2. Wotchak, having been advised by the messengers of Osire's approach to the earth's heavens, supposing Osire to be from some remote star, and not knowing there were etherean worlds in the firmament, had laid his kingdom round with new walls, and doubly fortified his throne, and gaudily attired himself and officers, in hopes to overawe the coming God.
3. To Wotchak came Osire, and waited not to be announced, nor halted for his sentinels, driving his ship straight up to the throne.
4. Halt! Halt! cried the astonished Wotchak. Who dares my throne profane, and all the rules of virtuous Gods set at defiance? Down from thy ship, and crawl on thy belly to thy sovereign God! Know thou, I am Great Apollo! But Osire deigned only to say: By what authority hast thou made slaves of Jehovih's sons and daughters, to augment thine own self-glory?
5. And, not waiting a reply alighted down before the throne, even while a thousand or more, well drilled, with him stood, in the form of a star, whereon the Upper Light descended in great brilliancy. Wotchak was frightened, and fled from his throne, and all his Council with him. Then spake Osire, saying to his hosts:
6. Suffer not this false God and his Council to escape. Encircle them round, and hold them, to know my will and the decree of Jehovih. Presently, the ethereans brought back Wotchak, who cried out: O, let me go! Take all, but let me go! What am I to thee?
7. Osire answered him, saying: Such hath been the history of these heavens. In ages gone, the usurping false Gods were suffered to go their way, leaving their former subjects helpless on the hands of the etherean hosts. That day is past. I am come to make such Gods know that their fate and responsibilities rest on the decrees of a Higher One, even the Creator, Jehovih. Behold, thou hast cast down and blighted a hundred million of Jehovih's children, making slaves of them, to do thy will. As thou wert the cause of their fallen state, from liberty to bondage, so, no, shalt thou redeem them to freedom, and wisdom and truth.
8. Whilst Osire spake, his proper officers let fall the light from the upper regions, the like of which Wotchak had never beholden. Presently, all things became transparent, and the enraged Wotchak, foreseeing trouble ahead, thus answered:
9. Accuse me not, thou audacious God! These, my Council, urged me hundreds of years ago to my course, and only for the favor they might remain my close advisors. I was their tool, and, if thou desirest justice, make them to feel the sting of repentant labor. Let them have my slaves. I want them not. I have been a most honest, upright God!
10. And now his counselors accused one another, and all of them heaping the blame on Wotchak. Lighter and lighter grew the etherean flames, from which there was no concealment; and all their former falsehoods and cruel words, and evil deeds, were unveiled, disclosing souls dark and hideous, with long-covered-up crimes, now made bare for the gaze of every eye.
11. The which scene brought the curious slaves, in millions, to witness it, and to reassure the suffering false God of their love and loyalty. And when Wotchak looked and beheld the abject wretches who claimed him as their worshipful God, he cried out: Enough! Enough! Unfeeling God! Thou art come in pretended right and peace; but, because of thy power, executest on me and my Council torments more terrible than I ever gave to slave of mine. Know thou, I am Apollo!
12. To which Osire answered: What are names to me! With that, Osire, by waving his hand, caused his hosts to cast aside the false God's throne, and all its glittering gems scatter abroad, relicts for the multitude. And now three pillars of light shot up and stood beside Osire and his attendants, the which took all the strength and courage out of Wotchak and his confederates, and they crouched down at Osire's feet.
13. Osire called Itu, saying: Take them without, and hand them over to their slaves awhile. And Itu and his guard gathered them from the light and bore them hence. Quickly, now, Osire officered this newly-conquered place in heaven, and called it Autat, signifying, foundation of perishable laws. And on a new throne, appointed Luce as temporary God, giving him a council of one thousand ethereans. And now Osire drew the plans for roads, and temples, and schools, and hospitals, and nurseries, and all such other habitations as are required by spirits newborn, in heaven, leaving orders to have them completed by a given time.
14. Next, Osire ordered the divisions and selections to be made in the now scattered hosts of atmosphereans, and to have them all arrested and put into their proper places. These things he left in the charge of God, Luce, to be carried out.
15. Far out on the plateau, Itu and his attendants carried Wotchak and his confederates, followed by forty millions of his former slaves. There Itu left Wotchak and his people, and Itu and his attendants went aside to witness whatever should transpire.
16. At this stage, Osire departed with his ship and steered southward over the land of shem, coming to a place in the lower heaven called Vibrahj, signifying resplendent, where ruled the false God, Daveas, who had eight hundred millions of slaves, a thousand Lords, and ten thousand Governors.
17. And, even as Osire rushed in headlong upon the other false Gods, so came he with his fire-ship into the great city of Vibrahj, at this time the largest city of the lower heaven. Daveas had been warned by his sentinels, and so came to the front of his capital, just in time to see the fearless Osire alight on the piazza in front of the Council House.
2. Osire said: Why should I not come before thee? Behold, the Great Spirit created the whole universe for His Sons and Daughters. By what right hast thou usurped a portion? And whence thy authority to bid me kneel to thee? But if thou canst show me wherein thou hast one just claim to enslave these people, rather let thy argument run thither, for I am come in the name of the Father to liberate them, that they may be prepared for the second and third resurrections.
3. Daveas said: Think not that I have neglected to prepare for rebellious Gods like thou. Behold my millions of subjects! What is thy handful? Verily, I tell thee I have prisons large enough to hold thee and thy hosts. Neither flatter thyself that I am ignorant. For two hundred years I wrought in the so-called resurrections; I made myself a slave to the multitude, giving all my labor and time. Then I beheld my folly, and so built a third resurrection myself. This is, therefore, my lawful kingdom. Moreover, I tell thee to thy face, thou wretch, there is no higher heaven than mine. Neither comest thou from a heaven great as mine. But having great self-conceit, thou art come for mischief. I have heard of thee in other heavens! But now thou hast put thy head into the halter. Seize him, marshals! Seize him and his hosts! Cast them in prison!
4. Osire spake not, but raised his hand upward in the seventh sign, and suddenly his hosts casts forth sheets of light brighter than the sun. Daveas stood back affrighted, and his marshals fled. Presently, Osire, with a thousand attendants, stepped forth in flames of light, and went up into the capital and surrounded Daveas, the usurper, but touched him not. And now the ship was illumined, and lo, the sentinels of Daveas' Council broke and fled. Hereupon, Osire spake, saying:
5. Hand of Thy hand, O Jehovih; voice of Thy voice, overturn Thou this house and throne! And, behold, the light of the upper heavens rested in Osire's palms, and he smote the house and the throne, and they tumbled over as straw before a hurricane. Alone stood Daveas, the evil God, half speechless and half blinded by the great Light of Jehovih. Down! down! said Osire, to the walls and temples of the city. And his hosts concentrated at any point Osire's hand directed; and lo, everything fell and was scattered far.
6. Meanwhile, the officers of Daveas fled in all directions, save such as were overcome by the light, and these fell and were buried themselves amidst the rubbish.
7. Hold! Hold! cried Daveas. Give me air! I perish! I am a consuming fire! And he tossed his hands aloft; then cringed his face within his glittering robes. And now Osire called forth thunder and lightning, and sent shafts through, and over, and about the whole plateau of Vibrahj, and the din and roar confounded all the eight hundred millions of souls, so they ran no farther, but stood and waited, watching what should next befall.
8. Osire halted not, but went forward to a more suitable place, to build his throne. Jehovih! Almighty! he cried: Elements of Thy elements, O Father! Found here a throne for Thy Son! And even so, for whilst his words went forth, the elements rose to do his will, and there raised a most excellent throne, strong and adamantine, on which Osire ascended. Daveas had fallen flat down, weeping and wailing; but Osire, by a motion of the hand, called Wang-te, a most enlightened archangel, with her attendants, to bear him hence, the which was quickly done.
9. Quickly, now, the place being cleared, the hosts of Osire fenced around a sufficient space for a city of a thousand million souls, with pillars of light, as brilliant as an arc in the etherean firmament. Hereat, Osire appointed Klesta, Dawn Goddess, and he gave her a council of fifty thousand ethereans. Outside of the walls of the pillars of agni were Daveas and his eight hundred million subjects, in dire confusion.
10. Wang-te, the archangel, said to Daveas: In thine own falsehood thou art favored to free thyself awhile, to organize a new kingdom, but in holiness, and return and command obedience from this smothering host. Behold, thou has taught them to believe thou art Apollo; say to them now: I am not Apollo! I have been false!
11. Daveas madly replied: Never! Jehovih and His kingdoms accursed be forever! Ye strange spirits, come from far-off kingdoms, to despoil and overturn the most righteous place in heaven! Are Jehovih and His servants destroyers! To which Wang-te replied: This is no time for argument; behold here these countless millions! If I withdraw from thee, and my attendants also withdraw, thou wilt be as one drowned amidst this sea of ignorance and horrid smells. Assume at once, for pity's sake, to purge thyself of thy life-long falsehoods and treacherous tyranny. Announce thyself as Daveas, as thou art, and I can save thee!
12. Daveas rudely thrust her aside, saying: Never! I acknowledge to none! If there be a higher heaven, I will ascend thither as I am, Apollo! Apollo! Wang-te said: Put me not off, in Jehovih's name! Remember what thou art, and of the little thou hast seen, how powerless thou art before Omnipotence! Thy fate is like that of all dictators, on the verge of a chasm of horrors. Daveas waited not to hear her further, but proclaimed aloud, Apollo! Apollo! and stood aside. And presently his former officers rushed to him, and with that came the sea of millions of spirits, unorganized, unwashed, unfed, frightened and mad, for love of the name Apollo, the meaning of which they knew not; and they became as a knot of serpents, entwined around the central figure, Daveas and his officers. And in the terrible brawl not one voice could be distinguished from another. And the outer extreme pressed inward, on every side, and presently the eight hundred millions were as a ball, a knot of darkness, with a dull and rumbling moan within, and fearful clamor on the surface, from which horrid smells issued in all directions.
13. Wang-te and her attendants hastened back to the throne of Osire, Son of Jehovih, to tell what had happened. Osire said: What shall I do, O Father? Then the Light of Jehovih came, and Jehovih spake, saying: Consider My Creation, My son. The young child I made to fall with few bruises; but the full-grown man falleth heavily. Shall I make a separate rule to favor kings and queens on the earth, and false Gods in heaven? Nay, verily. Behold, I will make of Daveas an example in heaven, and on earth, also. Because he hath spurned his own name, so will I make both angels and mortals to curse and shun the name, Daveas.
14. Osire said: Proceed ye with my kingdom, in the name of the father. Let Daveas rest awhile as he is.
15. At that, Osire departed, taking the remainder of his hosts with him in his fire-ship; and he went to a heavenly place to the westward, where was Seru, a false God, with ten millions of slaves; and Osire destroyed Seru's kingdom also. Next, he went to a heavenly place in the north, where Raka, a false God, had seventy millions of slaves; and Osire destroyed his kingdom also, liberating his slaves, and putting a guard over Raka.
16. Thus went Osire throughout atmospherea, demolishing all the heavenly kingdoms of the false Gods, of whom there were, in all, seven hundred and eighty; but many of them had not a million of subjects. Thirty days, in all, was Osire engaged in destroying the evil kingdoms in the lower heavens, and then the work was finished.
17. Osire said to his hosts: For thirty days we labored in destroying that which was; now will we rebuild to Jehovih for another thirty days. Take the ship, therefore, to Vibrahj, for thither will I found my central kingdom. And after we shall have completed the work of starting the second resurrection on a sure foundation, then will we go down to the earth and overturn the kingdoms of the false Lords and men.
2. Then spake Osire to the sheriffs, saying: Go ye out into all the divisions of atmospherea, and arrest and bring hither all the false Gods whom I have dethroned, saying to each of them: Osire, God of the lower heavens, commandeth my presence. Come thou, and hear the voice of thy Creator. But it shall happen that many will fear to come, because of the light, lest their evil deeds be seen; say to all such: The light will be lowered for a short space of time; come, therefore, quickly.
3. To all the knots, where the false Gods are enveloped, shall ye take umbrae, a sufficiency, that ye may release them. But leave ye with the knot a sufficient guard to keep them in their places.
4. The sheriffs went abroad, as commanded, being sufficiently provided with attendants and all things required for such adventures; and after many days the false Gods were arrested and brought before the throne of God, Osire, Jehovih's Son. And there were assembled, on that occasion, one hundred thousand archangels, of whom two thousand had risen to the rank of Gods and Goddesses, and thirty thousand to the rank of Lords and Lordesses.
5. Osire said to the false ones: Brothers, greeting, in the name of Jehovih! Nor shall ye fear, nor be expectant of torture or punishment. Though I come in All Power, my words shall be tempered with wisdom. But I can be no respecter of persons, nor swerve one jot or tittle from Jehovih's commandments.
6. The bondage of all men was in the Father; for, before ye were conscious individuals, Jehovih stretched forth His hand, and ye came forth from Void, which was your prison in which your selfs had been as nothing.
7. In likeness of the Father, I came to deliver them ye had bounden; and through Him have I attained power to that end. So, in likeness of Him, also, I cannot bind you, or cast you in prison. Nay, my sheriffs have just delivered you from bondage, and I am now holding you free from the knots.
8. Most of ye are learned men of the second resurrection; but ye have used your wisdom for self-glorification, being proud to call yourselves Gods; not to teach them of Jehovih and His kingdoms, but falsely teaching that your own kingdoms were the All Highest, thereby shutting out the true light from the unlearned.
9. Jehovih hath blessed you all with strong minds and handsome forms, whereupon, ye have each of you falsely proclaimed ye were Apollo. Think not that this matter was not known in high heaven. I have here the reports of swift messengers, which were brought to me in the firmament above. I came not in ignorance of what ye were doing; neither came I in weakness. More than a hundred thousand millions, who have been raised up to etherea from the earth and its heavens, stand at my side. Besides these, a million times as many ethereans, from other worlds; and above all of these, the Great Orian Chiefs; and yet beyond, and over all, Great Jehovih!
10. Have I not proved my power before you all? Did I go away in a corner and say: Come, I will show you my power? Nay, I came close to you all. As the Father first proveth power, so have I. After that, wisdom. That I may talk to you in wisdom, I had you arrested and brought hither. Hear me then, and remember my words.
11. In former cycles, the high Gods who descended to these heavens, finding false Gods, simply liberated their slaves, but put no labor of restitution on the false Gods. This was because the false Gods of those periods were too imbecile and unlearned. But the earth and her heavens have progressed to a higher state. And with progression cometh, also, responsibility. With learning cometh responsibility; and with wisdom, also.
12. Ye bound your subjects to your kingdoms; and ye perceive, now, ye cannot put them aside. Ye taught them your kingdoms were the All Highest; they must now be unlearned. Ye taught them that ye were the All Highest Gods! They must be unlearned in this, also. Ye put aside the ancient rites and ceremonies, wherein the name of Jehovih was used, teaching them to sing to you, only. They must be taught new songs, substituting the Great Spirit, to Whom none can attain, forever. Ye taught them to be unthinking, and contented as slaves; they must now be taught to think for themselves, and to labor for everlasting liberty.
13. And now, touching the law of the resurrection, remember ye, this is the same in all the created worlds; which is, that the spirit of man groweth by giving away of whatsoever the spirit hath to give. If ye have great learning, and ye give of it, then shall more learning be added unto you; if ye have goodness of heart, and gentle words, then, by giving this away, more shall be added unto you; if ye have craft in inventions or mechanics, and ye bestow of these talents unto others, then will more be added unto you. As the corporean man accumulateth corporeal things by not giving them away, not so accumulateth the spirit of any man.
14. For he who locketh up the light of the Father that is in him, cannot obtain more light; he who locketh up goodness of heart, cannot obtain strength of spirit. And without strength of spirit, no man can attain to the third resurrection. But, that men may learn to obtain strength of spirit, the second resurrection has been established in atmospherea belonging to all the habitable corporeal worlds.
15. The chief delight of man shall be, therefore, to find some way to impart his spiritual talents and strength, and to the greatest possible number of people. Think not that preaching to the ignorant is sufficient; but ye shall take hold with your own hands and show them how to accomplish. Yet not labor alone; for some are so created that ye cannot inspire them without rites and ceremonies and music.
16. Nor shall a man, after having taught and raised up a few, say: Behold, what a good work I have done! But as long as he findeth a man, or woman, or child, who lacketh in anything, he shall feel to say: Alas, what I have done is as nothing in the resurrection of my fellows.
17. For the rule holdeth for all men alike, to desire exaltation, and everlasting liberty, and unlimited power; and unless ye are prepared to give even these unto others, then ye cannot attain them yourselves. Neither is it possible for man to turn away from responsibility; to whom the Father hath given, from him the Father requireth. Ye have had your kingdoms. Yea, and boasted of them. Your boasts have ascended to etherea. Will ye go thither and be asked: Where is thy kingdom? Shall it be said ye shirked from the care of them the Father gave into your keeping?
18. Bethink ye, O brothers! When the conscience of man turneth inward, there is still darkness slumbering in his soul. The etherean lights will burn him. He whose conscience no longer burned inward, becometh himself a brilliant flame of light. Through him Jehovih speaketh.
19. Osire ceased; and now a brilliant light descended around about the throne, and presently Jehovih spake through Osire, saying:
20. Times and half-times have I given to My corporeal worlds and their heavens. In a time have I made a full resurrection to those who aspire to My heavens above. Nor do I go away from any place I created, saying: Go thou alone for a season. But in a time I manifest a new light, for such, also, are My creations. Think not that I have given seasons to corporeal worlds only; I gave seasons to atmospherea, also.
21. Is not a summer on the earth half a time? And the winter half a time? And the two, one full time? So created I for atmospherea a time of four hundred years, and a half-time of two hundred years. And in seven times and one half-time created I one dan'ha.
22. I sent my Gods to teach these things since thousands of years; whereby My angels might know the times of My resurrections. Hath not a farmer knowledge of the resurrection of spring, when I cover the earth over with new-growing things which I raise up out of the earth? How much more knowledge should my angels have of my spring-times, in atmospherea, when My archangels come to gather in My harvests of emancipated souls.
23. I commanded My etherean hosts, saying: Go ye to the lower heaven and teach them there is no such thing as individual resurrection. And they came proclaiming My word, showing all people that any number of individuals were as nothing unless united, which is the salvation I provided unto all My worlds.
24. For I created progress to be in compact; nor gave I to any person individual salvation or resurrection. That men might learn the advantage of compact, I caused mortals to have corporeal languages, and to live in cities. That ye in atmospherea might learn the All Perfection of being one with one another, I gave you the second resurrection; teaching you, through My Gods and Lords, to abnegate self-aspiration, for self-aspiration is at the expense of others; but commanding ye to learn to assimilate with one another.
25. And I gave rites and ceremonies, amongst which was the oath of service unto Me and My kingdoms, and unto none other, wherein many bound themselves, which was, and is, the beginning of liberty. Touching which matter, I created types on earth and in the lower heavens, that even the unlearned might understand Me and My works.
26. For to him that begetteth children gave I bondage, to them and to him conjointly. But this is a bondage that circumventeth not liberty in time to come, for they can ascend to heaven, and progress conjointly, better than alone. But some gave themselves up to love earthly things, such as houses, and money, and kingdoms, which things have no resurrection. Hence, such bondage holdeth the person after death to the thing he loved.
27. In type of which, many have set up kingdoms in the lower heavens, binding themselves to things that have no higher resurrection, which things belong on the plateau of atmospherea where I created them. But to them who have bound themselves to their fellows, saying: I am the salvation! it is like a young man saying to a maiden: Come, I will be thy husband. And she goeth to him in confidence. Here, then, is bondage; and she holdeth him as the way of her salvation. Wherein, not he alone can annul that which hath been united, nor yet they twain; for, by their bondage, I am also a party to the contract.
28. In which manner, they that assume kingdoms, professing to be Gods of salvation, and thus enticing My innocent ones unto themselves, become bound, not only to their subjects, but to the contract of deliverance unto salvation; for so, created I them.
29. The Voice ceased, and Osire said: If a man wed a woman with an evil temper, his glory lieth not in going away from her, but in teaching her to overcome her temper; or, if her husband be evil, her glory lieth not in going away from him, but in reforming him. Rather is it wise to accomplish whatever work Jehovih hath put in thy way, than to desert it for sake of personal comfort.
30. Nevertheless, there is a limit to all things, save Jehovih; and to the wise there is power to accomplish much that seemeth impossible at first. Hear ye, then, my judgment upon you, which is that:
31. Ye shall again assume kingdoms, and every one shall have all the subjects he had before. And ye shall be provided with places and thrones by my archangels, and with councils of my archangels also. And I will give to each and every one of you an assistant God, who shall sit on your right hand for four years, the time of this dawn, teaching how to teach, and what to teach.
32. My hosts will now conduct you to the places prepared for you, around which are erected walls of agni. And when ye are safely seated on your thrones, your former subjects shall be brought before you in groups, and adjudged to the labor, and to the schools, and such other places as are suited to them, according to their strength and talents.
33. And I pronounce it upon you, that ye shall deliver your respective subjects sufficiently for the third resurrection. Wherein, according to your zeal and faithfulness, will my hosts labor with you, to the end that Jehovih may be glorified in your harvests for the emancipated worlds. Attend, therefore, to give the sign, In Jehovih's Name, and receive ye ordination from my hands, by the power and wisdom of the Great Spirit.
34. The sheriffs showed them how to make the sign, and how to stand before the throne; and then Osire said: By Thy Wisdom, and Love, and Power, O Jehovih, which rest in me, do I annoint these, Thy Gods, for Thy service, and for the exaltation of Thy kingdoms, forever! Amen.
35. The light was now becoming so brilliant that many of the newly-made Gods quailed before it. But the marshals conducted them, and they passed before the throne of Osire, where they were crowned and arrayed as Gods of the second resurrection; after which they were again conducted before the Council, and saluted on the sign; and thence, to martial music, they were taken to the kingdoms prepared for them.
2. Who, then, O Jehovih, shall venture to tell the labor and wisdom of Thy etherean Gods! How shall the second resurrection give up its mysteries? Shall Thy recorder follow the young student for messenger, and disclose the training put upon him? How, like a carrier dove, he is taught to go from place to place, but holding the message in his head? Then follow the student in another department, and make a record of how he is taught? And of the multitude of questions that come before the Council from far-off places. Then the rites and ceremonies, and the unending variety and magnificence of the music. Can a man describe a million men and women and children? A hundred millions! A thousand millions! Five thousand millions! Who hath seen so great a man, to do this! And yet this is but Thy lower heaven, O Jehovih!
3. A strange voice riseth up from the earth, saying: Have they anything to do in heaven? O ye Gods! And one half of the earth-born coming hither in infancy! And the countless millions who know little more than the beasts of the field! To be falsely taught that these unfortunates would skip off to paradise and possess great learning in the hour of death!
4. O that their understanding could be opened up to Thy kingdoms, Thou All-Extending Creator! That their eyes could look upon the greatness of even Thy lower heaven! To behold a thousand departments reaching as wide as the earth! And then the hundreds of thousands of branch departments, of hundreds of grades, adapted to every soul that riseth up from the earth.
5. O that they could look into the dark places in atmospherea! That they could see a million souls, plunged in chaos by terrible war! Crazed spirits, wild and battling! Not knowing they are dead! The ceaseless toil of a million nurses and physicians, laboring day and night with them! O the darkness upon them! O the glory of Thy exalted ones! Who is there, having seen the magnificence of Thy glories, will not bestir himself every moment to lift up his brother and point the way to Thy throne?
6. O that they could see Thy swift Gods of dawn! How they hear a hundred tongues at one time, and frame answers for all of them, and, by a motion of the hand, dispatch messengers to fulfill the same in words! How they select officers, to know a hundred at a glance, and know where to place them; that every one shall fit his place! Who is there, O Father, can frame into words the proceedings of heaven, so that mortals can comprehend even a fraction of Thy great glories!
7. Shall a man light a candle and say it representeth the sun? How, then, shall they find the affairs of mortals comparable to Thy kingdoms? O, that they knew the meaning of the difference betwixt All Light and the darkness of man's judgment.
8. O that they knew Thee, Thou Central Sun of All Light! They have put away Thy Person, and they go in any direction. Thy Great Gods are but myths to them, because of the darkness of their souls. Behold, they look for a small man with a large sword! The power of great wisdom they know not.
9. That they could behold the coming and going of thousands of messengers, from far-off kingdoms, before the throne of Thy God! How he hath answered their matters suddenly! And the while heeded the voices of a thousand marshals! O that man knew the glory of Order! The power of Harmony!
10. They have seen a clock with a hundred wheels, and the eye of its maker overseeing its every part in motion, and they call it wonderful! But how can they know Thy Councils, O Jehovih? Thy millions? And Thy God on his throne, mantled in Thy Light, overseeing a whole heaven! What majesty of words can make mortals comprehend His wisdom, and power, and great labors!