Paper 118 Overview: Supreme and Ultimate—Time and Space

The nature of Deity is expressed through seven unique forms, ranging from the self-existent Father to the experiential Absolute. These Deity manifestations create a layered framework through which God engages all levels of creation, from finite experience to infinite reality. The Supreme Being plays a key role in evolutionary development, functioning as both a destination and a partner in the cosmic journey. Progress through the universe is continuous, yet it offers moments of achievement and satisfaction, like reaching a high point in a journey before continuing onward. This cycle of attainment and aspiration mirrors how finite minds can engage with the concept of infinity, always adding one more step in the eternal pursuit of divine fulfillment.

Time and eternity work together in the divine plan, with eternal realities becoming meaningful within time for finite beings. Mortals can begin to experience eternity by aligning their will with God's, allowing personality to transcend momentary existence. The present moment grows in meaning when it includes understanding of both the past and the future, revealing patterns of divine purpose. God's presence reaches all of space and time through coordinated expressions such as the Supreme and Ultimate, allowing humans to encounter God through different stages of spiritual growth. Through personal spiritual striving and divine guidance, the evolving universe progresses toward unity and perfection, with the Supreme acting as the living link between the divine and the finite.

The nature of Deity manifests in seven distinct forms throughout the universe: the Father as self-existent self, the Son as coexistent self, the Spirit as conjoint-existent self, the Supreme as evolutionary-experiential self, the Sevenfold as self-distributive divinity, the Ultimate as transcendental-experiential self, and the Absolute as existential-experiential self. This sevenfold classification establishes the hierarchical framework through which Deity operates across all levels of reality, from finite to absolute. The Supreme and Ultimate occupy pivotal positions in this hierarchy, with the Supreme being indispensable to evolutionary attainment in the present universe age, and both being interdependently complementary in reaching cosmic destiny.

Creative growth throughout the universe is characterized as both unending and ever-satisfying, endless in extent yet continually punctuated by personality-satisfying moments of transient goal attainment. These achievement moments serve as mobilization preludes to new adventures in cosmic growth, universe exploration, and Deity attainment. This pattern reflects how finite minds can approach infinity through the conceptual basis of mathematics, where numbers have no quantitative limitation. No matter how large a number is conceived, one more can always be added, demonstrating that the concept falls short of infinity. Yet simultaneously, any infinite series can be totaled at a given point, providing the "sweetness of goal attainment" at a particular time and status, before new yearnings for greater achievement inevitably arise in the cycles of eternity.

The relationship between Deity and the cosmos demands the fullest possible comprehension of how the eternal interfaces with the temporal. Although absolute Deity exists in an eternal nature, the Gods relate to time as an experience within eternity. Within the evolutionary universes, eternity manifests as temporal everlastingness, the everlasting now in which all events unfold. This concept provides the foundation for understanding how eternal Deity interacts with time-bound creation.

Mortal personality possesses the remarkable capacity to eternalize through self-identification with the indwelling spirit by choosing to do the Father's will. This consecration of will represents the realization of eternity-reality of purpose, rendering the succession of moments irrelevant to the creature's fundamental orientation. As the self matures, it attains greater capacity to transcend the momentary present, reaching further into both past and future to illuminate the present's true meaning. The time unit of maturity reveals the coordinated relationship of past-present-future, allowing the self to glimpse the wholeness of events from a panoramic perspective. At the infinite and absolute levels, the moment of the present contains all past and future, representing the eternal I AM who simultaneously signifies I WAS and I WILL BE, our closest conceptual approximation of eternity and the eternal.

On the absolute and eternal level, potential reality equals actual reality in significance. Only from the finite perspective, bounded by time, does actuality appear to differ fundamentally from potentiality. To God as absolute, an ascending mortal who has made the eternal decision is already a Paradise finaliter. However, the Universal Father, through the indwelling Thought Adjuster, is not limited in awareness and can participate in every temporal struggle of creature ascension from animal-like to Godlike existence.

The ubiquity of Deity, its presence throughout all creation, must be distinguished from the ultimacy of divine omnipresence. By the Universal Father's will, the Supreme, Ultimate, and Absolute compensate, coordinate, and unify his time-space ubiquity and his time-space-transcended omnipresence with his timeless and spaceless universal and absolute presence. While Deity ubiquity is frequently associated with space, it is not necessarily conditioned by time, allowing for divine presence that transcends temporal limitations.

As mortal and morontia ascenders progress spiritually, they discern God through increasingly comprehensive manifestations: first through God the Sevenfold in the local universes, then discovering God the Supreme in Havona, and finally finding him as a personal being on Paradise. Finaliters subsequently attempt to know him as Ultimate. No finaliter experiences existential disquiet regarding the attainment of the Deity Absolute, since they have already encountered God the Father at the culmination of their supreme and ultimate ascensions. Such finaliters intuitively understand that successfully finding God the Absolute would merely reveal the same deity, the Paradise Father manifesting on more nearly infinite and universal levels, the Primal Ancestor of universes and the Final Father of personalities.

God the Supreme may not demonstrate the time-space omnipresence of Deity, but he manifests divine ubiquity. Between the spiritual presence of the Creator and the material manifestations of creation extends the vast domain of the ubiquitous becoming, the universe emergence of evolutionary Deity. Should God the Supreme ever assume direct control of the universes of time and space, such administration would function under the overcontrol of the Ultimate, who would begin to manifest as the transcendental Almighty exercising overcontrol of supertime and transcended space concerning the administrative functions of the Almighty Supreme.

Only through ubiquity can Deity unify time-space manifestations for finite comprehension, as time exists as a succession of moments while space functions as a system of associated points. Humans uniquely perceive time through analysis and space through synthesis, coordinating these disparate conceptions through the integrating insight of personality. Among all creatures, only beings of personality status perceive this time-space relationship meaningfully, as motion has value only to creatures possessing personality.

Time conditions things, but truth transcends temporal limitations; the more truth one knows and embodies, the more comprehensive one's understanding of both past and future becomes. When truth becomes linked with fact, however, both time and space condition its meanings and correlate its values. These realities of truth wedded to fact become concepts relegated to the domain of relative cosmic realities. The Supreme Being plays a crucial role in this process, serving as the essential link between the divine and unchanging overworld and the finite and ever-changing underworld.

Space approaches absolute status more closely than any other non-absolute reality, yet remains ultimately relative. The paradoxical nature of space lies in its simultaneous existence both around and within material bodies; while material bodies exist in space, space also exists within these same material bodies. All material reality patterns occupy space, but spirit patterns exist only in relation to space without occupying or displacing it. The most perplexing riddle concerns idea patterns: whether they occupy space remains uncertain, though they clearly do not contain space, suggesting the possibility that the immaterial might not always be nonspatial.

Many theological difficulties and metaphysical dilemmas arise when humans mislocate Deity personality and assign infinite and absolute attributes to subordinate or evolutionary forms of Deity. While acknowledging the existence of a true First Cause, one must recognize the concurrent operation of numerous coordinate and subordinate causes throughout the universe. The vital distinction lies in understanding that first causes produce original effects entirely free from any antecedent causation, while secondary causes yield effects invariably exhibiting inheritance from prior causation.

The cosmological causation process operates through a three-stage sequence in the finite universe. First, the static potentials inherent in the Unqualified Absolute react to the causations of the Deity Absolute produced through the actions of the Paradise Trinity. In the presence of the Universal Absolute, these causation-impregnated static potentials become responsive to transcendental agencies, resulting in their transformation into true universe possibilities for development.

Second, universe capacities eventuate through the transformation of undifferentiated potentials into segregated and defined plans by the Ultimacy of Deity and transcendental agencies. The Architects of the Master Universe embody these plans, which appear space-limited by the conceptual periphery of the master universe while remaining unconditioned by time or space. Third, Supreme Creators effect the time transmutations of matured potentials into experiential actuals, with all actualization of potential reality in the master universe being limited by ultimate capacity for development and time-space conditioned in its final stages of emergence.

Divine omnipotence does not confer the power to perform the logically impossible or inherently contradictory. Within the time-space frame and from the perspective of mortal comprehension, even the infinite God cannot create square circles or produce evil that is inherently good, as these would constitute ungodlike actions representing a contradiction in terms. This principle of compossibility, that divine power acts in accordance with divine nature, is innate in divine power and derives from the fact that omnipotence not only creates things with a nature but also gives origin to the nature of all things and beings.

The universal progression begins with the Father's conceptualization of a finite cosmos, followed by the actualization of this idea through the Creator Sons with the consent and cooperation of the Creative Spirits. As eternity unfolds, creatures increasingly become God's partners in realizing the finality of destiny. When mortals enter into partnership with God, no limitation constrains the future possibilities of this relationship.

When a person fuses with the indwelling Father presence, they transcend the fetters of time and enter upon the eternal progressions in quest of the Universal Father. Mortal consciousness proceeds from fact to meaning to value, while Creator consciousness moves from thought-value through word-meaning to action fact. In all cases, God must act first to break the deadlock of unqualified unity inherent in existential infinity, providing the pattern universe, perfect personalities, and original truth, beauty, and goodness that inspire all subdeity creations.

While God possesses true omnipotence (absolute power), he is not omnificent. He does not personally perform every action throughout the universe. Divine omnipotence encompasses the power-potential of both the Almighty Supreme and the Supreme Being, but the volitional acts of God the Supreme do not represent the personal actions of the infinite God. To advocate for divine omnificence would effectively disenfranchise approximately one million Creator Sons of Paradise and countless other orders of creative assistants who collaborate in universe building.

All volition throughout the universe operates relatively, with only the Father-I AM possessing finality of will in the originating sense. Only the Father, Son, and Spirit exhibit the prerogatives of volition unconditioned by time and unlimited by space. Mortal free will, while not absolute, functions as relatively final concerning the destiny of the individual personality. Humans cannot choose beyond what is choosable. They cannot elect to be other than human beings, but they can choose to embark upon the journey of universe ascension because human choice and divine will coincide on this point. When a person chooses to find God and become like him, this choice transcends finite limitations into the superfinite realm, with only eternity capable of revealing whether such choice also transcends absonite limitations.

Recognizing divine omnipotence provides security in cosmic citizenship and assurance during the long journey to Paradise, while accepting the fallacy of omnificence would constitute the profound error of pantheism, confusing the Creator with creation.

The function of Creator will and creature will in the grand universe operates within the limits established by the Master Architects, but this foreordination of maximum parameters does not abridge the sovereignty of creature will within these boundaries. Divine foreknowledge, which makes full allowance for all finite choice, does not invalidate the freedom and genuineness of creature decisions. Just as a mature human might accurately predict a younger associate's decision without diminishing its authenticity, the Gods' foreknowledge preserves the integrity of creature choice.

The supreme correlation of all past, present, and future choice does not invalidate the authenticity of such choosings but rather indicates the foreordained trend of the cosmos and suggests foreknowledge of those volitional beings who may contribute to the actualization of reality. Error in finite choosing remains time-bound and time-limited, existing only within the evolving presence of the Supreme Being and indicating both the incompleteness of the Supreme and the necessary range of choice that allows immature creatures to make freewill contact with reality. Sin in time-conditioned space demonstrates the temporal liberty of finite will, revealing immaturity dazzled by the freedom of relatively sovereign will while failing to perceive the supreme obligations of cosmic citizenship. Iniquity in finite domains exposes the transient reality of all God-unidentified selfhood; only as a creature becomes God-identified does it achieve true reality in the universes.

Finite personality is not self-created, but in the superuniverse arena of choice, it self-determines its destiny. The bestowal of life enables material-energy systems to achieve self-perpetuation, self-propagation, and self-adaptation, while the bestowal of personality grants living organisms the additional prerogatives of self-determination, self-evolution, and self-identification with a fusion spirit of Deity. However, the possibility of cosmic self-destruction cannot be avoided if evolving personality is to exercise genuine freedom of finite will. Therefore, safety increases by narrowing the limits of personality choice at lower existence levels, with choice becoming increasingly liberated as ascension through the universes progresses.

In time-space creations, free will operates within a framework of restraints and limitations. Material-life evolution progresses from mechanical to mind-activated and potentially to spirit-directed. Organic evolution on inhabited worlds is physically constrained by the potentials of the original physical-life implantations established by the Life Carriers, setting parameters for development without predetermining outcomes.

Mortal man exists simultaneously as a machine and more than a machine; a living mechanism with roots in the physical world of energy, yet endowed with mind and indwelt by spirit. Though unable to escape completely the chemical and electrical mechanics of existence, humans can learn to subordinate this physical-life machine through the directive wisdom of experience by consecrating the human mind to executing the spiritual urges of the indwelling Thought Adjuster. The spirit liberates while the mechanism limits the function of will. Mechanical dominance ensures stability at the expense of progress, while spirit alliance liberates choice from the physical level while ensuring divine stability through augmented universe insight and increased cosmic comprehension.

The great danger facing creatures lies in achieving liberation from life mechanisms without compensating for this loss of stability by establishing a harmonious working liaison with spirit. The principle of biological evolution makes it impossible for primitive man to appear with substantial self-restraint, so the same creative design provides external restraints of time, space, hunger, and fear to circumscribe the subspiritual choice range of uncultured beings. As mind successfully overcomes these barriers, the slow accumulation of experiential wisdom maintains balance between diminishing external restraints and augmenting internal restraints. The slowness of human evolution testifies to the effectiveness of material inertia in retarding dangerous velocities of progress and preventing the lethal consequences of premature escape from necessary developmental barriers.

Time and space function as a conjoined mechanism of the master universe, serving as devices that enable finite creatures to coexist with the Infinite. These insulating media effectively separate finite creatures from absolute levels. Without time and space, no mortal could exist, yet these same factors simultaneously limit the range of finite action. They represent both the possibility and the constraint of creature experience.

Mechanisms produced by higher minds function to liberate their creative sources while invariably limiting the action of subordinate intelligences. To creatures, this limitation appears as the inescapable mechanism of the universes. Human free will operates within defined limits, not unfettered across all possibilities, yet within this radius of choice, will remains relatively sovereign. The mortal physical body, a product of supermortal creative design, can never be perfectly controlled by humans themselves. Only when ascending man, in liaison with the fused Adjuster, self-creates the mechanism for personality expression will perfect control be achieved.

The grand universe functions as both mechanism and organism: a living mechanism activated by Supreme Mind, coordinated by Supreme Spirit, and finding expression on maximum levels of power and personality unification as the Supreme Being. While mechanisms are the crystallized products of Creator thought functioning true to their origin, their purposiveness resides not in their function but in their origin. These mechanisms should not be seen as limiting Deity, for through them, Deity achieves one phase of eternal expression. The basic universe mechanisms emerged in response to the absolute will of the First Source and Center and will therefore eternally function in harmony with the Infinite's plan. God the Supreme represents the personalization of all universe experience, the focalization of all finite evolution, the maximation of all creature reality, the consummation of cosmic wisdom, the embodiment of the harmonious beauties of the galaxies of time, the truth of cosmic mind meanings, and the goodness of supreme spirit values.

Providence does not signify that God has predetermined all events for his creatures, which would constitute cosmic tyranny. Rather, God's love grants humans relative powers of choice, and divine love does not represent shortsighted affection that would pamper and spoil its children. The Trinity, while not identical with the Almighty Supreme, relates to Supremacy through the functions of the Almighty, which center on the Absolutes of actuality and are predicated on the Absolutes of potentiality. In the Supreme Being, all phases of universe activity undergo partial reunification through the personality of this experiential Deity. When viewing the Trinity as one God within the present known grand universe, the evolving Supreme Being represents a partial portraiture of the Paradise Trinity.

Providence functions as a composite of the other-than-personal overcontrol of the universe of universes, extending from the evolutionary levels of the Sevenfold synthesizing in the power of the Almighty through the transcendental realms of Ultimacy of Deity. Divine love overshadows each creature as a child, while providence functions regarding the total, dealing with any creature's function as it relates to the evolutionary growth of some total. Providential intervention indicates the importance of a creature's function to some evolutionary total, not the creature's personal importance. Nevertheless, the Father may interpose a fatherly hand in cosmic events in accordance with his will, wisdom, and love. What humans often call providence frequently represents the product of their imagination, the fortuitous juxtaposition of chance circumstances.

True providence emerges as a real and actualizing correlation of the energies of space, motions of time, thoughts of intellect, ideals of character, desires of spiritual natures, and purposive volitional acts of evolving personalities. Providence then becomes increasingly discernible as universe mechanisms achieve greater precision through mind overcontrol, as creature mind approaches perfection through spirit integration, and as the Supreme emerges as an actual unifier of universe phenomena. Most apparently providential events on evolutionary worlds result from human judgment handicapped by a lack of farsight into the true meanings of life circumstances. What appears as good fortune might represent spiritual affliction, while seeming cruelty of fate might constitute the tempering fire transmuting an immature personality into a tempered character. True providence in evolving universes becomes discernible to creatures only to the extent they have attained the capacity to perceive the purpose of the universe.