Suppose the struggle had proven me wanting, and the verdict had been, "Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin"? 'Then my--our--fate would have been that of Mainin of Caiphul. To me who know the dread meaning of this fate, it is more utterly frightful to contemplate than it can be to thee. It means being a brother to devils, and subjection to Satan, who could so cunningly, awfully tempt as we were tempted, and when successful, make a servant of the victim, ever to pile up fresh karma. And such karma as Satan's service makes is worse in a moment than the wickedest man could pile up in a long lifetime. It means such servitude until--when? Forever? Until the end of material things. Then, when the heavens are rolled as a scroll and melt in fervent heat, Satan (Lucifer) shall, with his minions, be cast into that lake of fire which is the second death: which meaneth that the force, the energy of the rebels, that which has made them distinct, potent souls through all the past, shall become depersonalized, and disindividualized, cast into the sum of the Fire of Elements, which form the forces of Nature, the winds, odic and magnetic and electric forces. But annihilation there is not, death there is not, though there be such a change as constitutes the destruction of the union between soul and Spirit, the return of the ]first to the great impersonal Vis Natura, the return of the other to Him who created life. Then, after millions of years the Father will gather the fervid elements into nebulae, star-plasm, worlds, suns, systems, and a "new heaven and a new earth" shall come forth. Then will the depersonalized rebel host begin to reincarnate in protoplasmic life, and thence evolutionize up, up, up along the myriad incarnations until, after an eternity of matter, they come once more to human conditions, to another Crisis, to win or fail, and either, like Sisyphus, run again the weary course, or else inherit hard-won entrance to unconditional being. There is not nor can be, any death of the Spirit, but of the individuality only. Study this well, my friend, for such is the fate of evildoers who sell to Satan, because such is Satan's portion. Our Father hath provided a Way. It is the sharp, knife-edge Path, whereon all things so evenly balance that there is turning neither to the right nor left, but steady, even pursuit of the Path, wherein all who travel that way, contain themselves in all things, in eating and drinking, in sleeping and all those things which cause the cares of this world. Those who shall be accounted worthy, without further incarnation, to obtain the resurrection from the body of materiality neither marry nor are given in marriage, but must receive the Kingdom of God even as if still little children. Yet whoso doeth not so, it shall not be eternally counted against them, but only till another incarnation. It must be that the things of sensation which are an offense unto the Spirit occur, but karmic woe will attend the offender until he finds the Path and travels therein. Hear, if hearing and understanding be in thee, for these are the words of the Master.
Imagine if I had failed the test, and the verdict had been "You have been weighed and found wanting." Our fate would have been like Mainin of Caiphul's. To me, knowing the true meaning of this fate, it's more terrifying than you can imagine. It means becoming a servant to evil, subject to a force that could tempt us so cleverly and cruelly. This servitude leads to rapidly accumulating negative karma, far worse than what the most wicked person could generate in a lifetime. This servitude lasts until the end of the material world. Then, when the universe as we know it ends, these evil forces and their followers will be cast into a metaphorical lake of fire. This represents the loss of their individual identities, with their energy dispersed into the fundamental forces of nature. While this isn't true annihilation or death, it's a profound change—the separation of soul and spirit, with one returning to the impersonal force of nature and the other to its creator. After eons, the universe will be reborn. The dispersed energies will begin to reincarnate in simple life forms, slowly evolving back to human conditions. They'll face another test, either to repeat the cycle or finally earn their place in a higher state of being. The spirit itself cannot die, but individual identity can. Study this carefully, for this is the fate of those who give in to evil. Our Creator has provided an alternative – a challenging path of balance and self-control in all aspects of life. Those who follow this path may achieve a higher state without further reincarnation. They must approach life with childlike purity, avoiding worldly attachments. Those who don't follow this path aren't eternally condemned, but must continue the cycle of reincarnation. Sensual temptations will occur, but they bring karmic consequences until one finds and follows the right path. Listen and understand, for these are the words of wisdom.