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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
phrase "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
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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.
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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.
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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 . . .
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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:
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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:
Return to Top of Page
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
is scattered within statements about
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Page 2081: The present godless philosophy of
human society will lead only to unrest, animosity, unhappiness, war, and
world-wide disaster.
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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.
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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.
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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
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