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SearchPlease explain this quote, "Just as the separation occurred over many millions of years.... an even longer one."
Question:
Jesus says in the Last Judgment section of the Course,”Just as the separation occurred over many millions of years, the Last Judgement will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer one." Last Judgment meaning man finally judges himself as forgiven and sees himself as God does. Does this mean the healing of the whole sonship will take many millions of years? I think I am going to need millions of years to see completely differently–to shift my perceptions so wholly! I am disappointed that I won't have enough time to get it in this lifetime! I have become very disheartened by this. Can you help?
Answer:
Thanks for sharing what is on your heart. Do not be disheartened by the thought of time, for the world you perceive was over long ago. This world is the past. It was just a symbol and represents only the meaning that was given it. It seemed to last but an instant and was forgiven immediately by the Holy Spirit. Process is a time concept, and miracles are simply a gentle use of time to collapse time while you still believe in it. In this sense, time is under the control of the miracle worker. Christ arranges time and space for the miracle worker as the miracle worker seems to perform miracles, and Atonement is the first and last miracle, the Alpha and Omega, and all the miracles which seemed to come in between. Atonement means Correction and is the awareness that the separation never happened. This cannot be difficult to accept, for no illusion can stand in the Light of Truth. Do not be discouraged by the "process" of Awakening, because all thoughts of "process" are transitory metaphors that simply disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Truth is true and has no exceptions. There was never a time when illusions could replace truth, and time cannot replace Eternity. Spirit and time cannot be reconciled, for Spirit is true and time does not exist. Awakening is nothing more than THIS realization.
Life is neither of the body nor in a body. Life is an Eternal State of Mind. There is no death, for nothing real can die. Forgiveness shows the falsity of illusion and thus makes way for the remembrance of God and Christ. Christ is not born and does not die, remaining Eternal as God created Christ in Spirit. If you seem to be discouraged by judging "progress," remember the teaching of Christ: "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Time is self-judgment, and the Holy Spirit's only use of time is to teach that there is no time. These words witness to this simple fact. For Christ is fact and time and Christ cannot co-exist. It only takes one instant for Atonement, yet this instant is without an opposite and thus is completely Certain. Miracles will seem to build your trust, yet Atonement is a moment of complete trust that yields to Absolute Certainty. You cannot fail to accept what is inevitable, and God's Plan for Salvation IS inevitable. Innocence is our Birthright, and nothing can change what God created Perfect and Eternal.
In the writings I use many symbols and metaphors. These are transitory illusions that point beyond themselves. "What Is" is literally beyond symbols and metaphors. Complete forgiveness rendered time past and gone. I rejoice in the Holy Instant, and ask but that Christ be glorified by recognizing the Self God created forever—Pure and Innocent. In this recognition is God Glorified.
Love always,
David