Paper 16 Overview: The Seven Master Spirits

The Seven Master Spirits are important personalities created by the Infinite Spirit. Each Master Spirit represents one of seven possible combinations of the three persons of Deity: the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, and the Infinite Spirit. They help run the seven divisions of the grand universe and supervise the seven superuniverses.

These Master Spirits are different from each other in nature, and this creates diversity in the seven segments of the universe. They maintain force-control headquarters that circle Paradise and supervise the superuniverses. They work with many spiritual beings and help with activities like guiding mind, energy, and spirit.

The Seven Master Spirits of Paradise are the first personalities created by the Infinite Spirit. When the Infinite Spirit created them, he used up all the possible ways to combine the three persons of Deity. This is why the universe works in seven divisions and why the number seven is so important.

The Seven Master Spirits come from seven different combinations: (1) the Universal Father, (2) the Eternal Son, (3) the Infinite Spirit, (4) the Father and Son, (5) the Father and Spirit, (6) the Son and Spirit, and (7) the Father, Son, and Spirit. They are alike in spirit but very different in other ways, which affects how the different parts of the grand universe work.

The Infinite Spirit, also called the Conjoint Creator, completes the three-person Deity. This three-person Deity naturally has seven possible combinations. This made the creation of the Seven Master Spirits necessary when universes with intelligent beings were planned.

The Seven Master Spirits show the sevenfold nature of Deity, but they are not the same as the Trinity. When the Father, Son, and Spirit work together, they can use Master Spirit Number Seven, but not as the Trinity. Master Spirit Number Seven cannot work personally with the Paradise Trinity, which is why he can work for the Supreme Being.

The Eternal Son shows himself through his many divine Sons. The Infinite Spirit shows himself through the Seven Master Spirits and their spirit groups. The Infinite Spirit can be reached at the center of centers, but not everyone who reaches Paradise can immediately see his personality.

Outside of Paradise and Havona, the Infinite Spirit speaks only through the Seven Master Spirits. His personal presence in the superuniverse depends on which Master Spirit is supervising that part of creation. Together, the Seven Master Spirits have all the high attributes of the Infinite Spirit, but individually, they are limited to their own superuniverse.

The Seven Master Spirits are hard to describe, but they are clearly personal beings. They have names but are usually identified by numbers. They are like the Infinite Spirit, but they are also different from each other because they express different combinations of the three Deities.

Master Spirit Number One represents the Universal Father and works in the first superuniverse. Master Spirit Number Two shows the Eternal Son's nature and works in the second superuniverse. Master Spirit Number Three is like the Infinite Spirit and leads many of the Infinite Spirit's high personalities. Master Spirits Four through Seven each represent different combinations of the three Deities and oversee the other superuniverses.

The Seven Master Spirits fully represent the Infinite Spirit to the evolving universes. They can work at all levels of universe reality except the absolute. Their work is very specialized but also very broad, covering both material and spiritual things.

The Master Spirits created the Universe Power Directors and help Creator Sons shape local universes. They direct energy from the edge of Paradise and help create morontia substance, which is between material and spiritual. Their representatives work throughout the grand universe, but much of their activity is hidden from humans because it doesn't directly relate to our journey to Paradise.

Each part of the grand universe benefits from the wisdom of all Seven Master Spirits but is mostly influenced by just one. The personal nature of each Master Spirit shapes and conditions its superuniverse.

Every intelligent being outside of Paradise and Havona is marked by the nature of one of these Seven Master Spirits. Mortals of the time worlds, like Urantia, don't directly experience the personal mind-spirit influence of the Master Spirit of Orvonton. Instead, they connect through the local universe Creative Spirit, who is similar to Master Spirit Seven.

The Master Spirits are the sevenfold source of the cosmic mind, which is the intellectual potential of the grand universe. This cosmic mind is connected to the mind of the evolving Supreme Being.

On Urantia, people don't directly feel the influence of the Seven Master Spirits in human affairs. Humans live under the direct influence of the Creative Spirit of Nebadon. Still, the Master Spirits control the basic reactions of all creature minds. The cosmic mind explains why similar minds tend to work together. It reacts to three levels of universe reality: physical causation, moral duty, and spiritual worship.

Intelligence alone cannot explain morality. Moral sense, the understanding of duty, is part of human personality along with scientific curiosity and spiritual insight. These qualities set humans apart from animals.

Animals learn through trial and error, but humans can think ahead and make moral judgments before acting. Virtue is living in harmony with the universe, not just knowing about it. It happens by consistently choosing good over evil. Supreme virtue is wholeheartedly choosing to do the Father's will.

The Universal Father gives personality to many types of beings across the universe. Urantia humans have finite-mortal personality that works on the level of the ascending sons of God.

Personality is a special gift with original qualities that exist before the Thought Adjuster arrives. Personalities are never identical but can be similar. Personality lets us recognize beings despite changes in their form, mind, or spirit. Human personality shows itself through self-consciousness and free will, which includes moral decisions, spiritual choices, unselfish love, cooperation, cosmic insight, dedication to the Father's will, and worship.

Humans with cosmic mind, Thought Adjusters, and personality naturally recognize energy, mind, and spirit reality. They can understand the fact, law, and love of God. Besides these three basic parts of consciousness, all human experience is subjective.

People who recognize God can sense how these three cosmic qualities work together as the soul evolves. The soul is real from its earliest beginnings and has qualities that can survive death. Social consciousness needs to be developed, unlike God-consciousness which is innate. Civilizations change, but science, morality, and religion always survive when civilizations fall.