PAPER 28
- MINISTERING SPIRITS OF THE SUPERUNIVERSES
As the supernaphim
are the angelic hosts of the central universe and
the seraphim of the local universes, so are the
seconaphim the ministering spirits of the
superuniverses. In degree of divinity and in
potential of supremacy, however, these children of
the Reflective Spirits are much more like
supernaphim than seraphim. They serve not alone in
the supercreations, and both numerous and intriguing
are the transactions sponsored by their unrevealed
associates.
As presented in
these narratives, the ministering spirits of the
superuniverses embrace the following three orders:
1. The Seconaphim.
2. The Tertiaphim.
3. The Omniaphim.
Since the latter
two orders are not so directly concerned with the
ascendant scheme of mortal progression, they will be
briefly discussed prior to the more extended
consideration of seconaphim. Technically, neither
tertiaphim nor omniaphim are ministering spirits
of the superuniverses, though both serve as
spirit ministers in these domains.
1. THE
TERTIAPHIM
These high angels
are of record on the superuniverse headquarters, and
despite service in the local creations, technically
they are residents of these superuniverse capitals
inasmuch as they are not native to the local
universes. Tertiaphim are children of the Infinite
Spirit and are personalized on Paradise in groups of
one thousand. These supernal beings of divine
originality and near-supreme versatility are the
gift of the Infinite Spirit to the Creator Sons of
God.
When a Michael Son
is detached from the parental regime of Paradise and
is made ready to go forth on the universe adventure
of space, the Infinite Spirit is delivered of a
group of one thousand of these companion spirits.
And these majestic tertiaphim accompany this Creator
Son when he embarks upon the adventure of universe
organization.
Throughout the
early times of universe building, these one thousand
tertiaphim are the only personal staff of a Creator
Son. They acquire a mighty experience as Son
assistants during these stirring ages of universe
assembling and other astronomical manipulations.
They serve by the side of the Creator Son until the
day of the personalization of the Bright and Morning
Star, the first-born
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of a local
universe. Thereupon the formal resignations of the
tertiaphim are tendered and accepted. And with the
appearance of the initial orders of native angelic
life, they retire from active service in the local
universe and become the liaison ministers between
the Creator Son of former attachment and the
Ancients of Days of the superuniverse concerned.
2. THE
OMNIAPHIM
Omniaphim are
created by the Infinite Spirit in liaison with the
Seven Supreme Executives, and they are the exclusive
servants and messengers of these same Supreme
Executives. Omniaphim are of grand universe
assignment, and in Orvonton their corps maintains
headquarters in the northerly parts of Uversa, where
they reside as a special courtesy colony. They are
not of registry on Uversa, nor are they attached to
our administration. Neither are they directly
concerned with the ascendant scheme of mortal
progression.
The omniaphim are
wholly occupied with the oversight of the
superuniverses in the interests of administrative
co-ordination from the viewpoint of the Seven
Supreme Executives. Our colony of omniaphim on
Uversa receives instructions from, and makes reports
to, only the Supreme Executive of Orvonton, situated
on conjoint executive sphere number seven in the
outer ring of Paradise satellites.
3. THE
SECONAPHIM
The secoraphic
hosts are produced by the seven Reflective Spirits
assigned to the headquarters of each superuniverse.
There is a definite Paradise-responsive technique
associated with the creation of these angels in
groups of seven. In each seven there are always one
primary, three secondary, and three tertiary
seconaphim; they always personalize in this exact
proportion. When seven such seconaphim are created,
one, the primary, becomes attached to the service of
the Ancients of Days. The three secondary angels are
associated with three groups of Paradise-origin
administrators in the supergovernments: the Divine
Counselors, the Perfectors of Wisdom, and the
Universal Censors. The three tertiary angels are
attached to the ascendant trinitized associates of
the superuniverse rulers: the Mighty Messengers,
Those High in Authority, and Those without Name and
Number.
These seconaphim
of the superuniverses are the offspring of the
Reflective Spirits, and therefore reflectivity is
inherent in their nature. They are reflectively
responsive to all of each phase of every creature of
origin in the Third Source and Center and the
Paradise Creator Sons, but they are not directly
reflective of the beings and entities, personal or
otherwise, of sole origin in the First Source and
Center. We possess many evidences of the actuality
of the universal intelligence circuits of the
Infinite Spirit, but even if we had no other proof,
the reflective performances of the seconaphim would
be quite sufficient to demonstrate the reality of
the universal presence of the infinite mind of the
Conjoint Actor.
4. THE
PRIMARY SECONAPHIM
The primary
seconaphim, of assignment to the Ancients of Days,
are living mirrors in the service of these triune
rulers. Think what it means in the economy
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of a
superuniverse to be able to turn, as it were, to a
living mirror and therein to see and therewith to
hear the certain responses of another being a
thousand or a hundred thousand light-years distant
and to do all this instantly and unerringly. Records
are essential to the conduct of the universes,
broadcasts are serviceable, the work of the Solitary
and other messengers is very helpful, but the
Ancients of Days from their position midway between
the inhabited worlds and Paradise--between man and
God--can instantly look both ways, hear both ways,
and know both ways.
This ability--to
hear and see, as it were, all things--can be
perfectly realized in the superuniverses only by the
Ancients of Days and only on their respective
headquarters worlds. Even there limits are
encountered: From Uversa, such communication is
limited to the worlds and universes of Orvonton, and
while inoperative between the superuniverses, this
same reflective technique keeps each one of them in
close touch with the central universe and with
Paradise. The seven supergovernments, though
individually segregated, are thus perfectly
reflective of the authority above and are wholly
sympathetic, as well as perfectly conversant, with
the needs below.
The primary
seconaphim are found to incline by inherent nature
towards seven types of service, and it is befitting
that the first serials of this order should be so
endowed as inherently to interpret the mind of the
Spirit to the Ancients of Days:
1. The Voice of
the Conjoint Actor. In each superuniverse the
first primary seconaphim and every seventh one of
that order subsequently created exhibit a high order
of adaptability for understanding and interpreting
the mind of the Infinite Spirit to the Ancients of
Days and their associates in the supergovernments.
This is of great value on the headquarters of the
superuniverses, for, unlike the local creations with
their Divine Ministers, the seat of a
supergovernment does not have a specialized
personalization of the Infinite Spirit. Hence these
secoraphic voices come the nearest to being the
personal representatives of the Third Source and
Center on such a capital sphere. True, the seven
Reflective Spirits are there, but these mothers of
the secoraphic hosts are less truly and
automatically reflective of the Conjoint Actor than
of the Seven Master Spirits.
2. The Voice of
the Seven Master Spirits. The second primary
seconaphim and every seventh one thereafter created
incline towards portraying the collective natures
and reactions of the Seven Master Spirits. Though
each Master Spirit is already represented on a
superuniverse capital by some one of the seven
Reflective Spirits of assignment, such
representation is individual, not collective.
Collectively, they are only reflectively present;
therefore do the Master Spirits welcome the services
of these highly personal angels, the second serials
of the primary seconaphim, who are so competent to
represent them before the Ancients of Days.
3. The Voice of
the Creator Sons. The Infinite Spirit must have
had something to do with the creation or training of
the Paradise Sons of the order of Michael, for the
third primary seconaphim and every seventh serial
thereafter possess the remarkable gift of being
reflective of the minds of these Creator Sons. If
the Ancients of Days would like to know--really
know--the attitude of Michael of Nebadon regarding
some matter under consideration, they do not have to
call him on the lines of space; they need only call
for the Chief of Nebadon
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Voices, who, upon
request, will present the Michael seconaphim of
record; and right then and there the Ancients of
Days will perceive the voice of the Master Son of
Nebadon.
No other order of
sonship is thus "reflectible," and no other order of
angel can thus function. We do not fully understand
just how this is accomplished, and I doubt very much
that the Creator Sons themselves fully understand
it. But of a certainty we know it works, and that it
unfailingly works acceptably we also know, for in
all the history of Uversa the secoraphic voices have
never erred in their presentations.
You are here
beginning to see something of the manner in which
divinity encompasses the space of time and masters
the time of space. You are here obtaining one of
your first fleeting glimpses of the technique of the
eternity cycle, divergent for the moment to assist
the children of time in their tasks of mastering the
difficult handicaps of space. And these phenomena
are additional to the established universe technique
of the Reflective Spirits.
Though apparently
deprived of the personal presence of the Master
Spirits above and of the Creator Sons below, the
Ancients of Days have at their command living beings
attuned to cosmic mechanisms of reflective
perfection and ultimate precision whereby they may
enjoy the reflective presence of all those exalted
beings whose personal presence is denied them. By
and through these means, and others unknown to you,
God is potentially present on the headquarters of
the superuniverses.
The Ancients of
Days perfectly deduce the Father's will by equating
the Spirit voice-flash from above and the Michael
voice-flashes from below. Thus may they be
unerringly certain in calculating the Father's will
concerning the administrative affairs of the local
universes. But to deduce the will of one of the Gods
from a knowledge of the other two, the three
Ancients of Days must act together; two would not be
able to achieve the answer. And for this reason,
even were there no others, the superuniverses are
always presided over by three Ancients of Days, and
not by one or even two.
4. The Voice of
the Angelic Hosts. The fourth primary seconaphim
and every seventh serial prove to be angels
peculiarly responsive to the sentiments of all
orders of angels, including the supernaphim above
and the seraphim below. Thus the attitude of any
commanding or supervising angel is immediately
available for consideration at any council of the
Ancients of Days. Never a day passes on your world
that the chief of seraphim on Urantia is not made
conscious of the phenomenon of reflective
transference, of being drawn upon from Uversa for
some purpose; but unless forewarned by a Solitary
Messenger, she remains wholly ignorant of what is
sought and of how it is secured. These ministering
spirits of time are constantly furnishing this sort
of unconscious and certainly, therefore,
unprejudiced testimony concerning the endless array
of matters engaging the attention and counsel of the
Ancients of Days and their associates.
5. Broadcast
Receivers. There is a special class of broadcast
messages which are received only by these primary
seconaphim. While they are not the regular
broadcasters of Uversa, they work in liaison with
the angels of the reflective voices for the purpose
of synchronizing the reflective vision of the
Ancients of Days with certain actual messages coming
in over the established circuits of universe
communication. Broadcast receivers are the fifth
serials, the fifth primary seconaphim to be created
and every seventh one thereafter.
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6. Transport
Personalities. These are the seconaphim who
carry the pilgrims of time from the headquarters
worlds of the superuniverses to the outer circle of
Havona. They are the transport corps of the
superuniverses, operating inward to Paradise and
outward to the worlds of their respective sectors.
This corps is composed of the sixth primary
seconaphim and every seventh one subsequently
created.
7. The Reserve
Corps. A very large group of seconaphim, the
seventh primary serials, are held in reserve for the
unclassified duties and the emergency assignments of
the realms. Not being highly specialized, they can
function fairly well in any of the capacities of
their diverse associates, but such specialized work
is undertaken only in emergencies. Their usual tasks
are the performance of those generalized duties of a
superuniverse which do not fall within the scope of
the angels of specific assignment.
5. THE
SECONDARY SECONAPHIM
Seconaphim of the
secondary order are no less reflective than their
primary fellows. Being classed as primary,
secondary, and tertiary does not indicate a
differential of status or function in the case of
seconaphim; it merely denotes orders of procedure.
Identical qualities are exhibited by all three
groups in their activities.
The seven
reflective types of secondary seconaphim are
assigned to the services of the co-ordinate
Trinity-origin associates of the Ancients of Days as
follows:
To the Perfectors
of Wisdom--the Voices of Wisdom, the Souls of
Philosophy, and the Unions of Souls.
To the Divine
Counselors--the Hearts of Counsel, the Joys of
Existence, and the Satisfactions of Service.
To the Universal
Censors--the Discerners of Spirits.
Like the primary
order, this group is created serially; that is, the
first-born was a Voice of Wisdom, and the seventh
thereafter was similar, and so with the six other
types of these reflective angels.
1. The Voice of
Wisdom. Certain of these seconaphim are in
perpetual liaison with the living libraries of
Paradise, the custodians of knowledge belonging to
the primary supernaphim. In specialized reflective
service the Voices of Wisdom are living, current,
replete, and thoroughly reliable concentrations and
focalizations of the co-ordinated wisdom of the
universe of universes. To the well-nigh infinite
volume of information circulating on the master
circuits of the superuniverses, these superb beings
are so reflective and selective, so sensitive, as to
be able to segregate and receive the essence of
wisdom and unerringly to transmit these jewels of
mentation to their superiors, the Perfectors of
Wisdom. And they so function that the Perfectors of
Wisdom not only hear the actual and original
expressions of this wisdom but also reflectively see
the very beings, of high or lowly origin, who gave
voice to it.
It is written, "If
any man lack wisdom, let him ask." On Uversa, when
it becomes necessary to arrive at the decisions of
wisdom in the perplexing situations of the complex
affairs of the superuniverse government, when both
the wisdom of perfection and of practicability must
be forthcoming, then do the Perfectors
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of Wisdom summon
a battery of the Voices of Wisdom and, by the
consummate skill of their order, so attune and
directionize these living receivers of the enminded
and circulating wisdom of the universe of universes
that presently, from these secoraphic voices, there
ensues a stream of the wisdom of divinity from the
universe above and a flood of the wisdom of
practicality from the higher minds of the universes
below.
If confusion
arises regarding the harmonization of these two
versions of wisdom, immediate appeal is made to the
Divine Counselors, who forthwith rule as to the
proper combination of procedures. If there is any
doubt as to the authenticity of something coming in
from realms where rebellion has been rife, appeal is
made to the Censors, who, with their Discerners of
Spirits, are able to rule immediately as to "what
manner of spirit" actuated the adviser. So are the
wisdom of the ages and the intellect of the moment
ever present with the Ancients of Days, like an open
book before their beneficent gaze.
You can just
faintly comprehend what all this means to those who
are responsible for the conduct of the superuniverse
governments. The immensity and the comprehensiveness
of these transactions are quite beyond finite
conception. When you stand, as I repeatedly have, in
the special receiving chambers of the temple of
wisdom on Uversa and see all this in actual
operation, you will be moved to adoration by the
perfection of the complexity, and by the surety of
the working, of the interplanetary communications of
the universes. You will pay homage to the divine
wisdom and goodness of the Gods, who plan and
execute with such superb technique. And these things
actually happen just as I have portrayed them.
2. The Soul of
Philosophy. These wonderful teachers are also
attached to the Perfectors of Wisdom and, when not
otherwise directionized, remain in focal synchrony
with the masters of philosophy on Paradise. Think of
stepping up to a huge living mirror, as it were, but
instead of beholding the likeness of your finite and
material self, of perceiving a reflection of the
wisdom of divinity and the philosophy of Paradise.
And if it becomes desirable to "incarnate" this
philosophy of perfection, so to dilute it as to make
it practical of application to, and assimilation by,
the lowly peoples of the lower worlds, these living
mirrors have only to turn their faces downward to
reflect the standards and needs of another world or
universe.
By these very
techniques do the Perfectors of Wisdom adapt
decisions and recommendations to the real needs and
actual status of the peoples and worlds under
consideration, and always do they act in concert
with the Divine Counselors and the Universal
Censors. But the sublime repleteness of these
transactions is beyond even my ability to
comprehend.
3. The Union of
Souls. Completing the triune staff of attachment
to the Perfectors of Wisdom, are these reflectors of
the ideals and status of ethical relationships. Of
all the problems in the universe requiring an
exercise of the consummate wisdom of experience and
adaptability, none are more important than those
arising out of the relationships and associations of
intelligent beings. Whether in human associations of
commerce and trade, friendship and marriage, or in
the liaisons of the angelic hosts, there continue to
arise petty frictions, minor misunderstandings too
trivial even to engage the attention of conciliators
but sufficiently irritating and disturbing to mar
the smooth working of the universe if they were
allowed to multiply and continue.
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Therefore do the
Perfectors of Wisdom make available the wise
experience of their order as the "oil of
reconciliation" for an entire superuniverse. In all
this work these wise men of the superuniverses are
ably seconded by their reflective associates, the
Unions of Souls, who make available current
information regarding the status of the universe and
concurrently portray the Paradise ideal of the best
adjustment of these perplexing problems. When not
specifically directionized elsewhere, these
seconaphim remain in reflective liaison with the
interpreters of ethics on Paradise.
These are the
angels who foster and promote the teamwork of all
Orvonton. One of the most important lessons to be
learned during your mortal career is teamwork.
The spheres of perfection are manned by those who
have mastered this art of working with other beings.
Few are the duties in the universe for the lone
servant. The higher you ascend, the more lonely you
become when temporarily without the association of
your fellows.
4. The Heart of
Counsel. This is the first group of these
reflective geniuses to be placed under the
supervision of the Divine Counselors. Seconaphim of
this type are in possession of the facts of space,
being selective for such data in the circuits of
time. Especially are they reflective of the
superaphic intelligence co-ordinators, but they are
also selectively reflective of the counsel of all
beings, whether of high or low estate. Whenever the
Divine Counselors are called upon for important
advice or decisions, they immediately requisition an
ensemble of the Hearts of Counsel, and presently
there is handed down a ruling which actually
incorporates the co-ordinated wisdom and advice of
the most competent minds of the entire
superuniverse, all of which has been censored and
revised in the light of the counsel of the high
minds of Havona and even of Paradise.
5. The Joy of
Existence. By nature these beings are
reflectively attuned to the superaphic harmony
supervisors above and to certain of the seraphim
below, but it is difficult to explain just what the
members of this interesting group really do. Their
principal activities are directed toward promoting
reactions of joy among the various orders of the
angelic hosts and the lower will creatures. The
Divine Counselors, to whom they are attached, seldom
use them for specific joy finding. In a more general
manner and in collaboration with the reversion
directors, they function as joy clearinghouses,
seeking to upstep the pleasure reactions of the
realms while trying to improve the humor taste, to
develop a superhumor among mortals and angels. They
endeavor to demonstrate that there is inherent joy
in freewill existence, independent of all extraneous
influences; and they are right, although they meet
with great difficulty in inculcating this truth in
the minds of primitive men. The higher spirit
personalities and the angels are more quickly
responsive to these educational efforts.
6. The
Satisfaction of Service. These angels are highly
reflective of the attitude of the directors of
conduct on Paradise, and functioning much as do the
Joys of Existence, they strive to enhance the value
of service and to augment the satisfactions to be
derived therefrom. They have done much to illuminate
the deferred rewards inherent in unselfish service,
service for the extension of the kingdom of truth.
The Divine
Counselors, to whom this order is attached, utilize
them to reflect from one world to another the
benefits to be derived from spiritual service.
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And by using the
performances of the best to inspire and encourage
the mediocre, these seconaphim contribute immensely
to the quality of devoted service in the
superuniverses. Effective use is made of the
fraternal competitive spirit by circulating to any
one world information about what the others,
particularly the best, are doing. A refreshing and
wholesome rivalry is promoted even among the
seraphic hosts.
7. The
Discerner of Spirits. A special liaison exists
between the counselors and advisers of the second
Havona circle and these reflective angels. They are
the only seconaphim attached to the Universal
Censors but are probably the most uniquely
specialized of all their fellows. Regardless of the
source or channel of information, no matter how
meager the evidence at hand, when it is subjected to
their reflective scrutiny, these discerners will
forthwith inform us as to the true motive, the
actual purpose, and the real nature of its origin. I
marvel at the superb functioning of these angels,
who so unerringly reflect the actual moral and
spiritual character of any individual concerned in a
focal exposure.
The Discerners of
Spirits carry on these intricate services by virtue
of inherent "spiritual insight," if I may use such
words in an endeavor to convey to the human mind the
thought that these reflective angels thus function
intuitively, inherently, and unerringly. When the
Universal Censors behold these presentations, they
are face to face with the naked soul of the
reflected individual; and this very certainty and
perfection of portraiture in part explains why the
Censors can always function so justly as righteous
judges. The discerners always accompany the Censors
on any mission away from Uversa, and they are just
as effective out in the universes as at their Uversa
headquarters.
I assure you that
all these transactions of the spirit world are real,
that they take place in accordance with established
usages and in harmony with the immutable laws of the
universal domains. The beings of every newly created
order, immediately upon receiving the breath of
life, are instantly reflected on high; a living
portrayal of the creature nature and potential is
flashed to the superuniverse headquarters. Thus, by
means of the discerners, are the Censors made fully
cognizant of exactly "what manner of spirit" has
been born on the worlds of space.
So it is with
mortal man: The Mother Spirit of Salvington knows
you fully, for the Holy Spirit on your world
"searches all things," and whatsoever the divine
Spirit knows of you is immediately available
whenever the secoraphic discerners reflect with the
Spirit concerning the Spirit's knowledge of you. It
should, however, be mentioned that the knowledge and
plans of the Father fragments are not reflectible.
The discerners can and do reflect the presence of
the Adjusters (and the Censors pronounce them
divine), but they cannot decipher the content of the
mindedness of the Mystery Monitors.
6. THE
TERTIARY SECONAPHIM
In the same manner
as their fellows, these angels are created serially
and in seven reflective types, but these types are
not assigned individually to the separate services
of the superuniverse administrators. All tertiary
seconaphim are collectively assigned to the
Trinitized Sons of Attainment, and these ascendant
sons use them interchangeably; that is, the Mighty
Messengers can and do utilize any of the tertiary
types, and so do their co-ordinates, Those High in
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Authority and
Those without Name and Number. These seven types of
tertiary seconaphim are:
1. The
Significance of Origins. The ascendant
Trinitized Sons of a superuniverse government are
charged with the responsibility of dealing with all
issues growing out of the origin of any individual,
race, or world; and the significance of origin is
the paramount question in all our plans for the
cosmic advancement of the living creatures of the
realm. All relationships and the application of
ethics grow out of the fundamental facts of origin.
Origin is the basis of the relational reaction of
the Gods. Always does the Conjoint Actor "take note
of the man, in what manner he was born."
With the higher
descendant beings, origin is simply a fact to be
ascertained; but with the ascending beings,
including the lower orders of angels, the nature and
circumstances of origin are not always so clear,
though of equally vital importance at almost every
turn of universe affairs--hence the value of having
at our disposal a series of reflective seconaphim
who can instantly portray anything required
respecting the genesis of any being in either the
central universe or throughout the entire realm of a
superuniverse.
The Significance
of Origins are the living ready-reference
genealogies of the vast hosts of beings--men,
angels, and others--who inhabit the seven
superuniverses. They are always ready to supply
their superiors with an up-to-date, replete, and
trustworthy estimate of the ancestral factors and
the current actual status of any individual on any
world of their respective superuniverses; and their
computation of possessed facts is always up to the
minute.
2. The Memory
of Mercy. These are the actual, full and
replete, living records of the mercy which has been
extended to individuals and races by the tender
ministrations of the instrumentalities of the
Infinite Spirit in the mission of adapting the
justice of righteousness to the status of the
realms, as disclosed by the portrayals of the
Significance of Origins. The Memory of Mercy
discloses the moral debt of the children of
mercy--their spiritual liabilities--to be set down
against their assets of the saving provision
established by the Sons of God. In revealing the
Father's pre-existent mercy, the Sons of God
establish the necessary credit to insure the
survival of all. And then, in accordance with the
findings of the Significance of Origins, a mercy
credit is established for the survival of each
rational creature, a credit of lavish proportions
and one of sufficient grace to insure the survival
of every soul who really desires divine citizenship.
The Memory of
Mercy is a living trial balance, a current statement
of your account with the supernatural forces of the
realms. These are the living records of mercy
ministration which are read into the testimony of
the courts of Uversa when each individual's right to
unending life comes up for adjudication, when
"thrones are cast up and the Ancients of Days are
seated. The broadcasts of Uversa issue and come
forth from before them; thousands upon thousands
minister to them, and ten thousand times ten
thousand stand before them. The judgment is set, and
the books are opened." And the books which are
opened on such a momentous occasion are the living
records of the tertiary seconaphim of the
superuniverses. The formal records are on file to
corroborate the testimony of the Memories of Mercy
if they are required.
The Memory of
Mercy must show that the saving credit established
by the Sons of God has been fully and faithfully
paid out in the loving ministry of the
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patient
personalities of the Third Source and Center. But
when mercy is exhausted, when the "memory" thereof
testifies to its depletion, then does justice
prevail and righteousness decree. For mercy is not
to be thrust upon those who despise it; mercy is not
a gift to be trampled under foot by the persistent
rebels of time. Nevertheless, though mercy is thus
precious and dearly bestowed, your individual
drawing credits are always far in excess of your
ability to exhaust the reserve if you are sincere of
purpose and honest of heart.
The mercy
reflectors, with their tertiary associates, engage
in numerous superuniverse ministries, including the
teaching of the ascending creatures. Among many
other things the Significance of Origins teach these
ascenders how to apply spirit ethics, and following
such training, the Memories of Mercy teach them how
to be truly merciful. While the spirit techniques of
mercy ministry are beyond your concept, you should
even now understand that mercy is a quality of
growth. You should realize that there is a great
reward of personal satisfaction in being first just,
next fair, then patient, then kind. And then, on
that foundation, if you choose and have it in your
heart, you can take the next step and really show
mercy; but you cannot exhibit mercy in and of
itself. These steps must be traversed; otherwise
there can be no genuine mercy. There may be
patronage, condescension, or charity--even pity--but
not mercy. True mercy comes only as the beautiful
climax to these preceding adjuncts to group
understanding, mutual appreciation, fraternal
fellowship, spiritual communion, and divine harmony.
3. The Import
of Time. Time is the one universal endowment of
all will creatures; it is the "one talent" intrusted
to all intelligent beings. You all have time in
which to insure your survival; and time is fatally
squandered only when it is buried in neglect, when
you fail so to utilize it as to make certain the
survival of your soul. Failure to improve one's time
to the fullest extent possible does not impose fatal
penalties; it merely retards the pilgrim of time in
his journey of ascent. If survival is gained, all
other losses can be retrieved.
In the assignment
of trusts the counsel of the Imports of Time is
invaluable. Time is a vital factor in everything
this side of Havona and Paradise. In the final
judgment before the Ancients of Days, time is an
element of evidence. The Imports of Time must always
afford testimony to show that every defendant has
had ample time for making decisions, achieving
choice.
These time
evaluators are also the secret of prophecy; they
portray the element of time which will be required
in the completion of any undertaking, and they are
just as dependable as indicators as are the
frandalanks and chronoldeks of other living orders.
The Gods foresee, hence foreknow; but the ascendant
authorities of the universes of time must consult
the Imports of Time to be able to forecast events of
the future.
You will first
encounter these beings on the mansion worlds, and
they will there instruct you in the advantageous use
of that which you call "time," both in its positive
employment, work, and in its negative utilization,
rest. Both uses of time are important.
4. The
Solemnity of Trust. Trust is the crucial test of
will creatures. Trustworthiness is the true measure
of self-mastery, character. These seconaphim
accomplish a double purpose in the economy of the
superuniverses: They portray to all will creatures
the sense of the obligation, sacredness, and
solemnity of
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trust. At the
same time they unerringly reflect to the governing
authorities the exact trustworthiness of any
candidate for confidence or trust.
On Urantia, you
grotesquely essay to read character and to estimate
specific abilities, but on Uversa we actually do
these things in perfection. These seconaphim weigh
trustworthiness in the living scales of unerring
character appraisal, and when they have looked at
you, we have only to look at them to know the
limitations of your ability to discharge
responsibility, execute trust, and fulfill missions.
Your assets of trustworthiness are clearly set forth
alongside your liabilities of possible default or
betrayal.
It is the plan of
your superiors to advance you by augmented trusts
just as fast as your character is sufficiently
developed to gracefully bear these added
responsibilities, but to overload the individual
only courts disaster and insures disappointment. And
the mistake of placing responsibility prematurely
upon either man or angel may be avoided by utilizing
the ministry of these infallible estimators of the
trust capacity of the individuals of time and space.
These seconaphim ever accompany Those High in
Authority, and never do these executives make
assignments until their candidates have been weighed
in the secoraphic balances and pronounced "not
wanting."
5. The Sanctity
of Service. The privilege of service immediately
follows the discovery of trustworthiness. Nothing
can stand between you and opportunity for increased
service except your own untrustworthiness, your lack
of capacity for appreciation of the solemnity of
trust.
Service--purposeful service, not slavery--is
productive of the highest satisfaction and is
expressive of the divinest dignity. Service--more
service, increased service, difficult service,
adventurous service, and at last divine and perfect
service--is the goal of time and the destination of
space. But ever will the play cycles of time
alternate with the service cycles of progress. And
after the service of time there follows the
superservice of eternity. During the play of time
you should envision the work of eternity, even as
you will, during the service of eternity, reminisce
the play of time.
The universal
economy is based on intake and output; throughout
the eternal career you will never encounter monotony
of inaction or stagnation of personality. Progress
is made possible by inherent motion, advancement
grows out of the divine capacity for action, and
achievement is the child of imaginative adventure.
But inherent in this capacity for achievement is the
responsibility of ethics, the necessity for
recognizing that the world and the universe are
filled with a multitude of differing types of
beings. All of this magnificent creation,
including yourself, was not made just for you.
This is not an egocentric universe. The Gods have
decreed, "It is more blessed to give than to
receive," and said your Master Son, "He who would be
greatest among you let him be server of all."
The real nature of
any service, be it rendered by man or angel, is
fully revealed in the faces of these secoraphic
service indicators, the Sanctities of Service. The
full analysis of the true and of the hidden motives
is clearly shown. These angels are indeed the mind
readers, heart searchers, and soul revealers of the
universe. Mortals may employ words to conceal their
thoughts, but these high seconaphim lay bare the
deep motives of the human heart and of the angelic
mind.
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6 and 7. The
Secret of Greatness and the Soul of Goodness.
The ascending pilgrims having awakened to the import
of time, the way is prepared for the realization of
the solemnity of trust and for the appreciation of
the sanctity of service. While these are the moral
elements of greatness, there are also secrets of
greatness. When the spiritual tests of greatness are
applied, the moral elements are not disregarded, but
the quality of unselfishness revealed in
disinterested labor for the welfare of one's earthly
fellows, particularly worthy beings in need and in
distress, that is the real measure of
planetary greatness. And the manifestation of
greatness on a world like Urantia is the exhibition
of self-control. The great man is not he who "takes
a city" or "overthrows a nation," but rather "he who
subdues his own tongue."
Greatness is
synonymous with divinity. God is supremely great and
good. Greatness and goodness simply cannot be
divorced. They are forever made one in God. This
truth is literally and strikingly illustrated by the
reflective interdependence of the Secret of
Greatness and the Soul of Goodness, for neither can
function without the other. In reflecting other
qualities of divinity, the superuniverse seconaphim
can and do act alone, but the reflective estimates
of greatness and of goodness appear to be
inseparable. Hence, on any world, in any universe,
must these reflectors of greatness and of goodness
work together, always showing a dual and mutually
dependent report of every being upon whom they
focalize. Greatness cannot be estimated without
knowing the content of goodness, while goodness
cannot be portrayed without exhibiting its inherent
and divine greatness.
The estimate of
greatness varies from sphere to sphere. To be great
is to be Godlike. And since the quality of greatness
is wholly determined by the content of goodness, it
follows that, even in your present human estate, if
you can through grace become good, you are thereby
becoming great. The more steadfastly you behold, and
the more persistently you pursue, the concepts of
divine goodness, the more certainly will you grow in
greatness, in true magnitude of genuine survival
character.
7.
MINISTRY OF THE SECONAPHIM
The seconaphim
have their origin and headquarters on the capitals
of the superuniverses, but with their liaison
fellows they range from the shores of Paradise to
the evolutionary worlds of space. They serve as
valued assistants to the members of the deliberative
assemblies of the supergovernments and are of great
help to the courtesy colonies of Uversa: the star
students, millennial tourists, celestial observers,
and a host of others, including the ascendant beings
in waiting for Havona transport. The Ancients of
Days take pleasure in assigning certain of the
primary seconaphim to assist the ascending creatures
domiciled on the four hundred ninety study worlds
surrounding Uversa, and here also do many of the
secondary and tertiary orders serve as teachers.
These Uversa satellites are the finishing schools of
the universes of time, presenting the preparatory
course for the seven-circuited university of Havona.
Of the three
orders of seconaphim, the tertiary group, attached
to the ascendant authorities, minister most
extensively to the ascending creatures of time. You
will on occasion meet them soon after your departure
from Urantia, though you will not freely make use of
their services until you reach the tarrying worlds
of
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Orvonton. You
will enjoy their companionship when you become fully
acquainted with them during your sojourn on the
Uversa school worlds.
These tertiary
seconaphim are the timesavers, space abridgers,
error detectors, faithful teachers, and everlasting
guideposts--living signs of divine surety--in mercy
placed at the crossroads of time, there to guide the
feet of anxious pilgrims in moments of great
perplexity and spiritual uncertainty. Long before
attaining the portals of perfection, you will begin
to gain access to the tools of divinity and to make
contact with the techniques of Deity. Increasingly,
from the time you arrive on the initial mansion
world until you close your eyes in the Havona sleep
preparatory to your Paradise transit, you will avail
yourself of the emergency help of these marvelous
beings, who are so fully and freely reflective of
the sure knowledge and certain wisdom of those safe
and dependable pilgrims who have preceded you on the
long journey to the portals of perfection.
We are denied the
full privilege of using these angels of the
reflective order on Urantia. They are frequent
visitors on your world, accompanying assigned
personalities, but here they cannot freely function.
This sphere is still under partial spiritual
quarantine, and some of the circuits essential to
their services are not here at present. When your
world is once more restored to the reflective
circuits concerned, much of the work of
interplanetary and interuniverse communication will
be greatly simplified and expedited. Celestial
workers on Urantia encounter many difficulties
because of this functional curtailment of their
reflective associates. But we go on joyfully
conducting our affairs with the instrumentalities at
hand, notwithstanding our local deprivation of many
of the services of these marvelous beings, the
living mirrors of space and the presence projectors
of time.
[Sponsored by a
Mighty Messenger of Uversa.]