The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (full title: The Aquarian Age Gospel of Jesus, the Christ of the Piscean Age) is a book by Levi H. Dowling, first published in 1908. He said he had transcribed the text of the book from the Akashic records. In the later 20th century, it was adopted by New Age spiritual groups.

The title is derived from the practice in astrology of naming time periods in terms of constellations and their dominant positions in the sky. In that system, the Age of Aquarius is approaching. ^[1]

Contents 1 Major Points 2 Difficulties 3 The Aquarian Church (ACCU) 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links 6.1 Text Sources

Major Points

The Aquarian Gospel makes the following claims, among others:

• The revelation of the Aquarian Gospel was prophesied 2000 years ago by Elihu, who conducted a school of the prophets in Zoan, Egypt. He said thus:

"This age will comprehend but little of the works of Purity and Love; but not a word is lost, for in the Book of God's Remembrance a registry is made of every thought and word and deed.

And When The world is ready to receive, lo, God will send a messenger to open up the book and copy from its sacred pages all the messages of Purity and Love. - Aquarian Gospel 7:25-26

• Jesus puts on the role of The Christ, but is not automatically Christ by nature. By making himself, through effort and prayer, a fit vessel, Jesus enabled The Christ to dwell within him. Christ is therefore used as a term for the perfect human being that Jesus exemplified, a human being that has been "Christened" (anointed) and therefore made holy.
• Jesus came to earth to show the way back to God via his lifestyle and teachings. He is the example we must model our own lives after, if we seek salvation.
• Reincarnation exists, and is the explanation for various seeming injustices. Reincarnation allows people to settle debts they have incurred in past lives.
• Humanity has forgotten God and is currently working its way back to fully remembering God.
• Time is separated into ages. These ages last approximately 2,000 years. We are now nearing the start of the Aquarian Age.
• All souls will eventually mature and become perfect, like Jesus, thus ending the cycle of reincarnation.
• No soul is ever abandoned by God.

Difficulties

Eric Pement has pointed out difficulties in Dowling's text:

• Dowling misidentified the ancient ruler known as Herod, identifying Herod Antipas as the ruler of Jerusalem, during a period when Herod the Great actually ruled.^[2]
• The book depicts Jesus as visiting the cities of Lahore, India (pre-Partition in India, now in Pakistan); Shri Jagannath in temple at Puri in Orissa, India; and Persepolis in Persia. Only the temple at Puri existed at that period, but, Lahore did not exist during the period in question, and Persepolis had already been destroyed by Alexander the Great.^[2]
• The book asserts Jesus Christ had remained in the Jagannātha Temple of Puri for 4 years for preaching the downtrodden and low caste people.
• Dowling and Edgar Cayce both claimed to have produced an account of the life of Jesus through the transcription of the Akashic records, but there are significant differences between their accounts.^[2]
• Dowling claimed that Jesus knew Meng-tse of Lhasa, Tibet but Meng-tse lived 300 years before Jesus’ time.^[2]

Supporters of Dowling argue that within theosophical thought, figures such as Meng-Tse, Matheno, Miriam, Moses, Elijah and Vidyapati exist in an ascended state. As such, they communicated with Jesus after they had passed on from earthly existence.^[3]

The Aquarian Church (ACCU)

The Aquarian Christine Church Universal, Inc. (ACCU) is a denomination based on the Aquarian Gospel. Members are commonly called Aquarians, but the proper term would be Aquarian Christines. The name Christine is used in the Aquarian Gospel instead of Christian, emphasizing that the Church is the Bride of Christ. The church was incorporated in 2006, but had existed for numerous years previous to incorporation. There is no paid professional clergy.

The teachings of the Aquarian Church (ACCU) are based primarily on the Aquarian Gospel, but also on other writings by Levi Dowling, and share many teachings with the I Am Activity (I Am Movement) and Ascended Master Teachings. Some of the teachings include a Triune God composed of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Mother Holy Spirit, release from the cycle of rebirth through the Ascension Process, the equality of the races and sexes and the transformation (transmuting) of the individual and the world through the study and practice of the teachings. Initiations of the Aquarian Masters: The Theosophy of the Aquarian Gospel, by co-founder and director Rev. Dr. J. L. Watson, serves as textbook for those interested in learning more about the teachings of the church.^[4]

References

1. ^ Gaer, Joseph, The Lore of the New Testament, 1st ed. (Boston: Little Brown, 1952) p.130
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Eric Pement, "Don't Touch that Dial: The New Age Practice of Channeling", Cornerstone Magazine, Nov 1988, Retrieved March 24 2008
3. ^ Rev. Dr. J.L. Watson, Initiations of the Aquarian Masters: The Theosophy of the Aquarian Gospel, (2009) Outskirtspress, ISBN 9781432745981
4. ^ Rev. Dr. J.L. Watson, Initiations of the Aquarian Masters: The Theosophy of the Aquarian Gospel, (2009) Outskirtspress, ISBN 9781432745981

Further reading

• Contend For the Faith: Collected Papers of the Rockford Conference on Discernment and Evangelism, ed. Eric Pement. (Chicago: Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, 1992)
• Keith Edward Tolbert and Eric Pement, The 1996 Directory of Cult Research Organizations, (Trenton, Mich.: American Religions Center, 1996)
• Committee on Ethics, EMNR [Craig Branch and Eric Pement], The Manual of Ethical and Doctrinal Standards for Evangelical Ministries to New Religions,Birmingham, Alabama: Evangelical Ministries to New Religions, 1997
• Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ and Christian Mysticism: Pristine Christine Church & Missions, First Edition (2009) ISBN 978-971-94375-0-5
• The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ: The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion of the Aquarian Age of the World and of the Church Universal, DeVorss & Company; New Ed edition (June 1972), ISBN 0-87516-168-5

External links

• Initiations of the Aquarian Masters: The Theosophy of the Aquarian Gospel, Jacob L. Watson, III, D.D., (2009) Outskirts Press, ISBN 9781432745981
• Aquarian Christine Church Universal, Inc.
• Introducing the Aquarian Gospel, Swami Nirmalananda Giri
• Transcribed by Levi H. Dowling, "The Aquarian Age Gospel of Jesus, the Christ of the Piscean Age", Reluctant Messenger Website
• Aquarian Gospel Society, and its associated Facebook group

Text Sources

• The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, highly accurate and exact digital transcription of the Gospel portion of the original 1911 edition, with links to the original source page scan images to verify authenticity and accuracy (prepared by The Aquarian Gospel Society, refer to the digital transcription notes)
• Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (1911) in the Internet Archive (page scan images of 1911 edition)
• Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ (e-text) includes an introduction by Eva S. Dowling