BIBLICAL PROPHECY

AS THE

THIRD EPOCHAL REVELATION

 

This was a letter addressed to Stuart Kerr and David Kantor.

August 18, 1996

Dear Stuart and David:
 

In a previous letter to Stuart I outlined reasons why biblical prophecy is the Third Epochal Revelation.  Unfortunately, my arguments were incomplete, and I did not  properly emphasize certain aspects of revelation within The Urantia Papers to demonstrate this fact.
 

(In The Urantia Papers the Third Epochal Revelation refers to those revelations given to us by Melchizedek when he lived here in human form.)
 

In response to a letter to Bobbie Dreier, dated Aug 3, 1995,  wherein I outlined the role of Urantians in imminent  unfolding spiritual developments, David also challenged me  to show how the prophetic apocalyptic paradigm can be  reconciled with the dynamics of Supremacy so extensively developed in The Urantia Papers.  His challenge apparently  was based on an idea that somehow prophecy is unrelated to  the dynamics of Supremacy.  I will not engage in academic debate.  I will offer simple illustration.
 

I am deeply grateful that I was given opportunity to contribute toward the evolutionary attainment of the  Supreme.  With my feet in the mud, my head in the sky, my  heart with my fellows, and my eyes upon God, I praise my  Creator for my existence, and for the health to make some  small contribution.
 

The fact of prophecy as an instrument of destiny and the  unfolding of the Supreme is clearly established in The  Urantia Papers but many students seem unaware of that fact.  Furthermore, biblical prophecy, as the Third Epochal  Revelation, was not described in clear and direct  disclosure, with plain and simple statement.  Rather,  indication of this fact was scattered in several statements,  without explicit remark to that effect. This omission was founded on a crucially important policy  which determined the actions of our Revelators in providing The Urantia Papers.  That policy was the general planetary  condition of faith-decision.  Faith-decision, in turn, is  determined by our response to our Creator, and our ability  to recognize truth.
 

The life and death decisions now about to face God's people  will determine the unfolding of the future of this world.  Unless you have a true faith in revelation, not merely an  intellectual fascination, or a cultic regard, and make life-determining decisions based on that faith, you cannot do the  will of your Creator.
 

In my long association with Urantians I encountered two  major disappointments:
 

1.  Their inability to recognize truth.
 

2.  Their inability to think.
 

Point Number One: The Recognition of Truth
 

Jesus had an unerring ability for the recognition of truth,  and truth he never hesitated to embrace, no matter from what  source it appeared to emanate.

 

That remark from page 1390 ends a paragraph which describes Jesus reading and rereading the ancient Book of Enoch many  times.  He obtained his title "Son of Man" from that Book.
 

That Book was very important to Jesus.
 

As Jesus would read these passages (well understanding that much of the Eastern mysticism which had become admixed with  these teachings was erroneous), he responded in his heart .  . .

 

In spite of this important passage in The Urantia Papers I  find few Urantians who have determined for themselves what  was so important to Jesus.  The Book of Enoch contains  crucial revelation, is available to us today, yet how many  Urantians have examined it?  Unfortunately, even if they  did, most would hardly recognize the truth contained  therein, the truth so striking to Jesus.
 

The same critical fault afflicts those who reject biblical  prophecy.  It contains many important revelations but most Urantians despise it, or consider it outmoded religious  exhortation produced by men of ancient times who had a  paradigm view no longer useful to the world.
 

Point Number Two: An Ability to Think Page 1025:
 

This same Melchizedek continued to collaborate  throughout the nineteen succeeding centuries with the many  prophets and seers, thus endeavoring to keep alive the  truths of Salem until the fullness of the time for Michael's  appearance on earth.

 

Such collaboration certainly was important, otherwise  Melchizedek would not have wasted his time.  But I know few Urantians who are interested in the mechanisms of this  collaboration, the results of that collaboration, or the  Truths of Salem.
 

What were the Truths of Salem?  Are they revealed within The  Urantia Papers?  If not, why not?
 

Were the Truths of Salem not the essential content of the  Third Epochal Revelation?  Can you think of other content  Melchizedek would want to keep alive?
 

Who were the prophets and seers?  Were they individuals who subsequently disappeared, and have long since been  forgotten?  Or were they the ones we know from the Bible?
 

Of the content of the work of the prophets and seers, how much do you think was due to Melchizedek and how much the  imaginative speculation of the men who served in such capacity?
 

If error is contained within those works would you be able  to discriminate their truth, as Jesus did with the Book of  Enoch?
 

If those prophets and seers were preserved in the Bible  -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Joel, Amos, Hosea,  Habbukuk, Zechariah, Malachi, John, and the others --  how  much of the Truths of Salem do they contain?  If the Truths  of Salem were the essential content of the Third Epochal  Revelation, does biblical prophecy offer the essential  content of the Third Epochal Revelation?
 

How was the collaboration accomplished?  Did Melchizedek assume a physical body, as he did at Salem?  Did he then  converse verbally with those prophets?  Did he stimulate  their thinking through coordination with their Thought  Adjusters?  Did he project images, thus to inspire their  work?
 

It is easily possible for such a (Melchizedek) Son to make  himself visible to mortal beings, and sometimes one of this  order has even incarnated in the likeness of mortal flesh.  Seven times in Nebadon has a Melchizedek served on an  evolutionary world in the similitude of mortal flesh, and on  numerous occasions these Sons have appeared in the likeness  of other orders of universe creatures. 

 

Did Melchizedek make himself (easily) visible when he  collaborated with the prophets and seers?  Did he make  himself appear as an angel?  Did he make himself appear as a  man?
 

What were the results of that collaboration?  Did those results die away with the death of each prophet?
 

The full impact of this work by Melchizedek with the  prophets and seers may be more fully appreciated by study of  the following passage.
 

Page 1033:  About six hundred years before the arrival of  Michael, it seemed to Melchizedek, long since departed from  the flesh, that the purity of his teaching on earth was  being unduly jeopardized by general absorption into the older Urantia beliefs.  It appeared for a time that his mission as a forerunner of Michael might be in danger of  failing.  And in the sixth century before Christ, through an  unusual co-ordination of spiritual agencies, not all of  which are understood even by the planetary supervisors, Urantia witnessed a most unusual presentation of manifold  religious truth.  Through the agency of several human  teachers the Salem gospel was restated and revitalized, and as it was then presented, much has persisted to the times of  this writing.


You will note that the Salem gospel was restated and revitalized and that much has persisted to the times of  this writing, which means down into the twentieth century.  That restatement and revitalization could only be through the Old Testament prophets.
 

Melchizedek will be our future Planetary Ruler, Vicegerent  for Michael, page 1025.  He should be well acquainted with the role of this world in the plans of Michael, and its  evolutionary contribution to attainment of the Supreme.  Therefore, his collaboration with the prophets and seers must have been designed toward that end.  Otherwise, why  bother?  Consider these aspects:

1.      Several human teachers were used to restate and revitalize the Salem gospel.  They were the prophets and seers.
 

2.      Much of the work of the prophets and seers has  persisted to the times of this writing.
 

3.      This was a most unusual presentation of manifold  religious truths.
 

Would any of us dare reject those manifold religious truths?  Would they not bear directly on the destiny plans for this  planet?
 

Will God hold you accountable if you refuse to investigate the manifold religious truths offered by Melchizedek through so many human lives?
 

We might complain that those truths have come down to us in such old-fashioned format we cannot bring ourselves to  examine them.  Will God accept that complaint as an excuse  to reject such great truths?
 

Page-1023:  The teaching of Melchizedek was full and  replete, but the records of these days seemed impossible and  fantastic to the later Hebrew priests, although many had  some understanding of these transactions, at least up to the  times of the en masse editing of the Old Testament records  in Babylon.


The Urantia Papers regard those ancient men as prophets.  This implies the classical sense of that term; they provided  forecasts of the future.
 

Forecasts of the future are possible by mechanisms and  personalities functioning within the universe.
 

Page-315:  These time evaluators are also the secret of  prophecy; they portray the element of time which will be  required in the completion of any undertaking, and they are  just as dependable as indicators as are the frandalanks and  chronoldeks of other living orders.  The Gods foresee, hence  foreknow; but the ascendant authorities of the universes of  time must consult the Imports of Time to be able to forecast  events of the future.

 

Note that it is the ascendant authorities of the universes  who must consult the Imports of Time.  The descendant  authorities have no such need.  They foresee, hence they foreknow.  Since Melchizedek is a descendant authority he also foresees, hence foreknows.
 

In use of the word "apocalyptic" I assume David meant the  modern secular sense, involving "judgment," "doom," and so  on, all toward a traumatic world experience.  Material  scattered within The Urantia Papers shows that we are facing  a great planetary judgment, page 226, to "bring an end to  this dispensation of suspended justice," with "doom" of the  current social order, an imminent traumatic world  experience.
 

Page-1915:  But the times of the reappearing of the Son of Man are known only in the councils of Paradise; not even the angels of heaven know when this will occur.  However, you should understand that, when this gospel of the kingdom shall have been proclaimed to all the world for the salvation of all peoples, and when the fullness of the age has come to pass, the Father will send you another dispensational bestowal, or else the Son of Man will return  to adjudge the age.


When the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of personal  salvation, shall have been proclaimed to the whole world for  the salvation of all peoples, and when the fullness of the age has come to pass, we will receive another dispensational bestowal, or Michael will return to adjudge the age.  We are about to witness the proclamation of the gospel to the whole  world, now, at the fullness of the age.  If we do not  receive another dispensational bestowal, Michael will return  to adjudge the age.
 

These brief illustrations demonstrate that The Urantia  Papers use the prophetic apocalyptic paradigm, but were styled to misdirect individuals who might disbelieve the  truth revealed to us through the prophets.
 

Page-1291:  It may be that on the upper limits of the  finite, where time conjoins transcended time, there is some  sort of blurring and blending of sequence.  It may be that  the Supreme is able to forecast his universe presence onto  these supertime levels and then to a limited degree  anticipate future evolution by reflecting this future  forecast back to the created levels as the Immanence of the Projected Incomplete.  Such phenomena may be observed  wherever finite makes contact with superfinite, as in the  experiences of human beings who are indwelt by Thought  Adjusters that are veritable predictions of man's future  universe attainments throughout all eternity

.

Veritable means true.  The Thought Adjusters know who we  are, what we are, where we are, and where we will go, literally, in all eternity.  I find myself living this life, with all of its sensations, its uncertainties, and its  unknowns, yet within me there is an anticipation of that  future career buried within the depths of the unfolding of  the Supreme  -- with my feet in the mud, my head in the sky, my heart with my fellows, and my eyes upon God.
 

How grateful I am.
 

The Supreme can forecast his universe presence onto supertime levels and then to a limited degree anticipate future evolution by reflecting this future forecast back to  the created levels as the Immanence of the Projected  Incomplete.  Personally, I find it stupendous revelation to know that the Supreme can reflect future forecasts back to  created levels.  He can anticipate future evolution through such reflection.  Why would he do so?  In order that we might more fully align our will with his will in the unfolding of evolutionary destiny attainment.  We are privileged to become part of that destiny attainment   -- if we  make the choice to heed the information contained within those forecasts.  And those forecasts were revealed to us by Melchizedek through the prophets and seers.
 

This majestic process is recognizable to us as the Immanence of the Projected Incomplete.  I cannot speak for either of  you gentlemen, but I can speak for myself.  The Projected  Incomplete is vividly immanent in my mind, my heart, and my  soul.  And faith-decision is the guiding principle of my  life, integrated with a deep desire to do God's will.
 

For David to assume that I am unaware of "modern" thinking  or have not studied "secular" works is to demonstrate ignorance of who I am or where I come from.  Obviously, the  philosophies and theologies of the present age are not  adequate.  Otherwise we would not find ourselves in the deep philosophic morass and grave theological error which has carried us to the brink of world disaster.  Any person who  places his heart and his mind upon godless philosophies and equally godless theologies commits a grave error of time.  
 

Page 2081: The present godless philosophy of human society  will lead only to unrest, animosity, unhappiness, war, and  world-wide disaster.

 

Do you live in this world?  Have you looked around lately?
 

I shall now briefly examine the function of Thought  Adjusters in our mutual contribution to the dynamics of the  Supreme, so extensively developed within The Urantia Papers.
 
 

Page 1196:  You have been informed of the classification of Adjusters in relation to experience   virgin, advanced, and  supreme.  You should also recognize a certain functional  classification   the self-acting Adjusters.  A self-acting  Adjuster is one who:

1.      Has a subject who has been mustered into one of the  reserve corps of destiny on an evolutionary world of mortal  ascension.

2.      Has served in a time of crisis in the experience of  some human being who was the material complement of a spirit  personality entrusted with the enactment of some cosmic  achievement essential to the spiritual economy of the  planet.

 

If my analysis of a Cosmic Reserve Corps in the Bobbie Dreier letter is close to reality, it would mean that many Urantians have self-acting Adjusters.  And that is why so many Urantians now feel so uneasy about an immanent role in  unfolding world developments.  We are about to be mustered  into dynamic action, to carry the gospel of the kingdom to  the world, at a time of grave planetary crisis.
 

If my exposition of biblical prophecy is correct, in the several Papers I published, it would also mean that a human  mortal is serving as a material complement to Melchizedek  -- who is a spirit personality, toward a cosmic achievement essential to the spiritual economy of this wayward world.
 

Unfortunately, many encounter a great difficulty.  That work superficially appears as just another "apocalyptic  paradigm," buried in the morass of a multitude of blind interpretations.  And this is your great test of truth.

Ernest P. Moyer