T-2.VIII The Meaning of the Last Judgment
1. One of the ways in which you can correct the magic–miracle confusion is to remember that you did not create yourself.
²You are apt to forget this when you become egocentric, and this puts you in a position where a belief in magic is virtually inevitable.
³Your will to create was given you by your Creator, Who was expressing the same Will in His creation.
⁴Since creative ability rests in the mind, everything you create is necessarily a matter of will.
⁵It also follows that whatever you alone make is real in your own sight, though not in the Mind of God.
⁶This basic distinction leads directly into the real meaning of the Last Judgment.
Expanded
One of the ways in which you can correct the magic–miracle confusion is to remember that you did not create yourself.
You are apt to forget this [you did not create yourself] when you become egocentric, and this [becoming egocentric] puts you in a position where a belief in magic is virtually inevitable.
Your will to create was given you by your Creator, Who [your Creator] was expressing the same Will in His [your-Creator’s] creation.
Since creative ability rests in the mind, everything you create is necessarily a matter of will.
It also follows that whatever you alone make is real in your own sight, though [whatever you alone make is] not [real] in the Mind of God.
This basic distinction [between what is real in your own sight and what is real in the Mind of God] leads directly into the real meaning of the Last Judgment.
Substituted
One of the ways in which you can correct the magic–miracle confusion is to remember that you did not create yourself.
You are apt to forget you did not create yourself when you become egocentric, and becoming egocentric puts you in a position where a belief in magic is virtually inevitable.
Your will to create was given you by your Creator; your Creator was expressing the same Will to create in your-Creator’s creation.
Since creative ability rests in the mind, everything you create is necessarily a matter of will.
It also follows that whatever you alone make is real in your own sight, though whatever you alone make is not real in the Mind of God.
The basic distinction between what is real in your own sight and what is real in the Mind of God leads directly into the real meaning of the Last Judgment.
Simplified
You did not create yourself.
If you believe you did create yourself you will believe in magic.
Creating is an effect of the will.
God gave you the will to create, just as God has the will to create.
Magic is miscreation.
Whatever you make alone is real to you, but it is not real to God.
2. The Last Judgment is one of the most threatening ideas in your thinking.
²This is because you do not understand it.
³Judgment is not an attribute of God.
⁴It was brought into being only after the separation, when it became one of the many learning devices to be built into the overall plan.
⁵Just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer one.
⁶Its length can, however, be greatly shortened by miracles, the device for shortening but not abolishing time.
⁷If a sufficient number become truly miracle-minded, this shortening process can be virtually immeasurable.
⁸It is essential, however, that you free yourself from fear quickly, because you must emerge from the conflict if you are to bring peace to other minds.
Expanded
The Last Judgment is one of the most threatening ideas in your thinking.
This is because you do not understand it [the Last Judgment].
Judgment is not an attribute of God.
It [judgment] was brought into being only after the separation, when it [judgment] became one of the many learning devices to be built into the overall plan.
Just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer one [period].
Its [the-last-judgment’s] length can, however, be greatly shortened by miracles, the device for shortening but not abolishing time.
If a sufficient number become truly miracle-minded, this shortening process can be virtually immeasurable.
It is essential, however, that you free yourself from fear quickly, because you must emerge from the conflict if you are to bring peace to other minds.
Substituted
The Last Judgment is one of the most threatening ideas in your thinking.
This is because you do not understand the Last Judgment.
Judgment is not an attribute of God.
Judgment was brought into being only after the separation, when judgment became one of the many learning devices to be built into the overall plan.
Just as the separation occurred over millions of years, the Last Judgment will extend over a similarly long period, and perhaps an even longer period.
The-last-judgment’s length can, however, be greatly shortened by miracles, the device for shortening but not abolishing time.
If a sufficient number become truly miracle-minded, this shortening process can be virtually immeasurable.
It is essential, however, that you free yourself from fear quickly, because you must emerge from the conflict if you are to bring peace to other minds.
Simplified
God does not judge.
The Last Judgment is a learning device.
The Last Judgment extends over time.
You can shorten the process by miracles.
Free yourself from fear and conflict and bring peace to other minds.
3. The Last Judgment is generally thought of as a procedure undertaken by God.
²Actually it will be undertaken by my brothers with my help.
³It is a final healing rather than a meting out of punishment, however much you may think that punishment is deserved.
⁴Punishment is a concept totally opposed to right-mindedness, and the aim of the Last Judgment is to restore right-mindedness to you.
⁵The Last Judgment might be called a process of right evaluation.
⁶It simply means that everyone will finally come to understand what is worthy and what is not.
⁷After this, the ability to choose can be directed rationally.
⁸Until this distinction is made, however, the vacillations between free and imprisoned will cannot but continue.
Expanded
The Last Judgment is generally thought of as a procedure undertaken by God.
Actually it [the Last Judgment] will be undertaken by my brothers with my help.
It [the Last Judgment] is a final healing rather than a meting out of punishment, however much you may think that punishment is deserved.
Punishment is a concept totally opposed to right-mindedness, and the aim of the Last Judgment is to restore right-mindedness to you.
The Last Judgment might be called a process of right evaluation.
It [the Last Judgment] simply means that everyone will finally come to understand what is worthy and what is not [worthy].
After this [understanding what is worthy and unworthy], the ability to choose can be directed rationally.
Until this distinction [between what is worthy and unworthy] is made, however, the vacillations between free and imprisoned will cannot but [must] continue.
Substituted
The Last Judgment is generally thought of as a procedure undertaken by God.
Actually the Last Judgment will be undertaken by my brothers with my help.
The Last Judgment is a final healing rather than a meting out of punishment, however much you may think that punishment is deserved.
Punishment is a concept totally opposed to right-mindedness, and the aim of the Last Judgment is to restore right-mindedness to you.
The Last Judgment might be called a process of right evaluation.
The Last Judgment simply means that everyone will finally come to understand what is worthy and what is not worthy.
After understanding what is worthy and unworthy, the ability to choose can be directed rationally.
Until the distinction between what is worthy or unworthy is made, however, the vacillations between free and imprisoned will must continue.
Simplified
The Last Judgment is the restoration of right-mindedness to all the Sonship.
The last judgment is made when everyone has learnt to stop judging.
4. The first step toward freedom involves a sorting out of the false from the true.
²This is a process of separation in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse.
³Everyone will ultimately look upon his own creations and choose to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself looked upon what He had created and knew that it was good.
⁴At this point, the mind can begin to look with love on its own creations because of their worthiness.
⁵At the same time the mind will inevitably disown its miscreations which, without belief, will no longer exist.
Expanded
The first step toward freedom involves a sorting out of the false from the true.
This [sorting out the false from the true] is a process of separation in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse.
Everyone will ultimately look upon his [each-one’s] own creations and choose to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself looked upon what He [God] had created and knew that it [what God had created] was good.
At this point [the point of choosing to preserve only what is good], the mind can begin to look with love on its [the-mind’s] own creations because of their [the-mind’s-own-creations] worthiness.
At the same time the mind will inevitably disown its [the-mind’s] miscreations which, without belief, will no longer exist.
Substituted
The first step toward freedom involves a sorting out of the false from the true.
Sorting out the false from the true is a process of separation in the constructive sense, and reflects the true meaning of the Apocalypse.
Everyone will ultimately look upon each-one’s own creations and choose to preserve only what is good, just as God Himself looked upon what God had created and knew that what God had created was good.
At the point of choosing to preserve only what is good, the mind can begin to look with love on the-mind’s own creations, because of the-mind’s-own-creations worthiness.
At the same time the mind will inevitably disown the-mind’s miscreations which, without belief, will no longer exist.
Simplified
First sort out the false from the true.
Sorting out the false from the true is constructive separation.
Keep what is good.
You can love what you made that is good.
Withdraw belief from your miscreations.
5. The term “Last Judgment” is frightening not only because it has been projected onto God, but also because of the association of “last” with death.
²This is an outstanding example of upside-down perception.
³If the meaning of the Last Judgment is objectively examined, it is quite apparent that it is really the doorway to life.
⁴No one who lives in fear is really alive.
⁵Your own last judgment cannot be directed toward yourself, because you are not your own creation.
⁶You can, however, apply it meaningfully and at any time to everything you have made, and retain in your memory only what is creative and good.
⁷This is what your right-mindedness cannot but dictate.
⁸The purpose of time is solely to “give you time” to achieve this judgment.
⁹It is your own perfect judgment of your own perfect creations.
¹⁰When everything you retain is lovable, there is no reason for fear to remain with you.
¹¹This is your part in the Atonement.
Expanded
The term “Last Judgment” is frightening not only because it [the term “Last Judgment”] has been projected onto God, but also because of the association of “last” with death.
This is an outstanding example of upside-down perception.
If the meaning of the Last Judgment is objectively examined, it is quite apparent that it [the Last Judgment] is really the doorway to life.
No one who lives in fear is really alive.
Your own last judgment cannot be directed toward yourself, because you are not your own creation.
You can, however, apply it [judgment] meaningfully and at any time to everything you have made, and retain in your memory only what is creative and good.
This [retaining what is creative and good] is what your right-mindedness cannot but [must] dictate.
The purpose of time is solely to “give you time” to achieve this judgment [of what is creative and good].
It is your own perfect judgment of your own perfect creations.
When everything you retain is lovable, there is no reason for fear to remain with you.
This [retaining only what is lovable] is your part in the Atonement.
Substituted
The term “Last Judgment” is frightening because the term “Last Judgment” has been projected onto God; and also because of the association of “last” with death.
This is an outstanding example of upside-down perception.
If the meaning of the Last Judgment is objectively examined, it is quite apparent that the Last Judgment is really the doorway to life.
No one who lives in fear is really alive.
Your own last judgment cannot be directed toward yourself, because you are not your own creation.
You can, however, apply judgment meaningfully and at any time to everything you have made, and retain in your memory only what is creative and good.
Retaining what is creative and good is what your right-mindedness must dictate.
The purpose of time is solely to “give you time” to achieve the judgment of what is creative and good.
It is your own perfect judgment of your own perfect creations.
When everything you retain is lovable, there is no reason for fear to remain with you.
Retaining only what is lovable is your part in the Atonement.
Simplified
Your own last judgement is to retain only what is creative and good and perfect and loveable.
Judgement ends when the is no fear left over.