© 2023 Zshonette Reed
© 2023 Urantia Association of Quebec
Zshonette Reed
California
¶ Part 1 — Taking a stand.
In the publication mandate of The Urantia Book we are told that we must have an army of teachers and leaders ready for a great educational work after the conclusion of the present ideological struggle. We have produced a video explaining that we believe the present ideological struggle is the same as that raised by the Lucifer rebellion, that is, true freedom versus false freedom, or freedom versus license.
Although the rebellion was crushed by Michael in the fulfillment of his bestowal mission, the effects of the rebellion remain. And this residual effect is why we continue to experience the ideological struggle on our world. If we are correct that the ideological struggle is the struggle between freedom and license as presented by the Lucifer rebellion, then it is imperative that we take a stand on the right side of the struggle.
¶ Is it necessary to take a position?
This is an interesting question. Since the struggle is of heavenly origin, perhaps it is up to the heavenly beings to resolve it. Perhaps all we need to do is be good people and work on our personal relationship with the Father.
As The Urantia Book explains:
Michael chose to stay away from the rebellion until he had completed his bestowal mission. In fact, this is the advice given to him by the representatives of Heaven. But this does not imply that others who support Michael should stay away. Let us examine the facts.
Gabriel did not stand aside. While it was not his responsibility to crush the rebellion or judge the rebels, it was his responsibility as the chief executive of the universe to take a stand for justice, and he did just that. Once Lucifer established his counter-revolution, Gabriel took a stand on the Father’s World and relentlessly countered the rebels’ propaganda. He showed why Lucifer’s so-called Declaration of Liberty was wrong, blasphemous, and destructive.
The Constellation Fathers also did their part. While they did not have the power to crush the rebellion or judge the rebels, it was within their power to shut down Satania’s circuits to confine the rebels to the local system and prevent them from contaminating neighboring systems.
Then there was Manotia, second in command of the seraphim of Satania, who refused to participate in what she called “the insult to Michael.” While her superior fell victim to this sophistry, Manotia took control of her seraphic group with the help of the Melchizedeks, the majority of the Material Sons, and the ascending mortals of Jerusem. Through their combined efforts, many personalities were saved.
We have the tale of Ellanora, a young woman from the neighboring planet of Panoptia, who took leadership of the human races and saved her world from falling victim to their rebellious planetary prince.
And, of course, we have the tale of the great Van and his mortal associate Amadon who maintained their loyalty to the government of the universe and preserved the remnants of civilization until the arrival of Adam and Eve.
What about us? Should we take a casual approach to Lucifer’s rebellion? Should we stand idly by while the ideological struggle rages? Or is there something we can do, something within our power, something that is incumbent upon us as mortal sons of the Heavenly Fathers’ faith?
It seems there is something we can do. Like Gabriel, we can take a stand to counter the rebellious fallacies. Gabriel’s method is set out in Booklet 53. It states:
“. . . In the early days of the struggle Lucifer held forth continuously in the planetary amphitheater. Gabriel conducted an unceasing exposure of the rebel sophistries from his headquarters taken up near at hand. The various personalities present on the sphere who were in doubt as to their attitude would journey back and forth between these discussions until they arrived at a final decision. (UB 53:5.6)
Gabriel’s method was education. He provided a space and a place for conversation. Many beings were misled because they could not understand that it was possible for such a dazzling personality as Lucifer to go astray. They were misled because they were worshipful personalities. The solution, as presented by Gabriel, was to examine ideas, not personalities. Like Gabriel, we can provide a place where people can hear Michael’s point of view. This website is a place where one can hear Michael’s point of view in the ideological struggle.
Some may consider such a position too controversial, or even judgmental. But what we would be judging are theories and ideas, not people. Judging ideas and theories is an integral part of any ideological struggle. It really cannot be avoided. True freedom and false freedom cannot coexist peacefully. One will prevail and the other must be defeated. In heaven, this is called “war.” And there will be casualties.
¶ Unnecessary delay
Then there is the question of justice. When we think of the enormous damage caused by the rebellion, and the much suffering we continue to endure, it is understandable that we long for the annihilation of the arch-rebels. But could it be that we bear some responsibility for this delay? Could our actions or inaction be contributing to this delay?
This question arises because of what is said in booklet 54:
And the Ancients of Days refuse to annihilate any being until all moral values and all spiritual realities are extinct, both in the evildoer and in all related supporters and possible sympathizers. (UB 54:3.3)
Consider also what is stated about Satan in Paper 43:
Since the triumph of Christ, all Norlatiadek is being cleansed of sin and rebels. Sometime before Michael’s death in the flesh the fallen Lucifer’s associate, Satan, sought to attend such an Edentia conclave, but the solidification of sentiment against the archrebels had reached the point where the doors of sympathy were so well-nigh universally closed that there could be found no standing ground for the Satania adversaries. When there exists no open door for the reception of evil, there exists no opportunity for the entertainment of sin. The doors of the hearts of all Edentia closed against Satan; he was unanimously rejected by the assembled System Sovereigns, and it was at this time that the Son of Man “beheld Satan fall as lightning from heaven.” (UB 43:4.9)
We can conclude that until Luciferian concepts are entirely cast out upon our world, the Ancients of Days may refrain from annihilating the rebels. Thus, a delay in exposing Lucifer’s poisonous proclamations may prolong our planetary agony.
It is evident that a large part of our society embraces, sympathizes with, or tolerates, consciously or unconsciously, Luciferian ideas. And it seems that many people are unaware of what is happening in our world. Luciferian ideas are woven into our government, our entertainment, our culture. Even our religious and so-called spiritual ideologies unwittingly fall under the influence of Luciferian ideas, as do millions of angels and celestial beings. We will discuss some of these ideas in upcoming articles.
But where is the counterbalance to all this? Who stands on “the Father’s World” to show the error of these ideas? Virtually the entire readership of the Urantia Book community wears Michael’s banner, the three azure blue circles on a white background. We display it on nearly all of our websites and social media. We wear it on our clothing and jewelry. But do we understand the implications?
Accepting this standard means that we are on Michael’s side in the controversy. We are not mere spectators and bystanders. We are those who have the knowledge and understanding of the depth and breadth of the rebellion. We know its origin and we know its destiny.
It is therefore incumbent upon all who bear the standard to make known the truth regarding the ideological struggle. We must not limit our discussions. We must take a real stand on Michael’s side in the controversy, until the struggle is won and the rebellious ideas are entirely and completely rejected.
So we encourage you to think about what has been said here. What can you do to take a stand on Michael’s side in the ideological struggle? How can you accelerate the rejection of Luciferian ideas? Please feel free to write to us with your ideas, comments, or questions, and perhaps together we can make a difference. And, consider enrolling in The Ambassadors School to develop and improve your ministerial skills so that you can be effective in promoting and supporting Michael’s side in the ideological struggle.
In the meantime, may the Spirit of Truth accompany you.