Chapter 23
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 six hundred and twenty-five million inhabitants in atmospherea. And the number of the second harvest was two hundred and eighty million.
The ascent of the second harvest was like the ascent of the first 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.
So the heavens of the earth passed into the care of the succeeding God and Lords, who had been raised up and prepared for those commissions. And for the present there were no more ethereans dwelling in these regions.
Jehovih had said: Those who come out of the earth shall be sufficient to themselves. As a mother provides 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 offices of Lords and God in the management of My kingdoms.
So it came to pass after the ascent of the ethereans, that the whole earth and its lower heavens were under the dominion of those who had sprung up out of the earth. And 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.
And it likewise came to pass that the atmospherean rulers were more lenient in their government, and less tyrannical than the ethereans had been. For as the ethereans had forbidden the es’yans, the newly dead, to return to their mortal kindred, until their fiftieth year in spirit life, it was 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 did not become workers in heaven, either for others, or for their own resurrection to higher regions; but they became idlers and vagabonds in the lower heaven, often living with their mortal kindred till their mortal kindred died, and then, in turn, persuading these es’yans to do even as they did.
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 throughout the places of learning and industry in the lower heaven, persuading others that they were toiling to no good purpose.
They said: Behold, it was told us on earth there was a Jehovih! But we are in heaven, and yet we do not find Him. Now we know, in 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 lives on the earth and dies, and his spirit floats about, and then there is no more of him. Why will you serve the Lord? Why will you serve God? Be free and live for yourselves instead of for others.
Thus it came to pass that little by little the lower heaven began to fall from its high estate.
The third dan was six hundred years, and God and his Lords, having provided successors, ascended with their harvest to etherea. And its number was four hundred and eight million Brides and Bridegrooms, and their grade was sixty-six.
The fourth dan was five hundred years, and the harvest was six hundred million Brides and Bridegrooms; and their grade was fifty-eight.
The fifth dan was three hundred years; and the harvest was two hundred million; and their grade was fifty, which was the lowest grade capable of emancipation, or capable of surviving in etherea.
And now darkness set in and covered all the earth. 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.
The Kingdom of Hored was broken up and dissolved. The spirits did not love to labor or learn according to Jehovih’s plan, but returned to the earth-attractions; and they were called DRUJAS, because they did not desire resurrection.
And God, Lords, officers and teachers were without subjects and pupils. And mortals were overwhelmed by thousands and millions of drujas, so much so, that the ashars were powerless to accomplish good inspiration.
At this time there were more than three billion angels in atmospherea, and for the most part, they dwelt on earth.
Thus ended the first cycle of the first heaven of the earth. END OF BOOK OF SETHANTES, SON OF JEHOVIH First Book of the First Lords Being contemporary with the Book of Sethantes, Son of Jehovih. That is, when Sethantes was God of heaven, his Lords had dominion on the earth in the same period of time. And this is their book, even as the preceding one was God’s book.