Meredith Sprunger's Synopsis of The Urantia Book
Synopsis of Paper 39
THE SERAPHIC HOSTS
1. When seraphim have been subjected to educational tests and training discipline, they unfailingly and distinctly classify into the following seven groups:
1. Supreme Seraphim.
2. Superior Seraphim.
3. Supervisor Seraphim.
4. Administrator Seraphim.
5. Planetary Helpers.
6. Transition Ministers.
7. Seraphim of the Future.
To say that any one seraphim is inferior to an angel of any other group would hardly be true. Nevertheless every angel is at first service‑limited to the group of original and inherent classification.
2. Human beings sometimes find it hard to understand that a created capacity for higher level ministry does not necessarily imply ability to function on relatively lower service levels ...Seraphim must acquire knowledge and gain experience much as do human beings...And. they all crave to start at the bottom, on the lowest possible level of ministry; thus may they hope to achieve the highest possible level of experiential destiny.
3. Seraphim equally crave assignment to the missions of the incarnated Sons and attachment as destiny guardians to the mortals of the realms; the latter is the surest seraphic passport to Paradise, while the bestowal attendants have achieved the highest local universe service of the completion seraphim of Paradise attainment.
4. The seraphic court advisers serve extensively as defenders of mortals. Not that there ever exists any disposition to be unfair to the lowly creatures of the realms, but while justice demands the adjudication of every default in the climb towards divine perfection, mercy requires that every such misstep be fairly adjudged in accordance with the creature nature and. the divine purpose.
5. It is the task of the universe orientators to facilitate the passage of the ascending pilgrims from the attained to the unattained level of universe service, to help these pilgrims ...in the comprehension ...that a first‑stage spirit being stands ...at the very bottom of the long ladder of spiritual ascent to the Universal Father on Paradise.
6. Teaching counselors are secretaries to all orders of teachers ...Even the true and consecrated teachers of time are assisted, and often attended, by these counselors of the supreme seraphim. The fourth creature bestowal of the Creator Son was in the likeness of a teaching counselor of the supreme seraphim of Nebadon.
7. Mercy is the keynote of seraphic service and. angelic ministry. It is therefore fitting that there should be a corps of angels who, in a special manner, portray mercy...They are the inspired leaders who foster the higher impulses and holier emotions of men and angels.
8. The assistant teachers are the helpers and associates of their fellow seraphim, the teaching counselors ...A marvelous corps of this order of seraphim functions on Urantia for the purpose of fostering and furthering the cause of truth and righteousness.
9. Ascenders must depend upon seraphic transport in advancing from world to world until after the last rest of sleep on the inner circle of Havona and the eternal awakening on Paradise. Subsequently you will not be dependent on angels for transport from universe to universe...The angels cannot transport combustion bodies—flesh and blood—such as you now have, but they can transport all others, from the lowest morontia to the higher spirit forms.
10. The intellectual foundation of justice is law ...It is the duty of the second order of supervisor seraphim to place before the constellation lawmakers a forecast of how any proposed enactment would affect the lives of freewill creatures ....Even mortal man may contribute to the evolution of universe law, for these very seraphim do faithfully and fully portray, not necessarily man’s transient and .conscious desires, but rather the true longings of the inner man, the evolving morontia soul of the material mortal on the worlds of space.
11. Social architects do everything within their province and power to bring together suitable individuals that they may constitute efficient and agreeable working groups on earth; and sometimes such groups have found themselves reassociated on the mansion worlds for continued fruitful service.
12. In the Lucifer rebellion in Satania very few of the justice guides were lost, but more than one quarter of the other administrator seraphim and of the lower orders of seraphic ministers were misled and deluded by the sophistries of unbridled personal liberty.
13. While the attainment of each ascendant goal is a factual achievement, in the larger sense such goals are simply milestones on the long ascending path to Paradise. But however relative such successes may be, no evolutionary creature is ever denied the full though transient satisfaction of goal attainment. Ever and anon there is a pause in the Paradise ascent, a short breathing spell, during which universe horizons stand still, creature status is stationary, and.the personality tastes the sweetness of goal fulfillment.
14. What is loyalty? It is the fruit of an intelligent appreciation of universe brotherhood; one could not take so much and give nothing. As you ascend the personality scale, first you learn to be loyal, then to love, then to be filial, and then may you be free; but not until you are a finaliter, not until you have attained perfection of loyalty, can you self‑realize finality of liberty.
These seraphim teach the fruitfulness of patience: That stagnation is certain death, but that overrapid growth is equally suicidal.
15. It is not so much what you learn in this first life; it is the experience of living this life that is important. Even the work of this world., paramount though it is, is not nearly so important as the way in which you do this work.
16. The keys of the kingdom of heaven are sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity. All men have these keys. Men use them—advance in spirit status—by decisions, by more decisions and by more decisions. The highest moral choice is the choice of the highest possible value, and always…this is to choose to do the will of God. If man thus chooses, he is great, though he be the humblest citizen of Jerusem or even the least of mortals on Urantia.
17. A mortal never returns to his native planet during the dispensation of his temporal existence, and if he should return during a subsequent dispensation, he would be escorted by a transport seraphim of the universe headquarters group.
18. The temple of records on a system capital is a unique structure, one third material, constructed of luminous metals and crystals; one third morontial, fabricated of the liaison of spiritual and material energy but beyond the range of mortal vision; and. one third spiritual.
19. On Urantia the majority of the planetary helpers were removed upon the collapse of the Adamic regime ...In view of the Adamic default, it is indeed remarkable that these seraphic orders have been able to foster and bring to realization even as much of brotherhood as you now have on Urantia.
20. The worlds first realize *peace on earth and good will among men” through the ministry of the seraphic souls of peace...In the more advanced epochs of planetary evolution these seraphim are instrumental in supplanting the atonement idea by the concept of divine attunement as a philosophy of mortal survival.
21. The Spirits of Trust... In the more advanced planetary ages these seraphim enhance man's appreciation of the truth that uncertainty is the secret of contented continuity…They heighten man's taste for the sweetness of uncertainty, for the romance and charm of the indefinite and unknown future.
22. The erroneous idea that angels possess wings is not wholly due to olden notions that they must have wings to fly through the air. Human beings have sometimes been permitted to observe seraphim that were being prepared for transport service, and the traditions of these experiences have largely determined the Urantian concept of angels.
23. Seraphington ever remains the eternal goal of all angels. Seraphington is the angelic threshold to Paradise and Deity attainment, the transition sphere from the ministry of time to the exalted service of eternity.
24. None but successful destiny guardians can be sure of proceeding to Paradise by a progressive path of evolutionary ascent. All others must patiently await the arrival of the Paradise messengers of the tertiary supernaphim who come with the summons commanding them to appear on high.
25. Angels are not absolutely sure of their eternal future until they have attained Seraphington. No angel attaining Seraphington has ever been known to go astray; sin will never find response in the heart of a seraphim of completion.
Discussion Questions
1. Since seraphic angels seek the lowest level of service, what does that suggest about us lowly mortals?
2. On the Mansion Worlds and beyond, are our differences of opinion encouraged or discouraged by the adjudication process?
3. What effect with the knowledge of the complex organization and differential capacities of service in the local universe have on Urantia planning and activities?
4. How might the seraphic Social Architects be bringing people together on our world?
5. Is there evidence of the one thousand seraphic Administrative Assistants and the “marvelous corps” of Assistant Teachers serving on our world?
6 What is the best way to balance the desire for growth and achievement and evolutionary patience in our lives?
7. How can uncertainty be the secret of contented continuity in life?
A Service of
The Urantia Book Fellowship