© 2023 Claude Flibotte
© 2023 Urantia Association of Quebec
Claude Flibotte
Sainte-Julie
¶ Thanks to Jean Lapierre
Before explaining the content of my thoughts, I would like to sincerely thank our brother and friend Jean Lapierre for his numerous written interventions in the form of emails following our discussions within our study group Le Pont. I would also like to thank him for his text entitled “My thoughts on the exterior space levels” published in this issue of the journal Réflectivité for the month of May 2023. Thanks to your great desire to understand the message of this fifth epochal revelation, Jean, you stimulate my mind and push me out of my comfort zone to seek to grasp all the facts, all the meanings and all the values of spirit contained in The Urantia Book!
¶ Intellectualism and spirituality, an analogy!
I have often heard good people who know this book say that it was too difficult to understand, too intellectual, and that only the fourth part devoted to the life and teachings of Jesus was within our reach! In a certain sense, these people are not entirely wrong. However, that would be to ignore all the means implemented by our heavenly Father so that we can access his divine presence! He has blessed us with a human mind, it is not for nothing!
Let me explain with a simple analogy. We all know this delicious delicacy that is chocolate. If in your life you have never seen this divine delicacy, all that I could tell you will not make you experience the pleasure of tasting chocolate. The same goes for this fifth revelation represented by chocolate in my analogy. Our five senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and to a lesser extent hearing) allow us to appreciate at its true value all the qualities of a good chocolate. Still in my analogy, these five senses represent the mental circuit provided by our Divine Minister of our local universe to know the facts, intellectualize the meanings and feel the values of spirit that emerge from them in order to live them and produce them in abundance in association with our brothers and sisters. These are the fruits of the spirit! What we must aspire to is the balance of the intellect and the spiritual to achieve the unification of these two visions of the same reality through our personality!
So let us love the truths of this revelation as much as we can enjoy eating chocolate!
¶ Take into account the absolute existential level and the subabsolute experiential levels!
God being absolute, infinite, eternal and existentially perfect, he is everything. He Chocolate Donut. cannot be anything other than the totality of all realities in eternity. Thus, on the level of absolute existence of the consciousness of the Deity, everything IS, including the potentials of absoluteness which are in spirit for the Deity an actuality. However, on the three subabsolute experiential levels everything is to be done to make actual what is potential while giving the chance to the creatures to participate by their own decisions-actions in their self-creation. This is what distinguishes the absolute level of the deities of Paradise in comparison with the subabsolute levels of the creatures and the three experiential deities in the process of actualization. This distinction established, let us see what the Father has reserved for us his children!
¶ Different types of beings
Let us return to the subject of my reflection on the absonite beings who will populate the four levels of the outer universes! The revelators cannot tell us everything, for they want to give us the chance and the pleasure of discovering for ourselves certain realities of this vast cosmos. We know from their writings that there are several types of beings in the central universe and on Paradise. If we take them in descending order from above downward, we obtain the following classification of beings: absolute, coabsolute, ultimate, absonite, spiritual, morontia, and material UB 14:4.2 to UB 14:4.8. Each of these seven fundamental forms of living things and beings exists in three distinct phases; each of these three phases is separated into seventy major divisions, each of which is in turn composed of a thousand minor divisions with still further subdivisions UB 14:4.1. This may seem like a lot, but we are dealing here with a universe of perfection serving as a model for all future creations of eternity! You will notice that the revelators have separated in this list of beings those who are of the ultimate type from those who are of the absonite type. Are they different types of beings? Let us see what is revealed about this!
¶ Differences between transcendental, absonite and ultimate beings
In order to get a better idea of what these three words represent, let’s look at their definitions according to the “Vocabulary for readers of The Urantia Book” fourth edition, January 2012 by Jean Royer.
Absonite: (76) neologism relating to “things and beings without beginning or end and by the transcendence of time and space”. The word is probably formed by the conjunction of absolute and finite (finite in English). If the word had been coined in French, it would be absoni. This term gives rise to a whole verbal family like absonitiser, or nominal like absonitaire.
Transcendental: Unfortunately, this word does not appear in his vocabulary, but the word “transcendence” appears there with the mention that the transcendence of the finite can only lead to reaching the ultimate UB 106:4.4.
Ultimate: See ultimate. Ultimate and ultime: (249) without a capital letter the word is an adjective, with a capital letter it is a noun and refers to the Deity which projects itself and transcends space-time. 02:10. The adjective is rarely used in the usual sense of final as in UB 92:5.12.
These definitions give us a little idea to understand a little more what they represent. Let’s go back to our Urantia Book, our absolute reference for this study! In the introduction to Paper 106, we learn that there are seven categories of forms and phases of reality as mentioned earlier in my text. You will find them in the quotes from UB 106:0.2 to UB 106:0.10 taking into account the warning in the last quote.
- Transcendentals. This superfinite level (antecedently) follows finite progression. It implies the prefinite genesis of finite beginnings and the postfinite significance of all apparent finite endings or destinies. Much of Paradise-Havona appears to be on the transcendental order. (UB 106:0.5)
The term “transcendentals” denotes beings or things transcending time and space. In order for the planes of the finite to exist, certain beings of the transcendental type must exist since they imply the prefinite genesis of finite beginnings and the postfinite significance of all apparently finite endings or destinies. In this category we find the Architects of the Master Universe (LU 31:9), the Transcendental Recorders, the other Transcendentals (unrevealed), the Primary Externalized Force Organizers (LU 29:5), and the Associated Externalized Force Organizers UB 30:1.94 to UB 30:1.98. All of these transcendental beings had to be actual since the unfolding of the divine plan of creation dictates their existence to become a reality on the subabsolute levels. By their nature and function, these transcendentals are neither creators nor creatures, they are the exteriorized children of divinity, ultimacy and eternity. They are neither finite nor infinite, — they are absonites, and absonity is neither infinity nor absoluteness UB 30:1.92.
In summary, transcendentals are beings who have existed since the dawn of eternity to carry out the plans of God. They are also absonite beings, since they transcend time and space for their function in the cosmos. These beings exist long before the level of the finite, the level of time and space of the seven superuniverses, existed. They exist long before the actualization of the Supreme, and they will continue their task until the distant time of the Supreme-Ultimate. William S. Sadler Jr. in his book “A Study of the Master Universe” in Appendix XV, Section 3, gives us a good idea of the nature of transcendentals. In his Section 4, he explains their functions.
- Ultimates. This level encompasses that which is of master universe significance and impinges on the destiny level of the completed master universe. Paradise-Havona (especially the circuit of the Father’s worlds) is in many respects of ultimate significance. (UB 106:0.6)
We can infer from the description of this level that the beings classified as ultimate are different from the transcendentals since they have significance at the level of the master universe and encroach upon the destiny level of the completed master universe. These are the beings of the four outer space levels both during the actualization of God the Ultimate and his completion. At this ultimate experiential terminal stage, the Supreme Being will have collaborated in the actualization of God the Ultimate through the Ultimate Trinity (composed of the Supreme Being, the Supreme Creators, and the Architects of the Master Universe), and the Absolute Trinity (including God the Supreme, God the Ultimate, and the Consummator of Universe Destiny) can be formed. Subsequently, the experiential unification of the Supreme-Ultimate will make possible the trinitization of God the Absolute by the Paradise Trinity, opening the door to the formation of the Trinity of Trinities (made up of the Paradise Trinity, the Ultimate Trinity and the Absolute Trinity).
Finally, the term “absonite” can be applied to both transcendentals and ultimates. The ultimate beings who will appear on the four outer space levels, the level of the actualization of God the Ultimate, will be absonite beings by their nature in their transcendence of time and space and will be without beginning or end. They are not created, they are exteriorized like the transcendentals UB 0:1.12. They will be superpersonal beings, beings having a relative relationship with time and eternity UB 0:4.8. They will be after the emergence of the Supreme and will participate with us, the finaliters, in the actualization of God the Ultimate during the formation of the four outer space levels, in the finality of the master universe and in the beginnings of the infinite cosmos. William S. Sadler Jr in his book “A Study of the Master Universe” in Appendix XV, Section 5, gives us the various meanings of the word absonite. According to his understanding and the quotes in the book, the word absonite implies several areas including: a level of reality, a level of quality of function, a degree of trinitarian unification, ultimate values, a mind that can be bestowed, a mental discipline, superconscious awakening, the nature of a being, the nature of the origin of a being, a quality of being, and a relationship with finaliters. For a deeper understanding of the implications of absonites, I highly recommend reading this Appendix XV. His book in PDF format is available for free on the Urantia Foundation website, in the “Study” section.
¶ Note about Havonians
It is written in The Urantia Book that the living beings in the Havona universe are models used by the Creators for all current and future creations UB 14:6.28, UB 14:6.33 and UB 14:4.18. All these beings are very different from us, because they are from the Paradise Trinity, therefore ternary beings. The energies of Havona are triple (triata) which means that the Havonian bodies are so different from ours, which are made of double energy (gravita), that in their presence we could not see them UB 14:2.2 to UB 14:2.4. In Havona, the perfection of matter, mind and spirit is perfect under the aegis of the Father-Son-Spirit. Our challenge will be to do the same with the form of double energy in a Son-Spirit creation. That is to say, from the initial imperfection to arrive at perfection in the balance of matter, then to attain the perfection of the mind and the spirit. In other words, to bring about the advent of the era of light and life in the seven superuniverses.
¶ Experiential changes everything!
In the first age of the universe, the Havona Age, this universe was existentially perfect. A static condition of non-growth prevailed. When Deity decreed the dawn of the second age, the cycle of growth began. This was the appearance of the potential of the Supreme and the deity presence of the Ultimate (see Paper 105, Section 6 “Repercussions of Finite Reality” and UB 105:7.5). The arrival of Grandfanda in Havona definitively confirmed the notion of experiential evolution in this UB 24:7.9 universe.
During this second age the entire grand universe participates in the growth of the Supreme Being within it and through the evolutionary growth reality of this future deity. The seven finite superuniverses, conditioned by time and space, provide the opportunity for creators and creatures to experience. As evolutionary humans we progress from animality to divinity through fusion with our Adjuster and attain sixth stage spirit status as finaliters on Paradise UB 31:3.3.
In the ages of the outer space levels the evolutionary growth of the Supreme will be completed UB 117:2.7. The citizens of outer space — those of the next universe age — will have a postsuperuniverse growth potential, a capacity for evolutionary attainment presupposing the sovereignty of the Almighty Supreme.
These new beings of ultimate status can also be called transcendental since they transcend time and space, a transcendence of the experience acquired by finite beings during the actualization of the Supreme. However, they will have to experience living their condition of ultimacy, as we have lived our condition of the finite, in order to actualize in our company with the next experiential deity, God the Ultimate.
That which is transcendental is not necessarily nondevelopmental, but it is superevolutional in the finite sense; neither is it nonexperiential, but it is superexperience as such is meaningful to creatures. (UB 105:7.2)
…The Ultimate is something more than a super-Supreme projected on the transcendental level. The Ultimate is all of that, but more: The Ultimate is an eventuation of new Deity realities, the qualification of new phases of the theretofore unqualified. (UB 105:7.3)
The next step concerns God the Absolute and the levels of the infinite cosmos, but that is beyond the subject of this study! Isn’t it wonderful to realize what our Father has prepared for us?
¶ My vision of the absonite beings of the four levels of exterior spaces
Unlike us, who are finite level beings created and subject to the constraints of time and space, created in animality with the destiny to become perfect divine beings, the absonite-ultimate beings of the four levels of outer spaces will be very different from what we are.
In this third age of the universe, we know that the seven superuniverses will be anchored in the era of light and life, that the Supreme Being will be actualized, that the Ultimate Trinity will be formed, and that we will accompany our Creator Sons to these new worlds as finaliters. We also know that the Creator Sons and Creative Daughters will unite in an act of trinitization, creating a third being combining the natures and prerogatives of their two parents, thus becoming a creative trio. These creative trios, operating on the ultimate level, will undoubtedly have the mission of populating all these worlds. On this ultimate level of existence, it will not be by a process of creation that they will do so, but by the method of UB 21:6.3 exteriorization.
Here I imagine two methods that could be used to populate these worlds with the collaboration of the now actualized Supreme Being.
¶ First hypothesis
For this first hypothesis, it is conceivable that it will be the Creative Trios who will exteriorize the totality of the populations of absonite beings who will populate these four levels of exterior space. The 700,000 Creative Trios from the ancient local universes of the seven superuniverses now made perfect will serve as mentors for the young Creator Sons and Creative Daughters (can we still call them creators since we will be at the ultimate level and at the stage of exteriorization?) in order to populate these worlds. Then, all these creator-absonitizers will share these immense spaces in the way they previously shared the space of their local universe. The domains of matter and energy will be accomplished according to the plans of the 70 Master Architects assigned to the first level of exterior space UB 31:9.6. The plans for the exteriorization of beings will be under the aegis of the Architects of Being UB 36:0.1. In short, these Transcendentals will be the initiators of these numerous worlds, and the Creative Trios accompanied by their pupils will be the executors of these plans. The finaliters will inherit the work of administration of these worlds in the manner of the Planetary Princes of the worlds of the finite age UB 19:2.5.
¶ Second hypothesis
This second hypothesis calls for an active participation of the finaliters in the appearance of the absonite beings. As a member of the Corps of mortal Finaliters, we have reached Paradise, known the three Paradise Deities and participated in the actualization of the Supreme. Some of us have even trinitized a new being. At this moment of our eternal existence, we are spirits of the seventh stage able to interact with the absonite realities UB 56:6.4. It is at this moment conceivable that we could exteriorize the beings of these absonite worlds in a way similar to the way in which the hundred of
Caligastia have produced the primary midwayers 77:1. This will not be an act of creation but rather an act of externalization since they are absonite beings. In the mind of God, all of these beings are existent, and it will be our task to make them actual by drawing upon the potential of the Deity Absolute as channeled through our attached Creative Trio and according to their direction. These ultimate-level experiential beings will appear in full adult form. They will innately possess the perfection and finite values of the Supreme but without having experientially accomplished it. It will be up to us, through our ministry as educators and administrators, to teach them this UB 19:2.5. This is probably what the transcendence of time and space means in their designation. They will know a certain innate perfection of the supreme spirit values without having explicitly experienced it. We find an equivalent of this phenomenon in certain terrestrial animals which are born with certain instinctive knowledge of survival. The complexity of actualization of God the Ultimate will be greater since it must be accomplished on four levels or four stages of realizations unlike the Supreme Being who was accomplished in a single stage, that is to say the advent of the era of light and life for the seven superuniverses.
Obviously, all of these are just hypotheses and have only the value of a hypothetical concept since the revelators do not tell us much about the nature of these ultimate-absonite beings!
¶ Characteristics of each level of existence！
Referring to the classification of beings as related in booklet 14, section 4, we could list the characteristics of each classification of beings.
Absolute. Only the three personal deities of Paradise have this classification. They are timeless, spaceless, beginningless and endless (eternal). They are also infinite. As far as the Father is concerned, he is totally absolute; the Son is the absolute person and the Spirit is absolute by his mind. By the union of their deities, they constitute the first trinity, the Paradise Trinity. God is spirit and energy. The Father-Son union and all other associations of dual deities inaugurate the notion of dual coordination in the universe just as the separation of Eternal Son (pure spirit) and Paradise Isle (energy and matter) inaugurates the divergence between spirit and energy. The binary function being pioneer in the universe while the ternary function consolidates the whole. Like the existential Paradise Trinity, the ternary union of triunities and triodities makes possible reality in the cosmos cumulating in the appearance of the next three deities and the next three experiential trinities. Below this absolute level, we have all the beings of the subabsolute levels and perhaps the future coabsolute beings.
Coabsolutes. There is little to say about this level of beings for the moment since they are so far away in the flow of eternity!
5. Coabsolutes. This level implies the projection of experientials upon a supermaster universe field of creative expression. (UB 106:0.7)
The natives of Havona, those of the 21 sacred spheres and those of Paradise. All these beings are classified as absonites. Some are transcendental and others classified as ultimate. They are all from the Paradise Trinity and formed according to the energies that prevail on these worlds. In Paradise, two forms of energy prevail, the monota, a non-spiritual living energy and the tranosta, a form of energy specific to transcendentals and absonite beings UB 42:2.18-19. In Havona, it is the energy of the triata that prevails UB 42:2.16. These beings have a triune constitution. They are the perfect model beings for all current and future creations. Since the advent of the second age of the universe and the arrival of evolutionary beings in Havona, the status of perfection of the Havonians has been enriched by the experience acquired through evolution on the level of the finite.
Evolutionary human beings. These are all human beings inhabiting the evolutionary spheres of the finite level such as Urantia. They are beings created from animal imperfection and generally destined for divine perfection through Adjuster fusion. On the seventh circuit of Havona they hold the perfection of intent UB 26:4.12 and as finaliters on Paradise they will attain the perfection of loyalty UB 39:4.11. The energy of this level is called gravita UB 42:2.15. All classes of beings thus far named are attempting to actualize a new deity, the Supreme Being, the God of time and space. This new deity will actualize in a single stage corresponding to the anchoring in the era of light and life of the seven superuniverses.
The ultimate beings of the four levels of outer space. They will be absonite beings, because at this level there is transcendence of time and space, but not absence of these two constraints. These beings will be exteriorized and not created like us. Since they will appear after the actualization of the Supreme Being, they will be deprived of the experience of its actualization.
However, they will be endowed with the perfection of the Supreme at the beginning, but will have to experience it in their existence. The goal to be achieved for all these beings, in the company of other beings from the great universe, will be to actualize God the Ultimate. This actualization will take place in four distinct stages corresponding to the four levels of exterior space.
How can we view these four stages of actualization of God the Ultimate? By recalling the arrangement of the detes from Paradise, we obtain a possibly valid model for the organization of the universe of universes and the actualization of experiential deities. According to God’s vision, the presence of the Universal Father resides at the center of the upper surface of Paradise directly surrounded by the presence of the Eternal Son and both are clothed in the glory of the Infinite Spirit UB 11:1.1. Beyond Paradise, we have three circuits of seven spheres each, the spheres of the Father, those of the Son and finally those of the Spirit. In Havona, we have a billion spheres spread over seven circuits. Seven representing the mathematical maximum of the possible combinations of the three paradisiacal detes.
If we consider the consciousness of deities and realities achieved by the Paradise-bound pilgrims, the first circuit certifies our admission to Paradise service; the second circuit acquaints us with the Paradise multitudes; on the third circuit we shall recognize the Universal Father; on the fourth circuit we shall attain the Eternal Son; on the fifth circuit we shall attain the Infinite Spirit; on the sixth circuit we shall attain the realization of Supremacy; and on the seventh circuit we shall comprehend the identity of the Master Spirit of our superuniverse UB 14:5.4. Then, taken in this order of realities, always according to the vision of God, it is service to the multitudes that comes first, followed by the love of the Father, the mercy of the Son, the ministry of the Spirit, and finally the power-personality unification of the Supreme in and through the action and support of the Master Spirits. The next level of the seven superuniverses reveals the influence of the Seven Master Spirits upon each of them who are destined to be experientially unified in the deity of the Supreme Being.
What, then, can we perceive concerning the four outer space levels which will ultimately actualize the deity of God the Ultimate? The active participation of the Supreme in the actualization of the Ultimate during the elaboration of the four outer space levels will make the Supreme a Supersupreme as his experiential growth continues. Following the same pattern reproduced from Paradise to the unification of the seven superuniverses, the appearance of the Supreme Being, and the formation of the Trinity Ultimate, it is logical to think that the first outer space level will express the love of the Universal Father in the transcendence of supremacy as the expression of God the Ultimate; the second outer space level will likewise express the mercy of the Eternal Son; the third level of outer space will express the ministry of the Infinite Spirit, and finally the fourth level of outer space will unify the three levels previously achieved, actualize the deity of God the Ultimate making possible the Trinity Absolute.
It is probable, according to the second hypothesis concerning the exteriorization of beings from the outer space levels, that the ultimate beings of the second level will be exteriorized by the finaliters and the exteriorized of the first level according to the plans of the 490 Master Architects and the Architects of Being. The same process will be repeated for the third level of space with the help of the finaliters and the exteriorized of the first and second levels according to the plans of the 3430 Master Architects and the Architects of Being. It will be the same for the fourth level of space with the help of the finaliters and the exteriorized of the first, second and third level of space according to the plans of the 24010 Master Architects and the Architects of Being UB 31:9.5 to UB 31:9.9.
It is well to note that between the absolute level of existence of the wholly spiritual Paradise Deities and the level of existence of the wholly material finite there is inserted as a middle existence the absonite level which is, in part, material characteristics and the virtues and realities of the spirit world. In another similar comparison, between the material and the spiritual worlds is the vast domain of morontia existence.
The rest of the adventure will undoubtedly see the SupremeUltimate union, the trinitization of God the experiential Absolute by the Paradise Trinity, all culminating in the formation of the Trinity of Trinities and the opening of the adventure of the infinite cosmos. It is likely that the formation of this infinite cosmos will be realized in three possible simultaneous and eternally expansive phases. Something tells me that these three phases will occur according to a mirror effect of the three circuits of the 21 sacred spheres surrounding Paradise. The first level will be representative of the deity of the Infinite Spirit, the second level will be representative of the deity of the Eternal Son and the third of the deity of the Universal-Infinite Father.
Do not think that this will constitute an end in the realization of God’s plan, for the three Absolutes of Potentiality cannot be exhausted since God is infinite. These last three levels of creation will be in expansion for eternity populated by perfect existential-experiential beings devoted to the eternal search for the Infinite Father.