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Chapter XXIII

1. WHEN the time of God and his hosts was fulfilled, Jehovih brought the earth into dan of Eyon, in the arc Lais, whose angels descended in a ship of fire, and delivered God, his Lords and all the hosts under them who were prepared for the etherean resurrection. At this time there were in atmospherea six hundred and twenty-five million inhabitants. And the number of the second harvest was two hundred and eighty millions.

2. After the manner of the ascent of the first harvest, so was the ascent of the second harvest. And the place of the landing of the second harvest in the firmament of heaven was in Lais, and Bin, and the grade of the harvest was seventy-eight, being two less than the grade of the first harvest.

3. So the heavens of the earth passed into the care of succeeding God and Lords, who had been raised up and prepared therefor. And for the present there were no more ethereans dwelling in these regions.

4. Jehovih had said: They that come out of the earth shall be sufficient unto themselves. As a mother provideth for her child, so do I provide for the spirit generations of a corporeal world; but when they are mature in wisdom, strength and love, I command them to take the places of Lords and God in the management of my kingdoms.

5. So it came to pass after the ascent of the ethereans, the whole earth and p. 42 its lower heavens were under the dominion of such as had sprung up out of the earth. Hence it became a saying: The first was etherean rule; the second was atmospherean rule. For the earth had Lords who had been on no other world, and a God who had never been on other worlds.

6. And it likewise came to pass that the atmospherean rulers were more lenient and less tyrannical in their government than had been the ethereans. For as the ethereans had forbidden the es'yans, the newly dead, to return to their mortal kindred, even to the fiftieth year in spirit life, so, not so with the present Lords and God, for they indulged hundreds of thousands of es'yans for sympathy's sake to return to their mortal kindred. And these es'yans became not workers in heaven, either for others or for their own resurrection to higher regions; but they became idlers and vagabonds in the lower heaven, oft living with their mortal kindred till their mortal kindred died, and then in turn persuading such es'yans to do even as they did.

7. And God perceived, when it was too late, that his leniency had laid the foundation for disorganizing the kingdom of heaven; for the strolling idlers, knowing no other heaven, sowed the spirit of disbelief in the places of learning and industry in the lower heaven, persuading others that they were toiling to no good purpose.

8. They said: Behold, it was told us on earth there was a Jehovih! But we are in heaven, and yet we find him not. Now do we know of a truth there is no All Person. Come, then, let us seek ease and the rich viands that rise up out of the earth. A man liveth on the earth and dieth, and his spirit floateth around about, and there is no more of him. Why will ye serve the Lord? Why will ye serve God? Be ye free and live for yourselves instead of others.

9. Thus it came to pass that little by little the lower heaven began to fall from its high estate.

10. The third dan was six hundred years, and God and his Lords, having provided successors, ascended with their harvest to etherea. And the number thereof was four hundred and eight million Brides and Bridegrooms, and their grade was sixty-six.

11. The fourth dan was five hundred years, and the harvest was six hundred million Brides and Bridegrooms; and their grade was fifty-eight.

12. The fifth dan was three hundred years; and the harvest was two hundred millions; and their grade was fifty, which was the lowest grade capable of emancipation, or capable of surviving in etherea.

13. And now darkness set in and covered all the earth around. And from this time until the end of the cycle, which was three thousand years from the birth of man on earth, there were no more resurrections to the emancipated heavens.

14. The Kingdom of Hored was broken up and dissolved. The spirits loved not to labor and to learn according to Jehovih's plan, but returned to the earth-ornaments; and they were called DRUJAS 4, because they desired not resurrection.

15. And God and the Lords, and their officers and teachers, were without subjects and pupils. And mortals were beset by thousands and millions of drujas, so that the ashars were powerless to accomplish good inspiration.

16. At this time there were more than three thousand million angels in atmospherea, and for the most part, they dwelt on earth.

17. Thus ended the first cycle of the first heaven of the earth.

END OF BOOK OF SETHANTES, SON OF JEHOVIH.


Footnotes

42:4 The ancients called the lost spirits by different names in all countries: in India, Druj; in China, Won-yeang; in the Algonquin tribes, O'spee; the Hebrews, Girapha (i.e. to be feared). Then we have the terms, ghosts, fairies, wraiths, etc., etc., for modern terms. Under the name of familiar spirits the ancient Hebrews were well informed of these drujas. Druj is a Vedic name. The ancient Chinese called them M'spe. The Germans called them "The double," because when they take on forms they look like the mortal to whom they are engrafted. The term familiar spirits, as now used, has a wide range."


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