P589:1, 52:0.1 From the inception of life on an evolutionary planet to the time of its final flowering in the era of light and life, there appear upon the stage of world action, epochs of human life. On an average inhabited world these epochs appear in the following order:
P589:9, 52:0.2 The worlds of space, as soon as they are physically suitable for life, are placed on the registry of the Life Carriers, and in due time they are dispatched to such planets for the purpose of initiating life. The entire period from life initiation to the appearance of man is designated the prehuman era and precedes the successive mortal epochs considered in this narrative.
P589:10, 52:1.1 From the time of man's emergence from the animal
level mortal will creatures are called primitive men. There are six basic
types or races of primitive men, and these early peoples successively appear in
the order of the spectrum colors, beginning with the red. The length of time
consumed in this early life evolution varies greatly on the different worlds,
ranging from one hundred and fifty thousand years to over one million years of
Earth time.
P589:11, 52:1.2 The evolutionary races of color -- red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, and indigo -- begin to appear about the time that primitive
man is developing a simple language and is beginning to exercise the creative
imagination. By this time man is well accustomed to standing erect.
P589:12, 52:1.3 Primitive men are mighty hunters and fierce
fighters. The law of this age is the physical survival of the fittest; the
government of these times is wholly tribal. During the early racial struggles on
many worlds some of the evolutionary races are obliterated, as occurred on
Earth. Those who survive are usually subsequently blended with the later
imported violet race.
P589:13, 52:1.4 In the light of subsequent civilization, this
era of primitive man is a long, dark, and bloody chapter. The ethics of the
jungle and the morals of the primeval forests are not in keeping with the
standards of later dispensations of revealed religion and higher spiritual
development. On normal and nonexperimental worlds this epoch is very different
from the prolonged and extraordinarily brutal struggles that characterized this
age on Earth. When you have emerged from your first world experience, you will
begin to see why this long and painful struggle on the evolutionary worlds
occurs, and as you go forward in the Paradise path, you will increasingly
understand the wisdom of these apparently strange doings. But notwithstanding
all the vicissitudes of the early ages of human emergence, the performances of
primitive man represent a splendid, even a heroic, chapter in the annals of an
evolutionary world of time and space.
P590:1, 52:1.5 Early evolutionary man is not a colorful creature. In general, these primitive mortals are cave dwellers or cliff residents. They also build crude huts in the large trees. Before they acquire a high order of intelligence, the planets are sometimes overrun with the larger types of animals. But early in this era mortals learn to kindle and maintain fire, and with the increase of inventive imagination and the improvement in tools, evolving man soon vanquishes the larger and more unwieldy animals. The early races also make extensive use of the larger flying animals. These enormous birds are able to carry one or two average-sized men for a nonstop flight of over five hundred miles. On some planets these birds are of great service since they possess a high order of intelligence, often being able to speak many words of the languages of the realm. These birds are most intelligent, very obedient, and unbelievably affectionate. Such passenger birds have been long extinct on Earth, but your early ancestors enjoyed their services.
P590:2, 52:1.6 Man's acquirement of ethical judgment, moral will, is usually coincident with the appearance of early language. Upon attaining the human level, after this emergence of mortal will, these beings become receptive to the temporary indwelling of the divine Adjusters.
P590:3, 52:1.7 All mortals who are indwelt by Thought Adjusters are potential worshipers; they have been "lighted by the true light," and they possess capacity for seeking reciprocal contact with divinity. Nevertheless, the early or biologic religion of primitive man is largely a persistence of animal fear coupled with ignorant awe and tribal superstition. The survival of superstition in the Earth races is hardly complimentary to your evolutionary development nor compatible with your otherwise splendid achievements in material progress. But this early fear religion serves a very valuable purpose in subduing the fiery tempers of these primitive creatures.
P590:4, 52:1.8 Within about one hundred thousand years from the time man acquires erect posture, the Holy Spirit of God makes contact with a mortal who will be installed as the Spiritual Messenger. The Spirit has been dispatched by the System Sovereign upon the report of the Life Carriers that will is functioning, even though comparatively few individuals have thus developed to receive the Spirit. Primitive mortals usually welcome the Spiritual Messenger; in fact, they often look upon them with awe and reverence, almost with worshipfulness, if they are not restrained.
P591:1, 52:2.1 With the arrival of the Spiritual Messenger a
new dispensation begins. Government appears on earth, and the advanced tribal
epoch is attained. Great social strides are made during a few thousand years of
this regime. Under normal conditions mortals attain a high state of civilization
during this age. They do not struggle so long in barbarism as did the Earth
races. But life on an inhabited world is so changed by rebellion that you can
have little or no idea of such a regime on a normal planet.
P591:2, 52:2.2 The average length of this dispensation is
around five hundred thousand years, some longer, some shorter. During this era
the planet is established in the circuits of the system, and a full quota of
seraphic and other celestial helpers is assigned to its administration.
P591:3, 52:2.3 When the Spiritual Messenger arrives on a
primitive world, the evolved religion of fear and ignorance prevails. The
Messenger and his staff make the first revelations of higher truth and universe
organization. These initial presentations of revealed religion are very simple,
and they usually pertain to the affairs of the local system. Religion is wholly
an evolutionary process prior to the arrival of the Messenger. Subsequently,
religion progresses by graduated revelation as well as by evolutionary growth.
Each dispensation, each mortal epoch, receives an enlarged presentation of
spiritual truth and religious ethics. The evolution of the religious capacity of
receptivity in the inhabitants of a world largely determines their rate of
spiritual advancement and the extent of religious revelation.
P591:4, 52:2.4 This dispensation witnesses a spiritual dawn,
and the different races and their various tribes tend to develop specialized
systems of religious and philosophic thought. There uniformly run through all of
these racial religions two strains: the early fears of primitive men and the
later revelations of the Messenger. In some respects Earthlings do not seem to
have wholly emerged from this stage of planetary evolution. As you pursue this
study, you will the more clearly discern how far your world departs from the
average course of evolutionary progress and development.
P591:5, 52:2.5 But the Messenger is not always "the Prince
of Peace." Racial struggles and tribal wars continue over into this
dispensation but with diminishing frequency and severity. This is the great age
of racial dispersion, and it culminates in a period of intense nationalism.
Color is the basis of tribal and national groupings, and the different races
often develop separate languages. Each expanding group of mortals tends to seek
isolation. This segregation is favored by the existence of many languages.
Before the unification of the several races their relentless warfare sometimes
results in the obliteration of whole peoples; the orange and green men are
particularly subject to such extinction.
P591:6, 52:2.6 On average worlds, during the latter part,
national life begins to replace tribal organization or rather to be superimposed
upon the existing tribal groupings. But the great social achievement of the
epoch is the emergence of family life. Heretofore, human relationships have been
chiefly tribal; now, the home begins to materialize.
P592:1, 52:2.7 This is the dispensation of the realization of
sex equality. On some planets the male may rule the female; on others the
reverse prevails. During this age normal worlds establish full equality of the
sexes, this being preliminary to the fuller realization of the ideals of home
life. This is the dawn of the golden age of the home. The idea of tribal rule
gradually gives way to the dual concept of national life and family life.
P592:2, 52:2.8 During this age agriculture makes its
appearance. The growth of the family idea is incompatible with the roving and
unsettled life of the hunter. Gradually the practices of settled habitations and
the cultivation of the soil become established. The domestication of animals and
the development of home arts proceed apace. Upon reaching the apex of biologic
evolution, a high level of civilization has been attained, but there is little
development of a mechanical order; invention is the characteristic of the
succeeding age.
P592:7, 52:3.1 When the original impetus of evolutionary life
has run its biologic course, when man has reached the apex of animal
development, there arrives the second order and the second dispensation of grace
and ministry is inaugurated. This is true on all evolutionary worlds. When the
highest possible level of evolutionary life has been attained, when primitive
man has ascended as far as possible in the biologic scale, a new Messenger
always appears on the planet.
P593:1, 52:3.2 Thought Adjusters are increasingly bestowed upon
men and these mortals attain capacity for subsequent Adjuster fusion and become
legitimate candidates for the reception, in due time, of the Mystery Monitors.
P593:5, 52:3.6 The result of the gift of a new life plasm to the mortal races is an immediate upstepping of intellectual capacity and an acceleration of spiritual progress. There is usually some physical improvement also. On an average world this dispensation results in an age of great invention, energy control, and mechanical development. This is the era of the appearance of multiform manufacture and the control of natural forces; it is the golden age of exploration and the final subduing of the planet. Much of the material progress of a world occurs during this time of the inauguration of the development of the physical sciences, just such an epoch as Earth is now experiencing.
P593:6, 52:3.7 By the end of the dispensation era on a normal planet the races are practically blended, so that it can be truly proclaimed that "God has made of one blood all the nations," and "has made of one color all peoples." The color of such an amalgamated race is somewhat of an olive shade of the violet hue, the racial "white" of the spheres.
P593:7, 52:3.8 Primitive man is for the most part carnivorous,
but their offspring within a few generations usually gravitate to the omnivorous
level, although whole groups of their descendants sometimes remain nonflesh
eaters. This double origin of the races explains how such blended human stocks
exhibit anatomic vestiges belonging to both the herbivorous and carnivorous
animal groups.
P593:8, 52:3.9 Within ten thousand years of racial amalgamation
the resultant stocks show varying degrees of anatomic blend, some strains
carrying more of the marks of the nonflesh-eating ancestry, others exhibiting
more of the distinguishing traits and physical characteristics of their
carnivorous evolutionary progenitors. The majority of these world races soon
become omnivorous, subsisting upon a wide range of viands from both the animal
and vegetable kingdoms.
P594:1, 52:3.10 This epoch is the dispensation of
internationalism. With the near completion of the task of race blending,
nationalism wanes, and the brotherhood of man really begins to materialize.
Representative government begins to take the place of the monarchial or paternal
form of rulership. The educational system becomes worldwide, and gradually the
languages of the races give way to the tongue of the violet people. Universal
peace and co-operation are seldom attained until the races are fairly well
blended, and until they speak a common language.
P594:2, 52:3.11 During the closing centuries there develops new
interest in art, music, and literature. The crowning development of this era is
the universal interest in intellectual realities, true philosophy. Religion
becomes less nationalistic, becomes more and more a planetary affair. New
revelations of truth characterize these ages.
P594:3, 52:3.12 Great ethical advancement characterizes this era; the brotherhood of man is the goal of its society. Worldwide peace is attained with the cessation of race and religion conflict and national animosity.
P597:2, 52:6.1 The "Peace on earth and good will among men." On normal worlds this is a dispensation of worldwide peace; the nations no more learn war.
P597:3, 52:6.2 On normal evolutionary worlds the realization of the world-wide brotherhood of man is not an easy accomplishment. On a confused and disordered planet like 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 on Earth. While Jesus has shown the way to the immediate attainment of spiritual brotherhood, the realization of social brotherhood on your world depends much on the achievement of the following personal transformations and planetary adjustments:
P597:4, 52:6.3 1. Social fraternity. Multiplication of international and interracial social contacts and fraternal associations through travel, commerce, and competitive play. Development of a common language and the multiplication of multilinguists. The racial and national interchange of students, teachers, industrialists, and religious philosophers.
P597:5, 52:6.4 2. Intellectual cross-fertilization. Brotherhood is impossible on a world whose inhabitants are so primitive that they fail to recognize the folly of unmitigated selfishness. There must occur an exchange of national and racial literature. Each race must become familiar with the thought of all races; each nation must know the feelings of all nations. Ignorance breeds suspicion, and suspicion is incompatible with the essential attitude of sympathy and love.
P597:6, 52:6.5 3. Ethical awakening. Only ethical consciousness can unmask the immorality of human intolerance and the sinfulness of fratricidal strife. Only a moral conscience can condemn the evils of national envy and racial jealousy. Only moral beings will ever seek for that spiritual insight which is essential to living the golden rule.
P598:1, 52:6.6 4. Political wisdom. Emotional maturity is essential to self-control. Only emotional maturity will insure the substitution of international techniques of civilized adjudication for the barbarous arbitrament of war. Wise statesmen will sometime work for the welfare of humanity even while they strive to promote the interest of their national or racial groups. Selfish political sagacity is ultimately suicidal -- destructive of all those enduring qualities that insure planetary group survival.
P598:2, 52:6.7 5. Spiritual insight. The brotherhood of man is, after all, predicated on the recognition of the fatherhood of God. The quickest way to realize the brotherhood of man on Earth is to effect the spiritual transformation of present-day humanity. The only technique for accelerating the natural trend of social evolution is that of applying spiritual pressure from above, thus augmenting moral insight while enhancing the soul capacity of every mortal to understand and love every other mortal. Mutual understanding and fraternal love are transcendent civilizers and mighty factors in the worldwide realization of the brotherhood of man.
P598:3, 52:6.8 If you could be transplanted from your backward and confused world to some normal planet, 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.
P598:6, 52:7.3 The revelation of truth is now extended to the
central universe and to Paradise. The races are becoming highly spiritual. A
great people have evolved and a great age is approaching. The educational,
economic, and administrative systems of the planet are undergoing radical
transformations. New values and relationships are being established. The kingdom
of heaven is appearing on earth, and the glory of God is being shed abroad in
the world.
P599:1, 52:7.5 Life during this era is pleasant and profitable.
Degeneracy and the antisocial end products of the long evolutionary struggle
have been virtually obliterated. The length of life approaches One hundred fifty
Earth years, and the reproductive rate of racial increase is intelligently
controlled. An entirely new order of society has arrived. There are still great
differences among mortals, but the state of society more nearly approaches the
ideals of social brotherhood and spiritual equality. Representative government
is vanishing, and the world is passing under the rule of individual
self-control. The function of government is chiefly directed to collective tasks
of social administration and economic co-ordination. The golden age is coming on
apace; the temporal goal of the long and intense planetary evolutionary struggle
is in sight. The reward of the ages is soon to be realized; the wisdom of the
Gods is about to be manifested.
P599:2, 52:7.6 The planet is in close touch with universe
affairs, and its people scan the latest broadcasts with the same keen interest
you now manifest in the latest editions of your daily newspapers. These races
are occupied with a thousand things of interest unknown on your world.
P599:3, 52:7.7 Increasingly, true planetary allegiance to the Supreme Being grows. Generation after generation, more and more of the race step into line with those who practice justice and live mercy. Slowly but surely the world is being won to the joyous glory of God. The physical difficulties and material problems have been largely solved; the planet is ripening for advanced life and a more settled existence.