Validity
The Bible tells us:
1. Melchizedek was King of Salem (Genesis 14:18) which later developed into Jeru(salem).
2. He was Priest of the Most High (God). (Genesis 14:19)
3. Is before and above Abraham. Blesses Abraham and receives tithes from Abraham. (Genesis 14:20)
4. He is an immortal being: a ‘priest forever’ (Psalms 110), ‘without
record of father and mother or ancestral line, neither with beginning of days nor ending of life.’ (Hebrews 7:3)
5. ‘resembles the Son of God’ (Hebrews 7:3)
6. Is above Jesus. Jesus is ‘a High Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:20)
The Urantia Book tells us that:
Melchizedek is a Son of God below the order that Jesus is from (UB
335)
2. After the failure of Adam and Eve he was sent here to begin restoring the divine plans for our world. (UB
853)
3. He was here on our world, beginning around 2000 B.C., for approximately 100 years as an adult physical being of the realm. (UB
1015)
4. His main goal was to prepare a people that would understand and recognize Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man.
5. He first had to establish monotheism, the concept of the One God, so that the Son of the One God, Jesus, could be understood. This was accomplished mainly through the Patriarchs and Prophets of Israel, especially Elijah whose successful campaign established the One God over and above the multitude of tribal gods (Baals) previously in existence. (UB
1062)
6. He brings God’s covenant to Abraham(UB); he is the‘messenger’ of God’s covenant with Abraham. (Micah)
7. He collaborated with the Prophets to bring God’s plans and perspectives to man (Israel). (UB). In addition there is a multitude of other information about Melchizedek in The Urantia Book which fills out our knowledge of this previously mysterious figure.
The Dead Sea Scrolls tells us:
1. Melchizedek is one and the same as ‘the Lord’ in the Old Testament (when not referring to God Himself.) (DSC 11Q13) This agrees with statements in The Urantia Book.
2. Melchizedek is the Lord/Messiah who comes in the last days when "all the nations" come against modern Israel as prophesied by the Old Testament Prophets (11Q13) This agrees with The Urantia Book statements to the effect that Melchizedek is soon to be our Planetary Prince, a World Messiah in residence. (UB 1025 and 1251)
The correlation of the information in the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Prophets, and The Urantia Book is a very important observation that suggests a connection to a common source. That source can only be the source of all truth, the divine kingdom of heaven, from which God Himself is directing the revelation of truth to his evolving sons and daughters of the material world.
We know now that not only did Melchizedek minister in semi-material form after his physical ministry, but also that he "collaborated" with the prophets. This semi-material collaboration with the Old Testament prophets resulted in the prophetic Old Testament scripture we have today. Melchizedek collaborated with Abraham, with Moses, with Jacob, with Elijah, with Isaiah, with Jeremiah, with Ezekiel, with Daniel, with the twelve "minor prophets" Joel through Malachi, with the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and with Enoch. Each of these prophets have yet much to reveal in dawning light of our 21st century. Melchizedek calls to us through 2,500 years of time.
The Urantia Book also tells us that the later prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) were more accurate than the earlier prophets such as Samuel. We will therefore focus our study on the later prophets listed above. The Urantia Book also explains that the prophets’ understanding of God’s motives and nature was conditioned by the cultural beliefs of their respective times. The prophets therefore confused, at times, God’s holiness and righteousness for anger, God’s far-seeing wisdom for retribution, and His intense concern for the welfare of His children for jealousy. With time, the improved understanding of God’s loving and merciful nature progressed to a climax in Second Isaiah (Chapters. 40-55), with respect to whom:
UB 1069
No more beautiful proclamations about the heavenly Father have
have ever been made.
As always, then, we must work with truth and error side by side, and use the generously bestowed wisdom and information made available to us through The Urantia Book.
UB 1731
did not cease to minister words of truth to the world when
the prophets of old made an end of their utterances. And, we
ourselves should "aspire to become the living prophets of the
Most High and the spiritual heroes of the coming kingdom."
UB 1390
And, "Jesus had an unerring ability for the recognition of
truth, and truth he never hesitated to embrace, no matter from
what source it emanated.
With regard to 1Enoch, consider:
UB 1390
While in the synagogue library at Nazareth, among the
apocalyptic books, which he had been studying, the manuscript
called the "Book of Enoch" … proved very intriguing to him
(Jesus), and he read and re-read it many times. … No other
scripture was so near the truth as this story (about the son of
man) in this only partially accredited "Book of Enoch"
What other great truths might we find in 1Enoch?
The Dead Sea Scrolls are important because they provide crucial missing information to the overall prophetic picture of the Old Testament.
Let us not forget the Master's advice regarding scripture interpretation.
UB 1768
The Scriptures are sacred because they present the thoughts
and actions of men who were searching for God . . . they contain
much that is true, very much, . . . but these writings also contain
much that is misrepresentative of the Father in heaven, the loving
Father I have come to reveal to all the worlds. (Jesus)
UB 1768
Nathaniel, never permit yourself for one moment to believe the
Scripture records which tell you that the God of love directed your
forefathers to go forth in battle to slay all their enemies . . . Such
records are the work of men, not very holy men, and they are not
the word of God. The scriptures always have, and always will
reflect the intellectual, moral, and spiritual status of those who
create them. . . Many earnest seekers after the truth have been, and
will continue to be, confused and disheartened by these doctrines
of the perfection of Scripture (Jesus).
UB 1768
The authority of truth is the very spirit that indwells . . .The
revelations of divine truth are not sealed except by human
ignorance, bigotry, and narrow minded intolerance.
UB 1770
Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate the better half of a
Scripture while he repudiated the lesser portion.
The Urantia Book tells us that Melchizedek’s name is removed from scripture, here we see it being put back in by the Teacher of Righteousness of the Dead Sea Scrolls sect.
This remarkable document (11Q13) tells us several things. First, that the Qumran sect interpreted scripture as we are doing right now. They substituted Melchizedek’s name for "the Lord" designation used in the original scripture. This sect must have still retained at least some of the truth about Melchizedek and his role in the history of Israel. Second, this document confirms the statements in the Urantia Book pertaining to the Lord/Melchizedek confusion, i.e., "Lord" is erroneously used instead of "Melchizedek." The Dead Sea Scrolls reverse the process and puts Melchizedek back in place of the ‘Lord’ designation in scripture. This correspondence between the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Urantia Book mutually validates both sources, as neither source could have had access to the other. (Urantia Book published in 1955 before 11Q13 had been made public.) Lastly, the document, by its truth, indicates that the Qumran group is an heir to the "river of truth running down through the ages" in the form of sacred scripture.
God never angers, we project our human feelings onto him; but He is an infinite, never changing and perfect Being. He is the source and center of all existence, all creation, and all reality. The Urantia Book teaches us that it is our perceptions of God that change and that God is eternal and unchanging. When we are at the beginning of our development we fear the great and powerful God, but as we develop, we begin to understand that God’s true motive towards us is one of love. Our fear evolves through awe, reverence, and appreciation, and finally to love. "Fear is the beginning of wisdom, but love is at its end." The Urantia Book tells us that "Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate the better half of a scripture…" and that he "appropriated the positive portion…" (Paper 159). All human truth is partial and incomplete. We must always separate the wheat from the chaff, using both the external facts available and the internal guiding of The Spirit of Truth. Logic and intuition are both necessary and interdependent. The Urantia Book is the stone on which such a philosophy will be built. And so, we proceed, appropriating the best in scripture, as did Jesus himself.
"The Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized the study of the Bible, early Judaism, and early Christianity." (Dead Sea Scrolls, Michael Wise, 1996) Here are some facts about their discovery and publication taken from, Dead Sea Scrolls, Michael Wise.
Dead Sea Scroll Facts
1. 100 BC The vast majority of scrolls were written in first century BC.
2. 1947 AD The first scrolls were found in the Judean desert.
3. 1948 The first scrolls were published.
4. 1947-1956 Eleven caves with scrolls were discovered.
5. 1947-1956 There were 15,000 fragments found in cave four alone.
6. 1948 The jurisdiction at this time was the government of Jordan.
7. 1950-1977 The "official team" of a small number of scholars published six volumes of scrolls during this time period; less than half of the total volume.
8. 1977-1991 The "Official team" refuses to release the scrolls for public study. This is called "the scandal of the century" by prominent scholar Geza Vermes.
9. 1991 Zion Wacholder reconstructs scrolls from a detailed concordex using a desktop computer.
10. 1991 Legal action was threatened against the monopoly
11.1991 Emanuel Tov,the new editor-in-chief announced the free and unconditional access to all photographs of Dead Sea Scrolls.
Whenever there is such flagrant abuse and secrecy, one must suspect the worst. Perhaps someday we will know the true history of the scrolls as it transpired in the first fifty years after their discovery.
Let’s start by examining the most important Dead Sea Scroll, 11Q13, first. This scroll establishes Melchizedek as a "Lord" in the Old Testament. The other "Lord" in the Old Testament is God of course. With one sentence this document establishes: Melchizedek as Lord of the Old Testament and coming Messiah, confirms the truth and validity of The Urantia Book, and validates the Teacher of Righteousness as a true prophet of God.
Here are some facts about 1Enoch the book and Enoch the man.
Enoch Facts
1. Ethiopic Enoch = 1Enoch
2. 1Enoch is the oldest. 2 and 3 Enoch are later works.
3. Enoch was the seventh descendent of Adam and Eve in the Bible.
4. Enoch "walked with God. Then he vanished and God took him." (Genesis 5:24)
5. Enoch was the son of Cain and Ramona, and he led the Nodites.(UB 849)
6. Enoch was the first mortal fused with his thought adjuster.(UB 514)
7. Enoch is one of 24 members 'Urantia advisory council.' (UB 513)
8. The Book of Enoch was an inspiration to Jesus.(UB 1390) The title "Son of Man" was taken from the Book of Enoch.
(UB 1390) Of all scripture the Book of Enoch "was nearest to the truth" regarding Jesus' identity and mission as assessed by Jesus himself.
(UB 1390).
9. Enoch is said to have been taken away by God, saw the secrets and mysteries of the universe, the future of the world, and the predetermined course of human history (Biblical literature).
10. There are three parts to 1Enoch.
11. 1Enoch was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls pushing its date of origin back to at least 100-200 BC (except for part 2, see below).
12. Part 2, the Similitudes, is the part containing all the references to the Son of Man and is the only part not yet found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. Therefore, its dating is unsure (? pre-Christian or not).
13. The New Testament was significantly influenced by 1Enoch.
14. Many early Church fathers were inspired by 1Enoch.
15. Many copies of 1Enoch were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. 1Enoch was probably one of the most authoritative and popular scriptures of the Qumran Community.
16. After the fourth century A.D. 1Enoch was apparently suppressed as heretical by the Church due to its references to the physicality of the fallen angels who were said to have had sexual relations with the 'daughters of men.'.
17. The entire Book of Enoch not discovered again until 1773. It was brought to Europe from Ethiopia.
18. The book survived as a whole only in Ethiopia. Why? Was it destroyed by the church?
19. 1Enoch is directly quoted in Jude and 2Peter of the New Testament in reference to danger of a perverted form of Christian belief which claimed that it was only necessary to have faith. The overriding concern of these two New Testament books is that the believer feels that he or she is otherwise above the biblical laws and commandments. This belief mainly took the form of sensual and sexual indulgence. Jude and 2Peter reject such licentiousness and state that the fate of such believers will be like the angels or "Sons of God" who sinned by descending from heaven and having intercourse with daughters of men. (See Genesis 6:1-4). The story of these "fallen angels" is discussed in 1Enoch. The Nephilim of the Bible are the Nodites of the Urantia Book
(UB 856) and are the descendants of the original disloyal 'Dalamatia staff of one
hundred' (UB 758), and who became the 'eighth race to appear on Urantia' (UB
822).
UB 1390
While turning all these problems over in his mind, he (Jesus) found
in the synagogue library at Nazareth, among the apocalyptic books
which he had been studying, this manuscript called "The Book of Enoch";
and though he was certain that it had not been written by Enoch of old, it
proved very intriguing to him, and he read and reread it many times.
There was one passage, which particularly impressed him, a passage in
which this term 'Son of Man' appeared. The writer of this so-called Book
of Enoch went on to tell about this Son of Man, describing the work he
would do on earth and explaining that this Son of Man, before coming
down on this earth to bring salvation to mankind, had walked through the
courts of heavenly glory with his Father, the Father of all; and that he had
turned his back upon all this grandeur and glory to come down on earth to
proclaim salvation to needy mortals. As Jesus would read these passages
(well understanding that much of the Eastern mysticism which had become
admixed with these teachings was erroneous), he responded in his heart
and recognized in his mind that of all the Messianic predictions of the
Hebrew scriptures and of all the theories about the Jewish deliverer, none
was so near the truth as this story tucked away in this only partially
accredited Book of Enoch; and he then and there decided to adopt as his
inaugural title "the Son of Man." And this he did when he subsequently
began his public work. Jesus had an unerring ability for the recognition of
truth, and truth he never hesitated to embrace, no matter from what source
it appeared to emanate.
By this time he had quite thoroughly settled many things about his
forth-coming work for the world, but he said nothing of these matters to
his mother, who still held stoutly to the idea of his being the Jewish Messiah.
The great confusion of Jesus' younger days now arose. Having settled
something about the nature of his mission on earth, "to be about his
Father's business" - to show forth his Father's loving nature to all
mankind - he began to ponder anew the many statements in the Scriptures
referring to the coming of a national deliverer, a Jewish teacher or king.
To what event did these prophecies refer? Was not he a Jew? or was he?
Was he or was he not of the house of David? His mother averred he was;
his father had ruled that he was not. He decided he was not. But had the
prophets confused the nature and mission of the Messiah? (UB 1390 - 1391)
Please note the Urantia Book does not say that the reference in the Book of Enoch was a reference to Jesus, rather it says that no other scripture "was so near the truth" as these Enoch passages were in relationship to Jesus. Perhaps Jesus is not the Son of Man portrayed in the Enoch that comes down to us today, and that these passages are "so near the truth" about Jesus because Jesus is also a pre-existent divine being, who walked with the "Father of all" before leaving the glory of the divine world to proclaim salvation to mankind. Therefore, perhaps Jesus chooses this title "Son of Man" because it's meaning is as close as he can get to his own self-understanding. Jesus was human just like we are and had doubts and confusion just as we do. He definitely had a limited knowledge of his mission at this point in his spiritual development. Listen to these doubts and questions in his mind as he ponders these issues in a very human way:
UB 1391
After all, could it be possible that his mother was right? In most matters,
when differences of opinion had arisen in the past, she had been right. If
he were a new teacher and not the Messiah, then how should he recognize
the Jewish Messiah and, further, what should be his relation to this Jewish
Messiah? And what should be his relation, after embarking on his life
mission, to his family? to the Jewish commonwealth and religion? to the
Roman Empire? to the gentiles and their religions? Each of these
momentous problems this young Galilean turned over in his mind and
seriously pondered while he continued to work at the carpenter's bench,
laboriously making a living for himself, his mother, and eight other hungry
mouths. (UB 1391).
Ultimately, Jesus had to follow his own internal guide and move away from the Messiah role to offer the spiritual salvation that was to become his mission. This mission was not preordained, it was a conscious choice by Jesus made over and above other possibilities.
Emily Dickinson was unpublished in her lifetime, preferring to wait for fame posthumously. Sure of her own place in history to come, she waited for the world to discover the beauty and wisdom of a master craftsman. Unhappy with the world's imprisoned word meanings, she needed but a simple lexicon to fashion her new gems, her crystals of reflected word meanings, glistening in light and color. Living only for beauty and only for truth. she haunts us today with eerily beautiful and mysterious poetry from deep within her mind and soul.
All of the poems in this chapter are taken from The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, edited by Thomas Johnson, 1st copyright 1890. First we will look at Emily's prophecy of her own death. This serves to establish her prophetic validity.
Emily Prophecies her own death
ED #24 1858
There is a morn by men unseen -
Whose maids upon remoter green
Keep their Seraphic May -
And all day long, with dance and game,
And gambol I may never name -
Employ their holiday.
Here to light measure, move the feet
Which walk no more the village street -
Nor by the wood are found -
Here are the birds that sought the sun
When last year's distaff idle hung
And summer's brows were bound.
Ne'er saw I such a wondrous scene -
Ne'er such a ring on such a green -
As if the stars some summer night
Should swing their cups of Chrysolite -
And revel till the day -
Like thee to dance - like thee to sing -
People upon the mystic green -
I ask, each May Morn.
I wait thy far, fantastic bells -
Announcing me in other dells -
Unto the different dawn!
This poem was written early in Emily's career in 1858. The "maids upon remoter green" are angelic transports (seraphic) to the next world. Emily asks the seraphs "each new May morn" if they are ready to come and take her so she can join them and play with them "all day long," with "dance and game." She asks these angels for passage to the next world "remoter green" each and "every new May morn" because she knows she is to die in May, but doesn't know what year.
The apostles' error
E.D. #1681
Speech is one symptom of Affection
And Silence one -
The perfectest communication
Is heard of none -
Exists and its indorsement
Is had within -
Behold, said the Apostle,
Yet had not seen!
The above poem fits in nicely with:
John 10:1
I Assure you, most solemnly I tell you, he who does not enter by
the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way is a
thief and a robber.
John 10:2
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
John 10:6
Jesus used thes paarable with them, but they did not understand
what He was talking about.
Emily starts this poem #1681 discussing the kingdom of heaven within, with reference to "the perfectest communication" between the thought adjuster and the human self. This communication "exists and is had within" our being. The Apostle says "Behold" although he had not grasped the reality of "the kingdom of heaven" within. Therefore he inaugurates a new message about the risen Christ. How could Emily have grasped this in the nineteenth century? And now, The Urantia Book tells us that the errors of the Apostle's must be corrected. Who is prepared to do this? Who is capable of doing this? Who has personally experienced the meaning of the kingdom of heaven, as well as understood the nature of the Apostle's error?
Apostle's Error
UB 2059
These men (the apostles) had been trained and instructed that the gospel which they should preach was the fatherhood of God and the sonship of man, but at just this moment of spiritual ecstasy and personal triumph, the best tidings, the greatest news, these men could think of was the fact of the risen Master. And so they went forth, endowed with power from on high, preaching glad tidings to the people -- even salvation through Jesus -- but they unintentionally stumbled into the error of substituting some of the facts associated with the gospel for the gospel message itself.
The gospel of the kingdom is: the fact of the fatherhood of God, coupled with the resultant truth of the sonship-brotherhood of men.
Next concept, The Urantia Book states:
The Refinement of Man
UB 100
The universe of your origin is being forged out between the anvil of justice and the hammer of suffering; but those who wield the hammer are the children of mercy, the spirit offspring of the Infinite Spirit.
Emily Dickinson writes:
E.D. #365 1862
Dare you see a Soul at the White Heat?
Then crouch within the door -
Red - is the Fire's common tint -
But when the vivid Ore
Has vanquished Flame's conditions,
It quivers from the Forge
Without a color, but the light
Of unanointed Blaze.
Least Village has its Blacksmith
Whose Anvil's even ring
Stands symbol for the finer Forge
That soundless tugs - within -
Refining these impatient Ores
With Hammer, and with Blaze
Until the Designated Light
Repudiate the Forge –
There could be no more beautiful expression about the process of inner molding and refining that we undergo during our lives. Our Father, numbers the hairs on our head - and searches through ceaseless night for the first light of new consciousness - a son for his Father. Also, consider the following poem:
The Zones of Paradise
E.D. # 871 1864
The Sun and Moon must make their haste -
The Stars express around
For in the Zones of Paradise
The Lord alone is burned -
His Eye, it is the East and West -
The North and South when He
Do concentrate His Countenance
Like Glow Worms, flee away -
Oh Poor and Far -
Oh Hindered Eye
That hunted for the Day -
The Lord a Candle entertains
Entirely for Thee –
Those familiar with The Urantia Book will immediately note the expression "Zones of Paradise." This is the exact terminology used in The Urantia Book and found nowhere else as far as I am aware. Is this just a coincidence or perhaps something more? The quotes below about Paradise tell us that:
UB 120
The Holy Area, the outlying or residential region is divided into seven concentric zones...these seven zones are often designated "the Father's Paradise mansions."
UB 122
...in the central portion of nether Paradise, is the unknown and unrevealed Zone of Infinity.
These are but a few references, among many more, regarding the zones of Paradise in the Urantia Book. Again, Emily and The Urantia Book match up because they both have the same source of revelation, the Kingdom of heaven itself.
This presentation of "Validity" is a summarized quote from the book, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" by Edmund J. Roache.