Book of Discipline
Chapter III
GOD ILLUSTRATETH THE DIFFERENCE OF METHOD BETWIXT THE FIRST AND SECOND RESURRECTIONS.
1. OPEN thy understanding, O man, that thou mayest discern the beauty and glory of heavenly places prepared by thy God, Lords and guardian angels.
2. For as we came up out of the first resurrection, which may be likened to a great medley, a noise and confusion of a mighty multitude, so covenanted we with Jehovih to make ourselves orderly, and a unit in growth, manifestation, expression and future development, that the place of the second resurrection should do nothing in common with the first.
3. For alike and like Jehovih created mortals and angels to attract each other; and since the aspiration and desire of most mortals pertain to themselves as individuals, so the twain bound themselves in the same pursuits and earthly hopes.
4. For whoso on earth loved riches, or fame, or great learning, or even evil, such as dissipation, drunkenness, gluttony, sexual indulgence, or theft, gambling or arson, doing any or all of these things for self's sake, or for evil, attracted angel companions of a like order, who, by inspiration or otherwise, led him on to achieve his heart's desire.
5. And it came to pass when such mortals died and entered the first resurrection, their former inspirers became their companions and rulers, having shaped their thoughts whilst in mortality through their labors for self and earthly objects. And these in turn became angel inspirers unto other mortals of like characteristics, so that a long period of time passed away, before the spirits who were thus bound to earth could be persuaded there were other heavens open for them to come and inherit. And as it was so then, even so is it this day with the spirits of the dead.
6. As there are good lands on earth still unoccupied, whilst in other regions there are great cities with mortals crowded together, starving, and dwelling in misery, and they will not hence, even so is the great multitude of angels of darkness gathered together upon the face of the earth--and many of them will not hence into the higher heavens of Jehovih.
7. As cold metal in contact with hot metal changeth temperature, so by angel contact with the spirit of man, knowledge passeth from one to the other. So also is it of the passions, sentiments, desires and aspirations betwixt the twain.
8. Also, as where the sea breaketh upon the land, and the twain are ever in contact, so is the spirit world ever in contact with the mortal world (which place of contact was named by the ancients the intermediate world or place of purgation, wherefrom none could rise till made organically pure).
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9. Now therefore thy God showeth thee certain signs characteristic of the difference betwixt the angels of the first and the second resurrection:
10. Of the first, coming as individuals, whether professing names, signs or histories, and especially the ancients. Whose words are uttered from the standpoint of the earth looking upward.
11. But of the second, as light only. Whose words emanate from my holy places in heaven coming down to thee.
12. Of the first, flatterers, to win thy favor. Whose counsel pertaineth to thyself and to earthly things.
13. Of the second, to teach thee self-abnegation, and lead thee to do good unto others regardless of thine own profit, caring little whether thou art prosperous on the earth provided thou shalt be raised up in time to come.
14. For the revelations of the second resurrection come from the light of my Holy Council, who have abandoned their earthly habits and desires; knowing the way of raising up everlastingly is by constantly putting away the conditions below.
15. Thy God cometh not as an individual; neither do my Lords (nor holy angels though they come in my name). I come in legions of thousands and millions.
16. Neither varieth the inspiration from my kingdom one jot or tittle from what it hath ever been, save in greater fullness, according to the increase of capacity in mortals to receive knowledge.
17. The spirit of my heavens pervadeth my words; through my holy angels I have spoken unto thee from thy youth up; and in my revelations thou perceivest the touch of my hand.
18. I cry out Order, Purity, Discipline, Justice and Good Works--or, Retribution!
19. O man, beware of angels who say: In heaven there is no organization, nor God, nor Holy Council, nor discipline, nor order, nor teaching, nor self-denial, or,
20. Who say: There is no God, no Jehovih, no government in heaven, or,
21. Who say: There is no bondage after death; no place or condition of suffering, or,
22. Who say: When thou diest thy spirit shall enter paradise and dwell in perpetual ease and glory.
23. Who say: Heaven is an endless summer land, with silvery rivers and golden boats for all, or,
24. Who say: Eat, drink and enjoy thyself for the gratification of thine earthly passions, for when thou art dead thy path shall be straight to glory.
25. Who say: Heap up riches, for there is no punishment after death, or,
26. Who say: Turn not thy thoughts into thine own soul to discover thy ungodliness, for when thou art dead thy spirit shall revel in bliss, or,
27. Who say: The angel world is a place of progression without self-abnegation and good works, or,
28. Who saith: Behold me, I am from the highest, most exalted sphere, or from a far-off star, or,
29. Who saith: I have visited the planets, or,
30. Who saith: Resurrection cometh by reincarnation--first a stone, then lead, then silver, then gold, then a tree, then a worm, then an animal and then man, or that a spirit re-entereth the womb, and is born again in mortality, or,
31. Who saith: Blessed art thou; for a host of ancient spirits attend thee--thou hast a great mission.
32. For all of these are the utterances of the angels of the first resurrection. And though they may inspire great oratory and learned discourses, yet they are flatterers, and will surely lead thee into grief.
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Urantia Book, 44:0.11 - The Celestial Artisans
Never in your long ascendancy will you lose the power to recognize your associates of former existences. Always, as you ascend inward in the scale of life, will you retain the ability to recognize and fraternize with the fellow beings of your previous and lower levels of experience. Each new translation or resurrection will add one more group of spirit beings to your vision range without in the least depriving you of the ability to recognize your friends and fellows of former estates.
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Princess Bride 1987 Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) and Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya)
Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. -
Urantia Book, 117:4.14 - The Finite God
And here is mystery: The more closely man approaches God through love, the greater the reality -- actuality -- of that man. The more man withdraws from God, the more nearly he approaches nonreality -- cessation of existence. When man consecrates his will to the doing of the Father's will, when man gives God all that he has, then does God make that man more than he is.
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Urantia Book, 167:7.4 - The Talk About Angels
"And do you not remember that I said to you once before that, if you had your spiritual eyes anointed, you would then see the heavens opened and behold the angels of God ascending and descending? It is by the ministry of the angels that one world may be kept in touch with other worlds, for have I not repeatedly told you that I have other sheep not of this fold?"
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Urantia Book, Foreword - 0:12.12 - The Trinities
But we know that there dwells within the human mind a fragment of God, and that there sojourns with the human soul the Spirit of Truth; and we further know that these spirit forces conspire to enable material man to grasp the reality of spiritual values and to comprehend the philosophy of universe meanings. But even more certainly we know that these spirits of the Divine Presence are able to assist man in the spiritual appropriation of all truth contributory to the enhancement of the ever-progressing reality of personal religious experience—God-consciousness.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.3 - The Mystery Of God
When you are through down here, when your course has been run in temporary form on earth, when your trial trip in the flesh is finished, when the dust that composes the mortal tabernacle "returns to the earth whence it came"; then, it is revealed, the indwelling "Spirit shall return to God who gave it." There sojourns within each moral being of this planet a fragment of God, a part and parcel of divinity. It is not yet yours by right of possession, but it is designedly intended to be one with you if you survive the mortal existence.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.1 - The Mystery Of God
And the greatest of all the unfathomable mysteries of God is the phenomenon of the divine indwelling of mortal minds. The manner in which the Universal Father sojourns with the creatures of time is the most profound of all universe mysteries; the divine presence in the mind of man is the mystery of mysteries.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.6 - The Mystery Of God
To every spirit being and to every mortal creature in every sphere and on every world of the universe of universes, the Universal Father reveals all of his gracious and divine self that can be discerned or comprehended by such spirit beings and by such mortal creatures. God is no respecter of persons, either spiritual or material. The divine presence which any child of the universe enjoys at any given moment is limited only by the capacity of such a creature to receive and to discern the spirit actualities of the supermaterial world.
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Urantia Book, 11:0.1 - The Eternal Isle Of Paradise
Paradise is the eternal center of the universe of universes and the abiding place of the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, the Infinite Spirit, and their divine co-ordinates and associates. This central Isle is the most gigantic organized body of cosmic reality in all the master universe. Paradise is a material sphere as well as a spiritual abode. All of the intelligent creation of the Universal Father is domiciled on material abodes; hence must the absolute controlling center also be material, literal. And again it should be reiterated that spirit things and spiritual beings are real.
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Urantia Book, 50:6.4 - Planetary Culture
Culture presupposes quality of mind; culture cannot be enhanced unless mind is elevated. Superior intellect will seek a noble culture and find some way to attain such a goal. Inferior minds will spurn the highest culture even when presented to them ready-made.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.6 - True And False Liberty
True liberty is the associate of genuine self-respect; false liberty is the consort of self-admiration. True liberty is the fruit of self-control; false liberty, the assumption of self-assertion. Self-control leads to altruistic service; self-admiration tends towards the exploitation of others for the selfish aggrandizement of such a mistaken individual as is willing to sacrifice righteous attainment for the sake of possessing unjust power over his fellow beings.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.9 - True And False Liberty
How dare the self-willed creature encroach upon the rights of his fellows in the name of personal liberty when the Supreme Rulers of the universe stand back in merciful respect for these prerogatives of will and potentials of personality! No being, in the exercise of his supposed personal liberty, has a right to deprive any other being of those privileges of existence conferred by the Creators and duly respected by all their loyal associates, subordinates, and subjects.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.8 - True And False Liberty
There is no error greater than that species of self-deception which leads intelligent beings to crave the exercise of power over other beings for the purpose of depriving these persons of their natural liberties. The golden rule of human fairness cries out against all such fraud, unfairness, selfishness, and unrighteousness.