PAPER 55
THE SPHERES OF LIGHT AND LIFE
55:0.1 THE age of light and life is the final
evolutionary attainment of a world of time and space. From the early times of
primitive man, such an inhabited world has passed through the successive
planetary ages -- the pre- and the post-Planetary Prince ages, the post-Adamic
age, the post-Magisterial Son age, and the postbestowal Son age. And then is
such a world made ready for the culminating evolutionary attainment, the
settled status of light and life, by the ministry of the successive planetary
missions of the Trinity Teacher Sons with their ever-advancing revelations of
divine truth and cosmic wisdom. In these endeavors the Teacher Sons enjoy the
assistance of the Brilliant Evening Stars always, and the Melchizedeks
sometimes, in establishing the final planetary age.
55:0.2 This era of light and life, inaugurated by
the Teacher Sons at the conclusion of their final planetary mission, continues
indefinitely on the inhabited worlds. Each advancing stage of settled status
may be segregated by the judicial actions of the Magisterial Sons into a
succession of dispensations; but all such judicial actions are purely
technical, in no way modifying the course of planetary events.
55:0.3 Only those planets which attain existence in
the main circuits of the superuniverse are assured of continuous survival, but
as far as we know, these worlds settled in light and life are destined to go
on throughout the eternal ages of all future time.
55:0.4 There are seven stages in the unfoldment of
the era of light and life on an evolutionary world, and in this connection it
should be noted that the worlds of the Spirit-fused mortals evolve along lines
identical with those of the Adjuster-fusion series. These seven stages of
light and life are:
1. The first or planetary stage.
2. The second or system stage.
3. The third or constellation stage.
4. The fourth or local universe stage.
5. The fifth or minor sector stage.
6. The sixth or major sector stage.
7. The seventh or superuniverse stage.
55:0.5 At the conclusion of this narrative these
stages of advancing development are described as they relate to the universe
organization, but the planetary values of any stage may be attained by any
world quite independent of the development of other worlds or of the
superplanetary levels of universe administration.
1. THE MORONTIA TEMPLE
55:1.1 The presence of a morontia temple at the
capital of an inhabited world is the certificate of the admission of such a
sphere to the settled ages of light and life. Before the Teacher Sons leave a
world at the conclusion of their terminal mission, they inaugurate this final
epoch of evolutionary attainment; they preside on that day when the "holy
temple comes down upon earth." This event, signalizing the dawn of the era of
light and life, is always honored by the personal presence of the Paradise
bestowal Son of that planet, who comes to witness this great day. There in
this temple of unparalleled beauty, this bestowal Son of Paradise proclaims
the long-time Planetary Prince as the new Planetary Sovereign and invests such
a faithful Lanonandek Son with new powers and extended authority over
planetary affairs. The System Sovereign is also present and speaks in
confirmation of these pronouncements.
55:1.2 A morontia temple has three parts: Centermost
is the sanctuary of the Paradise bestowal Son. On the right is the seat of the
former Planetary Prince, now Planetary Sovereign; and when present in the
temple, this Lanonandek Son is visible to the more spiritual individuals of
the realm. On the left is the seat of the acting chief of finaliters attached
to the planet.
55:1.3 Although the planetary temples have been
spoken of as "coming down from heaven," in reality no actual material is
transported from the system headquarters. The architecture of each is worked
out in miniature on the system capital, and the Morontia Power Supervisors
subsequently bring these approved plans to the planet. Here, in association
with the Master Physical Controllers, they proceed to build the morontia
temple according to specifications.
55:1.4 The average morontia temple seats about three
hundred thousand spectators. These edifices are not used for worship, play, or
for receiving broadcasts; they are devoted to the special ceremonies of the
planet, such as: communications with the System Sovereign or with the Most
Highs, special visualization ceremonies designed to reveal the personality
presence of spirit beings, and silent cosmic contemplation. The schools of
cosmic philosophy here conduct their graduation exercises, and here also do
the mortals of the realm receive planetary recognition for achievements of
high social service and for other outstanding attainments.
55:1.5 Such a morontia temple also serves as the
place of assembly for witnessing the translation of living mortals to the
morontia existence. It is because the translation temple is composed of
morontia material that it is not destroyed by the blazing glory of the
consuming fire which so completely obliterates the physical bodies of those
mortals who therein experience final fusion with their divine Adjusters. On a
large world these departure flares are almost continuous, and as the number of
translations increases, subsidiary morontia life shrines are provided in
different areas of the planet. Not long since I sojourned on a world in the
far north whereon twenty-five morontia shrines were functioning.
55:1.6 On presettled worlds, planets without
morontia temples, these fusion flashes many times occur in the planetary
atmosphere, where the material body of a translation candidate is elevated by
the midway creatures and the physical controllers.
2. DEATH AND TRANSLATION
55:2.1 Natural, physical death is not a mortal
inevitability. The majority of advanced evolutionary beings, citizens on
worlds existing in the final era of light and life, do not die; they are
translated directly from the life in the flesh to the morontia
existence.
55:2.2 This experience of translation from the
material life to the morontia state -- fusion of the immortal soul with the
indwelling Adjuster -- increases in frequency commensurate with the
evolutionary progress of the planet. At first only a few mortals in each age
attain translation levels of spiritual progress, but with the onset of the
successive ages of the Teacher Sons, more and more Adjuster fusions occur
before the termination of the lengthening lives of these progressing mortals;
and by the time of the terminal mission of the Teacher Sons, approximately one
quarter of these superb mortals are exempt from natural death.
55:2.3 Farther along in the era of light and life
the midway creatures or their associates sense the approaching status of
probable soul-Adjuster union and signify this to the destiny guardians, who in
turn communicate these matters to the finaliter group under whose jurisdiction
this mortal may be functioning; then there is issued the summons of the
Planetary Sovereign for such a mortal to resign all planetary duties, bid
farewell to the world of his origin, and repair to the inner temple of the
Planetary Sovereign, there to await morontia transit, the translation flash,
from the material domain of evolution to the morontia level of prespirit
progression.
55:2.4 When the family, friends, and working group
of such a fusion candidate have forgathered in the morontia temple, they are
distributed around the central stage whereon the fusion candidates are
resting, meantime freely conversing with their assembled friends. A circle of
intervening celestial personalities is arranged to protect the material
mortals from the action of the energies manifest at the instant of the "life
flash" which delivers the ascension candidate from the bonds of material
flesh, thereby doing for such an evolutionary mortal everything that natural
death does for those who are thereby delivered from the flesh.
55:2.5 Many fusion candidates may be assembled in
the spacious temple at the same time. And what a beautiful occasion when
mortals thus forgather to witness the ascension of their loved ones in
spiritual flames, and what a contrast to those earlier ages when mortals must
commit their dead to the embrace of the terrestrial elements! The scenes of
weeping and wailing characteristic of earlier epochs of human evolution are
now replaced by ecstatic joy and the sublimest enthusiasm as these God-knowing
mortals bid their loved ones a transient farewell as they are removed from
their material associations by the spiritual fires of consuming grandeur and
ascending glory. On worlds settled in light and life, "funerals" are occasions
of supreme joy, profound satisfaction, and inexpressible hope.
55:2.6 The souls of these progressing mortals are
increasingly filled with faith, hope, and assurance. The spirit permeating
those gathered around the translation shrine resembles that of the joyful
friends and relatives who might assemble at a graduating exercise for one of
their group, or who might come together to witness the conferring of some
great honor upon one of their number. And it would be decidedly helpful if
less advanced mortals could only learn to view natural death with something of
this same cheerfulness and lightheartedness.
55:2.7 Mortal observers can see nothing of their
translated associates subsequent to the fusion flash. Such translated souls
proceed by Adjuster transit direct to the resurrection hall of the appropriate
morontia-training world. These transactions concerned with the translation of
living human beings to the morontia world are supervised by an archangel who
was assigned to such a world on the day when it was first settled in light and
life.
55:2.8 By the time a world attains the fourth stage
of light and life, more than half the mortals leave the planet by translation
from among the living. Such diminishment of death continues on and on, but I
know of no system whose inhabited worlds, even though long settled in life,
are entirely free from natural death as the technique of escape from the bonds
of flesh. And until such a high state of planetary evolution is uniformly
attained, the morontia-training worlds of the local universe must continue in
service as educational and cultural spheres for the evolving morontia
progressors. The elimination of death is theoretically possible, but it has
not yet occurred according to my observation. Perhaps such a status may be
attained during the faraway stretches of the succeeding epochs of the seventh
stage of settled planetary life.
55:2.9 The translated souls of the flowering ages of
the settled spheres do not pass through the mansion worlds. Neither do they
sojourn, as students, on the morontia worlds of the system or constellation.
They do not pass through any of the earlier phases of morontia life. They are
the only ascending mortals who so nearly escape the morontia transition from
material existence to semispirit status. The initial experience of such
Son-seized mortals in the ascension career is in the services of the
progression worlds of the universe headquarters. And from these study worlds
of Salvington they go back as teachers to the very worlds they passed by,
subsequently going on inward to Paradise by the established route of mortal
ascension.
55:2.10 Could you but visit a planet in an advanced
stage of development, you would quickly grasp the reasons for providing for
the differential reception of ascending mortals on the mansion and higher
morontia worlds. You would readily understand that beings passing on from such
highly evolved spheres are prepared to resume their Paradise ascent far in
advance of the average mortal arriving from a disordered and backward world
like Urantia.
55:2.11 No matter from what level of planetary
attainment human beings may ascend to the morontia worlds, the seven mansion
spheres afford them ample opportunity to gain in experience as
teacher-students all of everything which they failed to pass through because
of the advanced status of their native planets.
55:2.12 The universe is unfailing in the application
of these equalizing techniques designed to insure that no ascender shall be
deprived of aught which is essential to his ascension experience.
3. THE GOLDEN AGES
55:3.1 During this age of light and life the world
increasingly prospers under the fatherly rule of the Planetary Sovereign. By
this time the worlds are progressing under the momentum of one language, one
religion, and, on normal spheres, one race. But this age is not perfect. These
worlds still have well-appointed hospitals, homes for the care of the sick.
There still remain the problems of caring for accidental injuries and the
inescapable infirmities attendant upon the decrepitude of old age and the
disorders of senility. Disease has not been entirely vanquished, neither have
the earth animals been subdued in perfection; but such worlds are like
Paradise in comparison with the early times of primitive man during the
pre-Planetary Prince age. You would instinctively describe such a realm --
could you be suddenly transported to a planet in this stage of development --
as heaven on earth.
55:3.2 Human government in the conduct of material
affairs continues to function throughout this age of relative progress and
perfection. The public activities of a world in the first stage of light and
life which I recently visited were financed by the tithing technique. Every
adult worker -- and all able-bodied citizens worked at something -- paid ten
per cent of his income or increase to the public treasury, and it was
disbursed as follows:
55:3.3 1. Three per cent was expended in the
promotion of truth -- science, education, and philosophy.
55:3.4 2. Three per cent was devoted to beauty --
play, social leisure, and art.
55:3.5 3. Three per cent was dedicated to goodness
-- social service, altruism, and religion.
55:3.6 4. One per cent was assigned to the insurance
reserves against the risk of incapacity for labor resultant from accident,
disease, old age, or unpreventable disasters.
55:3.7 The natural resources of this planet were
administered as social possessions, community property.
55:3.8 On this world the highest honor conferred
upon a citizen was the order of "supreme service," being the only degree of
recognition ever to be granted in the morontia temple. This recognition was
bestowed upon those who had long distinguished themselves in some phase of
supermaterial discovery or planetary social service.
55:3.9 The majority of social and administrative
posts were held jointly by men and women. Most of the teaching was also done
jointly; likewise all judicial trusts were discharged by similar associated
couples.
55:3.10 On these superb worlds the childbearing
period is not greatly prolonged. It is not best for too many years to
intervene between the ages of a family of children. When close together in
age, children are able to contribute much more to their mutual training. And
on these worlds they are magnificently trained by the competitive systems of
keen striving in the advanced domains and divisions of diverse achievement in
the mastery of truth, beauty, and goodness. Never fear but that even such
glorified spheres present plenty of evil, real and potential, which is
stimulative of the choosing between truth and error, good and evil, sin and
righteousness.
55:3.11 Nevertheless, there is a certain, inevitable
penalty attaching to mortal existence on such advanced evolutionary planets.
When a settled world progresses beyond the third stage of light and life, all
ascenders are destined, before attaining the minor sector, to receive some
sort of transient assignment on a planet passing through the earlier stages of
evolution.
55:3.12 Each of these successive ages represents
advancing achievements in all phases of planetary attainment. In the initial
age of light the revelation of truth was enlarged to embrace the workings of
the universe of universes, while the Deity study of the second age is the
attempt to master the protean concept of the nature, mission, ministry,
associations, origin, and destiny of the Creator Sons, the first level of God
the Sevenfold.
55:3.13 A planet the size of Urantia, when fairly
well settled, would have about one hundred subadministrative centers. These
subordinate centers would be presided over by one of the following groups of
qualified administrators:
1. Young Material Sons and Daughters brought from
the system headquarters to act as assistants to the ruling Adam and Eve.
2. The progeny of the semimortal staff of the
Planetary Prince who were procreated on certain worlds for this and other
similar responsibilities.
3. The direct planetary progeny of Adam and Eve.
4. Materialized and humanized midway creatures.
5. Mortals of Adjuster-fusion status who, upon
their own petition, are temporarily exempted from translation by the order of
the Personalized Adjuster of universe chieftainship in order that they may
continue on the planet in certain important administrative posts.
6. Specially trained mortals of the planetary
schools of administration who have also received the order of supreme service
of the morontia temple.
7. Certain elective commissions of three properly
qualified citizens who are sometimes chosen by the citizenry by direction of
the Planetary Sovereign in accordance with their special ability to accomplish
some definite task which is needful in that particular planetary sector.
55:3.14 The great handicap confronting Urantia in
the matter of attaining the high planetary destiny of light and life is
embraced in the problems of disease, degeneracy, war, multicolored races, and
multilingualism.
55:3.15 No evolutionary world can hope to progress
beyond the first stage of settledness in light until it has achieved one
language, one religion, and one philosophy. Being of one race greatly
facilitates such achievement, but the many peoples of Urantia do not preclude
the attainment of higher stages.
4. ADMINISTRATIVE READJUSTMENTS
55:4.1 In the successive stages of settled existence
the inhabited worlds make marvelous progress under the wise and sympathetic
administration of the volunteer Corps of the Finality, ascenders of Paradise
attainment who have come back to minister to their brethren in the flesh.
These finaliters are active in co-operation with the Trinity Teacher Sons, but
they do not begin their real participation in world affairs until the morontia
temple appears on earth.
55:4.2 Upon the formal inauguration of the planetary
ministry of the Corps of the Finality, the majority of the celestial hosts
withdraw. But the seraphic guardians of destiny continue their personal
ministry to the progressing mortals in light; indeed such angels come in
ever-increasing numbers throughout the settled ages since larger and larger
groups of human beings reach the third cosmic circle of co-ordinate mortal
attainment during the planetary life span.
55:4.3 This is merely the first of the successive
administrative adjustments which attend the unfolding of the successive ages
of increasingly brilliant attainment on the inhabited worlds as they pass from
the first to the seventh stage of settled existence.
55:4.4 1. The first stage of light and life.
A world in this initial settled stage is being administered by three rulers:
a. The Planetary Sovereign, presently to be
advised by a counseling Trinity Teacher Son, in all probability the chief of
the terminal corps of such Sons to function on the planet.
b. The chief of the planetary corps of
finaliters.
c. Adam and Eve, who function jointly as the
unifiers of the dual leadership of the Prince-Sovereign and the chief of
finaliters.
55:4.5 Acting as interpreters for the seraphic
guardians and the finaliters are the exalted and liberated midway creatures.
One of the last acts of the Trinity Teacher Sons on their terminal mission is
to liberate the midwayers of the realm and to promote (or restore) them to
advanced planetary status, assigning them to responsible places in the new
administration of the settled sphere. Such changes have already been made in
the range of human vision as enable mortals to recognize these heretofore
invisible cousins of the early Adamic regime. This is made possible by the
final discoveries of physical science in liaison with the enlarged planetary
functions of the Master Physical Controllers.
55:4.6 The System Sovereign has authority to release
midway creatures any time after the first settled stage so that they may
humanize in the morontia by the aid of the Life Carriers and the physical
controllers and, after receiving Thought Adjusters, start out on their
Paradise ascension.
55:4.7 In the third and subsequent stages, some of
the midwayers are still functioning, chiefly as contact personalities for the
finaliters, but as each stage of light and life is entered, new orders of
liaison ministers largely replace the midwayers; very few of them ever remain
beyond the fourth stage of light. The seventh stage will witness the coming of
the first absonite ministers from Paradise to serve in the places of certain
universe creatures.
55:4.8 2. The second stage of light and life.
This epoch is signalized on the worlds by the arrival of a Life Carrier who
becomes the volunteer adviser of the planetary rulers regarding the further
efforts to purify and stabilize the mortal race. Thus do the Life Carriers
actively participate in the further evolution of the human race -- physically,
socially, and economically. And then they extend their supervision to the
further purification of the mortal stock by the drastic elimination of the
retarded and persisting remnants of inferior potential of an intellectual,
philosophic, cosmic, and spiritual nature. Those who design and plant life on
an inhabited world are fully competent to advise the Material Sons and
Daughters, who have full and unquestioned authority to purge the evolving race
of all detrimental influences.
55:4.9 From the second stage on throughout the
career of a settled planet the Teacher Sons serve as counselors to the
finaliters. During such missions they serve as volunteers and not by
assignment; and they serve exclusively with the finaliter corps except that,
upon the consent of the System Sovereign, they may be had as advisers to the
Planetary Adam and Eve.
55:4.10 3. The third stage of light and life.
During this epoch the inhabited worlds arrive at a new appreciation of the
Ancients of Days, the second phase of God the Sevenfold, and the
representatives of these superuniverse rulers enter into new relationships
with the planetary administration.
55:4.11 In each succeeding age of settled existence
the finaliters function in ever-increasing capacities. There exists a close
working connection between the finaliters, the Evening Stars (the
superangels), and the Trinity Teacher Sons.
55:4.12 During this or the following age a Teacher
Son, assisted by the ministering-spirit quartette, becomes attached to the
elective mortal chief executive, who now becomes associated with the Planetary
Sovereign as joint administrator of world affairs. These mortal chief
executives serve for twenty-five years of planetary time, and it is this new
development that makes it easy for the Planetary Adam and Eve to secure
release from their world of long-time assignment during the following
ages.
55:4.13 The ministering-spirit quartettes consist
of: the seraphic chief of the sphere, the superuniverse secoraphic counselor,
the archangel of translations, and the omniaphim who functions as the personal
representative of the Assigned Sentinel stationed on the system headquarters.
But these advisers never proffer counsel unless it is asked for.
55:4.14 4. The fourth stage of light and
life. On the worlds the Trinity Teacher Sons appear in new roles. Assisted
by the creature-trinitized sons so long associated with their order, they now
come to the worlds as volunteer counselors and advisers to the Planetary
Sovereign and his associates. Such couples -- Paradise-Havona-trinitized sons
and ascender-trinitized sons -- represent differing universe viewpoints and
diverse personal experiences which are highly serviceable to the planetary
rulers.
55:4.15 At any time after this age the Planetary
Adam and Eve can petition the Sovereign Creator Son for release from planetary
duties in order to begin their Paradise ascent; or they can remain on the
planet as directors of the newly appearing order of increasingly spiritual
society composed of advanced mortals striving to comprehend the philosophic
teachings of the finaliters portrayed by the Brilliant Evening Stars, who are
now assigned to these worlds to collaborate in pairs with the seconaphim from
the headquarters of the superuniverse.
55:4.16 The finaliters are chiefly engaged in
initiating the new and supermaterial activities of society -- social,
cultural, philosophic, cosmic, and spiritual. As far as we can discern, they
will continue this ministry far into the seventh epoch of evolutionary
stability, when, possibly, they may go forth to minister in outer space;
whereupon we conjecture their places may be taken by absonite beings from
Paradise.
55:4.17 5. The fifth stage of light and life.
The readjustments of this stage of settled existence pertain almost entirely
to the physical domains and are of primary concern to the Master Physical
Controllers.
55:4.18 6. The sixth stage of light and life
witnesses the development of new functions of the mind circuits of the realm.
Cosmic wisdom seems to become constitutive in the universe ministry of mind.
55:4.19 7. The seventh stage of light and
life. Early in the seventh epoch the Trinity Teacher counselor of the
Planetary Sovereign is joined by a volunteer adviser sent by the Ancients of
Days, and later on they will be augmented by a third counselor coming from the
superuniverse Supreme Executive.
55:4.20 During this epoch, if not before, Adam and
Eve are always relieved of planetary duties. If there is a Material Son in the
finaliter corps, he may become associated with the mortal chief executive, and
sometimes it is a Melchizedek who volunteers to function in this capacity. If
a midwayer is among the finaliters, all of that order remaining on the planet
are immediately released.
55:4.21 Upon obtaining release from their agelong
assignment, a Planetary Adam and Eve may select careers as follows:
55:4.22 1. They can secure planetary release and
from the universe headquarters start out immediately on the Paradise career,
receiving Thought Adjusters at the conclusion of the morontia
experience.
55:4.23 2. Very often a Planetary Adam and Eve will
receive Adjusters while yet serving on a world settled in light concomitant
with the receiving of Adjusters by some of their imported pure-line children
who have volunteered for a term of planetary service. Subsequently they may
all go to universe headquarters and there begin the Paradise career.
55:4.24 3. A Planetary Adam and Eve may elect -- as
do Material Sons and Daughters from the system capital -- to go direct to the
midsonite world for a brief sojourn, there to receive their
Adjusters.
55:4.25 4. They may decide to return to the system
headquarters, there for a time to occupy seats on the supreme court, after
which service they will receive Adjusters and begin the Paradise
ascent.
55:4.26 5. They may choose to go from their
administrative duties back to their native world to serve as teachers for a
season and to become Adjuster indwelt at the time of transfer to the universe
headquarters.
55:4.27 Throughout all of these epochs the imported
assisting Material Sons and Daughters exert a tremendous influence on the
progressing social and economic orders. They are potentially immortal, at
least until such time as they elect to humanize, receive Adjusters, and start
for Paradise.
55:4.28 On the evolutionary worlds a being must
humanize to receive a Thought Adjuster. All ascendant members of the Mortal
Corps of Finaliters have been Adjuster indwelt and fused except seraphim, and
they are Father indwelt by another type of spirit at the time of being
mustered into this corps.
5. THE ACME OF MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT
55:5.1 Mortal creatures living on a sin-stricken,
evil-dominated, self-seeking, isolated world, such as Urantia, can hardly
conceive of the physical perfection, the intellectual attainment, and the
spiritual development which characterize these advanced epochs of evolution on
a sinless sphere.
55:5.2 The advanced stages of a world settled in
light and life represent the acme of evolutionary material development. On
these cultured worlds, gone are the idleness and friction of the earlier
primitive ages. Poverty and social inequality have all but vanished,
degeneracy has disappeared, and delinquency is rarely observed. Insanity has
practically ceased to exist, and feeble-mindedness is a rarity.
55:5.3 The economic, social, and administrative
status of these worlds is of a high and perfected order. Science, art, and
industry flourish, and society is a smoothly working mechanism of high
material, intellectual, and cultural achievement. Industry has been largely
diverted to serving the higher aims of such a superb civilization. The
economic life of such a world has become ethical.
55:5.4 War has become a matter of history, and there
are no more armies or police forces. Government is gradually disappearing.
Self-control is slowly rendering laws of human enactment obsolete. The extent
of civil government and statutory regulation, in an intermediate state of
advancing civilization, is in inverse proportion to the morality and
spirituality of the citizenship.
55:5.5 Schools are vastly improved and are devoted
to the training of mind and the expansion of soul. The art centers are
exquisite and the musical organizations superb. The temples of worship with
their associated schools of philosophy and experiential religion are creations
of beauty and grandeur. The open-air arenas of worship assembly are equally
sublime in the simplicity of their artistic appointment.
55:5.6 The provisions for competitive play, humor,
and other phases of personal and group achievement are ample and appropriate.
A special feature of the competitive activities on such a highly cultured
world concerns the efforts of individuals and groups to excel in the sciences
and philosophies of cosmology. Literature and oratory flourish, and language
is so improved as to be symbolic of concepts as well as to be expressive of
ideas. Life is refreshingly simple; man has at last co-ordinated a high state
of mechanical development with an inspiring intellectual attainment and has
overshadowed both with an exquisite spiritual achievement. The pursuit of
happiness is an experience of joy and satisfaction.
6. THE INDIVIDUAL MORTAL
55:6.1 As worlds advance in the settled status of
light and life, society becomes increasingly peaceful. The individual, while
no less independent and devoted to his family, has become more altruistic and
fraternal.
55:6.2 On Urantia, and as you are, you can have
little appreciation of the advanced status and progressive nature of the
enlightened races of these perfected worlds. These people are the flowering of
the evolutionary races. But such beings are still mortal; they continue to
breathe, eat, sleep, and drink. This great evolution is not heaven, but it is
a sublime foreshadowing of the divine worlds of the Paradise
ascent.
55:6.3 On a normal world the biologic fitness of the
mortal race was long since brought up to a high level during the post-Adamic
epochs; and now, from age to age throughout the settled eras the physical
evolution of man continues. Both vision and hearing are extended. By now the
population has become stationary in numbers. Reproduction is regulated in
accordance with planetary requirements and innate hereditary endowments: The
mortals on a planet during this age are divided into from five to ten groups,
and the lower groups are permitted to produce only one half as many children
as the higher. The continued improvement of such a magnificent race throughout
the era of light and life is largely a matter of the selective reproduction of
those racial strains which exhibit superior qualities of a social,
philosophic, cosmic, and spiritual nature.
55:6.4 The Adjusters continue to come as in former
evolutionary eras, and as the epochs pass, these mortals are increasingly able
to commune with the indwelling Father fragment. During the embryonic and
prespiritual stages of development the adjutant mind-spirits are still
functioning. The Holy Spirit and the ministry of angels are even more
effective as the successive epochs of settled life are experienced. In the
fourth stage of light and life the advanced mortals seem to experience
considerable conscious contact with the spirit presence of the Master Spirit
of superuniverse jurisdiction, while the philosophy of such a world is focused
upon the attempt to comprehend the new revelations of God the Supreme. More
than one half of the human inhabitants on planets of this advanced status
experience translation to the morontia state from among the living. Even so,
"old things are passing away; behold, all things are becoming new."
55:6.5 We conceive that physical evolution will have
attained its full development by the end of the fifth epoch of the
light-and-life era. We observe that the upper limits of spiritual development
associated with evolving human mind are determined by the Adjuster-fusion
level of conjoint morontia values and cosmic meanings. But concerning wisdom:
While we do not really know, we conjecture that there can never be a limit to
intellectual evolution and the attainment of wisdom. On a seventh-stage world,
wisdom can exhaust the material potentials, enter upon mota insight, and
eventually even taste of absonite grandeur.
55:6.6 We observe that on these highly evolved and
long seventh-stage worlds human beings fully learn the local universe language
before they are translated; and I have visited a few very old planets where
abandonters were teaching the older mortals the tongue of the superuniverse.
And on these worlds I have observed the technique whereby the absonite
personalities reveal the presence of the finaliters in the morontia temple.
55:6.7 This is the story of the magnificent goal of
mortal striving on the evolutionary worlds; and it all takes place even before
human beings enter upon their morontia careers; all of this splendid
development is attainable by material mortals on the inhabited worlds, the
very first stage of that endless and incomprehensible career of Paradise
ascension and divinity attainment.
55:6.8 But can you possibly imagine what sort of
evolutionary mortals are now coming up from worlds long existing in the
seventh epoch of settled light and life? It is such as these who go on to the
morontia worlds of the local universe capital to begin their ascension
careers.
55:6.9 If the mortals of distraught Urantia could
only view one of these more advanced worlds long settled in light and life,
they would nevermore question the wisdom of the evolutionary scheme of
creation. Were there no future of eternal creature progression, still the
superb evolutionary attainments of the mortal races on such settled worlds of
perfected achievement would amply justify man's creation on the worlds of time
and space.
55:6.10 We often ponder: If the grand universe
should be settled in light and life, would the ascending exquisite mortals
still be destined to the Corps of the Finality? But we do not know.
7. THE FIRST OR PLANETARY STAGE
55:7.1 This epoch extends from the appearance of the
morontia temple at the new planetary headquarters to the time of the settling
of the entire system in light and life. This age is inaugurated by the Trinity
Teacher Sons at the close of their successive world missions when the
Planetary Prince is elevated to the status of Planetary Sovereign by the
mandate and personal presence of the Paradise bestowal Son of that sphere.
Concomitant therewith the finaliters inaugurate their active participation in
planetary affairs.
55:7.2 To outward and visible appearances the actual
rulers, or directors, of such a world settled in light and life are the
Material Son and Daughter, the Planetary Adam and Eve. The finaliters are
invisible, as also is the Prince-Sovereign except when in the morontia temple.
The actual and literal heads of the planetary regime are therefore the
Material Son and Daughter. It is the knowledge of these arrangements that has
given prestige to the idea of kings and queens throughout the universe realms.
And kings and queens are a great success under these ideal circumstances, when
a world can command such high personalities to act in behalf of still higher
but invisible rulers.
55:7.3 When such an era is attained on your world,
no doubt Machiventa Melchizedek, now the vicegerent Planetary Prince of
Urantia, will occupy the seat of the Planetary Sovereign; and it has long been
conjectured on Jerusem that he will be accompanied by a son and daughter of
the Urantia Adam and Eve who are now held on Edentia as wards of the Most
Highs of Norlatiadek. These children of Adam might so serve on Urantia in
association with the Melchizedek-Sovereign since they were deprived of
procreative powers almost 37,000 years ago at the time they gave up their
material bodies on Urantia in preparation for transit to Edentia.
55:7.4 This settled age continues on and on until
every inhabited planet in the system attains the era of stabilization; and
then, when the youngest world -- the last to achieve light and life -- has
experienced such settledness for one millennium of system time, the entire
system enters the stabilized status, and the individual worlds are ushered
into the system epoch of the era of light and life.
8. THE SECOND OR SYSTEM STAGE
55:8.1 When an entire system becomes settled in
life, a new order of government is inaugurated. The Planetary Sovereigns
become members of the system conclave, and this new administrative body,
subject to the veto of the Constellation Fathers, is supreme in authority.
Such a system of inhabited worlds becomes virtually self-governing. The system
legislative assembly is constituted on the headquarters world, and each planet
sends its ten representatives thereto. Courts are now established on the
system capitals, and only appeals are taken to the universe
headquarters.
55:8.2 With the settling of the system the Assigned
Sentinel, representative of the superuniverse Supreme Executive, becomes the
volunteer adviser to the system supreme court and actual presiding officer of
the new legislative assembly.
55:8.3 After the settling of an entire system in
light and life the System Sovereigns will no more come and go. Such a
sovereign remains perpetually at the head of his system. The assistant
sovereigns continue to change as in former ages.
55:8.4 During this epoch of stabilization, for the
first time midsoniters come from the universe headquarters worlds of their
sojourn to act as counselors to the legislative assemblies and advisers to the
adjudicational tribunals. These midsoniters also carry on certain efforts to
inculcate new mota meanings of supreme value into the teaching enterprises
which they sponsor jointly with the finaliters. What the Material Sons did for
the mortal races biologically, the midsonite creatures now do for these
unified and glorified humans in the ever-advancing realms of philosophy and
spiritualized thinking.
55:8.5 On the inhabited worlds the Teacher Sons
become voluntary collaborators with the finaliters, and these same Teacher
Sons also accompany the finaliters to the mansion worlds when those spheres
are no longer to be utilized as differential receiving worlds after an entire
system is settled in light and life; at least this is true by the time the
entire constellation has thus evolved. But there are no groups that far
advanced in Nebadon.
55:8.6 We are not permitted to reveal the nature of
the work of the finaliters who will supervise such rededicated mansion worlds.
You have, however, been informed that there are throughout the universes
various types of intelligent creatures who have not been portrayed in these
narratives.
55:8.7 And now, as the systems one by one become
settled in light by virtue of the progress of their component worlds, the time
comes when the last system in a given constellation attains stabilization, and
the universe administrators -- the Master Son, the Union of Days, and the
Bright and Morning Star -- arrive on the capital of the constellation to
proclaim the Most Highs the unqualified rulers of the newly perfected family
of one hundred settled systems of inhabited worlds.
9. THE THIRD OR CONSTELLATION STAGE
55:9.1 The unification of a whole constellation of
settled systems is attended by new distributions of executive authority and
additional readjustments of universe administration. This epoch witnesses
advanced attainment on every inhabited world but is particularly characterized
by readjustments on the constellation headquarters, with marked modification
of relationships with both the system supervision and the local universe
government. During this age many constellation and universe activities are
transferred to the system capitals, and the representatives of the
superuniverse assume new and more intimate relations with the planetary,
system, and universe rulers. Concomitant with these new associations, certain
superuniverse administrators establish themselves on the constellation
capitals as volunteer advisers to the Most High Fathers.
55:9.2 When a constellation is thus settled in
light, the legislative function ceases, and the house of System Sovereigns,
presided over by the Most Highs, functions instead. Now, for the first time,
such administrative groups deal directly with the superuniverse government in
matters pertaining to Havona and Paradise relationships. Otherwise the
constellation remains related to the local universe as before. From stage to
stage in the settled life the univitatia continue to administer the
constellation morontia worlds.
55:9.3 As the ages pass, the Constellation Fathers
take over more and more of the detailed administrative or supervising
functions which were formerly centered on the universe headquarters. By the
attainment of the sixth stage of stabilization these unified constellations
will have reached the position of well-nigh complete autonomy. Entrance upon
the seventh stage of settledness will no doubt witness the exaltation of these
rulers to the true dignity signified by their names, the Most Highs. To all
intents and purposes the constellations will then deal directly with the
superuniverse rulers, while the local universe government will expand to grasp
the responsibilities of new grand universe obligations.
10. THE FOURTH OR LOCAL UNIVERSE STAGE
55:10.1 When a universe becomes settled in light and
life, it soon swings into the established superuniverse circuits, and the
Ancients of Days proclaim the establishment of the supreme council of
unlimited authority. This new governing body consists of the one hundred
Faithfuls of Days, presided over by the Union of Days, and the first act of
this supreme council is to acknowledge the continued sovereignty of the Master
Creator Son.
55:10.2 The universe administration, as far as
concerns Gabriel and the Father Melchizedek, is quite unchanged. This council
of unlimited authority is chiefly concerned with the new problems and the new
conditions arising out of the advanced status of light and life.
55:10.3 The Associate Inspector now mobilizes all
Assigned Sentinels to constitute the stabilization corps of the local
universe and asks the Father Melchizedek to share its supervision with
him. And now, for the first time, a corps of the Inspired Trinity Spirits are
assigned to the service of the Union of Days.
55:10.4 The settling of an entire local universe in
light and life inaugurates profound readjustments in the entire scheme of
administration, from the individual inhabited worlds to the universe
headquarters. New relationships extend down to the constellations and systems.
The local universe Mother Spirit experiences new liaison relations with the
Master Spirit of the superuniverse, and Gabriel establishes direct contact
with the Ancients of Days to be effective when and as the Master Son may be
absent from the headquarters world.
55:10.5 During this and subsequent ages the
Magisterial Sons continue to function as dispensational adjudicators, while
one hundred of these Avonal Sons of Paradise constitute the new high council
of the Bright and Morning Star on the universe capital. Later on, and as
requested by the System Sovereigns, one of these Magisterial Sons will become
the supreme counselor stationed on the headquarters world of each local system
until the seventh stage of unity is attained.
55:10.6 During this epoch the Trinity Teacher Sons
are volunteer advisers, not only to the Planetary Sovereigns, but in groups of
three they similarly serve the Constellation Fathers. And at last these Sons
find their place in the local universe, for at this time they are removed from
the jurisdiction of the local creation and are assigned to the service of the
supreme council of unlimited authority.
55:10.7 The finaliter corps now, for the first time,
acknowledges the jurisdiction of an extra-Paradise authority, the supreme
council. Heretofore the finaliters have recognized no supervision this side of
Paradise.
55:10.8 The Creator Sons of such settled universes
spend much of their time on Paradise and its associated worlds and in
counseling the numerous finaliter groups serving throughout the local
creation. In this way the man of Michael will find a fuller fraternity of
association with the glorified finaliter mortals.
55:10.9 Speculation concerning the function of these
Creator Sons in connection with the outer universes now in process of
preliminary assembly is wholly futile. But we all engage in such postulations
from time to time. On attaining this fourth stage of development the Creator
Son becomes administratively free; the Divine Minister is progressively
blending her ministry with that of the superuniverse Master Spirit and the
Infinite Spirit. There seems to be evolving a new and sublime relationship
between the Creator Son, the Creative Spirit, the Evening Stars, the Teacher
Sons, and the ever-increasing finaliter corps.
55:10.10 If Michael should ever leave Nebadon,
Gabriel would undoubtedly become chief administrator with the Father
Melchizedek as his associate. At the same time new status would be imparted to
all orders of permanent citizenship, such as Material Sons, univitatia,
midsoniters, susatia, and Spirit-fused mortals. But as long as evolution
continues, the seraphim and the archangels will be required in universe
administration.
55:10.11 We are, however, satisfied regarding two
features of our speculations: If the Creator Sons are destined to the outer
universes, the Divine Ministers will undoubtedly accompany them. We are
equally sure that the Melchizedeks are to remain with the universes of their
origin. We hold that the Melchizedeks are destined to play ever-increasingly
responsible parts in local universe government and administration.
11. THE MINOR AND MAJOR SECTOR STAGES
55:11.1 Minor and major sectors of the superuniverse
do not figure directly in the plan of being settled in light and life. Such an
evolutionary progression pertains primarily to the local universe as a unit
and concerns only the components of a local universe. A superuniverse is
settled in light and life when all of its component local universes are thus
perfected. But not one of the seven superuniverses has attained a level of
progression even approaching this.
55:11.2 The minor sector age. As far as
observations can penetrate, the fifth or minor sector stage of stabilization
has exclusively to do with physical status and with the co-ordinate settling
of the one hundred associated local universes in the established circuits of
the superuniverse. Apparently none but the power centers and their associates
are concerned in these realignments of the material creation.
55:11.3 The major sector age. Concerning the
sixth stage, or major sector stabilization, we can only conjecture since none
of us have witnessed such an event. Nevertheless, we can postulate much
concerning the administrative and other readjustments which would probably
accompany such an advanced status of inhabited worlds and their universe
groupings.
55:11.4 Since the minor sector status has to do with
co-ordinate physical equilibrium, we infer that major sector unification will
be concerned with certain new intellectual levels of attainment, possibly some
advanced achievements in the supreme realization of cosmic wisdom.
55:11.5 We arrive at conclusions regarding the
readjustments which would probably attend the realization of hitherto
unattained levels of evolutionary progress by observing the results of such
achievements on the individual worlds and in the experiences of individual
mortals living on these older and highly developed spheres.
55:11.6 Let it be made clear that the administrative
mechanisms and governmental techniques of a universe or a superuniverse cannot
in any manner limit or retard the evolutionary development or spiritual
progress of an individual inhabited planet or of any individual mortal on such
a sphere.
55:11.7 In some of the older universes we find
worlds settled in the fifth and the sixth stages of light and life -- even far
extended into the seventh epoch -- whose local systems are not yet settled in
light. Younger planets may delay system unification, but this does not in the
least handicap the progress of an older and advanced world. Neither can
environmental limitations, even on an isolated world, thwart the personal
attainment of the individual mortal; Jesus of Nazareth, as a man among men,
personally achieved the status of light and life over nineteen hundred years
ago on Urantia.
55:11.8 It is by observing what takes place on
long-settled worlds that we arrive at fairly reliable conclusions as to what
will happen when a whole superuniverse is settled in light, even if we cannot
safely postulate the event of the stabilization of the seven
superuniverses.
12. THE SEVENTH OR SUPERUNIVERSE STAGE
55:12.1 We cannot positively forecast what would
occur when a superuniverse became settled in light because such an event has
never factualized. From the teachings of the Melchizedeks, which have never
been contradicted, we infer that sweeping changes would be made in the entire
organization and administration of every unit of the creations of time and
space extending from the inhabited worlds to the superuniverse
headquarters.
55:12.2 It is generally believed that large numbers
of the otherwise unattached creature-trinitized sons are to be assembled on
the headquarters and divisional capitals of the settled superuniverses. This
may be in anticipation of the sometime arrival of outer-spacers on their way
in to Havona and Paradise; but we really do not know.
55:12.3 If and when a superuniverse should be
settled in light and life, we believe that the now advisory Unqualified
Supervisors of the Supreme would become the high administrative body on the
headquarters world of the superuniverse. These are the personalities who are
able to contact directly with the absonite administrators, who will forthwith
become active in the settled superuniverse. Although these Unqualified
Supervisors have long functioned as advisers and counselors in advanced
evolutionary units of creation, they do not assume administrative
responsibilities until the authority of the Supreme Being becomes
sovereign.
55:12.4 The Unqualified Supervisors of the Supreme,
who function more extensively during this epoch, are not finite, absonite,
ultimate, or infinite; they are supremacy and only represent God the Supreme.
They are the personalization of time-space supremacy and therefore do not
function in Havona. They function only as supreme unifiers. They may possibly
be involved in the technique of universe reflectivity, but we are not certain.
55:12.5 None of us entertain a satisfactory concept
of what will happen when the grand universe (the seven superuniverses as
dependent on Havona) becomes entirely settled in light and life. That event
will undoubtedly be the most profound occurrence in the annals of eternity
since the appearance of the central universe. There are those who hold that
the Supreme Being himself will emerge from the Havona mystery enshrouding his
spirit person and will become residential on the headquarters of the seventh
superuniverse as the almighty and experiential sovereign of the perfected
creations of time and space. But we really do not know.
55:12.6 Presented
by a Mighty Messenger temporarily assigned to the Archangel Council on
Urantia.
