Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/5170

5170 Periods of development - duration.... matter and influence....

July 14, 1951: Book 58

The plan of redemption of the fallen spiritual always unfolds in certain periods of time which correspond to the respective state of the spiritual. And that is why the individual redemption periods are different, both temporally and in their conditions and possibilities of maturing. There are longer and shorter periods of redemption as well as completely different creations in these, which mean a more or less hard fetter for the spiritual bound in it. And from this it follows that different demands are also made on people in such individual stages of redemption so that they attain their spiritual maturity. A gradation would be recognizable, so to speak, if the individual periods of development could be compared with each other.... and it would be evident that the creations always adapt to people's state of maturity, i.e. their will, that therefore people without hard resistance against God also live in a world which allows for easier dissolution of the material form and therefore also requires a shorter time for a process of development. And this will always be the case when a total dissolution of the earthly creation has preceded and the spiritual substance which has escaped from it is to be brought into a new form again. Then this spiritual, as living in an environment beneficial to it, strives far more eagerly upwards, even if it is still unconscious of itself. But after such a total dissolution the human race on earth is also even more peaceful, more united with God, which beneficially influences the still bound spiritual and also helps it to ascend. Hard matter is indeed still enlivened by deeply fallen spiritual substances, and these spiritual substances will still want to exert their influence, especially when this period of redemption draws to a close again. But every epoch is an ascent from the abyss to the height, every epoch reveals spiritual substances which no longer offer resistance to God or very soon give Him up, but also those which remain in resistance to God, which have hard matter as their abode and again and again want to and will have an unfavourable effect on the more mature spiritual substances. The longer people withdraw from this influence, the longer the periods of development will be, because a conclusion will only occur again when these beings, bound in hard matter, are allowed to embody themselves as human beings again after an infinitely long transformation. For these beings now determine the time of the end or dissolution of the creation they inhabit.... Turning towards God also ensures a long existence, turning away from Him is renewed resistance and ultimately necessitates the destruction of that which does not fulfil its purpose.... a dissolving of the earth and a new forming of spiritual forms. For according to the law of eternity everything must strive upwards, and what fails will sink so low that it can again be integrated into the process of upward development, so that the law of eternity will be fulfilled.... constant upward development of what has fallen until it has reached the former height again....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers