Urantia Book Paper 38 Ministering Spirits Of The Local Universe

Urantia Book Paper 38 Ministering Spirits Of The Local Universe
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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART II: The Local Universe :
The Evolution Of Local Universes Administration Of The Local Universe The Local
Universe Mother Spirit The Local Universe Sons Of God The Life Carriers
Personalities Of The Local Universe Ministering Spirits Of The Local Universe
The Seraphic Hosts The Ascending Sons Of God Physical Aspects Of The Local
Universe Energy--mind And Matter The Constellations The Celestial Artisans The
Local System Administration The Local System Headquarters The Seven Mansion
Worlds The Morontia Life The Inhabited Worlds The Planetary Princes The
Planetary Adams Planetary Mortal Epochs The Lucifer Rebellion Problems Of The
Lucifer Rebellion The Spheres Of Light And Life Universal Unity
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Paper 38 Ministering Spirits Of The Local Universe

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Introduction

THERE are three distinct orders of the personalities of the Infinite Spirit.
The impetuous apostle understood this when he wrote respecting Jesus, "who has
gone to heaven and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and
powers being made subject to him." Angels are the ministering spirits of time;
authorities, the messenger hosts of space; powers, the higher personalities of
the Infinite Spirit.

As the supernaphim in the central universe and the seconaphim in a
superuniverse, so the seraphim, with the associated cherubim and sanobim,
constitute the angelic corps of a local universe.

The seraphim are all fairly uniform in design. From universe to universe,
throughout all seven of the superuniverses, they show a minimum of variation;
they are the most nearly standard of all spirit types of personal beings. Their
various orders constitute the corps of the skilled and common ministers of the
local creations.

1. ORIGIN OF SERAPHIM

Seraphim are created by the Universe Mother Spirit and have been projected in
unit formation--41,472 at a time--ever since the creation of the "pattern
angels" and certain angelic archetypes in the early times of Nebadon. The
Creator Son and the universe representation of the Infinite Spirit collaborate
in the creation of a large number of Sons and other universe personalities.
Following the completion of this united effort, the Son engages in the creation
of the Material Sons, the first of the sex creatures, while the Universe Mother
Spirit concurrently engages in her initial solitary effort at spirit
reproduction. Thus begins the creation of the seraphic hosts of a local
universe.

These angelic orders are projected at the time of planning for the evolution of
mortal will creatures. The creation of seraphim dates from the attainment of
relative personality by the Universe Mother Spirit, not as the later
co-ordinate of the Master Son, but as the early creative helper of the Creator
Son. Previous to this event the seraphim on duty in Nebadon were temporarily
loaned by a neighboring universe.

Seraphim are still being periodically created; the universe of Nebadon is still
in the making. The Universe Mother Spirit never ceases creative activity in a
growing and perfecting universe.

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2. ANGELIC NATURES

Angels do not have material bodies, but they are definite and discrete beings;
they are of spirit nature and origin. Though invisible to mortals, they
perceive you as you are in the flesh without the aid of transformers or
translators; they intellectually understand the mode of mortal life, and they
share all of man's nonsensuous emotions and sentiments. They appreciate and
greatly enjoy your efforts in music, art, and real humor. They are fully
cognizant of your moral struggles and spiritual difficulties. They love human
beings, and only good can result from your efforts to understand and love them.

Though seraphim are very affectionate and sympathetic beings, they are not
sex-emotion creatures. They are much as you will be on the mansion worlds,
where you will "neither marry nor be given in marriage but will be as the
angels of heaven." For all who "shall be accounted worthy to attain the mansion
worlds neither marry nor are given in marriage; neither do they die any more,
for they are equal to the angels." Nevertheless, in dealing with sex creatures
it is our custom to speak of those beings of more direct descent from the
Father and the Son as the sons of God, while referring to the children of the
Spirit as the daughters of God. Angels are, therefore, commonly designated by
feminine pronouns on the sex planets.

The seraphim are so created as to function on both spiritual and literal
levels. There are few phases of morontia or spirit activity which are not open
to their ministrations. While in personal status angels are not so far removed
from human beings, in certain functional performances seraphim far transcend
them. They possess many powers far beyond human comprehension. For example: You
have been told that the "very hairs of your head are numbered," and it is true
they are, but a seraphim does not spend her time counting them and keeping the
number corrected up to date. Angels possess inherent and automatic (that is,
automatic as far as you could perceive) powers of knowing such things; you
would truly regard a seraphim as a mathematical prodigy. Therefore, numerous
duties which would be tremendous tasks for mortals are performed with exceeding
ease by seraphim.

Angels are superior to you in spiritual status, but they are not your judges or
accusers. No matter what your faults, "the angels, although greater in power
and might, bring no accusation against you." Angels do not sit in judgment on
mankind, neither should individual mortals prejudge their fellow creatures.

You do well to love them, but you should not adore them; angels are not objects
of worship. The great seraphim, Loyalatia, when your seer "fell down to worship
before the feet of the angel," said: "See that you do it not; I am a fellow
servant with you and with your races, who are all enjoined to worship God."

In nature and personality endowment the seraphim are just a trifle ahead of
mortal races in the scale of creature existence. Indeed, when you are delivered
from the flesh, you become very much like them. On the mansion worlds you will
begin to appreciate the seraphim, on the constellation spheres to enjoy them,
while on Salvington they will share their places of rest and worship with you.
Throughout the whole morontia and subsequent spirit ascent, your fraternity
with the seraphim will be ideal; your companionship will be superb.

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3. UNREVEALED ANGELS

Numerous orders of spirit beings function throughout the domains of the local
universe that are unrevealed to mortals because they are in no manner connected
with the evolutionary plan of Paradise ascension. In this paper the word
"angel" is purposely limited to the designation of those seraphic and
associated offspring of the Universe Mother Spirit who are so largely concerned
with the operation of the plans of mortal survival. There serve in the local
universe six other orders of related beings, the unrevealed angels, who are not
in any specific manner connected with those universe activities pertaining to
the Paradise ascent of evolutionary mortals. These six groups of angelic
associates are never called seraphim, neither are they referred to as
ministering spirits. These personalities are wholly occupied with the
administrative and other affairs of Nebadon, engagements which are in no way
related to man's progressive career of spiritual ascent and perfection
attainment.

4. THE SERAPHIC WORLDS

The ninth group of seven primary spheres in the Salvington circuit are the
worlds of the seraphim. Each of these worlds has six tributary satellites,
whereon are the special schools devoted to all phases of seraphic training.
While the seraphim have access to all forty-nine worlds comprising this group
of Salvington spheres, they exclusively occupy only the first cluster of seven.
The remaining six clusters are occupied by the six orders of angelic associates
unrevealed on Urantia; each such group maintains headquarters on one of these
six primary worlds and carries on specialized activities on the six tributary
satellites. Each angelic order has free access to all the worlds of these seven
diverse groups.

These headquarters worlds are among the magnificent realms of Nebadon; the
seraphic estates are characterized by both beauty and vastness. Here each
seraphim has a real home, and "home" means the domicile of two seraphim; they
live in pairs.

Though not male and female as are the Material Sons and the mortal races,
seraphim are negative and positive. In the majority of assignments it requires
two angels to accomplish the task. When they are not encircuited, they can work
alone; neither do they require complements of being when stationary. Ordinarily
they retain their original complements of being, but not necessarily. Such
associations are primarily necessitated by function; they are not characterized
by sex emotion, though they are exceedingly personal and truly affectionate.

Besides designated homes, seraphim also have group, company, battalion, and
unit headquarters. They forgather for reunions every millennium and are all
present in accordance with the time of their creation. If a seraphim bears
responsibilities which forbid absence from duty, she alternates attendance with
her complement, being relieved by a seraphim of another birth date. Each
seraphic partner is thereby present at least every other reunion.

5. SERAPHIC TRAINING

Seraphim spend their first millennium as noncommissioned observers on
Salvington and its associated world schools. The second millennium is spent on

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the seraphic worlds of the Salvington circuit. Their central training school is
now presided over by the first one hundred thousand Nebadon seraphim, and at
their head is the original or first-born angel of this local universe. The
first created group of Nebadon seraphim were trained by a corps of one thousand
seraphim from Avalon; subsequently our angels have been taught by their own
seniors. The Melchizedeks also have a large part in the education and training
of all local universe angels--seraphim, cherubim, and sanobim.

At the termination of this period of training on the seraphic worlds of
Salvington, seraphim are mobilized in the conventional groups and units of the
angelic organization and are assigned to some one of the constellations. They
are not yet commissioned as ministering spirits, although they have well
entered upon the precommissioned phases of angelic training.

Seraphim are initiated as ministering spirits by serving as observers on the
lowest of the evolutionary worlds. After this experience they return to the
associate worlds of the headquarters of the assigned constellation to begin
their advanced studies and more definitely to prepare for service in some
particular local system. Following this general education they are advanced to
the service of some one of the local systems. On the architectural worlds
associated with the capital of some Nebadon system our seraphim complete their
training and are commissioned as ministering spirits of time.

When once seraphim are commissioned, they may range all Nebadon, even Orvonton,
on assignment. Their work in the universe is without bounds and limitations;
they are closely associated with the material creatures of the worlds and are
ever in the service of the lower orders of spiritual personalities, making
contact between these beings of the spirit world and the mortals of the
material realms.

6. SERAPHIC ORGANIZATION

After the second millennium of sojourn at seraphic headquarters the seraphim
are organized under chiefs into groups of twelve (12 pairs, 24 seraphim), and
twelve such groups constitute a company (144 pairs, 288 seraphim), which is
commanded by a leader. Twelve companies under a commander constitute a
battalion (1,728 pairs or 3,456 seraphim), and twelve battalions under a
director equal a seraphic unit (20,736 pairs or 41,472 individuals), while
twelve units, subject to the command of a supervisor, constitute a legion
numbering 248,832 pairs or 497,664 individuals. Jesus alluded to such a group
of angels that night in the garden of Gethsemane when he said: "I can even now
ask my Father, and he will presently give me more than twelve legions of
angels."

Twelve legions of angels comprise a host numbering 2,985,984 pairs or 5,971,968
individuals, and twelve such hosts (35,831,808 pairs or 71,663,616 individuals)
make up the largest operating organization of seraphim, an angelic army. A
seraphic host is commanded by an archangel or by some other personality of
co-ordinate status, while the angelic armies are directed by the Brilliant
Evening Stars or by other immediate lieutenants of Gabriel. And Gabriel is the
"supreme commander of the armies of heaven," the chief executive of the
Sovereign of Nebadon, "the Lord God of hosts."

Though serving under the direct supervision of the Infinite Spirit as
personalized on Salvington, since the bestowal of Michael on Urantia, seraphim
and all other local universe orders have become subject to the sovereignty of
the

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Master Son. Even when Michael was born of the flesh on Urantia, there issued
the superuniverse broadcast to all Nebadon which proclaimed, "And let all the
angels worship him." All ranks of angels are subject to his sovereignty; they
are a part of that group which has been denominated "his mighty angels."

7. CHERUBIM AND SANOBIM

In all essential endowments cherubim and sanobim are similar to seraphim. They
have the same origin but not always the same destiny. They are wonderfully
intelligent, marvelously efficient, touchingly affectionate, and almost human.
They are the lowest order of angels, hence all the nearer of kin to the more
progressive types of human beings on the evolutionary worlds.

Cherubim and sanobim are inherently associated, functionally united. One is an
energy positive personality; the other, energy negative. The right-hand
deflector, or positively charged angel, is the cherubim--the senior or
controlling personality. The left-hand deflector, or negatively charged angel,
is the sanobim--the complement of being. Each type of angel is very limited in
solitary function; hence they usually serve in pairs. When serving
independently of their seraphic directors, they are more than ever dependent on
mutual contact and always function together.

Cherubim and sanobim are the faithful and efficient aids of the seraphic
ministers, and all seven orders of seraphim are provided with these subordinate
assistants. Cherubim and sanobim serve for ages in these capacities, but they
do not accompany seraphim on assignments beyond the confines of the local
universe.

The cherubim and sanobim are the routine spirit workers on the individual
worlds of the systems. On a nonpersonal assignment and in an emergency, they
may serve in the place of a seraphic pair, but they never function, even
temporarily, as attending angels to human beings; that is an exclusive seraphic
privilege.

When assigned to a planet, cherubim enter the local courses of training,
including a study of planetary usages and languages. The ministering spirits of
time are all bilingual, speaking the language of the local universe of their
origin and that of their native superuniverse. By study in the schools of the
realms they acquire additional tongues. Cherubim and sanobim, like seraphim and
all other orders of spirit beings, are continuously engaged in efforts at
self-improvement. Only such as the subordinate beings of power control and
energy direction are incapable of progression; all creatures having actual or
potential personality volition seek new achievements.

Cherubim and sanobim are by nature very near the morontia level of existence,
and they prove to be most efficient in the borderland work of the physical,
morontial, and spiritual domains. These children of the local universe Mother
Spirit are characterized by "fourth creatures" much as are the Havona Servitals
and the conciliating commissions. Every fourth cherubim and every fourth
sanobim are quasi-material, very definitely resembling the morontia level of
existence.

These angelic fourth creatures are of great assistance to the seraphim in the
more literal phases of their universe and planetary activities. Such morontia

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cherubim also perform many indispensable borderline tasks on the morontia
training worlds and are assigned to the service of the Morontia Companions in
large numbers. They are to the morontia spheres about what the midway creatures
are to the evolutionary planets. On the inhabited worlds these morontia
cherubim frequently work in liaison with the midway creatures. Cherubim and
midway creatures are distinctly separate orders of beings; they have dissimilar
origins, but they disclose great similarity in nature and function.

8. EVOLUTION OF CHERUBIM AND SANOBIM

Numerous avenues of advancing service are open to cherubim and sanobim leading
to an enhancement of status, which may be still further augmented by the
embrace of the Divine Minister. There are three great classes of cherubim and
sanobim with regard to evolutionary potential:

1. Ascension Candidates. These beings are by nature candidates for seraphic
status. Cherubim and sanobim of this order are brilliant, though not by
inherent endowment equal to the seraphim; but by application and experience it
is possible for them to attain full seraphic standing.

2. Mid-phase Cherubim. All cherubim and sanobim are not equal in ascension
potential, and these are the inherently limited beings of the angelic
creations. Most of them will remain cherubim and sanobim, although the more
gifted individuals may achieve limited seraphic service.

3. Morontia Cherubim. These "fourth creatures" of the angelic orders always
retain their quasi-material characteristics. They will continue on as cherubim
and sanobim, together with a majority of their mid-phase brethren, pending the
completed factualization of the Supreme Being.

While the second and third groups are somewhat limited in growth potential, the
ascension candidates may attain the heights of universal seraphic service. Many
of the more experienced of these cherubim are attached to the seraphic
guardians of destiny and are thus placed in direct line for advancement to the
status of Mansion World Teachers when deserted by their seraphic seniors.
Guardians of destiny do not have cherubim and sanobim as helpers when their
mortal wards attain the morontia life. And when other types of evolutionary
seraphim are granted clearance for Seraphington and Paradise, they must forsake
their former subordinates when they pass out of the confines of Nebadon. Such
deserted cherubim and sanobim are usually embraced by the Universe Mother
Spirit, thus achieving a level equivalent to that of a Mansion World Teacher in
the attainment of seraphic status.

When, as Mansion World Teachers, the once-embraced cherubim and sanobim have
long served on the morontia spheres, from the lowest to the highest, and when
their corps on Salvington is overrecruited, the Bright and Morning Star summons
these faithful servants of the creatures of time to appear in his presence. The
oath of personality transformation is administered; and thereupon, in groups of
seven thousand, these advanced and senior cherubim and sanobim are re-embraced
by the Universe Mother Spirit. From this second embrace they emerge as
full-fledged seraphim. Henceforth, the full and complete career of a seraphim,
with all of its Paradise possibilities, is open to such reborn cherubim and
sanobim. Such angels may be assigned as guardians of destiny

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to some mortal being, and if the mortal ward attains survival, then do they
become eligible for advancement to Seraphington and the seven circles of
seraphic attainment, even to Paradise and the Corps of the Finality.

9. THE MIDWAY CREATURES

The midway creatures have a threefold classification: They are properly
classified with the ascending Sons of God; they are factually grouped with the
orders of permanent citizenship, while they are functionally reckoned with the
ministering spirits of time because of their intimate and effective association
with the angelic hosts in the work of serving mortal man on the individual
worlds of space.

These unique creatures appear on the majority of the inhabited worlds and are
always found on the decimal or life-experiment planets, such as Urantia.
Midwayers are of two types--primary and secondary--and they appear by the
following techniques:

1. Primary Midwayers, the more spiritual group, are a somewhat standardized
order of beings who are uniformly derived from the modified ascendant-mortal
staffs of the Planetary Princes. The number of primary midway creatures is
always fifty thousand, and no planet enjoying their ministry has a larger
group.

2. Secondary Midwayers, the more material group of these creatures, vary
greatly in numbers on the different worlds, though the average is around fifty
thousand. They are variously derived from the planetary biologic uplifters, the
Adams and Eves, or from their immediate progeny. There are no less than
twenty-four diverse techniques involved in the production of these secondary
midway creatures on the evolutionary worlds of space. The mode of origin for
this group on Urantia was unusual and extraordinary.

Neither of these groups is an evolutionary accident; both are essential
features in the predetermined plans of the universe architects, and their
appearance on the evolving worlds at the opportune juncture is in accordance
with the original designs and developmental plans of the supervising Life
Carriers.

Primary midwayers are energized intellectually and spiritually by the angelic
technique and are uniform in intellectual status. The seven adjutant
mind-spirits make no contact with them; and only the sixth and the seventh, the
spirit of worship and the spirit of wisdom, are able to minister to the
secondary group.

Secondary midwayers are physically energized by the Adamic technique,
spiritually encircuited by the seraphic, and intellectually endowed with the
morontia transition type of mind. They are divided into four physical types,
seven orders spiritually, and twelve levels of intellectual response to the
joint ministry of the last two adjutant spirits and the morontia mind. These
diversities determine their differential of activity and of planetary
assignment.

Primary midwayers resemble angels more than mortals; the secondary orders are
much more like human beings. Each renders invaluable assistance to the other in
the execution of their manifold planetary assignments. The primary ministers
can achieve liaison co-operation with both morontia- and spirit-energy
controllers and mind circuiters. The secondary group can establish working
connections only with the physical controllers and the material-circuit
manipulators. But since each order of midwayer can establish perfect synchrony
of con-

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tact with the other, either group is thereby able to achieve practical
utilization of the entire energy gamut extending from the gross physical power
of the material worlds up through the transition phases of universe energies to
the higher spirit-reality forces of the celestial realms.

The gap between the material and spiritual worlds is perfectly bridged by the
serial association of mortal man, secondary midwayer, primary midwayer,
morontia cherubim, mid-phase cherubim, and seraphim. In the personal experience
of an individual mortal these diverse levels are undoubtedly more or less
unified and made personally meaningful by the unobserved and mysterious
operations of the divine Thought Adjuster.

On normal worlds the primary midwayers maintain their service as the
intelligence corps and as celestial entertainers in behalf of the Planetary
Prince, while the secondary ministers continue their co-operation with the
Adamic regime of furthering the cause of progressive planetary civilization. In
case of the defection of the Planetary Prince and the failure of the Material
Son, as occurred on Urantia, the midway creatures become the wards of the
System Sovereign and serve under the directing guidance of the acting custodian
of the planet. But on only three other worlds in Satania do these beings
function as one group under unified leadership as do the united midway
ministers of Urantia.

The planetary work of both primary and secondary midwayers is varied and
diverse on the numerous individual worlds of a universe, but on the normal and
average planets their activities are very different from the duties which
occupy their time on isolated spheres, such as Urantia.

The primary midwayers are the planetary historians who, from the time of the
arrival of the Planetary Prince to the age of settled light and life, formulate
the pageants and design the portrayals of planetary history for the exhibits of
the planets on the system headquarters worlds.

Midwayers remain for long periods on an inhabited world, but if faithful to
their trust, they will eventually and most certainly be recognized for their
agelong service in maintaining the sovereignty of the Creator Son; they will be
duly rewarded for their patient ministry to the material mortals on their world
of time and space. Sooner or later all accredited midway creatures will be
mustered into the ranks of the ascending Sons of God and will be duly initiated
into the long adventure of the Paradise ascent in company with those very
mortals of animal origin, their earth brethren, whom they so jealously guarded
and so effectively served during the long planetary sojourn.

[Presented by a Melchizedek acting by request of the Chief of the Seraphic
Hosts of Nebadon.]

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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART II: The Local Universe :
The Evolution Of Local Universes Administration Of The Local Universe The Local
Universe Mother Spirit The Local Universe Sons Of God The Life Carriers
Personalities Of The Local Universe Ministering Spirits Of The Local Universe
The Seraphic Hosts The Ascending Sons Of God Physical Aspects Of The Local
Universe Energy--mind And Matter The Constellations The Celestial Artisans The
Local System Administration The Local System Headquarters The Seven Mansion
Worlds The Morontia Life The Inhabited Worlds The Planetary Princes The
Planetary Adams Planetary Mortal Epochs The Lucifer Rebellion Problems Of The
Lucifer Rebellion The Spheres Of Light And Life Universal Unity

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