The Dead Sea Scrolls are important because they provide crucial missing information to the overall prophetic picture of the Old Testament. The leader of the Qumran community, the Teacher of Righteousness (100-200 B.C.), is an inspired and master interpreter of scripture. He has much to teach us, and like the other Old Testament Prophets, the Teacher of Righteousness hints at a revelatory experience that very likely represents further "collaboration" with Melchizedek.

     The Revelation to John will be used in bits and pieces. The Urantia Book tells us that: UB  1555 When in temporary exile on Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelation which you now have in greatly abridged and distorted form. This Book of Revelation contains the surviving fragments of a great revelation, large portions of which were lost, other portions removed, subsequent to John’s writing.

     It is preserved only in fragmentary and distorted form. Because of this information I have used Revelation sparingly and only when it builds upon a line of prophecy already established previously in scripture. The "collaborator" in Revelation is no longer Melchizedek, but instead Jesus/Michael for the first time, as the "age of the gentile Christians" begins. I have also included the work of several poets because prophets are usually poets and poets are frequently prophets. Many times poetry foresees that which is later understood through science and philosophy. This is so because:

UB  1199      Supreme and self-acting adjusters are often able to contribute
                     factors of spiritual import to the human mind when it flows
                     freely in the liberated but controlled channels of creative
                     imagination.

Of course, God Himself is the ultimate source of all true prophecy. He tells us:

     Ezekiel was told not to entertain any illusions. . . ‘I (God) send you to them. . . whether they hear or refuse to hear.’ Ezekiel 2&3 (p.19) The prophet claims to be far more than a messenger. He is a person who stands in the presence of God (Jer. 15:9). (p. 21). The gift he is blessed with is not a skill, but rather the gift of being guided and restrained. (p. 22). He not only conveys but reveals. (p. 22).

     The fundamental experience of the prophet is a fellowship with the feelings of God, a sympathy with the divine pathos. (p. 26).

     Now lets move on to the accuracy of prophecy. Science always asks, what does the data say? What is the prior success record? As with all searches for truth, we must come to each question with an open mind, aware of the biases we inevitably have. This is particularly hard to do with prophecy because we have all been inculcated with the same unexamined "modern" suppositions and assumptions regarding reality. We are like fish swimming in a sea of suppositions, and fish are always the last to know about water, because it pervades their universe, and its absence is never experienced/realized. After all, is it really so hard to believe that our Father would want to warn, teach, and prepare His children regarding events to come? Most modern, "popular," scholars think something like this: "Miracles are not possible and so they can not exist. And miracles cannot exist because they are impossible. Now we have proved it." Notice anything funny? Perhaps, this is an example of how our "arrogance outruns our reason," as per the Urantia Book. Next, having "proved" the impossibility of prophecy, our most popular scholars must now invent any possible scheme they can to "prove" that the accurate prophecy was in fact written after the event had occurred. Thus the case is closed, irrefutable to anyone with a "modicum of sense." And if the evidence is too strong to refute, then the authorities of politically correct thought step in to downplay, ignore, or obfuscate such evidence. This club sees no evil, hears no evil, and does no evil.

     There are many, many well-documented examples of detailed prophecies that have come true to the exact details. We must realize that mans simplistic notions of time, space, and causality have already been destroyed by a new and enlarged perspective largely forced on us by the evidences of quantum theory, chaos theory, Bell’s theorem, and Godel’s incompleteness proof. There is already a sound human basis for a philosophy that embraces both reason and intuition, matter and spirit, logic and faith.

     The materialistic, reductionistic, mechanistic universe paradigm has been forever shattered. Yet the majority of conventional scientists cling to their old ideas of certainty and predictability.

     This is because there is a religion about science that scientists are not willing to admit to, just as stubbornly as any other religionist has, from time to time been. This religion is unexamined and lurks in the darkness of unrecognized assumptions, prejudices, and biases about the world and the way we want it to be rather than the way it really is. If we want to be "top dog" and in control of everything then we cannot also allow ourselves to believe in God. A belief in God would logically bring our self-sovereignty into question. Since we are too weak and prideful to allow for the existence of spiritual realities we must find the Universe to be strictly materialistic, strictly mechanistic, and strictly under our control. But then these religious beliefs of our conventional scientists, and many others, are masqueraded as proved scientific certainties to the untrained eye. Let it be known that a logical, rational, and intelligent person can examine phenomena outside of our present paradigm and make logical judgments regarding the unknown. The belief in God is neither irrational or unfounded. In fact we will see that a belief in a purposeful God is far more rational than a belief in an unending series of infinitely improbable "accidents." The scientific method is a good approach to all types of questions and always asks what does the evidence show. Even if there is only one well-documented case of a detailed and accurate prophecy, our assumptions about reality must be adjusted to allow for this. Most people, including scientists, do not love truth. Therefore, the truth is crucified and sacrificed day after day in the halls of cowardice, laziness, and self-centeredness.

Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls

DSC       He will atone for all the children of his generation, and he will
4Q541.9     be sent to all his children of his [pe] ople. His word is like a
                    word of heaven, and his teaching is in accordance with the will
                    of God. His eternal sun will shine, and his light will be kindled in
                    all corners of the earth, and it will shine on the darkness. Then the
                    darkness will pass away [fro] m the earth, and thick darkness from
                    the dry land. (spiritual darkness) (my parenthesis)
                    They will speak many words against him, and they will invent
                    many [lies] and fictions against him and speak shameful things
                   about him. Evil will overthrow his generation […] His situation
                   will be one of lying and violence [and] the people will go astray
                    in the days, and be confounded.

DSC         Do [not] grieve for [him] […] God will set many things right
4Q541.24 […] many revealed things […] Examine and seek and know what
                 the dove (or: Jonah?) sought (?) and do not afflict the weak by
                 wasting or hanging […] [Let] not the nail approach him. So you
                 will establish for your father a name of joy, and for your brothers
                 a proven foundation […] You will see and rejoice in the eternal
                 light, and you will not be an enemy. (dotted lines and parentheses
                 indicate missing original text)

The first paragraph describes the Son of Man perfectly; his "eternal" existence, "his word like a word of heaven," and his "teaching in accordance with the will of God" could apply to no other person. The first line of this first paragraph refers to the concept of atonement. This erroneous concept is an example of how revelation is shaped by the cultural mind set into which it is given, just as a cup gives shape to the coffee poured into it. We must distinguish between the facts described and the prophet’s interpretation of those facts; i.e. the same level separation that the Urantia Book teaches: fact, meaning, value. The events can still be accurate even if the prophet’s assumptions and interpretations of these is incomplete or inaccurate; i.e. the coffee tastes the same no matter which cup you choose to put it in. The method of level separation taught in the Urantia Book is a very powerful tool for the understanding of all phenomena, as well as this specific phenomenon, prophecy interpretation.

     The second paragraph of 4Q541.9 describes the corrupt social and political scene found at the time of Jesus’ death, near the end of an age in 70 AD (Roman war). This corrupted sociopolitical scene of lying, violence and confusion can refer to any end of an age time period, as it is the same for all ends of ages: i.e. the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 587 B.C., the destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple A.D. 70, and today; the end of the dispensation of the "gentiles/Christians" (as well as the end of the larger age of the Adamic default and the temporary Sovereignty of Man). Human ages end because the weeds eventually overgrow the good seed. This happens because there is no one to pluck up the weeds along the way. Only a divine leadership can have the authority and wisdom to do this consistently and effectively over long periods of time. Not only man, but even most lower orders of divine beings are incapable of self-governance as is discussed in The Urantia Book.

UB  766        Without help from superhuman sources the strain of society
                      breaks down upon reaching certain limits, and these very
                      influences of social mobilization –hunger, love, vanity and
                      fear – conspire to plunge mankind into war and bloodshed.

     Melchizedek surely understands this and just as surely would have provided a solution for it in his "comprehensive plan" for rehabilitation of the planet. I wonder if he is challenged by any impatience as he waits for harvest time and the beginning of a new dispensation for his estranged children, to whom he has devoted so much, for so long.

     The third paragraph of the Dead Sea Scroll text 5Q541 under consideration, again describes Jesus’ situation accurately and specifically, this time crucifixion is alluded to, i.e. "do not afflict the weak by wasting or hanging […] [let] not the nail approach him." The "nail" and "hanging" are specific to ancient descriptions of crucifixion. No one knows for sure, but my intuition tells me that the Qumran leader, the Teacher of Righteousness, is addressing his community in this paragraph and is warning them not to have any part in the upcoming, near future crucifixion of the Son of Man, so that they and their families will stay on the side of righteousness. Very likely then, Melchizedek has already "collaborated" with the Teacher of Righteousness in a revelatory process that has included revelation of Jesus and his crucifixion. The Teacher of Righteousness is God’s servant and prophet for that time period, 100 years before the birth of Jesus. The Qumran community is then a faithful Jewish remnant of that time who have elected to follow God's will, and who have chosen self-exile (isolation) from the corruption and lawlessness of their times. By the evidence of this accurate and important prophecy about Jesus, we can postulate that other prophetic material in the Dead Sea Scrolls may also be highly accurate and important. Since the Teacher’s prophecies clearly focused on a future Messianic time period, when all is set right in the world, this body of prophecy is likely to be very important to our situation today at the close of The Age, just before the arrival of the Messiah, Melchizedek.

     What a "coincidence" that these Scrolls have just been recently found and brought to our attention today, the very day of its relevance. We will return to the Scrolls at various points later on.

     Another excellent example of well-documented, accurate prophecies is the book of Daniel. Daniel, chapter 11, accurately and in great detail predicts over 400 years of history. (Discussed in this book in the chapter - Daniel.) This startling information has been buried in dust by the naysayers, whose logic and premises are quite flimsy but have nevertheless ruled the day for so long. However, studies of the Dead Sea Scrolls support strongly the thesis that Daniel was written long before, and not after, the events prophesied.

     These then, are but a small number of very accurate prophecies in the Old Testament prophetic scripture. I am no expert, by any means, but I know of no well-documented Old Testament prophecies that have been definitively shown to be inaccurate. The prophecies are precise and detailed, and sometimes include precise time frames for their fulfillment. Ultimately, prophecy is only possible because human minds are capable of tuning in to God’s mind. Only God can know the future. His mind is omniscient and absolute. The quality and accuracy of any given prophecy is determined by the intellectual capacity and spiritual receptivity of the prophet’s mind.

     The more complete the prophet’s subordination is to God’s will, the higher is the potential for safe and accurate receptivity. Dreams and visions are sometimes used, but the more common and mundane experiences are those "suprapsychologic presentiments" (UB) given through the intuitive mind. This represents the same process as achieving close contact with the indwelling thought adjuster that is described in full detail by The Urantia Book and discussed in a later chapter. And so, the cup of our understanding grows and changes as we assimilate knowledge and concepts and grow spiritually in our lives. Our ultimate capacity is limited only by time, our will, and the biologic factors that condition intelligence and spiritual receptivity. However, no matter how large or small our cup may be, God will always fill us up over the brim of our capacity. And when the capacity of the material form is exhausted, another and higher form is given. This process of increase never ends because God never ends.

     The political activity in the Middle East is a clock for the fulfillment of prophecy; for when the hour of this war strikes, Melchizedek will sometime thereafter make his entry and all the world will know it.

     Those who unknowingly bring about God’s prophecy will be totally oblivious to that prophecy. When we turn away from God, we also turn away from the source of all wisdom and knowledge. We are "blind and blinded," "stupid and stupefied." To many of us, living religion is crystallized into "a commandment of men, learned by rote." We pay lip service to God but have no living connection to Him. What we say and what we do are two different things. Since God, and only God, is the source of love and life, we , like the living branch of a vine, become cut off and withered by our separation from Him.

     The disappearance of ‘the scoffer, the tyrant, and those diligent for evil,’ who still are all too prevalent among us, tells us that these prophecies lie still in our, hopefully, not too distant future.

     This truly will be a transformed world when Melchizedek takes sovereignty. Yet what will the majority of people think and say when they hear these prophecies? Isaiah answers:

Isaiah 30:9   It is a rebellious people,
                    Faithless children,
                    Children who refuse to heed
                    The instruction of the Lord;
                    Who say to the seers,
                     "Do not see."
                     To the prophets, "Do not prophesy truth to us;
                     The peoples gather.
                     Who among them declared this,
                      Foretold to us the things that have happened?
                      Let them produce their witnesses to be vindicated,
                      That men, hearing them, may say, "It is true!"
                      My witnesses are you, -declares the Lord—

     This assembly of nations and people has never yet occurred, but will occur, and we (the readers) will be witnesses to the truth of this prophecy that we are now reading. Only God knows the future. God continues to tell us what He is going to do:

Isaiah 43:19    I will make a road through the wilderness
                      And rivers in the desert.
                      The wild beasts shall honor Me. . .
Isaiah 44:2      Even as I pour water on a thirsty soil,
                       And rain upon the dry ground,
                       So will I pour My spirit on your offspring,
                       My blessing upon your posterity
                       And they shall sprout like grass . . .

     The drought will finally be broken by an outpouring of physical water upon the physical desert as well as the spiritual water on the spiritual desert that so many souls are living through.

     What more daring a goal for human-kind than for each person to become, in ideal as well as practice, a citizen of a world community. It is a classical vision; we can now give it new vitality. Humanism thus interpreted is a moral force that has time on its side. We believe that humankind has the potential, intelligence, goodwill, and cooperative skill to implement this commitment in the decades ahead."

     This is the end of Humanist Manifesto II. It proclaims the establishment of the brotherhood of humankind. Unfortunately, they do not know that "you cannot establish the brotherhood of man without the Fatherhood of God." (UB) Simple, basic, everyday truth, unappreciated by the closed minds of man. Truth is so very valuable because it can be lived successfully. (UB) Why have so few found such wisdom? Can we find if we do not seek? Do we seek if we are not thirsty for truth? Are we thirsty if we are still satisfied with our own deceptions? Blessed are the meek, for they are not self-satisfied. They are still open to the light of truth. We now return to our discussion of Urantia Book prophecy and the world crisis to come. We should not become so caught up in looking for the end of the age that we neglect to establish and maintain the Kingdom of Heaven within. For the Master said:

UB  1916         Even you, Thomas, fail to comprehend what I have been
                         saying. Have I not taught you that your connection with the
                         Kingdom of Heaven is spiritual and individual, wholly a matter
                         of personal experience in the spirit by the faith-realization that
                         you are a son of God? What more shall I say? The downfall
                         of nations, the crash of empires, the destruction of unbelieving
                         Jews, the end of an age, even the end of the world, what have
                         these things to do with one who believes this gospel and who
                         has led his life in the surety of the eternal kingdom?

     The coming trials will not destroy us. Instead they will purify and transform us. Now, back to the main narrative of Isaiah. God is explaining the real reason for these trials to come:

Isaiah 48:10    See, I refine you, but not as silver;
                       test you in the furnace of affliction.
Zechariah 13:9   And I will put this third (of people) into the fire
                         And refine them as one refines silver,
                         And test them as gold is tested.
                         The remnant of Israel . . .
                         Gather them from the ends of the earth— . . .
Jeremiah 31:8        In a vast throng they shall return here.
                             They shall come with weeping,
                            And with compassion I will guide them.

     Here again, the Lord instructs His servant to gather the Israel remnant (Lost Ten Tribes) from: "the ends of the earth," the "head of nations," and the "coastlands afar." The remnant will return in a "throng," weeping and in need of compassion and guidance from the Lord. This "vast throng" recalls to us the great numbers of Abraham’s future offspring who are "as the sand of the sea" and the "stars in the heavens." In fact, the numerous people of "Lost Israel" are the fulfillment of this promise from Melchizedek to Abraham made so long ago. In Jeremiah, the Lord Melchizedek sets the record straight:

Jeremiah 31:10   Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
                          And tell it in the coastlands afar. Say:
                          He who scattered Israel will gather them,
                          And will guard them like a shepherd his flock.

     The Lord/Melchizedek scattered Israel and he will personally shepherd and gather his flock on his return. In 1Enoch, Melchizedek is referred to as the Shepherd. Melchizedek is our outer physical Shepherd and Jesus is our inner spiritual Shepherd.

     The "head of nations" is referred to as "the coastlands afar." This is a nation that exists at the time of Melchizedek’s return possibly sometime in our near future, judging from developing world and Middle Eastern events. This "head of nations" is said to be "afar" from the country Israel, which is the geographic center of Biblical prophecy. What nation might this be? Let’s look at this word "afar" in some other scripture passages to see if it is used consistently, cross-section wise, through scripture:

Jeremiah 50:41    But you have no fear, My servant Jacob,
                           Be not dismayed, O Israel!
                           I will deliver you from far away . . .
                          And Jacob again shall have calm.

     Again this people called "Israel" are far away from Canaan. Notice Jeremiah 31:10 confirms that ‘Israel’ refers to the northern tribes who were scattered by God (through the Assyrians), never yet to have returned. Jacob is the reunified remnants of Israel and Judah. They have calm because war has been put to an end and ‘swords are turned into plowshares’ by Melchizedek’s intervention and sovereignty.

Isaiah 52:6     Assuredly, My people shall learn My name,
                     Assuredly, They shall learn on that day
                     That I, the One who promised,
                     Am now at hand.

     Melchizedek’s people have lost all knowledge of him and his selfless service in their behalf. He returns to us like a father we never knew we had. Judah will wake up as from a long sleep. Israel will wake up to their true identity and then to Melchizedek’s unrecognized relationship to themselves therefore: "My people shall learn My name." "Judah" are the Jews of modern Israel, but "Israel" remains for us to identify. Now:

Isaiah 52:7    How welcome on the mountains
                     Are the footsteps of the herald
                     Announcing happiness,
                     Heralding good fortune,
                     Announcing victory,
                     Telling Zion, "Your God is King!"

     The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment, 11Q13, the Coming of Melchizedek, interprets this verse (Isaiah 52:7) in the following way. The herald is the final prophet who announces and "prepares the way of" Melchizedek, just as John the Baptist announced and "prepared the way of" Jesus. The mountains are interpreted to be a symbol of the Old Testament Prophets. The final prophet thus stands on the shoulders of the olden prophets, meaning that the final prophet bases his message on his interpretation of Old Testament prophecy. This is why the Teacher of Righteousness, the leader of the Qumran community of the Dead Sea Scrolls, refers to this final prophet as the "interpreter of the Law." The "Law" here being the Old Testament including the prophets. We can now also understand why the Urantia Book refers to this coming prophet as "another and greater John the Baptist," because the final prophet, like John, will announce and "prepare the way of the Lord," this time the Lord Melchizedek. The prophet proclaims to Zion (all those faithful to the One God), "your God is King," or rather; "The Lord Melchizedek is King," as interpreted by the Teacher of Righteousness in 11Q13 of the Scrolls. 11Q13 is thus an extremely important document that binds together the Urantia Book and Old Testament prophecy. It will be discussed again later in the Dead Sea Scrolls chapter. Continuing with this subject we also have:

Psalms 102:14  You will surely arise and take pity on Zion,
                         For it is time to be gracious to her;
                         The appointed time has come.
                         For the Lord has built Zion;
                         He has appeared in all His glory.

     The present world is based on the principal Might makes Right. In the world of Melchizedek, King of Righteousness, the world will be based on Right makes Might.  Next we have a prophecy regarding Jesus:

Isaiah 53:3    He was despised, shunned by men,
                     A man of suffering, familiar with disease,
                     As one who hid his face from us,
                     He was despised we held him of no account.
                     Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing
                     Our suffering that he endured.
                     We accounted him plagued.
                     Smitten and afflicted by God:
                     But he was wounded because of our sins,
                     Crushed because of our iniquities.
                     He bore the chastisement that made us whole.
                     And by his bruises we are healed.
                     We all went astray like sheep.
Isaiah 53:7    He was maltreated, yet he was submissive,
                     He did not open his mouth;
                     Like a sheep being led to slaughter,…
                     For he was cut off from the land of the living…
                     And his grave was set among the wicked,
                     And with the rich, in his death –
                     Though he had done no injustice
                     And had spoken no falsehood…
                     He exposed himself to death
                     And was numbered among the sinners,
                     Whereas he bore the guilt of the many
                     And made intercession for sinners.

     We would all agree, that this is a remarkably accurate prophecy. Notice how it just appears out from within the organic nature of the text. It is right at home in the text and yet it is the vehicle of a profound distant future prophesy. The prophetic vision seems to waver in and out of time; juxtaposing future, past, and present; yet somehow weaving the strands into a real tapestry in the present of the prophet. Just a subtle shift in the focus of that "spiritized imagination" of the poet-prophet and entirely different images go in and out of view. It would be a little easier if all the good parts were underlined in red. Also, we notice that perhaps this prophecy is not completely applicable to Jesus, for instance we know from the Urantia Book that Jesus was more often of good cheer rather than suffering and that he was not "familiar with disease" as far as we know. Perhaps these are attributes of another suffering servant such as the servant that "brings back Jacob" to the Lord (Melchizedek). And so, we need to be a little flexible in our work with prophecy because separate strands can be mixed together.

Isaiah 54:2    Enlarge the site of your tent,
                     Extend the size of your dwelling,
                     Do not stint!
                     Lengthen the ropes, and drive the pegs firm.
                     For you shall spread out to the right and the left;
                     Your offspring shall dispossess nations
                     And shall people the desolate towns.

     The Lord is telling Israel that it’s offspring, the surviving remnants of "Israel" and "Judah," will populate whole nations and shall inhabit some of the towns in modern Israel that are desolated by war. He says further:

Isaiah 54:4    Fear not, you shall not be shamed;
                     Do not cringe, you shall not be disgraced.
                     For you shall forget
                     The reproach of your youth.
                     And remember no more
                     The shame of your widowhood.
                     For He who made you will espouse you—
                     His name is "Lord of Hosts;"
                     The Holy one of Israel will redeem you,
                     Who is called "God of all the Earth."

     Restored, future Israel’s youth, is ancient Israel. Its ‘disgrace’ and ‘reproach’ are its going astray and its subsequent destruction and dispersion. I think ‘widowhood’ refers to Israel’s loss of her symbolic spouse, God, and His agent Melchizedek. However, the fall from God’s grace is only temporary (2500 years) and "He who made you (Israel) will espouse you" again. Notice the play on the word spouse in ‘espouse’. Now, the Lord will restore the people to its land and to its proper place among mankind. Note the last phrase ‘who is called God of the Earth.’ This is fairly close to the meaning of a World Messiah or Planetary Prince.

Ezekiel 40:2   The hand of the Lord came upon me (Ezekiel) and He brought
                      me in visions of God, to the Land of Israel, and He set
                      me down on a very high mountain…
Ezekiel 47:1   He led me back to the entrance of the Temple and I found
                      that water was issuing from below the Temple
                      Mount…The water was running out at the south of the
                      altar, under the south wall of the Temple…it was a stream
                      that could not be crossed except by swimming…everything
                      will live wherever this stream goes, the fish will be abundant,
                      all kinds of trees for food will grow on both banks, their
                      leaves will not wither or their fruit fail; they will yield new
                      fruit every month, because the water for them flows from
                      the Temple. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.

     "On May 15 th , 1999, the Israeli newspaper, Hatsofer, reported that water had started flowing from beneath the Temple Mount…The Arab leaders have done everything possible to stop the flow of water, including special pumps they brought in for the purpose. The Arab leaders have been busy with intensive excavations on the Temple Mount, the purpose of which is to destroy the last remains of the First and Second Temples and in this way deny the Jewish identity of the Temple Mount. According to one account, during these diggings they broke into one of the many water sources under the Temple Mount." (Prophecy Flash magazine, Triumph Prophetic Ministries)

     Here, those acting in defiance of God’s plan are the very ones who help bring it about. We can take part in God’s plans willingly and knowingly, or unwillingly and unknowingly, have it as we may. The choice of role is ours, the script is His.

Isaiah then says:
Isaiah 55:6     Seek the Lord while He can be found,
                     Call to Him while He is near.
                     Let the wicked give up his ways,
                     The sinful man his plans;
                     Let him turn back to the Lord,
                    And he will pardon him;
                     To our God,
                     For He freely forgives.

     Notice above that it is God's covenant. Melchizedek, the Son of God, brings it to Abraham. This is why Melchizedek is referred to as "the messenger of the covenant" in Malachi.

Malachi 3:1   Behold…the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to
(KJV)            his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye
                     delight in: behold he shall come.

     This verse in Malachi is a prophecy written 2500 years ago of Melchizedek’s return in the "latter days," now just ahead. "The Lord whom you seek" is the messenger of the covenant, who in turn is Melchizedek. Once again, by a different route, we show that "the Lord" can be identified as Melchizedek in scripture. Once again, the Urantia Book opens up scripture for us, supplying the critical clue as above.

     The Urantia Book confirms this everlasting covenant with Abraham and Abraham’s offspring "Israel." The Jewish people have not been abandoned by God, they are still a vital part of God’s unfolding plan.

UB  1020        This covenant of Melchizedek and Abraham represents the
                        great Urantian agreement between divinity and humanity whereby
                        God agrees to do everything; man only agrees to believe God’s
                        promises and follow his instructions.

     Note here that the Urantia Book redefines "Israel" to mean all of humanity. Anyone who would come, can come. The word Israel takes on different, but mutually consistent, meanings in different contexts throughout the Bible. Each meaning is like a separate ‘transparency,’ one lain over the next, one by one. The final meaning is a four dimensional entity sculpted out of space and time and is comprised of all of those who desire to do God’s Will, which is God’s Way.

Emily Dickinson      No Rack can torture me –
#384                      My Soul – at liberty –
                              Behind this mortal Bone
                              There knits a bolder One…
                              Captivity is Consciousness –
                              So’s Liberty.

     Realization of God’s spirit within, "the bolder One," liberates one from all perceived human limitations, i.e. one’s "captivity." Now consider:

Isaiah 61:1    The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
                     Because the Lord has anointed me.
                     He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble,
                     To bind up the wounded heart.
                     To proclaim release to the captives…
                     To comfort all who mourn –

     The Son of Man takes this prophecy up into himself and liberates man through the revelation of the kingdom of heaven within, because "captivity is consciousness" after all, and consciousness is mostly unaware of God’s gift within us, the indwelling spirit. And when consciousness becomes aware of this gift we exchange our humdrum perception for:

Emily Dickinson      Purple – is fashionable twice –
#980                      This season of the year,
                              And when a soul perceives itself
                              To be an Emperor.

                           i.e.; the Emperor of the Kingdom Within, because:

Emily Dickinson     The soul that hath a guest
#674                      Doth seldom go abroad -Diviner
                              Crowd at Home

     The prophets have asked God for thousands of years over and over; "How long Lord? How long?" meaning how long will the strong trample the weak? How long will the arrogant govern the meek? God’s answer is that everything has a season to grow and yield its full fruit; we then reap what we sow. The sun is made to shine on the good and the evil. Remember the parable when the good man sows good seed, but while he is sleeping, an evil one sows weeds in the same field. And, when the weeds grow up with the good crop, the parable tells us that both good and bad will be allowed to reach harvest together. Then the field will be harvested and the good crop stored away and the weeds bound up and thrown into the fire. This is done because pulling the weeds up early would damage the good as well as the bad. The end of an age is a harvest time when everything is harvested and accounted for. The one on the cloud has a "sickle in his hand" to harvest the crop at the end of the age. This "one like a son of man" is Melchizedek who comes to save the world from itself, give restitution to "God’s people," and begin a new and glorious age of promise. The prophecy, "The meek shall inherit the earth" will finally become reality. Also, remember Jesus’ parable about the good landowner of the vineyard. The landowner leaves his beautiful vineyard in the hands of workmen who ransack his property and ruin his vineyard. The landowner sends his best servants, and then even his very own son to check on its progress. The son they kill, so as to deprive him of his inheritance, and Jesus then looks to the listening audience and asks, "What do you think the landowner will do?" In unison they answer, "he will destroy those men…" (UB.p.l893). This story is not only a parable. It is also a prophecy of Jesus’ (the son in the parable) subsequent death at the hands of the leaders of Jerusalem who are playing the role of the workmen left in charge. Israel is the vineyard and God is the landowner who sends his son Jesus to set right the spiritual affairs of Israel. But Jesus is killed by the very ones causing the trouble in the first place, the workmen left in charge, i.e. the leaders of Israel.

     But wait! The parable prophecy hasn’t ended yet because God has not yet sent anyone to bring justice to the vineyard workers, i.e. the leaders. The parable will end, when God’s Agent of Justice arrives and sets the affairs of His "vineyard" aright, just as at the ending of the parable. This is exactly the function of the "Messiah" described in Old Testament prophecy. Not only was Jesus aware of his upcoming death, but he also was aware that the complete story would someday end like his parable ended.

     The word messiah is used only twice in the Bible, both times in Daniel (chp.9) embedded in some passages regarding the seventy weeks prophecy. The word messiah is also used several times in 1Enoch in association with a divine being who brings peace and victory to those who "elect" God’s will during the end of the Age. This Messiah figure in 1Enoch is called the Elect One, the Concealed One, the Mighty One, and God of the World. Notice that the God of the World designation well describes the function of a Planetary Prince/Sovereign. The word messiah means anointed in spirit, and when capitalized, Messiah means the Anointed One over all other anointed ones. Prophets and servants are also anointed ones, lower case. The word "Christ" back in, "Lord" is out! Thus, scriptural evidence is strongly consistent with Melchizedek as the "Messiah" figure. Could the Prophets of the Old Testament be wrong about its prophecy of a "Messiah?" Since these prophecies about a "Messiah" occupy a large portion of scriptural prophecy, if wrong, then one would expect most of this scripture to also be wrong. But the more one studies this scripture, the more one is impressed with its accuracy, consistency (both internal and across multiple sources), and co-ordination. By co-ordination I mean that different sources fill in different parts of the overall puzzle. The unified interpretation of the entire corpus of Judeo-Christian scripture throughout the ages, will one day be a gleaming monument to God’s omniscient over control. Remarkably, God knows every thought that will pass through our heads during our entire existence. And even more remarkably, He knows it before the universe itself was even yet created. And yet, our free will to choose our own course is operative throughout. We are free to choose and God is free to foreknow our choice. The following poem expresses this seeming paradox well.

Emily Dickinson    Experience is that Angled Road
#910                     Preferred against the Mind
                             By-Paradox-the Mind itself –
                             Presuming it to lead
                             Quite opposite – How Complicate
                             The Discipline of Man –
                             Compelling Him to Choose Himself.
                             His Pre-appointed Pain

     Our minds are always busy making plans for our future experiences (our lives). However, real life experience is always different from what we plan or expect. The mind sets out a smooth plan but life sets before us a bumpy and "angled road" with many detours along the way. These unplanned experiences bring before us those decisions which are necessary for the inner unfolding of the flower of our being. These important choices are both freely "chosen," and "pre-appointed" by God’s plan. They frequently involve the "pain" of letting go the baggage we hold so dear. The weight of the baggage gone, the pain ends and the joy begins.

     When the scriptural framework for the end of this age starts to be enacted, even in it’s smallest details; God’s "behind the scene" true sovereignty will never be in doubt again.

     Could it be just an accident that all the world’s peoples are looking simultaneously for their version of the Messiah? Would God only prepare Jews and Christians? Has Melchizedek’s involvement been solely with the Judaic tradition? We learn from John Hogue in his book, Millennium Prophecy, of a very long list of expected Messiah figures all of which are expected to set things aright. Here he states: "Prophecy shares a collective vision of a Second Coming of a Christ figure. All of our soothsayers say his ‘cloud’ is due to land from heaven during our time." (Millennium Prophecy pg. 333). This is what the Kabala (a text of Jewish mysticism) says about the number 21, that is, the 21 st Century:

     The Kabala information is right on the mark in this quote. We are the backward people who have struggled in darkness, retarded in progress by the absence of benevolent and wise leadership. The "Planetary Ruler" or Sovereign, Melchizedek will establish "peace" and initiate an era of spiritual and material "prosperity." We have discussed the light given off by Melchizedek when he arrives amidst dark clouds overhead. Notice the alternate name given for the Planetary Ruler is The Luminous One, fitting in with the scriptural description nicely. But even more important than the transformation of our leadership is the transformation of we the people from within:

     The petty lives we lead conceal the divine potentials that lie untapped within us. "The coming spiritual rebellion in human consciousness is one of the largest collective forecasts in the minority prophetic vote for human survival" (Millennium Prophecy pg. 294.)

     The future always comes in through the minority. The last battle won, conventional wisdom" is one step from the scrap heap. We fear and resist change, no matter what its content. Nearly all-conventional wisdom today is wrong! Wrong about science, wrong about politics, wrong about people, wrong about philosophy, wrong about religion and wrong about most anything else we can think of. Our leaders, our intellectuals and our so-called elite will have the same constant refrain right up to the hour when they are removed from their power and prestige.

     The refrain is "everything is fine, going just as we expected." This is why they are so "confounded" in Micah 7:16 (above) when the World Messiah steps into the fray. It’s time we started thinking for ourselves and stop buying the illusions, which are cast up in front of us by the "leadership class" and the media; one working hand in hand with the other.

     There is a Sufi metaphor about identification. Misery doesn’t come to us; we unconsciously seek it out and hold on to it, like flinging our arms around a pillar. We squeeze tighter and yell, "Oh if I could only be rid of this misery and pain!"…We "do" misery we "do" expectation. Hell is not a place, we "do" it, as American mystic Adi DaSantoshia once remarked…We make prophecy work because we are so damned predictable… We have repeated again and again the behaviors that make it easy for the seers to prophesy us unto doomsday. (John Hogue, Millennium Prophecy, Pg. 305).

     In other words, we have seen the enemy and it is us. This is why the Urantia Book gives Caligastia (the devil) little credit for the evil around us and places the blame squarely where it belongs – on ourselves. And the silence of "the good people" is deafening as we stand back and watch the destruction of our country and our families. And so it is, in part, ourselves, those "faithful servants" who will be held accountable for the "talents" we have been given to use for increase:

     Our spiritual path is not complex, it is quite simple…it is not a romantic sacrifice to look at oneself, to be able to celebrate life. Yet, with this comes a feeling of joy, a sense of being, and a connection with the Flow of the universe. (Good Horse Nation (1985) Visayan
Medicine Man from John Hogue, Millennial Prophecy.)

     I absolutely believe that no one wants to choose suicide. Up to now man has been surviving without transformation because there was no urgency for change. (Osho, 1984, Millennial Prophecy)

     I would disagree with the sentence about suicide. There are some who are so filled with anger and hatred that they repeatedly choose destruction for themselves and those around them. These love to control others and impose their will. Because of their passion to control and to make subservient, they are seekers of power and prestige. Find any place of true power, in any organization, and it is very likely you will find someone with this type of behavior. We haven’t noticed, but such as these are running everything now-a days – our government, our educational institutions, our corporations, our banks and everything else of any consequence regarding wealth and power. Therefore, we are all taking a one-way trip to chaos. But out of chaos comes the burning embers of a new start for human civilization and its transformed peoples. Walt Whitman gives us a glimpse of this personal transformation:

Walt Whitman    Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road,
                          Healthy, free, the world before me,
                          Song of the The long brown path before me leading
                          Open Road wherever I choose.
                          Henceforth I ask not good fortune,
                          I myself am good fortune…
                          Strong and content I travel the open road.
                          You road I enter upon and look around,
                          I believe you are not all that is here,
                          I believe that much unseen is also here…
                          The Earth expanding right hand and left hand…
                          O public road…
                          You express me better than I can express myself,
                          You shall be more to me than my poem…
Revelation 19:11    And I saw heaven opened,
                              And behold a white horse;
                              And he that sat on him
                              Was called Faithful and True;
                             And in righteousness he doth judge and make war
Revelation 19:19   And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth,
                            And their armies, gathered together to make
                            War on him that sat on the horse and
                            Against his army.
Revelation 6:2   And I saw, and behold a white horse;
                        And he that sat on him had a bow;
                        And a crown was given unto him;
                        And he went forth conquering and to conquer.

     White symbolizes cleanliness, righteousness, and holiness. A horse is symbolic of a warrior. The crown symbolizes sovereignty. The one on horseback is Melchizedek, the Faithful and True, Son of God, who rapidly subdues the world’s leaders (kings) that are bringing war to the peoples. Also, remember that Joseph, the chosen (elect) son of Jacob, wore a crown and was a strong archer with a bow. Melchizedek is God’s chosen Son, and just as Joseph, he is given a crown and a bow, as well as sovereignty of our world. This is why 1Enoch calls Melchizedek the Elect One. The crown follows the elect; those who stand up and elect God’s will.

Revelation 11:15   Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet,…
                            And loud voices in heaven, were saying "The
                            Kingdom of the World has become the Kingdom
                            Of our Lord (God) and his Christ (Messiah Melchizedek)

     Notice carefully that this kingdom is of the world and is not the inner spiritual kingdom of heaven spoken of by Jesus, for he said on many occasions, "my kingdom is not of this world." The Book of Revelation is stated in the Urantia Book to be a much deleted and edited version of John’s original vision, which is stated to have been a profound and far reaching prophecy. It should be noted however that the Urantia Book freely quotes many passages of Revelation and explains their true meanings. Therefore, I use Revelation sparingly and carefully in situations where it adds to or expands the meaning of Old Testament prophesy, already previously developed. Scripture is an organic whole, like a growing tree with many branchings off the main trunk. Here are a few samples of Urantia Book quotes regarding Revelation.

UB  599       It was at the conclusion of the terminal mission of the Teacher
                    Sons (at least that would be the chronology on a normal world)
Micah 1:2    Listen, all you peoples,
                   Give heed, O earth, and all it holds…
                   For lo! The Lord
                   Is coming from His dwelling place,
                   He will come down and stride
                   Upon the heights of the earth
                   The mountains shall melt under Him
                   And the valleys shall melt under Him
                   Like wax before fire,
                   Like water cascading down a slope.

     Micah wastes no time, he gets right to the point. The Lord is coming and he is not happy with the prevailing conditions on earth. The Lord is the Messiah who comes at the end of the age when mountains and valleys melt in great tectonic activity.

Micah 2:7    To be sure, My words are friendly
                   To those who walk in rectitude,
                   But an enemy arises against My people.
Micah 2:12  I will assemble Jacob, all of you,
                   I will bring together the remnant of Israel;
                   I will make them all like sheep of Bozrah
                   Like a flock inside its pen –
                   They will be noisy with people
                   One who makes a breach
                   Goes before them…
                   Their king marches before them,
                   The Lord at their head.

     Bozrah was the capital city of the ancient country Edom. The remains of Bozrah is Petra of Southern Jordan today. Edom is the most castigated country in Old Testament prophecy due to their attack on Israel during Israel’s decimation by Babylon. Edom is prophesied for destruction in the messianic age. It is Bozrah where the Messiah will first come to gather and unite the For lo, he shall wax great To the ends of the earth.

     Now, suddenly from out betwixt the lines of Micah comes a prophecy about the birth of Jesus, 700 years before it happens! It appears as part of a discussion about Israel in the latter days (Micah 4:12 to 4:14), about the Babylonian captivity in 587 B.C. (4:10 through 4:11) and about Assyria in 700 B.C. (Micah 5:4 to 5:6). The prophet himself probably knows nothing of the dates of occurrence of these separate events, or even their true import to the future they speak of. Thus, the interpretation of scripture is equally as important as the scripture itself.

     God guides the interpreter, through the leading of the spirit within the interpreter, thus revealing his plans only to those who have harmonized their will to His. Only God Himself truly knows the future and any prophet that does not openly acknowledge this truth is by definition a false prophet. Conversely, a true prophet is known partly by the "fruits of the spirit" that his/her close inner relationship with God should yield. In fact, prophecy or prophecy interpretation is itself one of the fruits of this inner relationship with God, who is the very inspiration of the prophecy under consideration.

Micah 5:6     The remnant of Jacob shall be,
                    In the midst of the many peoples,
                    Like dew from the Lord,
                    Like droplets on grass –
                    Which do not look to any man
                    Nor place their hope in mortals.
                    The remnant of Jacob
                    Shall be among the nations,
                    In the midst of the many peoples,…

     The remnant of Jacob (equivalent to Israel) and not Jacob itself is what is gathered together in the upcoming trial period. These are those who know and love the one true God and who survive whatever destruction there is of that period. The remnant of Jacob is the remnant of Israel (Christians) plus the remnant of Judah (Jews). Of course anyone else who recognizes and knows the one true God in his/her heart is also included in this group. God cares little about who we are on the outside but everything about what we are on the inside. As always, whoever would come can come. The door to the kingdom of heaven is forever open to all. And so, through the process of deciding what we stand for in life we select who we will become, unlike the flower, who has no choice but to unfold. Further, we note that the geographic location is of little importance, as the remnant arises from within the midst of the world’s peoples "like droplets of dew on grass." These people "do not look to any man" or "place their hope in mortals" because they look only to God in everything they do.

     If modern Christendom is "Israel" then prophecy has been abundantly fulfilled. Abraham was promised descendants as numerous as the "sands of the sea" and the "stars in the sky" -- and so it is. Material bounty and military power were promised -- and so they have been delivered to the British Empire of yesterday and to America today. America is the present elect recipient of God’s eternal blessings on Ephraim and his descendants. An area of land much larger than present modern Israel was promised for Abraham’s descendants (Israel and Judah). And so it will be. Unfulfilled Old Testament prophecies are promises that God intends to keep.

     Next, Jacob prophesies information received from the Lord (Melchizedek), who is present in semi material form.

Genesis 49:1  Jacob called for his sons…that I may tell you what shall befall
                      you in the latter days…
Genesis       Joseph is a fruitful bough…by a well…whose branches run
49:22-25    over the wall…the arms of his hands made strong and active
                   by the Mighty God of Jacob …blessings of the heavens above,
                   blessings…in the deep, blessings of the breasts and womb…greater than
                   the blessings than your forefathers and are as lasting as the eternal hills.

     Is there any doubt that these ‘blessed’ people of Joseph, of Ephraim, living in the latter days with bounty and power are the citizens of the United States of America, the most powerful, blessed, and fruitful nation in the history of the world. The Jewish identity, as opposed to the Israelite, is derived from Judah, who is an offspring of Jacob and Leah. This Judah (Jewish) strand has maintained its historical identity and consciousness, unlike the Christians who have not maintained their Israelite identity.

     The reason for this discussion is not to create a consciousness of "genetic identification." We need quickly to remember that it was the tribe of Ephraim that first and foremost turned its back on God and who took up the "pleasure pursuit" with zeal. The most blessed is also the foremost trespasser. In addition, compared to normal planets in the universe, we are all decidedly genetically inferior as a result of the Adamic default (UB).

UB 1055    "Abraham was not the racial father of all the Hebrews; he was
                  not even the progenitor of all the Bedouin Semites who were held
                  captive in Egypt. True, his offspring, coming up out of Egypt, did
                  form the nucleus of the later Jewish people, but the vast majority of
                  the men and women who became incorporated into the clans of Israel
                  had never sojourned in Egypt."

     It is not surprising then that archeologists have found only small shards of evidence that David ever existed, grossly disproportionate to the grandeur described in scripture. (The Urantia Book tests out true over and over again in the light of present knowledge – a fine subject for an entire book in itself.) The Lord continues:

Jeremiah 29:20   But you, the whole exile community which I (Lord)
                          banished from Jerusalem to Babylon, hear the word of the Lord!…
Jeremiah 24:14   I will be at hand for you…and I will gather you from all the nations
                          and places to which I have banished you – declares the Lord – and I
                          will bring you back to the place from which I exiled you…
Jeremiah 24:11   For I am mindful of the plans I have made concerning your welfare,
                          not for disaster, (but) to give you a hopeful future.

     The Lord makes explicit in these lines that all His plans are for His children’s ultimate well-being and that He has no intention of abandoning anyone. Right now, today, God is gathering the Judah remnant (the Jewish people) from among all the countries of the world to which they have been scattered. Thousands of Jews pour through the gates to modern Israel everyday; another prophecy in the process of being realized (Jeremiah 24:14). God speaks through his prophet:

Jeremiah 29:13   You will find Me, if only you seek Me wholeheartedly.
Jeremiah 30:11  I will not make an end of you!
                            I will not leave you unpunished,
                            But will chastise you in measure…
Jeremiah 30:17  I will bring healing to you
                            And cure you of your wounds…
Jeremiah 3l:3   Eternal Love I conceived for you.
Jeremiah 3l:31   See, a time is coming when I will make  
                            new covenant with the House of Israel
                            and the House of Judah…I will put My 
                            teaching in their inmost being and                      
                            inscribe it upon their hearts.

     These lines describe a future of restoration and salvation. The New Covenant is the "kingdom of heaven within" that is enabled by the outpouring of the Spirit of Truth by Jesus Christ; and the Spirit of the Father, the internal guide within.

     From Antioch the Pauline version of the Teachings of Jesus and the teaching about Jesus spread to all the Western World; from Philadelphia the missionaries of the Abnerian Kingdom of heaven spread throughout Mesopotamia and Arabia until the later times when these uncompromising emissaries of the teachings of Jesus were overwhelmed by the sudden rise of Islam.

UB 1832 …the believers at Philadelphia held more strictly to the religion
                  of Jesus, as he lived and taught, than any other group on earth.

     Now prophecy is true both in the context of the time of its writing and in the time of its prophetic future fulfillment. And so, the church of Philadelphia spoken of in Revelation as existing in the latter days (now) would have characteristics like the church of Philadelphia existing at the time of John’s vision and writing. One might then expect this congregation or church of the latter days to be a group, like Abner’s, true to the message of Jesus (the gospel of the kingdom of heaven), and to be concerned with issues of brotherly love such as the brotherhood of man predicated on the Fatherhood of God. This is exactly the effect of the Urantia Book, ie; to explain and inspire the living of the kingdom of heaven within; the true way, the true gospel of Jesus that the apostles did not understand. The Urantia Book actually brings into being this latter day church of Philadelphia. The Urantia Book teaches the doing of God's Will. The elect are those who choose (elect) God's Will.

     With a large amount of speculation, one might consider 1Enoch 39:1 as referring to the Adamic racial strain as the elect. This would explain why they are referred to as the "elect and holy race" as this race may be the children of Adam and Eve. The crown of Joseph may in part indicate his endowment of Adamic genes acquired through the breeding of a male line of the mixed Semitic heritage with the female line of an Adamically enriched heritage. The word elect may partly refer to similar genetics, as well as other more important intangible factors, such as the election of God’s will as their highest goal. Genetics may play a role in the nucleus of this group, but as in Moses’ time, in a majority of the group, genetics may play little or no role. Genetic considerations are present, but are a limited factor among many that define this group, or any other group for that matter. Also consider:

Isaiah 45:4     …Israel mine elect, I have called thee by name:
                     I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.

     Here, Israel is addressed as "mine elect." We already know that Israel is derived from Joseph and that Lost Israel is modern Christendom. Again, the elect are among the Christians. Further, Christ in Christian means Messiah and the Messiah has been identified as Melchizedek, therefore Christians are surnamed after Melchizedek, the Messiah, who then says, "I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me." Christians are surnamed after Melchizedek the true Messiah or "Christ," and Christians do not know anything about him – yet! Remember, Jesus is not the Messiah! The name Christ (Messiah) is what Jesus is not. Rather, the person Jesus Christ lies above Melchizedek in the hierarchy of divine Sons, just as Adam and Eve lie below as described in the Urantia Book. At the very bottom of the hierarchy of course lies the human being, also a son of God, small s of course. We continue with further prophecy regarding the elect:

Isaiah 65:9     And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an
                      inheritor of my mountains: and my elect shall inherit it, and my
                      servants shall dwell there.

     This goes along with the statement in Enoch regarding the elect inheritance. The greater the number of different sources, the higher the probability of accuracy, although 1Enoch could be derived from Isaiah or vice-a-versa.

Isaiah 55:17      No weapon against you
                        Shall succeed,
                        And every tongue that contends with you at home
                        You shall defeat
Isaiah 61:6        …You shall be called "Priests of the Lord,"
                       And termed "servants of our God."
Isaiah 66:14     You shall see and your heart rejoice,
                       Your limbs shall flourish as the grass.

     Now lets turn to the Dead Sea Scrolls on this important topic about those who elect God. Below, the Teacher of Righteousness, the leader of the Qumran Community, is giving his interpretations of various scripture passages regarding these same elect:

4Q215 Prophecy of Naphtali - …they (the elect) will endure the affliction of
Col 2                                       distress and the ordeal of the pit, and they will be purified by these
                                                things and shall become the elect of righteousness;
11Q13      By the power of Melchizedek, dominion on earth will pass from
DSC         Belial (Devil/Caligastia) to the righteous Sons of Light. (DSC A New
                 Translation, Wise, Abegg & Cook)

     This latter group (The Sons of Light) constitutes those who are predestined to belong to the party of Melchizedek, "the congregation of the sons of righteousness." (the elect)

4Q160   Thy people shall take refuge…amid the rage of the enemies of
DSC      Thy people, Thou shalt verify Thy glory over the land and sea…
              And all the peoples of Thy lands shall know that Thou hast created
              them…and the multitudes shall understand that this is Thy people…
              Thy holy ones whom Thou hast sanctified. (Wise, Abegg & Cook)
4Q174   Interpreted (Psalm 2:1)this saying concerns the Kings of the nations
DSC      who shall rage against the elect of Israel in the last days. This shall
              be the time of trial to come…so as to perfect…(…represents missing scroll
              text) (Wise, Abegg & Cook)
4Q174   A remnant of the people shall be left according to the lot assigned
DSC       them, and they shall practice the Whole Law…Moses. (…represents
               missing scroll text) Thy people who know God shall be strong.

     Those who "keep awake to pursue knowledge" and "labour for understanding" are "the massive barrier breakers of the world." Like Jesus, they "will have closed mouths to speak the truth" and they will "walk together in great intensity."

Habbakuk 1:13  Why do You (Lord) countenance treachery,
                          And stand idly by?
Habbakuk 2:1   I will stand on my watch,
                        Take up my station at the post,
                        And wait to see what He will say to me,
                        What He will reply to my complaint?

     Indeed, what will He reply? The same question has been asked by many other prophets and people as well. Why is evil allowed to dominate the good? God answers:

Habbakuk 2:2   Write the prophecy down,
                         Inscribe it clearly on tablets,
                        So that it can be read easily
                        For there is yet a prophecy for a set term
                        A truthful witness for a time that will come.
Habbakuk 2:3   Even if it tarries, wait for it still;
                         For it will surely come without delay:
                         Lo, His spirit within him is puffed up, not upright.
                         But the righteous man shall live by his faith and in
                         His faithfulness is rewarded with life.

     The answer to "Why allow evil to triumph?" is that those who live by faith are rewarded with infinity and those who choose evil also choose extinction. In addition, the prophet is told that justice will be achieved at the end of The Age, after the full harvest is reaped. Everything has its season, "even if it tarries, wait for it still." "Write down this prophecy, it will be a truthful witness for a time that will come." That time is now almost upon us. The prophecy will be fulfilled and thus it will be a "truthful witness" to God’s foreknowledge. Lets look at part of this passage from another source the Septuagint.

Habbakuk 2:1     And the Lord answered me and said. Write the vision,
Septuagint          and that plainly on a tablet, that he that reads it may run.
                           For the vision is yet for a (set) time, and it shall shoot forth
                           at the end, and not in vain: though he should tarry wait for
                           him; for he shall surely come, and will not tarry.

     I think the true flavor of this passage is caught in the Septuagint. The ‘vision’ is for a set time ‘at the end’ of the Age at which time it will ‘shoot forth’ by means of the interpretation of prophecy by the final prophet ‘in whose heart God has placed understanding.’ This prophet must ‘read’ this prophecy from the already existing prophecy writings of the Olden Prophets, which has been sealed by God up until that set time. This final prophet must ‘read on the run’ for presumably he is busy with other activities.

In 4Ezra       God answers similarly this same question of why:
4Ezra 4:27   …this age is full of infirmities and sadness. For the evil has
                     been sown but the harvest of it is not yet come.

     "Everything has its season," the "sun is made to shine on the good and the evil." The Urantia Book teaches us also that potential evil is inherent in creatures that are both imperfect and have free will. Causes are allowed to have their true effects no matter how awful the results may be. If it weren’t so we would be hapless spectators in a show and not true participants in the creative process. In order for the universe to succeed, it must be allowed to fail. Also, consider what the angel who reveals to Ezra says next:

4Ezra 7:3      There is a sea set in a wide expanse:
                     so that it is broad and vast,
                     but it has an entrance set in a narrow place,
                     so that it is like a river.
                     If anyone, then, wishes to reach the sea, to look
                     at it or navigate it, how can he come to the
                      broad part unless he passes through the narrow part?…
4Ezra 7:11    When Adam transgressed my statutes, what had been made was judged.
                     And so the entrances of this world were made
                      narrow and sorrowful and toilsome; they are few
4Ezra 7:12    and evil, full of dangers and involved in great hardships.
4Ezra 7:16    …And why have you not considered in your mind
                   what is to come, rather just what is now present.

     This is very similar to the statement in the Urantia Book that the biggest deprivation of our world is the partial loss of the biologic uplift program of Adam and Eve. (This program was designed to augment the natural biologic evolution of the human species so as to provide for increased creativity, increased capacity for spiritual experience, and for spiritual qualities of character.) This loss of 'biological uplift' has resulted in a humanity that still has deep roots in the "animal tendencies" of evolutionary origin. We are full of fear and worry and negativity.

     Disorders such as anxiety syndrome, depression, various phobias and compulsions are strongly hereditary. The neurological wiring and chemistry in these conditions has a biologic-genetic substrate and can be treated by medications, which alter this chemistry. Our fearful natures are the single largest impediment to happiness and spiritual growth. And where fear leaves off, pride takes over. Together, pride and fear conspire to usurp the divine potentials within. In verse 7:16, God reminds us to think of "what is to come," as well as what is now, to obtain proper balance of outlook.

     Up to now man has survived without transformation because there was no urgency for change…but I still hope that the danger of global death will be the shock that awakens humanity.

     There’s a Sufi metaphor about identification. Misery doesn’t come to us; we unconsciously seek it out and hold on to it, like flinging our arms around a pillar. As we squeeze tighter we yell, "Oh if I could only be rid of this misery and pain!" This misunderstanding is our choice.

     As American mystic Adi DaShentosa once remarked, we "do" misery, we "do"expectation. Hell is not a place we "do" it. We "do" predictability. We make prophecy work because we are so damned predictable…we have repeated again and again the behaviors that make it easy for our seers to prophesy unto us doomsday… there is a need for a global awareness of how, from the moment we emerge from the womb, we are programmed to imprint concepts that are totally divorced from our deepest natural understanding. (John Hogue) Our minds are so polluted with garbage and fears that have been passed on from generation to generation, that we have forgotten who we are. Our spiritual path is not complex, it is quite simple. It is not easy; it is not a romantic sacrifice to look at oneself, to be able to celebrate life. Yet with this comes a sense of joy, a sense of being, and a connection with the flow of the universe. Good Horse Nation (l985), Visayan Medicine Man (John Hogue) Roles and patterns are keeping you in a straitjacket. Freed from these you will come into contact with your inner being; with the one who doesn’t see any limitations, who sees only possibilities. Ambres (l986) (John Hogue) Prophecies from many different traditions say that America is destined to become the seat of the next spiritual evolution…one of America’s greatest attributes is its ability to give social and religious experiments a chance. (John Hogue, Millennium Prophecy) America, as the Sioux medicine man Good Horse Nation says, must wake up. To do that, America will have to suffer a most difficult weaning – from what is false or destructive about the American Dream. (John Hogue) A peculiar generation now exists on this earth, which does not carry an inner urge for growth but only death for the whole race.

     And when we wake up we will realize that these bereft beings are running the political and financial centers of the world. And that no mere human effort will be able to correct this problem. This is why divine intervention will be needed; otherwise everyone and everything would be destroyed. Hyperbole? No, simple and honest logic. If nations had nuclear weapons when Rome fell – none of us would be here today to discuss this problem. Do we really think that when things start to turn sour for our world that force will not be seen as the answer. Does anyone really believe that thousands of nuclear weapons will never be used?

     Mankind has never invented a weapon that he has not subsequently used. Does anyone look upon the world scene and not see the progressive danger that we are entering? China and Russia are building up their military (with our money and technology) and staking out their territories. America suddenly is the bully of the world, using its military might in an aggressive, self-serving way rather than as a defensive stronghold of peace. We have lost all respect and goodwill in the eyes of the world’s nations. They will accept our money, but no longer look up to us as a moral force in the world. And yet America notices nothing, as long as the stock market stays up and the material goods keep flowing. We have ceased to use our minds to think for ourselves, our opinions are those of the last newspaper article we have read. We take our media and information sources at face value, without question. When the "wagging heads" of the experts wag so do ours – glassy-eyed, inured, and asleep. The prophets have said "our people are stupid." We only see what we want to see. Where is the thirst for truth? Prophets pull no punches; they live and die for the truth and only truth. Our own leaders prepare before us the rudiments for the potential destruction of an entire world. What does God say about America’s world leadership of the sale and exportation of weapons technology to an entire world? When did it become acceptable to export destruction so that our richest people can become richer? Is it acceptable? What do we do? What do we say? The answer is a resounding nothing. History and God will hold America accountable for the deaths of tens or hundreds of million lives. But as long as we still have our cozy lives and our wants fulfilled – we see nothing. And so, not until our toys and possessions are taken away from us will anybody notice that there are a lot of bully’s that have moved onto the block.

Ezekiel 38:7  After a long time you (Gog) will be summoned; in the distant future
                     you shall march against a land restored from the sword (Modern
                     Israel)…liberated from the nations, and now dwelling secure. (My parenthesis)
                     On that day, when Gog sets foot on the soil of Israel (modern)…On
                     that day, a terrible earthquake shall befall the land of Israel…and
                     every man’s sword shall be turned against his brother…and I will
                     make Myself known in the sight of many nations. (My parenthesis)

     And so, as we reach that period prophesied 2600 years ago, we are startled by this prophecy that foresaw a regathering of Jews from among many nations. How can a logical mind not grasp and deal with such well documented successes of prophecy. Most people do not love truth and so they sacrifice it to maintain their view of the way they want their universe to be, so we sweep away any inconvenient facts to the contrary. Even the majority of our scientists, who are supposed to be most objective, do this on a regular basis to maintain their vested interests in a certain worldview. And so, despite many inconvenient facts, scientists continue to espouse a big bang cosmology and refuse to recognize cold fusion and other new-energy devices that are already working and producing energy. These very same scientists use ridicule and power to silence any new ideas or viewpoints. Again, our future comes through the "marginal" groups; individuals that continue to search for truth despite the conventional powers to be. Now, next is a line that also bothers me:

Ezekiel 39:6   And I (the Lord) will send a fire against Magog and against those who dwell in the coastlands.

     Again, I don’t believe that God or Melchizedek eventuates such catastrophes, but regardless, the events themselves may be and have been accurate prophecies. As I have tried to demonstrate elsewhere, "coastlands" has a strong chance of denoting the United States of America, among others. I hope I am wrong here as well, as "a fire" seems likely to mean a nuclear event.

Ezekiel 39:25   Assuredly, thus said the Lord God: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob and take the
                        whole House of Israel (Judah and Israel) back in love…when I have brought them                        
                        back from among the peoples and gathered them out of the lands of their enemies and                        
                        have manifested My holiness through them in the sight of many nations.

     Israel once again is united. Faithful Christians and Jews, among others, are brought together. God’s holiness has been manifested through "his people"-- those that love and honor Him. The enemies are the power holding leaders of the various nations who persecute God's peoples because they resist the tyranny of the powerful.

     Daniel is the link between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament prophecy (Book of Revelation). It was written during the exile of Judah in Babylon, where the prophet Daniel serves in the King’s court. It’s topics, among others, include the "little horn" (the antichrist), the Fourth Kingdom (fourth beast), and the "70 week prophecy" (time table for key events). Daniel is a very important influence on the Qumran community of the Dead Sea Scrolls and New Testament scripture. Daniel, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Book of Revelation are the three main sources of information concerning the antichrist.

     Daniel, chapter 11 contains some of the most specific and detailed prophesies in the Bible. It successfully predicts close to 400 years of world history. Starting from the Persian-Median empire (539 B.C.), it proceeds through Greece and Alexander the Great, Egypt and the Ptolemies, Syria and the Seleucids, and ends with the archetypical anti-Christ figure Antiochus IV Epiphanes (164 B.C.). I would estimate that there are several hundred accurate prophecies within this single chapter of Daniel alone. The prophecies are so specific and so detailed that many so called "critical scholars," who deny the possibility of any supernatural reality, have assumed and argued that these prophecies were written after the events had taken place.

     However, study of Aramaic documents in the recently discovered Dead Sea Scrolls argue strongly against such a late