by Larry Krantz
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (Revelation 8:1-2)
These words convey a vision from the top of the mountain, the place of union between the outer person and the divine being within. It is a most sacred place, a place of stillness without the chaotic noise that fills human minds and hearts. When we observe the cosmos, we see no groaning or straining, and no complaining. It is simply God revealing himself and herself. It reveals a natural movement from the undimensional realm into levels of discernible existence, like a river flowing from the finest qualities of love down into the multitude of earthly forms. In the cosmos, there is a profound sense of peace and grandeur amid unfathomable activity. The stars move in the stillness of space, yet are always in motion. There is much to be done in the expression of God. We are not here merely to observe, but to create. Reality is everywhere, although it remains largely unknown to those who are disconnected from the awesome power and majesty of Source.
If we were to come face to face with what is most high, it would be incredibly humbling—no words could adequately describe the experience, nor would words be necessary. The One who is at the center of heaven and earth is of such stature that in his presence we would experience utmost respect and great honor just to be near him, with head bowed and eyes downcast, so to speak. The largeness of his spirit would be almost overwhelming, yet at the same time we would know that we are one with him, a unique part of his wholeness, and that we share the name I AM.
Have you ever had an experience that was so awe-inspiring it left you speechless? It has happened to me a few times. Once was after the birth of my son. Perhaps it is ironic for someone who has been present at hundreds of births to be so overcome with emotion and the profoundness of the moment. What began as a tiny cell, after about 38 weeks, became a boy-child, a living, breathing life entering the world. His birth was a miracle so staggering I literally could not speak for twelve hours—such is the miracle of birth. That is but a hint of what it is like to be in the presence of the One who leads us.
In human identity, we are arrogant; we think we know a few things. When we become aware of our inner divinity, the immensity of it, we realize we know practically nothing, which is a good step toward true understanding. We have to be empty to be filled. In the vision of opening the seventh seal, the angels were given trumpets; in other words, they were meant to express themselves. Sound is made by setting patterns in air, which is symbolic of expressing the Tone of Life. In the true state, this should be done primarily through the connecting substance of spirit we call pneumaplasm—the means of translating the pulsations of spirit into form. This process is distorted by the imposition of humanly derived structures. The result is a corrupted version of earth. Distortions are deeply embedded in consciousness and consequently the forms that appear are destructive rather than creative.
We are here to change that, to set patterns capable of creating living forms. This is how the ordinances of heaven have dominion on earth. The sweat-of-the-brow experience, the struggle to get anything done, while common now, is actually unnatural. Our primary field of activity should be setting forms in the pneumaplasmic field. To do so, we must rise up to finer levels of understanding, stop judging and let go of our reliance on our human abilities to determine the path of our lives.
Recently, I read an article that debated which form of government is better—democracy or autocracy. They conducted a poll that surprisingly found that those who favored autocracy came out on top by a sizeable margin. It was argued that democracies are so fragmented it is nearly impossible to get anything done. We can look at the U.S. Congress, for example, where the two sides are bitterly divided and there is such acrimony, it is a wonder they can accomplish anything, and what is achieved is by painful compromise that leaves no one feeling good. There is no agreement about anything. On the other hand, dictators and emperors and the like can do as they please. Sometimes that works out, perhaps useful in a place as vast as China, but it is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely. There have been plenty of Hitlers and Stalins who leave a trail of death and destruction. Then, it is argued back that while democracy has its limitations, at least it has checks and balances and minority viewpoints have a voice. So, the argument goes back and forth.
We live in a contentious world. People argue over religions—Catholic or Protestant, Sunni or Shia, Mormon or Baptist. And should a woman have the right to choose what goes on in her body? Is affirmative action worth it? How about gay rights? What is your opinion about the Russians on the border of Ukraine? And, then there are those mask mandates. And on and on.
These issues may seem so important. TV news has degenerated into emotional panel debates and viewers tend to pick the channels that support their views, to make themselves feel better. The world is divisive and almost everyone is embroiled in some argument, picking one side or the other, often with strong emotions. Yet, all of it is a trick of human nature to keep people enslaved. It is the strategy of divide and conquer. Give people two wrong choices and whatever they choose will be wrong and keep them earthbound, never looking up. If we are to see with heavenly vision then we must not be trapped in the quagmire of human divisiveness
Earthly rulers use fear as a weapon to manipulate people, whether through financial means or threats of prison or withholding one’s chance to get into an imaginary heaven. Divine governance is based in love, not fear. It never imposes, only invites sharing. I sometimes hear people who should know better say that someone else should behave differently or believe such and such. How do you know? There may be moments when it is fitting to say something to another as a suggestion, maybe even more directly, but if we are identified with love, it is never an imposition and we do not judge, for that only separates people. Spiritual leadership is by example, not by command or fiat. Divine governance is inclusive, not exclusive.
If the divine state is to appear, then all human structures must pass away. The government of God is neither a democracy nor an autocracy. It is something else entirely and cannot be known from a distance. Divine government is not chaotic. We begin to experience it when we bring our minds and hearts under control. There is a natural design to things. One spiritually stable person is a beginning. Two or more such people are the start of collective governance. What it would be like if all humanity came under divine control will only be known when it is revealed.
The world is steeped in distrust, distrust of one another, distrust of politicians and bosses and co-workers, even distrust between husbands and wives. It is a very uncertain way to live, always wondering when the other shoe will drop. There is reason for distrust: Most people are untrustworthy; they have nothing solid to stand upon and it seems everyone has a selling point, where they lose their integrity. Spirit is dependable and trustworthy. Life never fails. It keeps our blood circulating and our hearts beating and can spin vast galaxies through space. We can trust life and let go of human manipulation.
When the Master was on earth, he spoke of the natural flow of life emerging from higher levels. It is how we can let what is needed appear easily, for life is trustworthy. He said:
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
…for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. (Matt:6, 25-34)
Distrust runs deep in the human psyche and has twisted roots that go back thousands of years. It takes a deliberate, conscious effort to let it go and perceive the urgings of spirit, to let what is higher guide our lives. We need to override the many layers of betrayal and disappointment and confusion that fill the subconscious mind. Such stuff need not control our behavior. It is helpful that we may see occasional reminders of the wonder of heaven, including great beauty in the natural world, as well as those who, by their actions, offer a glimpse of the true stature and nobility of divine men and women. We also see stars and planets moving easily in celestial splendor. Such things may remind us of our own nobility and the perfection of heaven and consequently what could be known on earth.
When we trust life, we stand on higher ground, and from there everything looks different. We may then see clearly with our eyes and hear with our ears and feel with our hearts, for our vision is no longer clouded by the disturbances of human nature, which are as nothing in the sight of God. Our conscious minds should be protective and keep at a distance the raucous noise that corrupts and destroys. When that is so, then our subconscious minds may be filled with the glory of heavenly forms, ready to be lifted into conscious awareness for the creative purposes of the whole.
What could be more practical than letting life have its perfect way? In that sacred place of spiritual understanding, we know we are not here to drift on an ocean of bliss, useless and selfish, as some have suggested. Spirit is creative; it is alive and has purpose. We are here to reveal the reality of God as only we can. We sound the trumpet given us, to express the tone of divinity through our living.
All the apparent problems—things like climate change, overpopulation, rampant fear, and disease—will evaporate when what is true in heaven has the means to be revealed on earth. Only a collective presence can form the necessary spiritual mechanism for creative change. Standing on higher ground, we may have remembrances of the true state, perhaps a feeling or sensing of what reality is like. In time, other memories may surface, even specific remembrances, for when the false illusion falls away what is timeless may be seen. Let us rise above the cacophony of human noise and experience the potent silence of the heavenly state.