A TIME OF REVELATION

by Bob Hunt

From a religious or spiritual perspective, we are living in a truly extraordinary age - a time of revelation. Revelation occurs in two quite distinct ways. The first of these is through personal experience, whereby the insights and understanding of receptive individuals are enriched and expanded. This type of revelation is ongoing and has no doubt always been an aspect of human experience. Our personal experiences of revelation may sometimes be more in the realm of feelings rather than in the mind. These are usually recognized as our most wonderful life experiences when we feel joy, happiness, peace, or love. These may be no more than brief glimpses, those special instances that you wish would last forever, when there is momentary clarity and understanding. The source of these revelations is your inner Voice, your internal Teacher, the spark of divinity within your mind and heart.

The second type of revelation occurs on a vastly broader scale and at specific times in evolution, sometimes referred to as epochs, important or noteworthy periods in history. These revelations are the functions of celestial personalities or agencies and have the purpose of providing both information and inspiration for anyone who is receptive to them. The life and teachings of Jesus provide the most well known example of such an epochal revelation.

At this time, a massive outpouring of spiritual information is being channeled through a host of individuals. It is difficult to stay abreast of it all and then to sort it out to discover what rings true, what contains meaning and has value. Perhaps the best test is your own personal truth filter, those inner feelings of clarity associated with personal revelation. This is the approach I have taken in evaluating and studying The Urantia Book (UB) and A Course in Miracles (ACIM). It is the presence of these two works that makes this truly a time of revelation, an epoch as extraordinary as the period of Jesus' life on earth two thousand years ago.

I am assured that the UB and ACIM are pure and authentic written revelations, and my purpose here and now is to share some information and observations about each of these with you. First of all, I have selected some quotations about revelation directly from these sources.

The UB refers to two types of revelation when it states: "Revelation as an epochal phenomenon is periodic; as a personal human experience, it is continuous."

In reference to personal revelation, ACIM states that such revelation is "literally unspeakable because it is an experience of unspeakable love" and "...revelation is an experience of pure joy".

In a more general vein, ACIM states: "Revelation unites you directly with God." A similar passage in the UB states that "revelation successfully bridges the gulf between the material and spiritual...between man and God".

I acquired the UB in 1970 and, while reading it, gradually realized that it is precisely what it purports to be - a major revelation for our planet, which is referred to as Urantia. During the next several years, I studied the book, met other readers, and taught a college course based on the book. In 1974, I was invited by the Los Angeles chapter of the World Future Society to give a talk about the UB. In that talk, I chose the following remarks to introduce the book.

"Suppose that, by some technique, the very highest, most perceptive and truthful human insights could be collected and then formulated into a consistent rendition for study and analysis. The source of each gem of wisdom would be relatively unimportant; each would find its proper place in the whole by withstanding the tests of truth, beauty and goodness on as many levels of reality as the current evolving consciousness of man has experience for evaluation. Suppose, further, that some new information is made available for transition, for completion of partial concepts, and for extensions within the grasp of human understanding. Would the populace of this beleaguered little planet be able to adjust to the new levels of both understanding and responsibility? I regard both the supposition and the question as being of the utmost importance because, incredibly, what I am describing has occurred!

I am speaking about The Urantia Book, an unprecedented, altogether astounding, and totally unique work that will one day be recognized as one of the most important documents ever to appear in the history of mankind on this planet. I shall hereafter attempt to refrain from further exclamatory adjectives or overextended praise. I cannot possibly do justice to the phenomenon that is the UB; and, furthermore, this treatise can stand on its own merits with no need of supporting rhetoric."

My experience with ACIM has been equally powerful. Although I read an article about ACIM soon after it was published in 1975, I did not begin reading and studying it in depth until 1986. In a preface, ACIM is described as "a teaching device" with a curriculum that "is carefully conceived and is explained, step by step, at both the theoretical and practical levels. It emphasizes application, rather than theory, and experience rather than theology". The preface goes on to state that while it is "Christian in statement, the Course deals with universal spiritual themes. It emphasizes that it is but one version of the universal curriculum. There are many others, this one differing from them only in form. They all lead to God in the end".

Neither the UB nor ACIM can be satisfactorily summarized nor briefly described. However, I wish to make a few observations about the origins, content, and authorship of each. The UB was published in 1955, having been transmitted over a period of about fifteen years from some time in the early part of this century until 1935. The UB consists of one hundred and ninety-six papers (or chapters), is two thousand and ninety-seven pages long, and is divided into four major parts. Part One is entitled "The Central and Superuniverses" and consists of thirty-one papers; Part Two is entitled "The Local Universe" and consists of twenty-five papers; Part Three, with sixty-three papers, is "The History of Urantia"; and Part Four, with seventy-seven papers, is "The Life and Teachings of Jesus". While the UB was transmitted through a single human being, the authorship is attributed to a group of superhuman beings, celestial personalities united in a common mission to present this revelation in the English language to our world. According to the cosmology of the UB, the earth is known as Urantia, which is one of about ten million inhabited or inhabitable worlds at various stages of evolution and composing what is known as a local universe. Our local universe is the creation of Michael, a divine being, a Son of God belonging to a class known as Creator Sons. These Sons, according to plan, as part of the scheme of creation, are bestowed on one of the worlds at a certain stage in its evolution. Michael's chosen bestowal world was Urantia; and Michael lived and went through the experience of human death as Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was, literally, Son of Man and Son of God.

The UB also informs us that approximately one hundred thousand local universes comprise a superuniverse, of which there are seven. This represents about seven trillion inhabited or inhabitable planets on which dwell an extraordinary variety of types of beings with the common characteristic of being of one family, the family of God, the Universal Father. The UB describes a vast array of cosmological data while at the same time presenting a consistent, highly intelligent and insightful philosophy of life and reality. One vital thread concerns not only the origin and nature of mortal, planetary beings, but also their potential ascendant destiny. There is every assurance that each unique human personality has the capacity to survive physical death and to exist on successively higher levels of awareness, growing as in immortal soul, formed by human and divine partnership, to a fully realized spirit. Thus, Jesus' teachings of eternal life achieve new dimensions of literal truth by this expanded message.

ACIM, available in a single soft-cover volume since 1985, was originally published in 1975 as three hard-bound volumes. These are: the Text, comprising six hundred and twenty-two pages; the Workbook for Students, four hundred and seventy-eight pages; and an eighty-eight page Manual for Teachers. The content of the ACIM was transmitted over a period of about eight years, from 1965 to 1973. A preface briefly explains in three short sections: "How It Came", "What It Is", and "What It Says". Thus, the reader is immediately given some helpful information about the work itself. The author, the guiding Spirit-Voice of ACIM, is none other than Michael, our Creator Son, speaking again as Jesus. In many instances, he addresses the reader in the first person, leaving no doubt as to his identity. In an early section of the Text, he comments specifically about revelation as follows: "Revelations are directly inspired by me because I am close to the Holy Spirit, and alert to the revelation-readiness of my brothers. I can thus bring down to them more than they can draw down to themselves. The Holy Spirit mediates higher to lower communication, keeping the direct channel from God to you open for revelation."

As for the purpose of these revelations, the UB states that "Revelation is a technique whereby ages upon ages of time are saved in the necessary work of sorting and sifting the errors of evolution from the truths of spirit acquirement"; while ACIM states that "revelation saves time". The UB also makes an interesting distinction between evolutionary religion and revealed religion and then states: "It is a part of the plan of the universe that, sooner or later, evolutionary religion is destined to receive the spiritual expansion of revelation." The UB also states: "In science, God is the First Cause; in religion, the universal and loving Father; in philosophy, the one being who exists by himself, not dependent on any other being for existence but beneficently conferring reality of existence on all things and upon all other beings. But it requires revelation to show that the First Cause of science and the self-existent Unity of philosophy are the God of religion, full of mercy and goodness and pledged to effect the eternal survival of his children on earth."

There are interesting, intriguing parallels between the UB and ACIM. Each was transmitted verbatim through a single individual who did not interfere or attempt to contribute his or her own ideas or views. Neither book has any claim of human authorship. I find no contradictions or inconsistencies in either work; in fact, each is a virtually flawless presentation, as logical as it is beautiful. They are equally authoritative and uplifting. I find them to be mutually supportive and compatible. I have carefully read each of them several times, including going through the lessons in the ACIM Workbook on a daily basis for a year as it suggests. Each time I re-read something in either work, I find new depth and gain higher understanding.

An important concept that occurs throughout both the UB and ACIM concerns each individual's inner spiritual guidance. The references in ACIM to the Voice for God, Teacher, Guide, and Mediator closely parallel the UB's commentary on what is referred to the Thought Adjuster. ACIM tells us of "the Teacher Who instructs in quiet, speaks of peace, and gives our thoughts whatever meaning they may have". The UB informs us that: "The great goal of human existence is to attune to the divinity of the indwelling Adjuster..." ; and notes that we should: "Trust all matters of mind beyond the dead level of consciousness to the custody of the Adjusters."

I am confident that the UB and ACIM will stand the test of time; in fact, both are ahead of their time in the sense that there seems to be no widespread higher consciousness prepared to recognize them. The UB, specifically, may be intended for future generations; but it has appeared at this time to acquire a readership from which teachers and leaders will arise. ACIM may have a more immediate mission although it is esoteric and presents a system of thought that is in direct opposition to the thinking and the ways of the material world. However, both the UB and ACIM should ultimately prove to be as persuasive as they are compelling to a serious and open-minded reader.

What an incredible wealth of good fortune in our lifetime to have these two sources of truth! While ACIM speaks the counsel of Jesus, the UB provides new information concerning the life on earth of this Son of God. The UB offers details about the cosmos and our role in it; while ACIM exhorts us to love and to forgive. Where the UB enlightens us intellectually, ACIM uplifts us spiritually. Each has the capability, in the words of ACIM, to "save thousands of years" in our progress towards, in the words of the UB, the "days of light and life". Together, infused as they are with the Holy Spirit, the potentials are awe-inspiring. May we extend these by seeking and doing the Will of God in our lives!