It is not recognized in currently understood history of planet Earth that our affairs were administered for over 160,000 years by an emergency council of Sons of God. They worked in liaison with the loyal children of Urantia whose steadfast faithfulness was crucial to the cause. This council was put into place following the “war in heaven.” There are vestiges of this knowledge in the Bible and world literature but sadly even these are fading from memory. This is revealed history, “the restoration of important bits of lost knowledge concerning epochal transactions in the distant past.” (UB 101:4.5)

Melchizedek Sons, the first order of the local universe Sons of God (35:2), joined with the Amadonites, the human associates of Van, a former leader on Prince Caligastia’s staff, to preserve Urantian civilization. This period of governance began when the Lucifer Rebellion of 200,000 years ago resulted in the default of Caligastia and most of his staff.

“The affairs of Urantia were for a long time administered by a council of planetary receivers, twelve Melchizedeks, confirmed by the mandate of the senior constellation ruler, the Most High Father of Norlatiadek [a Vorondadek Son]. Associated with the Melchizedek receivers was an advisory council, “that included [among others] … the two resident Life Carriers, … a volunteer Teacher Son, … advisers from two neighboring planets, … and Van, the commander in chief of the midway creatures. And thus was Urantia governed and administered until the arrival of Adam.” (67:6, 5, pg. 759)

Note that the “Most High” are Vorondadek Sons, the second order of universe sonship (35:5), constellation administrators as differentiated from the third order of sonship, the Lanonadek sons, Caligastia being one. The Lanonadeks serve as rulers of the local systems (35:8).

Let’s look at this unusual use in a philosophical/religious work of the term “receivers.” It made sense after I checked my dictionary. In the legal sense of the word, a receiver is a person appointed by a court to manage the affairs of a bankrupt business or person, or to care for property in litigation.

Our Walnut Creek Study Group was reading The Garden of Eden, Paper 74, during our meetings last fall.  Many questions came up about the rarely-discussed Melchizedek receivers, described in The Urantia Book (The UB) as having taken charge of the affairs of rebellion-torn Urantia. Their authority continued up until the arrival of Adam and Eve. It is very troubling to watch them depart the planet leaving our Material Son and Daughter in total loneliness.

The era of Melchizedek rule represents a time period from 200,000 years before present to 37,848 years before present (1934 dates), lasting more than 162,200 years. It will especially interest students of The UB that Machiventa Melchizedek, who later completed his own emergency bestowal mission to Urantia about 4,000 years ago, was one of this group of twelve receivers (93:1.3, pg. 1014).

Going back to the times of the Rebellion 200,000 years ago, all were given time to choose where to affirm their loyalty. This is described as, “The Seven Crucial Years,” in paper 67:3.  No action was taken before that point in respect of the free will decision of every personal being involved with the insurrection. The Melchizedeks formed their provisional government on Urantia only after the “seven years of waiting.” 

“But at last the final decision of the last personality was made, and then, but only then, did a Most High of Edentia arrive with the emergency Melchizedeks to seize authority on Urantia. The Caligastia panoramic reign-records on Jerusem were obliterated, and the probationary era of planetary rehabilitation was inaugurated.”  (67:3.10, pg. 757)

The Melchizedeks granted Van titular authority over our planet, and “his loyal army of men, midwayers, and angels,” was entrusted to carry out their policies. Van and Amadon, who gained renown as “the human hero of the rebellion,” set out to establish communities loyal to the Universal Father’s rule. “Within one thousand years after the rebellion he had more than three hundred and fifty advanced groups scattered abroad in the world.” (67:6.5-6, pg. 759)

Many of these settlements were situated around the lake that still bears Van’s name (present day Turkey). “Van was left on Urantia until the time of Adam, remaining as titular head of all superhuman personalities functioning on the planet. For over one hundred and fifty thousand years, he and Amadon were sustained by the technique of the tree of life in conjunction with the specialized life ministry of the Melchizedeks. (67:6.4)

Another question that came up for our study group was: could Van actually see his Melchizedek advisors in face to face meetings with them.  Recalling that Van, as an original member of the Prince’s staff, once directed “the supreme court of tribal co-ordination and racial cooperation” (66:5.31, pg. 749), I did more research. I wanted to find out what supernormal capabilities the original staff possessed before they lost their immortal status. Van would have still retained these abilities as he still had access to the tree of life.

We are informed in 66:4.10 that “the primary midway creatures” were “wholly visible to the planetary staff and to their celestial associates but … not visible to the men and women of the various human tribes.” From this I deduced it was likely Van could also see the Melchizedek receivers while he held conference with them and the advisory council.

“The twelve Melchizedek receivers of Urantia did heroic work. They preserved the remnants of civilization, and their planetary policies were faithfully executed by Van,” with the aid of the 144 Amadonites led by Amadon (67:6.5-6; p.760).

Many millennia later, Adamson, the eldest son of Adam and Eve, set out on a three year search for the people and the northern lands by Lake Van, the stuff of romance, his “childhood fantasies (77:5.5).” With the life companion he finds there, Ratta, who became the mother of sixty-seven children, he founds another outpost of civilization, one that became the basis of our present day civilizations in Europe and India.