Sadness In Heaven
Uranda April 2, 1953
As we near the day set apart to commemorate the resurrection of our LORD and KING, the deliverance of His body from the tomb, the attention of millions of people is centered, to the degree of their understanding and response, upon the portrayal which has been suggested by words and music for our meditation. We also come to the day that is set apart to commemorate the crucifixion.
Tonight I would like to meditate with you on some of those factors which led to this particular outworking in the history of the world. We can feel even now, nineteen centuries after the outworking of these events, the sadness that covers the earth that such a thing could have happened by the actions of men in relationship to their attitude toward God. If this outworking to which so much attention is given had been divinely decreed, divinely required, as some suppose, should there not be rejoicing rather than sadness? If to satisfy God it was necessary that our LORD should be crucified upon the cross to save human beings, should there not be gladness in the memory of that crucifixion? But we do not find gladness. And even now the earth itself feels a sadness in the remembrance of these things.
And the words the Master spoke upon the cross with respect to those who placed Him there, come down to us through these centuries with the poignant sweetness of His Great Heart of Love, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” These words spoken in infinite love should cause all those who think to follow our LORD and KING to realize that those human acts of self-activity were not divinely designed or determined, that God did not require it for the salvation of men.
When we think of the Garden of Gethsemane and all that followed, our hearts are filled with a deep and solemn thanksgiving that man did not succeed in his undertaking and that our LORD came forth in victory providing evidence of the resurrection and the life. If man had not in his self will rejected that opportunity, it would not have been necessary for that evidence to appear with respect to the body of Jesus. The evidence would have been made manifest in the lives of those who would have thereby been transformed. Man has been inclined to think that that evidence could come in no other way, thereby assuming to establish limits upon God and failing to recognize the reality of the Divine Plan.
Tonight I would like to turn your attention for a moment to a text which we have been considering in our Training School class work, the Eighteenth Verse of the Fourteenth Chapter of Genesis: “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” And with this presentation of bread and wine, Melchizedek gave a blessing, and said: “Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth.”
In this recognition that God is the possessor of Heaven and earth, we recognize a greatness, a supremacy, a majesty, which could not be limited to the necessity of requiring that our LORD and KING incarnate on earth should on the cross in order to provide the only possible solution to the salvation of man.
Particularly we note that Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine and gave a blessing. And we remember at the conclusion of our Master's ministry He took bread and wine and blessed them, and gave them with a blessing to His disciples. The same pattern which Melchizedek King of Salem, or King of Peace, used at the time of Abram was likewise used by the Master in the conclusion of His ministry. And we remember that the Master began His public ministry by changing water, the symbol of Truth, to wine, the symbol of Life, at a wedding feast, symbolizing the union of Heaven and earth.
You have many times considered the patterns of human feeling in the face of the outworkings which are now being commemorated through this Easter season. I would, in relationship to this pattern, undertake to help you see something of the feelings present in those who were functioning from the standpoint of the Inner Realms of Being, when the LORD of Lords finally made the decision determining that He Himself would incarnate on earth to give man an opportunity to have a deeper recognition of the Divine Invitation, the feelings of what we would in ordinary language speak of as the Angels of Heaven when they realized that our LORD and KING was forced to conclude that all the measures taken up to that time had failed, and that there was no possibility of their success—how He determined to go Himself into the earth.
Man thinks with sadness about the moment of the betrayal, the hour in Gethsemane, the night of mockery in a so-called trial, the day of the crucifixion. But man with his limited vision has not comprehended that larger sadness which was faced five hundred years before these tragic events took form. Five hundred years before the crucifixion, the decision was reached, and the KING of Heaven and earth determined that He Himself would come into the world. It was His own decision. It was not something asked or required of Him by any Higher Being. It was His own decision and determination which those who worked closely with Him had done their best to make unnecessary—but man's failure to respond forced the issue.
From my standpoint, as sad as the events now being commemorated were, they do not equal in sadness that which was experienced five hundred years before. And if tonight I can somehow help you feel and know something of that earlier event, you will be better able to serve mankind, better able to let the power of God be made manifest in your lives; and if need be, that you can thereby find an even deeper dedication to that work which we share.
In the Biblical record there are a few references—very few, but a few references made to Michael the Archangel. This is the name utilized in the Bible to identify one of the God Beings who helped carry the patterns of focalization at the time of the beginning of the creation of the world, and the Biblical pattern of acknowledgment with respect to that focalization is signified by the term Archangel. The cycles outworking, of creation, the development of the pattern with respect to man, man's fall and all that followed after, had all been very closely observed and in many ways shared by this God Being, who is spoken of as Michael the Archangel. And this Archangel was about five hundred B.C. incarnate in the body of the Prophet that was called Daniel. This Archangel had incarnated on earth many times before, working to bring about the patterns by which mankind could be restored to the Divine Estate, and he was incarnate on earth, and he was called Daniel, or Beltashazzar.
And in the Book of Daniel he records for your consideration that which he felt when our LORD and KING made that decision that He Himself would incarnate and come into the world. Michael knew all too well from personal experience what could be anticipated with respect to man's probable treatment of his LORD and KING; and he had worked over a long period of time to make it unnecessary for his KING to make any such decision. And the depth of sadness that he had failed to inspire enough response in human beings to allow a development in the Divine Pattern which would make it unnecessary for the LORD of Lords Himself to incarnate on earth is something which cannot be easily described or portrayed. But we have here the words as Daniel wrote them:
“In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.
“In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
“Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
“And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
“And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.
“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.
“And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my Lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
“Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me, And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.
“Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”
In the words we use in this present time, that would be expressed, “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your God Being”—your Prince. The Master used the term “your Father” or “my Father that dwelleth in me.” From the standpoint of terminology which I would personally prefer, I would always speak of the God Being within the individual as, your Prince—not your Father, or your God Being, or your Inner Self, but I would use this same term as it was used then. But the One Who spake at that time said to Daniel, “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”
There we have the statement that stands as evidence that it was Michael incarnate in the body of Daniel, or the body of the man that was called Daniel. And here we have an outline. This covers the complete Chapter, the Tenth Chapter of Daniel. There is nothing given in the previous chapters, there is nothing given in the following chapters, to suggest, or indicate, or reveal what this vision was. “Then said he, Knowest thou wherefore I came unto thee?” and completed the pattern of his expression, “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”
It is interesting to note the description given of the one who came to talk to Daniel, to reveal this “thing”, as it is called, this vision, this realization, to the consciousness of Daniel.
“Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me.”
This word picture outlines the basic fact that the LORD of Lords Himself had come to commune through this vision, as it is called; to commune with Michael and to reveal the pattern to the consciousness of Daniel. And the vision, the thing revealed, as it is put here in the First Verse, “A thing was revealed unto Daniel, and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”
That thing revealed, that vision, was the decision of the LORD of Lords, determining to come into the earth as soon as the cycle of the vibratory factors should work out to a point where He would have an opportunity to accomplish His purpose. That decision was made about five hundred years before the Master came. That decision was made, in other words, at the conclusion of the First Grand Age from the beginning of the creation of the world. As the LORD of Lords had established the pattern a little more than three hundred thousand years before, by reason of which the earth was created, and by which man was established as the focalization of that creation in form, so then at that time the same LORD and KING determined that He Himself would come into the world to establish on earth the focalization essential to the restoration of man to the Divine Estate.
And the Archangel Michael was forced to face the fact that all that he had been able to do had not been enough to inspire sufficient response to God in the hearts of men to make that decision unnecessary. You will remember that it was Michael the Archangel who is pictured as having charge of the battle in Heaven when Lucifer fell—and there was war in Heaven. Lucifer and his angels fought against Michael and his Angels, and Lucifer was cast out of Heaven, into the earth. This same God Being who was made manifest through the body of Daniel, who had been under the necessity of clearing the self-active patterns of consciousness from the realms of what we speak of as Heaven, at the time of the fall of man, had worked through the millennia to make it possible for man to be restored. He knew that if the pattern could not be worked out on the basis that was established by the action of Melchizedek at the time of Abram, and the following pattern, that there would be no choice, as far as he was concerned, and the other God Beings who served with him, but to accept such a decision on the part of their KING, the Lord of Love.
The vibratory patterns were carefully established to make it possible for man to respond in the right direction. But how well Michael knew the nature of man, the probabilities of what man would do when the time came. And there was a fore-vision of the probability of that which did take place. That which took place was not predestined. It could have been an acceptance of the LORD of Heaven and earth that would have changed the destiny of men—but it was not. And so there was sadness among the Angels of Heaven five hundred years before that moment of sadness came to those who called themselves the disciples of Jesus.
Blessed Ones, I have undertaken to give this brief outline to the end that your consciousness may be enlarged beyond the limits of the consciousness of fallen man, that you may at least begin to glimpse something of what that decision and consequent outworking meant to the Angels of Heaven, that we may see in those events that which was of the true nature of the Most High God; and that we may see in the life and teaching of our LORD and KING on earth the revelation of Deity, which must be accepted by the children of men if they would enter into the Kingdom and share in the restoration.
When we see these things from the standpoint of the Heavenly Vision, we must surely be filled with zeal, and determination, that we shall so live and minister that what the Master did shall not be in vain, that what He faced for the sake of the restoration of humanity may be allowed to accomplish its purpose, and that the centering must of necessity be on the victory—the recognition that we now have an opportunity such as has twice before been thrown away by the children of men. We now have an opportunity to carry through and glorify our LORD and KING on earth, that the kingdoms of this world may become the Kingdoms of our LORD and of His Christ, and that His Righteousness may cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
Our Gracious LORD and KING, we would thank Thee tonight, for the Holy Privilege of sharing in the working of Thy Will on earth, that Thy Kingdom may come, and that all who respond and yield may be drawn with the irresistible cords of Thy Love into a recognition of the Way, the Truth and the Life, that each who responds may come to know that Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, in the Christ. Aum-en.
© emissaries of divine light
