With divine selflessness, the Universal Father relinquishes his authority and delegates his power to the Eternal Son, who likewise delegates to the Conjoint Creator (3:6.1; 8:3.2). This same spirit of divine selflessness is present at the local universe level in which the Creator Sons are given authority and power. But it does not stop there. These very Sons, being likewise as selfless as the Father, also delegate their power and authority. Executive power for the local universe is delegated to the first-born son of the Creative Son and Spirit, the Bright and Morning Star. (33:0.1) There is only one Bright and Morning Star in each local universe, and in Nebadon he is called Gabriel of Salvington. (33:4.5)
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The Bright and Morning Star
158 posts · 10 participants · started Jan 28, 2015, 1:46 PM
Thanks for starting this thread, Bonita. I have been intrigued by this passage about Gabriel:
33:4.6 Gabriel is the chief officer of execution for superuniverse mandates relating to nonpersonal affairs in the local universe. Most matters pertaining to mass judgment and dispensational resurrections, adjudicated by the Ancients of Days, are also delegated to Gabriel and his staff for execution. Gabriel is thus the combined chief executive of both the super- and the local universe rulers. He has at his command an able corps of administrative assistants, created for their special work, who are unrevealed to evolutionary mortals. In addition to these assistants, Gabriel may employ any and all of the orders of celestial beings functioning in Nebadon, and he is also the commander in chief of “the armies of heaven”—the celestial hosts.
I wonder why there are “armies” in heaven? Does UB use that term in the way that we use it in the context of physical battles? Or does TUB use it simply to indicate large numbers of assembled beings who are one in purpose and intent? Something I’ve been pondering.
- Keryn wrote: I wonder why there are “armies” in heaven? Does UB use that term in the way that we use it in the context of physical battles? Or does TUB use it simply to indicate large numbers of assembled beings who are one in purpose and intent? Something I’ve been pondering.
According to the dictionary, the word army refers to a large number of people or things, typically organized for a given purpose. For instance, we refer to an army of ants or an army of volunteers. I think the use of the phrase celestial hosts is more appropriate. The word host also means a large number of people or things. The quote is simply saying that there is a large number of celestial beings available to serve under the command of Gabriel . . . serve being the keyword there. The celestial concept of service and loyalty is nothing like the concept of service and loyalty found in human military groups.
Bonita, your opening, “With divine selflessness, the Universal Father relinquishes his authority and delegates his power. . . .” made me think bingo! What a great way to start this discussion. Our local Universe is modeled after that pattern of building from the top down, as regards populating the local creation. Thus, the Bright and Morning Star.
- Mara wrote: Our local Universe is modeled after that pattern of building from the top down, as regards populating the local creation.
Thanks Mara. I decided to begin this way because of the admonition in the UB concerning the avoidance of erroneous or fallacious thinking by starting from the higher in order to approach the lower. (19:1.7)
Combining the themes of celestial hosts and the importance of working from the top down, I thought I should mention that Gabriel is also known as the Lord God of hosts (38:6.2). He is the supreme commander of the angelic army but he also delegates this responsibility to the Brilliant Evening Stars.
(369.6) 33:4.3 This first-born of the parents of a new universe is a unique personality possessing many wonderful traits not visibly present in either ancestor, a being of unprecedented versatility and unimagined brilliance. This supernal personality embraces the divine will of the Son combined with the creative imagination of the Spirit. The thoughts and acts of the Bright and Morning Star will ever be fully representative of both the Creator Son and the Creative Spirit. Such a being is also capable of a broad understanding of, and sympathetic contact with, both the spiritual seraphic hosts and the material evolutionary will creatures.
(370.1) 33:4.4 The Bright and Morning Star is not a creator, but he is a marvelous administrator, being the personal administrative representative of the Creator Son. Aside from creation and life impartation the Son and the Spirit never confer upon important universe procedures without Gabriel’s presence.
It would appear that Gabriel has the confidence of the two Deities which created him by their union. I wonder the effect that experience has to one so high born (for such as me, everything is gained by experience but not so with many Sons in the local universes). Does Gabriel know the Father only by the Son like the other sons locally? What is his connection to the super universe personalities or even Paradise spirits? Is Gabriel considered an ascendant being? Thanks Bonita.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
- Bradly wrote: I wonder the effect that experience has to one so high born (for such as me, everything is gained by experience but not so with many Sons in the local universes).I think the following quote answers that question:33:4.5 Gabriel of Salvington is the chief executive of the universe of Nebadon and the arbiter of all executive appeals respecting its administration. This universe executive was created fully endowed for his work, but he has gained experience with the growth and evolution of our local creation.Bradly wrote: Does Gabriel know the Father only by the Son like the other sons locally?
Gabriel’s personality is ideal because it is the result of the association of two divine persons. This makes him the highest spirit personality of the Son and the Spirit in the local universe, equal in divinity to both his parents. In fact, he actually possesses some traits not present alone in either of his parents because he is the perfect combination of both. There is only one personality created in each universe with the combined natures of both the Creator Son and Spirit. This results in unprecidented versatility and brilliance embracing both the divine will of the Creative Son and the creative imagination of the Creative Spirit, which makes Gabriel’s thoughts fully representative of both parents, thus making him the perfect executive for the local universe. Does he know the Father only by the Son? We are told that the Creative Son is the representative of the Father in the local universe. That being said, any personality has direct access to the Father through the personality circuit.
Bradly wrote: What is his connection to the super universe personalities or even Paradise spirits?Because Gabriel fully represents the thoughts of the Creative Son, he is capable of being the arbiter of all executive appeals that are nonpersonal respecting the administration of the local universe. In addition, because he is the chief executive he is responsible for executing the decisions made at the superuniverse level as they pertain to the local universe.
Even though Gabriel is the chief executive of Nebadon and even though he was created fully endowed for this work, when Michael was on his bestowals, Gabriel did not direct universe affairs alone. He was always in collaboration with the Union of Days. Even when acting as regent in Michael’s absence, he seeks counsel from Immanuel of Salvington. Gabriel’s executive role is not one of a dictator or autocrat.
Bradly wrote: Is Gabriel considered an ascendant being?Bright and Morning Stars are considered dual origin descending Sons. See 30:1:29-33.
Gabriel’s personality is ideal because it is the result of the association of two divine persons. This makes him the highest spirit personality of the Son and the Spirit in the local universe, equal in divinity to both his parents.
33:4.2 Only one such being of wisdom and majesty is brought forth in each local universe. The Universal Father and the Eternal Son can, in fact do, create an unlimited number of Sons in divinity equal to themselves; but such Sons, in union with the Daughters of the Infinite Spirit, can create only one Bright and Morning Star in each universe, a being like themselves and partaking freely of their combined natures but not of their creative prerogatives. Gabriel of Salvington is like the Universe Son in divinity of nature though considerably limited in the attributes of Deity.
Not “equal” in divinity but “like” the Universe Son.
Combining the themes of celestial hosts and the importance of working from the top down, I thought I should mention that Gabriel is also known as the Lord God of hosts (38:6.2). He is the supreme commander of the angelic army but he also delegates this responsibility to the Brilliant Evening Stars.
Gabriel is NOT “Lord God of hosts”.
38:6.2 Twelve legions of angels comprise a host numbering 2,985,984 pairs or 5,971,968 individuals, and twelve such hosts (35,831,808 pairs or 71,663,616 individuals) make up the largest operating organization of seraphim, an angelic army. A seraphic host is commanded by an archangel or by some other personality of co-ordinate status, while the angelic armies are directed by the Brilliant Evening Stars or by other immediate lieutenants of Gabriel. And Gabriel is the “supreme commander of the armies of heaven,” the chief executive of the Sovereign of Nebadon, “the Lord God of hosts.”
“The lord God of hosts” is the Sovereign of Nebadon, non other than Christ Michael.
Please read more carefully.
The quote is clear enough and Gabriel is so called….by someone; note the quotation marks….as Gabriel has been called or known as “the Lord God of Hosts”. Michael is also not, technically, the Lord God according to his position, that is the First Source and Center. I surmise that the quote marks make a form of attribution to someone else who has written of Gabriel, and this quote correctly identifies Gabriel as he who leads the heavenly hosts…or those of Nebadon anyway. The phrase is used over 250 times in the OT including a description of the “Archangel Michael” or Gabriel actually. It is a way of correcting the record as to who is exactly the lord of the angelic hosts. Or so it seems to me.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
The phrase Lord God of Hosts appears 261 times in the Old Testament. Just in case anyone is interested, it’s Lord God Sabaoth when part of the Catholic Liturgy, which loosely translated means God of power and might.
- Bradly wrote:The quote is clear enough and Gabriel is so called….by someone; note the quotation marks….as Gabriel has been called or known as “the Lord God of Hosts”. Michael is also not, technically, the Lord God according to his position, that is the First Source and Center.
I agree with you Bradly. The quote is quite clear that Gabriel has three titles:
- Supreme commander of the armies of heaven.
- Chief executive of the Sovereign of Nebadon.
- Lord God of hosts
Elsewhere in the UB (97:9.11), the term Lord God of hosts is used to refer to Yahweh, one of the primitive gods of the Palestinian tribes, and another time it is quoting Isaiah 61:1 (126:4.2)
96:1.3 Yahweh was the god of the southern Palestinian tribes, who associated this concept of deity with Mount Horeb, the Sinai volcano. Yahweh was merely one of the hundreds and thousands of nature gods which held the attention and claimed the worship of the Semitic tribes and peoples.
The quote is clear enough and Gabriel is so called….by someone; note the quotation marks….as Gabriel has been called or known as “the Lord God of Hosts”. Michael is also not, technically, the Lord God according to his position, that is the First Source and Center. I surmise that the quote marks make a form of attribution to someone else who has written of Gabriel, and this quote correctly identifies Gabriel as he who leads the heavenly hosts…or those of Nebadon anyway. The phrase is used over 250 times in the OT including a description of the “Archangel Michael” or Gabriel actually. It is a way of correcting the record as to who is exactly the lord of the angelic hosts. Or so it seems to me.
I disagree.
38:6.2 Twelve legions of angels comprise a host numbering 2,985,984 pairs or 5,971,968 individuals, and twelve such hosts (35,831,808 pairs or 71,663,616 individuals) make up the largest operating organization of seraphim, an angelic army. A seraphic host is commanded by an archangel or by some other personality of co-ordinate status, while the angelic armies are directed by the Brilliant Evening Stars or by other immediate lieutenants of Gabriel. And Gabriel is the “supreme commander of the armies of heaven,” the chief executive of the Sovereign of Nebadon, “the Lord God of hosts.”
This simple grammar clearly states that “the Lord God of Hosts” is the Sovereign of Nebadon” and not Gabriel, who is “chief executive of” “the Lord God of hosts”, which is Michael/Jesus. Also search Sovereign of Nebadon” and you will find that Jesus would be considered as “supreme Sovereign of Nebadon”.
136:3.1 Jesus had endured the great temptation of his mortal bestowal before his baptism when he had been wet with the dews of Mount Hermon for six weeks. There on Mount Hermon, as an unaided mortal of the realm, he had met and defeated the Urantia pretender, Caligastia, the prince of this world. That eventful day, on the universe records, Jesus of Nazareth had become the Planetary Prince of Urantia. And this Prince of Urantia, so soon to be proclaimed supreme Sovereign of Nebadon, now went into forty days of retirement to formulate the plans and determine upon the technique of proclaiming the new kingdom of God in the hearts of men.
33:4.2 Only one such being of wisdom and majesty is brought forth in each local universe. The Universal Father and the Eternal Son can, in fact do, create an unlimited number of Sons in divinity equal to themselves; but such Sons, in union with the Daughters of the Infinite Spirit, can create only one Bright and Morning Star in each universe, a being like themselves and partaking freely of their combined natures but not of their creative prerogatives. Gabriel of Salvington is like the Universe Son in divinity of nature though considerably limited in the attributes of Deity.
0:1.15 Deity is the source of all that which is divine. Deity is characteristically and invariably divine, but all that which is divine is not necessarily Deity, though it will be co-ordinated with Deity and will tend towards some phase of unity with Deity—spiritual, mindal, or personal.
Gabriel of Salvington is not Deity.
I disagree.
Disagree with what??? The text is NOT saying Gabriel IS the Lord or Deity either one…the quotation marks mean someone called Gabriel this and that he is indeed the leader of the heavenly hosts (of Nebadon only). The quotes indicate another source for the term so enclosed. Nothing controversial about it.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
I agree with you Bradly. The quote is quite clear that Gabriel has three titles:
Supreme commander of the armies of heaven.
Chief executive of the Sovereign of Nebadon.
Lord God of hostsI disagree with the last tile. Who gave Gabriel the title, “Lord God of hosts”?
The Bright and Morning Star is the ideal of divinity. He is the highest personality in the local universe after his parents. His divinity is equal to both the Creative Son and Spirit; his thoughts and actions will ever be fully representative of both of his parents. The only deity attributes not imparted to him by his creator parents are their creator and life impartation prerogatives (33:4.4); otherwise, he partakes of their attributes fully, and in addition, has some of his own due to his combined parentage.
What is the difference between deity and divinity, one might ask?
117:3.9 Deity is unity, existential in the Trinity, experiential in the Supreme, and, in mortals, creature-realized in Adjuster fusion.
0:1.16 Divinity is the characteristic, unifying, and co-ordinating quality of Deity.
He is the highest personality in the local universe after his parents.
In what order would God place us in personality status as compared to Gabriel? I would suggest to you that I have equal standing in personality status according to God. He is no respecter of persons. Gabriel’s personality stands no higher than mine or yours.
His divinity is equal to both the Creative Son and Spirit; his thoughts and actions will ever be fully representative of both of his parents.
Show me the quote where it says that Gabriel’s divinity is EQUAL to that of Michael’s.
“Gabriel of Salvington is “like” the Universe Son in divinity of nature though “considerably limited” in the attributes of Deity.” (33:4.2)
- Bradly wrote:Nothing controversial about it.Isn’t controversy interesting? Very early on the UB we’re told the following:2:3.5 In any universe contest between actual levels of reality, the personality of the higher level will ultimately triumph over the personality of the lower level. This inevitable outcome of universe controversy is inherent in the fact that divinity of quality equals the degree of reality or actuality of any will creature. Undiluted evil, complete error, willful sin, and unmitigated iniquity are inherently and automatically suicidal. Such attitudes of cosmic unreality can survive in the universe only because of transient mercy-tolerance pending the action of the justice-determining and fairness-finding mechanisms of the universe tribunals of righteous adjudication.Gabriel is the ideal of divinity in our universe. Looks to me like he has a very high degree of REALNESS and therefore is someone worthy of a massive amount of respect. And it also looks to me like he’s the guy who is going to ultimately triumph, that is, if you go by what’s written in 2:3.5.32:2.6 . . . the Bright and Morning Star, the personification of this initial creative concept of identity and ideal of divinity.
