Paper 26 Overview: Ministering Spirits of the Central Universe

Paper 26 provides a comprehensive exposition of the supernaphim, the transcendent angelic ministers who serve throughout Paradise and the central universe. These supernal servants are organized into three hierarchical orders: primary, secondary, and tertiary. They constitute the highest echelon of the angelic hosts and function as indispensable facilitators in the grand scheme of ascendant progression. The paper delineates the specialized functions of each order, with particular emphasis on their pivotal role in guiding, instructing, and preparing ascending mortals through the seven circuits of Havona on their journey toward Paradise perfection.

The secondary supernaphim and their seven specialized groups systematically minister to ascending pilgrims (mortals) at each stage of Havona advancement. From the Pilgrim Helpers on the seventh circuit to the Complements of Rest on the first, these superaphic ministers provide increasingly refined and specialized assistance that enables finite creatures to progressively comprehend infinite realities. This elaborate and perfectly coordinated system of spiritual ministry illustrates the meticulous divine provision for ensuring that every sincere soul from the evolutionary worlds can successfully transition from material existence to spiritual perfection, culminating in the attainment of the Universal Father and subsequent Paradise citizenship.

Supernaphim are identified as the ministering spirits of Paradise and the central universe, occupying the highest station among the lowest group of the children of the Infinite Spirit, the angelic hosts. These exalted beings extend their ministry throughout the cosmic domain, from the eternal Isle of Paradise to the temporal worlds of space, ensuring that no significant sector of the organized and inhabited creation functions without their specialized services.

These angelic ministers represent the apex of celestial service, forming the vital connection between the perfect realm of Paradise and the evolutionary worlds of time and space. Their diverse ministrations are essential to both Paradise natives and ascending creatures, providing the specialized guidance and instruction necessary for finite beings to comprehend infinite realities and for perfect beings to understand the experiential nature of evolutionary growth. The supernaphim thus constitute a crucial component in the divine plan for universal harmony and cosmic integration.

Angels function as ministering-spirit associates to the evolutionary and ascending will creatures across all spatial domains, while simultaneously serving as colleagues and working associates of the higher hosts of divine personalities. These beings possess highly individualized natures and remarkably distinctive personalities, demonstrating exceptional capacity for appreciating the ministrations of the reversion directors. The ministering spirits partake in seasons of rest and change in conjunction with the Messenger Hosts of Space, exhibiting social natures and associative capacities that vastly transcend human relational abilities.

The grand universe's ministering spirits are classified into seven distinct orders: supernaphim, seconaphim, tertiaphim, omniaphim, seraphim, cherubim and sanobim, and midway creatures. Individual members within these angelic orders are not permanently fixed in their universal status; certain angels may temporarily become Paradise Companions, others ascend to the ranks of Celestial Recorders or Technical Advisers, while some cherubim may elevate to seraphic status and destiny. These seven orders are functionally grouped into three principal categories based on their service domains: the ministering spirits of the central universe (the three orders of supernaphim serving the Paradise-Havona system), the ministering spirits of the superuniverses (seconaphim, tertiaphim, and omniaphim), and the ministering spirits of the local universes (seraphim, cherubim, and midway creatures). Together, they form an unbroken chain of spiritual ministers established by the Infinite Spirit to assist all who seek to attain the Universal Father through the Eternal Son.

The angelic hosts operate under specific limitations regarding their spirit polarity and functional capabilities. Supernaphim are limited in spirit polarity only concerning their interaction with the Universal Father, requiring paired association when employing the Father's direct circuits. Similarly, seconaphim must function in pairs to synchronize with the Eternal Son's circuits, while seraphim can operate as discrete personalities but can only encircuit when polarized as liaison pairs. Despite these operational parameters, all angels are sustained directly through the intake of spiritual energy from the primary universe circuits, unlike Urantia mortals who must obtain light-energy through vegetative incarnation. These angelic hosts also partake of the circulating teachings of the Trinity Teacher Sons, assimilating knowledge and wisdom in a manner analogous to their absorption of life energies.

The supernaphim function as skilled ministers to all categories of beings who dwell on Paradise and within the central universe. These elevated angels emerge in three primary classifications: primary, secondary, and tertiary orders, each with specialized functions in the cosmic administration. The primary supernaphim, who originate exclusively from the Conjoint Creator, divide their ministerial responsibilities approximately equally between certain groups of Paradise Citizens and the continually expanding corps of ascendant pilgrims. These angels of the eternal Isle demonstrate remarkable efficacy in facilitating the essential training of both Paradise populations, contributing significantly to fostering mutual understanding between these two unique orders of universe creatures, one representing the highest type of divine and perfect will creature, the other embodying the perfected evolution of the lowest type of will creature in the entire universe of universes.

The secondary supernaphim function as directors of ascending beings' affairs throughout the seven circuits of Havona, while simultaneously attending to the educational training of numerous orders of Paradise Citizens who temporarily reside on these central creation worlds. These angels exist in seven distinct types, each originating from one of the Seven Master Spirits and consequently patterned according to their creator's nature. When the Seven Master Spirits create individually, the resulting orders invariably exhibit sevenfold diversity, with each Master Spirit's children reflecting their creator's unique nature and differing from those created by the other Master Spirits. All seven created types function across every available activity channel of their order, primarily serving on the seven circuits of the central and divine universe. Each of these planetary circuits operates under the direct supervision of one of the Seven Spirits of the Circuits—uniform creations of the Seven Master Spirits that appeared as a creative response to the emerging purpose of the Supreme Being. Tertiary supernaphim, originating from these Spirits of the Circuits, were created in greater numbers after Grandfanda's arrival in Havona, as the presence of ascending pilgrims of time necessitated additional angelic ministers specialized in the needs of the central universe.

These specialized servants of the Seven Master Spirits function as the angelic experts assigned to the various circuits of Havona, extending their ministry equally to the ascending pilgrims of time and the descending pilgrims of eternity. Throughout the billion study worlds of the perfect central creation, all orders of superaphic associates become fully visible to mortal ascenders, facilitating fraternal relationships characterized by mutual understanding and profound sympathy. In this supernal environment, ascending beings not only recognize but also meaningfully fraternize with the descending pilgrims, the Paradise Citizens, who traverse these circuits in the opposite direction, entering Havona through the first circuit's pilot world and proceeding outward toward the seventh.

The ascending pilgrims from the seven superuniverses progress through Havona in the reverse sequence, entering via the pilot world of the seventh circuit and advancing inward. Unlike the local universe training worlds, where ascenders may be exempted from certain educational experiences, every pilgrim must complete all seven Havona circuits of progressive spiritualization. The tertiary supernaphim assigned primarily to time pilgrims are organized into seven specialized functional groups: Harmony Supervisors maintain systemic coordination and expedite progression; Chief Recorders document proceedings in triplicate for various celestial archives; Broadcasters manage communications throughout the central creation; Messengers facilitate personal communications; Intelligence Coordinators promote fraternal association between pilgrims and keep them informed about universe affairs through contact with broadcasters and reflectors; Transport Personalities assist those who temporarily fail in their Deity quests; and the Reserve Corps provides supplementary assistance as needed across all tertiary supernaphic functions.

Secondary supernaphim serve as ministers to the seven planetary circuits of the central universe, with half their order dedicated to ascending pilgrims of time and the remainder assigned to training Paradise pilgrims of eternity. These Paradise Citizens, during their Havona pilgrimage, also receive assistance from volunteers of the Mortal Finality Corps, an arrangement that has persisted since the formation of the first finaliter group. The specialized guidance provided by these secondary supernaphim is essential for pilgrims to progress through the increasingly challenging spiritual requirements of Havona's concentric circuits.

In their periodic assignment to minister to ascending pilgrims, secondary supernaphim operate in seven distinct functional groups: Pilgrim Helpers, Supremacy Guides, Trinity Guides, Son Finders, Father Guides, Counselors and Advisers, and Complements of Rest. Each pilgrim of space receives instruction from secondary supernaphim originating from the Master Spirit who presides over their native superuniverse, ensuring that their tutors possess the specific qualities needed to understand, comfort, and assist them in their Paradise quest. The pilgrim's journey begins when they are transported past Havona's dark gravity bodies to the outer planetary circuit by primary seconaphim from the superuniverse headquarters. Though they arrive with only one endowment of perfection, perfection of purpose, the Universal Father's command to "Be you perfect, even as I am perfect" has set all creation astir with the cooperative effort to help these finite children attain this divine standard. Through the ministry of numerous helper hosts, these disappointment-proof pilgrims of sublime faith must now develop the perfection of understanding and the technique of comprehension necessary for Paradise perfection of personality.

The first of the seven groups of secondary supernaphim encountered by space travelers are the pilgrim helpers, beings of quick understanding and broad sympathy who welcome these much-traveled ascenders to the stabilized worlds and settled economy of the central universe. Simultaneously, these high ministers commence their work with Paradise pilgrims of eternity, whose initial arrival on the pilot world of the inner Havona circuit coincided with Grandfanda's historic landing on the outer circuit's pilot world. This momentous convergence marked the first meeting of the pilgrims from Paradise and the pilgrims of time on the receiving world of circuit number four, establishing a pattern of cosmic fraternity that continues throughout the central universe.

These pilgrim helpers, operating on the seventh circle of Havona worlds, conduct their instructional work for ascending mortals in three major divisions: the supreme understanding of the Paradise Trinity, the spiritual comprehension of the Father-Son partnership, and the intellectual recognition of the Infinite Spirit. Each of these instructional phases is methodically organized into seven branches containing twelve minor divisions, which are further subdivided into seventy subsidiary groups; and each of these seventy groupings presents its material in one thousand classifications. While this represents merely the elementary course confronting faith-tested pilgrims, these ascendant children of time arrive well-prepared for such challenges, having learned to feast upon uncertainty, to derive strength from disappointment, to demonstrate indomitable courage before immensity, and to exercise unconquerable faith when facing the inexplicable. Their battle cry has long been: "In liaison with God, nothing—absolutely nothing—is impossible." The Havona circles demand quantitative, qualitative, and experiential achievement, but time itself is of minimal consequence in this progression, as advancement depends entirely on the pilgrim's spiritual readiness to proceed to the next level of cosmic comprehension.

Ascenders of space receive the designation "spiritual graduates" upon transition from the seventh to the sixth circle, at which point they come under the immediate supervision of the supremacy guides. These specialized ministers must not be confused with the Graduate Guides, a different order belonging to the Higher Personalities of the Infinite Spirit, who serve throughout all Havona circuits ministering to both ascending and descending pilgrims. The supremacy guides function exclusively on the sixth circuit of the central universe, where they facilitate a critical phase in the pilgrim's comprehension of cosmic relationships.

On this pivotal sixth circuit, ascenders achieve a new realization of Supreme Divinity that builds upon their evolutionary experiences in the time-space creations. Through their long careers in the evolutionary universes, these pilgrims have progressively developed awareness of an almighty overcontrol governing the time-space creations. Now, on this Havona circuit, they approach an encounter with the central universe source of time-space unity, the spiritual reality of God the Supreme.

Although no personalized presence of Supremacy is perceptible to these ascenders, they undergo a transformative growth, a new integration of consciousness, and an enhanced sensitivity for divinity that appears to stem from the unrevealed activity of the Supreme Being. This mysterious process seems to involve the Supreme Being affectionately bestowing upon his experiential children, to the limits of their experiential capacities, those enhancements of intellectual grasp, spiritual insight, and personality outreach they will require to penetrate the divinity level of the Trinity of Supremacy and ultimately achieve the eternal and existential Deities of Paradise. After satisfying a commission of seventy examiners regarding their comprehension of the Supreme Being and the Trinity of Supremacy, the pilgrims receive certification for advancement to the fifth circuit.

The Trinity guides serve as tireless ministers on the fifth circle of Havona training, where spiritual graduates receive the designation "candidates for the Deity adventure." Under the direction of these specialized guides, pilgrims receive advanced instruction concerning the divine Trinity as preparation for their attempt to achieve personality recognition of the Infinite Spirit. It is on this circle that ascending pilgrims discover the true meaning of genuine study and authentic mental effort as they begin to comprehend the nature of the increasingly demanding spiritual exertion required to meet the elevated goals established for attainment on the worlds of this circuit.

These faithful and efficient Trinity guides provide undivided attention and complete affection to each pilgrim of time who comes under their tutelage. Without their specialized assistance and the support of numerous other spiritual beings engaged in instructing ascenders about the nature and technique of the forthcoming Deity adventure, no pilgrim of time would successfully locate the first approachable person of the Paradise Trinity. Upon completing their course of training on this circuit, the Trinity guides present their pupils before a triune commission on the circuit's pilot world to examine and certify candidates for the Deity adventure.

These commissions include one fellow of the finaliters, one director of conduct from the primary supernaphim order, and either a Solitary Messenger of space or a Trinitized Son of Paradise. When an ascendant soul begins the actual journey to Paradise, they are accompanied only by the transit trio: the superaphic circle associate, the Graduate Guide, and the ever-present servital associate of the latter. These preliminary excursions from the Havona circles to Paradise represent trial trips, as the ascenders have not yet achieved Paradise status and will not attain residential standing there until after the terminal rest of time following Universal Father attainment and final clearance of the Havona circuits.

The fourth Havona circuit, sometimes designated the "circuit of the Sons," serves as the realm where ascending pilgrims strive to achieve understanding contact with the Eternal Son, while descending pilgrims pursue a new comprehension of the nature and mission of the Creator Sons who govern the time-space domains. Seven specialized worlds in this circuit host service schools maintained by the reserve corps of Paradise Michaels, facilitating mutual ministry between ascending and descending pilgrims. It is on these Michael Son worlds that pilgrims of time and pilgrims of eternity attain their first truly mutual understanding of one another, establishing an unprecedented level of comprehension between these two fundamentally different orders of universal beings.

The Son finders function as superaphic ministers to ascending mortals on the fourth circuit, providing essential instruction to prepare their subjects for a threefold achievement: adequate spiritual comprehension of the Son, satisfactory personality recognition of the Son, and proper differentiation of the Son from the personality of the Infinite Spirit. After successfully attaining the Infinite Spirit on the previous circuit, pilgrims face no further formal examinations; instead, their progress through the inner circles depends entirely on their spiritual development as determined solely by the Gods.

In the rare instances of failure in the Deity adventure, no reasons or criticisms are ever provided to the pilgrim or their guides, as on Paradise, disappointment is never regarded as defeat, and apparent failures of time are never confused with the significant delays of eternity. Those few pilgrims who do not succeed on their first attempt at Father attainment typically come from specific superuniverses, suggesting some cosmic pattern to these temporary delays. These candidates remain under the jurisdiction of the chiefs of assignment for at least one millennium before being remanded to their native superuniverse for retraining and eventual return to the outer circle of Havona for a second Deity adventure, one that always succeeds under the guidance of the secondary supernaphim.

When pilgrim souls attain the third circle of Havona, they enter the tutelage of the Father guides, who represent the oldest, most highly skilled, and experienced of the superaphic ministers. On the worlds of this circuit, the Father guides maintain comprehensive schools of wisdom and colleges of technique where all beings inhabiting the central universe contribute as teachers. Nothing that might benefit a creature of time in this transcendent adventure toward eternity attainment is overlooked in this exhaustive preparation for the pilgrim's impending encounter with the Universal Father.

The attainment of the Universal Father constitutes the passport to eternity, even though additional circuits remain to be traversed in the pilgrim's Havona journey. This significant milestone is commemorated on the pilot world of circuit number three when the transit trio announces that the final venture of time is about to commence—that another creature of space seeks entry to Paradise through the portals of eternity. The conclusion of the test of time approaches; the race for eternity nears its completion; the days of uncertainty are ending as the temptation to doubt vanishes; the divine injunction to achieve perfection has been obeyed.

From the lowest levels of intelligent existence, the creature of time and material personality has ascended the evolutionary spheres, thereby proving the feasibility of the ascension plan while forever demonstrating the justice and righteousness of the Universal Father's command to his lowly creatures: "Be you perfect, even as I am perfect." Step by step, life by life, world by world, the ascendant career has been mastered, and the goal of Deity has been attained. Survival stands complete in perfection, and perfection abounds in the supremacy of divinity. Time becomes lost in eternity; space is swallowed up in worshipful identity and harmony with the Universal Father.

The superaphic counselors and advisers of the second circle function as instructors of the children of time regarding the profound responsibilities and opportunities of eternity. Paradise attainment entails obligations of an entirely new and higher order, and the sojourn on the second circle provides abundant opportunity for receiving the invaluable counsel of these devoted supernaphim as pilgrims prepare for the next phase of their universal career. These advanced guides help pilgrims navigate the transition from the achievement-oriented mindset of ascension to the service-oriented perspective of eternity.

These ministering spirits also serve as counselors and comforters to pilgrims who experienced disappointment in their first attempt at Deity attainment. Having faced their greatest disappointment, distinguished from earlier struggles only by its depth, such pilgrims proceed from the circle of failure to the second circle before returning to superuniverse service. After a period of reflection and instruction on the second circle, these subjects undergo examination by the councils of perfection on the pilot world and receive certification of having passed the Havona test in all aspects related to their non-spiritual status. Their spirit quality was wholly acceptable; their failure stemmed from some aspect of their approach technique or experiential background. These pilgrims then appear before the chiefs of assignment on Paradise and return to service in the realms of space with joy and gladness, knowing they will one day return to the circle of their greatest disappointment to reattempt the Deity adventure.

For successful pilgrims, the second circuit provides a unique perspective—a moment to look back on their long evolutionary journey with a sense of joyous envy, almost wishing they could relive their ascendant adventure. As they approach the innermost circle, the counselors and advisers prepare them for the inevitable sleep that intervenes between the epochal stages of the ascendant career.

On the final Havona circuit, ascending pilgrims devote considerable time to studying the impending challenges of Paradise residence. The inner ring of Havona worlds hosts a diverse assembly of beings, permanent and transient residents, providing the superaphic complements of rest with a rich situational environment they effectively utilize to advance the education of ascending pilgrims, particularly regarding adjustment to the many groups of beings they will soon encounter on Paradise. This preparatory immersion in cosmic diversity proves invaluable for smoothing the pilgrim's transition to the complex social dynamics of Paradise citizenship.

Among the notable inhabitants of this inner circuit are the creature-trinitized sons, including the trinitized offspring of mortal finaliters and similar progeny of Paradise Citizens. Under the supervision of the supernaphim, these sons prepare for future service, many possibly destined for the Paradise Corps of Trinitized Finaliters. On this innermost circuit, both ascending and descending pilgrims fraternize with each other and with these trinitized sons, gaining mutual benefits from this interassociation. Near the conclusion of their first-circle sojourn, ascending pilgrims encounter the instigators of rest of the primary order of supernaphim—the angels of Paradise coming to greet those who stand at the threshold of eternity and to complete their preparation for the transition slumber of the last resurrection.

Unlike previous transit sleeps that marked status attainments, this final metamorphic sleep enables creatures of time and space to traverse the innermost margins of the temporal and spatial to attain residential status in the timeless and spaceless abodes of Paradise. The instigators and complements of rest are essential to this transcending metamorphosis, just as seraphim and associated beings are vital to mortal survival of death. The pilgrim enters rest on the final Havona circuit but awakens on the shores of Paradise, spiritually repersonalized and immediately recognizing the instigator of rest who welcomes them to eternity as the same primary supernaphim who produced the final sleep on Havona's innermost circuit.