Contemplating on the Meanings of Evolution and Revolution — In Relation to The URANTIA Book (the Fifth Epochal Revelation) and The Cosmic Family volumes (Continuing Fifth Epochal Revelation)

Many readers of The URANTIA Book (the Fifth Epochal Revelation) think that there is a seemingly distinct difference between the concepts of evolution and revolution and that revolution is not usually desirable or in divine pattern, and there are many references and statements that would support this opinion.

In relation to the spiritual growth and ascension of evolutionary mortals, the now-former System Sovereign Lucifer contested the gradual and slower growth and unfoldment of mortals and their civilizations within the evolutionary process, thus presenting the idea that mortals did not need so much attention and work given to their earthly progress and ongoing spiritual ascension, claiming that the quicker revolutionary methods worked just fine. The Planetary Prince of Urantia (Earth), Caligastia, tried revolutionary rather than evolutionary methods of bringing more advanced spiritual, scientific, political, educational, and social concepts to this world, which ended in disaster. Today we are still suffering the consequences of both Lucifer’s and Caligastia’s rebellion from the evolutionary process of growth and expansion within divine pattern.[1]

Many URANTIA Book readers struggle with the idea from Continuing Fifth Epochal Revelation (found in The Cosmic Family volumes) of Urantia (Earth) moving soon into the pre-stages and first stage of light and life, for they cannot understand how a planet that is so obstructed and delayed in many areas in its evolution of planetary mortal epochs could then so quickly, almost suddenly, take the giant leap into light and life, which would be considered revolution rather than evolution in their understanding.

Though I can understand how those URANTIA Book readers would reach that conclusion, as a “reader” myself, I am also an avid student and teacher of The Cosmic Family volumes and do not see a contradiction in thinking that there is a possibility that our planet could take that tremendous leap from confusion and terrible turmoil into the more peaceful existence of brother-/sisterhood and the beginning stage of light and life. Clearly, throughout history, there have been those seemingly unexplainable (from a more scientific viewpoint) “suddenlys,” where suddenly something drastically transforms and almost “overnight.” Such quantum changes can and do periodically occur on all levels—physical/material, mindal/emotional, and spiritual. And certainly there is an almost-daily increasing number of people who realize that our world teeters on the brink (and in great need) of a tremendous shift.

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 In expanding understanding, I find it helps to first look at the various definitions of evolution and revolution from Webster’s Third New International Dictionary in relation to what we are discussing here.

 Evolution

1. “a series of related changes in a certain direction: process of change: unfolding movement, transformation.” — “a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse condition to a higher, more complex or better state: progressive development: growth, progress: a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance or amelioration—often contrasted with revolution.”
2. “the progressive development of civilization and social institutions in a fixed sequence of stages.” – “a process of cultural change determined especially by technological factors and marked by a movement from simplicity to complexity and the gradual increase of man’s control over his environment.”
3. “the process of the whole universe conceived as a progression of interrelated phenomena: emergent evolution theory.”

Revolution

“alteration or change in some matter or respect as:

1. a sudden, radical, or complete change: a basic reorientation and reorganization
2. a fundamental change in political organization or in a government or constitution: the overthrow or renunciation of one government or ruler and the substitution of another by the governed”

In relation to item a. above, revolution can be either violent or non-violent, for it simply means a more accelerated change, whether in an individual’s growth and healing process, or within a group consciousness, or within a government, or within the physical evolution of life on a world.   

Two examples of revolution within the context of item b. above would be:  the Lucifer Rebellion (which would be considered from a negative perspective, with harmful, long-lasting consequences), and, on a smaller, more planetary scale, the American Revolution (which is considered to be more positive, with beneficial consequences of a much better, more progressive form of government—democracy that is now practiced at different levels in other countries). Though the Americans abruptly seceded from being governed by the king of England to their own governing process, the actual growth into implementing a democracy was more evolutionary, in that they had to try out ideas and grow into the Bill of Rights, etc. And often this growth was very stormy, with differing opinions among the men involved in creating a new government in a new land. However, the development of democracy in this country is considered by most as revolutionary in that the ideals of democracy began to be implemented quickly in comparison the development of so-called new governments in other countries.   

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In perusing The URANTIA Book and its use of the concepts of evolution and revolution, I discovered some interesting things. Since we all understand evolution and how that is the general way of progress on the physical, mindal, and spiritual levels within the universes of time and space—in the cosmos as well as on evolutionary planets—I looked more at how the term revolution is used.

On a physical level, in relation to the evolution of life on Urantia, there have been examples of “suddenlys” or revolutions in the evolutionary process, of which today’s scientists have seen evidence. In the study of certain papers in Part III of The URANTIA Book, which is the history of Urantia (Earth), there are references to those suddenlys that occurred in the evolution of life. For example, in reference to 130,000,000 years ago during the early reptilian age:  “. . . The life changes of this period were indeed revolutionary notwithstanding that they were transitional and gradual.” (60:1.13)[2] In this context it seems that revolution can happen within the process of evolution and is simply a quickening in the process, a giant leap forward.

This same understanding can be had in considering the three separate events that were “suddenlys” or revolutions that occurred in the evolutionary process within a line of primates that resulted in the birth of Andon and Fonta, who were far advanced in body and brain capacity than their parents and siblings and thus able to have the activation of the two highest adjutant mind spirits—worship and wisdom—which led them to making moral decisions, resulting in that leap into being considered mortal rather than just animal, beginning the history of human life on this planet.

A Life Carrier explains this revolutionary reality within evolution in time and space from a more expansive perspective:

 When physical conditions are ripe, sudden mental evolutions may take place; when mind status is propitious, sudden spiritual transformations may occur; when spiritual values receive proper recognition, then cosmic meanings become discernible, and increasingly the personality is released from the handicaps of time and delivered from the limitations of space. (65:8.6)  

 Jesus also reminds us:  “Remember that the order of progressive evolution is subjected to sudden and unexpected periodical changes in both the material and the spiritual worlds.” (170:4.14) So, these sudden leaps forward, or revolutions, do happen in the evolutionary process within divine pattern on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels, which possibly can augment “suddenlys” in the social evolution of two or more people or even an entire society. Usually these giant steps in understanding of reality that can cause revolutionary personal and social change actually spring from previously established mental foundations where facts are reorganized and/or reconnected in new ways, seen in a different context, thus triggering the accelerated progress or revolution.    

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 The First Epochal Revelation, composed of the Planetary Prince and Caligastia One Hundred and the building of the advanced society of Dalamatia, was in very primitive times—beginning 500,000 years ago—and was meant to be evolutionary in the sense that most URANTIA Book readers understand, taking tens of thousands (even hundreds of thousands) of years to implement before the Second Epochal Revelation of the Material Son and Daughter (Adam and Eve), which was originally meant to build upon the foundation of advancement already created by the First Epochal Revelation and which, unfortunately, went awry also.   

            The Dalamatia teachers sought to add conscious social selection to the purely natural selection of biologic evolution. They did not derange human society, but they did markedly accelerate its normal and natural evolution. Their motive was progression by evolution and not revolution by revelation. The human race had spent ages in acquiring the little religion and morals it had, and these supermen knew better than to rob mankind of these few advances by the confusion and dismay which always result when enlightened and superior beings undertake to uplift the backward races by overteaching and overenlightenment. (66:6.6)

The emphasis in bold in the above quote is mine, for I wanted to point out that in various places in The URANTIA Book, revelation is considered a form of revolution, but usually in a positive sense and within divine pattern. So, it seems that there are two sides to the coin of revolution, one within divine pattern and one that is not.

As the Fourth Epochal Revelation to this world, Jesus was radical and revolutionary in how He lived His life and what He taught, which challenged the status-quo worldviews and social mores. Unfortunately, His life example and teachings didn’t “take” on Urantia (Earth) to the extent that was hoped by the celestial overseers (including Christ Michael of Nebadon), even though much good has resulted and continues to come out of His seventh bestowal. But the accelerated push towards humankind becoming more enlightened—and thus creating cultures of true brother-/sisterhood that would eventually become planet-wide—has not happened to the extent needed, and, from today’s evidence, is many generations and centuries from occurring.

At the time of the inditing of the papers in The URANTIA Book (in the mid 1930s), the celestial authors indicated hope of the possibility that Jesus’ life and teachings could be embraced more truly and fully by humankind, thus causing a revolution of radical change for our world, catapulting us into accelerated evolution that would result in worldwide health, harmony, and peace.

. . . Indeed, the social readjustments, the economic transformations, the moral rejuvenations and the religious revisions of Christian civilization would be drastic and revolutionary if the living religion of Jesus should suddenly supplant the theologic religion about Jesus. (196:1.2)

                  Eighty years after the inditing of the Urantia Papers (and sixty years after their publication), our planet seems to be closer to worldwide devastation rather than closer to worldwide sustainability and health, and for the first time in recorded human history we are facing the threat of extinction of all life on the planet, including the human race. Additionally, though the celestial authors of The URANTIA Book (as well as those of The Cosmic Family volumes) did express the possibilities of a turnabout, a revolution if the revelation of Jesus was received correctly, they also realized the probability of this not occurring for thousands of years.   

  Even on normal evolutionary worlds the realization of the world-wide brother-[/sisterhood] of man is not an easy accomplishment. On a confused and disordered planet like Urantia [Earth] such an achievement requires a much longer time and necessitates far greater effort. Unaided social evolution can hardly achieve such happy results on a spiritually isolated sphere. Religious revelation is essential to the realization of brotherhood[/sisterhood] on Urantia [Earth]. . . . (52:6.2)

 Revelation is definitely revolutionary, even beyond accelerated evolution, though paradoxically still part of the plans of “the gods” for evolution of mortals on evolutionary worlds. Any “push” forward, whether simply accelerated evolution or revelation, will seem revolutionary (in a negative sense) to persons who don’t want to accelerate. “Mortal man is passing through a great age of expanding horizons and enlarging concepts on Urantia, and his cosmic philosophy must accelerate in evolution to keep pace with the expansion of the intellectual arena of human thought. . . .” (104:3.2) The Cosmic Family volumes (Continuing Fifth Epochal Revelation) emphasize the importance then of accelerated growth and ascension in our current lifetime for those who choose to become conscious co-workers with Celestial Overcontrol in taking part in the accelerated evolution of Urantia—the actual implementation of higher ideals that reflect the higher planetary mortal epochs that lead into light and life.[3]

Due to 200,000 years of setbacks to the normal evolutionary process planned for our world, there have been retrogressions and regressions along with impeded, slowed-down evolution—in the physical realms as well as in the psychospiritual and social development of humankind. All of life on our planet is now literally endangered, and if there is not a radical shift in human consciousness and actions, it would appear that continuation of life in all forms is doomed to the devices of humans because of our failure as a species to balance our human ingenuity and discoveries with expanding spiritual understanding.

“Revelation is a technique whereby ages upon ages of time are saved in the necessary work of sorting and sifting the errors of evolution from the truths of spirit acquirement.” (101:5.1) However, revelation that has been presented to the people of this world over the hundreds of thousands of years has not been embraced and implemented sufficiently to enable evolutionary progress to bring humankind to a higher planetary mortal epoch, thus the urgency of the times, which warrants emergency tactics on the part of the celestial overseers of this world.

In Paper 52 that describes the planetary mortal epochs, which we on this world have not yet achieved fully due to the setbacks mentioned previously, we are told:

             If you could be transplanted from your backward and confused world to some normal planet now in the postbestowal Son age, you would think you had been translated to the heaven of your traditions. You would hardly believe that you were observing the normal evolutionary workings of a mortal sphere of human habitation. These worlds are in the spiritual circuits of their realm, and they enjoy all the advantages of the universe broadcasts and the reflectivity services of the superuniverse. (52:6. 8)

                  Because we are an experimental planet in many ways, which The URANTIA Book introduces and The Cosmic Family volumes expand upon, and because of the lack of sufficient evolutionary progress for 200,000 years to bring humankind to the point of personal transformations and planetary adjustments needed to preserve life on Urantia (Earth), it makes sense to me that there would be an intervention now with Celestial Overcontrol, in coordination with cooperative human beings, to bring about a quantum leap/a suddenly, into a higher planetary mortal epoch and light and life—all within the divine pattern of evolution.[4]

            Though there will continue to be much turmoil and increasing ramifications of the accumulated choices of humankind, the evolutionary progress of our world will continue, though in a manner that involves experimentation and measures that are indeed revolutionary but within the plan and pattern of our Creator Son, Christ Michael of Nebadon. We humans are limited in our understanding of the plans and implementations of the celestial overseers, but whenever an individual or a small group of persons can be used by Celestial Overcontrol for the outworking of God’s will on an evolutionary world, they will be included in the plan. Today, according to Continuing Fifth Epochal Revelation, those humans consciously active in this great endeavor of living and implementing the revelation given in the First through Fifth Epochal Revelations are the Destiny Reservists of these times and are aligned with Divine Administration.[5]

            No real, positive, true, good, and lasting change ever comes without some genuine effort—be it big or small endeavors—and so in the words of the controversial Che Guevera, “Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.”  I believe God so loved the world that not only did He send the revelation of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ Michael to our world, but He gave us The URANTIA Book and The Cosmic Family volumes as well, so we can start a spiritual revolution, a Spiritualution, to truly save the world that we all love so much.