© 2008 Michelle Klimesh
© 2008 The Urantia Book Fellowship
This paper is a written reflection of the plenary talks at the Fellowship’s Summer Study Session in River Forest, Illinois, in July of 2006.
The source of celestial ministry in the grand universe is the person of the Infinite Spirit. As the Father is love, and as the Son is mercy, God the Spirit is ministry—the ministry of the Father’s love and the Son’s mercy to the creatures of the universe.
The Infinite Spirit is: The source of all mind; Personally conscious of every minded person in all of creation; The God of Action; The creator of a vast family of spiritual ministers
The spirit personalities of the vast family of the Divine and Infinite Spirit are forever dedicated to the service of the ministry of the love of God and the mercy of the Son to all the intelligent creatures of the evolutionary worlds of time and space. These spirit beings constitute the living ladder whereby mortal man climbs from chaos to glory. [UB 9:8.25]
For a few years during childhood, I fell into the habit of second-guessing God. For example, I wondered why my mother spent three days in the hospital to give birth to my brother, but the cat gave birth easily by herself out in the garage. If God really knew everything, why didn’t he know the jaw he made for me was too small for the number of teeth growing there? I suspected God wasn’t as smart as people made him out to be, and this suspicion laid me open to years of mental speculation about how I would run the universe if I were God.
One thing I wondered was why God spent so much time on insect design. Why were there so many kinds of bugs, but only one kind of angel? If my child-self had been God, I would have spent a lot less time on insects and more time designing angels.
Over a decade later, I found the section in The Urantia Book that describes the administration of the universes, and I was introduced to the astonishing number of angelic categories described therein. (I also found within the pages of the revelation the answers to why humans have difficult births and why there were too many teeth in my head; but discussion of those must be left for a different essay.)
As we ponder the ultimate source of angels, the Infinite Spirit, we are faced with the challenge of grappling with the perplexing concept of infinity. How can we approach the origin of celestial ministry without attempting to embrace infinity? Although it seems certain that we cannot truly understand the Infinite Spirit, we can progress toward understanding the enormity of the scope and range of his power and influence by studying information that has been presented in the revelation.
Human progress in life begins on the planet of our birth. We will travel from here through the system, the constellation, the local universe, the superuniverse, the central universe, and Paradise. Since the local universe is the midway point in this journey, and since we have been given a wealth of information about the spirit beings who serve in the local universe, it occurred to me that we could approach the enormity of the family of the Infinite Spirit by simple mathematics; by adding what we know about the numbers of angels at our local level and then multiplying outward.
Let’s look at the numbers in the local universe.
| Type | Number |
|---|---|
| Archangels | Almost 800,000 |
| High Commissioners | More that 1.5 Billion |
| Celestial Overseers | 3 Million |
| Universe Conciliator | 400 Million |
| Technical Advisors | 500 Million |
| Celestial Recorders | 75 |
| Recording Angels | 4 Billion |
| Morontia Companions | 70 Billion |
So we have 76,403,800,000 angels working at the local universe level of Nebadon. 76.4 billion! But this compilation is not complete. We must add to this angelic pile “far up in the millions” Most High Assistants, a number of Mansion World Teachers “beyond the comprehension of the mortal mind,” and various other types “too numerous to catalogue.” Although these numbers surely add up to something much higher, let’s say conservatively that there are 80 billion angels working for our local universe.
80 billion local universe angels
x 100,000 local universes
x 7 superuniverses
= 56,000,000,000,000,000 angels working in the local universes
I worried that this number is too fuzzy, and I decided to try another approach toward understanding the numbers that make up the Infinite Spirit’s family.
We have the exact number of inhabited planets in the grand universe. Note that the Chief of Seraphim on Urantia said that he had 1,194,393,600 seraphim assigned to his command. Note also that our planet has a like number of cherubim, and we see that the earth is blessed with the services of 2,388,787,200 angels.
This is a wonderfully precise number (as befits the report of a seraphic math genius), yet I paused before inserting it into the formula. The problem is this: does our planet have more angels, less angels, or the same number of angels as a normal planet? Setting aside a host of interesting conjectures on this question, let’s err to the conservative side. Assume that our planet has more than the normal number of angels. Assume that the number of angels on the average world is two billion. Now let’s run the calculation.
2 billion angels per planet
x 5.342 trillion inhabited planets
= 10,684,000,000,000,000,000,000 angels working on inhabited planets
10.7 sextillion angels! Add these to the 56 quadrillion working at the local universe levels, and keep in mind that the Infinite Spirit is personally aware of each and every one of them. How can we be anything but awestruck by the extent of God’s power?
Before leaving the subject of origin, revisit the quote on UB 9:8.17 that describes the Infinite Spirit’s family as living ladder. If you consider this phenomenon from the Paradise point of view, it becomes clear that a ladder sent down to each mortal in existence only appears to be a ladder from the human perspective. In reality, the Infinite Spirit’s family must be an enormous web, a blanket of love and mercy covering the entire inhabited universe. There is nowhere any of us could possibly go where we are not surrounded by these children of mercy, nowhere we could be where his love doesn’t pour over us and into us. We are not alone; we have not been left here to our own devices. We are constantly immersed in love and surrounded by ministers, the children of the Infinite Spirit.
The universe of your origin is being forged out between the anvil of justice and the hammer of suffering; but those who wield the hammer are the children of mercy, the spirit offspring of the Infinite Spirit. [UB 9:1.8]
We are told that only good can come of our efforts to love and understand the angels. What kind of persons are these, the children of the Infinite Spirit, who have us in their watch care?
Angels are social creatures. They can work alone but usually work in pairs. They are not male or female, but pair up as positive/negative or aggressive/retiring couples. Angels know us, see us clearly, and share many of our emotions. They are naturally sympathetic, and delight in service.
Angels are exceptionally adept mathematically. They patiently spend thousands of years in training and continuously engage in self-improvement. Angels persistently seek assignment at the lowest possible levels of reality, and especially crave work as guardians of mortal destiny.
We are told that angels like change, rest, reversion, and play. They enjoy our efforts at art, humor and music. Angels never manipulate us or interfere with our free will; they never do anything that might destroy the dignity of free will creatures. Angels are forever our friends and allies.
Nearly every angelic order sets aside reserves and recorders. Many angel orders also have a transport division. But beyond these generic functions, celestial ministers seem to be primarily focused on teaching. One of many orders of angels that extensively minister to ascendant mortals is described this way:
These tertiary seconaphim are the time-savers, space abridgers, error detectors, faithful teachers, and everlasting guideposts—living signs of divine surety—in mercy placed at the crossroads of time, there to guide the feet of anxious pilgrims in moments of great perplexity and spiritual uncertainty. [UB 28:7.3]
What is it that celestial ministers teach us? The list is mind boggling.
| Teachings |
|---|
| Patience |
| Courage |
| Loyalty |
| Morals |
| Ethics |
| Teamwork |
| To accept uncertainty |
| To let pressure develop stability |
| To be faithful, earnest, and cheerful |
| To accept challenges without complaint |
| To appreciate the responsibilities of universe brotherhood |
| To enjoy privilege without abuse To avoid self-importance |
| To feast upon uncertainty |
| To fatten upon disappointment |
| To enthuse over apparent defeat |
| To invigorate in the presence of difficulties |
| To eradicate the following animal traits: |
| Procrastination |
| Equivocation |
| Problem-avoidance |
| Ease-seeking |
| Insincerity |
| Unfairness |
| Impatience, anger, fear, anxiety |
The angels try to comfort and encourage us. Angels promote sincere social contacts, spiritual progress, social evolution, ethical interpersonal relationships, home life, health, industrial development, play, and humor. They prompt us to worship, coordinate our various spiritual influences, and bring together agreeable and efficient working groups.
2600 years ago, Heraclites of Ephesus said, “A man’s character is his fate.” An alternative translation of his words is simply, “Character is destiny.”
The angels—teachers of mortal character development— surely agree. The list of angelic lessons above reveals that our celestial guides have a nearly perfect recipe for such development. The angels want to help us erase any animal tendencies that might sabotage our progress through the universe, while simultaneously encouraging the qualities that enhance our chances for human and spiritual success. If we would only cooperate with their plan!
David Kantor’s previous study on this topic provides examples of how angels work with us in social settings. Angels do work within our relationships, but not exclusively. Indeed, in order to be most effective in interpersonal relationships, we must attend to the inner workings of our psyches.
Steven Covey believes that enduring success and happiness is possible only by integrating certain basic principles into one’s character. These foundations of success—integrity, humility, fidelity, courage, patience, industry, simplicity, and so on—are often hard won. Covey advises people to focus first on inner victories, then healthy independence, knowing that these two form the basis of productive interdependent relationships. His idea is that our inner, personal work must precede our interpersonal work.
Angelic ministry concerns itself with both the personal and the interpersonal realms. On our home world, they are concerned with family life, health practices, and industrial development. On the universe levels they deepen our morality, expand our ethics, and improve our awareness of cosmic brotherhood. Angels minister to us perfectly, wherever we are.
The family of the Infinite Spirit steps increasingly downward, drawing as close to mortals as they possibly can. The agents of God stand beside us throughout our entire journey through the universes. Why have they undertaken this enormous challenge? What is the purpose of this astonishing system of celestial ministry that pervades the known universe?
We are surrounded by celestial ministers who are interested in our character development—emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual. The angels spend eons helping to create legions upon legions of perfected universe creatures, creatures who:
Start from the lowest points of the universes and work themselves inward to Paradise, into the embrace of God the Father
Are moral, ethical, cheerful, faithful, trusting, trustworthy, courageous, merciful, and patient
Thrive on worship and rejoice in service
Have deep experience with every level of universe reality
Have irrevocably enlisted in the service of God
Are forever immune to rebellion
Why? What does God plan to do with this assembly?
Perfectors of Wisdom, Divine Counselors, Archangels, Solitary Messengers, and One Without Name and Number all speculate that we are destined for service in the outer space levels. A Mighty Messenger clearly states that we “are destined to the service and revelation of this Supreme Deity in and to the future universes of outer space.” [UB 56:8.2]
Frankly, at this point in my life, a final destiny of service in the future worlds of outer space seems so far removed from present reality that it is nearly incomprehensible. Whatever God has planned for me in the ages to come, the question that most interests me is what God wants from me today.
Steve Dreier once said that people would be better off if we spent less time thinking about what we want the angels to do for us, and a little more time wondering what we could do to help the angels with their work. To imitate John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your angels can do for you, but what you can do for your angels!”
What can we do to help the angels with their work? First, each one of us could immediately work on eradicating our animal tendencies. We don’t have to wait until the mansion worlds to begin to clear our characters of the detrimental traits we harbor, the poor habits we keep that sabotage our health, our relationships, and our efforts in the world.
Second, we can actively pursue that list of qualities that the angels are interested in helping us acquire.
Third, we can seek the Father’s will in all we do, daily. Listen to him, and do what he asks.
Fourth, we can help our unseen friends accomplish what they need to do in the material world. Here and now, imperfect as we are, we can become servants of God on this world. Who better than we who ARE human, to translate cosmic reality into human terms?
Recall the story of the shepherd boy to whom an angel appeared in the night. The angel whispered to the boy:
“The Gods are my caretakers; I shall not stray;”
“Side by side they lead me in the beautiful paths and glorious refreshing of life everlasting.”
“I shall not, in this Divine Presence, want for food nor thirst for water.”
“Though I go down into the valley of uncertainty or ascend up into the worlds of doubt,”
“Though I move in loneliness or with the fellows of my kind,”
“Though I triumph in the choirs of light or falter in the solitary places of the spheres,”
“Your good spirit shall minister to me, and your glorious angel will comfort me.”
“Though I descend into the depths of darkness and death itself,”
“I shall not doubt you nor fear you,”
“For I know that in the fullness of time and the glory of your name”
“You will raise me up to sit with you on the battlements on high.” [UB 48:6.9-19]
We recognize this text as the 23rd psalm:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me.
Thou prepares a table before me in the presence
of mine enemies,
Thou anoints my head with oil; my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Why did the angel choose to give her message to this particular shepherd? Judging from the imperfect recitation of her message, we can’t say that he was an especially good listener. He didn’t relay the message perfectly. The angel didn’t speak to him because he was well-connected or rich or famous; today we don’t even know his name. But somehow this child retained enough of the angel’s message to pass it on to others, and his message was such a powerful inspiration to humankind that it has been passed down century after century to comfort people even today.
I love this story because it assures me that we don’t have to be perfect yet to be of service to God. We can start now, exactly where we find ourselves, even if we are not Mother Theresa, or CS Lewis, or Mahatma Gandhi, or Hafiz, or Stephen Covey. If a young shepherd who couldn’t keep the message straight could become a servant of God on earth, so can you and I.
Author’s note: Special thanks to Jack Kane for giving me names for the numbers above trillion.
Michelle has been a student of The Urantia Book since she was 19 years old. She is a member of the Golden Gate Circle society in northern California, current secretary-general of the Fellowship, and author of The Story of Everything, a condensation of the revelation.
[Angels’] 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. [UB 38:5.4]