PAPER 33
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
33:0.1 WHILE the Universal Father most certainly
rules over his vast creation, he functions in a local universe administration
through the person of the Creator Son. The Father does not otherwise
personally function in the administrative affairs of a local universe. These
matters are intrusted to the Creator Son and to the local universe Mother
Spirit and to their manifold children. The plans, policies, and administrative
acts of the local universe are formed and executed by this Son, who, in
conjunction with his Spirit associate, delegates executive power to Gabriel
and jurisdictional authority to the Constellation Fathers, System Sovereigns,
and Planetary Princes.
1. MICHAEL OF NEBADON
33:1.1 Our Creator Son is the personification of the
611,121st original concept of infinite identity of simultaneous origin in the
Universal Father and the Eternal Son. The Michael of Nebadon is the
"only-begotten Son" personalizing this 611,121st universal concept of divinity
and infinity. His headquarters is in the threefold mansion of light on
Salvington. And this dwelling is so ordered because Michael has experienced
the living of all three phases of intelligent creature existence: spiritual,
morontial, and material. Because of the name associated with his seventh and
final bestowal on Urantia, he is sometimes spoken of as Christ Michael.
33:1.2 Our Creator Son is not the Eternal Son, the
existential Paradise associate of the Universal Father and the Infinite
Spirit. Michael of Nebadon is not a member of the Paradise Trinity.
Nevertheless our Master Son possesses in his realm all of the divine
attributes and powers that the Eternal Son himself would manifest were he
actually to be present on Salvington and functioning in Nebadon. Michael
possesses even additional power and authority, for he not only personifies the
Eternal Son but also fully represents and actually embodies the personality
presence of the Universal Father to and in this local universe. He even
represents the Father-Son. These relationships constitute a Creator Son the
most powerful, versatile, and influential of all divine beings who are capable
of direct administration of evolutionary universes and of personality contact
with immature creature beings.
33:1.3 Our Creator Son exerts the same spiritual
drawing power, spirit gravity, from the headquarters of the local universe
that the Eternal Son of Paradise would exert if he were personally present on
Salvington, and more; this Universe Son is also the personification of
the Universal Father to the universe of Nebadon. Creator Sons are personality
centers for the spiritual forces of the Paradise Father-Son. Creator Sons are
the final power-personality focalizations of the mighty time-space attributes
of God the Sevenfold.
33:1.4 The Creator Son is the vicegerent
personalization of the Universal Father, the divinity co-ordinate of the
Eternal Son, and the creative associate of the Infinite Spirit. To our
universe and all its inhabited worlds the Sovereign Son is, to all practical
intents and purposes, God. He personifies all of the Paradise Deities which
evolving mortals can discerningly comprehend. This Son and his Spirit
associate are your creator parents. To you, Michael, the Creator Son, is the
supreme personality; to you, the Eternal Son is supersupreme -- an infinite
Deity personality.
33:1.5 In the person of the Creator Son we have a
ruler and divine parent who is just as mighty, efficient, and beneficent as
would be the Universal Father and the Eternal Son if both were present on
Salvington and engaged in the administration of the affairs of the universe of
Nebadon.
2. THE SOVEREIGN OF NEBADON
33:2.1 Observation of Creator Sons discloses that
some resemble more the Father, some the Son, while others are a blend of both
their infinite parents. Our Creator Son very definitely manifests traits and
attributes which more resemble the Eternal Son.
33:2.2 Michael elected to organize this local
universe, and herein he now reigns supreme. His personal power is limited by
the pre-existent gravity circuits centering at Paradise and by the reservation
on the part of the Ancients of Days of the superuniverse government of all
final executive judgments regarding the extinction of personality. Personality
is the sole bestowal of the Father, but the Creator Sons, with the approval of
the Eternal Son, do initiate new creature designs, and with the working
co-operation of their Spirit associates they may attempt new transformations
of energy-matter.
33:2.3 Michael is the personification of the
Paradise Father-Son to and in the local universe of Nebadon; therefore, when
the Creative Mother Spirit, the local universe representation of the Infinite
Spirit, subordinated herself to Christ Michael upon the return from his final
bestowal on Urantia, the Master Son thereby acquired jurisdiction over "all
power in heaven and on earth."
33:2.4 This subordination of the Divine Ministers to
the Creator Sons of the local universes constitutes these Master Sons the
personal repositories of the finitely manifestable divinity of the Father,
Son, and Spirit, while the creature-bestowal experiences of the Michaels
qualify them to portray the experiential divinity of the Supreme Being. No
other beings in the universes have thus personally exhausted the potentials of
present finite experience, and no other beings in the universes possess such
qualifications for solitary sovereignty.
33:2.5 Although Michael's headquarters is officially
located on Salvington, the capital of Nebadon, he spends much of his time
visiting the constellation and system headquarters and even the individual
planets. Periodically he journeys to Paradise and often to Uversa, where he
counsels with the Ancients of Days. When he is away from Salvington, his place
is assumed by Gabriel, who then functions as regent of the universe of
Nebadon.
3. THE UNIVERSE SON AND SPIRIT
33:3.1 While pervading all the universes of time and
space, the Infinite Spirit functions from the headquarters of each local
universe as a specialized focalization acquiring full personality qualities by
the technique of creative co-operation with the Creator Son. As concerns a
local universe, the administrative authority of a Creator Son is supreme; the
Infinite Spirit, as the Divine Minister, is wholly co-operative though
perfectly co-ordinate.
33:3.2 The Universe Mother Spirit of Salvington, the
associate of Michael in the control and administration of Nebadon, is of the
sixth group of Supreme Spirits, being the 611,121st of that order. She
volunteered to accompany Michael on the occasion of his liberation from
Paradise obligations and has ever since functioned with him in creating and
governing his universe.
33:3.3 The Master Creator Son is the personal
sovereign of his universe, but in all the details of its management the
Universe Spirit is codirector with the Son. While the Spirit ever acknowledges
the Son as sovereign and ruler, the Son always accords the Spirit a
co-ordinate position and equality of authority in all the affairs of the
realm. In all his work of love and life bestowal the Creator Son is always and
ever perfectly sustained and ably assisted by the all-wise and ever-faithful
Universe Spirit and by all of her diversified retinue of angelic
personalities. Such a Divine Minister is in reality the mother of spirits and
spirit personalities, the ever-present and all-wise adviser of the Creator
Son, a faithful and true manifestation of the Paradise Infinite Spirit.
33:3.4 The Son functions as a father in his local
universe. The Spirit, as mortal creatures would understand, enacts the role of
a mother, always assisting the Son and being everlastingly indispensable to
the administration of the universe. In the face of insurrection only the Son
and his associated Sons can function as deliverers. Never can the Spirit
undertake to contest rebellion or defend authority, but ever does the Spirit
sustain the Son in all of everything he may be required to experience in his
efforts to stabilize government and uphold authority on worlds tainted with
evil or dominated by sin. Only a Son can retrieve the work of their joint
creation, but no Son could hope for final success without the incessant
co-operation of the Divine Minister and her vast assemblage of spirit helpers,
the daughters of God, who so faithfully and valiantly struggle for the welfare
of mortal men and the glory of their divine parents.
33:3.5 Upon the completion of the Creator Son's
seventh and final creature bestowal, the uncertainties of periodic isolation
terminate for the Divine Minister, and the Son's universe helper becomes
forever settled in surety and control. It is at the enthronement of the
Creator Son as a Master Son, at the jubilee of jubilees, that the Universe
Spirit, before the assembled hosts, first makes public and universal
acknowledgment of subordination to the Son, pledging fidelity and obedience.
This event occurred in Nebadon at the time of Michael's return to Salvington
after the Urantian bestowal. Never before this momentous occasion did the
Universe Spirit acknowledge subordination to the Universe Son, and not until
after this voluntary relinquishment of power and authority by the Spirit could
it be truthfully proclaimed of the Son that "all power in heaven and on earth
has been committed to his hand."
33:3.6 After this pledge of subordination by the
Creative Mother Spirit, Michael of Nebadon nobly acknowledged his eternal
dependence on his Spirit companion, constituting the Spirit coruler of his
universe domains and requiring all their creatures to pledge themselves in
loyalty to the Spirit as they had to the Son; and there issued and went forth
the final "Proclamation of Equality." Though he was the sovereign of this
local universe, the Son published to the worlds the fact of the Spirit's
equality with him in all endowments of personality and attributes of divine
character. And this becomes the transcendent pattern for the family
organization and government of even the lowly creatures of the worlds of
space. This is, in deed and in truth, the high ideal of the family and the
human institution of voluntary marriage.
33:3.7 The Son and the Spirit now preside over the
universe much as a father and mother watch over, and minister to, their family
of sons and daughters. It is not altogether out of place to refer to the
Universe Spirit as the creative companion of the Creator Son and to regard the
creatures of the realms as their sons and daughters -- a grand and glorious
family but one of untold responsibilities and endless watchcare.
33:3.8 The Son initiates the creation of certain of
the universe children, while the Spirit is solely responsible for bringing
into existence the numerous orders of spirit personalities who minister and
serve under the direction and guidance of this selfsame Mother Spirit. In the
creation of other types of universe personalities, both the Son and the Spirit
function together, and in no creative act does the one do aught without the
counsel and approval of the other.
4. GABRIEL -- THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
33:4.1 The Bright and Morning Star is the
personalization of the first concept of identity and ideal of personality
conceived by the Creator Son and the local universe manifestation of the
Infinite Spirit. Going back to the early days of the local universe, before
the union of the Creator Son and the Mother Spirit in the bonds of creative
association, back to the times before the beginning of the creation of their
versatile family of sons and daughters, the first conjoint act of this early
and free association of these two divine persons results in the creation of
the highest spirit personality of the Son and the Spirit, the Bright and
Morning Star.
33:4.2 Only one such being of wisdom and majesty is
brought forth in each local universe. The Universal Father and the Eternal Son
can, in fact do, create an unlimited number of Sons in divinity equal to
themselves; but such Sons, in union with the Daughters of the Infinite Spirit,
can create only one Bright and Morning Star in each universe, a being like
themselves and partaking freely of their combined natures but not of their
creative prerogatives. Gabriel of Salvington is like the Universe Son in
divinity of nature though considerably limited in the attributes of
Deity.
33:4.3 This first-born of the parents of a new
universe is a unique personality possessing many wonderful traits not visibly
present in either ancestor, a being of unprecedented versatility and
unimagined brilliance. This supernal personality embraces the divine will of
the Son combined with the creative imagination of the Spirit. The thoughts and
acts of the Bright and Morning Star will ever be fully representative of both
the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. Such a being is also capable of a
broad understanding of, and sympathetic contact with, both the spiritual
seraphic hosts and the material evolutionary will creatures.
33:4.4 The Bright and Morning Star is not a creator,
but he is a marvelous administrator, being the personal administrative
representative of the Creator Son. Aside from creation and life impartation
the Son and the Spirit never confer upon important universe procedures without
Gabriel's presence.
33:4.5 Gabriel of Salvington is the chief executive
of the universe of Nebadon and the arbiter of all executive appeals respecting
its administration. This universe executive was created fully endowed for his
work, but he has gained experience with the growth and evolution of our local
creation.
33:4.6 Gabriel is the chief officer of execution for
superuniverse mandates relating to nonpersonal affairs in the local universe.
Most matters pertaining to mass judgment and dispensational resurrections,
adjudicated by the Ancients of Days, are also delegated to Gabriel and his
staff for execution. Gabriel is thus the combined chief executive of both the
super- and the local universe rulers. He has at his command an able corps of
administrative assistants, created for their special work, who are unrevealed
to evolutionary mortals. In addition to these assistants, Gabriel may employ
any and all of the orders of celestial beings functioning in Nebadon, and he
is also the commander in chief of "the armies of heaven" -- the celestial
hosts.
33:4.7 Gabriel and his staff are not teachers; they
are administrators. They were never known to depart from their regular work
except when Michael was incarnated on a creature bestowal. During such
bestowals Gabriel was ever attendant on the will of the incarnated Son, and
with the collaboration of the Union of Days, he became the actual director of
universe affairs during the later bestowals. Gabriel has been closely
identified with the history and development of Urantia ever since the mortal
bestowal of Michael.
33:4.8 Aside from meeting Gabriel on the bestowal
worlds and at the times of general- and special-resurrection roll calls,
mortals will seldom encounter him as they ascend through the local universe
until they are inducted into the administrative work of the local creation. As
administrators, of whatever order or degree, you will come under the direction
of Gabriel.
5. THE TRINITY AMBASSADORS
33:5.1 The administration of Trinity-origin
personalities ends with the government of the superuniverses. The local
universes are characterized by dual supervision, the beginning of the
father-mother concept. The universe father is the Creator Son; the universe
mother is the Divine Minister, the local universe Creative Spirit. Every local
universe is, however, blessed with the presence of certain personalities from
the central universe and Paradise. At the head of this Paradise group in
Nebadon is the ambassador of the Paradise Trinity -- Immanuel of Salvington --
the Union of Days assigned to the local universe of Nebadon. In a certain
sense this high Trinity Son is also the personal representative of the
Universal Father to the court of the Creator Son; hence his name,
Immanuel.
33:5.2 Immanuel of Salvington, number 611,121 of the
sixth order of Supreme Trinity Personalities, is a being of sublime dignity
and of such superb condescension that he refuses the worship and adoration of
all living creatures. He bears the distinction of being the only personality
in all Nebadon who has never acknowledged subordination to his brother
Michael. He functions as adviser to the Sovereign Son but gives counsel only
on request. In the absence of the Creator Son he might preside over any high
universe council but would not otherwise participate in the executive affairs
of the universe except as requested.
33:5.3 This ambassador of Paradise to Nebadon is not
subject to the jurisdiction of the local universe government. Neither does he
exercise authoritative jurisdiction in the executive affairs of an evolving
local universe except in the supervision of his liaison brethren, the
Faithfuls of Days, serving on the headquarters of the
constellations.
33:5.4 The Faithfuls of Days, like the Union of
Days, never proffer advice or offer assistance to the constellation rulers
unless it is asked for. These Paradise ambassadors to the constellations
represent the final personal presence of the Stationary Sons of the Trinity
functioning in advisory roles in the local universes. Constellations are more
closely related to the superuniverse administration than local systems, which
are administered exclusively by personalities native to the local universe.
6. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
33:6.1 Gabriel is the chief executive and actual
administrator of Nebadon. Michael's absence from Salvington in no way
interferes with the orderly conduct of universe affairs. During the absence of
Michael, as recently on the mission of reunion of Orvonton Master Sons on
Paradise, Gabriel is the regent of the universe. At such times Gabriel always
seeks the counsel of Immanuel of Salvington regarding all major
problems.
33:6.2 The Father Melchizedek is Gabriel's first
assistant. When the Bright and Morning Star is absent from Salvington, his
responsibilities are assumed by this original Melchizedek Son.
33:6.3 The various subadministrations of the
universe have assigned to them certain special domains of responsibility.
While, in general, a system government looks after the welfare of its planets,
it is more particularly concerned with the physical status of living beings,
with biologic problems. In turn, the constellation rulers pay especial
attention to the social and governmental conditions prevailing on the
different planets and systems. A constellation government is chiefly exercised
over unification and stabilization. Still higher up, the universe rulers are
more occupied with the spiritual status of the realms.
33:6.4 Ambassadors are appointed by judicial decree
and represent universes to other universes. Consuls are representatives of
constellations to one another and to the universe headquarters; they are
appointed by legislative decree and function only within the confines of the
local universe. Observers are commissioned by executive decree of a System
Sovereign to represent that system to other systems and at the constellation
capital, and they, too, function only within the confines of the local
universe.
33:6.5 From Salvington, broadcasts are
simultaneously directed to the constellation headquarters, the system
headquarters, and to individual planets. All higher orders of celestial beings
are able to utilize this service for communication with their fellows
scattered throughout the universe. The universe broadcast is extended to all
inhabited worlds regardless of their spiritual status. Planetary
intercommunication is denied only those worlds under spiritual
quarantine.
33:6.6 Constellation broadcasts are periodically
sent out from the headquarters of the constellation by the chief of the
Constellation Fathers.
33:6.7 Chronology is reckoned, computed, and
rectified by a special group of beings on Salvington. The standard day of
Nebadon is equal to eighteen days and six hours of Urantia time, plus two and
one-half minutes. The Nebadon year consists of a segment of the time of
universe swing in relation to the Uversa circuit and is equal to one hundred
days of standard universe time, about five years of Urantia time.
33:6.8 Nebadon time, broadcast from Salvington, is
the standard for all constellations and systems in this local universe. Each
constellation conducts its affairs by Nebadon time, but the systems maintain
their own chronology, as do the individual planets.
33:6.9 The day in Satania, as reckoned on Jerusem,
is a little less (1 hour, 4 minutes, 15 seconds) than three days of Urantia
time. These times are generally known as Salvington or universe time, and
Satania or system time. Standard time is universe time.
7. THE COURTS OF NEBADON
33:7.1 The Master Son, Michael, is supremely
concerned with but three things: creation, sustenance, and ministry. He does
not personally participate in the judicial work of the universe. Creators
never sit in judgment on their creatures; that is the exclusive function of
creatures of high training and actual creature experience.
33:7.2 The entire judicial mechanism of Nebadon is
under the supervision of Gabriel. The high courts, located on Salvington, are
occupied with problems of general universe import and with the appellate cases
coming up from the system tribunals. There are seventy branches of these
universe courts, and they function in seven divisions of ten sections each. In
all matters of adjudication there presides a dual magistracy consisting of one
judge of perfection antecedents and one magistrate of ascendant
experience.
33:7.3 As regards jurisdiction, the local universe
courts are limited in the following matters:
33:7.4 1. The administration of the local universe
is concerned with creation, evolution, maintenance, and ministry. The universe
tribunals are, therefore, denied the right to pass upon those cases involving
the question of eternal life and death. This has no reference to natural death
as it obtains on Urantia, but if the question of the right of continued
existence, life eternal, comes up for adjudication, it must be referred to the
tribunals of Orvonton, and if decided adversely to the individual, all
sentences of extinction are carried out upon the orders, and through the
agencies, of the rulers of the supergovernment.
33:7.5 2. The default or defection of any of the
Local Universe Sons of God which jeopardizes their status and authority as
Sons is never adjudicated in the tribunals of a Son; such a misunderstanding
would be immediately carried to the superuniverse courts.
33:7.6 3. The question of the readmission of any
constituent part of a local universe -- such as a local system -- to the
fellowship of full spiritual status in the local creation subsequent to
spiritual isolation must be concurred in by the high assembly of the
superuniverse.
33:7.7 In all other matters the courts of Salvington
are final and supreme. There is no appeal and no escape from their decisions
and decrees.
33:7.8 However unfairly human contentions may
sometimes appear to be adjudicated on Urantia, in the universe justice and
divine equity do prevail. You are living in a well-ordered universe, and
sooner or later you may depend upon being dealt with justly, even mercifully.
8. THE LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS
33:8.1 On Salvington, the headquarters of Nebadon,
there are no true legislative bodies. The universe headquarters worlds are
concerned largely with adjudication. The legislative assemblies of the local
universe are located on the headquarters of the one hundred constellations.
The systems are chiefly concerned with the executive and administrative work
of the local creations. The System Sovereigns and their associates enforce the
legislative mandates of the constellation rulers and execute the judicial
decrees of the high courts of the universe.
33:8.2 While true legislation is not enacted at the
universe headquarters, there do function on Salvington a variety of advisory
and research assemblies, variously constituted and conducted in accordance
with their scope and purpose. Some are permanent; others disband upon the
accomplishment of their objective.
33:8.3 The supreme council of the local
universe is made up of three members from each system and seven
representatives from each constellation. Systems in isolation do not have
representation in this assembly, but they are permitted to send observers who
attend and study all its deliberations.
33:8.4 The one hundred councils of supreme
sanction are also situated on Salvington. The presidents of these councils
constitute the immediate working cabinet of Gabriel.
33:8.5 All findings of the high universe advisory
councils are referred either to the Salvington judicial bodies or to the
legislative assemblies of the constellations. These high councils are without
authority or power to enforce their recommendations. If their advice is
founded on the fundamental laws of the universe, then will the Nebadon courts
issue rulings of execution; but if their recommendations have to do with local
or emergency conditions, they must pass down to the legislative assemblies of
the constellation for deliberative enactment and then to the system
authorities for execution. These high councils are, in reality, the universe
superlegislatures, but they function without the authority of enactment and
without the power of execution.
33:8.6 While we speak of universe administration in
terms of "courts" and "assemblies," it should be understood that these
spiritual transactions are very different from the more primitive and material
activities of Urantia which bear corresponding names.
33:8.7 Presented by
the Chief of the Archangels of Nebadon.
