PAPER 37
PERSONALITIES OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
37:0.1 AT THE head of all personality in Nebadon
stands the Creator and Master Son, Michael, the universe father and sovereign.
Co-ordinate in divinity and complemental in creative attributes is the local
universe Mother Spirit, the Divine Minister of Salvington. And these creators
are in a very literal sense the Father-Son and the Spirit-Mother of all the
native creatures of Nebadon.
37:0.2 Preceding papers have dealt with the created
orders of sonship; succeeding narratives will portray the ministering spirits
and the ascending orders of sonship. This paper is chiefly concerned with an
intervening group, the Universe Aids, but it will also give brief
consideration to certain of the higher spirits stationed in Nebadon and to
certain of the orders of permanent citizenship in the local universe.
1. THE UNIVERSE AIDS
37:1.1 Many of the unique orders generally grouped
in this category are unrevealed, but as presented in these papers, the
Universe Aids include the following seven orders:
1. Bright and Morning Stars.
2. Brilliant Evening Stars.
3. Archangels.
4. Most High Assistants.
5. High Commissioners.
6. Celestial Overseers.
7. Mansion World Teachers.
37:1.2 Of the first order of Universe Aids, the
Bright and Morning Stars, there is just one in each local universe, and he is
the first-born of all creatures native to a local universe. The Bright and
Morning Star of our universe is known as Gabriel of Salvington. He is the
chief executive of all Nebadon, functioning as the personal representative of
the Sovereign Son and as spokesman for his creative consort.
37:1.3 During the earlier times of Nebadon, Gabriel
worked quite alone with Michael and the Creative Spirit. As the universe grew
and administrative problems multiplied, he was provided with a personal staff
of unrevealed assistants, and eventually this group was augmented by the
creation of the Nebadon corps of Evening Stars.
2. THE BRILLIANT EVENING STARS
37:2.1 These brilliant creatures were planned by the
Melchizedeks and were then brought into being by the Creator Son and the
Creative Spirit. They serve in many capacities but chiefly as liaison officers
of Gabriel, the local universe chief executive. One or more of these beings
function as his representatives at the capital of every constellation and
system in Nebadon.
37:2.2 As chief executive of Nebadon, Gabriel is ex
officio chairman of, or observer at, most of the Salvington conclaves, and as
many as one thousand of these are often in session simultaneously. The
Brilliant Evening Stars represent Gabriel on these occasions; he cannot be in
two places at the same time, and these superangels compensate for this
limitation. They perform an analogous service for the corps of the Trinity
Teacher Sons.
37:2.3 Though personally occupied with
administrative duties, Gabriel maintains contact with all other phases of
universe life and affairs through the Brilliant Evening Stars. They always
accompany him on his planetary tours and frequently go on special missions to
the individual planets as his personal representatives. On such assignments
they have sometimes been known as "the angel of the Lord." They frequently go
to Uversa to represent the Bright and Morning Star before the courts and
assemblies of the Ancients of Days, but they seldom journey beyond the
confines of Orvonton.
37:2.4 The Brilliant Evening Stars are a unique
twofold order, embracing some of created dignity and others of attained
service. The Nebadon corps of these superangels now numbers 13,641. There are
4,832 of created dignity, while 8,809 are ascendant spirits who have attained
this goal of exalted service. Many of these ascendant Evening Stars started
their universe careers as seraphim; others have ascended from unrevealed
levels of creature life. As an attainment goal this high corps is never closed
to ascension candidates so long as a universe is not settled in light and
life.
37:2.5 Both types of Brilliant Evening Stars are
easily visible to morontia personalities and certain types of supermortal
material beings. The created beings of this interesting and versatile order
possess a spirit force which can be manifested independently of their personal
presence.
37:2.6 The head of these superangels is Gavalia, the
first-born of this order in Nebadon. Since the return of Christ Michael from
his triumphant bestowal on Urantia, Gavalia has been assigned to the ascendant
mortal ministry, and for the last nineteen hundred Urantia years his
associate, Galantia, has maintained headquarters on Jerusem, where he spends
about half of his time. Galantia is the first of the ascendant superangels to
attain this high estate.
37:2.7 No grouping or company organization of the
Brilliant Evening Stars exists other than their customary association in pairs
on many assignments. They are not extensively assigned on missions pertaining
to the ascendant career of mortals, but when thus commissioned, they never
function alone. They always work in pairs -- one a created being, the other an
ascendant Evening Star.
37:2.8 One of the high duties of the Evening Stars
is to accompany the Avonal bestowal Sons on their planetary missions, even as
Gabriel accompanied Michael on his Urantia bestowal. The two attending
superangels are the ranking personalities of such missions, serving as
cocommanders of the archangels and all others assigned to these undertakings.
It is the senior of these superangel commanders who, at the significant time
and age, bids the Avonal bestowal Son, "Be about your brother's
business."
37:2.9 Similar pairs of these superangels are
assigned to the planetary corps of Trinity Teacher Sons that functions to
establish the postbestowal or dawning spiritual age of an inhabited world. On
such assignments the Evening Stars serve as liaisons between the mortals of
the realm and the invisible corps of Teacher Sons.
37:2.10 The Worlds of the Evening Stars. The
sixth group of seven Salvington worlds and their forty-two tributary
satellites are assigned to the administration of the Brilliant Evening Stars.
The seven primary worlds are presided over by the created orders of these
superangels, while the tributary satellites are administered by ascendant
Evening Stars.
37:2.11 The satellites of the first three worlds are
devoted to the schools of the Teacher Sons and the Evening Stars dedicated to
the spirit personalities of the local universe. The next three groups are
occupied by similar joint schools devoted to the training of ascending
mortals. The seventh-world satellites are reserved for the triune
deliberations of the Teacher Sons, the Evening Stars, and the finaliters.
During recent times these superangels have been closely identified with the
local universe work of the Corps of the Finality, and they have long been
associated with the Teacher Sons. There exists a liaison of tremendous power
and import between the Evening Stars and the Gravity Messengers attached to
the finaliter working groups. The seventh primary world itself is reserved for
those unrevealed matters which pertain to the future relationship that will
obtain between the Teacher Sons, the finaliters, and the Evening Stars
consequent upon the completed emergence of the superuniverse manifestation of
the personality of God the Supreme.
3. THE ARCHANGELS
37:3.1 Archangels are the offspring of the Creator
Son and the Universe Mother Spirit. They are the highest type of high spirit
being produced in large numbers in a local universe, and at the time of the
last registry there were almost eight hundred thousand in Nebadon.
37:3.2 Archangels are one of the few groups of local
universe personalities who are not normally under the jurisdiction of Gabriel.
They are not in any manner concerned with the routine administration of the
universe, being dedicated to the work of creature survival and to the
furtherance of the ascending career of the mortals of time and space. While
not ordinarily subject to the direction of the Bright and Morning Star, the
archangels do sometimes function by his authority. They also collaborate with
others of the Universe Aids, such as the Evening Stars, as is illustrated by
certain transactions depicted in the narrative of life transplantation on your
world.
37:3.3 The archangel corps of Nebadon is directed by
the first-born of this order, and in more recent times a divisional
headquarters of the archangels has been maintained on Urantia. It is this
unusual fact that soon arrests the attention of extra-Nebadon student
visitors. Among their early observations of intrauniverse transactions is the
discovery that many ascendant activities of the Brilliant Evening Stars are
directed from the capital of a local system, Satania. On further examination
they discover that certain archangel activities are directed from a small and
apparently insignificant inhabited world called Urantia. And then ensues the
revelation of Michael's bestowal on Urantia and their immediately quickened
interest in you and your lowly sphere.
37:3.4 Do you grasp the significance of the fact
that your lowly and confused planet has become a divisional headquarters for
the universe administration and direction of certain archangel activities
having to do with the Paradise ascension scheme? This undoubtedly presages the
future concentration of other ascendant activities on the bestowal world of
Michael and lends a tremendous and solemn import to the Master's personal
promise, "I will come again."
37:3.5 In general, the archangels are assigned to
the service and ministry of the Avonal order of sonship, but not until they
have passed through extensive preliminary training in all phases of the work
of the various ministering spirits. A corps of one hundred accompanies every
Paradise bestowal Son to an inhabited world, being temporarily assigned to him
for the duration of such a bestowal. If the Magisterial Son should become
temporary ruler of the planet, these archangels would act as the directing
heads of all celestial life on that sphere.
37:3.6 Two senior archangels are always assigned as
the personal aids of a Paradise Avonal on all planetary missions, whether
involving judicial actions, magisterial missions, or bestowal incarnations.
When this Paradise Son has finished the judgment of a realm and the dead are
called to record (the so-called resurrection), it is literally true that the
seraphic guardians of the slumbering personalities respond to "the voice of
the archangel." The roll call of a dispensation termination is promulgated by
an attendant archangel. This is the archangel of the resurrection, sometimes
referred to as the "archangel of Michael."
37:3.7 The Worlds of the Archangels. The
seventh group of the encircling Salvington worlds, with their associated
satellites, is assigned to the archangels. Sphere number one and all of its
six tributary satellites are occupied by the personality record keepers. This
enormous corps of recorders busy themselves with keeping straight the record
of each mortal of time from the moment of birth up through the universe career
until such an individual either leaves Salvington for the superuniverse regime
or is "blotted out of recorded existence" by the mandate of the Ancients of
Days.
37:3.8 It is on these worlds that personality
records and identification sureties are classified, filed, and preserved
during that time which intervenes between mortal death and the hour of
repersonalization, the resurrection from death.
4. MOST HIGH ASSISTANTS
37:4.1 The Most High Assistants are a group of
volunteering beings, of origin outside the local universe, who are temporarily
assigned as central and superuniverse representatives to, or observers of, the
local creations. Their number varies constantly but is always far up in the
millions.
37:4.2 From time to time we thus benefit from the
ministry and assistance of such Paradise-origin beings as Perfectors of
Wisdom, Divine Counselors, Universal Censors, Inspired Trinity Spirits,
Trinitized Sons, Solitary Messengers, supernaphim, seconaphim, tertiaphim, and
other gracious ministers, who sojourn with us for the purpose of helping our
native personalities in the effort to bring all Nebadon into fuller harmony
with the ideas of Orvonton and the ideals of Paradise.
37:4.3 Any of these beings may be voluntarily
serving in Nebadon and hence be technically outside our jurisdiction, but when
functioning by assignment, such personalities of the super- and central
universes are not wholly exempt from the regulations of the local universe of
their sojourn, though they continue to function as representatives of the
higher universes and to work in accordance with the instructions which
constitute their mission in our realm. Their general headquarters is situated
in the Salvington sector of the Union of Days, and they operate in Nebadon
subject to the oversupervision of this ambassador of the Paradise Trinity.
When serving in unattached groups, these personalities from the higher realms
are usually self-directing, but when serving on request, they often
voluntarily place themselves wholly under the jurisdiction of the supervising
directors of the realms of assigned function.
37:4.4 Most High Assistants serve in local universe
and in constellation capacities but are not directly attached to the system or
planetary governments. They may, however, function anywhere in the local
universe and may be assigned to any phase of Nebadon activity --
administrative, executive, educational, and others.
37:4.5 Most of this corps is enlisted in assisting
the Nebadon Paradise personalities -- the Union of Days, the Creator Son, the
Faithfuls of Days, the Magisterial Sons, and the Trinity Teacher Sons. Now and
then in the transaction of the affairs of a local creation it becomes wise to
withhold certain details, temporarily, from the knowledge of practically all
of the native personalities of that local universe. Certain advanced plans and
complex rulings are also better grasped and more fully understood by the more
mature and farseeing corps of Most High Assistants, and it is in such
situations, and many others, that they are so highly serviceable to the
universe rulers and administrators.
5. HIGH COMMISSIONERS
37:5.1 The High Commissioners are Spirit-fused
ascendant mortals; they are not Adjuster fused. You quite well understand
about the universe-ascension career of a mortal candidate for Adjuster fusion,
that being the high destiny in prospect for all Urantia mortals since the
bestowal of Christ Michael. But this is not the exclusive destiny of all
mortals in the prebestowal ages of worlds like yours, and there is another
type of world whose inhabitants are never permanently indwelt by Thought
Adjusters. Such mortals are never permanently joined in union with a Mystery
Monitor of Paradise bestowal; nevertheless, the Adjusters do transiently
indwell them, serving as guides and patterns for the duration of the life in
the flesh. During this temporary sojourn they foster the evolution of an
immortal soul just as in those beings with whom they hope to fuse, but when
the mortal race is run, they take eternal leave of the creatures of temporary
association.
37:5.2 Surviving souls of this order attain
immortality by eternal fusion with an individualized fragment of the spirit of
the local universe Mother Spirit. They are not a numerous group, at least not
in Nebadon. On the mansion worlds you will meet and fraternize with these
Spirit-fused mortals as they ascend the Paradise path with you as far as
Salvington, where they stop. Some of them may subsequently ascend to higher
universe levels, but the majority will forever remain in the service of the
local universe; as a class they are not destined to attain
Paradise.
37:5.3 Not being Adjuster fused, they never become
finaliters, but they do eventually become enrolled in the local universe Corps
of Perfection. They have in spirit obeyed the Father's command, "Be you
perfect."
37:5.4 After attaining the Nebadon Corps of
Perfection, Spirit-fused ascenders may accept assignment as Universe Aids,
this being one of the avenues of continuing experiential growth which is open
to them. Thus do they become candidates for commissions to the high service of
interpreting the viewpoints of the evolving creatures of the material worlds
to the celestial authorities of the local universe.
37:5.5 The High Commissioners begin their service on
the planets as race commissioners. In this capacity they interpret the
viewpoints and portray the needs of the various human races. They are
supremely devoted to the welfare of the mortal races whose spokesmen they are,
ever seeking to obtain for them mercy, justice, and fair treatment in all
relationships with other peoples. Race commissioners function in an endless
series of planetary crises and serve as the articulate expression of whole
groups of struggling mortals.
37:5.6 After long experience in problem solving on
the inhabited worlds, these race commissioners are advanced to the higher
levels of function, eventually attaining the status of High Commissioners of
and in the local universe. The last registration recorded slightly over one
and one-half billion of these High Commissioners in Nebadon. These beings are
not finaliters, but they are ascendant beings of long experience and of great
service to their native realm.
37:5.7 We invariably find these commissioners in all
the tribunals of justice, from the lowest to the highest. Not that they
participate in the proceedings of justice, but they do act as friends of the
court, advising the presiding magistrates respecting the antecedents,
environment, and inherent nature of those concerned in the
adjudication.
37:5.8 High Commissioners are attached to the
various messenger hosts of space and always to the ministering spirits of
time. They are encountered on the programs of various universe assemblies, and
these same mortal-wise commissioners are always attached to the missions of
the Sons of God to the worlds of space.
37:5.9 Whenever fairness and justice require an
understanding of how a contemplated policy or procedure would affect the
evolutionary races of time, these commissioners are at hand to present their
recommendations; they are always present to speak for those who cannot be
present to speak for themselves.
37:5.10 The Worlds of the Spirit-fused
Mortals. The eighth group of seven primary worlds and tributary satellites
in the Salvington circuit are the exclusive possession of the Spirit-fused
mortals of Nebadon. Ascending Adjuster-fused mortals are not concerned with
these worlds except to enjoy many pleasant and profitable sojourns as the
invited guests of the Spirit-fused residents.
37:5.11 Except for those few who attain Uversa and
Paradise, these worlds are the permanent residence of the Spirit-fused
survivors. Such designed limitation of mortal ascent reacts to the good of the
local universes by insuring the retention of a permanent evolved population
whose augmenting experience will continue to enhance the future stabilization
and diversification of the local universe administration. These beings may not
attain Paradise, but they achieve an experiential wisdom in the mastery of
Nebadon problems that utterly surpasses anything attained by the transient
ascenders. And these surviving souls continue as unique combinations of the
human and the divine, being increasingly able to unite the viewpoints of these
two widely separate levels and to present such a dual viewpoint with
ever-heightening wisdom.
6. CELESTIAL OVERSEERS
37:6.1 The Nebadon educational system is jointly
administered by the Trinity Teacher Sons and the Melchizedek teaching corps,
but much of the work designed to effect its maintenance and upbuilding is
carried on by the Celestial Overseers. These beings are a recruited corps
embracing all types of individuals connected with the scheme of educating and
training the ascending mortals. There are upward of three million of them in
Nebadon, and they are all volunteers who have qualified by experience to serve
as educational advisers to the entire realm. From their headquarters on the
Salvington worlds of the Melchizedeks, these overseers range the local
universe as inspectors of the Nebadon school technique designed to effect the
mind training and the spirit education of the ascending creatures.
37:6.2 This training of mind and education of spirit
is carried on from the worlds of human origin up through the system mansion
worlds and the other spheres of progress associated with Jerusem, on the
seventy socializing realms attached to Edentia, and on the four hundred and
ninety spheres of spirit progress encircling Salvington. On the universe
headquarters itself are numerous Melchizedek schools, the colleges of the
Universe Sons, the seraphic universities, and the schools of the Teacher Sons
and the Union of Days. Every possible provision is made to qualify the various
personalities of the universe for advancing service and improving function.
The entire universe is one vast school.
37:6.3 The methods employed in many of the higher
schools are beyond the human concept of the art of teaching truth, but this is
the keynote of the whole educational system: character acquired by enlightened
experience. The teachers provide the enlightenment; the universe station and
the ascender's status afford the opportunity for experience; the wise
utilization of these two augments character.
37:6.4 Fundamentally, the Nebadon educational system
provides for your assignment to a task and then affords you opportunity to
receive instruction as to the ideal and divine method of best performing that
task. You are given a definite task to perform, and at the same time you are
provided with teachers who are qualified to instruct you in the best method of
executing your assignment. The divine plan of education provides for the
intimate association of work and instruction. We teach you how best to execute
the things we command you to do.
37:6.5 The purpose of all this training and
experience is to prepare you for admission to the higher and more spiritual
training spheres of the superuniverse. Progress within a given realm is
individual, but transition from one phase to another is usually by
classes.
37:6.6 The progression of eternity does not consist
solely in spiritual development. Intellectual acquisition is also a part of
universal education. The experience of the mind is broadened equally with the
expansion of the spiritual horizon. Mind and spirit are afforded like
opportunities for training and advancement. But in all this superb training of
mind and spirit you are forever free from the handicaps of mortal flesh. No
longer must you constantly referee the conflicting contentions of your
divergent spiritual and material natures. At last you are qualified to enjoy
the unified urge of a glorified mind long since divested of primitive
animalistic trends towards things material.
37:6.7 Before leaving the universe of Nebadon, most
Urantia mortals will be afforded opportunity to serve for a longer or shorter
time as members of the Nebadon corps of Celestial Overseers.
7. MANSION WORLD TEACHERS
37:7.1 The Mansion World Teachers are recruited and
glorified cherubim. Like most other instructors in Nebadon they are
commissioned by the Melchizedeks. They function in most of the educational
enterprises of the morontia life, and their number is quite beyond the
comprehension of mortal mind.
37:7.2 As an attainment level of cherubim and
sanobim, the Mansion World Teachers will receive further consideration in the
next paper, while as teachers playing an important part in the morontia life,
they will be more extensively discussed in the paper of that name.
8. HIGHER SPIRIT ORDERS OF ASSIGNMENT
37:8.1 Besides the power centers and the physical
controllers, certain of the higher-origin spirit beings of the family of the
Infinite Spirit are of permanent assignment to the local universe. Of the
higher spirit orders of the family of the Infinite Spirit the following are so
assigned:
37:8.2 The Solitary Messengers, when
functionally attached to the local universe administration, render invaluable
service to us in our efforts to overcome the handicaps of time and space. When
they are not thus assigned, we of the local universes have absolutely no
authority over them, but even then these unique beings are always willing to
help us with the solution of our problems and with the execution of our
mandates.
37:8.3 Andovontia is the name of the secondary
Universe Circuit Supervisor stationed in our local universe. He is
concerned only with spirit and morontia circuits, not with those under the
jurisdiction of the power directors. It was he who isolated Urantia at the
time of the Caligastia betrayal of the planet during the testing seasons of
the Lucifer rebellion. In sending greetings to the mortals of Urantia, he
expresses pleasure in the anticipation of your sometime restoration to the
universe circuits of his supervision.
37:8.4 The Nebadon Census Director, Salsatia,
maintains headquarters within the Gabriel sector of Salvington. He is
automatically cognizant of the birth and death of will and currently registers
the exact number of will creatures functioning in the local universe. He works
in close association with the personality recorders domiciled on the record
worlds of the archangels.
37:8.5 An Associate Inspector is resident on
Salvington. He is the personal representative of the Supreme Executive of
Orvonton. His associates, the Assigned Sentinels in the local systems,
are also representatives of the Supreme Executive of Orvonton.
37:8.6 The Universal Conciliators are the
traveling courts of the universes of time and space, functioning from the
evolutionary worlds up through every section of the local universe and on
beyond. These referees are registered on Uversa; the exact number operating in
Nebadon is not of record, but I estimate that there are in the neighborhood of
one hundred million conciliating commissions in our local universe.
37:8.7 Of the Technical Advisers, the legal
minds of the realm, we have our quota, about one-half billion. These beings
are the living and circulating experiential law libraries of all
space.
37:8.8 Of the Celestial Recorders, the
ascendant seraphim, we have in Nebadon seventy-five. These are the senior or
supervising recorders. The advancing students of this order in training number
almost four billion.
37:8.9 The ministry of the seventy billion
Morontia Companions in Nebadon is described in those narratives dealing
with the transition planets of the pilgrims of time.
37:8.10 Each universe has its own native angelic
corps; nevertheless, there are occasions on which it is very helpful to have
the assistance of those higher spirits of origin outside the local creation.
Supernaphim perform certain rare and unique services; the present chief of
Urantia seraphim is a primary supernaphim of Paradise. The reflective
seconaphim are encountered wherever the superuniverse personnel is
functioning, and a great many tertiaphim are of temporary service as Most High
Assistants.
9. PERMANENT CITIZENS OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
37:9.1 As with the super- and central universes, the
local universe has its orders of permanent citizenship. These include the
following created types:
1. Susatia.
2. Univitatia.
3. Material Sons.
4. Midway Creatures.
37:9.2 These natives of the local creation, together
with the Spirit-fused ascenders and the spironga (who are otherwise
classified), constitute a relatively permanent citizenship. These orders of
beings are by and large neither ascending nor descending. They are all
experiential creatures, but their enlarging experience continues to be
available to the universe on their level of origin. While this is not wholly
true of the Adamic Sons and midway creatures, it is relatively true of these
orders.
37:9.3 The Susatia. These marvelous beings
reside and function as permanent citizens on Salvington, the headquarters of
this local universe. They are the brilliant offspring of the Creator Son and
Creative Spirit and are closely associated with the ascendant citizens of the
local universe, the Spirit-fused mortals of the Nebadon Corps of Perfection.
37:9.4 The Univitatia. Each of the one
hundred constellation headquarters clusters of architectural spheres enjoys
the continuous ministry of a residential order of beings known as the
univitatia. These children of the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit
constitute the permanent population of the constellation headquarters worlds.
They are nonreproducing beings existing on a plane of life about halfway
between the semimaterial status of the Material Sons domiciled on the system
headquarters and the more definitely spiritual plane of the Spirit-fused
mortals and the susatia of Salvington; but the univitatia are not morontia
beings. They accomplish for ascending mortals during the traversal of the
constellation spheres what the Havona natives contribute to the pilgrim
spirits passing through the central creation.
37:9.5 The Material Sons of God. When a
creative liaison between the Creator Son and the universe representative of
the Infinite Spirit, the Universe Mother Spirit, has completed its cycle, when
no more offspring of the combined nature are forthcoming, then does the
Creator Son personalize in dual form his last concept of being, thus finally
confirming his own and original dual origin. In and of himself he then creates
the beautiful and superb Sons and Daughters of the material order of universe
sonship. This is the origin of the original Adam and Eve of each local system
of Nebadon. They are a reproducing order of sonship, being created male and
female. Their progeny function as the relatively permanent citizens of a
system capital, though some are commissioned as Planetary Adams.
37:9.6 On a planetary mission the Material Son and
Daughter are commissioned to found the Adamic race of that world, a race
designed eventually to amalgamate with the mortal inhabitants of that sphere.
Planetary Adams are both descending and ascending Sons, but we ordinarily
class them as ascending.
37:9.7 The Midway Creatures. In the early
days of most inhabited worlds, certain superhuman but materialized beings are
of assignment, but they usually retire upon the arrival of the Planetary
Adams. The transactions of such beings and the efforts of the Material Sons to
improve the evolutionary races often result in the appearance of a limited
number of creatures who are difficult to classify. These unique beings are
often midway between the Material Sons and the evolutionary creatures; hence
their designation, midway creatures. In a comparative sense these midwayers
are the permanent citizens of the evolutionary worlds. From the early days of
the arrival of a Planetary Prince to the far-distant time of the settling of
the planet in light and life, they are the only group of intelligent beings to
remain continuously on the sphere. On Urantia the midway ministers are in
reality the actual custodians of the planet; they are, practically speaking,
the citizens of Urantia. Mortals are indeed the physical and material
inhabitants of an evolutionary world, but you are all so short-lived; you
tarry on your nativity planet such a short time. You are born, live, die, and
pass on to other worlds of evolutionary progression. Even the superhuman
beings who serve on the planets as celestial ministers are of transient
assignment; few of them are long attached to a given sphere. The midway
creatures, however, provide continuity of planetary administration in the face
of ever-changing celestial ministries and constantly shifting mortal
inhabitants. Throughout all of this never-ceasing changing and shifting, the
midway creatures remain on the planet uninterruptedly carrying on their work.
37:9.8 In like manner, all divisions of the
administrative organization of the local universes and superuniverses have
their more or less permanent populations, inhabitants of citizenship status.
As Urantia has its midwayers, Jerusem, your system capital, has the Material
Sons and Daughters; Edentia, your constellation headquarters, has the
univitatia, while the citizens of Salvington are twofold, the created susatia
and the evolved Spirit-fused mortals. The administrative worlds of the minor
and major sectors of the superuniverses do not have permanent citizens. But
the Uversa headquarters spheres are continuously fostered by an amazing group
of beings known as the abandonters, the creation of the unrevealed
agents of the Ancients of Days and the seven Reflective Spirits resident on
the capital of Orvonton. These residential citizens on Uversa are at present
administering the routine affairs of their world under the immediate
supervision of the Uversa corps of the Son-fused mortals. Even Havona has its
native beings, and the central Isle of Light and Life is the home of the
various groups of Paradise Citizens.
10. OTHER LOCAL UNIVERSE GROUPS
37:10.1 Besides the seraphic and mortal orders, who
will be considered in later papers, there are numerous additional beings
concerned in the maintenance and perfecting of such a gigantic organization as
the universe of Nebadon, which even now has more than three million inhabited
worlds, with ten million in prospect. The various Nebadon types of life are
much too numerous to be catalogued in this paper, but there are two unusual
orders that function extensively on the 647,591 architectural spheres of the
local universe, that may be mentioned.
37:10.2 The Spironga are the spirit offspring
of the Bright and Morning Star and the Father Melchizedek. They are exempt
from personality termination but are not evolutionary or ascending beings.
Neither are they functionally concerned with the evolutionary ascension
regime. They are the spirit helpers of the local universe, executing the
routine spirit tasks of Nebadon.
37:10.3 The Spornagia. The architectural
headquarters worlds of the local universe are real worlds -- physical
creations. There is much work connected with their physical upkeep, and herein
we have the assistance of a group of physical creatures called spornagia. They
are devoted to the care and culture of the material phases of these
headquarters worlds, from Jerusem to Salvington. Spornagia are neither spirits
nor persons; they are an animal order of existence, but if you could see them,
you would agree that they seem to be perfect animals.
37:10.4 The various courtesy colonies are
domiciled on Salvington and elsewhere. We especially profit from the ministry
of the celestial artisans on the constellations and benefit from the
activities of the reversion directors, who operate chiefly on the capitals of
the local systems.
37:10.5 Always there is attached to the universe
service a corps of ascending mortals, including the glorified midway
creatures. These ascenders, after attaining Salvington, are used in an almost
endless variety of activities in the conduct of universe affairs. From each
level of achievement these advancing mortals reach back and down to extend a
helping hand to their fellows who follow them in the upward climb. Such
mortals of temporary sojourn on Salvington are assigned on requisition to
practically all corps of celestial personalities as helpers, students,
observers, and teachers.
37:10.6 There are still other types of intelligent
life concerned with the administration of a local universe, but the plan of
this narrative does not provide for the further revelation of these orders of
creation. Enough of the life and administration of this universe is being
herewith portrayed to afford the mortal mind a grasp of the reality and
grandeur of the survival existence. Further experience in your advancing
careers will increasingly reveal these interesting and charming beings. This
narrative cannot be more than a brief outline of the nature and work of the
manifold personalities who throng the universes of space administering these
creations as enormous training schools, schools wherein the pilgrims of time
advance from life to life and from world to world until they are lovingly
dispatched from the borders of the universe of their origin to the higher
educational regime of the superuniverse and thence on to the spirit-training
worlds of Havona and eventually to Paradise and the high destiny of the
finaliters -- the eternal assignment on missions not yet revealed to the
universes of time and space.
37:10.7 Dictated by
a Brilliant Evening Star of Nebadon, Number 1,146 of the Created
Corps.
