Gradual vs. Sudden Views of Ascension – Part 1

Readers have asked about what appears to be a disconnect between the views of Matthew Ward and those of others like SaLuSa and Archangel Michael on what is expected to occur on Dec. 21, 2012.

In responding, I should note that not only are there differences between these three, but there are also differences between these three and many others who say that the planetary shift will not occur for many years after 2012.

I won’t be examining those who say that Ascension will not happen until 2016 or 2050, whose version I don’t prefer. I’ll restrict my attention to those who see the Ascension process starting or culminating on or around Dec. 21.

The views of these two groups can be characterized as “gradual” versus “sudden.”

What I propose to do in this series of articles is present Matthew’s “gradual” view today and then present the “sudden” group’s views on the following days.

Matthew said in February 2009 that by the end of 2012 all darkness would be gone from the planet. My own understanding is that entry into the Fourth Dimension will bring that end to all darkness.

“Earth’s ascension—the process of world transformation and spiritual renewal that enables her to rise out of third density and continue into the Golden Age—has been ongoing for about seventy years in linear time; and by the end of your calendar year 2012, the darkness that has proliferated for millennia will have disappeared in all its vicious forms.” (1)

He said in September of that same year that the arrival of Dec. 21 isn’t a final event that somehow ends forever the process of change and evolution.

“The arrival of the popularized date of December 21, 2012, does not mean that Earth humankind will have entered an era of complacent stability. The only constant in the universe is change! Not only will marvelous developments continue in all areas of your world, but spiritually and intellectually, you will continue to grow through innumerable physical lifetimes, some in worlds where life will exceed even the glories of Earth’s Golden Age.” (2)

This is a standard statement of the process of spiritual evolution. In fact we’ll indeed progress through higher and higher dimensions of spiritual growth on our return journey to God. (3)

On Feb. 14, 2010, he said that people will not disappear into their own timelines on Dec. 21. This statement does disagree with what Archangel Michael says, as we shall see, who suggests that those who ascend will in fact disappear from Third Dimensionality at least. (We’ll come to that in a later part of this series.) I’ll take some care in going through Matthew’s treatment of the subject.

“It will not happen on December 21, 2012 or any other date that you will be standing beside two others and before your very eyes, they will disappear into their own ‘timelines.’ Even the usual date of December 31, 2012, will be much like the previous and the following days—that is, except for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The differences between life in this moment and in the Golden Age will be amazing and magnificent, but life will not differ dramatically from one day to the next as Earth continues on her journey through fourth density and on into fifth.” (4)

This might be considered a statement of the gradual view of Ascension: “Even the usual date of December 31, 2012, will be much like the previous and the following days. … Life will not differ dramatically from one day to the next as Earth continues on her journey through fourth density and on into fifth.”

Matthew goes on to state:

“Understandably, there is a great deal of speculation about what will happen to whom at the end of 2012. There is no definitive answer because what happens to each soul will be in accordance with the uniqueness of each soul.” (5)

Starseeds can certainly appreciate this comment, since many of us hail from dimensions higher than the Fourth and Fifth and may return to them after the process of Ascension begins or is completed – depending on whose view you prefer. But some souls will devolve into lower-density placements as well, as Matthew discusses here.

“There will be souls whose lifetime choices automatically will take them to first or second density placements; and at the other end of the spectrum are the souls who came from fourth, fifth and higher density worlds specifically to assist Earth in her ascension—when their mission is completed, they will return to their homelands.” (6)

He then aligns with the view that there will be no presence of the Earth continuing in Third Dimension, or Third Density as he prefers to call it. He refers to this as “the ‘two Earths’ theory.”

“However, we can say with certainty that the theory of a celestial body appearing as a ‘second Earth’ and becoming the third density home for souls who do not physically accompany the ‘first Earth’ into fourth density is erroneous. You are a soul in a human body. Earth is a soul in a planetary body.

“Her soul remained in its fifth density origin while her body spiraled into deep third density during the millennia that her human residents were shedding each others’ blood, mass-slaughtering her animals and severely damaging her body. She could have chosen to let her assaulted body die, but instead she chose to have its health restored so all of her residents in their myriad life forms could continue.

“Moreover the ‘two Earths’ theory accommodates only the people whose lifetime choices would place them in a different third density world.” (7)

So Matthew has stated the view before that he offers in his Sept. 1, 2012 message. Let’s now look at what he says in that post.

He states first that we will indeed travel through a “celestial window” at the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013. The window will bring us into what he calls “fourth density.”

“During its last days and the early days of 2013, the planet will travel through the celestial window between third and fourth densities, where the energy wisps of both densities briefly comingle, and it will enter fourth density, where Earth’s Golden Age begins.” (8)

This entry into Fourth Density, to use his term, marks the beginning of the Golden Age, in Matthew’s view.

“But that glorious milestone is not the end of her journey. Ascension will continue until the planet is securely within fifth density, where Gaia originated in antiquity and so did her planetary body. After eons of being in the low densities that were commensurate with the collective consciousness of successive civilizations, Gaia’s body will have returned home.” (9)

Finally comes the passage that I think has perplexed most readers. Matthew begins by saying “Earth’s exiting third density will be heralded throughout the lighted universe!” However, he adds,

“… knowing that this brilliant process will continue for long years to come will prevent despondency from befalling those who are expecting a dramatic event to occur on December 21st. When nothing of dynamic proportions happens that day or any other in that same narrow timeframe, how sad it would be if those who are counting on something spectacular become so depressed that they decide at soul level to join the others who also choose not to remain on the planet for different reasons.” (10)

So, first of all, Matthew has not said anything different here than he has said before. He offers a gradual view of Ascension, which he sees as a process that will not see anything “of dynamic proportions” happen on Dec. 21, no “dramatic event,” no sudden departure of people to other timelines, etc.

It isn’t that Matthew doesn’t use the word “Ascension.” He does. It’s more that he doesn’t hold with the notion that a sudden Ascension to Fifth Dimensionality will occur on a specific date, as he declares here on Aug. 22, 2004:

“A date is not the issue—it is the incoming vibrations that are increasing the pace of Earth’s ascension into the fullness of fourth density that is of consummate interest and significance.” (11)

So hopefully Matthew’s view has been fairly and substantially stated here: a gradual Ascension to fourth density, beginning with travel through a celestial window opening at the end of 2012 and continuing until we reach a secure presence in fifth density, but going on nonetheless forever after that until we return to the Creator.

I’ll now set about to gather material to present the alternate, “sudden” view of Ascension. In the end, which view you prefer will need to be up to you.