Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: The Adam and Eve on our world defaulted. From my understanding they were bestowed even as Jesus was bestowed to help progress our world spiritually. Adam and Eves are normally bestowed on all other planets(in Satania) of our order from my understanding. This means that some Adam and Eves did not default on some planets and have contributed their quota to these planets. I was just pondering over how spiritually developed and mortally civilized this planets now have become since if any paradise son visits any of these planets, they will already have the spiritual affinity and strength to easily believe truths and know God.

If this is the case, then this world really needs help. Of course Jesus has brought down the Spirit of Truth but after over 2000 years, 'this' is how far we've come. 'It is horror' in Russia. This is a place where people choose to walk almost naked on the streets especially during these times of much enjoyed sunshine. Naked pictures hang freely on the streets. Television is an eye-saw sometimes. Alcohol is water for some people. Civilization is...............

I just want us all to agree in prayer that Father will shower more of His love over Urantia by sending in more help in any way or form to help save this quarantined planet of our sojourn.

A: I had no idea of the state of your society there in Russia...it sounds pretty free-wheeling and liberal - but maybe not always in a good way. I am old enough to remember a time when Russian society was portrayed to Westerners as very dreary, bleak, and Godless. After the fall of Communism in the 80s, things began to change and it sounds like they have changed pretty dramatically. In my opinion, this is a natural outcome of severe repression being replaced by severe liberality. It is like the swing of a pendulum: when it is swung too far one way, the opposite swing will take it as far the other way. Stabilization will take many more swings before the pendulum rests somewhere in the middle.

It is so very sad about our Adam and Eve - their default (along with the planetary rebellion) really put us back as a global civilization. If things had gone according to God's plan, we would still have our Material Son and Daughter - the Garden of Eden would be known world-wide as the center for spiritual culture and education, and there would be no doubt about the presence of God, or the goodness and reality of spirituality. As you point out, the planets on which Adam and Eve were successful "have the spiritual affinity and strength to easily believe truths and know God." Unfortunately for us, we have to muddle through without these wonderful celestial ambassadors. It is no wonder that mankind feels orphaned and alone in the universe - confused about our place and purpose...

From The Urantia Book:

(51:3.9) Your world has been visited by four orders of sonship: Caligastia, the Planetary Prince; Adam and Eve of the Material Sons of God; Machiventa Melchizedek, the "sage of Salem" in the days of Abraham; and Christ Michael, who came as the Paradise bestowal Son. How much more effective and beautiful it would have been had Michael, the supreme ruler of the universe of Nebadon, been welcomed to your world by a loyal and efficient Planetary Prince and a devoted and successful Material Son, both of whom could have done so much to enhance the lifework and mission of the bestowal Son! But not all worlds have been so unfortunate as Urantia, neither has the mission of the Planetary Adams always been so difficult or so hazardous. When they are successful, they contribute to the development of a great people, continuing as the visible heads of planetary affairs even far into the age when such a world is settled in light and life.

(51:6.3) Think what it would mean on your world if somewhere in the Levant there were a world center of civilization, a great planetary university of culture, which had functioned uninterruptedly for 37,000 years. And again, pause to consider how the moral authority of even such an ancient center would be reinforced were there situated not far distant still another and older headquarters of celestial ministry [the Planetary Prince] whose traditions would exert a cumulative force of 500,000 years of integrated evolutionary influence. It is custom which eventually spreads the ideals of Eden to a whole world.

(51:7.5) ...if Urantians could only observe life on such a planet, they would immediately appreciate the value of those things which their world has lost through embracing evil and participating in rebellion.

For further reading, you might want to go to Paper 52, Planetary Mortal Epochs to compare the ideal with the way things are on Urantia.

But, we have to take heart...we have been blessed by the bestowal of Christ Michael of Nebadon, born as the helpless babe of Bethlehem. Jesus chose our little backward planet as the universe scene of his revelation of God the Father - an amazing bestowal which, while unusual and out of order, has done a tremendous service towards the upstepping of our spiritual consciousness over the past 2000+ years. Even though his message and mission has been adulterated and misunderstood over the centuries, we now have the fifth epochal revelation - The Urantia Book - restating, and renewing Jesus' purpose, to help steer us back on course and further our spiritual regeneration with his pure message of the "good news," the realization of the Fatherhood of God and the resultant development of the planetary brotherhood of man. Those of us who have read and adopted this revelation from our celestial benefactors are equipped to help change our world for the better.

It might seem an almost overwhelming task, given the amount of confusion and strife that still exists here, but it is not meant to happen overnight (even though we might wish for a dramatic spiritual revolution). Just as the example of Russian society shows us, too rapid a change can bring unwelcome results. As Jesus said: "...everything must await the coming of its time." Many people speculate about the appearance of a Magisterial Son...I hope that it happens, of course, and I believe that it WILL happen. But when, is anyone's guess. I think that when it does happen we'll all know about it, but until then...

We who have accepted our sonship, and who dwell in the spiritual kingdom of heaven, must be content to seed our personal world with as much truth, beauty and goodness that we can muster - to effect change first, in our personal lives, and then to exhibit the fruits of the spirit which will draw others to a better way that they themselves would like to adopt. It can be discouraging to see the evidence of our planetary failures, but it can also be tremendously encouraging to experience our own spiritual victories as agondonters and truth-sharers.

I definitely add my prayers to yours that we are given some help - and soon. But even as we are, we have the great gift of The Urantia Book, and the assurance of eternal life. This often-crazy life is a very short sojourn in comparison...

Labels: Adam and Eve, Christ Michael, Jesus, Russia, The Urantia Book, Urantia

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I am reading Part IV of The Urantia Book. Can you tell me why Jesus is called Michael?

Q; I am reading Part IV of The Urantia Book. Can you tell me why Jesus is called Michael? When I try to tell my Catholic family about Jesus' life & teaching, they are skeptical about the name Michael.

A: Parts I-III of The Urantia Book cover your question in detail, Papers 21 and 33 specifically; also Papers 119 and 120 just prior to the "Times of Michaels's Bestowal" Paper will help you understand these concepts. You can read these Papers on-line beginning here (Paper 21; Paper 33; Paper 119; Paper 120) and can listen to them as you read along from our site.

Jesus had existed as a person for countless ages before being born here but we haven't been given his prior name, Jesus being the English form of the name Joseph and Mary gave their baby. Variations of the name Jesus are what we know him by here on Earth. Michael is not his name, it is a title for an order of celestial beings as it has been coined in the English language. The name Michael is attributed to an archangel in the Bible but that's due to a confusion of the personalities involved.

Perhaps you'd have better success with your family by not discussing Michael and concentrating instead on the similarities between what youâ€™re reading and what your family already knows about Jesus. You'll find out as you go along that it's not just the term Michael that will be a challenge for your family to accept from you. We've all experienced the challenge youâ€™re encountering â€” we want to share the marvelous information we're absorbing but those closest to us either arenâ€™t interested or they think weâ€™re somewhat disturbed...!

Best of luck, and thank you for writing.

Labels: Christ Michael, Jesus, The Urantia Book

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Can you tell me why Jesus is called Michael?

Q: I am reading Part IV of the Urantia Book. Can you tell me why Jesus is called Michael? When I try to tell my Catholic family about Jesus' life & teaching, they are skeptical about the name Michael.

A: Parts I-III of The Urantia Book cover your question in detail, Papers 21 and 33 specifically; also Papers 119 and 120 just prior to the "Times of Michaels's Bestowal" Paper will help you understand these concepts. You can read these Papers on-line beginning here (Paper 21; Paper 33; Paper 119; Paper 120) and can listen to them as you read along from our site.

Jesus had existed as a person for countless ages before being born here but we haven't been given his prior name, Jesus being the English form of the name Joseph and Mary gave their baby. Variations of the name Jesus are what we know him by here on Earth. Michael is not his name, it is a title for an order of celestial beings as it has been coined in the English language. The name Michael is attributed to an archangel in the Bible but thatâ€™s due to a confusion of the personalities involved.

Perhaps you'd have better success with your family by not discussing Michael and concentrating instead on the similarities between what you're reading and what your family already knows about Jesus. You'll find out as you go along that it's not just the term Michael that will be a challenge for your family to accept from you. We've all experienced the challenge you're encountering - we want to share the marvelous information we're absorbing but those closest to us either aren't interested or they think we're somewhat disturbed.

May I also recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book.

Labels: Christ Michael, Jesus, The Urantia Book

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Who is Jesus Christ Michael?

Q: Who is Jesus Christ Michael?

A: Thank you for your post to Truthbook.Com. Our site is dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book and particularly to promoting the life and teachings of Jesus. The term "Jesus Christ Michael" is not a term used by The Urantia Book; it's more an all inclusive collection of the names of Jesus used in our mission statement.

Jesus had an existence before his earth life began and he has an existence now that he's gone -- his title then and now was that of Michael, an order of creative divine beings. More specifically he is called Michael of Nebadon, Nebadon being that portion of the cosmos in which we reside and over which he has supreme authority. His name here during his earth life was Jesus (in its English translation), his title before and after his earth experience is Michael (The Urantia Book does not give his before and after name, only his title). The Christ aspect is a Christian designation that's intended to elevate Jesus above the human to emphasize his divine aspects. As Urantians we tend to downplay the Christ concept in our thinking because Jesus was entirely human at the same time that he was entirely divine (Son of Man and Son of God); we tend to think of Jesus in very personal terms instead of in the more unapproachable Christ designation -- as The Urantia Book says "Christianity has elevated the concept of anthropomorphism from the ideal of the human to the transcendent and divine concept of the person of the glorified Christ. And this is the highest anthropomorphism that man can ever conceive."

May I recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe go to the upper right corner of our home page, click on Quote of the Day and follow the instructions.

Thank you for your question.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: Christ Michael, Christian, Jesus, Larry Watkins, The Urantia Book

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