Paper 119 Overview: The Bestowals of Christ Michael

Michael of Nebadon, our Universe Creator, completed seven bestowals in which he lived as different beings in his universe. These bestowals helped him understand his creatures better and earn the right to rule his universe. He began these adventures about one billion years ago and finished when he lived as Jesus on earth.

His seven bestowals were as a Melchizedek Son, a Lanonandek System Sovereign, a Material Son, a seraphic angel, a spirit mortal ascender, a morontia mortal, and finally as Jesus of Nazareth. After completing all seven bestowals, Michael received full authority as sovereign of the Nebadon universe from the Universal Father and Paradise Trinity.

The story of Michael's seven bestowals is being told by Gavalia, the Chief of Evening Stars in Nebadon. Creator Sons like Michael bestow themselves on their creations to better understand them, just as the Eternal Son of Paradise did on the seven circuits of Havona. When Creator Sons leave Paradise, they promise not to take full control of their universe until completing these seven bestowals.

The purpose of these bestowals is to help Creator Sons become wise, fair, and understanding rulers. The bestowals allow Michael to experience life from his creatures' viewpoint, which helps him become a better ruler. The Ancients of Days require these experiences before they will certify a Creator Son as sovereign of his universe.

About one billion years ago, Michael announced he would be leaving Salvington to do his Father's bidding. He left his brother Immanuel in charge of Nebadon and disappeared for twenty years of universe time. Three days after Michael left, a strange new Melchizedek appeared who performed emergency missions for twenty-four different situations.

This Melchizedek vanished after one hundred years, and Michael returned to take control of his universe again. Everyone believed this special Melchizedek was actually Michael on his first bestowal, though records directly stating this fact are kept only on Sonarington. The Melchizedeks always remembered this visitor as their "chief" who earned their love through his wisdom and service.

About 150 million years after the first bestowal, trouble started in system 11 of constellation 37. The System Sovereign named Lutentia rebelled against Michael for over one hundred years. After Lutentia ruled his headquarters planet for twenty years, the Most Highs ordered his removal and asked Salvington for a new System Sovereign.

Michael announced he was leaving again and put Immanuel in charge. Three days later, a new Lanonandek Son appeared and was assigned to replace Lutentia. This temporary ruler governed wisely for seventeen years and set the troubled system in order. When the permanent replacement arrived, everyone mourned the departure of this kind ruler who was actually Michael gaining experience as a System Sovereign.

The next bestowal happened when the Life Carriers on a planet asked for help. This planet was in a system where another System Sovereign had rebelled. Michael again placed Immanuel in charge of the universe and disappeared from Salvington, showing up three days later as a Material Son on this troubled world.

This emergency Material Son worked for one generation of planetary time to help the planet return to loyalty to Paradise rule. After a regular Material Son and Daughter arrived to rule the planet, the emergency Planetary Prince left. Michael then returned to Salvington, having completed his third bestowal and learning what it was like to be a Material Son helping a planet recover from rebellion.

For his fourth bestowal, Michael appeared as a seraphim, one of the angel orders. After leaving Salvington, he showed up as an unregistered seraphim who was assigned to the teaching counselors corps. He worked as a seraphic assistant to twenty-six different teachers on twenty-two different worlds.

Michael spent over forty standard universe years on this bestowal. His last job was helping a Trinity Teacher Son on a mission to world 462. No one knew for sure which seraphim was Michael until later, but all the high seraphim were treated with special care during this time in case one of them was their universe ruler. This experience helped Michael understand the angelic perspective.

More than three hundred million years ago, Michael announced he was going to Uversa, the superuniverse headquarters. After he left, an "unannounced and unnumbered" spirit pilgrim named Eventod appeared on Uversa. This ascending mortal worked there for eleven years of Orvonton time, performing the duties of a spirit-stage mortal.

Gabriel accompanied this spirit, which showed that the pilgrim was actually Michael experiencing life as an ascending mortal spirit. After finishing his time on Uversa, Michael returned to Salvington. This bestowal helped the Melchizedeks realize that Michael might someday incarnate as a mortal of flesh and blood, though they didn't understand how a Creator Son could become one of his own creatures.

For his sixth bestowal, Michael announced that he would live as a morontia mortal in the fifth constellation. He also revealed for the first time that his seventh and final bestowal would be on an evolutionary world as a mortal of flesh. Michael then departed with a seraphim and the Bright Morning Star of Nebadon.

Michael appeared on the constellation headquarters as a morontia mortal named Endantum. Details about this bestowal are restricted, but when Michael returned, everyone could see that he had become more understanding of his creatures' experiences. This bestowal helped prepare him for his final mission as Jesus on earth.

For his final bestowal, Michael chose to be born as a human baby on earth. His selection of Urantia (earth) was announced after Adam and Eve failed in their mission, which put earth in the spotlight for over thirty-five thousand years. Unlike his previous bestowals where he appeared fully grown, Michael was born as a helpless infant named Jesus.

Joshua ben Joseph (Jesus) was born just like any other baby, but he was actually Michael of Nebadon living as a human. The only supernatural event was when seraphim announced his birth to some Chaldean priests led by Ardnon. Jesus had normal human parents and grew up like other children of his time and place, but through this experience, Michael completed his bestowal requirements.

After completing his final bestowal on earth, Michael was recognized as the rightful ruler of Nebadon by both the Ancients of Days and the Universal Father. He received his eighth proclamation of sovereignty from Uversa and a special announcement from Paradise. The Trinity Sons were told they could return to Paradise, but Michael asked them to stay in Nebadon.

Michael's seven bestowals took almost one billion years to complete, but they earned him full authority over his creation. Each bestowal revealed a different aspect of the Paradise Deities' will. Together, all seven bestowals created a new revelation of the Supreme Being in Nebadon and qualified Michael to be part of the Trinity Ultimate. Earth has become a special shrine in Nebadon because it was the world where Michael lived his final bestowal as Jesus.