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The 5th Epochal Revelation
-The Urantia Papers
PAPER 37
PERSONALITIES OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
37:0.1
AT THE head of all personality in Nebadon stands the
Creator and Master Son, Michael, the universe father and
sovereign. Co-ordinate in divinity and complemental in
creative attributes is the local universe Mother Spirit,
the Divine Minister of Salvington. And these creators
are in a very literal sense the Father-Son and the
Spirit-Mother of all the native creatures of Nebadon.
37:0.2
Preceding papers have dealt with the created orders of
sonship; succeeding narratives will portray the
ministering spirits and the ascending orders of sonship.
This paper is chiefly concerned with an intervening
group, the Universe Aids, but it will also give brief
consideration to certain of the higher spirits stationed
in Nebadon and to certain of the orders of permanent
citizenship in the local universe.
1. THE UNIVERSE AIDS
37:1.1
Many of the unique orders generally grouped in this
category are unrevealed, but as presented in these
papers, the Universe Aids include the following seven
orders:
1. Bright and Morning Stars.
2. Brilliant Evening Stars.
3. Archangels.
4. Most High Assistants.
5. High Commissioners.
6. Celestial Overseers.
7. Mansion World Teachers.
37:1.2
Of the first order of Universe Aids, the Bright and
Morning Stars, there is just one in each local universe,
and he is the first-born of all creatures native to a
local universe. The Bright and Morning Star of our
universe is known as Gabriel of Salvington. He is the
chief executive of all Nebadon, functioning as the
personal representative of the Sovereign Son and as
spokesman for his creative consort.
37:1.3
During the earlier times of Nebadon, Gabriel worked
quite alone with Michael and the Creative Spirit. As the
universe grew and administrative problems multiplied, he
was provided with a personal staff of unrevealed
assistants, and eventually this group was augmented by
the creation of the Nebadon corps of Evening Stars.
2. THE BRILLIANT EVENING STARS
37:2.1
These brilliant creatures were planned by the
Melchizedeks and were then brought into being by the
Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. They serve in many
capacities but chiefly as liaison officers of Gabriel,
the local universe chief executive. One or more of these
beings function as his representatives at the capital of
every constellation and system in Nebadon.
37:2.2
As chief executive of Nebadon, Gabriel is ex officio
chairman of, or observer at, most of the Salvington
conclaves, and as many as one thousand of these are
often in session simultaneously. The Brilliant Evening
Stars represent Gabriel on these occasions; he cannot be
in two places at the same time, and these superangels
compensate for this limitation. They perform an
analogous service for the corps of the Trinity Teacher
Sons.
37:2.3
Though personally occupied with administrative duties,
Gabriel maintains contact with all other phases of
universe life and affairs through the Brilliant Evening
Stars. They always accompany him on his planetary tours
and frequently go on special missions to the individual
planets as his personal representatives. On such
assignments they have sometimes been known as "the angel
of the Lord." They frequently go to Uversa to represent
the Bright and Morning Star before the courts and
assemblies of the Ancients of Days, but they seldom
journey beyond the confines of Orvonton.
37:2.4
The Brilliant Evening Stars are a unique twofold order,
embracing some of created dignity and others of attained
service. The Nebadon corps of these superangels now
numbers 13,641. There are 4,832 of created dignity,
while 8,809 are ascendant spirits who have attained this
goal of exalted service. Many of these ascendant Evening
Stars started their universe careers as seraphim; others
have ascended from unrevealed levels of creature life.
As an attainment goal this high corps is never closed to
ascension candidates so long as a universe is not
settled in light and life.
37:2.5
Both types of Brilliant Evening Stars are easily visible
to morontia personalities and certain types of
supermortal material beings. The created beings of this
interesting and versatile order possess a spirit force
which can be manifested independently of their personal
presence.
37:2.6
The head of these superangels is Gavalia, the first-born
of this order in Nebadon. Since the return of Christ
Michael from his triumphant bestowal on Urantia, Gavalia
has been assigned to the ascendant mortal ministry, and
for the last nineteen hundred Urantia years his
associate, Galantia, has maintained headquarters on
Jerusem, where he spends about half of his time.
Galantia is the first of the ascendant superangels to
attain this high estate.
37:2.7
No grouping or company organization of the Brilliant
Evening Stars exists other than their customary
association in pairs on many assignments. They are not
extensively assigned on missions pertaining to the
ascendant career of mortals, but when thus commissioned,
they never function alone. They always work in pairs --
one a created being, the other an ascendant Evening
Star.
37:2.8
One of the high duties of the Evening Stars is to
accompany the Avonal bestowal Sons on their planetary
missions, even as Gabriel accompanied Michael on his
Urantia bestowal. The two attending superangels are the
ranking personalities of such missions, serving as
cocommanders of the archangels and all others assigned
to these undertakings. It is the senior of these
superangel commanders who, at the significant time and
age, bids the Avonal bestowal Son, "Be about your
brother's business."
37:2.9
Similar pairs of these superangels are assigned to the
planetary corps of Trinity Teacher Sons that functions
to establish the postbestowal or dawning spiritual age
of an inhabited world. On such assignments the Evening
Stars serve as liaisons between the mortals of the realm
and the invisible corps of Teacher Sons.
37:2.10
The Worlds of the
Evening Stars. The sixth group of seven Salvington
worlds and their forty-two tributary satellites are
assigned to the administration of the Brilliant Evening
Stars. The seven primary worlds are presided over by the
created orders of these superangels, while the tributary
satellites are administered by ascendant Evening Stars.
37:2.11
The satellites of the first three worlds are devoted to
the schools of the Teacher Sons and the Evening Stars
dedicated to the spirit personalities of the local
universe. The next three groups are occupied by similar
joint schools devoted to the training of ascending
mortals. The seventh-world satellites are reserved for
the triune deliberations of the Teacher Sons, the
Evening Stars, and the finaliters. During recent times
these superangels have been closely identified with the
local universe work of the Corps of the Finality, and
they have long been associated with the Teacher Sons.
There exists a liaison of tremendous power and import
between the Evening Stars and the Gravity Messengers
attached to the finaliter working groups. The seventh
primary world itself is reserved for those unrevealed
matters which pertain to the future relationship that
will obtain between the Teacher Sons, the finaliters,
and the Evening Stars consequent upon the completed
emergence of the superuniverse manifestation of the
personality of God the Supreme.
3. THE ARCHANGELS
37:3.1
Archangels are the offspring of the Creator Son and the
Universe Mother Spirit. They are the highest type of
high spirit being produced in large numbers in a local
universe, and at the time of the last registry there
were almost eight hundred thousand in Nebadon.
37:3.2
Archangels are one of the few groups of local universe
personalities who are not normally under the
jurisdiction of Gabriel. They are not in any manner
concerned with the routine administration of the
universe, being dedicated to the work of creature
survival and to the furtherance of the ascending career
of the mortals of time and space. While not ordinarily
subject to the direction of the Bright and Morning Star,
the archangels do sometimes function by his authority.
They also collaborate with others of the Universe Aids,
such as the Evening Stars, as is illustrated by certain
transactions depicted in the narrative of life
transplantation on your world.
37:3.3
The archangel corps of Nebadon is directed by the
first-born of this order, and in more recent times a
divisional headquarters of the archangels has been
maintained on Urantia. It is this unusual fact that soon
arrests the attention of extra-Nebadon student visitors.
Among their early observations of intrauniverse
transactions is the discovery that many ascendant
activities of the Brilliant Evening Stars are directed
from the capital of a local system, Satania. On further
examination they discover that certain archangel
activities are directed from a small and apparently
insignificant inhabited world called Urantia. And then
ensues the revelation of Michael's bestowal on Urantia
and their immediately quickened interest in you and your
lowly sphere.
37:3.4
Do you grasp the significance of the fact that your
lowly and confused planet has become a divisional
headquarters for the universe administration and
direction of certain archangel activities having to do
with the Paradise ascension scheme? This undoubtedly
presages the future concentration of other ascendant
activities on the bestowal world of Michael and lends a
tremendous and solemn import to the Master's personal
promise, "I will come again."
37:3.5
In general, the archangels are assigned to the service
and ministry of the Avonal order of sonship, but not
until they have passed through extensive preliminary
training in all phases of the work of the various
ministering spirits. A corps of one hundred accompanies
every Paradise bestowal Son to an inhabited world, being
temporarily assigned to him for the duration of such a
bestowal. If the Magisterial Son should become temporary
ruler of the planet, these archangels would act as the
directing heads of all celestial life on that sphere.
37:3.6
Two senior archangels are always assigned as the
personal aids of a Paradise Avonal on all planetary
missions, whether involving judicial actions,
magisterial missions, or bestowal incarnations. When
this Paradise Son has finished the judgment of a realm
and the dead are called to record (the so-called
resurrection), it is literally true that the seraphic
guardians of the slumbering personalities respond to
"the voice of the archangel." The roll call of a
dispensation termination is promulgated by an attendant
archangel. This is the archangel of the resurrection,
sometimes referred to as the "archangel of Michael."
37:3.7
The Worlds of the
Archangels. The seventh group of the encircling
Salvington worlds, with their associated satellites, is
assigned to the archangels. Sphere number one and all of
its six tributary satellites are occupied by the
personality record keepers. This enormous corps of
recorders busy themselves with keeping straight the
record of each mortal of time from the moment of birth
up through the universe career until such an individual
either leaves Salvington for the superuniverse regime or
is "blotted out of recorded existence" by the mandate of
the Ancients of Days.
37:3.8
It is on these worlds that personality records and
identification sureties are classified, filed, and
preserved during that time which intervenes between
mortal death and the hour of repersonalization, the
resurrection from death.
4. MOST HIGH ASSISTANTS
37:4.1
The Most High Assistants are a group of volunteering
beings, of origin outside the local universe, who are
temporarily assigned as central and superuniverse
representatives to, or observers of, the local
creations. Their number varies constantly but is always
far up in the millions.
37:4.2
From time to time we thus benefit from the ministry and
assistance of such Paradise-origin beings as Perfectors
of Wisdom, Divine Counselors, Universal Censors,
Inspired Trinity Spirits, Trinitized Sons, Solitary
Messengers, supernaphim, seconaphim, tertiaphim, and
other gracious ministers, who sojourn with us for the
purpose of helping our native personalities in the
effort to bring all Nebadon into fuller harmony with the
ideas of Orvonton and the ideals of Paradise.
37:4.3
Any of these beings may be voluntarily serving in
Nebadon and hence be technically outside our
jurisdiction, but when functioning by assignment, such
personalities of the super- and central universes are
not wholly exempt from the regulations of the local
universe of their sojourn, though they continue to
function as representatives of the higher universes and
to work in accordance with the instructions which
constitute their mission in our realm. Their general
headquarters is situated in the Salvington sector of the
Union of Days, and they operate in Nebadon subject to
the oversupervision of this ambassador of the Paradise
Trinity. When serving in unattached groups, these
personalities from the higher realms are usually
self-directing, but when serving on request, they often
voluntarily place themselves wholly under the
jurisdiction of the supervising directors of the realms
of assigned function.
37:4.4
Most High Assistants serve in local universe and in
constellation capacities but are not directly attached
to the system or planetary governments. They may,
however, function anywhere in the local universe and may
be assigned to any phase of Nebadon activity --
administrative, executive, educational, and others.
37:4.5
Most of this corps is enlisted in assisting the Nebadon
Paradise personalities -- the Union of Days, the Creator
Son, the Faithfuls of Days, the Magisterial Sons, and
the Trinity Teacher Sons. Now and then in the
transaction of the affairs of a local creation it
becomes wise to withhold certain details, temporarily,
from the knowledge of practically all of the native
personalities of that local universe. Certain advanced
plans and complex rulings are also better grasped and
more fully understood by the more mature and farseeing
corps of Most High Assistants, and it is in such
situations, and many others, that they are so highly
serviceable to the universe rulers and administrators.
5. HIGH COMMISSIONERS
37:5.1
The High Commissioners are Spirit-fused ascendant
mortals; they are not Adjuster fused. You quite well
understand about the universe-ascension career of a
mortal candidate for Adjuster fusion, that being the
high destiny in prospect for all Urantia mortals since
the bestowal of Christ Michael. But this is not the
exclusive destiny of all mortals in the prebestowal ages
of worlds like yours, and there is another type of world
whose inhabitants are never permanently indwelt by
Thought Adjusters. Such mortals are never permanently
joined in union with a Mystery Monitor of Paradise
bestowal; nevertheless, the Adjusters do transiently
indwell them, serving as guides and patterns for the
duration of the life in the flesh. During this temporary
sojourn they foster the evolution of an immortal soul
just as in those beings with whom they hope to fuse, but
when the mortal race is run, they take eternal leave of
the creatures of temporary association.
37:5.2
Surviving souls of this order attain immortality by
eternal fusion with an individualized fragment of the
spirit of the local universe Mother Spirit. They are not
a numerous group, at least not in Nebadon. On the
mansion worlds you will meet and fraternize with these
Spirit-fused mortals as they ascend the Paradise path
with you as far as Salvington, where they stop. Some of
them may subsequently ascend to higher universe levels,
but the majority will forever remain in the service of
the local universe; as a class they are not destined to
attain Paradise.
37:5.3
Not being Adjuster fused, they never become finaliters,
but they do eventually become enrolled in the local
universe Corps of Perfection. They have in spirit obeyed
the Father's command, "Be you perfect."
37:5.4
After attaining the Nebadon Corps of Perfection,
Spirit-fused ascenders may accept assignment as Universe
Aids, this being one of the avenues of continuing
experiential growth which is open to them. Thus do they
become candidates for commissions to the high service of
interpreting the viewpoints of the evolving creatures of
the material worlds to the celestial authorities of the
local universe.
37:5.5
The High Commissioners begin their service on the
planets as race commissioners. In this capacity they
interpret the viewpoints and portray the needs of the
various human races. They are supremely devoted to the
welfare of the mortal races whose spokesmen they are,
ever seeking to obtain for them mercy, justice, and fair
treatment in all relationships with other peoples. Race
commissioners function in an endless series of planetary
crises and serve as the articulate expression of whole
groups of struggling mortals.
37:5.6
After long experience in problem solving on the
inhabited worlds, these race commissioners are advanced
to the higher levels of function, eventually attaining
the status of High Commissioners of and in the local
universe. The last registration recorded slightly over
one and one-half billion of these High Commissioners in
Nebadon. These beings are not finaliters, but they are
ascendant beings of long experience and of great service
to their native realm.
37:5.7
We invariably find these commissioners in all the
tribunals of justice, from the lowest to the highest.
Not that they participate in the proceedings of justice,
but they do act as friends of the court, advising the
presiding magistrates respecting the antecedents,
environment, and inherent nature of those concerned in
the adjudication.
37:5.8
High Commissioners are attached to the various messenger
hosts of space and always to the ministering spirits of
time. They are encountered on the programs of various
universe assemblies, and these same mortal-wise
commissioners are always attached to the missions of the
Sons of God to the worlds of space.
37:5.9
Whenever fairness and justice require an understanding
of how a contemplated policy or procedure would affect
the evolutionary races of time, these commissioners are
at hand to present their recommendations; they are
always present to speak for those who cannot be present
to speak for themselves.
37:5.10
The Worlds of the
Spirit-fused Mortals. The eighth group of seven
primary worlds and tributary satellites in the
Salvington circuit are the exclusive possession of the
Spirit-fused mortals of Nebadon. Ascending
Adjuster-fused mortals are not concerned with these
worlds except to enjoy many pleasant and profitable
sojourns as the invited guests of the Spirit-fused
residents.
37:5.11
Except for those few who attain Uversa and Paradise,
these worlds are the permanent residence of the
Spirit-fused survivors. Such designed limitation of
mortal ascent reacts to the good of the local universes
by insuring the retention of a permanent evolved
population whose augmenting experience will continue to
enhance the future stabilization and diversification of
the local universe administration. These beings may not
attain Paradise, but they achieve an experiential wisdom
in the mastery of Nebadon problems that utterly
surpasses anything attained by the transient ascenders.
And these surviving souls continue as unique
combinations of the human and the divine, being
increasingly able to unite the viewpoints of these two
widely separate levels and to present such a dual
viewpoint with ever-heightening wisdom.
6. CELESTIAL OVERSEERS
37:6.1
The Nebadon educational system is jointly administered
by the Trinity Teacher Sons and the Melchizedek teaching
corps, but much of the work designed to effect its
maintenance and upbuilding is carried on by the
Celestial Overseers. These beings are a recruited corps
embracing all types of individuals connected with the
scheme of educating and training the ascending mortals.
There are upward of three million of them in Nebadon,
and they are all volunteers who have qualified by
experience to serve as educational advisers to the
entire realm. From their headquarters on the Salvington
worlds of the Melchizedeks, these overseers range the
local universe as inspectors of the Nebadon school
technique designed to effect the mind training and the
spirit education of the ascending creatures.
37:6.2
This training of mind and education of spirit is carried
on from the worlds of human origin up through the system
mansion worlds and the other spheres of progress
associated with Jerusem, on the seventy socializing
realms attached to Edentia, and on the four hundred and
ninety spheres of spirit progress encircling Salvington.
On the universe headquarters itself are numerous
Melchizedek schools, the colleges of the Universe Sons,
the seraphic universities, and the schools of the
Teacher Sons and the Union of Days. Every possible
provision is made to qualify the various personalities
of the universe for advancing service and improving
function. The entire universe is one vast school.
37:6.3
The methods employed in many of the higher schools are
beyond the human concept of the art of teaching truth,
but this is the keynote of the whole educational system:
character acquired by enlightened experience. The
teachers provide the enlightenment; the universe station
and the ascender's status afford the opportunity for
experience; the wise utilization of these two augments
character.
37:6.4
Fundamentally, the Nebadon educational system provides
for your assignment to a task and then affords you
opportunity to receive instruction as to the ideal and
divine method of best performing that task. You are
given a definite task to perform, and at the same time
you are provided with teachers who are qualified to
instruct you in the best method of executing your
assignment. The divine plan of education provides for
the intimate association of work and instruction. We
teach you how best to execute the things we command you
to do.
37:6.5
The purpose of all this training and experience is to
prepare you for admission to the higher and more
spiritual training spheres of the superuniverse.
Progress within a given realm is individual, but
transition from one phase to another is usually by
classes.
37:6.6
The progression of eternity does not consist solely in
spiritual development. Intellectual acquisition is also
a part of universal education. The experience of the
mind is broadened equally with the expansion of the
spiritual horizon. Mind and spirit are afforded like
opportunities for training and advancement. But in all
this superb training of mind and spirit you are forever
free from the handicaps of mortal flesh. No longer must
you constantly referee the conflicting contentions of
your divergent spiritual and material natures. At last
you are qualified to enjoy the unified urge of a
glorified mind long since divested of primitive
animalistic trends towards things material.
37:6.7
Before leaving the universe of Nebadon, most Urantia
mortals will be afforded opportunity to serve for a
longer or shorter time as members of the Nebadon corps
of Celestial Overseers.
7. MANSION WORLD TEACHERS
37:7.1
The Mansion World Teachers are recruited and glorified
cherubim. Like most other instructors in Nebadon they
are commissioned by the Melchizedeks. They function in
most of the educational enterprises of the morontia
life, and their number is quite beyond the comprehension
of mortal mind.
37:7.2
As an attainment level of cherubim and sanobim, the
Mansion World Teachers will receive further
consideration in the next paper, while as teachers
playing an important part in the morontia life, they
will be more extensively discussed in the paper of that
name.
8. HIGHER SPIRIT ORDERS OF ASSIGNMENT
37:8.1
Besides the power centers and the physical controllers,
certain of the higher-origin spirit beings of the family
of the Infinite Spirit are of permanent assignment to
the local universe. Of the higher spirit orders of the
family of the Infinite Spirit the following are so
assigned:
37:8.2
The Solitary
Messengers, when functionally attached to the local
universe administration, render invaluable service to us
in our efforts to overcome the handicaps of time and
space. When they are not thus assigned, we of the local
universes have absolutely no authority over them, but
even then these unique beings are always willing to help
us with the solution of our problems and with the
execution of our mandates.
37:8.3
Andovontia is the name of the secondary
Universe Circuit
Supervisor stationed in our local universe. He is
concerned only with spirit and morontia circuits, not
with those under the jurisdiction of the power
directors. It was he who isolated Urantia at the time of
the Caligastia betrayal of the planet during the testing
seasons of the Lucifer rebellion. In sending greetings
to the mortals of Urantia, he expresses pleasure in the
anticipation of your sometime restoration to the
universe circuits of his supervision.
37:8.4
The Nebadon
Census Director, Salsatia, maintains headquarters
within the Gabriel sector of Salvington. He is
automatically cognizant of the birth and death of will
and currently registers the exact number of will
creatures functioning in the local universe. He works in
close association with the personality recorders
domiciled on the record worlds of the archangels.
37:8.5
An Associate
Inspector is resident on Salvington. He is the
personal representative of the Supreme Executive of
Orvonton. His associates, the
Assigned
Sentinels in the local systems, are also
representatives of the Supreme Executive of Orvonton.
37:8.6
The Universal
Conciliators are the traveling courts of the
universes of time and space, functioning from the
evolutionary worlds up through every section of the
local universe and on beyond. These referees are
registered on Uversa; the exact number operating in
Nebadon is not of record, but I estimate that there are
in the neighborhood of one hundred million conciliating
commissions in our local universe.
37:8.7
Of the Technical
Advisers, the legal minds of the realm, we have our
quota, about one-half billion. These beings are the
living and circulating experiential law libraries of all
space.
37:8.8
Of the Celestial
Recorders, the ascendant seraphim, we have in
Nebadon seventy-five. These are the senior or
supervising recorders. The advancing students of this
order in training number almost four billion.
37:8.9
The ministry of the seventy billion
Morontia
Companions in Nebadon is described in those
narratives dealing with the transition planets of the
pilgrims of time.
37:8.10
Each universe has its own native angelic corps;
nevertheless, there are occasions on which it is very
helpful to have the assistance of those higher spirits
of origin outside the local creation. Supernaphim
perform certain rare and unique services; the present
chief of Urantia seraphim is a primary supernaphim of
Paradise. The reflective seconaphim are encountered
wherever the superuniverse personnel is functioning, and
a great many tertiaphim are of temporary service as Most
High Assistants.
9. PERMANENT CITIZENS OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
37:9.1
As with the super- and central universes, the local
universe has its orders of permanent citizenship. These
include the following created types:
1. Susatia.
2. Univitatia.
3. Material Sons.
4. Midway Creatures.
37:9.2
These natives of the local creation, together with the
Spirit-fused ascenders and the spironga (who are
otherwise classified), constitute a relatively permanent
citizenship. These orders of beings are by and large
neither ascending nor descending. They are all
experiential creatures, but their enlarging experience
continues to be available to the universe on their level
of origin. While this is not wholly true of the Adamic
Sons and midway creatures, it is relatively true of
these orders.
37:9.3
The Susatia.
These marvelous beings reside and function as permanent
citizens on Salvington, the headquarters of this local
universe. They are the brilliant offspring of the
Creator Son and Creative Spirit and are closely
associated with the ascendant citizens of the local
universe, the Spirit-fused mortals of the Nebadon Corps
of Perfection.
37:9.4
The Univitatia.
Each of the one hundred constellation headquarters
clusters of architectural spheres enjoys the continuous
ministry of a residential order of beings known as the
univitatia. These children of the Creator Son and the
Creative Spirit constitute the permanent population of
the constellation headquarters worlds. They are
nonreproducing beings existing on a plane of life about
halfway between the semimaterial status of the Material
Sons domiciled on the system headquarters and the more
definitely spiritual plane of the Spirit-fused mortals
and the susatia of Salvington; but the univitatia are
not morontia beings. They accomplish for ascending
mortals during the traversal of the constellation
spheres what the Havona natives contribute to the
pilgrim spirits passing through the central creation.
37:9.5
The Material Sons
of God. When a creative liaison between the Creator
Son and the universe representative of the Infinite
Spirit, the Universe Mother Spirit, has completed its
cycle, when no more offspring of the combined nature are
forthcoming, then does the Creator Son personalize in
dual form his last concept of being, thus finally
confirming his own and original dual origin. In and of
himself he then creates the beautiful and superb Sons
and Daughters of the material order of universe sonship.
This is the origin of the original Adam and Eve of each
local system of Nebadon. They are a reproducing order of
sonship, being created male and female. Their progeny
function as the relatively permanent citizens of a
system capital, though some are commissioned as
Planetary Adams.
37:9.6
On a planetary mission the Material Son and Daughter are
commissioned to found the Adamic race of that world, a
race designed eventually to amalgamate with the mortal
inhabitants of that sphere. Planetary Adams are both
descending and ascending Sons, but we ordinarily class
them as ascending.
37:9.7
The Midway
Creatures. In the early days of most inhabited
worlds, certain superhuman but materialized beings are
of assignment, but they usually retire upon the arrival
of the Planetary Adams. The transactions of such beings
and the efforts of the Material Sons to improve the
evolutionary races often result in the appearance of a
limited number of creatures who are difficult to
classify. These unique beings are often midway between
the Material Sons and the evolutionary creatures; hence
their designation, midway creatures. In a comparative
sense these midwayers are the permanent citizens of the
evolutionary worlds. From the early days of the arrival
of a Planetary Prince to the far-distant time of the
settling of the planet in light and life, they are the
only group of intelligent beings to remain continuously
on the sphere. On Urantia the midway ministers are in
reality the actual custodians of the planet; they are,
practically speaking, the citizens of Urantia. Mortals
are indeed the physical and material inhabitants of an
evolutionary world, but you are all so short-lived; you
tarry on your nativity planet such a short time. You are
born, live, die, and pass on to other worlds of
evolutionary progression. Even the superhuman beings who
serve on the planets as celestial ministers are of
transient assignment; few of them are long attached to a
given sphere. The midway creatures, however, provide
continuity of planetary administration in the face of
ever-changing celestial ministries and constantly
shifting mortal inhabitants. Throughout all of this
never-ceasing changing and shifting, the midway
creatures remain on the planet uninterruptedly carrying
on their work.
37:9.8
In like manner, all divisions of the administrative
organization of the local universes and superuniverses
have their more or less permanent populations,
inhabitants of citizenship status. As Urantia has its
midwayers, Jerusem, your system capital, has the
Material Sons and Daughters; Edentia, your constellation
headquarters, has the univitatia, while the citizens of
Salvington are twofold, the created susatia and the
evolved Spirit-fused mortals. The administrative worlds
of the minor and major sectors of the superuniverses do
not have permanent citizens. But the Uversa headquarters
spheres are continuously fostered by an amazing group of
beings known as the
abandonters,
the creation of the unrevealed agents of the Ancients of
Days and the seven Reflective Spirits resident on the
capital of Orvonton. These residential citizens on
Uversa are at present administering the routine affairs
of their world under the immediate supervision of the
Uversa corps of the Son-fused mortals. Even Havona has
its native beings, and the central Isle of Light and
Life is the home of the various groups of Paradise
Citizens.
10. OTHER LOCAL UNIVERSE GROUPS
37:10.1
Besides the seraphic and mortal orders, who will be
considered in later papers, there are numerous
additional beings concerned in the maintenance and
perfecting of such a gigantic organization as the
universe of Nebadon, which even now has more than three
million inhabited worlds, with ten million in prospect.
The various Nebadon types of life are much too numerous
to be catalogued in this paper, but there are two
unusual orders that function extensively on the 647,591
architectural spheres of the local universe, that may be
mentioned.
37:10.2
The Spironga
are the spirit offspring of the Bright and Morning Star
and the Father Melchizedek. They are exempt from
personality termination but are not evolutionary or
ascending beings. Neither are they functionally
concerned with the evolutionary ascension regime. They
are the spirit helpers of the local universe, executing
the routine spirit tasks of Nebadon.
37:10.3
The Spornagia.
The architectural headquarters worlds of the local
universe are real worlds -- physical creations. There is
much work connected with their physical upkeep, and
herein we have the assistance of a group of physical
creatures called spornagia. They are devoted to the care
and culture of the material phases of these headquarters
worlds, from Jerusem to Salvington. Spornagia are
neither spirits nor persons; they are an animal order of
existence, but if you could see them, you would agree
that they seem to be perfect animals.
37:10.4
The various
courtesy colonies are domiciled on Salvington and
elsewhere. We especially profit from the ministry of the
celestial artisans on the constellations and benefit
from the activities of the reversion directors, who
operate chiefly on the capitals of the local systems.
37:10.5
Always there is attached to the universe service a corps
of ascending mortals, including the glorified midway
creatures. These ascenders, after attaining Salvington,
are used in an almost endless variety of activities in
the conduct of universe affairs. From each level of
achievement these advancing mortals reach back and down
to extend a helping hand to their fellows who follow
them in the upward climb. Such mortals of temporary
sojourn on Salvington are assigned on requisition to
practically all corps of celestial personalities as
helpers, students, observers, and teachers.
37:10.6
There are still other types of intelligent life
concerned with the administration of a local universe,
but the plan of this narrative does not provide for the
further revelation of these orders of creation. Enough
of the life and administration of this universe is being
herewith portrayed to afford the mortal mind a grasp of
the reality and grandeur of the survival existence.
Further experience in your advancing careers will
increasingly reveal these interesting and charming
beings. This narrative cannot be more than a brief
outline of the nature and work of the manifold
personalities who throng the universes of space
administering these creations as enormous training
schools, schools wherein the pilgrims of time advance
from life to life and from world to world until they are
lovingly dispatched from the borders of the universe of
their origin to the higher educational regime of the
superuniverse and thence on to the spirit-training
worlds of Havona and eventually to Paradise and the high
destiny of the finaliters -- the eternal assignment on
missions not yet revealed to the universes of time and
space.
37:10.7
Dictated by a Brilliant Evening Star of Nebadon, Number
1,146 of the Created Corps.
*
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