Читать книгу Lessons in Truth Series: the Everlasting Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Spirit) Within - Timothy F. Gardner - Страница 10
ОглавлениеA BRIEF HISTORY OF REVEREND FATHER G.W. HURLEY
An American Born Mystic
Revelations, Chapter One, verses twelve to fifteen states, “. . . and I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the midst of these seven golden candlesticks one like unto the son of man (Christ Jesus), clothed with a garment down to the foot; his hairs were as white as snow; his eyes were as flames of fire; and his feet like unto fine brass, as if they were burned in a furnace.”
I would like to call your attention to one point within this first chapter of Revelations, that I feel, is overlooked by almost all eyes that read it. Saint John, who wrote this chapter of Revelations, was one who walked, and talked with Jesus, and was also one who was instructed by Him in the teachings pertaining to the finding of the kingdom of God (Spirit) within one’s self. Surely, a disciple who had continuously walked and talked with his beloved master would have known him, anywhere, and at any time, if he saw him any place. And, so it was with the disciple, Saint John—that, certainly, he would have known his own beloved master, Jesus, with whom he had regularly walked and talked.
The crucial factor, overlooked within those verses of Revelations, is that, Saint John did not say that Jesus was the one that he was referring to. What he actually said, was that, he saw one like unto the son of God (Spirit), meaning a new light bearer, an avatar (savior) sent from God! What Saint John saw, on the Isle of Patmos, was the revelation of things to come!
I believe what Saint John saw was Father Hurley’s coming and he wrote it down within this book, so that those with eyes (spiritual minded), could see it. Saint John also knew that one would come, who had been duly prepared, and sanctified, by the truth like unto that which Jesus taught. One who, also, in a manner, like unto Jesus, would have to give up the things of the flesh, and turn his eyes (mind), within, to find the kingdom of God (Spirit). Truly, Father Hurley did likewise sanctify himself, so that, we might be sanctified through the truth he has revealed to us.
At this point in the discourse, I am anticipating a possible question, being raised in your mind, about Father Hurley’s coming. The question might be this: Why should God (Spirit), descend as a man, once again? An answer may be found in this Hindu scripture:
After a nation’s fall in spiritual life, when truth and righteousness have been neglected and forgotten, an avatar [savior] is born to relight the flame of religion in the heart. Sri Krishna says, “When goodness grows weak, when evil increases, I make myself a body. In every age I come back To deliver the holy, To destroy the sin of the sinner, To establish righteousness . . .” From time to time, then, a divine incarnation is needed to re-establish the eternal spirit of religion. By his living example the Incarnation shows mankind how to be perfect even as the Father in heaven is perfect . . . God is one without a second. He who came as Sri Krishna, and as Buddha, came again as Christ [Jesus], and as other avatars; . . . When an avatar is born on earth, he assumes the human body with certain consequent limitations and suffering (Prabhavananda, 1963, p.44-45).
Truly, Father Hurley was an Avatar sent from God (Spirit)! As tested by the standards and criteria, concerning the confirmation of Avatarship, Father Hurley, through his liberating doctrines, miraculous works, and various other celestial, spiritual signs, following earlier divine ones, did indeed more than qualify as such a divine incarnation. He humbled himself and took on a body of flesh, and because of this fleshly body, had to go through the same trials and tribulations that we do. Let us now absorb a few important facts about this Avatar, Christ Hurley, starting with a description of his entrance under very special circumstances into this material plane of existence.
Father George Willie Hurley was born on February 17th, 1884, at seven o’clock in the morning. Astrologically, Aquarius the Water-Bearer was the Sign; Saturn and Uranus were the ruling planets; Leo the Lion was ruling the day. The Sun was the ruling planet of the day, and Venus was the ruler of the second hour of the day. The sky seemed as though the hands of God (Spirit), had painted it with the cosmic colors of pink, blue, and nile green, which colors represent love and piety (pink), spiritual power (blue), and success (green).
Astrologers knew the meaning of these strange happenings. Legend has it that seven Sages sat in silence (meditation) for seven days and saw Hurley as the only male-child being born in the world at that hour. The Sages knew that this was a sign that he (Hurley) was an Avatar. As a child, he possessed the gifts of the word and healing, and was ordained a Minister of the Gospel by the age of 20.
During his youth, Father Hurley would often go into the woods and commune with the so-called dead, also he would preach and lecture to the animals and birds, healing them when they were injured. This was disturbing to both he and his parents. As a result, Father Hurley delved into his formal education, attending the Tuskegee Institute and Phelps Bible School. However, he would leave school and begin teaching in secular schools and performing his duties as a Baptist minister. Feeling a deep inner spiritual unrest and a desire to seek truth, Father Hurley kept searching for answers.
His searching led him to meet an elderly woman in Georgia, named Mama Laura who was clairvoyant. This woman gave him a spiritual reading, foretelling his upcoming spiritual journeys and studies in the eastern world. However, before studying abroad, she told him that he needed to meet and talk to a man by the name of Dr. Gadahlia from Persia, who would be instrumental in facilitating his travels to the east.
After meeting Mama Laura he continued to experience a deep spiritual unrest and heard a voice that instructed him to seek out Dr. Gadahlia. However, he was still reluctant to follow the promptings of the Spirit and took seriously ill. Finally, he realized he had to obey the Spirit. In the early 1900’s Father Hurley sought out and met Dr. Gadahlia and went on to travel to Persia with him, where he studied occult truths for 6 months. At the end of this time Dr. Gadahlia advised him to return to Georgia, and that he would have the opportunity to travel once again overseas for further enlightenment in the Far East.
In 1909 Father Hurley was afforded the opportunity to travel to India and Tibet as a valet for a Georgia State Senator, where he remained for 7 years [according to his writings] receiving instruction in the deeper Truths of finding the indwelling God, and developed the seven phases of Mediumship and Adeptship. From there, Father Hurley travelled to Egypt and studied at the School of the Prophets, where it is rumored there are still artifacts of him in the Pyramids. Upon returning to the United States, Father Hurley studied under the world renowned Dr. L.W. De Lawrence, from whom he received the keys of life (“Man of the Hour,” n.d.).
After going on a three, seven, and forty-day fast, God (Spirit) revealed himself to Prophet Hurley. Prophet Hurley, in returning unto his own nationality or race of people, the Black Nation, brought the truth that blacks might have light. He did as Jesus had done before him; he returned to his own people focusing his message upon them, so they would have light.
Through God’s inspiration, Prophet Hurley preached the everlasting gospel that Jesus taught; the gospel of finding the kingdom of God (Spirit) within man. Father G. W. Hurley founded the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Church in 1923 under Divine inspiration. In the following year he organized the Hagar’s School of Mediumship and Psychology (1924) which is, “the largest Ethiopian School of Esoteric Wisdom in the world”, and in the years to follow the Knights of the All-Seeing Eye (1934), which is a Mystical Benevolent Order. The doctrinal foundation of Father G. W. Hurley’s philosophy can be found in the Universal Hagar’s Spiritual Churches Declaration of Principles which are its Creed and Ten Commandments.
