Our native planet, Urantia, is teeming with materialism, greed, and sin. One of the reasons for this is the Lucifer Rebellion against universe authority which our Planetary Prince, Caligastia, joined about 200,000 years ago. Caligastia remains free on our planet to create mischief even though he has been defeated by our Creator Son Michael, whom we know as Jesus. The reason Caligastia remains here is basically a lesson in mercy and a test of our faith.
While wrongdoing is always deleterious to a family, wisdom and love admonish the upright children to bear with an erring brother during the time granted by the affectionate father in which the sinner may see the error of his way and embrace salvation. (Urantia Book, 617.5)
We find no one specific reference detailing why Caligastia remains free to roam over Urantia; however, there are clear indications why this is the case. Caligastia deliberately introduced sin to our planet;[1] when this happens there are consequences both to the being who introduced the sin and those who received the sin, all mortal inhabitants of Urantia. These consequences need to be investigated and understood.
Caligastia could have been detained
There are several times when our rebellious Planetary Prince, Caligastia, could have been detained on one of the prison worlds. The reason he is free to roam over our planet is discussed below.
Most of those involved in the Lucifer Rebellion have been imprisoned on the satellites of the Father’s world at Jerusem, the capital of our local system, Satania.[2] When these beings were detained, our Planetary Prince Caligastia could also have been detained there.
Jesus went alone to Mount Hermon and while there he defeated Lucifer and Caligastia; Lucifer was represented by his assistant Satan. And when Jesus came down from his sojourn on Mount Hermon, the Lucifer rebellion in Satania and the Caligastia secession on Urantia were virtually settled.[3] Caligastia was limited to our world and defeated, but he was not placed in confinement. At this time Michael was proclaimed our Planetary Prince, but he has not yet acted in this role.
Later Machiventa Melchizedek was proclaimed Vicegerent Planetary Prince;[4] he also has not taken any actions in this role.
When the case of Gabriel vs. Lucifer started on Uversa, Satan who prior to that time had been permitted to periodically visit planets in rebellion, was permanently detained on the prison world along with Lucifer and other rebels. Again, Caligastia and his assistants were allowed to roam free all over our planet.
In effect Urantia is Caligastia’s prison world and we are trustees who can either cooperate with authority (the Most Highs who rule in the affairs of humanity) or side with the prisoners (Caligastia and his followers). Each of us must choose between good and evil; either way there are consequences.
Similar cases
When our Planetary Prince declared his rebellion, those loyal to Michael were led by Van, a member of the prince’s corporeal staff; these were beings appearing similar to mortals of that era but were ascendant mortals from our system capital and had ongoing life. When the rebellion was declared communication from outside the planet was cut off. The planet was isolated. For seven years discussions took place led by Van until every personality concerned, all super mortal beings, made their decision which side they were on: Michael and the universal government, or the rebel Caligastia. When everyone had so decided the Melchizedeks arrived and arranged the super-mortal government.[5]
In this case, outside assistance only came after all those involved had made a decision between good and evil. Mortals of the realm 200,000 years ago had no awareness of any government beyond the tribe so they were not then involved. When sin is introduced into any system, all those affected in any way must choose between good and evil.
When the Lucifer Rebellion took place, 607 planets had Planetary Princes; of these thirty-eight went into rebellion. On one planet, Panoptia, the inhabitants led by Ellanora (who was guided by the Melchizedeks), defeated their Planetary Prince and refused to go into rebellion. Ever since this time ascendant mortals from this planet are awarded by being given special tasks by Michael.[6]
Inhabitants of this planet are given important and interesting jobs because they defeated their rebellious Planetary Prince. They as a planet made their choice between good and evil, as a result they are all rewarded.
Based on these examples, when rebellion is introduced into any system all those affected must choose between universe government and rebellion. Unlike mortals of 200,000 years ago, today we have widespread communication; practically speaking most of us get the news and are aware of good things or bad things happening all around. Even those who are isolated from society or in a remote wilderness must make decisions based on what is best for the world they know. Each of us has to make that moral choice, declare where we stand.
Wisdom of Delay
In the event of rebellion on a system headquarters, a new sovereign is usually installed within a comparatively short time, but not so on the individual planets. They are the component units of the material creation, and creature free will is a factor in the final adjudication of all such problems. Successor Planetary Princes… do not assume active rulership of such worlds until the results of insurrection are partially overcome and removed by the remedial measures adopted by the Melchizedeks and other ministering personalities.[7]
It is “creature free will” that determines when the replacement Planetary Prince will arrive on Urantia. We the inhabitants of Earth must decide where we stand, with Michael or with Lucifer and Caligastia. Only when this has taken place will the communication lines open and our Vicegerent Planetary Prince, Machiventa Melchizedek, take over the government of our native sphere.
One section of our revelation, The Urantia Book, covers reasons for this delay; this is titled “The Wisdom of Delay.”[8] Twelve reasons for delaying response to rebellion are listed; we are told that on Uversa forty-eight reasons are taught.
Mercy requires that every wrongdoer have sufficient time in which to formulate a deliberate and fully chosen attitude regarding his evil thoughts and sinful acts. (Urantia Book, 617.2) We are not inherently evil, but because we live on a planet in rebellion we must live with the consequences of that rebellion. It would be the same if we were part of a family when a brother or sister did something very bad; the family life would be disrupted until the situation was fully resolved. Our Father’s creation is based on love, mercy, and forgiveness; this requires time to unfold.
Michael, our local universe Creator Son, was counseled to remain aloof from the rebels and allow rebellion to pursue a natural course of self-obliteration. (Urantia Book, 617.8) Since the rebellion had no support from outside the system of Satania it could not succeed regardless of how much time would be required for it to fail.
The Constellation Fathers, the Most Highs, were advised to allow the rebels free course to the end that all sympathy for these evildoers should be the sooner uprooted in the hearts of every present and future citizen of Norlatiadek — every mortal, morontia, or spirit creature.[9]Every mortal in the entire constellation must choose between Michael and Lucifer, between God’s way and evil, between true liberty and false liberty. Only when that happens will all the evil resulting from this rebellion be eradicated.
Michael’s chief executive, Gabriel, was counseled to promote full opportunity for every living creature to mature a deliberate choice in those matters involved in the Lucifer Declaration of Liberty.[10] Again, every living creature must make a deliberate choice between righteousness and rebellion.
The angels were directed to work for full disclosure and unlimited opportunity for sin-expression as the quickest technique of achieving the perfect and final cure of the plague of evil and sin.[11]The quickest way to root out such evil is to allow an “unlimited opportunity for sin-expression.” This is not what we expect angels to be doing! The idea is not to artificially repress such evil, because it would only make matters worse; rather they were to allow the expression of sin to take place so it would eventually run out of steam.
It is because of these requirements for mercy that every mortal on Urantia must make a decision in the matter of Michael vs. Lucifer; every mortal must choose to follow God’s will or the lies of Lucifer. By choosing God’s will we defeat the lies of Caligastia and we defeat Caligastia. Only after this has taken place with every mortal on Earth can our planet become fully a part of the communication network of the system and the universe.
We cannot expect angels to appear in the sky and deliver us from this evil place; it is up to each one of us to make the decision. We must remember that in all things, we are not alone in the struggle.
Discern the signs of the times
When must this decision be made? Once we become aware of the necessity of making such a decision, the best option would certainly be to choose instantly. Most of our sisters and brothers are not aware of the necessity of such a decision, what about them? Twice Jesus instructed the Apostles they should be aware of the signs of the times.[12] We must use faith to discern the signs of our time and they are certainly troubling. Today materialism, greed, excessive telling of lies, acts of violence, hatred against sisters and brothers because of some superficial characteristic, as well as a deeply polarized society declare we are heading into troublous times.
Because of this, the time is rapidly approaching when it will be imperative to inform sisters and brothers of the necessity of making that eternal choice, declaring where each one of us stands: righteousness or sin, God or Lucifer, eternal existence or soul death.
1660.5, all references are to the one column edition of The Urantia Book in the format page.paragraph ↑
