greatly surprised those who accompanied Adam on this trip to observe how fully he understood the nature and function of the thousands upon thousands of animals shown him. The instant he glanced at an animal, he would indicate its nature and behavior. Adam could give names descriptive of the origin, nature, and function of all material creatures on sight. Those who conducted him on this tour of inspection did not know that the world's new ruler was one of the most expert anatomists of all Satania; and Eve was equally proficient. Adam amazed his associates by describing hosts of living things too small to be seen by human eyes.
74:3.9 When the sixth day of their sojourn on earth was over, Adam and Eve rested for the first time in their new home in "the east of Eden." The first six days of the Urantia adventure had been very busy, and they looked forward with great pleasure to an entire day of freedom from all activities.
74:3.10 But circumstances dictated otherwise. The experience of the day just past in which Adam had so intelligently and so exhaustively discussed the animal life of Urantia, together with his masterly inaugural address and his charming manner, had so won the hearts and overcome the intellects of the Garden dwellers that they were not only wholeheartedly disposed to accept the newly arrived Son and Daughter of Jerusem as rulers, but the majority were about ready to fall down and worship them as gods."
freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
Progressive revelation.......
Progressive revelation.......
There is no reason to believe the NT is a 'closed canon' beyond it being canonized by a particular religious tradition. John indicates there is much more that Jesus both said and did, that could fill volumes upon volumes. You have false presumptions about your own caricature of what Mormons believe on that matter, but I credit them for at least believing in 'progressive revelation', but most are like fundy evangelicals, since they limit the 'canon' to their own standard works (bible, BOM, D&C, POGP), so they ultimately end up in some kind of "grid-lock" as I mentioned before.
Of course the writer of John's gospel indicates that what is written in his record is "sufficient" to grant one eternal life according to him,...no one here has questioned that since the teaching there is ample. John's gospel is more spiritual, even gnostic, even though some parts of it appear anti-gnostic, but some scholars agree the book has been redacted, possibly more than one author. Even so, that gospel is limited to itself, and whatever it corroborates with in other gospels. The 4 gospels are not in total agreement on everything. There is no reason to believe that the 4 canonized gospels contains ALL that Jesus ever spoke or did.
My former comments stand.
Mormonism fully accepts a 'supernatural process', so not sure where your presumptions and conclusions are coming from, often from various tangents on your part. My own spirituality and knowledge of 'God' is an ongoing process as far as what is being related in space-time, so a 'progressive' and 'evolutionary' aspect to religious teaching and revelation are always existing, as long as there is space and time to traverse or relate within, since 'relativity' implies a dualistic multiplicity of interactions. Life in this dimension is unfolding, progressive, evolutional.
My former comments stand.
This is a presumption based on the 'assumption' of an infallible, complete, perfect, inerrant and final book containing truth, which is erroneous a concept in itself, since you cant put the INFINITE SPIRIT in a box (or 'book' for that matter), neither contain, limit or qualify what is boundless. So, we're back to square 1
Revelation is ever unfolding. As long as eternal, infinite realities are being related to within space-time,....there is 'revelation', and since language is the scaffolding wherein these realities are de-scribed....its movement is on-going This is where the fun of 'creative dialogue' comes in :surf:
Progressive revelation.......
There is no reason to believe the NT is a 'closed canon' beyond it being canonized by a particular religious tradition. John indicates there is much more that Jesus both said and did, that could fill volumes upon volumes. You have false presumptions about your own caricature of what Mormons believe on that matter, but I credit them for at least believing in 'progressive revelation', but most are like fundy evangelicals, since they limit the 'canon' to their own standard works (bible, BOM, D&C, POGP), so they ultimately end up in some kind of "grid-lock" as I mentioned before.
Of course the writer of John's gospel indicates that what is written in his record is "sufficient" to grant one eternal life according to him,...no one here has questioned that since the teaching there is ample. John's gospel is more spiritual, even gnostic, even though some parts of it appear anti-gnostic, but some scholars agree the book has been redacted, possibly more than one author. Even so, that gospel is limited to itself, and whatever it corroborates with in other gospels. The 4 gospels are not in total agreement on everything. There is no reason to believe that the 4 canonized gospels contains ALL that Jesus ever spoke or did.
My former comments stand.
Mormonism fully accepts a 'supernatural process', so not sure where your presumptions and conclusions are coming from, often from various tangents on your part. My own spirituality and knowledge of 'God' is an ongoing process as far as what is being related in space-time, so a 'progressive' and 'evolutionary' aspect to religious teaching and revelation are always existing, as long as there is space and time to traverse or relate within, since 'relativity' implies a dualistic multiplicity of interactions. Life in this dimension is unfolding, progressive, evolutional.
My former comments stand.
This is a presumption based on the 'assumption' of an infallible, complete, perfect, inerrant and final book containing truth, which is erroneous a concept in itself, since you cant put the INFINITE SPIRIT in a box (or 'book' for that matter), neither contain, limit or qualify what is boundless. So, we're back to square 1
Revelation is ever unfolding. As long as eternal, infinite realities are being related to within space-time,....there is 'revelation', and since language is the scaffolding wherein these realities are de-scribed....its movement is on-going
This is where the fun of 'creative dialogue' comes in :surf:
Lon
Well-known member
It was only for those who had ears to hear... Jesus didn't force it though every knee must bow. He is Lord by nature and we creatures, it has to happen exactly as given. You really have never conceived the NT or you'd understand the necessity of a closed canon. Joseph Smith etc. was wrong. You are wrong. /thread
freelight
Eclectic Theosophist
Lets try this again......
Lets try this again......
:noid:
I see no justification for a 'closed canon' in the bible anywhere, so that is just a religious assumption honed by tradition and exclusivism. The Book of Revelation only mentions a warning to those who add to that particular book, NOT to the entire Bible. Furthermore as we've shared, John says there is much more that Jesus said and did that could fill volumes, but what he wrote was sufficient to give knowledge of eternal life. - we might add that he testifies only to what he reveals in that particular gospel-account....not any other, nor to any other collection of books later sanctioned by a church or religious organization. So, I see no reason to accept the doctrine of a 'closed canon' since revelation is progressive. This does not discount what has been written or given to us,....it just acknowledges that such is not the ONLY or FINAL revelation of God.
Irrelevant.
I don't believe so, that is your opinion.
Lets try this again......
:noid:
I see no justification for a 'closed canon' in the bible anywhere, so that is just a religious assumption honed by tradition and exclusivism. The Book of Revelation only mentions a warning to those who add to that particular book, NOT to the entire Bible. Furthermore as we've shared, John says there is much more that Jesus said and did that could fill volumes, but what he wrote was sufficient to give knowledge of eternal life. - we might add that he testifies only to what he reveals in that particular gospel-account....not any other, nor to any other collection of books later sanctioned by a church or religious organization. So, I see no reason to accept the doctrine of a 'closed canon' since revelation is progressive. This does not discount what has been written or given to us,....it just acknowledges that such is not the ONLY or FINAL revelation of God.
Irrelevant.
I don't believe so, that is your opinion.
- Status