The Urantia Book is the Fifth Epochal Revelation {Epochal Revelations} to our planet; the fifth time we have received advanced truth. Epochal is defined as the beginning of a new and important period in the history of anything. The publication of this new revelation therefore defines the start of a new period of history. It is complex on many levels, there is no way it can be described or simplified without losing substance, something meaningful. The best we can hope for is to briefly outline its structure, how it is put together, and to present a way to approach it.
This work is a challenging read because in a way it is a wakeup call to human beings; we have become lazy in our thinking and have lost interest in spiritual reality. We would rather do something frivolous; waste our time on meaningless fluff than actually think about anything meaningful, anything lasting; we spend our time in the present moment rather than contemplate eternal reality, eternal truths. A day will come when each individual must soberly face the consequences of this; it is also true for our society as a whole.
One striking aspect of this revelation is the very first part of the book, the Forward, is the most difficult for us to comprehend; there is no easing into it whatsoever, why is this? In these seventeen pages they are introducing important concepts along with precise meanings; our limited language is not well suited for their advanced truths and our mortal brains have great difficulty comprehending these concepts.
Another reason the revelation is a difficult read is more philosophical. Starting with the simple and finite rather than the infinite and eternal leads to knowledge about the facts but it does not impart spiritual wisdom; the easy way does not reveal our divine destiny.[1] To fully understand any reality problem we must study its origin, history and destiny.[2]
When we approach any subject by starting with the simple and moving to the more complex we are in danger of committing four errors of reasoning. The simple way does not reveal our evolutionary goal, it oversimplifies leading to a distortion of facts, it may not provide a meaningful understanding of our present status, and history by itself does not indicate future development.[3]
When I started studying this book I instinctively started at the beginning and read it from front to back more than once; the first time through I understood very little but I felt compelled to keep at it; each time through it I comprehended somewhat more. Starting with Part IV and learning about the teachings of Jesus in a way trivializes him. Using this as an opening to the revelation gives no indication of the significance of his life among us for the benefit of an entire universe. Those who are sincerely seeking truth and wisdom would do well to make the effort to study this revelation from the beginning.
As previously stated, in the Forward various concepts are presented along with the specific meaning they attach to each. Among these are Deity and Divinity, God, the Seven Absolutes, Universe Reality, Energy and Pattern, the Supreme Being, God the Sevenfold and many more. The Forward lays the foundation for the rest of the book by presenting the word usage found in the rest of the book.
Part I describes the central and superuniverses. The first five papers describe God, His nature, attributes, His relationship to the universe and to the individual. The next two describe the Eternal Son and his relationship to the universe. There are also two similar papers describing the Infinite Spirit. In addition there are papers about the Trinity, Paradise, and a description of the structure of the universe of universes. There are detailed descriptions of many types of personalities on many levels. The detail with which they are presented can be tiring to read but the complexity of it all is somehow reassuring and comforting; creation is big enough there is a place for a wide diversity of intelligent beings.
Part II is concerned with the local universe and describes how the universes evolve, how they are administered and describes the various personalities residing in these realms. The subdivisions: constellations and systems are also described. One of the more challenging papers in this part is Paper 42, “Energy—Mind and Matter;” this paper explains the different aspects of matter. In this part there is also a paper about the Lucifer rebellion on our system capital.
Part III details the history of our planet, Urantia, from its beginning more than three billion years ago. The first six papers in this part were written by Life Carriers; these beings planted life on our planet and remained here to oversee the evolutionary process. While it may be a bit dry to read their account of how it progresses, nevertheless their enthusiasm comes through as they report the various evolutionary changes. For example there is the following quote:
140,000,000 years ago, suddenly and with only the hint of the two prereptilian ancestors that developed in Africa during the preceding epoch, the reptiles appeared in full-fledged form. They developed rapidly, soon yielding crocodiles, scaled reptiles, and eventually both sea serpents and flying reptiles. Their transition ancestors speedily disappeared.[4]
The Life Carriers are certainly enthusiastic and interested in following the evolutionary progression of the life they initiated on this planet.
There is also a series of papers describing the evolution of our prehumen ancestors and the thrilling story of the first true human beings, the twins Andon and Fonta. Their decision to live together and flee from their family was the first free will decision on our planet and it resulted in our world declared as being inhabited.[5] The growth of society is discussed. Much more is revealed in this interesting section of the book, from the planetary rebellion, to Adam and Eve. The spread of the teachings of Melchizedek is an interesting series of papers. One of the best sections in the book is a series of five papers on religion. The story of the history of our planet is a fascinating read, presenting countless aspects that were previously unknown.
For many readers Part IV, the life and teachings of Jesus, is the best part of the book; in fact it is thrilling to learn how he grew up, how he interacted with those around him and to discover what he was doing during the so called missing years, the period of his life that was not reported previously; in the Bible there is no mention of what Jesus did between the age of twelve and when he began his public ministry.[6] To read his actual words as he taught the apostles and others seeking truth is uplifting. However this part of the revelation must stand on the foundation of the previous parts; reading it in isolation robs it of the necessary background, it removes the perspective we gain by taking things in order.
The Urantia Book is the fifth epochal revelation to our planet and it is proper the largest section describes the fourth epochal revelation, the life and teachings of Jesus. As important as this part is, its true significance becomes apparent only in relationship with the complete revelation.
We must realize The Urantia Book is the most important revelation of truth to our planet since Jesus two thousand years ago. It is that vital to our spiritual progress.