"The power which directed my assassination and the entity which has brought the world to the brink of annihilation are one and the same. But my resurrection is proof that this entity can be defeated, that the earth can be restored, and that Humankind is ready to throw off the yoke of bondage and to take the ultimate evolutionary step toward spiritual completion.
"I have returned to lead the world out of this age of destruction and death, into a new and transcendent age where suffering and death are no longer a fact of life. An age borne out of the trials that the earth has suffered and into a time of individual harmony with the universe. You, the ones who have outlasted the disasters, the floods, the earthquakes, you are the survivors and you shall be the victors!
"The human race has tasted the worst of this evil entity's spiritual oppression and has stood defiant. It is the power of this defiance which has restored my life. It is the power of this defiance which has weakened the enemy. It is this defiance and Humankind's self-reliance that have ushered in the New Age.
"Let there be no doubt: The New Age is not about replacing one religion with another: quite the opposite. This is not about reliance upon or faith in some distant, isolated god. This is about man coming to rely upon himself; upon the power and the god that is within him. This is not about a limited few self-righteous, self-serving oppressors bent on self-aggrandizement. This is about individuals taking control of their own lives, their own environment, and their own destinies.
"For 2,000 years calendars have been based upon the birth of the Christian messiah. My resurrection from the dead has marked the commencement of the New Age. The estimated date of Jesus' birth is now irrelevant and the calendars of the Christian era have been relegated to history. A New Age has begun. Therefore, let the calendars of the world mark the day of my resurrection as the first day of the first year of the New Age." Christopher raised his right hand and shook his head as he offered an explanation for his directive. "It is not that I wish you to mark the date of my resurrection for my sake," he explained. "Rather, it is to mark the beginning of your own liberation from the hands of the one who has tried to crush your spirit and to destroy your soul.
"Let this date also mark the end of claims to exclusive truth that are held by backward religions such as that practiced by the Koum Damah Tatare," he said of the 144,000 who followed John and Cohen. "To the members of the KDT, I extend the hand of peace. John and Cohen are dead. Their self-righteous claims lay barren and lifeless with their bodies. I appeal to you to abandon your offensive ways; abandon your sanctimonious claims to exclusive truth and join us. We must purge ourselves and our world of such intolerant philosophies and religions. From this day forward the religion of Humankind shall be Humankind.
"Let no one boast that their way to god is better, for it is not a god we should seek at all. It is the power that lies within us. Let us no longer excuse ourselves as being 'only human.' Human is all we need to be.
"It is in our humanity that divinity resides. Humanity stands poised on the brink of the final great evolutionary stride. But it is not through physical evolution that divinity and immortality will be achieved. It is through spiritual evolution. For some, this evolution will take only a few decades. For others, it may take much longer. But even if it takes a thousand years it will have been time well spent." Christopher paused to allow that thought to sink in. He wanted his audience to fully understand what he was saying. "Do not wonder," he continued, "that I say that it may take a thousand years. It will not matter if it takes 10 years or 200 years or even 1,000 years! Immortality is yours to take! Through the same power by which the man John lived over 2,000 years, the same power by which I was raised from the dead, the same power by which we shall overcome the evil entity that opposes us, you shall live! To those who follow me, I will give the power to live for a thousand years! After that, you shall take your rightful place as evolved beings and shall live forever!
"Again I extend the hand of peace to the Koum Damah Tatare. Turn from your error and follow me and you shall be the vanguard of the evolutionary process. You, who have already begun to experience the evolutionary metamorphosis, as evidenced by your advanced extrasensory abilities, do not use your powers for oppression. Use them instead to look inside yourself. Turn from serving the evil entity who claims to be God, and instead serve Humankind. Cease your worship of the one who seeks to destroy the world, and instead glorify Humankind, and together we shall restore the world.
"Worthy are they who work for the advancement of Humankind, for the universe shall be theirs. Worthy are they who have learned first to love themselves, for they shall be as gods. Worthy are they who have not denied themselves the desires of their hearts, for they have understood that to do so is to deny themselves. Worthy are they who draw their strength and hope from within themselves, for they shall be strengthened. Worthy are they whose spirit is strong and defiant, for they shall be first in the kingdom of the universe. Worthy are they who forbid intolerance and crush that which restricts growth, for they will be called beacons of truth and guideposts to fulfillment.
"Hear me and believe! Honor truth and growth with your allegiance!
"Yet a third time to the Koum Damah Tatare I offer the open arms of brotherhood. Understand, however, that there is no place for you in the New Age if you continue your onerous ways. Unto whom much is given, much shall be expected. If you, who are the first to experience the power of the New Age, and who have tasted the sweet flavor and experienced the awesome power which already grows within you, if you do not turn from your ways of persecution and intolerance, then you shall be the first to fall and feel the wrath of a planet which has grown beyond its willingness to submit. Those who seek to empower themselves by making Humankind slaves to their god, have enslaved themselves already by their own choosing.
"Were they satisfied with enslaving only themselves it would be little threat to Humankind and might therefore be tolerated for a time. But that is not in their nature. Instead, their desire is to impose that slavery upon others. They are weak and primitive; they are totally alien to the present reality and do not belong to the present millennium, much less to the New Age. They have no understanding of the present planetary situation. Their weakness must not be allowed to sap and corrupt the strength of those who are ready to proceed to the future. Under the leadership of John and Cohen, they have tried to do so by calling down every kind of disaster they could imagine. They have brutally and without sympathy brought about the deaths of untold millions of innocent people and they have caused unspeakable misery and suffering for those of us who survive. Yet still they have failed to break the human spirit! The human will stands unshaken before the ill winds of theistic persecution. We are defiant! We shall not bend the knee to any tyrant!"
Turning his attention from the KDT and again to his broader audience, Christopher declared, "It is not in your nature to be a servant to anyone!"
Because of the distance between the crowds and Christopher at the top of the pinnacle, and because of the way the wind blew his robes, no one had noticed the objects at Christopher's feet. They were more evident to those who watched by television, but no one had really given them much thought during his electrifying address. Certainly, no one suspected that the items had been taken from the Ark of the Covenant.
"I have told you of an evil tyrant," Christopher continued, "a spiritual entity who has held the world in chains. For many who are listening and watching it will come as no surprise that the one of whom I speak — the one for whom John, Cohen, and the Koum Damah Tatare have inflicted such ruin — is the same one who has demanded that his people offer him the blood of innocent animals as tribute.
Christopher paused to pick up the articles at his feet and raised them above his head. It was still not clear to the audience in Jerusalem but it was now obvious on television that he held two stone tablets. On the tablets a strange script could clearly be seen as the cameras zoomed in. Christopher was holding the Ten Commandments. A sudden gasp swept
through the crowd in Jerusalem.
"No longer," Christopher shouted, his voice now showing his full fury, "shall the senseless dictates of spiritual tyrants — be they called Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, or by any other name — have dominion over this planet!!" With that declaration, Christopher hurled the two ancient tablets to the street, 180 feet below, where they shattered into pieces so small they could not be distinguished from the tiny bits of gravel. The crowd, which to this point had been largely favorable to Christopher, now stood stunned and motionless in shock. Christopher had just taken a national religious treasure and transformed it to dust. His address had been stirring, but no one expected it to result in this.
Christopher continued, aware that he must quickly recapture the crowd's attention if he was going to win their support. "The things I have promised are real and they are within humanity's grasp. I say this from experience!
"Earth is not alone in the universe," Christopher explained. "Just as scientists have long suspected, there are thousands of other planets in the universe where life exists. One of those planets, an ancient and beautiful world circling a star beyond the Pleiades, is known as Theata. Life there evolved long before it did on earth. The people of Theata had already advanced to the beginnings of their space age 4V£ billion years before the first one-celled animals appeared on the earth. It is a planet where hunger and fear no longer exist; where death is unknown; where people have taken the final step of evolution and become one in spirit and flesh; a planet whose inhabitants have fully become the god that is within them! It is the home planet of the ones known as Yahweh and Jesus. It is from this distant, highly advanced planet that life on earth came! The people of Theata are the parent race of human life here! I have come that all that is theirs may be yours!"
Christopher's account of the origin of human life on earth was interesting, but hardly sufficient to cause the people in Jerusalem to ignore what he had just done with the stone tablets brought down by Moses from Mount Sinai. Christopher sensed their unease and realized it was time to give the world a demonstration of his real abilities.
"The future I offer you is a future of power," he proclaimed. "Including the power to control nature, as Robert Milner, who is Elijah, has shown you. But power, like the final steps of evolution, cannot be given. For it to be truly yours, it must be taken. Take and it will be given to you! I have ended the reign of terror brought on by John and Cohen; I have ended the plague of madness which threatened the whole earth; and now I shall begin the restoration of the earth!!" Christopher stretched out his right arm with his palm down toward the earth. For a long moment there was no sound, and the crowd began to murmur. Chaim Levin, the High Priest, robes torn and covered with mud, saw his opportunity and began to try to draw the crowd's attention. But before he could speak a stirring at the edges of the crowd distracted the attention of everyone. From the recently rain-soaked ground along the road and around the buildings, anywhere there was soil, there was a visible motion as, before the eyes of the crowd, grass and flowers sprang up where there had been none before. As if watching time-lapse photography, the people witnessed in awe the earth release plant life of beautiful greens, reds, yellows, and purples. Flowering bushes sprouted from dry ground and suddenly the air filled with the fragrance of spring.
But the miracle was not only in Jerusalem. Christopher remained silent and motionless for nearly five minutes as throughout the world plant life began to spring up and grow. Many of the smaller plants grew to full maturity in just moments and in the vast areas blackened by fire, young trees grew to heights of six, eight, and ten feet. Finally Christopher dropped his arm and the amazing growth slowed again to normal speeds.
"I have come that power such as this may be yours," he shouted. There was evidence of exhaustion in his voice, indicating that the proof of his powers had not come without a good deal of effort.
"As I have said," Christopher noted, making his point again, "I do not ask for or seek your worship. I ask instead for your allegiance." There was no hesitation now as the vast majority of the crowd, along with those around the world watching on television, clapped or cheered or shouted out his name.
Again Christopher raised his right hand, but this time it was to quiet the crowd. "Some may ask," Christopher began, "what of the billions who have died in Yahweh's disasters?" He paused to allow the thought to register with his listeners. He knew that while only a few might have that question in mind in the context of his speech, for many it undoubtedly would come to mind soon after. It was better to deal with it now instead of waiting for it to be asked. Shaking his head sympathetically, he said, "It is not possible to restore their lives. But those of you who mourn the deaths of friends and family need not grieve. Instead, rejoice in the knowledge that they are not truly dead. They will feel the earth beneath their feet again, for gods cannot truly die. As Jesus told Nicodemus 2,000 years ago, 'You must be born again.'7 So it is for those who have died. Whether it is called reincarnation or being 'born again' or by some other name, the truth is that some who died over the past three and a half years have already been born again; though thankfully, few will remember their former lives. Nonetheless, as the Hindus and Buddhists teach, the suffering they underwent in their previous lives serves as a stepping stone to higher, brighter futures. So do not weep or mourn. Dry your tears and rejoice that when they return, they will be born into the age to which Humankind has always aspired: the New Age, the Age of Ascension for all Humankind.
"People of the Earth, people of Jerusalem, the time has come to put aside those things which separate us. The destiny of all Humankind awaits the unity of all Humankind. No longer let us consider such differences as skin color, gender, language, or the place of our birth. No longer let there be division between races or nationalities. And no longer let there be Gentile or Jew. All of these distinctions are now null and void," Christopher said. "All people are the chosen people!
"As such, let this building no longer be a temple to Yahweh, but a monument to the godhood of man. No more shall innocent animals be led here for brutal slaughter to a bloodthirsty god. From this day forward the killing must cease and the Temple shall be open to all!"
Toward the front of the crowd, Decker Hawthorne braced himself for what he knew was about to come.
"If any still doubt," Christopher said, preparing to conclude his oration, "I offer a final proof that I am who I say. Four billion years ago, it took 23,000 years, traveling at nearly the speed of light, for the crude space vessels sent out by the people of Theata to reach the earth. Now that they have evolved to spirit form, that distance can be traveled in less than a second!
"All that is Theata's is yours for the taking. At this very moment there are millions of our brothers all around us. They have come to lead, to guide the people of earth in the way they must go to enter into oneness with the universe.
"Can you see them?!" Christopher cried. "Can you see them?!" Christopher raised his right hand in the air, held his head back majestically and shouted, "Behold the hosts of heaven!" Suddenly the sky was filled with thousands or hundreds of thousands of beautiful lights, some hundreds of meters across, some as small as the head of a pin; some moving slowly, some darting about at incredible speed.
"Behold the hosts of heaven!" Christopher shouted again.
CHAPTER ONE
A God Who Thrives on Fear
For most people, the future Christopher described in his address from the Temple in Jerusalem was still far too ethereal to grasp. It was clear that Christopher had great power — the whole world had seen his resurrection, his effortless dispatch of John and Cohen, and the amazing growth of plant life that he caused all over the planet. But, while Christopher's revelation of a coming period of dramatic world change and human evolution painted a much needed vision of hope, for most people just staying alive had become a full-time pursuit. It was difficult for them to imagine what tangible changes might actually result from what he said.
Christopher's account of the The
atans was easy enough to accept. Most people already believed in extraterrestrial beings. The disclosure that Yahweh and Jesus were native to Theata was more the answer to an ancient riddle than it was a startling revelation. They were further persuaded by the appearance of the lights as they danced and moved about, passing over and around and even through many of the people in the crowd.
(Those who experienced a "pass through," as the press called it, described it as exhilarating and energizing and perhaps even tickling a little.) And they had watched in amazement as Christopher suddenly leapt from the pinnacle of the Temple; but instead of falling to certain death, he had been 'caught' and then suspended above the crowd by the strange lights, thus exhibiting the ability of the light creatures to take on a solid form and, more significantly, clearly demonstrating Christopher's authority over the strange beings. Later, on the flight back to New York, Christopher explained to Decker that the lights were what in earlier days had been called angels. They were, he noted, capable of taking on any form, including human.
Still, for most people the idea that they themselves would be part of humanity's evolution to some form of powerful spirit beings was more than they could readily accept. Evolution was an easy concept as long as it took place over tens of millions of years, but the idea that they would personally be witness to and a part of a great evolutionary leap, though enticing, was far more difficult to adjust to. Psychologists, discussing the subject on television, likened the anxiety and confusion people were experiencing to the emotions of people who had just found out they had won the lottery: they wanted to believe, but nothing this extraordinary had ever happened and they were not sure how to deal with it.
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