Meredith Sprunger's Synopsis of The Urantia Book
Synopsis of Paper 33
ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOCAL UNIVERSE
1. The Michael of Nebadon is the "only‑begotten Son" personalizing this 6ll,l2lst universal concept of divinity and infinity. His headquarters is in the three‑fold mansion of light on Salvington. And this indwelling is so ordered because Michael has experienced the living of all three phases of intelligent creature existence: spiritual, morontial, and material.
2. Our Creator Son exerts the same spiritual drawing power, spirit gravity, from the headquarters of the local universe that the Eternal Son of Paradise would exert if he were personally present on Salvington, and more; this Universe Son is also the personification of the Universal Father to the universe of Nebadon...To our universe and all its inhabited worlds the Sovereign Son is, to all practical intents and purposes, God. He personifies all of the Paradise Deities which evolving mortals can discerningly comprehend.
3. Observation of Creator Sons discloses that some resemble more the Father, some the Son, while others are a blend of both their infinite parents. Our Creator Son very definitely manifests traits and attributes which more resemble the Eternal Son.
4. This subordination of the Divine Ministers to the Creator Sons of the local universes constitutes these Master Sons the personal repositories of the finitely manifestable divinity of the Father, Son, and Spirit, while the creature‑bestowal experiences of the Michaels qualify them to portray the experiential divinity of the Supreme Being. No other beings in the universes have thus personally exhausted the potentials of present finite experience, and no other beings in the universes possess such qualifications for solitary sovereignty.
5. Although Michael's headquarters is officially located on Salvington, the capital of Nebadon, he spends much of his time visiting the constellation and. system headquarters and even the individual planets. Periodically he journeys to Paradise and often to Uversa, where be counsels with the Ancients of Days. When he is away from Salvington, his place is assumed by Gabriel, who then functions as regent of the universe of Nebadon.
6. While the Spirit ever acknowledges the Son as sovereign and. ruler, the Son always accords the Spirit a co‑ordinate position and equality of authority in all the affairs of the realm ...The Son functions as a father in his local universe. The Spirit, as mortal creatures would understand, enacts the role of a mother, always assisting the Son and being everlastingly indispensable to the administration of the universe. In the face of insurrection only the Son and his associated Sons can function as deliverers ...but no Son could hope for final success without the incessant co‑operation of the Divine Minister and her vast assemblage of spirit helpers, the daughters of God, who so faithfully and valiantly struggle for the welfare of mortal men and the glory of their divine parents.
7. It is at the enthronement of the Creator Son as a Master Son...that the Universe Spirit...first makes public and universal acknowledgement of subordination to the Son...not until after this voluntary relinquishment of power and authority by the Spirit could it be truthfully proclaimed of the Son that "all power in heaven and on earth has been committed to his hand."
8. After this pledge of subordination by the Creative Mother Spirit, Michael of Nebadon nobly acknowledged his eternal dependence on his Spirit companion, constituting the Spirit coruler of his universe domains and requiring all their creatures to pledge themselves in loyalty to the Spirit as they had to the Son; and there issued and went forth the final "Proclamation of Equality." …And this becomes the transcendent pattern for the family organization and. government of even the lowly creatures of the worlds of space. This is, in deed and in truth, the high ideal of the family and the human institution of voluntary marriage.
9. The Bright and Morning Star is the personalization of the first concept of identity and ideal of personality conceived by the Creator Son and the local universe manifestation of the Infinite Spirit ...Gabriel of Salvington is like the Universe Son in divinity of nature though considerably limited in the attributes of Deity. This first‑born of the parents of a new universe is a unique personality possessing many wonderful traits not visibly present in either ancestor, a being of unprecedented versatility and unimagined brilliance.
10. Gabriel of Salvington is the chief executive of the universe of Nebadon and the arbiter of all executive appeals respecting its administration...Gabriel and his staff are not teachers; they are administrators...mortals will seldom encounter him as they ascend through the local universe until they are inducted into the administrative work of the local creation. As administrators, of whatever order or degree, you will come under the direction of Gabriel.
11. Immanuel of Salvington, number 611,121 of the sixth order of Supreme Trinity Personalities, is a being of sublime dignity and of such superb condescension that he refuses the worship and adoration of all living creatures. He bears the distinction of being the only personality in all Nebadon who has never acknowledged subordination to his brother Michael. He functions as adviser to the Sovereign Son, but gives counsel only on request.
12. The Father Melchizedek Is Gabriel's first assistant. When the Bright and Morning Star is absent from Salvington, his responsibilities are assumed by this original Melchizedek Son.
13. The various subadministrations of the universe have assigned to them certain special domains of responsibility. While, in general, a system government looks after the welfare of its planets, it is more particularly concerned with the physical status of living beings, with biologic problems. In turn, the constellation rulers pay especial attention to the social and governmental conditions prevailing on the different planets and systems. A constellation government is chiefly exercised over unification and stabilization. Still higher up, the universe rulers are more occupied with the spiritual status of the realms.
14. From Salvington, broadcasts are simultaneously directed to the constellation headquarters, the system headquarters, and to individual planets...Planetary intercommunication is denied only those worlds under spiritual quarantine.
15. The standard day of Nebadon is equal to eighteen days and. six hours of Urantia time, plus two and one‑half minutes. The Nebadon year consists of...about five years of Urantia time...The day in Satania, as reckoned on Jerusem, is a little less (1 hour, 4 minutes, 15 'seconds) than three days of Urantia time.
16. The Master Son, Michael, is supremely concerned with but three things: creation, sustenance, and ministry. He does not personally participate in the judicial work of the universe...The entire judicial mechanism of Nebadon is under the supervision of Gabriel...In all matters of adjudication there presides a duel magistracy consisting of one judge of perfection antecedents and one magistrate of ascendant experience.
17.As regards jurisdiction, the local universe courts are limited in the following matters:
1. The administration of the local universe is concerned. with creation, evolution, maintenance, and ministry. The universe tribunals are, therefore, denied the right to pass upon those cases involving the question of eternal life and death...
2. The default or defection of any of the Local Universe Sons of God ...
3. The question of the readmission of any constituent part of a local universe—such as a local system—to the fellowship and. full spiritual status in the local creation subsequent to spiritual isolation.
18. However unfairly human contentions may sometimes appear to be adjudicated on Urantia, in the universe justice and. divine equity do prevail. You are living in a well-ordered universe, and sooner or later you may depend upon being dealt with justly, even mercifully.
19. On Salvington, the headquarters of Nebadon, there are no true legislative bodies. The universe headquarters worlds are concerned largely with adjudication. The legislative assemblies of the local universe are located on the headquarters of the one hundred constellations...While true legislation is not enacted at the universe head‑quarters, there do function on Salvington a variety of advisory and research assemblies...The supreme counci1...The one hundred councils of supreme sanction ... All findings of the high universe advisory councils are referred either to the Salvington judicial bodies or to the legislative assemblies of the constellations ...These high councils are, in reality, the universe superlegislatures, but they function without the authority of enactment and. without the power of execution.
Discussion Questions
1. Will Christ Michael’s designation as the “only begotten Son” help Christians adjust to the new spiritual cosmology?
2. Is Christ Michael’s spiritual power and influence greater than the Christian concept of Christ, the second person of the Trinity?
3. What does Christ Michael’s relationship to the Universe Mother Spirit imply about dominance in human marriage?
4. Why do you think Trinity Ambassadors are present in the local universe only as advisors when asked?
5. Why do you suppose Trinity Ambassadors are not sent to the System headquarters?
6. What would it be like to have universe broadcasts on our world?
7. Why are there many court cases in the local universe as the result of supermortal disagreements?
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