© 1961 William S. Sadler Jr.
© 1968 Urantia Foundation
Our study of the master universe ended on a distinct note of frustration! The irresistible force of an absolute trinity has met the immovable fact of an eternal infinity. The result is stalemate.
The unification of the Trinity Absolute is an endless project. The Trinity of Trinities is in a state of incompletion. On the First Level, one of its trinity-members is not unified; on the Second Level, one member is missing altogether. The Trinity Absolute cannot emerge from the potentials of the Deity Absolute. And, until God the Absolute emerges, the Second Level of the Trinity of Trinities cannot be completed.
The master universe is being mobilized (as a nuclear universe) in readiness for the development of the cytoplasmic domains that will be external to it, but there are no such cytoplasmic domains – the space outside the master universe is empty. The Force Organizers, who have been the organizers of all the nebulae of the master universe, are the agents of the Architects of the Master Universe, and it is doubtful that these Architects have plans that extend beyond the perimeter of the master creation.
Perhaps we may be able to continue our study a little farther if we make a distinction between that which is undiluted and absolute in quality and that which is universal and infinite in quantity. In this consideration, we would like to associate the word “absolute” with the concept of undiminished quality and the word “infinite” with the concept of unlimited quantity.
Given these distinctions we may approach the question of final destiny from a new angle. We submit that absolute destiny may be attained, if it is recognized that the quality of an absolute meaning-value can be attained in a sub-infinite manner. This implies an undiminished quality of attainment, associated with a definite limitation as to the universality, or the quantity of attainment.
A simple illustration: A human being could hardly (even in a lifetime) breathe all the air on the planet. But this limitation as to quantity does not mean that such a person can breathe no air at all. In this situation, the limit as to quantity has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact of breathing, nor with the quality of the air that is breathed.
Havona, as an example. When the Father and the Son trinitized the Spirit and produced Havona, they gave full expression to the existential quality of divine perfection in the central creation; it is the perfect pattern universe. But the Deities did not give infinite expression to the quantity of this existential universe. Had they done so, then all (eternal) space would have been filled with a universe of existential perfection. The Father and Son chose to limit the quantity of creation in Havona; they limited it to a billion worlds and to a circumscribed area in space. They gave full expression to the quality of divine perfection, but still limited their handiwork as to the quantity of expression. They did not project the master universe as an existential creation, neither did they eternalize the Cosmos Infinite by fiat. They were satisfied to produce a pattern universe that is undiluted as to quality of perfection but is strictly sub-infinite as to quantity, or size.
By thus limiting Havona the Paradise Deities made possible all the latter, and experiential, developments of the post-Havona creations. By similarly limiting the quantity, or universality, to which absoluteness can be experientialized, the same Deities have made provision for eternal growth – growth with no limit.
After all, there is really only one perceivable alternative to endless growth, and that is a kind of growth that does come to an end. What happens then?
In the Third Prologue to this study we gave rather careful consideration to the First Universe Age, to the existential-eternal age of Havona. In this Epilogue we should give equally careful consideration to the Final Universe Age, to the experiential-eternal age of the Cosmos Infinite. The two ages – First and Final – have points of comparison: the First has an ending time, but no origin in time; the Final has an origin in time, but no ending in time. The First Age is a past-eternal reality; the Final Age is a future-eternal reality
Trinitization at the dawn of the First Age. We have noted certain analogies between the First and the Final Age. Let us now go back to the very dawn of the First Age, and take inventory of actual reality. We find that actualized reality consisted of two existential Deities plus a base of operations. We note the existence of the Father, the Son, and the Isle of Paradise. What is the act of the Father and the Son that inaugurates the First Age? The Father and the Son unite as the Father-Son in trinitizing their Deity equal, the Infinite Spirit. The repercussions of that action are the appearance of Havona, and the formation of the Paradise Trinity – the existential thesis of undivided Deity.
Trinitization at the dawn of the Final Age. We believe that universe history will repeat itself. At the dawn of the Final Age there is an analogous inventory of actualized reality – actualized experiential reality. At the dawn of the Final Age there are two experiential Deities and a base of operations. The two Deities are the Supreme Being and God the Ultimate; the base of operations is the completed master universe. What will these two experiential Deities do that will inaugurate the Final Age? We submit, cosmic history will repeat itself. That which occurred in the existential sense at the dawn of the First Age will be duplicated experientially at the dawn of the Final Age. We believe the Final Age will be inaugurated when the Supreme and the Ultimate unite as the Supreme-Ultimate in trinitizing their Deity equal, God the Absolute. We believe the repercussions of that action will be the beginning of the Cosmos Infinite and the formation of the Trinity of Trinities – the existential-experiential thesis of undivided Deity.
The Father and the Son are existential and infinite Deities, hence the results of their trinitizing union is existential and infinite – God the Spirit. The Supreme and the Ultimate are experiential and sub-infinite Deities, hence the result of their trinitizing union will also be experiential and sub-infinite – an experiential and limited expression of God the Absolute. The Supreme and the Ultimate are sub-infinite, but they are also almighty and omnipotent. They are fully capable of mobilizing the grand total of all the actualized experiential reality that is represented in the completed master universe – from the “tennis ball” to the “moon.” Such a mobilization of total earned experiential power should result in the sub-infinite appearance of God the Absolute.
The original trinitization is existential, and appears to be pre-creative. The final trinitization is experiential and seems to be super-creative. The ultimate level is the final creative level; the Supreme-Ultimate and God the Absolute are post-Ultimate in appearance, hence would appear to be super-creative manifestations of experiential Deity.
A symbolic picture. This trinitizing action of the Supreme and the Ultimate is symbolized in the writer’s mind by the following picture:
The trinitizing action of the Supreme and the Ultimate is, in our opinion, a new kind of transformation of synthesis. Back in Chapter V., we considered what happened when an old synthesis is transformed into a new thesis. We observed that this takes place, after the completed evolution of finite reality, when the synthesis in the Supreme gives rise to a new thesis in the First Experiential Trinity. This same process again takes place after the completed development of the absonite, when the synthesis in God the Ultimate gives rise to a new thesis in the Second Experiential Trinity. In our previous study of the Supreme and the Ultimate we considered them, respectively, the Synthesis of the Total Finite, and the Synthesis of the Total Absonite.
In their trinitizing union, these two experiential Deities seem to be transforming themselves into two new experiential theses – the Supreme as the Thesis of the Total Finite, and the Ultimate as the Thesis of the Total Absonite. Their trinitized expression of God the Absolute should be a third thesis – the (limited) experiential Thesis of the Absolute.
Here, we encounter what appears to be a superimposition of thesis upon thesis. Is this an unprecedented happening? Have we observed something like this in our study of past eternity? We have, of course, observed a similar transaction: something analogous to this takes place in the connection with God’s escape from infinity.
In emerging from infinity God constitutes the Son the absolute thesis of (existential) Deity and, as father of the Son, constitutes himself the pre-thesis of Deity. In their trinitizing union, the Father-Son constitute the Spirit the conjoint thesis of Deity. This is a threefold superimposition of thesis upon thesis, and it culminates in the Paradise Trinity – the undivided thesis of (existential) Deity.
The union of the Supreme-Ultimate in the trinitizing of God the Absolute, appears to be a (sub-infinite and experiential) duplication of the eternity action of the Father-Son in trinitizing the Spirit. If this is valid reasoning, then God the Supreme, God the Ultimate, and God the Absolute constitute the threefold thesis of experiential Deity. Wherein is this threefold thesis unified? We believe it achieves union in quality (although limited in quantity) on the Second Level of the Trinity of Trinities, and in the process of unification expands outward in the factual formation of this threefold Trinity – the undivided thesis of total Deity – existential and experiential.
We have drawn a parallel between the action of the Father-Son and that of the Supreme-Ultimate. They do indeed appear to be similar, but they are not the same. They are analogous but not homologous. The Father-Son in trinitizing God the Spirit is in process of emerging from infinity; the Supreme-Ultimate in trinitizing God the Absolute is seeking to gain entrance to infinity. What the Father-Son accomplishes in the total (quality and quantity) sense, the Supreme-Ultimate may achieve in the quality-sense only. God the Absolute emerges as an absolute reality in terms of quality, but in terms of quantity (universality) and infinity he is a sub-infinite manifestation of the Absolute.
We have the opinion that the trinitized appearance of God the Absolute will be the most profound occurrence in the history of the universes since the eternity appearance of the Infinite Spirit. In our opinion, there are close comparisons between the appearance of these two Deities. The Infinite Spirit is the result of the First-Deity-Trinitization; God the Absolute would appear to be the product of the Final-Deity-Trinitization.
When the Infinite Spirit comes into existence, he personalizes as a creative corollary of the appearance of the eternal universe. We have the idea that the appearance of God the Absolute will also be attended by the appearance of the beginning of the infinite universe. The first creation is actually eternal; the final creation is potentially infinite.
How is the Cosmos Infinite likely to be projected by, and in, the trinitizing of God the Absolute? We believe the Supreme and the Ultimate are capable of mobilizing physical as well as spiritual potentials. In our opinion, their union in the Final-Deity-Trinitization is a total union – nothing is left out. This trinitizing effort on the part of the two experiential Deities is total. This total includes all mobilizable things, meanings, and values (physical, mindal, or spiritual) – all experiential reality. We accordingly have the opinion that God the Absolute will appear concurrently with the materialization of the innermost zone of the Cosmos Infinite.
What will this “first installment” of an infinite universe be alike? As we have already considered (in Chapter XI., § 5.), this universe will be like nothing that has ever appeared in the entire master creation. For the first time the transcendental plans of the Architects of the Master Union will be transcended. No creature is likely to have an accurate pre-picture of the beginning of the infinite universe. We believe there are aspects of Havona that could be used to deduce the character of this new domain, but these are existential and absolute phases of eternal Havona and this new universe is experiential. Albeit, we believe the central creation has its phases of existential absoluteness that are co-ordinate with anything experiential that might appear in the Cosmos Infinite.
As to the size of this new domain – we can only guess. Let us go back to our estimates of the magnitudes of the master universe. We likened the grand universe (the presently organized and inhabited creation) to a tennis ball and, on the same scale, compared the master universe to an over-sized moon. This is a comparison of something that is two inches in diameter with a space body that is 3200 miles in diameter. We would guess the innermost zone of the Cosmos Infinite would be related in size to the size of the master universe, as the master universe is related to the grand universe. In other words, if the master universe were the tennis ball, then the innermost zone of the Cosmos Infinite would be something like the moon. And this is only the innermost zone – perhaps by far the smallest.
We have a reason for this speculation. In each past instance the nucleus of new cytoplasm has been very small in size when compared with the outlying domain. Havona must be very small in comparison with the size (but not mass) of the superuniverses. We have computed that the grand universe is quite small when compared with the master universe. Now, when we consider the master universe as the nucleus of some exterior creation we believe the same relationship will exist; the nuclear master universe will be small in comparison with even the bare beginning of the Cosmos Infinite.
The appearance of God the Absolute has another parallel with the appearance of the Infinite Spirit: both result in the formation of a trinity. The Infinite Spirit completes the existential personalization of Deity and makes it possible to form the existential Trinity – the Paradise Trinity. The appearance of God the Absolute is the (limited) appearance of the third experiential Deity and factually completes the Second Level of the Trinity of Trinities.
Back in Chapter XII. of the study, we observed that the Trinity of Trinities could form as a factual reality, but could not complete its formation because one of the three members of the Second Level was missing – God the Absolute. With the appearance of this third experiential Deity, we can take inventory of the Trinity of Trinities:
We believe the Third Level of the threefold Trinity will be occupied by the Universal Absolute just so long as God the Absolute will always be unfinished, incomplete, and limited – in the quantity-sense. Were he to complete his experiential growth and development we would reach the outside of infinity and would be beyond the end of eternity.