1.
The admonition to the evaluees to be angelic people. Love and righteousness are crucial to the success of the Upper Tier (UT) and mandatory for God’s salvation into his UT, aka heaven.
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:10)
2.
The utilization of brief messenger visitations to deliver pronouncements to the evaluees. This includes moral commandments, criminal and domestic law, dietary and medical counseling, etc.
(There are 613 mitzvot or commandments in the Old Testament.)
“Now the LORD said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written
for their instruction.’” (Exodus 24:12)
3.
Offering rewards and punishments to everyone who chooses to obey or disobey the given commandments. The promises of “blessings and curses,” a “heaven”
and a “hell” all help to broaden the evaluees’ spectrum of temptations.
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live,
you and your descendants”. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
4.
The use of fulfilled prophesies. After numerous AB cycles, we will be able to easily anticipate and predict future events in all subsequent AB cycles, similar to forecasting
the life cycle of a commercial chicken. This gives the AB messengers the appearance and prestige of fortune-telling. This technique enhances the moral struggle among the evaluees.
“How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?” (Matthew 26:54)
5.
Employing multiple covenants, such as an Old and New Testament, to help micromanage the ever-increasing level of sophistication garnered by the evaluees. In the beginning of
every AB cycle, the community is deliberately placed in a low-tech environment, because it is easier to control. As such, they will be immature and have a short attention span.
In this state, they will need stringent laws to help with basic governance—somewhat akin to handling children. However, over time, as their skill-set expands, they can be given
greater freedom of conscience; hence the introduction of a new or updated Testament. Naturally, the old and new covenants must be uniform in spirit and purpose to avoid any confusion.
“What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the
promise.” (Galatians 3:17) “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12) In this verse, Jesus is
referring to their current lack of wisdom and capacity to understand his deeper motives and methodologies.
6.
Providing the evaluees a plausible “origins” scenario. Certain questions must be addressed to help settle the curiosity of the early AB inhabitants.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26)
7.
Fostering diversity. Allowing for different languages, cultures, customs, biomes, etc. will significantly inhibit the evaluees from organizing into larger groups.
This will tend to slow down their rate of advancement and extend the AB life cycle.
“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7).
8.
Requesting the construction of a divine dwelling place, such as, an ark of the covenant and a main temple. These structures will help in differentiating the true selectees,
because they will act as strong polarizing influences.
“For there was a tabernacle prepared, the outer one, in which were the lampstand and the table and the sacred bread; this is called the holy place. Behind the second veil
there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar
holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant; and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat; but of these things
we cannot now speak in detail.” (Hebrews 9:2-5)
9.
Instituting a Year of Jubilee. During this period, all evaluees who had sold themselves into slavery will be set free, and all land parcels that had been sold, revert back
to its original family. In effect, this will ban the permanent sale of land in favour of a fifty-year lease paradigm. This will help to ensure that every generation of evaluees
receive a definite inheritance to maintain subsistence.
“You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return
to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.” (Leviticus 25:10)
10.
Tithing for the priesthood and for the poor. This is a basic welfare net to catch those who fall through the cracks in the bureaucracy.
“When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan
and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deuteronomy 26:12) “The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien,
the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.” (Deuteronomy 14:29)
11.
The receptiveness to receive freewill offerings. These spontaneous gifts foster an atmosphere of voluntary sacrifice, which is a central tenet in the UT and God’s Heaven.
“The Israelites, all the men and women, whose heart moved them to bring material for all the work, which the LORD had commanded through Moses to be done, brought a freewill
offering to the LORD.” (Exodus 35:29)
12.
Sending manna from heaven to test the allegiance of the evaluees. This can also be a contingency plan in the unlikely event of food shortages inside the AB.
“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them,
whether or not they will walk in My instruction.’” (Exodus 16:4)
13.
Redemption from breaking the moral law by blood sacrifices of unblemished animals. Some folks are a little uncomfortable with this procedure, but it has a beautiful cross
illustration. You see, the UT is so highly delicate that even one false positive upstairs (UT) can easily sacrifice everything. One incorrigible sinner might compromise every
unblemished thing. What better way to convey the gravity of this fragility than by mandating and instituting the grim practice of blood sacrifices of unblemished animals, for their sin.
“When a man offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a special vow or for a freewill offering, of the herd or of the flock, it must be perfect to be accepted;
there shall be no defect in it.” (Leviticus 22:21) “Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old...the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight...it is
the LORD’S Passover.” (Exodus 12:5-11) “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness,
how great is the darkness!” (Matthew 6:23)
14.
The demand for faithfulness from the evaluees. This is your basic squirm test to flush out each individual’s propensities—under the guise of anonymity.
Normally, people do not invite pain, grief, anxiety or ambiguity into their life unless the anticipated gratification of the UT outweighs it. Consider this as a temporary,
but crucial rite of passage—like birth pangs.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12) “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it;
but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” (Mark 8:35)
15.
The service of a Messiah to show all the evaluees an up-close and personal example of holy living. As time goes on, there is less emphasis on keeping the letter of the given
law, in exchange for a greater emphasis on the spirit of the law, such as love thy neighbour. What better way to establish this new covenant than with a devout teacher and mentor.
It is always best to grant as much independence as possible to the evaluees, while retaining a governable society.
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:21)
16.
Showering the evaluees with an extensive selection of temptations to enhance their moral struggling. If you want to test your kite, you have to fly it against the wind to see
how it holds up. So too, if you want to test the propensities of the evaluees, you must fly them in the winds of temptations. If they cannot stand up to the minor enticements inside
an AB, they will never be able to handle the insecurable attractions of the UT, most notably the Free Crown.
“Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of
temptation fall away.” (Luke 8:13)
17.
Providing brief glimpses of the UT to the evaluees. It is a good idea to allow the gossipy and literary folks to get a quick peek upstairs, from time to time. This includes
glimpses of lions lying down with lambs, streets of gold and precious gems, no more crying and tears. These revelations will spread like wildfire among the evaluees, which will aid
in expanding the spectrum of temptations.
“And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,
‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’” (Revelation 21:2-4)
18.
The usage of parables and analogies. We cannot explain to the evaluees in simple language what our larger philosophical methodologies are. Nevertheless, we must give them
some guidelines about how they can come into the UT, hence the need for parables and analogies. For instance, we cannot convey the problem of the Free Crown, but we can convey
the parable of the rich young ruler.
“A ruler questioned Him, saying, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’...‘You know the commandments, Do not commit adultery,
Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’ And he said, ‘All these things I have kept from my youth.’ When Jesus
heard this, He said to him, ‘One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow Me.’ But when he had heard these things, he became very sad for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for
those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 18:18-25)
19.
(My favourite) The tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden symbolizes the pervasive Free Crown in the space colonies.
The tree was needed to test everyone’s will to power over others in the most unavoidable fashion possible. Why else would God allow a deceiving serpent into the Garden of Eden
in the first place—even before the Fall of Man? The AUD is a highly precarious time, so ethics testing via virtual surrogates are a central practice to use inside the AB’s.
“The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,
knowing good and evil.’” (Genesis 3:4-5)
20.
Fostering an atmosphere of repentance, to permit the evaluees a second chance—should they desire it. It takes time for the average person to “find themselves;”
who they are, and what they really want out of life. In hindsight, sometimes the first road we take turns out to be the false one. Sometimes, early on, we run with the wrong crowd
for a while. Consequently, it is prudent for us to be somewhat patient and permit everyone an opportunity to find his or her own unique comfort path. For some, this may lead to
angelicalness and the UT.
“Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you
seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4)
21.
The chief administrator of the UT establishing a “hide and seek” policy to secure his anonymity. As the saying goes, “the mice will play when the cat is away”
or at least when they believe the cat is away. Moreover, this is a good method of testing each evaluee’s propensity to crave for the UT. By comparison, if you toss a bone to your dog,
you will never know how high he was prepared to jump in order to get it. Similarly, if God makes too many appearances, he would never know which evaluees would pine after him
(and to what degree), due to his absence.
“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you
plainly of the Father.” (John 16:25)
22.
The creation of a church for believers to gather and talk about the delineation script. This will aid in providing comfort, shelter, debate, correction and a softer transition
to those evaluees who choose to follow the chosen Messiah. In addition, it will make it easier in the beginning, to guard against those who want to dilute or change the gospel message.
“So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.” (Acts 16:5) “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as
there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon
themselves.” (2 Peter 2:1)
23.
Requiring the evaluees to go forth and evangelize others. Every true selectee has certain qualities. One of the most important is righteousness, which leads to the act
of recruiting others to grow the kingdom of love. How else can the UT administrators check for this unique propensity, but by testing each evaluee’s adherence to the
directive to evangelize others, including strangers?
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all
the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even
to the end of the age.’” (Matthew 28:18-20)
24.
A period of Great Tribulation at the End of the Age. This is inevitable at the end of every AB cycle, due to the feeding frenzy created by greedy people, trying to don
the Free Crown. The book of Revelation and other biblical references are sufficiently figurative enough to accommodate virtually any end time scenario.
“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he
provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has
understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.” (Revelation 13:16-18)
These few verses could be symbolically interpreted to mean just about anything—perhaps by design.
25.
A “Last Coming” event. This occurrence signifies the practical end to the ethics testing phase of the AB cycle. This can be triggered by many dynamics:
A) The current generation of evaluees have finally become too philosophically or too technologically advanced to be properly assessed anymore.
B) An evaluee has obtained enormous power and is wreaking havoc on others inside the AB, to the point of unacceptably low average life expectancy.
C) Some individuals are trying to become stealth selectees, or individuals who truly believe that they are inside one of God’s AB’s and decide
to emulate the correct Christian characteristics, long enough to make it into God’s UT. Once there, they will throw off their facade and try to acquire the real
Free Crown—surreptitiously. This covert scenario requires both a fixated commitment and ceaseless patience. Nevertheless, I believe God would expose it in the end.
“But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky,
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the
Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:29-30)
26.
A “Day of Judgment” event where the last generation of selectees from the AB cycle are chosen for the UT. This goes hand in hand with the Great Tribulation
and Last Coming events.
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great
and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were
written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged,
every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name
was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)