Episode:Jesus in Galilee—Early Public Work (Part 6)

From Symmetry of Soul


At Endor Jesus escaped for a few days from the clamoring multitudes in quest of physical healing. During their sojourn at this place the Master recounted for the instruction of the apostles the story of King Saul and the witch of Endor. Jesus explained to his apostles that the spirits of departed human beings do not come back to the world of their origin to communicate with their living fellows.

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Keywords: Urantia, Jesus, Evil Spirits, Herod Antipas, Jerusalem Visit

Summary by Kermit

Commentary on the Review

We commented on the fact that Jesus’ plans for his public ministry to preach and teach his new gospel of sonship with God and fraternal fellowship with one another continued to be eclipsed by his notoriety as a healer and wonderworker, notwithstanding that a number of his reputed wonders were not miraculous but, simply the outworking of natural law! Can we trust in such Deity overcontrol, that even the intentions of a Creator Son are subject to the inscrutable purposes of the whole?

The topic of the power of belief in the mitigation of emotional and mental disorders came up. How much more efficacious than mere belief is the power of knowing God, and something of the manner by which mind can be directed in the amelioration of emotional, mental, and even physical disharmonies? Such is a domain of self-mastery which today remains largely unrealized. Listen to the archive for details of the physics of such things.

146:7. At Endor

This final section of Paper 146 deals explicitly with two widely held but erroneous notions having to do with spirit or demon possession and communication with the dead. Jesus saw fit while in Endor to clarify the issue of spirit possession in his recounting the story of King Saul and the witch of Endor. He explicitly ascribed the strange doings referenced in the Hebrew Scriptures in 1 Samuel 28 to the stray and rebellious midwayers, which he promised would soon be brought under control. Jesus forecasted the pouring out of the Spirit of Truth following his return to the Father thereby preventing any recurrence of such so-called spirit possession. We spent considerable time discussing numerous intriguing aspects and curious phenomena associated with this subject.

Jesus went on to attempt to make clear that the spirits of the dead do not return to their world of origin to communicate with their living fellows. Only after the passing of a dispensation, and then only in exceptional cases is the advancing spirit of mortal man allowed to return to earth. As mentioned elsewhere in the revelation the Urantia advisory council, the four and twenty counselors, former Urantians rotate through their one hundred year sojourns here as resident governors general.

Paper 147—The Interlude Visit to Jerusalem

So ends the first preaching tour in Galilee, as the troupe heads back to home base at Capernaum where the apostles taught the people by the seaside while Jesus spent time alone in the hills about his Father’s business. Also during this time Jesus made two secret trips to Tiberias meeting with believers and instructing them in the gospel of the kingdom. The significance of these secret trips to Tiberias should not be underestimated. Tiberias was the official residence of Herod. Many of Herod’s household were believers in Jesus and were influential in persuading Herod that the Kingdom of Heaven to which Jesus referred was spiritual and not political. Herod therefore left Jesus unmolested to proclaim the heavenly kingdom and explains why they conducted so much of their pubic preaching in Galilee and not at Jerusalem or in Judea. However, another group of Herod’s subordinates were influenced by the religious leaders at Jerusalem and were bitter enemies of Jesus and his enterprise and later on they greatly hampered their public activities.

147:1. The Centurion’s Servant

Next we have a most curious episode in Jesus’ ministry. The episode is referenced in Matthew 8.5-8.13 as the faith of the centurion. Before Jesus, the apostles and followers could leave for Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover Jesus was sought out once again for his healing powers. A Roman centurion stationed in Capernaum sent rulers of the synagogue to Jesus requesting that he heal the centurion’s servant who was sick to the point of death. Jesus and his party proceeded to the centurion’s house where the centurion would not even personally approach Jesus, nor ask him to enter his dwelling, but sent his friends out to express his sense of unworthiness as well as his confidence that Jesus could effect the requested healing from where he stood. The humility and faith of this centurion so impressed Jesus that he held up this gentile to the synagogue rulers and others witnessing the episode as a demonstration of so great a faith heretofore not found in Israel. Jesus left the scene without further comment. From that moment, the servant began to mend. Most interestingly, the midwayer authors confess ignorance as to what happened, save the servant recovered completely. Whether or not invisible being ministered healing to the servant is left an open question, notwithstanding the account as it appears in the Book of Matthew.

Notes by Brad

  • Do I believe my mind can heal my emotional/nervous disorders?
    • Better yet, can I 'know this instead of just believing it?
    • If you know this, recall that at the top of your mind is (a) sovereignty and (b) spirit that can impose form on mind.
    • This isn't about magic engaging matter, but physics of mind.
    • Similarly, what happens if, instead of believing in some notion of God, I actually know God? How much more profound would that be?
    • You can take the reins--you have sovereignty in some of these matters. And someday you must take the reins, or you'll never get to Paradise.
    • There'd be no point to life outside Havona if mind didn't need to be brought under control.
      • Conquering nature ("divots in your genetics") and nurture (unfortunate things people have taught you or done to you)
      • Watch out: don't take your genetic "divots" as absolutely unique personality. They are temperament. It has nothing to do with personality.


  • Why would you not be interested in courageous and independent cosmic thinking here in this mortal life? What an adventure!
    • Here, you perforce serve two masters. Fear is always there. Can you master your fear in this life? You won't have animal fear in the next life...
    • Aim higher. Don't set the bar too low. A belief in a nation of Jesus might help you, but there is much more beyond this.


  • So what was this witch of Endor thing? (see 1 Samuel in the Old Testament)
    • "Many strange things" like familiars used to happen. Silly, bored secondary midwayers.
    • See also [77:7] for midwayers interference issues.
    • Evil is giving badness form in your mind--a disrupting state of affairs and a less unified mind.


  • Is there a known example of a human who has come back to the planet in another dispensation?
    • John the Baptist (resident governor general)


  • You think God gave you a feeble mind that can do no remarkable things?
    • Why would you think that?
    • God made your mind so you could have very realistic dreams about departed relatives, to help comfort you.
    • The Life Carriers designed prayer into you for comfort as well.
    • We are made so we don't have to be micromanaged.


  • The 5th ER is not for timid souls. What Jesus said as the 4th ER was, indeed, for timid souls.