Text, Chapter I, Section II: Revelation, Time and Miracles

​1. Revelatio​n induces complete but temporary suspension of doubt and fear.  It reflects the original form of communication between God and His creations, involving the extremely personal sense of creation sometimes sought in physical relationships.  Physical closeness cannot achieve it.  Miracles, however, are genuinely interpersonal, and result in true closeness to others.  Revelation unites you directly with God. Miracles unite you directly with your brother. Neither emanates from consciousness, but both are experienced there. Consciousness is the state that induces action, though it does not inspire it.

2. Revelation is intensely personal and cannot be meaningfully translated. That is why any attempt to describe it in words is impossible. Revelation induces only experience.  Miracles, on the other hand, induce action.  They are more useful now due to their interpersonal nature.  In this phase of learning, working miracles is important because freedom from fear cannot be thrust upon you.  Revelation is literally unspeakable because it is an experience of unspeakable love.

3. Awe should be reserved for revelation.  It is not appropriate for miracles because a state of awe is worshipful, implying that one of a lesser order stands before his Creator.  You are a perfect creation and should experience awe only in the presence of the Creator of perfection.  The miracle is a sign of love among equals. Since awe implies inequality, it is an inappropriate reaction to your brothers and to me (Jesus).  An elder brother is entitled to respect for his greater experience, and obedience for his greater wisdom.  He is also entitled to love because he is a brother, and to devotion if he is devoted.  It is therefore only Jesus's devotion to us that entitles him to our devotion.  There is nothing about Jesus that you cannot attain.  Jesus has nothing that does not come from God.  The difference between us and Jesus now is that he has nothing else.  This leaves him in a state which is only potential in you.  And now we have our goal:  shed everything that is not of God, leaving only WHAT IS.

4.. What does "No man cometh unto the Father but by me" mean?  This means more in terms of a vertical axis than horizontal.  In the process of "rising up," Jesus is higher because without him the distance between God and man would be too great for you to encompass.  Jesus bridges the gap by being an elder brother to you on the one hand, and a Son of God on the other.  Jesus' devotion to his brothers (you and me) has placed him in charge of the Sonship, which he renders complete because he shares it

5. Revelations are indirectly inspired by Jesus because he is close to the Holy Spirit, and alert to the revelation-readiness of his brothers. He can thus bring down to us more than we can draw down to ourselves. He keeps the direct channel from God to you open for revelation.  Revelation proceeds from God to you, but not from you to God.

5. The miracle minimizes the need for time.  It entails a sudden shift from horizontal to vertical perception.  There is no relationship between the time a miracle takes and the time it covers.  It does, however, substitute for learning that might have taken thousands of years. It does this by collapsing time.

(Continue to Text, Chapter l, Section III:  Atonement and Miracles).