5. Restoration theory and inspired works

I have found that my discovery of Origen’s restoration theory has opened my eyes to various dimensions that I have never considered before. The consequences of the theory being that there are many different time/location combinations that go beyond the here and now in the material world. Specifically, there are five different time/locations to consider that are beyond our material life: 1) before the Fall, a time of endless bliss in Heaven with God; 2) after the Fall, but not yet on the path of restoration, i.e. Hell; 3) after the Fall and on the road to restoration, we will call this the Paradise where Jesus met the criminal after His death and the place that our soul exists between incarnations; 4) after the Fall and restored to God, i.e. Heaven; 5) the end of the World, when all have been restored to God and the physical world is no longer needed.

With this framework, it then becomes easier to understand the spiritual meanings that Origen sought within the Scriptures, but it also allows us to understand other inspired works. Take for example the following song from Cecil Spring-Rice (1859-1918) called “The Two Fatherlands”. I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.When I look at this song within the framework that I have described, it becomes clear to me from where this soul sings. This soul, in time/location 2), is singing about the two masters described in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13 and their two homelands. From the point of view of a soul in 2), the Earth appears to be above them. From the singer’s perspective, the Earth is perfect compared to the chaos of Hell, but there only exists the faintest rumor of 1) for a soul in 2).