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The 5th Epochal Revelation
-The Urantia Papers
PAPER 53
THE LUCIFER REBELLION
53:0.1
LUCIFER was a brilliant primary Lanonandek Son of
Nebadon. He had experienced service in many systems, had
been a high counselor of his group, and was
distinguished for wisdom, sagacity, and efficiency.
Lucifer was number 37 of his order, and when
commissioned by the Melchizedeks, he was designated as
one of the one hundred most able and brilliant
personalities in more than seven hundred thousand of his
kind. From such a magnificent beginning, through evil
and error, he embraced sin and now is numbered as one of
three System Sovereigns in Nebadon who have succumbed to
the urge of self and surrendered to the sophistry of
spurious personal liberty -- rejection of universe
allegiance and disregard of fraternal obligations,
blindness to cosmic relationships.
53:0.2
In the universe of Nebadon, the domain of Christ
Michael, there are ten thousand systems of inhabited
worlds. In all the history of Lanonandek Sons, in all
their work throughout these thousands of systems and at
the universe headquarters, only three System Sovereigns
have ever been found in contempt of the government of
the Creator Son.
1. THE LEADERS OF REBELLION
53:1.1
Lucifer was not an ascendant being; he was a created Son
of the local universe, and of him it was said: "You were
perfect in all your ways from the day you were created
till unrighteousness was found in you." Many times had
he been in counsel with the Most Highs of Edentia. And
Lucifer reigned "upon the holy mountain of God," the
administrative mount of Jerusem, for he was the chief
executive of a great system of 607 inhabited worlds.
53:1.2
Lucifer was a magnificent being, a brilliant
personality; he stood next to the Most High Fathers of
the constellations in the direct line of universe
authority. Notwithstanding Lucifer's transgression,
subordinate intelligences refrained from showing him
disrespect and disdain prior to Michael's bestowal on
Urantia. Even the archangel of Michael, at the time of
Moses' resurrection, "did not bring against him an
accusing judgment but simply said, `the Judge rebuke
you.'" Judgment in such matters belongs to the Ancients
of Days, the rulers of the superuniverse.
53:1.3
Lucifer is now the fallen and deposed Sovereign of
Satania. Self-contemplation is most disastrous, even to
the exalted personalities of the celestial world. Of
Lucifer it was said: "Your heart was lifted up because
of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of
your brightness." Your olden prophet saw his sad estate
when he wrote: "How are you fallen from heaven, O
Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cast down, you
who dared to confuse the worlds!"
53:1.4
Very little was heard of Lucifer on Urantia owing to the
fact that he assigned his first lieutenant, Satan, to
advocate his cause on your planet. Satan was a member of
the same primary group of Lanonandeks but had never
functioned as a System Sovereign; he entered fully into
the Lucifer insurrection. The "devil" is none other than
Caligastia, the deposed Planetary Prince of Urantia and
a Son of the secondary order of Lanonandeks. At the time
Michael was on Urantia in the flesh, Lucifer, Satan, and
Caligastia were leagued together to effect the
miscarriage of his bestowal mission. But they signally
failed.
53:1.5
Abaddon was the chief of the staff of Caligastia. He
followed his master into rebellion and has ever since
acted as chief executive of the Urantia rebels.
Beelzebub was the leader of the disloyal midway
creatures who allied themselves with the forces of the
traitorous Caligastia.
53:1.6
The dragon eventually became the symbolic representation
of all these evil personages. Upon the triumph of
Michael, "Gabriel came down from Salvington and bound
the dragon (all the rebel leaders) for an age." Of the
Jerusem seraphic rebels it is written: "And the angels
who kept not their first estate but left their own
habitation, he has reserved in sure chains of darkness
to the judgment of the great day."
2. THE CAUSES OF REBELLION
53:2.1
Lucifer and his first assistant, Satan, had reigned on
Jerusem for more than five hundred thousand years when
in their hearts they began to array themselves against
the Universal Father and his then vicegerent Son,
Michael.
53:2.2
There were no peculiar or special conditions in the
system of Satania which suggested or favored rebellion.
It is our belief that the idea took origin and form in
Lucifer's mind, and that he might have instigated such a
rebellion no matter where he might have been stationed.
Lucifer first announced his plans to Satan, but it
required several months to corrupt the mind of his able
and brilliant associate. However, when once converted to
the rebel theories, he became a bold and earnest
advocate of "self-assertion and liberty."
53:2.3
No one ever suggested rebellion to Lucifer. The idea of
self-assertion in opposition to the will of Michael and
to the plans of the Universal Father, as they are
represented in Michael, had its origin in his own mind.
His relations with the Creator Son had been intimate and
always cordial. At no time prior to the exaltation of
his own mind did Lucifer openly express dissatisfaction
about the universe administration. Notwithstanding his
silence, for more than one hundred years of standard
time the Union of Days on Salvington had been
reflectivating to Uversa that all was not at peace in
Lucifer's mind. This information was also communicated
to the Creator Son and the Constellation Fathers of
Norlatiadek.
53:2.4
Throughout this period Lucifer became increasingly
critical of the entire plan of universe administration
but always professed wholehearted loyalty to the Supreme
Rulers. His first outspoken disloyalty was manifested on
the occasion of a visit of Gabriel to Jerusem just a few
days before the open proclamation of the Lucifer
Declaration of Liberty. Gabriel was so profoundly
impressed with the certainty of the impending outbreak
that he went direct to Edentia to confer with the
Constellation Fathers regarding the measures to be
employed in case of open rebellion.
53:2.5
It is very difficult to point out the exact cause or
causes which finally culminated in the Lucifer
rebellion. We are certain of only one thing, and that
is: Whatever these first beginnings were, they had their
origin in Lucifer's mind. There must have been a pride
of self that nourished itself to the point of
self-deception, so that Lucifer for a time really
persuaded himself that his contemplation of rebellion
was actually for the good of the system, if not of the
universe. By the time his plans had developed to the
point of disillusionment, no doubt he had gone too far
for his original and mischief-making pride to permit him
to stop. At some point in this experience he became
insincere, and evil evolved into deliberate and willful
sin. That this happened is proved by the subsequent
conduct of this brilliant executive. He was long offered
opportunity for repentance, but only some of his
subordinates ever accepted the proffered mercy. The
Faithful of Days of Edentia, on the request of the
Constellation Fathers, in person presented the plan of
Michael for the saving of these flagrant rebels, but
always was the mercy of the Creator Son rejected and
rejected with increasing contempt and disdain.
3. THE LUCIFER MANIFESTO
53:3.1
Whatever the early origins of trouble in the hearts of
Lucifer and Satan, the final outbreak took form as the
Lucifer Declaration of Liberty. The cause of the rebels
was stated under three heads:
53:3.2
1. The reality of
the Universal Father. Lucifer charged that the
Universal Father did not really exist, that physical
gravity and space-energy were inherent in the universe,
and that the Father was a myth invented by the Paradise
Sons to enable them to maintain the rule of the
universes in the Father's name. He denied that
personality was a gift of the Universal Father. He even
intimated that the finaliters were in collusion with the
Paradise Sons to foist fraud upon all creation since
they never brought back a very clear-cut idea of the
Father's actual personality as it is discernible on
Paradise. He traded on reverence as ignorance. The
charge was sweeping, terrible, and blasphemous. It was
this veiled attack upon the finaliters that no doubt
influenced the ascendant citizens then on Jerusem to
stand firm and remain steadfast in resistance to all the
rebel's proposals.
53:3.3
2. The universe
government of the Creator Son -- Michael. Lucifer
contended that the local systems should be autonomous.
He protested against the right of Michael, the Creator
Son, to assume sovereignty of Nebadon in the name of a
hypothetical Paradise Father and require all
personalities to acknowledge allegiance to this unseen
Father. He asserted that the whole plan of worship was a
clever scheme to aggrandize the Paradise Sons. He was
willing to acknowledge Michael as his Creator-father but
not as his God and rightful ruler.
53:3.4
Most bitterly did he attack the right of the Ancients of
Days -- "foreign potentates" -- to interfere in the
affairs of the local systems and universes. These rulers
he denounced as tyrants and usurpers. He exhorted his
followers to believe that none of these rulers could do
aught to interfere with the operation of complete home
rule if men and angels only had the courage to assert
themselves and boldly claim their rights.
53:3.5
He contended that the executioners of the Ancients of
Days could be debarred from functioning in the local
systems if the native beings would only assert their
independence. He maintained that immortality was
inherent in the system personalities, that resurrection
was natural and automatic, and that all beings would
live eternally except for the arbitrary and unjust acts
of the executioners of the Ancients of Days.
53:3.6
3. The attack
upon the universal plan of ascendant mortal training.
Lucifer maintained that far too much time and energy
were expended upon the scheme of so thoroughly training
ascending mortals in the principles of universe
administration, principles which he alleged were
unethical and unsound. He protested against the agelong
program for preparing the mortals of space for some
unknown destiny and pointed to the presence of the
finaliter corps on Jerusem as proof that these mortals
had spent ages of preparation for some destiny of pure
fiction. With derision he pointed out that the
finaliters had encountered a destiny no more glorious
than to be returned to humble spheres similar to those
of their origin. He intimated that they had been
debauched by overmuch discipline and prolonged training,
and that they were in reality traitors to their mortal
fellows since they were now co-operating with the scheme
of enslaving all creation to the fictions of a mythical
eternal destiny for ascending mortals. He advocated that
ascenders should enjoy the liberty of individual
self-determination. He challenged and condemned the
entire plan of mortal ascension as sponsored by the
Paradise Sons of God and supported by the Infinite
Spirit.
53:3.7
And it was with such a Declaration of Liberty that
Lucifer launched his orgy of darkness and death.
4. OUTBREAK OF THE REBELLION
53:4.1
The Lucifer manifesto was issued at the annual conclave
of Satania on the sea of glass, in the presence of the
assembled hosts of Jerusem, on the last day of the year,
about two hundred thousand years ago, Urantia time.
Satan proclaimed that worship could be accorded the
universal forces -- physical, intellectual, and
spiritual -- but that allegiance could be acknowledged
only to the actual and present ruler, Lucifer, the
"friend of men and angels" and the "God of liberty."
53:4.2
Self-assertion was the battle cry of the Lucifer
rebellion. One of his chief arguments was that, if
self-government was good and right for the Melchizedeks
and other groups, it was equally good for all orders of
intelligence. He was bold and persistent in the advocacy
of the "equality of mind" and "the brotherhood of
intelligence." He maintained that all government should
be limited to the local planets and their voluntary
confederation into the local systems. All other
supervision he disallowed. He promised the Planetary
Princes that they should rule the worlds as supreme
executives. He denounced the location of legislative
activities on the constellation headquarters and the
conduct of judicial affairs on the universe capital. He
contended that all these functions of government should
be concentrated on the system capitals and proceeded to
set up his own legislative assembly and organized his
own tribunals under the jurisdiction of Satan. And he
directed that the princes on the apostate worlds do the
same.
53:4.3
The entire administrative cabinet of Lucifer went over
in a body and were sworn in publicly as the officers of
the administration of the new head of "the liberated
worlds and systems."
53:4.4
While there had been two previous rebellions in Nebadon,
they were in distant constellations. Lucifer held that
these insurrections were unsuccessful because the
majority of the intelligences failed to follow their
leaders. He contended that "majorities rule," that "mind
is infallible." The freedom allowed him by the universe
rulers apparently sustained many of his nefarious
contentions. He defied all his superiors; yet they
apparently took no note of his doings. He was given a
free hand to prosecute his seductive plan without let or
hindrance.
53:4.5
All the merciful delays of justice Lucifer pointed to as
evidence of the inability of the government of the
Paradise Sons to stop the rebellion. He would openly
defy and arrogantly challenge Michael, Immanuel, and the
Ancients of Days and then point to the fact that no
action ensued as positive evidence of the impotency of
the universe and the superuniverse governments.
53:4.6
Gabriel was personally present throughout all these
disloyal proceedings and only announced that he would,
in due time, speak for Michael, and that all beings
would be left free and unmolested in their choice; that
the "government of the Sons for the Father desired only
that loyalty and devotion which was voluntary,
wholehearted, and sophistry-proof."
53:4.7
Lucifer was permitted fully to establish and thoroughly
to organize his rebel government before Gabriel made any
effort to contest the right of secession or to
counterwork the rebel propaganda. But the Constellation
Fathers immediately confined the action of these
disloyal personalities to the system of Satania.
Nevertheless, this period of delay was a time of great
trial and testing to the loyal beings of all Satania.
All was chaotic for a few years, and there was great
confusion on the mansion worlds.
5. NATURE OF THE CONFLICT
53:5.1
Upon the outbreak of the Satania rebellion, Michael took
counsel of his Paradise brother, Immanuel. Following
this momentous conference, Michael announced that he
would pursue the same policy which had characterized his
dealings with similar upheavals in the past, an attitude
of noninterference.
53:5.2
At the time of this rebellion and the two which preceded
it there was no absolute and personal sovereign
authority in the universe of Nebadon. Michael ruled by
divine right, as vicegerent of the Universal Father, but
not yet in his own personal right. He had not completed
his bestowal career; he had not yet been vested with
"all power in heaven and on earth."
53:5.3
From the outbreak of rebellion to the day of his
enthronement as sovereign ruler of Nebadon, Michael
never interfered with the rebel forces of Lucifer; they
were allowed to run a free course for almost two hundred
thousand years of Urantia time. Christ Michael now has
ample power and authority to deal promptly, even
summarily, with such outbreaks of disloyalty, but we
doubt that this sovereign authority would lead him to
act differently if another such upheaval should occur.
53:5.4
Since Michael elected to remain aloof from the actual
warfare of the Lucifer rebellion, Gabriel called his
personal staff together on Edentia and, in counsel with
the Most Highs, elected to assume command of the loyal
hosts of Satania. Michael remained on Salvington while
Gabriel proceeded to Jerusem, and establishing himself
on the sphere dedicated to the Father -- the same
Universal Father whose personality Lucifer and Satan had
questioned -- in the presence of the forgathered hosts
of loyal personalities, he displayed the banner of
Michael, the material emblem of the Trinity government
of all creation, the three azure blue concentric circles
on a white background.
53:5.5
The Lucifer emblem was a banner of white with one red
circle, in the center of which a black solid circle
appeared.
53:5.6
"There was war in heaven; Michael's commander and his
angels fought against the dragon (Lucifer, Satan, and
the apostate princes); and the dragon and his rebellious
angels fought but prevailed not." This "war in heaven"
was not a physical battle as such a conflict might be
conceived on Urantia. In the early days of the struggle
Lucifer held forth continuously in the planetary
amphitheater. Gabriel conducted an unceasing exposure of
the rebel sophistries from his headquarters taken up
near at hand. The various personalities present on the
sphere who were in doubt as to their attitude would
journey back and forth between these discussions until
they arrived at a final decision.
53:5.7
But this war in heaven was very terrible and very real.
While displaying none of the barbarities so
characteristic of physical warfare on the immature
worlds, this conflict was far more deadly; material life
is in jeopardy in material combat, but the war in heaven
was fought in terms of life eternal.
6. A LOYAL SERAPHIC COMMANDER
53:6.1
There were many noble and inspiring acts of devotion and
loyalty which were performed by numerous personalities
during the interim between the outbreak of hostilities
and the arrival of the new system ruler and his staff.
But the most thrilling of all these daring feats of
devotion was the courageous conduct of Manotia, the
second in command of the Satania headquarters' seraphim.
53:6.2
At the outbreak of rebellion on Jerusem the head of the
seraphic hosts joined the Lucifer cause. This no doubt
explains why such a large number of the fourth order,
the system administrator seraphim, went astray. The
seraphic leader was spiritually blinded by the brilliant
personality of Lucifer; his charming ways fascinated the
lower orders of celestial beings. They simply could not
comprehend that it was possible for such a dazzling
personality to go wrong.
53:6.3
Not long since, in describing the experiences associated
with the onset of the Lucifer rebellion, Manotia said:
"But my most exhilarating moment was the thrilling
adventure connected with the Lucifer rebellion when, as
second seraphic commander, I refused to participate in
the projected insult to Michael; and the powerful rebels
sought my destruction by means of the liaison forces
they had arranged. There was a tremendous upheaval on
Jerusem, but not a single loyal seraphim was harmed.
53:6.4
"Upon the default of my immediate superior it devolved
upon me to assume command of the angelic hosts of
Jerusem as the titular director of the confused seraphic
affairs of the system. I was morally upheld by the
Melchizedeks, ably assisted by a majority of the
Material Sons, deserted by a tremendous group of my own
order, but magnificently supported by the ascendant
mortals on Jerusem.
53:6.5
"Having been automatically thrown out of the
constellation circuits by the secession of Lucifer, we
were dependent on the loyalty of our intelligence corps,
who forwarded calls for help to Edentia from the near-by
system of Rantulia; and we found that the kingdom of
order, the intellect of loyalty, and the spirit of truth
were inherently triumphant over rebellion,
self-assertion, and so-called personal liberty; we were
able to carry on until the arrival of the new System
Sovereign, the worthy successor of Lucifer. And
immediately thereafter I was assigned to the corps of
the Melchizedek receivership of Urantia, assuming
jurisdiction over the loyal seraphic orders on the world
of the traitorous Caligastia, who had proclaimed his
sphere a member of the newly projected system of
`liberated worlds and emancipated personalities'
proposed in the infamous Declaration of Liberty issued
by Lucifer in his call to the `liberty-loving,
free-thinking, and forward-looking intelligences of the
misruled and maladministered worlds of Satania.'"
53:6.6
This angel is still in service on Urantia, functioning
as associate chief of seraphim.
7. HISTORY OF THE REBELLION
53:7.1
The Lucifer rebellion was system wide. Thirty-seven
seceding Planetary Princes swung their world
administrations largely to the side of the archrebel.
Only on Panoptia did the Planetary Prince fail to carry
his people with him. On this world, under the guidance
of the Melchizedeks, the people rallied to the support
of Michael. Ellanora, a young woman of that mortal
realm, grasped the leadership of the human races, and
not a single soul on that strife-torn world enlisted
under the Lucifer banner. And ever since have these
loyal Panoptians served on the seventh Jerusem
transition world as the caretakers and builders on the
Father's sphere and its surrounding seven detention
worlds. The Panoptians not only act as the literal
custodians of these worlds, but they also execute the
personal orders of Michael for the embellishment of
these spheres for some future and unknown use. They do
this work as they tarry en route to Edentia.
53:7.2
Throughout this period Caligastia was advocating the
cause of Lucifer on Urantia. The Melchizedeks ably
opposed the apostate Planetary Prince, but the
sophistries of unbridled liberty and the delusions of
self-assertion had every opportunity for deceiving the
primitive peoples of a young and undeveloped world.
53:7.3
All secession propaganda had to be carried on by
personal effort because the broadcast service and all
other avenues of interplanetary communication were
suspended by the action of the system circuit
supervisors. Upon the actual outbreak of the
insurrection the entire system of Satania was isolated
in both the constellation and the universe circuits.
During this time all incoming and outgoing messages were
dispatched by seraphic agents and Solitary Messengers.
The circuits to the fallen worlds were also cut off, so
that Lucifer could not utilize this avenue for the
furtherance of his nefarious scheme. And these circuits
will not be restored so long as the archrebel lives
within the confines of Satania.
53:7.4
This was a Lanonandek rebellion. The higher orders of
local universe sonship did not join the Lucifer
secession, although a few of the Life Carriers stationed
on the rebel planets were somewhat influenced by the
rebellion of the disloyal princes. None of the
Trinitized Sons went astray. The Melchizedeks,
archangels, and the Brilliant Evening Stars were all
loyal to Michael and, with Gabriel, valiantly contended
for the Father's will and the Son's rule.
53:7.5
No beings of Paradise origin were involved in
disloyalty. Together with the Solitary Messengers they
took up headquarters on the world of the Spirit and
remained under the leadership of the Faithful of Days of
Edentia. None of the conciliators apostatized, nor did a
single one of the Celestial Recorders go astray. But a
heavy toll was taken of the Morontia Companions and the
Mansion World Teachers.
53:7.6
Of the supreme order of seraphim, not an angel was lost,
but a considerable group of the next order, the
superior, were deceived and ensnared. Likewise a few of
the third or supervisor order of angels were misled. But
the terrible breakdown came in the fourth group, the
administrator angels, those seraphim who are normally
assigned to the duties of the system capitals. Manotia
saved almost two thirds of them, but slightly over one
third followed their chief into the rebel ranks. One
third of all the Jerusem cherubim attached to the
administrator angels were lost with their disloyal
seraphim.
53:7.7
Of the planetary angelic helpers, those assigned to the
Material Sons, about one third were deceived, and almost
ten per cent of the transition ministers were ensnared.
In symbol John saw this when he wrote of the great red
dragon, saying: "And his tail drew a third part of the
stars of heaven and cast them down in darkness."
53:7.8
The greatest loss occurred in the angelic ranks, but
most of the lower orders of intelligence were involved
in disloyalty. Of the 681,227 Material Sons lost in
Satania, ninety-five per cent were casualties of the
Lucifer rebellion. Large numbers of midway creatures
were lost on those individual planets whose Planetary
Princes joined the Lucifer cause.
53:7.9
In many respects this rebellion was the most widespread
and disastrous of all such occurrences in Nebadon. More
personalities were involved in this insurrection than in
both of the others. And it is to their everlasting
dishonor that the emissaries of Lucifer and Satan spared
not the infant-training schools on the finaliter
cultural planet but rather sought to corrupt these
developing minds in mercy salvaged from the evolutionary
worlds.
53:7.10
The ascending mortals were vulnerable, but they
withstood the sophistries of rebellion better than the
lower spirits. While many on the lower mansion worlds,
those who had not attained final fusion with their
Adjusters, fell, it is recorded to the glory of the
wisdom of the ascension scheme that not a single member
of the Satania ascendant citizenship resident on Jerusem
participated in the Lucifer rebellion.
53:7.11
Hour by hour and day by day the broadcast stations of
all Nebadon were thronged by the anxious watchers of
every imaginable class of celestial intelligence, who
intently perused the bulletins of the Satania rebellion
and rejoiced as the reports continuously narrated the
unswerving loyalty of the ascending mortals who, under
their Melchizedek leadership, successfully withstood the
combined and protracted efforts of all the subtle evil
forces which so swiftly gathered around the banners of
secession and sin.
53:7.12
It was over two years of system time from the beginning
of the "war in heaven" until the installation of
Lucifer's successor. But at last the new Sovereign came,
landing on the sea of glass with his staff. I was among
the reserves mobilized on Edentia by Gabriel, and I well
remember the first message of Lanaforge to the
Constellation Father of Norlatiadek. It read: "Not a
single Jerusem citizen was lost. Every ascendant mortal
survived the fiery trial and emerged from the crucial
test triumphant and altogether victorious." And on to
Salvington, Uversa, and Paradise went this message of
assurance that the survival experience of mortal
ascension is the greatest security against rebellion and
the surest safeguard against sin. This noble Jerusem
band of faithful mortals numbered just 187,432,811.
53:7.13
With the arrival of Lanaforge the archrebels were
dethroned and shorn of all governing powers, though they
were permitted freely to go about Jerusem, the morontia
spheres, and even to the individual inhabited worlds.
They continued their deceptive and seductive efforts to
confuse and mislead the minds of men and angels. But as
concerned their work on the administrative mount of
Jerusem, "their place was found no more."
53:7.14
While Lucifer was deprived of all administrative
authority in Satania, there then existed no local
universe power nor tribunal which could detain or
destroy this wicked rebel; at that time Michael was not
a sovereign ruler. The Ancients of Days sustained the
Constellation Fathers in their seizure of the system
government, but they have never handed down any
subsequent decisions in the many appeals still pending
with regard to the present status and future disposition
of Lucifer, Satan, and their associates.
53:7.15
Thus were these archrebels allowed to roam the entire
system to seek further penetration for their doctrines
of discontent and self-assertion. But in almost two
hundred thousand Urantia years they have been unable to
deceive another world. No Satania worlds have been lost
since the fall of the thirty-seven, not even those
younger worlds peopled since that day of rebellion.
8. THE SON OF MAN ON URANTIA
53:8.1
Lucifer and Satan freely roamed the Satania system until
the completion of the bestowal mission of Michael on
Urantia. They were last on your world together during
the time of their combined assault upon the Son of Man.
53:8.2
Formerly, when the Planetary Princes, the "Sons of God,"
were periodically assembled, "Satan came also," claiming
that he represented all of the isolated worlds of the
fallen Planetary Princes. But he has not been accorded
such liberty on Jerusem since Michael's terminal
bestowal. Subsequent to their effort to corrupt Michael
when in the bestowal flesh, all sympathy for Lucifer and
Satan has perished throughout all Satania, that is,
outside the isolated worlds of sin.
53:8.3
The bestowal of Michael terminated the Lucifer rebellion
in all Satania aside from the planets of the apostate
Planetary Princes. And this was the significance of
Jesus' personal experience, just before his death in the
flesh, when he one day exclaimed to his disciples, "And
I beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven." He had
come with Lucifer to Urantia for the last crucial
struggle.
53:8.4
The Son of Man was confident of success, and he knew
that his triumph on your world would forever settle the
status of his agelong enemies, not only in Satania but
also in the other two systems where sin had entered.
There was survival for mortals and security for angels
when your Master, in reply to the Lucifer proposals,
calmly and with divine assurance replied, "Get you
behind me, Satan." That was, in principle, the real end
of the Lucifer rebellion. True, the Uversa tribunals
have not yet rendered the executive decision regarding
the appeal of Gabriel praying for the destruction of the
rebels, but such a decree will, no doubt, be forthcoming
in the fullness of time since the first step in the
hearing of this case has already been taken.
53:8.5
Caligastia was recognized by the Son of Man as the
technical Prince of Urantia up to near the time of his
death. Said Jesus: "Now is the judgment of this world;
now shall the prince of this world be cast down." And
then still nearer the completion of his lifework he
announced, "The prince of this world is judged." And it
is this same dethroned and discredited Prince who was
once termed "God of Urantia."
53:8.6
The last act of Michael before leaving Urantia was to
offer mercy to Caligastia and Daligastia, but they
spurned his tender proffer. Caligastia, your apostate
Planetary Prince, is still free on Urantia to prosecute
his nefarious designs, but he has absolutely no power to
enter the minds of men, neither can he draw near to
their souls to tempt or corrupt them unless they really
desire to be cursed with his wicked presence.
53:8.7
Before the bestowal of Michael these rulers of darkness
sought to maintain their authority on Urantia, and they
persistently withstood the minor and subordinate
celestial personalities. But since the day of Pentecost
this traitorous Caligastia and his equally contemptible
associate, Daligastia, are servile before the divine
majesty of the Paradise Thought Adjusters and the
protective Spirit of Truth, the spirit of Michael, which
has been poured out upon all flesh.
53:8.8
But even so, no fallen spirit ever did have the power to
invade the minds or to harass the souls of the children
of God. Neither Satan nor Caligastia could ever touch or
approach the faith sons of God; faith is an effective
armor against sin and iniquity. It is true: "He who is
born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one touches
him not."
53:8.9
In general, when weak and dissolute mortals are supposed
to be under the influence of devils and demons, they are
merely being dominated by their own inherent and debased
tendencies, being led away by their own natural
propensities. The devil has been given a great deal of
credit for evil which does not belong to him. Caligastia
has been comparatively impotent since the cross of
Christ.
9. PRESENT STATUS OF THE REBELLION
53:9.1
Early in the days of the Lucifer rebellion, salvation
was offered all rebels by Michael. To all who would show
proof of sincere repentance, he offered, upon his
attainment of complete universe sovereignty, forgiveness
and reinstatement in some form of universe service. None
of the leaders accepted this merciful proffer. But
thousands of the angels and the lower orders of
celestial beings, including hundreds of the Material
Sons and Daughters, accepted the mercy proclaimed by the
Panoptians and were given rehabilitation at the time of
Jesus' resurrection nineteen hundred years ago. These
beings have since been transferred to the Father's world
of Jerusem, where they must be held, technically, until
the Uversa courts hand down a decision in the matter of
Gabriel vs. Lucifer. But no one doubts that, when the
annihilation verdict is issued, these repentant and
salvaged personalities will be exempted from the decree
of extinction. These probationary souls now labor with
the Panoptians in the work of caring for the Father's
world.
53:9.2
The archdeceiver has never been on Urantia since the
days when he sought to turn back Michael from the
purpose to complete the bestowal and to establish
himself finally and securely as the unqualified ruler of
Nebadon. Upon Michael's becoming the settled head of the
universe of Nebadon, Lucifer was taken into custody by
the agents of the Uversa Ancients of Days and has since
been a prisoner on satellite number one of the Father's
group of the transition spheres of Jerusem. And here the
rulers of other worlds and systems behold the end of the
unfaithful Sovereign of Satania. Paul knew of the status
of these rebellious leaders following Michael's
bestowal, for he wrote of Caligastia's chiefs as
"spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
53:9.3
Michael, upon assuming the supreme sovereignty of
Nebadon, petitioned the Ancients of Days for authority
to intern all personalities concerned in the Lucifer
rebellion pending the rulings of the superuniverse
tribunals in the case of Gabriel vs. Lucifer, placed on
the records of the Uversa supreme court almost two
hundred thousand years ago, as you reckon time.
Concerning the system capital group, the Ancients of
Days granted the Michael petition with but a single
exception: Satan was allowed to make periodic visits to
the apostate princes on the fallen worlds until another
Son of God should be accepted by such apostate worlds,
or until such time as the courts of Uversa should begin
the adjudication of the case of Gabriel
vs. Lucifer.
53:9.4
Satan could come to Urantia because you had no Son of
standing in residence -- neither Planetary Prince nor
Material Son. Machiventa Melchizedek has since been
proclaimed vicegerent Planetary Prince of Urantia, and
the opening of the case of Gabriel vs. Lucifer has
signalized the inauguration of temporary planetary
regimes on all the isolated worlds. It is true that
Satan did periodically visit Caligastia and others of
the fallen princes right up to the time of the
presentation of these revelations, when there occurred
the first hearing of Gabriel's plea for the annihilation
of the archrebels. Satan is now unqualifiedly detained
on the Jerusem prison worlds.
53:9.5
Since Michael's final bestowal no one in all Satania has
desired to go to the prison worlds to minister to the
interned rebels. And no more beings have been won to the
deceiver's cause. For nineteen hundred years the status
has been unchanged.
53:9.6
We do not look for a removal of the present Satania
restrictions until the Ancients of Days make final
disposition of the archrebels. The system circuits will
not be reinstated so long as Lucifer lives. Meantime, he
is wholly inactive.
53:9.7
The rebellion has ended on Jerusem. It ends on the
fallen worlds as fast as divine Sons arrive. We believe
that all rebels who will ever accept mercy have done so.
We await the flashing broadcast that will deprive these
traitors of personality existence. We anticipate the
verdict of Uversa will be announced by the executionary
broadcast which will effect the annihilation of these
interned rebels. Then will you look for their places,
but they shall not be found. "And they who know you
among the worlds will be astonished at you; you have
been a terror, but never shall you be any more." And
thus shall all of these unworthy traitors "become as
though they had not been." All await the Uversa decree.
53:9.8
But for ages the seven prison worlds of spiritual
darkness in Satania have constituted a solemn warning to
all Nebadon, eloquently and effectively proclaiming the
great truth "that the way of the transgressor is hard";
"that within every sin is concealed the seed of its own
destruction"; that "the wages of sin is death."
53:9.9
Presented by Manovandet Melchizedek, onetime attached to
the receivership of Urantia.
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