John Ballou Newbrough - Oahspe

18. Thor said unto them: Perceive ye not that my power is greater than yours? How can that be? I have but thirty millions; and of you there are more than thirty thousand millions! Wherein, then, am I more powerful? Behold, I have arrested all your heavens and heavenly rulers. How it this? Whence my power?

19. Not one could answer Thor.

20. Then Thor said: My army is a unit. Yours are divided, one against another. Yea, each one was in anarchy.

21. This I declare unto you all: Jehovih, first of all; and His creations, which He hath given unto all His creatures.

22. To learn to master the elements of earth and heaven, this is the foundation for acquiring all power.

23. Because ye bound yourselves in heavenly places on the earth, ye rose not up to the places prepared for you. Answer me now: How standeth the world as to what is to come?

24. Many of the false Lords and false Gods answered after this manner: I fear to speak my mind, lest thou in anger cast me in hell.

25. Thor said: He who hath learnt to know Jehovih, and to serve Him, feareth nothing on earth nor in heaven. Fear is but the manifestation of weakness.

26. Speak, therefore, what ye desire; no harm shall befall you.

27. Then many of them said: This do I perceive, O God: There lie the earth and many heavens. The strongest mortals rule over the weaker; the strongest Gods rule over the weaker. Therefore, make me thy slave. I am content.

28. Then Thor said: A greater hardship give I unto all: I give you your liberty and freedom. Go, therefore, whither ye desire. I ask not one to serve me; but say unto you: Go serve Jehovih by lifting up whoever is beneath you.

29. They answered: Whither shall we go? We know not the way from one heaven to another, nor the way down to the earth. Thou sayest: Go serve Jehovih by lifting up such as are beneath us. Now, verily, we cannot lift up ourselves. Had we great riches, or power, or wisdom, then would we willingly do for those beneath us.

30. Thor said: Verily are ye Gods of darkness. I say unto you, wait not for any of these things, but go at once and serve Jehovih.

31. They answered: When we have first provided a way for ourselves, then will we serve Him.

32. Thor answered: Ye have spoken the darkness of all the world. I say unto you: Go serve Jehovih first; and after that come to me that I may see wherein ye lack in anything.

33. They answered: How can one serve Jehovih by lifting others up, if he have not clothes, nor food, nor habitation.

34. Thor said: It is well ye ask that question; but I say: Direct that question to your own souls; and, behold, the Father will answer you. Let that be the question ye ask yourselves every hour of the day; and watch ye for an opportunity to answer it by the labor of your own hands.

35. Then the false Gods and false Lords were dismissed from custody.

36. Thor commanded the light of the throne and of the pillars of heavenly fire to be raised to a higher grade. The false Lords and false Gods desired to flee because of the brilliancy of the light, but knew not whither to go.

37. Thor said unto them: Why have ye assumed to be Lords and Gods, since ye cannot even master the elements in the lower heavens?

38. i say unto you, the regions of Jehovih's universe are boundless. Let no one assume to do that which he cannot do; but, little by little, learn to master the elements surrounding him, and he will in time learn to traverse Jehovih's beautiful firmament, and be indeed a fit companion for Gods and Goddesses.

39. Then spake the false Lords and false Gods, saying: O that we had some one to teach us; some one to show us the way to learn!

40. Then Thor, perceiving they were in proper humor for resurrection, allotted unto them certain teachers and disciplinarians, and they were taken into educational colonies and put to work.

Table of Contents

1. THOR said: To induce men and angels to find the way of resurrection, this is the greatest of all teaching. Man saith: O God, raise up thy servant!

2. And the Lord saith: Hold up thy hands and I will lift thee up. But man will not. Man saith: Send wise and holy angels to me, O Lord, to guide me in righteousness and good works!

3. And the Lord saith: As thou asketh of God, even so do thou to thy fellows. But man will not.

4. As it is with man on earth, even so do we find it in hada.

5. To induce angels to develop themselves, by taking hold with their own hands, and by the exercise of their own talents, this is the work of Lords and Gods. To rule over them without their knowing it, so as to lead them in the right way, this is wisdom.

6. The first passion of man is to eat; the second, the sexual desire; the third, to make others serve him. And if he accomplish the latter, then is he indeed the prince of evil. For he then holdeth dominion to the hurt of others.

7. So, also, as man buildeth these habitations in his soul on earth, how vain his effort for happiness in heaven! To teach him to undo all his past, and to make full restitution unto others, this is the work of Gods and Lords over spirits of darkness.

8. Thor established two thousand educational colonies in atmospherea, besides innumerable places of manufacturing and building; teaching the angels of heaven how to provide habitations for those born of earth into spirit life.

9. In three years of dawn Thor had prepared for etherean ascension four thousand million Brides and Bridegrooms.

10. Now all this while the angels of atmospherea had been taught much in regard to the emancipated kingdoms in etherea; of the splendor and majesty and power of Gods and Goddesses there abiding.

11. Thor spake from the throne of God, before the Holy Council, saying: Send swift messengers to Betatis, Goddess of Terow, in etherea, greeting, and say unto her: Thus saith Thor, Jehovih's Son, Orian Chief of Don'ga: Come thou to the heavens of the earth; I have four thousand million Brides and Bridegrooms as Jehovih's harvest. Provide thou an airiata of great size and splendor, for its presence shall enchant my people.

12. The swift messengers departed. And proper officers at once set about making ready to receive Betatis. Others were sent into other parts of atmospherea with fire-boats to bring atmosphereans to Gau, that they might behold the glory of the higher heavens as manifested in the descent and ascent of the airiata.

13. All these things were accomplished; Betatis came in great splendor; and all the kingdoms and sub-kingdoms of Gau were filled with the thousands of millions come to witness the ceremonies.

14. This, then, was the size of Betatis' airiata: Diameter, east and west and north and south, two thousand miles to the borders of the photosphere, and nine thousand miles high. The ship, within the photosphere, was one hundred miles east and west and north and south, and was two hundred miles high. Of beams, the entire length, there were twelve million four hundred thousand; and of uprights, they were numerous accordingly. And there were a sufficient number of chambers within the airiata for every soul to have one; and besides these, there were halls and temples within, also suitable for music and other entertainments.

15. The colors, shades and tints, with mirrors, and with opaque ornaments, both movable and fixed, were provided in all possible ways, for ornament and for service, the like of which, for beauty, had never been surpassed in Don'ga. And when the whole airiata was completed, it looked like an oval globe of light, with a frame-work, transparent and opaque within, alternated so as to add beauty to every part. And it was fitted and equipped for the third resurrection, having no storage places for atmosphere, or any thing in common with the lower heavens.

16. To add still further to its splendor, Betatis had her airiata ornamented with banners and streamers illuminated, so that at a distance, when seen descending, the whole vessel seemed like a sun surrounded on every side with movable stars and waving streams of light.