World History

World  History

As  Viewed  by  the  Third  Sacred School

Uranda   September 23, 1943   Winnipeg Service

We recognize that it is necessary that we avoid sensationalism. It would be comparatively easy to arouse ourselves and others in some fashion through sensationalism. We know that a degree of emotional response, that is, feeling response, is necessary, but it is so important that we remain balanced, walking in the Central Way, serenely. Sometimes it may seem to you that we deal too much with the practical, prosaic phases of life. Sometimes you may feel that you would like a little more of that which can be classed as sensational. But we have seen so many people get to circling up around in the clouds of human concept; it seems that they have so completely lost their balance that they have no way of getting back down, and we need to keep our feet on solid rock. It is perfectly permissible that we perceive the seeming mysteries of life, the more phenomenal phases of things, if we remain balanced, and if we make our day by day activity prove that we are ready and worthy to look into these mysteries. 

Tonight, if it is pleasing to you, I had thought that we could spend some time very profitably going back and reviewing some of the history of the world—not world history as it is taught in the ordinary school course, but world history as we think of it in the Third Sacred School, and then from a viewpoint of that world history, look ahead. Of course, if we were going to do this subject justice; for instance, if I had a group of individuals—William and I were indulging in a bit of wishful thinking the other day—how nice it would be if we could have individuals who were really responding gathered together in one place, in more or less ideal circumstances for a solid year. No financial strain or environmental situation to pull you away, to take your undue attention, or outside world experience, but just go apart like that for one year, and in such an intensified period of training and instruction, etc., this that we are going to touch upon lightly would probably occupy our time and attention every day for about six months, and then I would not say that we could cover it completely in that time—an hour a day for six months. In one evening we shall have to be content with the high spots. Some of the things that we touch upon tonight we may have touched upon before. Some of them should be new to you. 

We know that the world as it was first created—the Divine Estate—was one with Heaven, i.e., the world that then was and Heaven were one. There was no evil separating the two, and as Divine Man functioned it was in a full Consciousness, or as full as might be necessary at least, of the activities of the Inner Planes; but when man fell and brought about the turmoil that has since existed, a division as far as man was concerned was established—a veil beyond which he could not penetrate.

I have mentioned that in the Motherland when man first fell, areas were set apart where the fallen ones were placed and a vibrational wall was established so that they could not go through that wall unless they responded to the Lord. It was impossible for them to penetrate that wall. As evil beings multiplied and increased it became necessary for those who remained in the Divine Estate to withdraw from the world because their presence gave fallen man undue privileges and opportunities. A number of things happened. The wall that had separated fallen man from Divine Man, here on the surface of the earth; was simply moved to a point where it separated fallen man from the Inner Planes. In other words, the so‑called veil or point of separation that we now have between this outer world and the Inner Planes is identical in nature and structure, and so on, to that wall that was used to confine the fallen ones in the first place to any allocated area in the earth's surface. That should open up something to you. I pointed out that these wayward ones could have walked out through that wall into the world of Divine Man at any time if they had been willing, completely, without any reservation, to let go of their evil ways and to harmonize in the ways of God. Since that is true, the same thing applies now. That should give you something to think about.

I pointed out in our last Service that the veil that was rent asunder in the temple at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus is a symbol of the way the veil will be rent asunder in the world, opening up an interplay between Heaven and earth, the Inner and the outer planes. It will be because that veil is rent asunder that we can, in due season, see Jesus and the Host that is with Him. This wall of limitation that was established around fallen man—and is the wall of limitation as far as God is concerned—is still established around fallen man. When those who were functioning according to the Divine Estate withdrew—the greatest number of them, a few remained, a few went into what we might call Asia Minor at the present time, and a few remained in Atlantis, but the majority of them withdrew—that meant that the Cosmic Vibrations flowing into the world had to begin to function through the consciousness of fallen man, whereas before they had to function through the Consciousness of Divine Man who was polarized in Reality.

The earth up to that point was polarized according to the way it was created, but when that Cosmic Force began to flow through fallen man, the earth itself was thrown out of polarity. The subterranean supports of Lemuria crumbled, and the Garden of Eden, amidst flames of fire that burst out of the bowels of the earth, vanished below the waters of the Pacific. The high points of the Motherland remained as the islands of the South Pacific; Australia, too, was a part of it, just to illustrate, but it went completely under also and Australia did not come back until Atlantis went down a thousand years later. There you have an explanation of the deserts of Australia. It came up again when Atlantis went down. So that portion that had been a part of the Garden of Eden was returned to man, but to a very great extent was exceedingly barren. It was no longer the Garden that it once had been. Of course, various portions of various continents were beneath the waters during that interval, also—the entire area known as the Sahara Desert is a point of illustration; and most of the State of California. What we know as “Death Valley” was all under the waters of the ocean. Various portions farther north and in the south were under water—in Arizona, for instance, New Mexico, and some of Texas. So that this continent was to a very great extent submerged when Lemuria went down, and then it came back up again at the time of the sinking of Atlantis.

There were large portions of the Orient as now known—the famous Gobi Desert—underneath the water for a thousand years. All this is interesting from the standpoint of geology, but it is basic in helping you to understand some of the things that happened, some of the vibrations that work through human beings now. At the same time, whereas there had been slight seasonal changes—it had not all been just one monotonous day following day—there were some changes. The world's climate had been very nearly tropical up until that time. The extreme north country had animals that we would now find in the tropics—if there are any left. They were similar in nature. But when the earth shifted the extremes of seasons began to appear, and in the extreme cold of the north this water that was thrown out from the bowels of the earth, and came to surface of the earth for that period, froze in the extreme north.

The true teaching was retained in Atlantis, and Atlantis was given an opportunity to return to God. This great cataclysm that had overtaken the world should have made men and women turn to God. It did for a little while, but in Atlantis the machine age developed, a machine age that surpassed anything at the present time, and man depended upon the machine rather than upon God. And finally it reached a point where those Divine Men and Women who still remained as teachers in the world had to withdraw, because human beings insisted on walking in the way of evil rather than return to God. So they ascended, and the earth was thrown still further out of polarity, and this further shift in the earth's axis—not necessarily in the same direction as before—caused all of this ice that had been formed up here in this north country for a thousand years to begin to shift. It caused these various portions of the continents to rise up from underneath the water again (Australia, etc.); it caused new mountains to appear, and it caused this great sheet of ice that had been established in the north (the land was lifted and the earth shifted on its axis) to come sliding down upon this continent here, and there immediately followed what has sometimes been called the Ice Age. The ice moved south on the earth and moved pretty well down into the States, as you know from your study of geology.

Now consider the areas that had been under the water. They were naturally without any population. Atlantis went down; geographical changes took place pretty well all over the world and there were great tidal waves. This is what the Bible speaks of as the Great Flood. And you can readily recognize that there were very few people remaining upon the earth, and those who did remain were faced with living in entirely new conditions, new climates, without transportation, or any means of communication. There were just little groups here and there that survived and those that were not particularly hardy and strong and fit soon perished. There was a sheet of ice that had come down through here throwing things up in general. It was cold and miserable and there was not much to live for, you would say, in that day. But there were those who were obedient to the law of self-preservation.

However, within a very few years—500 years roughly—the memory of Lemuria and Atlantis was virtually forgotten, though dim legends were passed down from generation to generation. Those who remained were forced to live like animals, under extremely difficult conditions. There we have in that period of extreme hardship what the archaeologist is inclined to call the days of the cave man, because it was in the caves that those who survived the catastrophe took refuge. There was a scarcity of food, wild animals, and only a few people survived. Those few began to gradually increase in numbers until finally man reached a point in his progress, some 5000 to 6000 years ago, where he began to record his doings. He developed systems of writing. There was then a period of somewhere around 5000 years, from the time of the submersion of Atlantis and the catastrophe of this ice sheet, until human beings progressed sufficiently—in Egypt, for instance—to begin to make a written record. From that point on we have recorded history covering about the past 5000 years, but up to that point our ordinary histories have nothing to say. There is a brief history, then, which goes back roughly over the last 25,000 years.

As man began to replenish the earth, God established a way by which he could again become aware of the things of God. In the Motherland there had been Seven Sacred Schools, but man had gone down to the very bottom and had been slowly coming up again from the days of the cave man. The First Sacred School Melchizedek established through Abraham, and then it was continued trough Joseph and Moses, and the people were carried finally into the Promised Land. And in this experience, through the portrayal of circumstances, fundamental principles of the world release into Reality were made manifest. But Israel, once in the Promised Land, everything going more or less nicely, became content and ceased to expand Spiritually. Human beings do not seem to be able to stand prosperity. When everything is going nicely they turn away from God. They forget God until the days of adversity. And so, the children of Israel failed. The First Sacred School failed.

Jesus came and established the Second Sacred School. This teaching was working from the basic standpoint of the mental approach so that the world could have been transformed and carried into the Ideal State at that time if the world had responded, but it would not. We find that in 300 A. D. the Light that He had established was pretty well blotted out and for a thousand years of stagnation the world had to endure the Dark Ages. In the 13th century the expansion began to manifest. Knowledge began to increase because the prophecy says that in the latter days knowledge should be increased and many should run to and fro. Satan was loosed, knowledge began to increase and it has been increasing with intensified speed during the last 600 years. And so we come to the present.

Looking forward, we see that the same principle that was working at the time of the submersion of Atlantis and Lemuria must be reversed to bring the New Earth State into manifestation. I told you the other evening that I anticipated touching upon this verse: “And I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth: for the first Heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.” What does it mean, there will be no more sea? Because the continents that have been submerged are to arise. The earth is over three-quarters water now. It will be over three-quarters land. “...and the islands shall flee away.” How would an island flee away? The continents will arise. Where are the islands? They are the tops of the remaining mountains. But it simply says that the continents shall arise. They will arise where the oceans are.

That means, then, that there must be established a dominant focal point of consciousness in the world

which will, in due season, take over the control of the mass consciousness

so that the Cosmic Vibrations will begin to work through the polarized consciousness of those on the earth,

and that will throw the earth back into polarity.

As that happens, the continents will arise. The earth will again be in position to be Eden, Paradise restored. It will take a long time, comparatively speaking, from that time until the evil works of man will be eliminated from the face of the earth. The Bible specifies a period of about a hundred years—one hundred years of reconstruction after the earth has been thrown back into polarity, and after the continents have been brought back and man is really functioning from the standpoint of the New Earth State. We see, then, that our own harmonization in right polarity, and what we do towards maintaining and establishing more fully that right polarization, is essential for the salvation of the world and for bringing the earth back into true polarity so that the New Earth can manifest. Someone has to do it—has to stand so steady, so constant, through the coming period of turmoil that the right polarity of consciousness will be established. When the evil forces of consciousness have crumbled by their own evil, the focal points of Reality will be unveiled and will permit the Cosmic Forces to begin to right this wobbling old earth upon its axis, and then will come the beginning of the New Earth State.

Of what value is all of this to us here and now? It helps us to have a clearer understanding of what is taking place, what God has provided for the salvation of man, and what is to take place. But we have definite problems to face. We are confronted with the necessity of living in the now. The First Sacred School and the Second Sacred School left records of activities which are of vital importance in working out in this Third Sacred School. We could go back and study the various events, for instance, clear back to the time of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob and Joseph as experienced in Egypt, and in all of those things we find correspondences to the activities of the present. It is of these things we would study fully if we had the six months instead of just tonight. So, we are going to skip that part of it and come up to the point of the Second Sacred School, from the life of Jesus on, and consider that in relationship to the present, particularly the latter part of His activities on the earth. Just prior to His crucifixion, He was acclaimed by thousands, but as soon as there was a little questioning, somebody whispering and talking, someone not sure that it was wise to be seen with such a man, what happened to the thousands, the ones who had cried, “Hosanna to the King?” Where were they? Very discreetly they departed—discreetly according to their own human concept.

We stop and consider Christianity, the modern church, as now known. I am not finding fault, I am pointing to the facts. But if all those who had classified themselves as Christians had been functioning according to what the Christ Life meant, do you think that the present circumstances would have worked out as they have? No. Christians were given an opportunity, as few people have been in this modern day, to so live that the world could still have been carried into the New Earth State without complete crucifixion. We see that, don't we? Millions who have been classifying themselves as Christians; nations who have been classifying themselves as Christian nations, and what has happened? We have thousands or millions crying, “Hosanna to the King.” Everything was lovely and they thought they were going to get something for nothing. But when it came to the pinch of everyday living, of really standing effectively, they discreetly departed, as in the days of old. They did not think.

If these millions had been functioning in the power of God, this old world could not be in the shape that it is now. So it is in the day by day activity that individually, and collectively, the peoples of the world have been judging themselves. And as it came close to the time of crucifixion in the world the power of Christians, as such, was not very strong. The war came, and so the crucifixion is in process and will continue until the end of the present conflict. The church has been on trial, everybody has been on trial, as Jesus was on trial. And you see how in the last few years, as Jesus was on trial back there, so have all the people on the face of the earth been on trial. As that trial miscarried in so far as justice and mercy were concerned, so came the beginning of the present conflict in the world. There are those who would like to say, “Oh, well, it was just Hitler, Mussolini and so on.” It does not detract anything from the character of those individuals to recognize that they could never have gotten into power if that which was not like unto themselves was not in nations. Just some puny individual over here, I do not care how vile he is, how scheming, he cannot work and climb to the top and get into power without degradation in the world. The very manifestation of such creatures does what? It condemns the world itself. The very fact that such creatures can manifest and go to the top shows the state of the world. It is not just those nations alone but all other nations too, because if greed and selfishness had not been working through all nations, such a thing could not come to pass. So, we are not just dealing with two or three individuals, we are dealing with the fundamental condition that contaminates humanity. How is this condition to be removed? Through this process of world crucifixion.

What happened after the crucifixion of Jesus? He was taken down from the cross. What is it the world is being crucified on?—on the cross of the self-willed human body and its lust and greed and everything else. Then after the crucifixion, what? The tomb. Do you think that just as soon as the crucifixion is over everything is going to be alright? No. They may have thought: everything is going to be alright, just as soon as we kill the Son of God. We will hang Him on the tree, and everything will be all over. They were not thinking, were they? The world hangs itself indeed. They thrust the sword into the side of Jesus. Today they thrust bayonets into their own sides.

Then comes the period of the tomb. We are in the period of the crucifixion now, and will be for some little time. There is nothing established about it. The period of the crucifixion will continue until then. But then the world is to be placed in the tomb—the world itself, because the blackness of the tomb will be engulfing this world more than ever, and it will be only those who are polarized in the Life, in the understanding of the things of God, in the realization of the Presence of God through the Father within, who will be able to carry through the period of the tomb and emerge victorious as Jesus did. The period of the tomb won't be over in a week or two. It can be shorter or longer, but it will be a period of the tomb and the things which Jesus prophesied will manifest still more fully then—famines, earthquakes in diverse places.

You have noticed how in the last few years earthquakes have increased. The old earth is trembling on its axis, getting ready for the shaking on its foundations which will return it to right Polarity. The period of the tomb will carry up to the time of the shift, and that will be the rolling away of the stone from the tomb when that takes place. Comparatively few of the human beings now living will be able to carry through that period, but no one will be able to carry through unless—I am not saying all evil ones, because there will be some who are working contrary to the Will of God will carry through clear past that point—but in so far as we are concerned we recognize that to carry through successfully, through this period that is before us, we have to be polarized in the Source of Life, we have to be willing to work under limited conditions, we have to have our lives so fully dedicated to Service that little else matters. Here we come to a time of a few years of intense world suffering. We are in it already. The Fire of God coming down from Heaven is devouring all the people of the world. Either we respond in Love to it, or we fight against it and become destroyed.

Now one of the great questions is: Can we face these facts and consider these things and not become fearful? Does it make you afraid when we paint this picture as it is unfolding in the world, or can you look at it calmly, serenely, and say, “Let it come.” It is better to have these few years of intensive suffering and have it over with, than to continue for thousands of years, dragging out the misery. People are so prone to say, “Well, if we could just return to normal times.” What normal times? The best time you can mention in the scope of your memory in this present life, or back in recorded history? What shall we say—the boom of the twenties—many suffering—everybody stepping up on everybody else's neck. It was called wonderful times. But the world was full of rottenness. There was misery, suffering and death. What was so wonderful about those times? It is just a little worse now. It is a matter of degree, as William is wont to say. How true: We have not had any normal times since the time that man fell and we will not have any normal times until we get back to the Divine Estate. Well then, we are not looking for everything just to be OK as soon as the present conflict is over, and we know that misery, suffering and sorrow are going to continue until they are wiped out and until the New Earth State emerges victoriously. It is that to which we look.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men.” Rev. 21:1. Now we can take that statement as applying just as prophetically to the period that is described. But, if it is to be true then, it must be true now—perhaps not seen just as fully. The tabernacle of God is with men, has been all the time. All men have to do is to see it.

What is this new Jerusalem? It is the new Spiritual Consciousness, the understanding of Divine things as seen from the Spiritual standpoint. Instead of looking at it from the old standpoint—external effects—we are looking at it from the new standpoint. To the degree that you actually function according to the principles of the Third Sacred School, you are letting the Fire of Heaven come down, letting the New Jerusalem manifest. The New Jerusalem is the new Spiritual Consciousness. It is just taking place to the degree that it is permitted to, but ultimately it will take place in the world. In the past, people have looked at things from the physical and mental standpoint. Now, making an adjustment, we are looking at things from the Spiritual standpoint, from the standpoint of Spiritual perception, of the point of attunement between man and God, to stand in the Holy Place. We see that as we let this New Jerusalem come down from God out of Heaven, what takes place? All the former things are caused to pass away. We are not trying to maintain the former things. We are not struggling for the former things. Yes, for the things that were before the fall of man, we have to go back a long way. We are working in the present so that we may have a part in that fulfillment. “Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Has this review of the world's history helped you? Do you begin to see more fully what the life of Jesus means to us in this period? Can you see how this is the period of the crucifixion? After Jesus arose there was a period before they recognized Him. Mary Magdalene saw Him, but did not recognize Him. So then, after this period there will be a time of adjustment, but finally the people will be able to see Him as He is. And that is what is called the second coming of Jesus, when the people can see Him as He is, and when the veil is seen to be rent in twain. It is already rent in twain, but does not seem to be. And so, we see how He pictured for us the days that are at hand, and how it will be after the world resurrection into the New Earth State. The stone is rolled away from the tomb, the world is thrown back into polarity, for the former things are passed away. Is this pleasing to you, although all around is darkness?

The old world won't let it be any quicker or better. Is that a beautiful picture instead of the darkness that is between this point and that Goal? The days are to be shortened for the elect's sake. It will be shortened as much as possible. But the world will have to learn to let go of the unreal, let it crumble. We must not cling to it. We will have to realize it and let it go. Isn't that right? If we cling to it we will be carried out with it. Is that a hard doctrine? It is the doctrine of Love. You are to serve God and others likewise. We are asked to respond to the Lord in love, but we cannot save the individual who will not let himself be uplifted. Each must make his own choice. We cannot make it for others.

It seems to me that as we have been able to go over this rather rapidly, we should close with something we have heard before. Some things are always new, and to me that holds true for the 91st Psalm. This is a beautiful poem and such a revelation of the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In the days to come of the world's passage through the tomb, if the pressure becomes too great, it is very good to turn to that Psalm and remember as you read it or think about it, you will be able, in Spirit, to return to this hour, this moment, and to hear it again as we consider the Way of God together—to hear it again as it has been expressed tonight. There are such depths in it, such lovely promises, such power. This is a benediction to you and to your household. Until I return, will you remember that poem and keep it close to your heart?

© Emissaries of Divine Light