Enoch and Moses and Elias and Jesus

Enoch  and  Moses   Elias  and  Jesus

Uranda   July 18, 1953 pm  Class

The pattern of Meditation which we have been sharing in services and in class work has all centered around the Magic of Living, in recent weeks—or Heavenly Magic—and step by step there has been a deepening realization not only of the vital importance of drawing near unto God but of the means whereby this may be accomplished effectively, expeditiously. And whatever we can do properly to expedite this pattern of fulfilment we should do. We need to realize that in the world pattern there has been a surface consideration, a surface experience with respect to the things of God; but to actually let them manifest in daily life on earth is something that human beings have not, generally speaking, learned to do.

The popular concept of the so-called Christian God is of an old man sitting on a throne in a heaven that relates particularly to this earth—it is up here in the sky somewhere—carrying the idea that all the stars in the heavens are merely incidental to this earth; that the sun, the other planets in the solar system, and all the stars in the sky, are merely incidental, for the convenience of this earth, the idea being that really this earth is the center of everything, as far as importance is concerned, and that heaven relates to this earth and wherever that heaven is—out in space, maybe up around the moon some place—and somewhere there is supposed to be an old man with a long white beard, sitting on a throne, overlooking the earth and particularly concerned about what goes on here, etc. That idea, which is so wide spread, so widely accepted really even in this so-called modern day, is one which impresses any thinking person as superstitious.

I know I was quite a young boy, perhaps in my very early teens, when I could not accept the idea any more that the religious folks around me were trying to impose upon me—this idea of a god in such a fashion, a more or less general so-called Christian concept; and I rejected it all and assumed that that made me an atheist. Of course, I found out later that it did not. It only gave me an opportunity to begin to know God. And yet, what do most people have offered to them in the world except the old husks that have been offered to mankind through the centuries, or reject them and be an atheist? Generally speaking the pattern of choice is assumed to be between these two factions or states of consciousness, but if we truly look at the stars in the sky we must recognize that surely there is intelligence back of them. We do not assume that the earth is the center of everything and that everything else is incidental to this earth—this earth is not the most important point in the cosmos. We have a part to play in the body of Being that is called the Cosmos, but this is not the center of it, and we have come to have a new vision of God. We never think of an old man sitting on a throne, waiting to wreck vengeance on some human creature that makes a mistake.

This idea is something that we will contact many, many times in the days to come, as we serve. One must either accept a prejudice pattern, refuse to think, or reject these things. And then the churches wonder why they lose members, why the young people do not stay centered and steady in the pattern. It does not make too much difference whether they call it Methodist or Baptist or Presbyterian or Lutheran or something else. The brand name is of very small importance from our standpoint. It is no more than that—the different brands of the so-called Christian religion, all the way from the Roman Catholics to the Holy Rollers. It is not just a brand that we are concerned about, but we will have to deal with the patterns of consciousness that have been engendered in the world by reason of all of these ideas.

If we are to deal effectively with such things we must ourselves know God, we must ourselves be channels through which the power of God operates, through whom the wisdom of God is made manifest, through whom understanding is expressed to the children of men. When we recognize these limitations in the patterns of consciousness in the world we are not in any sense condemning them or finding fault with them; we would not in any sense belittle any of them—but it is necessary that we have some understanding of them and be able to face the facts as they are. Recognizing the limitations which exist in the world, recognizing the need, the hungry ones, the thirsty ones, the prodigal sons and daughters who have been feeding upon the husks for so long, we should have a powerful incentive to cause us to utilize every possible opportunity to reach a point where we may function effectively.

We have in our meditations on the subject of the Magic of Living been giving a good deal of thought to the Shekinah pattern of Being. Our meditation thus far has been more or less introductory. We have recognized that the Shekinah pattern was known in both the Old and the New Testament periods. We have recognized that the Master used the Shekinah pattern of Being as a basis of His ministry. We have recognized that it was His correct function in relationship to the Shekinah pattern of Being that allowed Him to teach as He did, allowed Him to carry the healing power to ailing human beings, and this set up the cycle by which the Spirit of His ministry might reach down to us nineteen centuries later—the power of ministry extending for nineteen centuries, reaching to us, an idea, a heavenly idea, which has been misunderstood, distorted, presented on a faulty basis but nevertheless it is here, it is in the world and millions of people earnestly and sincerely seek to let that which He did have meaning in their lives. And yet, all these untold millions have not learned how to follow Him in letting the Shekinah pattern of Being have meaning in their lives.

This is the distinction—whether you examine Old Testament history or New Testament history—to the degree that any man, anywhere at any time, or any woman, allowed the Shekinah pattern of Being to manifest under the Law, there was something accomplished. That man or that woman rendered a true service to humanity, that person, whoever it was, stood out at least head and shoulders above the mass of humanity and they are remembered because of what they accomplished.

We remember, for instance, Abraham; we remember Isaac and Jacob; we remember Joseph; we remember Moses; we remember Caleb and Joshua; we remember David and Solomon; we remember Isaiah and Ezekiel and Daniel, and many others from the Old Testament pattern. In connection with all of this we have noted the great significance of the trinity in relationship to the One Who Dwells, making four. We began our cycle of instruction in the Servers’ Training Class considering the reality of the Four Forces, and we see how these Four Forces have been and are operating in relationship to all things whatsoever. There is the One Who Dwells, or the One whom the Master called the Father, the Centering of Being; and then extending out from the One Who Dwells, the Fire and the Light that Glows, and the Cloud of Glory. But seen from our standpoint we have the reverse—the Cloud of Glory, the Light that Glows, the Fire, and the One Who Dwells. And this is the Shekinah pattern of Being.

Under this pattern of Meditation we are reminded that in Biblical history we have a record of three men who ascended—three men who ascended. The first on record was Enoch, and it is written of him: “And Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” And later there was Elijah. Elijah who at one time because he was tired, in a moment of weakness, fled from Queen Jezebel and feared for his life, and failed to function perfectly at all times. And yet Elijah ascended, and his mantle passed to Elisha—the mantle of the prophet. And then the third was, of course, our Lord in relationship to His ministry on earth. The record of three who ascended.

We have considered together something of the laws and principles of ascension so that we could understand how the substance of the earth does ascend in its vibratory patterns. But we need to begin to see this pattern of ascension in a higher or deeper sense, with a larger vision. Let us note with respect to Enoch that it is written: “And Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” Enoch walked with God. It seems to me that that simple statement, so briefly put, describes something that is so limitless, so beautiful, so fascinating, so important, that the very simplicity inspires a deeper devotion and dedication. It causes us to ask, “If Enoch in the long ago could walk with God, why not me? Why cannot I walk with God?”

Strange as it may seem, in the midst of the religious dogma to which I was subjected as a boy, in all the attitudes and concepts that made my whole being rebel and which I finally rejected, that simple statement made a very deep impression on my consciousness: “And Enoch walked with God,” and God took him. And Enoch walked with God. Enoch did it before our Master came, before the revelation of law and principle, the exemplification and teaching which our Master gave to the world. If Enoch could do it before, why cannot we do it now? What does it mean to you, this thought, this simple picture, this brief outline? “And Enoch walked with God.” That was something that obviously took place on earth. He did not have to go to Heaven to walk with God; he walked with God before he went to whatever Heaven there is—that is why he went to Heaven. He walked with God. Where? On earth. “And Enoch walked with God.”

Before we expand that point any further, let us for the moment look at Elijah, the second one in the pattern of three. Actually Elisha, according to the record, or as far as the record goes, performed many more miracles than Elijah did. You read the story of the two prophets and you will find that through Elisha's ministry there were many spectacular things. Remember the ax head that floated, for instance. One of the men lost an ax head. Now we must remember that that was a very valuable thing in those days, far more precious and far more valuable than we would think an ax head to be, and it was borrowed, and the peculiar circumstances that were involved. And the man was chopping down a tree and the ax head flew off the handle and went in the water, and it was lost. And the man was greatly disturbed. And, according to the story, Elisha caused the ax head to float to the surface of the water so they could get it. It was a very important event if you recognize the peculiar nature of the situation at that time. It was very important. Elisha did a multitude of things, far more miracles, evidences of the manifestation of God's power, than were accomplished through Elijah; and yet, Elisha, according to the record, faced death the same as any other man or woman, and Elijah ascended. The chariot of God, the chariot of Fire, came down and took him. And as he started to ascend, he cast his mantle back and it fell upon Elisha, and Elisha carried on. But Elijah did do some very remarkable things.

In one of our patterns of Meditation we considered his contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, a very wonderful outworking. We recognize that his function was at the time when the pattern of the children of Israel was breaking up, and the division was being established in relationship to Jerusalem and Samaria. But what do you remember outside of this experience with respect to Elijah on Mt. Carmel and the fact that he ascended? Perhaps you remember in relationship to him with respect to the famine that there was the cruse of oil and the barrel of meal that never failed, so that there was food during the famine for his landlady and himself. But outside of that, what do you remember about Elijah? I venture not very much, not very much; and yet he was one of the three of whom we have a record of ascension.

The third, our Master. We have shared many hours of Meditation upon His life, upon His teaching, the things He did, the terrible atrocity to which He was subjected at the conclusion of His ministry, but the fact that He came forth victor over death—for He did not die and in season He ascended. Human beings have seemed to have become lost in what we might call the mystical idea of leaving the surface of the earth with one's body. A very interesting thing, and I do not question but what under the right conditions at least, a desirable thing, something that is in harmony with the Divine Design, the Divine Pattern, the Divine Plan. But this which suggests something spectacular, the end result is that which appeals to the minds and hearts of the children of men, the idea of somehow, sometime, ascending with one's whole body. Now, I have not suggested to you or to anyone else that any of us would do it. I have never suggested that even I would do it. Perhaps—perhaps not. That is beside the point. Under the present circumstance it is not too important—the end result of total ascension. There is a partial ascension, in any case, and that is not the important thing at this present stage of events.

What was it in relationship to the lives of these three men that allowed the end result to be a fact? I wonder. Would you be surprised if I told you there was a fourth who had ascended? These three are generally known and recognized in this regard, but the pattern of the story is perhaps a little confusing with another. As we have looked at this pattern of three—and you remember what I said a little while ago about the Shekinah pattern of Being—perhaps you have wondered about a fourth, that somehow there must have been a fourth. And if there was, it had to be before the time of our Master, because it is obvious that any logical or reasonable understanding of the pattern of Being would have made His manifestation be the representation of what? That which was contained in the Fire of Love, the One Who Dwells. Yes, He was the fourth one. As we begin to see the patterns unfold, see the symbolism that has been provided down through the ages so that man could understand, it is obvious that there should have been three before His day. And there was. There was Enoch who walked with God and was not because God took him; and then we mentioned Elijah. But Elijah was the third one. Enoch was the first. What of the second?

In the Old Testament history pattern as it was translated, as it came down to us, the story is a little on the vague side with respect to Moses. There is the statement that he died at the age of a hundred and twenty; but that was an assumption. Actually, at a certain time he left the encampment of the children of Israel and went out into the wilderness. He went up on a mountain—the Lord's promise that he would be able to see the Promised Land. Now everyone assumed that the Lord was talking about Palestine, that he was going to look over Jordan and see the land where the children of Israel were to dwell. Now, I am not suggesting that it did not include that, but I am pointing to the fact that it was not limited to that. It is written that no man knew where the grave of Moses was, and the story goes, according to legend, that he was buried by some angels. We have a clue in the shortest book in the Bible, the book with only one chapter—Jude. In the Ninth Verse we read: “Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him (that is, against the devil) a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” In other words, we have here the picture of Michael the Archangel and the devil contending over the body of Moses, and the Archangel “durst not bring a railing accusation against the devil, but said. The Lord rebuke thee.” The devil is what? The prince of death, the prince of darkness. And if the Archangel said, “The Lord rebuke thee,” under this circumstance, there is at least some indication that it was possible that instead of some angels coming down from Heaven and digging a hole in the ground and burying the body of Moses, as so many have supposed according to the legend, it is possible that he ascended.

Now we do not have here in the Book a positive statement, and so you are free to believe what you will. But I would assure you that Moses did ascend, and he saw the Promised Land, not just the land that was filled with milk and honey, not just the land that lay across the Jordan, not just the land where the ten spies had seen giants in the land and the children of Israel had refused to enter in—but the Promised Land of the Kingdom of Heaven that is at hand. Moses did ascend.

And so once more our pattern of three leads us to a recognition of the pattern of four, the three phases of the Shekinah pattern of Being which lead us to the One Who Dwells. Enoch, who walked with God and was not because God took him. And there, if we begin to sense the beauty and the wonder of that simple statement, we begin to touch something of glory, something of exquisite glory, beauty. And then came Moses, and it was under the leadership of Moses, one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known, that the Tabernacle was built, the Ark of the Covenant was formed, and the Shekinah manifestation appeared between the cherubims above the Ark of the Covenant, over the mercy seat. And the second is the Light that glows; and the Light that glows relates to Truth; it relates to design; it relates to control. And elements of Truth with respect to design and control were surely revealed through the life of Moses. So, it is reasonable to recognize that Moses was the one who symbolized that second phase of the Shekinah pattern in the revelation of Deity, the patterns of ascension as they are established in the record. But then the third was Elijah.

Now the Master said something during His ministry that is of vital significance in this relationship. You will remember that we have the simple statement with respect to Enoch: “He walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” And then Moses, in the midst of this pattern of outworking which he revealed, he ascended the Mt. Sinai and there he talked with God, there he received the tablets of the Law, etc., there he was upon the Mount of Glory. And then as we think of the Master's life and ministry, we recall that he took three disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration. He took Peter, James and John, the three disciples, up into the Mount of Transfiguration—again the three, with the fourth. But those who have considered the Mount of Transfiguration failed to see the Shekinah pattern of Being, they failed to recognize the great significance, the vital importance. But there was the Mount of Transfiguration, the three and the one. And as they were coming down from the mount, the Master said something. “And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.” Now, of course, some have taken that statement of Jesus to mean that He Himself was going to be crucified, that He was going to die and be resurrected from the tomb—again mere assumption. What did the Master actually say? “Until the Son of man be risen again from the dead”—mankind, the body of mankind, begins to rise from the dead. The dead, meaning the dust of the grave? Not at all. The state of mankind in which there are so many who are dead to God and the things of God. They are dead to life. You are here sharing a process of resurrection.

Now the story was told. They assumed it was all right to tell it because they did not understand what the Master mentioned. But where do you find this story? In the Gospel according to Matthew. Do you find it in the Gospel according to John? The only one who was there, of Peter, James and John, who wrote a Gospel, did not include this story in his Gospel, because he knew that the Son of man was not yet risen from the dead. Jesus had come forth from the tomb; He had been in a coma in the tomb, yes; but that was not what the Master was talking about. The disciples did not understand. “And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.” In other words, according to the Master's own statement, and that which He conveyed to the disciples, which they did understand, was that Elias or Elijah had incarnated and was made manifest as the one who prepared the way of the Lord, as John the Baptist. Now John the Baptist was beheaded. He did not ascend in the sense that we are talking about it tonight. But Elijah, who did ascend, incarnated in the body of John the Baptist, according to the Master's statement. Some people have tried to get around that, but it is a bit hard to do without calling Him a liar.

So, Elijah did come as John the Baptist. And coming down from the mountain the Master spoke of Elijah or Elias. And who was it that they had seen upon the mountain? Let us notice that. “And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John … and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light”—the three, and in the midst the One Who Dwells, the revelation of the Shekinah pattern of Being. “And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.” Moses and Elias talking with him. Moses was incarnated at that time as John, the disciple. Elias had incarnated, and his body had been beheaded by Harod. But on the Mount of Transfiguration they saw, with the Master, Moses and Elias, or Elijah.

Again we find correlating factors that indicate that Enoch, Moses, and Elijah were the three who revealed the essential elements of the Shekinah pattern over a long period of time in relationship to the revelation of the One Who Dwells, the revelation of the Father through the body of the man Jesus, being the fourth. This makes a complete revelation, something that is available to us, something that should have great meaning to us—for here, if we can read the signs aright, if we can see what is to be seen, we can understand what is to be understood, we can let the Shekinah pattern of Being bring forth in our lives the Victory, the revelation of the presence of the One Who Dwells. And if the One Who Dwells is the King of the Kingdom, and He is revealed as being the King of the Kingdom, there should follow a revelation of the Kingdom itself. Enoch, Moses, and Elijah—and finally our Master, the revelation of the King, the revelation of the One Who Dwells. And after the revelation of the King, what? The revelation of the Kingdom. And we are called, you are called, from the north and the south, the east and the west, to share in the revelation of the Kingdom by reason of the working of the Shekinah pattern of Being. And so once more I would call your attention to the words with which John opened his Gospel:

“In the beginning was Shekinah, and Shekinah was with God, and Shekinah was God.
“The same was in the beginning with God.
“All things were made by Shekinah; and without Shekinah was not any thing made that was made.
“In Shekinah was life; and the life was the light of men.”

Human beings have been searching for life, and where will they find it? In Shekinah. And not until we let ourselves begin to comprehend the vital significance of these words: “In the beginning was Shekinah, and Shekinah was with God, and Shekinah was God”—the three and the one, the four, all being Shekinah. “The same was in the beginning with God. All things,” not some things—all things. And if we would be creative and share in the making of something or the revealing of something, we must use Shekinah or let Shekinah use us. “All things were made by Shekinah; and without Shekinah was not any thing made that was made.” So if you begin to grasp even a little, to glimpse a little of the significance of Enoch, who walked with God, and of Moses and of Elijah, and finally of the Master, you will see that the three revelations in Old Testament have a direct relationship to the revelation in the so-called New Testament, and those who seek to divide them know not what they do. It is all a part of one thing, not really old and new—it is one revelation, one revelation of one Truth, of one God, of the Reality of Being. And if we would serve those who stumble in darkness and who rebel against the husks we must come to know Shekinah. He that dwelleth in the Shekinah of the most High shall abide under the evidence of the Presence, under the shadow, under the Shekinah of the Almighty. Let it be so in us, that the Almighty may accomplish His Will and His works because we live on earth in this day, in this time.

© Emissaries of Divine Light

Valley Of Dry Bones

Valley  Of  Dry  Bones

YouTube  Audio

Uranda   January 4, 1954

I thank God for the privilege we have of gathering in the Spirit of His Presence. I have chosen a text which, in times past, we have considered—the Thirty-Seventh Chapter of Ezekiel:

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD,

and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley;

and, lo, they were very dry.

And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?

And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.

Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them,

O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones;

Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin,

and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise,

and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them,

and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind,

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath,

and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as he commanded me,

and the breath came into them, and they lived,

and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

“The hand of the LORD was upon me.” Isn't that a good state to be in: to have a consciousness and awareness of the fact that the hand of the LORD is upon me? “And carried me out in the spirit of the LORD.” Have you ever been carried out in the Spirit of the LORD into new fields of vision, understanding, and comprehension? Have you ever been carried out of the state where you were into a new state?

Human beings reading these words ordinarily think of some strange phenomenon in which an individual, a man was perhaps standing here and suddenly he shoots off up into the air and goes somewhere else. I don’t think of it that way at all. “The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones”—in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. What is this valley. To me it is the valley of the world, of human beings. And when we look out into that world pattern, in the world situation it is rather dry, and it reminds us of a valley of dry bones, because human beings are rattling around this way and that, accomplishing what? Are there the proper relationships? Do we see the true body of mankind. The answer is, No.

And the LORD “caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.” What does this dryness signify? A lack of livingness, a lack of life. And in the world as it is we see a tremendous lack of life. “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?” How many times have you asked that question of yourself? Did you ever sit in your car, parked at the curb of a busy street an watch people go by—all kinds and shapes and colors, people going this way and that, some appearing to have a goal and others acting aimlessly—and did you ever ask yourself, “Can the world be saved? Can all this mass of humanity be healed of their limitations? Can they be drawn into a pattern of the Divine Design? Can they begin to live in any true sense? “And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered”—and here is the perfect answer—“O Lord GOD, thou knowest”—Thou knowest the answer. “Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them…”

Now before we go further let us remember what the word prophesy means. So many people imagine that prophesy means primarily foretelling future events. That may be included in some cases, but that is not the true meaning of prophesy. To prophesy mean to let the Word of the LORD be spoken on earth, about any subject, any thing, whatever it may be—and action comes in the realm of prophesy also. A prophet is one who allows the words of the LORD and the actions of the LORD to be given expression on earth. A true prophet is any individual who allows his lips to form and express the Word of the LORD in relationship to any subject, any thing whatsoever it may be—past present or future. So, when the LORD commanded Ezekiel and said, “Prophesy upon these bones”, we recognize immediately that he was instructed to let the Word of the LORD come through his lips so that that Word would have meaning to the dry bones. And “he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” Now there we have a perfect illustration of the meaning of prophesy.

“O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.” When we look at the world situation with human vision, human feelings and attitudes, realizing the chaos that is everywhere present, the suffering and the misery, the limitations of every sort, it seems to the human mind that this is indeed an impossible task. But it is no more impossible than the human concept of gathering dry bones together in a very dry valley and causing them to live. In fact, every human being upon the face of the earth who has not yet come into the body of formation Divinely designed, so that he or she has begun to live in the Divine sense, is one of these dry bones in the dry valley of the world pattern.

“Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live”—and this reminds us of another statement: Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I create all things new. “And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded”—even as I have done, and you are here. “I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.”

Here we see the beginning cycles of the healing ministry which we share—the gathering together of the bones to form the skeleton of the body of mankind, the body of Christ, or the Christ Spirit, on earth. But that body begins to take form before there is breath in the body—and so it has been. And when we look back along the way, as far as your own participation in this Program is concerned, do you find that this statement is true? “So I prophesied as I was commanded, and as I prophesied, there was a noise.” Did you ever hear a noise, of ideas, and concepts, and reactions, and rebellions, and questionings, and wonderings, and trying, pushing, pulling—all kinds of things? “A noise, and behold a shaking.” Now did any of you ever feel shaken? Did you? Did you ever find a shaking in the process of your being gathered together? Did you ever find your old patterns of idea and concept shaken? Did you ever find yourself shaken? I do not think there is one here who can answer, “No.” And so, there was a noise and there was a shaking, and the bones came together. Witness—here you are!

“And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above:”—or on the outside—“but there was no breath in them.” And we are reminded of the statement in the story of creation, “The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground.” But he was an inert form—and the LORD breathed the breath of life into man’s nostrils, and man became a living Soul. He was therefore, before that point, a dead soul; he was a soul but not a living Soul. So, in our own experience there has been a gathering together of the bones, and the sinews have appeared, and the skin above, or on the outside. The forming has been working out exactly as the picture is portrayed here. But, there is one thing yet which is needed and that is the breath of life, that you may, in the full, complete sense be living Souls; or, in the unified pattern, a living Soul, in the sense of the body of mankind.

We recall that we have used the illustration before, of many members of one body, and the same portrayal is used here—many members of one body, the body of mankind which becomes, in the final analysis, the One Christ Body. And the Christ is a Spirit. The Christ Spirit when it fills the body causes that body to be the Christ Body. But until the Christ Spirit is in the body, controlling all the members of the body, it is only a potential not an accomplished fact as the Body of Christ. And here, the statement is, “but there was no breath in them”—the Breath of Life.

“Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind”—and the wind; the air is a symbol of the Spirit, as you will recall; and the wind is air in action. Therefore wind symbolizes Spirit in action. “Prophesy unto the wind.” That is, let the Word of the LORD be expressed to the Spirit, in control of the Spirit. And is that not what is needed in our lives here, in the beginning of this new year, that the Spirit may be in action in us, working through us on earth?

“Then he said unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.” Many people—an exceeding great multitude. And they stood up upon their feet—they became upright as noble men and women—and they lived; and living is not dying. Living signifies that the pattern has been changed, the cycle has been changed, no more moving in the wrong direction, but in a controlled pattern of the Spirit, moving toward the fulfilment of the goal established by the Divine Design. As we live and serve here on Sunrise Ranch, or in whatsoever place is required of us—as Kathy and I journey into the field in this year—what is the burden of our realization

We see with our eyes how responding ones everywhere are being drawn into groups, bone to his bone; how sinews are being formed; multitudes of people of every church, every group, every color on the face of the earth; people are being drawn together in a realization that there is and must be something more than that which has been. But in spite of all of this, in spite of the revivals, in spite of the urgings to attend church, in spite of all the efforts at social betterment, human progress, it is not yet a living thing. It has not been caused to feel the controlled action of the Breath of the Spirit of God. We see the coming together of bone to bone, the development of the sinews and the skin appearing above, and this is taking place all over the world at this present time. It is being promoted by every earnest, sincere endeavour which motivates human beings of every race and color and creed—they are all having a part, one way or another. But we know that in that pattern, while it is a part of the Program, that in and of itself is not enough. The first part of the prophesy is in action on a global scale now—but what of the second part of the prophesy?

“When I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me”—now He says unto us—“Prophesy unto the wind”—unto the Spirit in Action, not the Spirit of God in some static state far away—“Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great” multitude.

It is not required of us that we do that which others have done. If we simply repeat in action that which others are doing, what is our excuse for living, for being here? It is not that we are to simply do what they do, achieve what they have achieved and are achieving. If we cannot add something to that Program, if we cannot increase it in some fashion, then we are of no value.

So, we begin to see here in graphic portrayal that to which we are called in service in the earth in this present time—that in this valley of the world where the dry bones are coming together, the sinews are being established, and the skin is appearing above—that which results may not be merely a dead body to again decompose, not merely the same old round reaching the same old ceiling, ending in the same old futility; but that there may be the actual manifestation of the second step of the prophesy, that there may be such an outpouring of the Spirit of God in action in the valley of the world that the Breath, the Four Winds, the Four Aspects of the Spirit in action may appear in and through the body of mankind, and that that body of mankind may live; that men an women everywhere may stand up upon their feet, revealing more and more that nobility of Being which is of God, of the Divine Design; revealing that full stature in Christ, that grace of life and function by which all may come to know what it means to be a part, not only of the body of mankind but of the Living Body of Christ on earth.

For the body of mankind as it is in the world is in fact a dead or dying body, a body subject to death. It is slain, but the victory of the Living Christ, the victory of the resurrection and the life remains to be made manifest in this body of mankind which extends over the face of the whole earth. This step beyond, which was signified in its beginning essences in what is called the Day of Pentecost—as the Master put it, “And ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you.” Man has not yet received that power. Man, in the sense of mankind, is subject to all of these ills—the threats of war and destruction, the threats of disease of every sort. But “ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you” said our LORD on earth.

And here we have the Word of the prophesy: “Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath”—the Spirit of God in action—and “I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them”—not merely upon them, not merely round about as a breeze that blows, but the breath came into them, and being in them permitted the Spirit in action in them, an action which the flesh should share, an action which the mind should share, an action which the whole man or woman should share—the Spirit of God in action shared by all that we are. And as soon as we begin to realize this, and recognize that it is the Pattern of the Divine Design for our living service on earth in this new year, we find that we need not proceed blindly as if uncertain of the goal or the purpose, but we can move wisely, with understanding and comprehension letting this prophecy be fulfilled in us, because we share the prophecy, because we ourselves let the Word of the Lord be spoken on earth, because we ourselves let the action of the Lord appear, and because by reason of that the Spirit on earth is a controlled expression.

The wind, yes—but the wind, Spirit in action under control, coming from the four winds to accomplish something. I am the resurrection and the life, the victory of the Living Christ—the victory over death, the victory in life, the Spirit of the Living Christ rising above the limitations of this world. And so it is in us, through us, for us, and for all who will share it in this day and in this hour, and in the days of this new year that we may move forward in confidence to know and to share the Victory. So let it be, now and always.

So is it established, and so shall it be accomplished, and no man can alter or change it except for himself; for the fulfilment is sure and certain for the body of mankind, for all who let themselves share in the forming of the new body of mankind, even as it is written “Behold, I make all things new.” And this new body of mankind is being formed out of the valley of dry bones, that in season it may appear a living, breathing, vibrant form for the expression of the Spirit of the Living Christ on earth, to the Glory of God. And then shall it be, according to the promise, that heaven and earth are One; and in the recreation it shall be as in the beginning when the Lord GOD created the heaven and the earth, and they were One. And God saw that which He had made and it was good. So shall it be, and now is it taking form. And in this time of our living it is being accomplished.

We thank God, therefore, for the privilege of sharing in the Angels’ Song—Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. In this new year, may the joy and heavenly prosperity of divine riches be upon you, and be made manifest through you, that you may know the joy of this new year. As one who reveals the Shekinah of our King, the evidence of the presence of the One Who Dwells, that that evidence may be made manifest on earth here and now, so is it established and so shall it be accomplished—and no one can alter or change it except for himself. And in this, I have prophesied as the LORD my KING hath commanded me. AUM-en.

 

© emissaries of divine light

Sweet in Thy Mouth—Bitter in Thy Belly

Sweet  in  Thy  Mouth — Bitter  in  Thy  Belly

from  Mystery of God

Uranda   April 11, 1953  Class

Tonight I would like to meditate with you for a little time on certain portions of that blueprint with the specifications which we speak of as the Book of Revelation. The introduction to this particular subject of meditation is contained in the Tenth Chapter. I would like to read the entire chapter to you so that you may feel the vibrational pattern of the context:

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud:

and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun,

and his feet as pillars of fire:

And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea,

and his left foot on the earth,

And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried,

seven thunders uttered their voices.

And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write:

and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,

Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven,

and the things that therein are, and the earth,

and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein,

that there should be time no longer:

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound,

the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said,

Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel

which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book.

And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter,

but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up;

 and it was in my mouth sweet as honey:

and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again

before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

This concluding verse makes the statement that the author of the Book of Revelation was to prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues and kings. Obviously, since this outworking was near the end of the life manifestation of the one who penned the words, the promise was for another time, another incarnation in his service on earth. But our particular point tonight is contained in the seventh Verse.

“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.”

Here we have a definite assurance that the time would come on earth when God would no longer be a mystery to the children of men, when the things of Heaven would no longer be a mystery on earth. The unification of Heaven and earth within the range of the consciousness of man is necessary to the fulfilment of this promise. We are here to share in that outworking by which this promise may be fulfilled. It is only as you let the mystery of God be finished in you that you can be a means by which the mystery of God may be finished in the world. In relationship to this pattern of outworking, we have here a remarkable picture of the process of incarnation, for each and every one here came into the world to fulfill a certain task, came into the world to share this divine fulfilment.

“And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.”

This is the book of the individual life, the individual purpose, according to the Divine Design.

“And I went unto the angel, and said unto him Give me the little book. And he said unto me. Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey,

“And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.”

The willingness to come into the world, the willingness to follow out the pattern of the Divine Design, is signified here. And the action necessary to that was pictured as being sweet as honey in the mouth. The actual outworking of the experience in life on earth could not be anticipated as being altogether pleasant, and so in the belly—that is in the process of digestion, outworking or fulfilment—the book is bitter in the belly. God does not give any assurance that when we come into the world to serve all things will be pleasing, that there will be no difficulties, no obstacles. We have all experienced in one way or another something of what it means to have this book of individual life expression prove to be bitter in one's belly. But knowing that it will be so, or would be so, did not stop us from eating the book, receiving it into ourselves, accepting the Divine Commission, coming into the world to accomplish something according to the Divine Design.

Once we begin to see this portrayal in relationship to ourselves, our purpose on earth, we can profitably take a moment to consider the passage which outlines the world condition at the time that is here designated. Remember that the statement is: “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.” Here is a description of the world situation, the nature of the world condition at the time specified.

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying. The kingdoms of this world are became the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.”

Now there is the essence of the message or revelation of the Seventh Angel. You are here sharing in a Ministry which recognizes the Master’s meaning when He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand,” and that we should seek that Kingdom first and let it manifest. And here is the statement that the time is come, the time of the sounding of the Voice of the Seventh Angel, when the kingdoms of this world are to become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever—the process of outworking in the lives of human beings when the Kingdom of our Lord in Heaven shall be extended into the earth to include the world and all the kingdoms of this world, that it may be known that they are the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.

© Emissaries of Divine Light

Pray  For  Me

from  The Missing Factor

Spiritual  History  —  Spiritual  Destiny

Uranda   September 22, 1953

We have just passed through the Anniversary period of our Ministry. I feel that you have done some meditating upon the points we covered at that time. You will recognize—as one of the budding servers who was here and is now gone remarked to me on leaving—it was the wish that the Class had gotten a little bit further. It did not carry through to the adequate point of the outpouring of the spirit. Various factors were involved, and since the Convention period and the close of the Class, our group vibration has not allowed us to reach the point we should. This had less of a decline than in previous times, and I thank God for the progress, but we have not reached the point of letting the unifying power of the spirit manifest as we should. I would that during the next few weeks we should bear in mind that here there is a great need that this increased manifestation of the spirit of God should appear in our group, that it may be intensified for all who respond.

There have tended to be some distractions in various ways. There have been some tangent vibrations which have not been conducive to the achievement which we envision, and there are yet some cross-vibrations, some failures to understand one another and adequately appreciate one another, to effectively serve together. There are still evidences that there has not been an adequate clearing in forgiving one another. There are still certain tendencies to resentment patterns. And all of these things delay the fulfilment. Moment by moment and day by day we are rendering service, either for God or for the adversary. It is so vitally important that it be on the constructive side. The world situation is not in any sense cleared. Intensification of patterns continues in various ways. We have many evidences of God's provision and God's blessing, His guiding hand and protecting care, but we need to remember our responsibility in service.

In our recent Anniversary period of Meditation I undertook to open the vibration in a manner which would permit you to have a greater sense of sharing in the basic Commission. I have a very high regard for each one of you. I thank God for you. And you have been doing and are doing so very many things which are helpful, which help to build, to carry our program forward. For all of these things I thank God and pray God's blessing upon you. But there is that which I have not been able to achieve in relationship to the development of attitude, inspiring the pattern of vision and function, and I have wondered what I could do.

Your vibrational patterns are more or less involved with each other. Broadly speaking, in recent times the problems that have arisen have not been on a clear-cut individual basis, in any one person. The vibratory factors of the Unit enter in and there are two or more people involved in various ways, and by reason of this involvement I cannot treat you, generally speaking, some of you, just as individuals. Some of you have kept the pattern remarkably clear in this regard, and I thank God for that; but with some of you it is not a clear individual pattern.

We cannot have a clear Unit pattern until we have clear individual patterns in relationship to those who make up the Unit. The larger thing is made out of the smaller thing. If in your process of understanding and appreciation of the principles that I have presented in recent times there could be a real clearing of your vibrational patterns individually, a real letting go of all factors of resentment, a real cycle of forgiving, letting go of all adverse attitudes one toward another, the way would open before us much more readily. I cannot overemphasize the fact that such cross-patterns defeat us to some degree. They delay. They make it harder for everyone. There seem to be blind spots with some, which makes it difficult to deal with these things effectively—blind spots where individuals do not see themselves in relationship to the specific principles to which I have directed your attention.

Experience is a school. Sometimes people have the same lesson repeated to them over and over again. And other than by living exemplification, inspiration, word and deed and attitude, working in the current, seeking to make it easy for you, I can do little but give instruction and direction. The mere fact that such instruction and direction are given is not enough. These things must be received into one's own life and made a living thing, and that was perhaps the outstanding factor in that Cycle of Illumination in respect to myself about which I spoke to you briefly during our Anniversary period of Meditation.

Sometimes I wonder. In that Cycle of Illumination I found for myself, or I was granted or given, a vision of the fact that human beings cannot live unto themselves alone, that there must be an acceptance of responsibility and willingness to serve, a centering and a steadiness in it. If there were some way of taking the Sword of Truth and just physically walking around you one by one and cutting away these unnecessary vibrational involvements with others so that you could be dealt with as individuals, it would appear to make things easier. For a time perhaps it would. But it is our interrelatedness that permits us to have real meaning, and I have no desire to take away either the interrelatedness or the meaning.

These vibrational involvements of various sorts make it necessary for all who are involved in a given factor to clear together. We cannot put our finger on just one person and say, “There is all the trouble.” I frankly do not know how to get you to see this point. I have talked about it and it has not been adequately heeded. You tend to keep yourselves involved in various ways. I cannot say that just one person is at fault. These factors of involvement keep you from being you, and keep our group from being what it should be. They keep our service from being adequate; they delay our fulfilment; they prevent us from having adequate material substance; they make added work for all concerned; they increase the weariness and do absolutely nothing to increase blessings in any way, shape or form.

I do not know how to say it so that my word might be heard. I do not know how to say it so that its importance might be realized. I do not want to say this from the standpoint of attempting to compel by fear, and yet unless the factor is adequately recognized and you begin to do your part on an overall basis in regard to it, you are going to produce a situation, sooner or later, where I will be forced to stop holding services, even if I am here. I will be forced to take the position that when adequate consideration has been given to what I have presented I will present more.

It can work out so that most of my ministry can be carried forward from Sunrise Ranch. That is the way I would like so much to have it, because I have no desire to travel. I have no desire to go anywhere. I have no desire to leave what I conceive to be my home on earth. There is no reason why most of my ministry cannot be carried forward right here, letting the people come to me, which means letting them come to you. But if it is not allowed to work out here fairly soon, on a better basis than it yet has, I am going to be forced to spend more time in the field or work out some kind of a substitute pattern.

It comes into the field of your attitudes toward each other. If I could somehow cause you to see that your attitudes toward each other are your attitudes toward me, regardless of what you think about it, we could clear the matter very quickly. There isn't anything here that needs to be a big problem. It can work out very nicely. But your attitudes toward each other actually characterize your true attitude toward me, whether you have thought of it that way or not. If you could come to the point of daring to really trust me to take care of the problems that yet remain in your brothers and your sisters here—I would not have very much problem, if you would do that. The problems in you individually, that are truly your own problems, are of very little consequence actually, nothing but what I could work out with you very readily. It is these unnatural involvements in relationship to each other that superimpose problems which do not belong, complicate the pattern and make it difficult to clear the individual.

Someday perhaps you will find it in your hearts to believe in me enough, trust me enough, to actually give over the responsibility of the things that are wrong in each other to me. If you would just trust me on that point. It is the point where you show your greatest distrust of me, and it is the thing that weakens your trust in other regards, where you think you trust me. You make that trust to be of less effect than it should be because you have not reached a point where you trust me to take care of what is wrong in the people around you.

I might point out that this has been, in times past, the devil's trump card in bringing to naught any group effort that has been put forth. It is something that has never yet been surmounted by any group, under any leadership, since the fall of man. Now it is quite possible that in some groups the leader could not be trusted in regard to these things. In any case, human beings seem to feel that they are entirely justified in the attitude they have toward each other. If I could only get you to see how you tend to nullify yourselves, make your good works to be of no value, or of little value comparatively speaking, and how this one change would allow an increase in power and effectiveness through us far beyond my ability to describe it. If I could somehow convince you of that, inspire you to accept it, this one truth, so many other things would begin to work with larger, deeper meaning. But so far I have not been able to inspire that degree of trust in relationship to these particular things.

You can see such and such a thing in your neighbour—therefore it is there. You are justified in your attitudes—in your own eyes, at least. You do not trust me to take care of it. Instead of having an adequately real attitude of simple love and understanding, giving each other opportunity to grow, doing your part and being truly fair with each other and me, the pattern gets distorted and delayed. This is our biggest problem. Not money, not finances, not anything else. This is the thing that keeps us from being with one accord in one place, in the sense that will permit the greater outpouring of the Holy Spirit. If I could ever get you to the point of trusting me in this one thing.

I have asked myself over and over again, and particularly recently: Has there been anything in my own conduct or attitude, my function in leadership, to cause my people to feel that they simply cannot trust me in this regard? Why should they distrust me in this with such persistence and feel that they are so justified in refusing to grant me that pattern of trust which would let me get the job done? In examining my pattern of ministry to you, my service, my leadership, my function in all regards, I have not been able to find any valid reason. If there is a blind spot in this regard I wish some of you who are able to comprehend such things would tell me about it. Perhaps I need to grow. If there is something I have failed to see I would like to know and clear it.

There isn't anything I could talk to you about tonight that is of more importance than this. There is no greater need in relationship to our program, so that our endeavor will not smother itself. Oh I know your good works and your service and your devotion and your sincerity, your love for me, and the ways in which you have trusted me. Oh yes, I know. And I would not say it has reached the point of desperation yet. But I never could understand why ill conditions had to reach the point of desperation before doing something about them, and this is the thing that is tending to smother our own endeavor. Oh, you trust me with your life, you trust me to guide you and help you, but you just simply cannot trust me to take care of the job with your neighbor. Apparently you do not consider me to be worthy of that trust. But why? I have asked myself the question. Why? Why is it?

Until I can find some way to inspire you to the acceptance of the truth in regard to these things, we are in a situation where we will be slowing down—not speeding up and increasing in power, but slowing down and becoming weaker, less meaningful, less potent, until finally this group as such will smother itself, and the body of many members as such will die, and the individuals will be scattered. I have no desire that any such things should be, and I feel very confident we will find some way to clear this self-smothering, self-defeating pattern. It is going to take a willingness to trust me in these things, a willingness to clear the pattern of your attitudes one for another, your willingness to really forgive and cease having resentments, so that you cease having prejudiced attitudes toward each other. If I could inspire you somehow to stop being concerned about how well other people understand you, so that you would become very much concerned with how well you understand others right here, we would be on the way. Understanding others, understanding their motivations, understanding the reasons—that kind of understanding is the basis of real service.

We would not have any service here if it were not for the fact that I do understand you, to some degree at least. This service is built, in the central sense, upon my understanding of you and other human beings. If I have not demonstrated the reality of understanding you, I do not know what it would take to convince you. When I can convince individuals that I can understand them as individuals and show them that I can help them individually, why is it that they will not believe that I can understand other people, and they will not trust me to help other people meet their problems in season? If I have understood you, why can you not believe that I do understand your neighbor?

If we ever clear this point we will be well on the way to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to the increase in power. As the Master said, “For ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” We will be on the way. My job will be made easier; the light will shine more vibrantly; the door will be open for many others to come here to receive our ministry and to share in making manifest the Lord's provision. There is so much to be done by so few.

So tonight, in concluding this hour of Meditation, I am going to ask a very special favor of each one of you. I am going to ask you to pray for me, that I may find a way to sell this idea, this truth, this fact, to this group of people right here. If you will pray for me that I may be given the wisdom, the understanding, the persuasive power necessary to sell this one idea, this truth, then perhaps, in the inspiration of the spirit, I will be able to present the matter, say the word, or do the deed, that will open the door. I have presented it tonight so that you could see the problem that I am facing, and I sincerely ask your prayers, that I may receive the wisdom, the understanding, the power of the spirit, to accomplish this one thing.

© Emissaries of Divine Light