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

"And ever since man took his place in form of flesh the Christ has been manifest in flesh at first of every age."

5. What relationship existed between Jesus of Nazareth an the Christ?Orthodox Christian ecclesiastics tell us that Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ were one; that the true name of this remarkable person was Jesus Christ. They tell us that this man of Galilee was the very eternal God clothed in flesh of man that men might see his glory. Of course this

doctrine is wholly at variance with the teachings of Jesus himself and of his apostles. The Aquarian Masters in council have formulated an answer to this question that so well covers all the information required that we give it in full:

"Jesus was an ideal Jew, born in Bethlehem of Judea. His mother was a beautiful Jewish girl named Mary. As a child Jesus differed but little from other children only that in past lives be had overcome carnal propensities to such an extent that he could be tempted like others and not yield. Paul was right when to the Hebrews he said: 'He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.'--Hebrews 4:15.

Jesus suffered as other men suffer, and was made perfect through suffering; for this is the only way to perfection. His life was an example of attainment by the way of crosses and cruel treatment. Paul was right again when he said: 'It became him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons into glory to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffering.'--Hebrews 2:10.

"In many respects Jesus was a remarkable child, for by ages of strenuous preparation he was qualified to be an avatar, a saviour of the world, and from childhood he was endowed with superior wisdom and was conscious of the fact that he was competent to lead the race into the higher ways of spiritual living. But he was conscious also of the fact that he must attain the mastery by trials, buffetings, temptations and sufferings. And all his life was spent in attaining. After his death, burial and resurrection he appeared in materialised form before the Silent Brothers in the temple of Heliopolis, in Egypt, and said:

"'My human life was wholly given to bring my will to tune with the deific will; when this was done my earth-tasks all were done.

"'You know that all my life was one great drama for the sons of men; a pattern for the sons of men. I lived to show the possibilities of man.

"'What I have done all men can do, and what I am all men shall be.'"--Aquarian Gospel 178:43, 46.

"Jesus was the name of the man and it was the only appropriate name for this kind of a man. The word means Saviour, and Jesus was in more senses than one a saviour.

The word Christ means "the anointed one," and then it is an official title. It means, The Master of Love. When we say "Jesus the Christ" we refer to the man and to his office; just as we do when we say Edward, the King, or Lincoln, the President. Edward was not always King, and Lincoln was not always President, and Jesus was not always Christ. Jesus won his Christship by a strenuous life, and in the Aquarian Gospel, chapter 65, we have a record of the events of his christing, or receiving the degree Christ. Here is where he was coronated by the highest earth authorities as the Christ-King; properly speaking, 'The Master of Love'; and after this was done he entered at once upon his Judean and Galilean ministry.

"We recognise the facts that Jesus was man and that Christ was God, so that in very truth Jesus the Christ was the God-man of the ages."

The Nazarene's Testimony. Jesus himself made the matter clear. Once when he was speaking to a congregation in Bethany the people called him King and he stood forth and said:

"'I am not sent to sit upon a throne to rule as Cæsar rules; and you may tell the ruler of the Jews that I am not a claimant for his throne.

"'Men call me Christ, and God has recognised the name; but Christ is not a man. The Christ is universal Love, and Love is King.

"'This Jesus is but man who has been fitted by temptations overcome, by trials multiform, to be the temple through which the Christ can manifest to men.

"'Then hear, you men of Israel, hear I Look not upon the flesh; it is not king. Look to the Christ within who shall be formed in every one of you, as he is formed in me.

"'When you have purified your hearts by faith, the king will enter in and you will see his face.'"--Aquarian Gospel 68:10–14.

Surely this question has been answered. Jesus was man; Christ was Divine Love-the Love of God, and after thirty years of strenuous life the man had made his body fit to be the temple of the holy breath and Love took full possession, and John well said when he declared:

"'And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.'"

6. Who was Levi, the Transcriber of this Book?Regarding the personality of Levi we are permitted to write but little. Suffice it to say that he is an American citizen, and has been a close student of the religions of the world from childhood. When but a boy he was impressed with the sensitiveness of the finer ethers and believed that in some manner they were sensitised plates on which sounds, even thoughts, were recorded. With avidity he entered into the deeper studies of etheric vibration, determined to solve the great mysteries of the heavens for himself. Forty years he spent in study and silent meditation, and then he found himself in that stage of spiritual consciousness that permitted him to enter the domain of these superfine ethers and become familiar with their mysteries. He then learned that the imaginings of his boyhood days were founded upon veritable facts, and that every thought of every living thing is there recorded.

In his manuscript entitled "The Cusp of the Ages," a part of which we have already reproduced in this Introduction, we find the following copy of the Commission, which Levi received from Visel, the Goddess of Wisdom, or the Holy Breath.

LEVI'S COMMISSION.

"And then Visel the holy one stood forth and said:

"O Levi, son of man, behold, for you are called to be the message bearer of the coming age-the age of spirit blessedness.

"Give heed, O son of man, for men must know the Christ, the Love of God; for Love is sovereign balm for all the wounds of men, the remedy for every ill.

"And man must, be endowed with Wisdom and with Power and with an Understanding heart.

"Behold the Akasha I Behold the Record Galleries of Visel where every thought and word and deed of every living thing is written down.

"The needs of men are manifold, and men must know their needs.

"Now, Levi, hearken to my words go forth into these mystic Galleries and read. There you will find a message for the world; for every man; for every living thing.

"I breathe upon you now the Holy Breath; you will discriminate, and you

will know the lessons that these Record Books of God are keeping now for men of this new age.

"This age will be an age of splendour and of light, because it is the home age of the Holy Breath; and Holy Breath will testify anew for Christ, the Logos of eternal Love.

"At first of every age this Logos Is made manifest in flesh so man can see and know and comprehend a Love that is not narrow, circumscribed.

"Twelve times in every revolution of the sun this christed Love of God is made full manifest in flesh upon the planes of earth, and you may read in Akasha the wondrous lessons that these Christs have taught to men; but you shall publish not to men the lessons of the Christs of ancient times.

"Now, Levi, message bearer of the Spirit Age, take up your pen and write.

"Write full the story of The Christ who built upon the Solid Rock of yonder circle of the sun-the Christ who men have known as Enoch the Initiate.