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Word Gems 

exploring self-realization, sacred personhood, and full humanity

A Course In Miracles

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“Apocalypse,” along with the Course’s sister-term, “Last Judgment,” has nothing to do with traditional views of the end of the world or meeting a harsh God.

Instead, “it is the doorway to life.” This is so because it is the end of the ego's world.

Let us, however, take a moment to consider the common meaning preached by the churches.

"Destruction of the Beast & False Prophet," 1804, Benjamin West 

Jesus, via the Course, teaches that orthodox-biblical imagery, so common to us, must be viewed allegorically. The apostle Paul, along with some of the early Church Fathers, said the same.

The Course states that it offers instruction in “mind training.” If the image of a sword-brandishing Christ on a white stallion has any meaning at all for us it is that overall purpose which the Course outlines: Jesus is heavily involved in the spiritual evolution of humankind.

the end of the world

A conquering Christ leading a cavalry charge metaphorically depicts:

the end of the dysfunctional ego

the end of brute force and deception

the end of evil in the world

Elsewhere I have discussed the highly symbolical nature of the book of Revelation. Little there can be taken literally. But this does not mean that this ancient document is without value. I’ve come to see that the author of Revelation offered a credible view of the history of humankind; albeit, in metaphorical terms.

The number seven, featured more than fifty times in the book, again, is laden with symbolism. It means “fullness” or “completeness.” The “beast power,” rising and falling seven times, pictures the endless parade of oppressive regimes littering the pages of recorded history. What we call history is one long sordid chronicle of these comings and goings of brute force on the throne.

Consider these “swings of the pendulum” -- of brute force entering the ascendancy, but then, spending itself, its own vice advancing to unsustainable levels, collapsing in on itself, to be followed by new conquerors, new hungry mouths for power. This is the story of history.

In all of these predictable, unimaginative, cycles of oppression, we witness an “end of the world.” In its wake, a new world, a new order of power, is created, which will last until that world, too, ends in flaming egoic ruin.

the latest 'end of the world'

The Apocalypse has had many curtain calls, many summonings for repeat performance. There have been a virtual endless string of “final days,” “last days,” for the oppressed on this troubled planet Earth.

And it is my opinion that today we live in the latest iteration of “the end of the world.” Totalitarian forces are entering the “feeding frenzy” stage. They’re becoming more and more brazen. They see their goal of totalitarian control within reach now. And the people, too dumbed down, too jaded, too distracted, too venal, too purchasable, will soon offer them the keys to the kingdom. And America’s experiment with personal freedoms and decentralized authority will pass into history.

• Most people down through the ages have lived under despotism; what we have today is an anomaly -- and we're about to get back to normal.
• Think of what “normal” means. The average person, during the last several thousands of years of recorded history, has lived under constant threat of oppression from governmental overseers; constant threat of invasion to privacy or personal freedom; constant threat of disruption to peaceful mode of living. The personal freedoms, now fast eroding, a legacy of the Founders, represent a tiny island of self-determination in a vast ocean of deception, brutality, and enslavement. Few today perceive the uniqueness of what we have, or had. Yes, we’ll soon be getting back to normal.

The forms and shadows of liberty will likely remain for some time. Emperor Augustus provided for the same. “Below the radar,” he replaced the Roman Republic with dictatorship via the "Principate." The people were mollified, bought off and sedated, with games and bread, but personal liberties were now little more than museum pieces. The constitution of the Republic was never officially abolished, the machinery of legislative power-balancing was ostensibly maintained, the Senate continued to function as usual, but only to rubber stamp the whims of Caesar.

For our purposes, however, concerning the Course with its view on "the real world" of Summerland, we need to understand that the true Apocalypse represents the “last days,” the “end of world,” for the oppressive reign of the ego.

In the four "Spirituality" articles, we learned that an intimate understanding of evil is necessary to our evolvement. It strikes me that those who look after our education want us not to miss out on a grand lesson in play, that of, just how evil the unfettered ego can be. Class is in session.