Romans 1:20 The Godhead

                  Mighty I AM Presence

The middle figure in the Chart represents the "Holy Christ Self," who is also called the Higher Self or the Higher Mental Body.

Chart of Your Divine Self - Spiritual Art | The Summit Lighthouse

²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead... -Romans 1:20 Bible, King James Version

There appear to be two Godheads talked about in the Bible. There are the Higher Selves of mankind and there are the head gods of the spiritual Hierarchy of Masters. I believe we have three Higher Selves known as the Father, or our I AM Presence, the Electronic Body and the Higher Mental Body.

The Elohim of Purity teaches: "The God-head, the Infinite "Mighty I AM Presence" everywhere, is the Authority of Eternal Perfection." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1946 June p6)  

According to the Goddess of Music: "When Jesus said, "It is expedient that I go away, but I will send you the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, who will bring My Words to your remembrance," He referred to the Lord the Maha Chohan, whose Protection to the Disciples enfolded them. ('The Voice of the I AM', March 1944 p32)

 

                                                           C. W. Leadbeater

 

In his book; 'The Masters and the Path', C. W. Leadbeater mentions the position of the Maha Chohan in the spiritual Hierarchy of this world: As the Logos [the manifested unity at the head of the hierarchy] is a Trinity [Father, Son and the Holy Ghost] so the Occult [hidden or secret] Government of the world [known as the spiritual Hierarchy or Great White Brotherhood] is in three great departments, ruled by three mighty Officials... They are the Lord of the World [Sanat Kumara,] the Lord Buddha [Gautama] and the Mahachohan." (p284)

 

Regarding the Master Jesus, He referred to His own Higher Self, or Mighty I AM Presence, as His Father in heaven. This means there was only the one God who was appearing on the Earth in His lower self like a person's spirit clothed in a body. 

Emanuel Swedenborg shares this Spirit World experience: 110: In the night I saw a strange light falling to the earth. Many refer to it as "the dragon." I made a note of the place where it landed. The ground there was a mixture of sulfur and iron filings. In the morning I saw two tents there. Soon afterward I saw a spirit falling down from heaven. I went over to him and asked why he had fallen out of heaven like that. He answered that Michael's angels had thrown him down, because he had said that God the Father and his Son are two, not one. He said that the entire angelic heaven believes that God the Father and his Son are one as a soul and a body are one - a point the angels support with many passages from the Word... (True Christianity #852:110)  

 

Romans 1:20 Invisible things of creation

                                           Council in Heaven

²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made... -Romans 1:20 Bible, King James Version

Many of the invisible things of creation in the Inner Worlds, or Higher Planes, can be understood by the things that are made in the outer physical World. Although there are many similarities because the lower Planes are a manifestation of the higher Planes, there are also many differences because these higher Planes are more symbolic and are made up of finer matter.

Acts 26:12-15 Light from heaven

¹² Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
¹³ At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
¹⁴ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
¹⁵ And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
-Acts 26:12-15 King James Version (KJV)

Heaven and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John C. Ager [1900] at sacred-texts.com

126.

LIGHT AND HEAT IN HEAVEN. That there is light in the heavens those who think from nature alone cannot comprehend; and yet such is the light in the heavens that it exceeds by many degrees the noon-day light of the world. That light I have often seen, even during the evening and night. At first I wondered when I heard the angels say that the light of this world is little more than a shadow in comparison with the light of heaven; but having seen it I can testify that it is so. The brightness and splendor of the light of heaven are such as cannot be described. All things that I have seen in the heavens have been seen in that light, thus more clearly and distinctly than things in this world.

127.

The light of heaven is not a natural light, like the light of the world, but a spiritual light, because it is from the Lord as a sun, [The Lord appears to Celestial angels in heaven as a sun in the sky] and that sun is the Divine love... That which goes forth from the Lord as a sun is called in the heavens Divine truth, but in its essence it is Divine good united to Divine truth. From this the angels have light and heat, light from Divine truth, and heat from Divine good. As the light of heaven, and the heat also, are from such a source, it is evident that they are spiritual and not natural. [127-1 All light in the heavens is from the Lord as a sun (Arcana Coelestia n. 1053, 1521, 3195, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4415, 9548, 9684, 10809). The Divine truth that goes forth from the Lord appears in heaven as light, and furnishes all the light of heaven (n. 3195, 3222, 3223, 5400, 8644, 9399, 9548, 9684).]

128

The Divine truth is light to the angels because the angels are spiritual and not natural. Spiritual beings see from their sun, and natural beings [on Earth] from theirs. It is from Divine truth that angels have understanding, and their understanding is their inner sight, which flows into and produces their outer sight; therefore in heaven whatever is seen from the Lord as the sun is seen in light. This being the source of light in heaven the light is varied there in accordance with the reception of Divine truth from the Lord; or what is the same, in accordance with the intelligence and wisdom in which the angels are, thus differently in the celestial kingdom and in the spiritual kingdom, and differently in each society. In the celestial kingdom the light appears flaming because the angels there receive light from the Lord as a sun; but in the spiritual kingdom the light is shining white, because the angels there receive light from the Lord as a moon... So, too, the light differs in different societies, and again in each society, those that are at the center being in greater light and those in the circumference in less light... In a word, the angels have light in the same degree in which they are recipients of Divine truth, that is, are in intelligence and wisdom from the Lord; [128-2 The light in heaven is in harmony with the intelligence and wisdom of the angels (n. 1524, 1529, 1530, 3339). Differences of light in the heavens are as many as there are angelic societies; and as there are in the heavens endless varieties of good and truth, so are there of wisdom and intelligence (n. 684, 690, 3241, 3744, 3745, 4414, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836).] and this is why the angels of heaven are called angels of light.

129.

As the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth, and the Divine truth there is light, so in the Word He is called Light, likewise all truth is from Him, as in the following passages: Jesus said, I am the light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world...

130.

That light in the heavens is spiritual and that this light is Divine truth may be inferred also from the fact that men as well as angels have spiritual light, and have enlightenment from that light so far as they are in intelligence and wisdom from Divine truth. Man's spiritual light is the light of his understanding, and the objects of that light are truths, which he arranges analytically into groups, forms into reason, and from them draws conclusions in series. [130-1 Man is rational because his understanding is illumined by the light of heaven (n. 1524, 3138, 3167, 4408, 6608, 8707, 9128, 9399, 10569). The understanding is enlightened because it is a recipient of truth (n. 6222, 6608, 10659). The understanding is enlightened to the extent that man receives truth in good from the lord (n. 3619). The understanding is such as are the truths from good by which it is formed (n. 10064). The understanding has light from heaven, as the sight has light from the world (n. 1524, 5114, 6608, 9128). The light of heaven from the Lord is always present with man, but it flows in only in the degree that man is in truth from good (n. 4060, 4214).] The natural man does not know that the light from which the understanding sees such things is a real light, for he neither sees it with his eyes nor perceives it by thought. And yet there are many who recognize this light, and distinguish it from the natural light... Those think naturally who take account of the world only, and attribute all things to nature; while those think spiritually who take account of heaven and attribute all things to the Divine. It has often been granted me to perceive and also to see that there is a true light that enlightens the mind, wholly distinct from the light that is called natural light. I have been raised up interiorly into that light by degrees; and as I was raised up my understanding became so enlightened as to enable me to perceive what I did not perceive before, and finally such things as I could not even comprehend by thought from natural light. Sometimes I felt indignant that I could not comprehend these things when they were so clearly and plainly perceived in the light of heaven. [130-2 When man is raised up from the sensual [physical senses] he comes into a milder light, and at length into heavenly light (n. 6313, 6315, 9407). When man is raised up into intelligence there is an actual elevation into the light of heaven (n. 3190). How great a light was perceived when I was withdrawn from worldly ideas (n. 1526, 6608).] Because there is a light that belongs to the understanding, the same things are said of it as of the eye, as that it sees and is in light when it perceives, and is in obscurity and shade when it does not perceive, and so on.

131.

As the light of heaven is Divine truth, that light is also Divine wisdom and intelligence; therefore to be raised up into the light of heaven means the same as to be raised up into intelligence and wisdom and enlightened. For this reason the angels have light in just the same degree as they have intelligence and wisdom. Because the light of heaven is Divine wisdom, in that light the character of everyone is recognized. The interiors of everyone lie open to view in his face just as they are, with not the least thing hidden. And interior angels love to have all things that pertain to them lying open, since they will nothing but good. It is otherwise with those beneath heaven, who do not will what is good, and for that reason fear greatly to be seen in the light of heaven. And wonderful to tell, while those in hell appear to one another as men, in the light of heaven they appear as monsters, with a horrid face and body, the exact form of their own evil. [131-1 Those in the hells, in their own light, which is like the light from burning coals, appear to themselves as men but in the light of heaven they appear as monsters (n. 4531, 4533, 4674, 5057, 5058, 6605, 6626).] In respect to his spirit man appears, when seen by angels, in a like way; if good as a man, beautiful in accord with his good; if evil as a monster, ugly in accord with his evil. From this it is clear that in the light of heaven all things are made manifest, and for the reason that the light of heaven is Divine truth.

132.

As Divine truth is light in the heavens, so all truths wherever they are, whether within an angel or outside of him, or whether within the heavens or outside of them, emit light. Nevertheless, truths outside of the heavens do not shine as truths within the heavens do. Truths outside of the heavens shine coldly, like something snowy, without heat, because they do not draw their essence from good, as truths within the heavens do; therefore that cold light vanishes as soon as the light of heaven falls on it, and if there is evil underneath it it is turned into darkness. This I have occasionally seen, with many other noteworthy things about the shining of truth, which must be omitted here.

133

Something shall now be said about the heat of heaven. That heat in its essence is love. It goes forth from the Lord as a sun, which is Divine love in the Lord and from the Lord, as has been shown in the preceding chapter. It is evident, therefore, that the heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is spiritual, because from the same source. [133-1 There are two sources of heat and also two sources of light, the sun of the world and the sun of heaven (n. 3338, 5215, 7324). Heat from the Lord as a sun is affection of love (n. 3636, 3643). Therefore spiritual heat in its essence is love (n. 2146, 3338, 3339, 6314).]There are two things that go forth from the Lord as a sun, Divine truth and Divine good; Divine truth is manifested in the heavens as light, and Divine good as heat; and yet Divine truth and Divine good are so united that they are not two, but one. Nevertheless, with angels they are separate, for there are angels that receive more of Divine good than of Divine truth, and there are those that receive more of Divine truth than of Divine good. Those who receive more of Divine good are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and those who receive more of Divine truth are in His spiritual kingdom. Those that receive both in a like degree are the most perfect angels.

134.

The heat of heaven, like the light of heaven, is everywhere different. It is different in the celestial kingdom from what it is in the spiritual kingdom, and it is different in each society therein. It differs both in degree and in quality. It is more intense and more pure in the Lord's celestial kingdom, because the angels there receive more of Divine good; and it is less intense and pure in His spiritual kingdom, because the angels there receive more of Divine truth. Also in each society the heat differs in accordance with reception. There is heat in the hells, but it is unclean heat. [134-1 There is heat in the hells, but it is unclean (n. 1773, 2757, 3340). The odor from it is like the odor from dung and excrement in the world and in the worst hells like the odor of dead bodies (n. 814, 815, 817, 819, 820, 943, 944, 5394).] The heat in heaven is what is meant by holy and heavenly fire, and the heat of hell by profane and infernal [hell] fire. Both mean love - heavenly fire meaning love to the Lord and love to the neighbor and every affection of those loves, and infernal fire meaning love of self and love of the world and every lust of those loves. That love is heat from a spiritual source is shown from one's growing warm with love; for in accordance with the strength and nature of his love a man is inflamed and grows warm; and the heat of his love is made manifest when it is opposed. From this also it is customary to speak of being inflamed, growing hot, burning, boiling, being on fire, both in regard to the affections of the love of good and the lusts of the love of evil.

135.

Love going forth from the Lord as a sun is felt in heaven as heat, because the interiors of the angels are in a state of love from the Divine good that is from the Lord; and in consequence their exteriors which grow warm therefrom are in a state of heat. For this reason heat and love so correspond to each other in heaven that everyone there is in heat such as his love is, according to what has been said just above. This world's heat does not enter heaven at all, because it is too gross, and is natural, and not spiritual; but with men it is otherwise, because they are in both the spiritual world and the natural world. As to their spirits they grow warm in exact accordance with their loves; but as to the body they grow warm both from the heat of their spirit and from the heat of the world...

136.

Angels, like men, have understanding and will. The light of heaven constitutes the life of their understanding, because that light is Divine truth and Divine wisdom therefrom; and the heat of heaven constitutes the life of their will, because that heat is Divine good and Divine love therefrom. The veriest life of the angels is from heat, and from light only so far as heat is in it. That life is from heat is shown by the fact that when heat is taken away life perishes. The same is true of faith without love or of truth without good... [136-1 Truths... apart from good are like a body without a soul (n. 3180, 9154). Truths apart from good are not accepted by the Lord (n. 4368). What truth apart from good, that is, what faith apart from love is, and what truth from good or faith from love is (n. 1949-1951, 1964, 5830, 5951). It amounts to the same thing whether you say truth or faith, or whether you say good or love, since truth is of faith and good is of love (n. 2839, 4352, 4353, 4997, 7178, 7623, 7624, 10367).] This is more clearly shown by the heat and light of the world, to which the heat and light of heaven correspond. By the world's heat when conjoined with light, as in spring and summer, all things on the earth are quickened and grow, but by light separate from heat nothing is quickened or grows, but everything lies torpid and dies. They are not conjoined in winter, when heat is absent though light remains. From this correspondence heaven is called paradise, since truth is there joined with good, or faith with love, as light is with heat in springtime on the earth. All this makes more clear the truth set forth in its own chapter (n. 13-19), that the Divine of the Lord in Heaven is love to Him and charity towards the neighbor.

137.

It is said in John: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (1:1-14). Evidently the Lord is here meant by "the Word," for it is said that "the Word became flesh." But what is specifically meant by "the Word" is not known and shall therefore be explained. Here "the Word" means the Divine truth which is in the Lord and from the Lord; and this is why it is also called "the Light," which is the Divine truth, as has been already shown in this chapter. That it was by means of Divine truth that all things were created and made shall now be explained. [2] In heaven Divine truth has all power, and apart from it there is no power whatever. [137-2 ...Angels are recipients of Divine truth from the Lord and therefore in the Word are sometimes called gods (n. 4295, 4402, 7873, 8192, 8301). From the Divine truth angels are called powers, and are powers to the extent that they are recipients or receptacles of it. By means of it they prevail over the hells and over all that oppose them. A thousand enemies there cannot stand against a single ray of the light of heaven, which is Divine truth. As angels are angels by their reception of Divine truth it follows that the entire heaven is from no other source, since heaven consists of angels. [3] That there is such power in Divine truth those cannot believe that have no other idea of truth than that it is thought or speech, which has in it no power except as others do it from obedience... [4] By the power of heat and light from the sun in the world, in that all things that grow in the world, as trees, cereals, flowers, grasses, fruits, and seeds, come into existence wholly by means of the heat and light of the sun; which shows what power of producing there is in them. What, then, must be the power in Divine light, which is Divine truth, and in Divine heat, which is Divine good? Because heaven has its existence from these, so does the world have its existence therefrom, since the world has its existence by means of heaven, as has been already shown. From all this the meaning of these words can be seen that "all things were made through the Word, and without the Word was not anything made that has been made;" also that "the world was made through Him," that is, through Divine truth from the Lord. For the same reason, in the Book of Creation, light is first spoken of, and then the things that are from light (Gen. 1:3, 4)...

139.

It must be understood that the Divine good and the Divine truth that are from the Lord as a sun in the heavens are not in the Lord, but are from the Lord. In the Lord there is only Divine love, which is the Being from which the Divine good and the Divine truth spring... This, too, can be made clear by comparison with the world's sun. The heat and light that are in the world are not in the sun, but are from the sun. In the sun there is fire only, and it is from this that heat and light spring and go forth.

140.

Since the Lord as a sun is Divine love, and Divine love is Divine good itself, the Divine that goes forth from the Lord, which is His Divine in heaven, is called, for the sake of distinction, Divine truth, although it is in fact Divine good united to Divine truth. This Divine truth is what is called the Holy that goes forth from Him.

 

Acts 24:15 Resurrection of the just and unjust

¹⁵ And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. -Acts 24:15 King James Version (KJV)

There appears to be an inner and outer Resurrection mentioned in the Bible. There is the physical Resurrection which I believe only applies to those who follow the Teachings of the Ascended Masters. Then there appears to be an after death Resurrection in the Spirit World which involves both the righteous and the unrighteous. 

Heaven and Hell, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John C. Ager [1900] at sacred-texts.com

 

445.

XLVI. THE RESUSCITATION OF MAN FROM THE DEAD AND HIS ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE. When the body is no longer able to perform the bodily functions in the natural world that correspond to the spirit's thoughts and affections, which the spirit has from the spiritual world, man is said to die. This takes place when the respiration of the lungs and the beatings of the heart cease. But the man does not die; he is merely separated from the bodily part that was of use to him in the world, while the man himself continues to live. It is said that the man himself continues to live since man is not a man because of his body but because of his spirit, for it is the spirit that thinks in man, and thought with affection is what constitutes man. Evidently, then, the death of man is merely his passing from one world into another. And this is why in the Word in its internal sense "death" signifies resurrection and continuation of life. (445-1 In the Word "death" signifies resurrection, for when man dies his life still goes on...)

446.

There is an inmost communication of the spirit with the breathing and with the beating of the heart... consequently when these two motions cease in the body there is at once a separation. These two motions, the respiration of the lungs and the beating of heart, are the very bond on the sundering [or splitting apart] of which the spirit is left to itself; and the body being then deprived of the life of its spirit grows cold and begins to decay. This inmost communication of the spirit of man is with the respiration and with the heart, because on these all vital motions depend, not only in general but in every particular. 

447.

After the separation the spirit of man continues in the body for a short time, but only until the heart's action has wholly ceased, which happens variously in accord with the diseased condition that causes death, with some the motion of the heart continuing for some time, with others not so long. As soon as this motion ceases the man is resuscitated; but this is done by the Lord alone. Resuscitation means the drawing forth of the spirit from the body, and its introduction into the spiritual world; this is commonly called the resurrection. The spirit is not separated from the body until the motion of the heart has ceased...

448.
How this resuscitation is effected has both been told to me and shown to me in living experience. The actual experience was granted to me that I might have a complete knowledge of the process.

449.

As to the senses of the body I was brought into a state of insensibility, thus nearly into the state of the dying; but with the interior life and thought remaining unimpaired, in order that I might perceive and retain in the memory the things that happened to me, and that happen to those that are resuscitated from the dead. I perceived that the respiration of the body was almost wholly taken away; but the interior respiration of the spirit went on in connection with a slight and tacit respiration of the body. Then at first a communication of the pulse of the heart with the celestial kingdom was established, because that kingdom corresponds to the heart in man. Angels from that kingdom were seen, some at a distance, and two sitting near my head... [2] I was in this state for some hours. Then the spirits that were around me withdrew, thinking that I was dead; and an aromatic odor like that of an embalmed body was perceived, for when the celestial angels are present everything pertaining to the corpse is perceived as aromatic, and when spirits perceive this they cannot approach; and in this way evil spirits are kept away from man's spirit when he is being introduced into eternal life. The angels seated at my head were silent, merely sharing their thoughts with mine; and when their thoughts are received the angels know that the spirit of man is in a state in which it can be drawn forth from the body. This sharing of their thoughts was effected by looking into my face, for in this way in heaven thoughts are shared. [3] As my thought and perception continued, that I might know and remember how resuscitation is effected, I perceived the angels first tried to ascertain what my thought was, whether it was like the thought of those who are dying, which is usually about eternal life; also that they wished to keep my mind in that thought. Afterwards I was told that the spirit of man is held in its last thought when the body expires, until it returns to the thoughts that are from its general or ruling affection in the world. Especially was I permitted to see and feel that there was a pulling and drawing forth, as it were, of the interiors of my mind, thus of my spirit, from the body; and I was told that this is from the Lord, and that the resurrection is thus effected.

450.

The celestial angels who are with the one that is resuscitated do not withdraw from him, because they love everyone; but when the spirit comes into such a state that he can no longer be affiliated with celestial angels, he longs to get away from them. When this takes place angels from the Lord's spiritual kingdom come, through whom is given the use of light; for before this he saw nothing, but merely thought. I was shown how this is done. The angels appeared to roll off, as it were, a coat from the left eye towards the bridge of the nose, that the eye might be opened and be enabled to see. This is only an appearance, but to the spirit it seemed to be really done. When the coat thus seems to have been rolled off there is a slight sense of light, but very dim, like what is seen through the eyelids on first awakening from sleep. To me this dim light took on a heavenly hue, but I was told afterwards that the color varies. Then something is felt to be gently rolled off from the face, and when this is done spiritual thought is awakened. This rolling off from the face is also an appearance, which represents the spirit's passing from natural thought into spiritual thought. The angels are extremely careful that only such ideas as savor of love shall proceed from the one resuscitated. They now tell him that he is a spirit. When he has come into the enjoyment of light the spiritual angels render to the new spirit every service he can possibly desire in that state; and teach him about the things of the other life so far as he can comprehend them. But if he has no wish to be taught the spirit longs to get away from the company of the angels. Nevertheless, the angels do not withdraw from him, but he separates himself from them; for the angels love everyone, and desire nothing so much as to render service, to teach, and to lead into heaven; this constitutes their highest delight. When the spirit has thus withdrawn he is received by good spirits, and as long as he continues in their company everything possible is done for him. But if he had lived such a life in the world as would prevent his enjoying the company of the good he longs to get away from the good, and this experience is repeated until he comes into association with such as are in entire harmony with his life in the world; and with such he finds his own life, and what is surprising, he then leads a life like that which he led in the world.

451.

This opening state of man's life after death lasts only a few days. How he is afterwards led from one state to another, and finally either into heaven or into hell, will be told in what follows. This, too, I have been permitted to learn by much experience.

452.

I have talked with some on the third day after their decease, when the process described above (n. 449, 450) had been completed, especially with three whom I had known in the world, to whom I mentioned that arrangements were now being made for burying their bodies; I said, for burying them; on hearing which they were smitten with a kind of surprise, saying that they were alive, and that the thing that had served them in the world was what was being buried. Afterwards they wondered greatly that they had not believed in such a life after death while they lived in the body, and especially that scarcely any within the church so believed. Those that have not believed in the world in any life of the soul after the life of the body are greatly ashamed when they find themselves to be alive. But those that have confirmed themselves in that disbelief seek affiliation with their like, and are separated from those that have had faith. Such are for the most part attached to some infernal society, because they have also denied the divine and have despised the truths of the church; for so far as any one confirms himself against the eternal life of his soul he confirms himself also against whatever pertains to heaven and the church.

Acts 23:8 Sadducees say there is no Resurrection

                                                             Acts 5:17 Artwork | Bible Art

⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. -Acts 23:8 Bible, King James Version

Beloved Jesus' Resurrection

                                    Acts 1:21-22 Artwork | Bible Art

²⁷Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection... -Luke 20:27 Bible, King James Version

The Ascended Masters

Just as there were religious people in Jesus' day who did not believe in the resurrection there are also many in our day and age who do not believe in the physical resurrection. Beloved Jesus and the other Ascended Masters bear witness that this is possible for all mankind if not in this lifetime, then in another.

Acts 22:16 The ritual of baptism

John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in Jordan river

John 1:1 Artwork | Bible Art

¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. -Acts 22:16 Bible, King James Version

John the Baptist introduced the symbolic rite, or ritual, of baptism which pointed the way to the real cleansing Baptism of Fire which the Master Jesus would bring. Mankind may be baptized in water a thousand times, but this will not cleanse them of their sins because it is only symbolic. The Ascended Masters teach that the use of the Violet Flame is the way to cleanse ourselves of all our past mistakes.

 The Ascended Masters Beloved Jesus and Saint Germain

Beloved Saint Germain teaches: "Even the Mighty Master Jesus and every Being who ever Ascended, could not go into that Higher Mental Body without being taught and seeing the use of the Violet Consuming Flame." ('The Voice of the I AM' 1947 August p20)

 

 

     Violet Consuming Flame: God's Gift to Man

Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen by Emanuel Swedenborg. (First published, in Latin, 1758)

329. XXXVII. LITTLE CHILDREN IN HEAVEN.

...No one receives heaven... through baptism; for baptism is merely for a sign and memorial that man should be regenerated...

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 35.

(Jesus and Vidyapati consider the needs of the incoming age of the world.)
¹The Indian sage and Jesus often met and talked about the needs of nations and of men; about the sacred doctrines, forms and rites best suited to the coming age.

²One day they sat together in a mountain pass, and Jesus said, The coming age will surely not re­quire priests, and shrines, and sac­rifice of life.

³There is no power in sacrifice of beast, or bird, to help a man to holy life.

⁴And Vidyapati said, All forms and rites are symbols of the things that men must do within the temple of the soul.

⁵The Holy One requires man to give his life in willing sacrifice for men, and all the so-called offerings on altars and on shrines that have been made since time began, were made to teach man how to give him­self to save his brother man; for man can never save himself except he lose his life in saving other men.

⁶The perfect age will not re­quire forms and rites and carnal sacrifice. The coming age is not the perfect age, and men will call for object lessons and symbolic rites.

⁷And in the great religion you shall introduce to men, some simple rites of washings and remembrances will be required; but cruel sacrifice of animals, and birds the gods re­quire not.

⁸And Jesus said, Our God must loathe the tinseled show of priests and priestly things.

⁹When men array themselves in showy garbs to indicate that they are servants of the gods, and strut about like gaudy birds to be ad­mired by men, because of piety or any other thing, the Holy One must surely turn away in sheer disgust.

¹⁰All people are alike the serv­ants of our Father-God, are kings and priests.

¹¹Will not the coming age de­mand complete destruction of the priestly caste, as well as every other caste and inequality among the sons of men?

¹²And Vidyapati said, The coming age is not the age of spirit life and men will pride themselves in wearing priestly robes, and chant­ing pious chants to advertise them­selves as saints.

¹³The simple rites that you will introduce will be extolled by those who follow you, until the sacred service of the age will far outshine in gorgeousness the priestly service of the Brahmic age.

¹⁴This is a problem men must solve.

¹⁵The perfect age will come when every man will be a priest and men will not array themselves in special garb to advertise their piety.

CHAPTER 78.

¹And Jesus went to Jericho, and at the inn of Asher he abode.

⁵But Jesus did not tarry long in Jericho; he went down to the Jor­dan ford where John was wont to teach.

⁶

⁷None but the pure in heart can come into the kingdom of the Holy One; but every son and daugh­ter of the human race is called upon to turn from evil and become the pure in heart.

⁸The resolution to attain and enter through the Christine gate into the kingdom of the Holy One will constitute discipleship, and ev­ery one must make a public pledge of his discipleship.

⁹John washed your bodies in the stream, symbolic of the cleans­ing of the soul, in preparation for the coming of the king, the opening of the Christine gate into the king­dom of the Holy One.

¹⁰John did a mighty work; but now the Christine gate is opened up, and washing is established as the pledge of your discipleship.

¹¹Until this age [the Piscean Age] shall close this pledge shall be a rite, and shall be called, Baptism rite; and it shall be a sign to men, and seal to God of men’s discipleship.
 

In the book 'Beyond the Himalayas' by Murdo MacDonald-Bayne, Geshe Rimpoche talks about rituals: "Ritual is mental, not spiritual; the ways of performing it may be different, but it is all of the mind and this is what you have to understand, otherwise you can never be free. If you refuse to understand it, you are still bound by it, whether you believe it or disbelieve it. Spirituality is the silent expression of Love, Wisdom and Power, not the repeating of ritual. (p40) The Christian religion has form and ritual too. It may be slightly different but they are all similar." (p39)

Acts 20:29-30 Beware of the doctrines of error

²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30 Bible, King James Version
 

In the Books of the Saviour Jesus teaches His disciples: CHAPTER 111 vs. 280. … If ye go into cities or kingdoms or countries, proclaim first unto them, saying: Search ever and cease not, until ye find the mysteries of the Light which will lead you into the Light-kingdom. Say unto them: Beware of the doctrines of error. For many will come in my name… and they will lead many astray. Now, therefore, unto all men who come unto you and have faith in you and hearken unto your words and do what is worthy of the mysteries of the Light, give the mysteries of the Light and hide them not from them. And unto him who is worthy of the higher mysteries, give them, and to him who is worthy of the lower mysteries, give them, and hide not anything from any one… (Pistis Sophia Translated by G. R. S. Mead)

According to the Akashic Records Jesus teaches:

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 101.

¹⁴Beware, for many claim to walk the way of life who walk the way of death. ¹⁵But they are false in word and deed... 

CHAPTER 139.

¹⁹False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way, but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate...