Spiritual Intercourse
Martin Cecil May 8, 1981 Assembly
Absoluteness—life in the divine sense
puts in an appearance. This life is shared. There is no more choice in the matter—this
is all there is. We share this focus of life. We no longer have any personal
life in the human sense. We do many personal things. We have personal fields of
ministry of various sorts, personal areas where we live and move, but all that
is peripheral, one might say, to the reality that is present in the midst. “There
am I in the midst.” We're always in the midst of whatever it is that surrounds
us in this external world. We're at that point where there is no shadow of
turning.
This relates again to the matter of
communion, because here in this experience at the center is the experience of
communion. Here is the blended reality in which spiritual intercourse occurs. There
is no external communication, in the sense of sexual intercourse, that has any
meaning whatsoever until there is the experience of spiritual intercourse. This
is a very intimate thing in the personal sense—just one person. And yet it
isn't one person; it's the whole, because in the realm of communion the blended
whole is present. But one's own experience of that is the most intimate thing
possible, in the individual sense.
There is of course a sensing of this in
people, but it's usually mistranslated into the idea of some sort of external
intercourse. With the external intercourse the communication is only of meaning
and value when it springs out of communion, and the communion is a very singular
thing. Most of the activity in the realm of sex in the world, physical sex, is
an escape from the experience of spiritual intercourse. It's not recognized as
so. Probably any idea about spirituality doesn't enter into the picture at all,
but nevertheless here is a way of avoiding the one essential thing which is the
natural experience of man restored.
Spiritual intercourse is a very
personal and very individual thing. It doesn't involve anyone else in an external
sense. It involves the All That Is in
what might be called the internal sense or the spiritual sense where the blending
occurs: “That they all may be one.” This is what the Master was talking about
in that particular chapter that has come down to us: “That they all may be
one.” There is this internal blendedness, this spiritual intercourse with what
we speak of as the Lord—simply having reference to the state of spiritual
wholeness. It certainly comes to focus relative to our experience, and this focus
may be identified in consciousness by using such a word as the Lord. But here is oneness, blendedness. Awaken to
this spiritual intercourse, one-to-one. Not one-to-one in the external sense,
but one-to-one in the internal sense. As this is known the truth of communion
is known. Part of the word itself is union. This is where union is first known. It is the core out of which springs the
creative communication.
This communication, which certainly has
sexual overtones—in fact it's all sexual—is then pure. It is nothing of itself.
It doesn't emerge out of externals; it springs forth from the one Source—and
all that is external then rushes to participate in what is provided by reason
of the spiritual intercourse. There is consequently a crescendo of external
experience, but unless this is based in spiritual intercourse—which in a sense
has nothing to do with anybody else and yet it has to do with everybody else, because
all are one in that spiritual experience, in that blended state. We communicate
in many ways with each other, with others far and wide, with the kingdoms of
this world. There is rightly much communication. In this communication
springing forth from communion the fact of oneness, as it is spiritually known,
is conveyed into the external experience so that all may be one—externally and
internally—one between all the aspects of the external because there is the
blended state already known internally or spiritually.
I can speak of these things in words,
but the words themselves cannot convey what needs to be known, because what
needs to be known needs to be known by each person. We can see how the knowing
comes because the individual has taken responsibility for it with respect to
him-or herself. There is no initial expectation, even, that somebody else
should be involved. It is something to be known for oneself. That is the
reality of communion.
We are aware that the focus of Life is emerging consciously. There is a spiritually conscious focus of experience
within the mind of mankind. We speak of this as the Son. The will of the Father is to be done under the direction of the Son, by and in the power of the Holy
Ghost. The power rises up so that it may be directed by the true focus of conscious
Life. If we see that the individual must necessarily know the reality of
communion for him-or herself, we see that the same thing is true for the whole
body of mankind. The whole body of mankind, of course, has its male and female
aspects, but here is an individual, a blended individual one might say—man.
To experience union, spiritual
intercourse, is a very singular thing. This allows for the communication with all
the kingdoms of this world. It may be seen that man restored is a conscious
focus for all the other kingdoms round about, just as within man there is the
conscious focus for man. But man as such, as the revelation of God on earth, is
the conscious focus for all the kingdoms of this world, whatever that may
include. The conscious focus within the body of mankind is rightly the Son, who
reveals the Father—the Son and the Holy Ghost in oneness reveal the Father. This
revelation is based in the already-established communion with the Father. The
communication, which is the creative reason for the being of man, includes this
planet and all the kingdoms that relate to this planet. The available power is
generated within the planet, the power of the Father through the Holy Ghost,
made available to the Son for right use—creative communication which, seen in
this light, would obviously include far more than this planet.
This planet is simply the focus for the
creative action. The creative action extends into what we now call the solar
system, relating, on the basis of our present view of things at least, to other
planets. Human beings keep trying to peer at these other planets—they don't
find much; they don't find very often what they expect to find, but what they
do find doesn't mean anything to them. Could it be that there is an absence in
this planetary system simply because the facility for God's action in this
regard at these particular levels has been unavailable?—that when man is in place,
so that this whole planet is in place, then creative action can extend in the
external sense so as to allow these other planets to reveal what they should be
revealing? The borders of our creative tent are vast.
At the moment, of course, the immediate
concern is that the facility called man should once again be on hand. So the
principle work relates to the restoration. But not just for itself, as though
when that's done, that's all that need to be done in the universe, but because
here then would be the starting point for all the creative work that must
likely ensue. We may easily recognize of course that beyond this, again, the
solar system is not isolated—and that what man is responsible for communicates
itself in ways unknown and incomprehensible at the present time into the rest
of the universe. If we see something properly moving out in that direction, we
may also recognize that there is likely something moving in from the other
direction. There is intercommunication on a vast scale, all to do with the
creative processes of God, springing out of the state of union which is present
in God.
Sharing these moments of somewhat expanded awareness,
we may come again to the point where we are, recognizing the reality of
authority which centers in the Son. That authority is so vastly more when the
Son and the Holy Ghost are the complete expression of man—it may be seen that
it is but a little thing to allow the restoration of man to take place. This
may be done on a smaller scale. It is said that 144,000 are necessary, but what
that means may not presently be comprehended; it is simply thought of as
144,000 people. This is the way it is symbolically portrayed.
As has been noted, I have provided a point of
representation of the Father, of this body of the Son. Obviously when Jesus was
on earth he had no spiritual mentor in representation of the Father for Him, at
least not when it came to the point of His public ministry. No doubt, along the
way, there were those who offered Him whatever they could and did. His parents
and others were there, just the same as we have all been offered things by
other people along the way, all of which was most necessary to bring us to this
point. We could hardly leave anything out and be assured that we'd be at this
point. We may have, in time past, looked back and said, “Well, I could've done without
that.” Could you? I doubt it. If any jot or tittle had been missing, we would
have been missing, but we're here because of all that went before. So
there is representation in various ways for each one of us—and my
representation has been necessary these many years—but obviously there comes a point
when the Son speaks for Himself. It is the Father's Word.
Jesus clearly assumed that responsibility—so must
this body of the Son do likewise, revealing the Father. What was possible for me
was a very limited and restricted thing in a sense. I was just one person. There
were several who shared this with me, and I praise the Lord that it was differentiated
to that extent, but the real differentiation comes through the body of the Son—and
that is understandable if this body is sufficiently mature to allow the revelation
of the Father to emerge. It emerges at the level where people are—after all the population composes the subconscious mind, for
the most part, of the body of the Son.
This differentiation becomes comprehensible because
all concerned are participating in it. People have looked at Jesus mostly from
afar—necessarily so because He lived on earth so long ago; there is no direct
awareness of Him in that sense—and they try to figure out what it was
that was represented there—and it hasn't meant very much, really, because it
only begins to mean something when it gets differentiated out. I think usually when
that idea is put forward, the thought is that there will be a bunch of people
standing over there somewhere who will observe something being
differentiated out, like there were a few people at the time of the Master who
were in His vicinity and could have observed what was being differentiated out.
They couldn't observe; they didn’t see anything—even the
disciples who were right close. Most of them had virtually no understanding at
all, because they had not participated in the experience. It is because human
beings everywhere participate in this experience that it becomes comprehensible.
This is one thing: awaken to oneness—wholeness. All must participate in what it
is that is happening. Nobody can hold themselves out on the side anymore. Human
beings are finding this out in a variety of ways, many of which they don't
appreciate. There are many hot spots in the world, and it's hotting up around here
even—people are involved in what's going on, they can't get out of it.
The comprehension comes on this basis. There are
those who participate in the resurrection of damnation, which is not comfortable
or very satisfactory; nor does it bring any very great comprehension of what is
occurring. But there are those who participate in the resurrection of Life,
and these do begin to comprehend. The comprehension comes at a variety of different
levels. Not everybody comprehends in the same way—this is part of the
differentiation. This comprehension coming gives evidence of the resurrection
of Life. The lack of comprehension, which is so obvious in so many places too,
gives evidence of the resurrection of damnation. We ourselves are not separate
from what is happening. There is oneness, remember? So we can't be aloof in the
realm of communication, but we abide in the realm of communion just the same,
and participate in determining what shall be hereafter. It's not just a matter
of examining events and saying, “I understand why that's happening”—which we
probably really don't—but of determining what should
happen, not so much from the standpoint of the events but from the standpoint
of the qualities of events.
We communicate creatively in all our ways to the extent
that we know the reality of communion—and the stage is set, the foundation of
the world is established, the ordinances of heaven are known and set in the earth—and
events
follow along. We don't establish what needs to be done in this
way so as to make certain events appear. In one sense, there's no saying what
events will appear, but when they appear, we know them for what they are
because we set the foundation of those events, and then they reveal themselves
for what they are on the basis of the attitudes, actions, reactions, of human
beings—which in an individual sense are not predictable.
In the overall sense there may be a greater predictability.
But individually speaking, each one will prove something out for him-or
herself, and we have to be willing to let them do that, even though at times we
see painful and tragic results putting in an appearance because of this—even
with respect to people who may be quite close to us in various ways. But we
can't say, “Well, it shouldn't happen to this one. It can happen to those over
there. I don't know them.” The design is established, and the results appear. It
is necessary to let it be that way, not subject to human whim or human desire,
or human wishes at all. But we seek to be on hand to provide what we may to
allow the resurrection of Life to be easy for those who will let
it be so. And we rejoice in this hour to provide the focus of Life and to allow
that focus to continue to be present, regardless of where we may be in the
world of communication, because we abide in the world of communion.
So we have shared this time together, knowing
something of the ordinances of heaven together by reason of our communion, and
setting them in the earth by reason of right communication. This we continue to
do. This particular focus of Assembly will not be in session anymore, but the
focus of Life
will still be present on earth, in which we play our vital parts wherever we
may be. So in conclusion, let us commune in the experience of spiritual
intercourse in these moments that we have available to us as the Assembly draws
to its conclusion.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
Cosmic Ages
Uranda January 2, 1939
Solar Age = 310,272 Years; = 12 Solar
Ages; = 144 Ordinary Ages
Grand Age = 25,856 Years
Ordinary Age = 2,154 Years
1 — Water 2 — Air 3 — Earth 4 — Fire
5 — Water 6 — Air 7 — Earth 8 — Fire
9 — Water 10 — Air 11 — Earth 12 — Fire
The beginning of the second Solar
Age was 388 B.C. It began a Grand Age, and also an Ordinary Age, and they both
began with the water vibration. The Solar Age beginning at that time began on
an air vibration; 1768 marked the beginning of the Air Age. We are still in the
Grand Water Age. Since it's a Solar Air Age we're in, and we have entered into
the Ordinary Air Age, the Air Age vibrations dominate now. The fall of man, or
submersion of the Motherland, was in the second Fire Age of the twelfth Grand
Age, the actual fall being at the beginning of that Grand Age. The first seven
thousand years of the Grand Age were spent in working from a standpoint of the
Seven Sacred Cities, in seeking to bring man back to his proper harmonization,
but when it reached the fire-fire point in that Grand Age the rebellion was so
complete that there was a complete withdrawal. The first seven thousand years
of the twelfth Grand Age were devoted to attempting to bring man back into his
proper polarization, but when that first Fire Age of the Grand Age came in, the
rebellion of that which had been divine man was so complete that the Seventh
Sacred City was removed from the face of the earth.
The submersion of the Motherland occurred 10,788 years prior to 388 B.C. The eight thousand years
previous to this had been the period of fallen man's seeming dominion in the
earth. It was during that time that the number of those who rebelled against
God increased, and the number of those who obeyed God decreased, until at the
time of the submersion it was necessary to remove all the remaining Sacred
Cities from the face of the earth and leave man to his own destruction. When
the God Beings functioning through the last three remaining Cities—the cosmic
vibrations which had been functioning through the perfect consciousness therein
established—were forced to begin functioning through the twisted consciousness
of fallen man, the earth was thereby thrown out of polarity, and the
subterranean supports of the Motherland, or of Lemuria, were caused to crumble
and Lemuria settled beneath the surface of the waters which are now called the
Great Pacific.
It has been 21,183 years since the
Seventh Sacred City was removed from the face of the earth. The Sixth, Fifth
and Fourth Sacred Cities were removed at intervals during the period of time
intervening between the removal of the Seventh Sacred City and the time of the
final submersion, above indicated as 13,115 years ago. For 8,068 years man
thought he had dominion over the earth. That is a period extending from 21,183
years ago, when the Seventh Sacred City was removed from the face of the earth,
to 13,115 years ago. It has been 28,183 years since the fall of man.
In this we see unveiled the cosmic
cycles. Now multiply 310,272 by 3 and you get 930,816, which is the beginning
of the Sun Period, and the full transition into the Sun State will take place
in the succeeding 310,272 years; i.e., 1,241,088 years from the beginning of
creation until the final Sun State.
© emissaries of divine light
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
