© 2007 Santiago Rodríguez, Carmelo Martínez
© 2007 Urantia Association of Spain
By various authors
(This article is the last part of a three part series)
¶ Santiago Rodríguez
¶ About Paradise:
This central Isle is the most gigantic organized body of cosmic reality in all the master universe. Paradise is a material sphere as well as a spiritual abode. All of the intelligent creation of the Universal Father is domiciled on material abodes; (UB 11:0.1)
Likewise, if you had the time and means of passage, were spiritually qualified, and had the necessary guidance, you could be piloted through universe upon universe and from circuit to circuit, ever journeying inward through the starry realms, until at last you would stand before the central shining of the spiritual glory of the Universal Father. (UB 11:1.3)
If the island of Paradise is the source and substance of Physical Gravity, even if it is not in space, it can be located in a region of it, in this region we should find different characteristics. Also, physical gravity lines should somehow lead us there.
In form Paradise differs from the inhabited space bodies: it is not spherical. It is definitely ellipsoid, being one-sixth longer in the north-south diameter than in the east-west diameter. The central Isle is essentially flat, and the distance from the upper surface to the nether surface is one tenth that of the east-west diameter. (UB 11:2.2)
These differences in dimensions, taken in connection with its stationary status and the greater out-pressure of force-energy at the north end of the Isle, make it possible to establish absolute direction in the master universe. (UB 11:2.3)
¶ About Space:
We do not know the actual mechanism of space respiration; we merely observe that all space alternately contracts and expands. This respiration affects both the horizontal extension of pervaded space and the vertical extensions of unpervaded space which exist in the vast space reservoirs above and below Paradise. In attempting to imagine the volume outlines of these space reservoirs, you might think of an hourglass. (UB 11:6.1)
“Unpervaded” space means: unpervaded by those forces, energies, powers, and presences known to exist in pervaded space. (UB 11:6.3)
The cycles of space respiration extend in each phase for a little more than one billion Urantia years. During one phase the universes expand; during the next they contract. Pervaded space is now approaching the mid-point of the expanding phase, while unpervaded space nears the mid-point of the contracting phase, and we are informed that the outermost limits of both space extensions are, theoretically, now approximately equidistant from Paradise. (UB 11:6.4)
Which indicates that the Maltese cross is currently quite regular (part occupied and part unoccupied).
If, as Carmelo says, the plane of the Milky Way is the same as that of Paradise, it would mean that if we look perpendicular to this plane, we should find the cosmological irregularity at the end of occupied space. So far we know nothing about it, which would imply that it is so far away that we cannot perceive it, so that the “thickness” of the Milky Way and its length would be comparatively so small that we would not care to say that it is coplanar to Paradise or No.
As the universes of the horizontal extension of pervaded space expand, the reservoirs of the vertical extension of unpervaded space contract and vice versa. There is a confluence of pervaded and unpervaded space just underneath nether Paradise. Both types of space there flow through the transmuting regulation channels, where changes are wrought making pervadable space nonpervadable and vice versa in the contraction and expansion cycles of the cosmos. (UB 11:6.2)
It remains for me to know what surrounds the Grand Universe (the part of the 7 Superuniverses). Inwardly it is clear that the Central Universe limits us, and outwardly it is limited by the first level of outer space, after the zone of about 400,000 light years, but upwards, downwards, there are at least two possibilities: in the first level of space e, there are at least two possibilities: it is the first level of outer space, or the unoccupied space.
The vertical cross section of total space would slightly resemble a Maltese cross, with the horizontal arms representing pervaded (universe) space and the vertical arms representing unpervaded (reservoir) space. The areas between the four arms would separate them somewhat as the midspace zones separate pervaded and unpervaded space. These quiescent midspace zones grow larger and larger at greater and greater distances from Paradise and eventually encompass the borders of all space and completely incapsulate both the space reservoirs and the entire horizontal extension of pervaded space. (UB 11:7.3)
If you imagine a finite, but inconceivably large, V-shaped plane situated at right angles to both the upper and lower surfaces of Paradise, with its point nearly tangent to peripheral Paradise, and then visualize this plane in elliptical revolution about Paradise, its revolution would roughly outline the volume of pervaded space. (UB 11:7.5)
There is an upper and a lower limit to horizontal space with reference to any given location in the universes. If one could move far enough at right angles to the plane of Orvonton, either up or down, eventually the upper or lower limit of pervaded space would be encountered. Within the known dimensions of the master universe these limits draw farther and farther apart at greater and greater distances from Paradise; space thickens, and it thickens somewhat faster than does the plane of creation, the universes. (UB 11:7.6)
This makes me think that we are talking about colossal dimensions compared to the observable Universe, since the observable, no matter how far away it is, will always be “within” the area furthest away from the 4th spatial level. But notice that they don’t know how much space there is beyond, up to the presumed quiescent zones at the end of the occupied space.
Up to now, what science seems to show us is a certain homogeneity, that is to say, no glimpses of the presumed unoccupied space, which in our time must be of a similar size to the occupied one, furthermore, we could not observe it if it were transparent, and we were looking at its surface. through, but this would be against your definition which
“Unpervaded” space means: unpervaded by those forces, energies, powers, and presences known to exist in pervaded space. (UB 11:6.3)
The fact that it is not transparent may not prevent us from seeing what is on the other side, since light may not be able to penetrate it, but it can go around it, which on the other hand would alter the concept of Euclidean straight-line travel. . We would actually draw the shortest distance on that surface with that geometry, which would certainly not be flat.
Since what we observe today is an apparent expansion in all directions, the expansion and contraction must take place in all directions: It would be like balloons (like beach floats) inflating and deflating around Paradise. That is to say, at the macrocosmic level, it was expected to find some asymmetries, different areas, but it seems that they do not appear.
In addition, with this conception of the universe it is clear that everything that we have “on the other side”, that is, diagonally opposite us with Paradise, would be unobservable from our position, since the dark bodies of gravity around the Universe would prevent us from doing so. Central. Unless the dimensions of the space allocated to the superuniverse are much larger than the observable matter portion of them, in which case if the distance to Havona is considerable, we might as well observe all the superuniverses.
Regarding the size based on the data on stars that appear in the UB, I envision the following:
The superuniverse of Orvonton is illuminated and warmed by more than ten trillion blazing suns. These suns are the stars of your observable astronomic system. More than two trillion are too distant and too small ever to be seen from Urantia. But in the master universe there are as many suns as there are glasses of water in the oceans of your world. (UB 15:6.10)
Deductions:
- It seems that in our superuniverse there are about 10 x 1012 stars that shine with light and heat (stars we are used to). If we assume, as elsewhere in the UB, that most solar systems only have one inhabited planet, since there will be on the order of 1012 inhabited planets, the logical conclusion is that approximately 1/10 of the suns have inhabited planets.
- When establishing the astronomical size of our superuniverse, we have to look for an environment in which, the Milky Way being the nucleus, the radius that we give it encompasses approximately 10 trillion European suns, and if, as it says, more than 2 trillion are too small or too distant to be seen from here, we can focus the search on a set of about 7-8 billion European stars.
- Let’s remember that the master universe includes the Grand Universe (the part of the total universe that is currently considered organized and inhabited) plus the 4 levels of outer space in the process of formation. What we can do is estimate the order of the number of stars in the master universe (everything created), since the volume of our oceans and seas is of the order of 1370.4 x 106 km3, and given which we can assign a volume of 250 ml. it is easy to calculate that in that volume of seas and oceans there are 5.48 x 1021 stars that would be approximately 550 million superuniverses like Orvonton.
While each superuniverse government presides near the center of the evolutionary universes of its space segment, it occupies a world made to order and is peopled by accredited personalities. These headquarters worlds are architectural spheres, space bodies specifically constructed for their special purpose. While sharing the light of near-by suns, these spheres are independently lighted and heated. Each has a sun which gives forth light without heat, like the satellites of Paradise, while each is supplied with heat by the circulation of certain energy currents near the surface of the sphere. These headquarters worlds belong to one of the greater systems situated near the astronomical center of their respective superuniverses. (UB 15:7.1)
That is to say, we do not have to look for the central headquarters of the superuniverse in the physical center.
Further regulative functions are performed by the superuniverse power centers and physical controllers, living and semiliving intelligent entities constituted for this express purpose. These power centers and controllers are difficult of understanding; the lower orders are not volitional, they do not possess will, they do not choose, their functions are very intelligent but apparently automatic and inherent in their highly specialized organization. The power centers and physical controllers of the superuniverses assume direction and partial control of the thirty energy systems which comprise the gravita domain. The physical-energy circuits administered by the power centers of Uversa require a little over 968 million years to complete the encirclement of the superuniverse. (UB 15:8.2)
Are you telling us the longitude of the superuniverse?
If we make the approximation of a circular universe, where c is the speed of light in a vacuum (approx. 300,000 km/s), if we suppose that 968 million light years is precisely the length of the circle, applying , would give us a radius of approx. 154 million light years or, what is the same, 308 million light years in diameter.
At UB 32:2.11, the UB tells us that from Jerusem to the physical center of the Orvonton superuniverse there are more than 200,000 a.l. (which would give us a diameter of 400,000 a.l.) which would seem to be far from the 154 million before (385 times less), unless we abound in the idea that, although the universe is 154 million a.l. in diameter, most of the mass of material creations is concentrated in a diameter of those 400,000 a.l. , which would give us a distribution model of space assigned as portions of cheese, but rather concentrated material creations.
Here another question arises: if in this displacement at a right angle upwards and/or downwards we would end up finding the end of the occupied space, in those directions one would not expect to find galaxies, since we would be within the first level, and matter is concentrated on the equatorial plane of the superuniverse relative to Havona.
Trinity-origin beings possess prerogatives of transit which make them independent of transport personalities, such as seraphim. We all possess the power of moving about freely and quickly in the universe of universes. Excepting the Inspired Trinity Spirits, we cannot attain the almost unbelievable velocity of the Solitary Messengers, but we are able so to utilize the sum total of the transport facilities in space that we can reach any point in a superuniverse, from its headquarters, in less than one year of Urantia time. It required 109 days of your time for me to journey from Uversa to Urantia. (UB 19:7.4)
(Presented by a Divine Advisor from Uversa).
From this it follows that Urantia is approximately 1/3 of the distance from Uversa, which means that when they refer to its location on the outskirts of the superuniverse, it is not towards the furthest part of the center but perhaps “up or down”. (?) Furthermore, this would give us as a radius of the materialized part of the superuniverse of about 600,000 a.l. However, the inhabited part would correspond to about 250,000 a.l.
All these calculations are approximations at best, because new systems are constantly evolving, while other organizations temporarily pass out of material existence. (What does this mean?) (UB 15:2.25)
Of the ten major divisions of Orvonton, eight have been roughly identified by Urantian astronomers. The other two are difficult of separate recognition because you are obliged to view these phenomena from the inside. If you could look upon the superuniverse of Orvonton from a position far-distant in space, you would immediately recognize the ten major sectors of the seventh galaxy. (UB 15:3.4)
It is the first time that he makes a similarity between superuniverse and galaxy.
A LOCAL universe is the handiwork of a Creator Son of the Paradise order of Michael. It comprises one hundred constellations, each embracing one hundred systems of inhabited worlds. Each system will eventually contain approximately one thousand inhabited spheres. (UB 32:0.1)
Then, in time, in our local universe we will be on the order of 1000 x 100 x 100 inhabited worlds. That is, approximately 107, 10 million worlds. Then, could we talk about the order of 100 million stars?
The organization of planetary abodes is still progressing in Nebadon, for this universe is, indeed, a young cluster in the starry and planetary realms of Orvonton. At the last registry there were 3,840,101 inhabited planets in Nebadon, and Satania, the local system of your world, is fairly typical of other systems. (UB 32:2.9)
Satania is not a uniform physical system, a single astronomic unit or organization. Its 619 inhabited worlds are located in over five hundred different physical systems. Only five have more than two inhabited worlds, and of these only one has four peopled planets, while there are forty-six having two inhabited worlds. (UB 32:2.10)
The Satania system of inhabited worlds is far removed from Uversa and that great sun cluster which functions as the physical or astronomic center of the seventh superuniverse. From Jerusem, the headquarters of Satania, it is over two hundred thousand light-years to the physical center of the superuniverse of Orvonton, far, far away in the dense diameter of the Milky Way. Satania is on the periphery of the local universe, and Nebadon is now well out towards the edge of Orvonton. From the outermost system of inhabited worlds to the center of the superuniverse is a trifle less than two hundred and fifty thousand light-years. (UB 32:2.11)
One or more—even many—such nebulae may be encompassed within the domain of a single local universe even as Nebadon was physically assembled out of the stellar and planetary progeny of Andronover and other nebulae. (UB 41:0.3)
It is clear that Nebadon was not formed only with the contribution of Andronover.
Such is the constitution of the local star cloud of Nebadon, which today swings in an increasingly settled orbit about the Sagittarius center of that minor sector of Orvonton to which our local creation belongs. (UB 41:0.4)
In the direction of the constellation Sagittarius is the central region of the galaxy. It is full of nebulae and cumulus… nothing clarifies the situation. A third arm located between the Orion arm and the galactic center is called the Sagittarius arm.
Satania itself is composed of over seven thousand astronomical groups, or physical systems, few of which had an origin similar to that of your solar system. The astronomic center of Satania is an enormous dark island of space which, with its attendant spheres, is situated not far from the headquarters of the system government. (UB 41:2.2)
I want to interpret that it refers to more than 7000 stars or groupings (double, multiple) of stars.
The suns of Nebadon are not unlike those of other universes. The material composition of all suns, dark islands, planets, and satellites, even meteors, is quite identical. These suns have an average diameter of about one million miles, that of your own solar orb being slightly less. The largest star in the universe, the stellar cloud Antares, is four hundred and fifty times the diameter of your sun and is sixty million times its volume. But there is abundant space to accommodate all of these enormous suns. They have just as much comparative elbow room in space as one dozen oranges would have if they were circulating about throughout the interior of Urantia, and were the planet a hollow globe. (UB 41:3.2)
If we establish the previous comparison.
- There are more than 2000 brilliant suns that shed light and energy in Satania. We should locate an environment of about 2000 suns and we would have an approximate idea of the location of our system. There is data that supports that in approx. 50 a.l. of radio we would have those 2000 soles.
- Of the 30 closest suns to yours, only three are brighter.
- The suns of Nebadon have an average of 1,700,000 km in diameter (our sun 1,391,980 km in diameter)
- The largest star in our universe is Antares (450 solar diameters, volume 60 million times greater). From Antares we know that it is a supergiant of the MII type (it is the alpha of Scorpio), its diameter is 563 million km and it is located at 520 a.l. Then we can already deduce the minimum of the diameter of our local universe, since we are on the outskirts.
- The 1572 supernova is inside Orvonton and was a double stellar explosion. The supernova in our galaxy is in the constellation Cassiopeia or Tycho Brahe. There is another that is that of Kepler observed in 1604. The UB argues that the most recent is that of 1572. This would seem like a contradiction, but we must take into account the distance. With that of 1604 being more than 32 to the furthest away, we would resolve the apparent contradiction. I have found on the Internet the supernova SN1604 at 13,000 a.l. and SN1572 between 10,000 and 11,000 a.l., so the apparent contradiction is resolved.
- Our sun was a variable 3.5-day period. Today it has translated into fluctuations every 11.5 years
- Indicates the procedure of the Cepheids as an estimate of distances up to more than 1,000,000 a.l.
This procedure gave as an estimate up to 1950 the distance to the Andromeda galaxy at 850,000 yr and, after a review, since two types of Cepheids were found, the distance to the neighboring galaxy was estimated at 2,500,000 yr. Other authors establish it at 2,000,000 a.l. (according to the encyclopedia).
¶ Carmelo Martínez
Between what I had thought and what Santi’s notes on cosmology have made me think, I have “delivered” the following; They are just newborn ideas that I submit to your criticism:
¶ About Paradise
Paradise has no location in space, however you can travel to it (if you are in a certain condition and have the means to do so). All the lines of gravity come out of it, and it also marks the directions of space.
On the other hand, in the center of the master universe and of the grand universe is the central universe that has seven circuits, each of which is more interior than the previous one; and within these circuits there are still three more interior ones (those of the sacred spheres).
All this makes me think that there is a center in space, a central point, which is in the center of the orbits of these circuits of the central universe. This point, I think, is not Paradise but represents Paradise in space. All lines of gravity would start from this point. Following the lines of gravity, if we were capable, we would traverse the entire superuniverse (since we are close to its periphery), we would traverse the gravity belts, the seven Havona circuits and the three sacred spheres, and we would end up arriving at that point from which all the lines. The point is central, since any traveler from any point in any superuniverse would end up there if they followed the lines of gravity; It also seems that it is the most “interior” point of all space, since it is the “closest” to Paradise.
I also think that to travel to Paradise you have to get closer to this central point and then take a “dimensional leap” to go from time to eternity. This is what the supernaphim who transport us to Paradise know how to do. I suppose that paradisiacal personalities also know how to do it to get out of eternity into time; and I suppose we will know how to do it when we finally join the body of the finality and are ready to return to space-time. I imagine, like in science fiction stories, that they will be flying around the area and suddenly wham! they disappear; or vice versa, they suddenly appear in space. If so, it has to be the most sci-fi area in all of known space.
Paradise also marks the directions of space. To imagine it I think of a supernaphim flying on the peripheral surface of Paradise in a northerly direction that makes the “dimensional jump” and then appears flying in space; the direction of this flight would be absolute space north.
“The central island is essentially flat.” I also imagine that by making the “dimensional jump” when flying parallel to the plane of Paradise, it appears in space flying parallel to the “plane of creation”, and if it flies perpendicularly it appears flying in unimpregnated space (something that is not I know if it’s possible).
Near this central point, the plane of creation must be very narrow, since it would coincide with the central point of that imaginary Maltese cross that, when rotating, produces all known space.
One more piece of information: according to my calculations, Havona would be about a million light years from us. The distance to this point would be somewhat greater, though not much since Havona is small (in size) compared to the grand universe.
¶ About Space
This of the impregnated (occupied) and non-impregnated space is one of the most mysterious things for me in this whole matter. It makes me wonder if we should take it literally or not. For now, I am focusing on the first option, that is, if we travel perpendicular to the plane of creation (which for me coincides with that of the Milky Way) we would reach an end that we could not pass. Does this mean that there is some observable irregularity? Don’t know. For me, the width of the plane of creation in our area is not “too great” (200,000 light years?). That means that at about 100,000 light-years in a direction perpendicular to the Milky Way we should be observing “something” (if going from permeated space to the space in between implies the existence of some observable phenomenon). As far as I know, nothing has been observed despite the fact that this direction is much more favorable, since we do not have the entire concentration of the galaxy in the middle.
In any case, it would be necessary to distinguish between non-impregnated space and inactive intermediate space. I agree with Santi that in the non-impregnated space there is no matter or energy or anything that permeates the space in which we are. Light could not penetrate that space, although perhaps it could surround it. However, it seems that the same does not happen with the intermediate space. We must not forget that this space separates us from the first outer level, and we actually see the stars and galaxies that are there. In this regard I copy the paragraph UB 11:7.2:
“Paradise is the actually motionless nucleus of the relatively quiescent zones existing between pervaded and unpervaded space. Geographically these zones appear to be a relative extension of Paradise, but there probably is some motion in them. We know very little about them, but we observe that these zones of lessened space motion separate pervaded and unpervaded space. Similar zones once existed between the levels of pervaded space, but these are now less quiescent.”
I think that the Maltese cross that generates the space is quite closed and that it opens more than proportionally when moving away from the center, that is, that most of it is intermediate space that surrounds both the impregnated and the non-impregnated space. To put some figures: if the width of the space impregnated in this area were 200,000 light years and if the central point of the universe is a little more than 1 million light years away, the circumference that surrounds the space in our area is about 7 million light years. This would have to be subtracted 4 times 200,000 light years (2 of impregnated space and 2 of non-impregnated) which would leave us with a little more than 6 million light years in 4 arcs of approximately 1.5 million for the intermediate space.
I have not understood what Santi means by “physical center” and “astronomical center.” 'You mean the geometric center and the center of mass? The indication that Uversa is 200,000 light-years from us tells me two things: that Uversa is not in the Milky Way, and that the Milky Way is off-center in our superuniverse space. If Uversa is Órvonton’s center of mass, it is 200,000 light-years from us, and the Milky Way is a significant part of its total mass (more than 60%), Órvonton’s diameter is well over 500,000 light-years.
I don’t see how our superuniverse being several hundred million light-years in diameter fits in with Uversa being 200,000 light-years from us. Such an amount of empty space does not make sense to me, so the circuit data of 968 million years would have to be interpreted differently. It is not difficult to imagine a very winding course, and it is not difficult to imagine that this energy does not travel at the speed of light. It could also be assumed that it is space that will have to be occupied in the future, but it sounds to me that the seven superuniverses are at about 70% of their development. Órvonton is the youngest and therefore least developed but not to be within (say) 1% or less which all that amount of empty space suggests.
That UB 15:2.25 quote has always been a mystery to me. When I had to translate it, I spent a lot of time looking for the meaning and I couldn’t find it, although I did find the equivalent in Spanish. I copy my translation and the original in English; in both cases I underline the verb where the problem is.
“Todas estos cálculos son, en el mejor de los casos, aproximaciones, pues evolucionan constantemente nuevos sistemas mientras que otras organizaciones dejan temporalmente la existencia material.”
“All such estimates are approximations at best, for new systems are constantly evolving while other organizations are temporarily passing out of material existence.”
The Oxford equivalent of ‘passing out of’ is ‘leave’ or ‘issue from’, that is, ‘dejar’ or ‘salir de’, and that is how I translate it. Another thing is to know what it means; I don’t understand it either, and I assure you that, from what I have seen, the revelators carefully chose the words to reflect as accurately as possible the meaning they wanted to convey. It should not be ignored that they speak of “systems” (evolving) as opposed to “organizations” (passing out of) and that whatever the latter do, it is temporary.
I agree that science today knows very little about what’s going on out there, especially if it’s far away (ie, more than say 10,000 light years). But I don’t agree with ignoring science for the analysis we are doing. Science is not a state or a position; Science is a path that is traveled with a certain method. What I defend is to start from what science (believes) knows and, applying the scientific method, try to fit what UB says in the current scientific panorama.
UB is not a scientific book, although it has many clues. UB invites us to advance our knowledge by ourselves in all fields of knowledge and knowledge in general. For this, it highlights or highlights clues that are already known on this planet, even if they are not common knowledge. And also, it does not give a revelation as such, which in some aspects helps us to understand how things could be, for example in astronomical science.
UB continually forces us to think; It is not convenient to trust the first thing that a certain passage suggests to us. In successive readings, things are discovered that in a first reading are not even suspected; It has happened to me and I suppose it has happened to you too. The revelators chose their words and expressions so carefully that nothing they say or how they say it should not be ignored. In addition, they repeated the concepts at different points in the documents, even in places far from each other.
UB is not a scientific book, and for scientific work (even if it is for amateurs like us) it is convenient to follow the scientific method; rely on what the Book says, yes, but taking it very carefully. Everything that the Book says is true (I am convinced, as I have said more than once, that there are no errors to put it in accordance with the science of a certain moment); the problem is knowing what the Book says. They want us to discover it through our own effort and reflection; let our knowledge advance by ourselves; they do not want to take away the pleasure of discovery.
That’s my opinion.
¶ References:
- How Big Is Orvonton?, by Norm Du Val
- Astronomy and Superuniverses, by Troy R. Bishop
- Orvonton Superuniverse (presentation), by Eduardo Altuzarra
- Urantia Astronomy, a personal vision, by Carmelo Martínez
All these works are available on the Association’s website, http://www.urantia.es.
(End of the third part)
¶ References
- Light and Life Magazine (all old issues): https://aue.urantia-association.org/numeros-antiguos-del-lyv/