Reading the Pictures of the Apocalypse
GA 104a
20 May 1909, Kristiania
Lecture II-XI
In our survey of the evolution of our planet we have seen that the earth will again be spiritualized, that human beings can participate in this evolution and that they will again be able to return to the sun. Evolution leads to a constantly increasing spiritualization, to a higher condition, to the devachanic state. All those beings who are too stuck in their materialization will not be able to participate in this spiritual earth. First, everything must pass over into an astral condition. But the coarse, material elements of humankind and the base substances in the lower kingdoms enter with human beings into a kind of lower astral world. This could be called the sub-physical astral world. We have, then, devachan, the astral world, the physical world, and the lower astral world. This lower astral world is also working in opposition to our evolution today. It is ruled by the spirit Mammon,1Through Ahriman. that is, the spirit of hindrances. He is a power of the lower world.
All the beings who cannot rise up into the higher world must go down into this lower world. All the higher beings, after the age of the seven trumpet calls, will enter into a state of the earth united again with the sun.
Certain beings have passed through their human state on every incarnation of the earth: the angels during the moon stage, the archangels on the old sun, the good Asuras, also known as archai or primal beginnings, on old Saturn. There are also beings who did not complete their development. Such beings existed, for example, on the moon; these beings were then transplanted to the earth. They were higher than the human being but, at that time, had not yet reached the stage of humanity. These are the luciferic spirits. They have entangled the human being ever deeper in matter; they became connected to humankind in the Lemurian age. The human being would have gone through his evolution in a higher sphere if the luciferic spirits had not united with that evolution. But human beings can thank them for something good: their freedom. The luciferic spirits made, so to speak, a sacrifice for the good of humankind when they united their evolution with the earth and remained behind.
But Saturn, Sun, and Moon occurred before the middle of the earth's evolution. Those beings who remained behind before the midpoint have made an offering, a sacrifice. However, those who remain behind from now on, after the middle of the earth's evolution, merely represent a hindrance, not a sacrifice. The luciferic spirits have also brought humanity something positive. They have permeated the human astral body and thereby have brought us to independence.
If we consider that the human physical body was prepared for the human being during the ancient Saturn state, the etheric body during the Sun state, the astral body during ancient Moon, then we see how, in its way, this physical body is the most perfect member. It is the most evolved. If we could look into the miraculous structure of the physical heart, or the brain that is structured and organized with so much wisdom that physical science has not yet solved the riddles it presents, we would recognize this. The astral body is, indeed, a higher member but far less perfect; the etheric body has been perfected more than the astral but less than the physical. The I is the least perfect of all. For example, how little does the I understand the structures of the physical body. This is even precisely described in the Bible where it is said: “... then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being ...” (Genesis 2:7) This happened during Lemurian times. At that time luciferic beings worked into the astral body of the human being. However, it was just by doing this, by slipping into the astral body that they caught up with what they themselves had neglected in the past. What they should have accomplished on the Moon they went through vicariously within the human being.
When the sun will have again united with the earth, then human beings—through the fact that they will have purified their instincts, desires, and passions—will redeem the luciferic beings. The luciferic beings who do not go on to the Sun remain in their original condition. They then appear as expelled into the evil, lower astral world. This is the ancient snake and it emerges as the first dragon. Therefore, when the earth enters the sun, a dragon appears. But there are yet other beings left behind: such human beings who could not prevent themselves from dropping back into animality, who remain slaves to their animal instincts. While the other human beings go to the sun, these will form an evil power over and against the higher. These form the second monster, and the writer of the Apocalypse says in his exact fashion: The luciferic dragon appears in heaven because he comes from higher worlds; the second beast arises from the sea—this consists of the souls of animalistic human beings who have remained behind. (Compare: (Rev. 12:3–13:10)
We have still a third vision, that of the black magicians. They do not remain stuck in animality; they develop spiritual abilities. In full consciousness they have turned away, and provide a bodily incarnation for Sorat. That will be the incarnation in flesh of the demon of the sun.
But then we see how the earth emerges from the sun yet again in the future. If the spiritual human beings were to remain united with the sun forever, then the other human beings who, without guilt, had remained behind in animality would never he saved. So, these spiritualized people come forth once more and unite with what has fallen out of evolution in an attempt to save these backward souls. When the earth began its existence as “earth” it had to briefly repeat the Saturn, Sun, and Moon conditions once again. It went through recapitulations of those conditions before it became the present-day earth. Now, when actual earth conditions prevail, it must prophetically mirror the future embodiments of Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. In this way the earth goes through seven states during its actual earth condition. These states are usually called “rounds.” During the prophetically mirrored Jupiter state, the earth will actually unite with the sun. On this Jupiter-Earth all the great cultural ages will appear again—with the seven intervals between them—but they will be far less sharply delineated. On this Jupiter-Earth, many beings still have the possibility of being saved, even the black magicians.
This will also be the case on the Venus-Earth, when we have a sixth planetary interval. Here also the beings that have remained behind will stubbornly struggle against help; but this Venus-Earth will at last be decisive.
Then, on the Vulcan-Earth, nothing more can be saved. On the Venus-Earth the last moment for salvation has come in the last sub-epoch. That is why the ancient cabalists formed the word “Sorat,” because the number 666 is contained within it. That is also the number of those human beings who, out of their own cunning free will, have become black magicians by placing spiritual forces in the service of their own egotism.
The first dragon is not a human being. It came out of the spiritual world. The second dragon is ascribed to animalistic nature but in a fundamental sense the Bible ascribes this number of the third group to human beings. So the number 666 is not a sign of the beast but a human number.
The Apocalypse is an outline of the whole of evolution. Venus-Earth is portrayed to clairvoyant sight in such a way that there is not much hope for those left behind. Human powers at that time will not be capable of very much. That is why everything appears so desolate and the worst vices will reign there in the most depraved ways. They must be expelled during the Venus state of the earth. On the Jupiter-Earth there are still many, many who will allow themselves to be saved and who will unite with the sun.
But during the Venus-Earth evil must be overcome and driven into the abyss; that is the “Fall of Babylon.” (Rev. 17–18) The people who have been saved can develop themselves further to a new sun state. What has been cleansed and purified will arise for the Vulcan-Earth.
Human beings today are already creative on the earth. They can force the lifeless forces of nature to serve them. They can build cathedrals, they can sculpt marble. Today they are masters of lifeless nature. Even though Raphael's paintings of the Madonna are falling to dust, even though the external physical world is passing away, what the human being achieves in terms of art during the evolution of the earth will one day resurrect in a different form. The crystals we see today were once forms worked out by human beings during the old Moon embodiment of the earth, in a way similar to how we create and form artistically today. What the spirits once achieved in infinite ages of time now grows out of the earth; today it rises up. So, too, the matter of Raphael's Madonnas will also rise up. In the distant future, everything that human beings now create will rise again with the brightness of crystals. The place that humanity has prepared and will find waiting is called the “New Jerusalem” by the writer of the Apocalypse. A new world will arise, inhabitable by human beings who will have achieved the requisite state of maturity. In a new state, in the Jupiter existence, they will find the place where, out of love and out of human work, peace will reign.
Elfter Vortrag
Die Entwickelung unserer Erde überblickend, hat sich uns gezeigt, daß die Erde sich wieder vergeistigt, daß die Menschen diese Entwikkelung mitmachen können und daß sie wieder zur Sonne werden zurückkehren können. Die Entwickelung führt also zu einer immer stärkeren Vergeistigung, zu einem höheren, dem devachanischen Zustand. Diese geistige Erde können alle jene Wesen nicht mitmachen, die zu sehr in ihrer Materialisierung drinnenstecken. Zunächst muß alles in einen astralen Zustand übergehen. Aber die grobmateriellen Elemente der Menschheit und die schlechten Substanzen in den niederen Reichen gehen mit den Menschen in eine Art niedere astralische Welt ein, die man nennen könnte die unterphysische Astralwelt. Wir haben also das Devachan, die Astralwelt, die physische Welt und die untere Astralwelt. Diese untere Astralwelt ist auch diejenige, die sich heute unserer Entwickelung entgegenstellt. Sie wird regiert durch den Geist Mammon, das heißt den Geist der Hindernisse. Er ist eine Macht der unteren Astralwelt.
Alle Wesen, die nun nicht hinaufkommen können in die höhere Welt, müssen hinunter in diese niedere Welt, während alle höheren Wesen eingehen werden nach dem Zeitraum der sieben Posaunentöne in den mit der Sonne wiedervereinigten Erdenzustand.
Auf jedem Erdenzustand hat eine bestimmte Gruppe von Wesen ihren Menschenzustand durchgemacht; auf dem Monde die Engel, auf der Sonne die Erzengel, auf dem Saturn die guten Asuras, auch Archai oder Urbeginne genannt. Es gibt auch Wesen, die nicht fertig wurden mit ihrer Entwickelung. Solche Wesen gab es zum Beispiel auf dem Monde; diese wurden nun auf die Erde hinüberversetzt. Sie waren höher als der Mensch, hatten aber dazumal die Menschheitsstufe noch nicht erreicht. Das sind die luziferischen Geister. Sie haben den Menschen noch tiefer in die Materie verstrickt; sie sind verknüpft mit der Menschheit seit der lemurischen Zeit. Der Mensch würde seine Entwickelung in einer höheren Sphäre durchgemacht haben, wenn sie sich nicht mit ihnen verknüpft hätten. Aber der Mensch verdankt ihnen auch ein Gutes, die Freiheit. Die luziferischen Geister haben sozusagen zum Heile der Menschheit ein Opfer gebracht, indem sie damals ihre Entwickelung mit der Erde verbanden und zurückblieben.
Aber Saturn, Sonne und Mond liegen vor der Mitte der Erdenentwickelung; die Wesenheiten, die vor der Mitte zurückgeblieben sind, brachten ein Opfer. Diejenigen jedoch, die von nun an nach der Mitte der Erdenentwickelung zurückbleiben, würden damit ein Hemmnis und kein Opfer bedeuten. Die luziferischen Geister haben aber der Menschheit auch etwas Positives gebracht; sie durchsetzten seinen Astralleib mit ihren Kräften und brachten ihn zur Selbständigkeit.
Wenn wir nun bedenken, daß der physische Leib des Menschen ihm vorbereitet wurde während des alten Saturnzustandes, der Ätherleib während des Sonnenzustandes, der Astralleib während des alten Mondes, so sehen wir, wie dieser physische Leib in seiner Art das vollkommenste Glied ist; er ist am meisten entwickelt. Wenn wir einen Einblick gewinnen in den Wunderbau des physischen Herzens, des Gehirns — das ist für die physische Wissenschaft noch gar nicht enträtselt, so weise ist es eingerichtet, organisiert. Der Astralleib ist zwar ein höheres Glied, aber viel weniger vollkommen; der Ätherleib ist schon mehr vervollkommnet; am wenigsten vollkommen ist das Ich. Wie wenig weiß das Ich zum Beispiel von der Gliederung des physischen Leibes!
Dieser Einschlag wird genau geschildert in der Bibel, wo gesagt wird: «Da bildete Jahve Gott den Menschen aus Erde vom Ackerboden und blies in seine Nase Lebensodem; so wurde der Mensch ein lebendiges Wesen.» (1. Mose 2, 7) Das ging in der lemurischen Zeit vor sich. Die luziferischen Wesen wirkten dazumal in den Astralleib des Menschen hinein; aber gerade dadurch, daß sie sich in den Astralleib eingeschlichen hatten, dadurch holten sie nach, was sie selber versäumt hatten; sie machten im Menschen stellvertretend durch, was sie auf dem Monde hätten durchmachen sollen.
Wenn die Sonne sich wieder mit der Erde vereinigt haben wird, dann wird der Mensch dadurch, daß er seine Triebe, Begierden und Leidenschaften gereinigt haben wird, die luziferischen Wesen erlösen. Die luziferischen Wesenheiten, die nicht mitgehen zur Sonne, bleiben in dem Zustande, in dem sie waren; sie erscheinen dann als ausgeworfen in die böse untere Astralwelt. Das ist dann die alte Schlange und es tritt hervor der erste der Drachen. Beim Eintritt der Erde in die Sonne erscheint also ein Drache. Aber es gibt noch anderes Zurückgebliebenes: solche Menschen, die nicht recht dafür können, daß sie in der Tierheit zurückgeblieben sind, die Sklaven bleiben ihrer tierischen Instinkte. Während die anderen Menschen zur Sonne gehen, bilden sie eine böse Macht gegenüber den anderen. Sie bilden das zweite Ungeheuer, und der Apokalyptiker sagt in seiner exakten Art: der luziferische Drache erscheint am Himmel, weil er aus höheren Welten kommt; das zweite Tier steigt auf aus dem Meer — das sind die zurückgebliebenen tierischen Menschen. (Vgl. Apk. 12, 3-13, 10)
Nun haben wir noch eine dritte Erscheinung: das sind die schwarzen Magier. Die bleiben nicht in der Tierheit zurück, die entwickeln in sich spirituelle Fähigkeiten. Sie haben sich in voller Bewußtheit abgewendet und geben die fleischliche Inkarnation ab für den Sorat; das wird die Verfleischlichung des Sonnendämoniums sein.
Nun aber sehen wir, wie noch einmal in der Zukunft das Erdenhafte aus der Sonne heraustritt. Würden die spirituellen Menschen für immer mit der Sonne vereinigt bleiben, so würden die ohne Schuld in der Tierheit zurückgebliebenen Menschen nicht mehr gerettet. So treten diese spirituellen Menschen noch einmal heraus und vereinigen sich mit dem, was herausgefallen ist, um zu versuchen, diese Zurückgebliebenen zu retten.
Als die Erde anfing «Erde» zu sein, mußte sie noch einmal den Saturn-, Sonnen- und Mondenzustand kurz wiederholen. So hat sie Wiederholungen durchgemacht, ehe sie zur jetzigen Erde wurde und muß nun, während des eigentlichen Erdenzustandes noch, prophetisch vorausspiegeln: Jupiter, Venus und Vulkan. So macht sie innerhalb des eigentlichen Erdenzustandes sieben Zustände durch, die man gewöhnlich Runden nennt. Während des vorausgespiegelten Jupiterzustandes kommt eben das vor, daß die Erde sich mit der Sonne vereinigt. Auf dieser Jupiter-Erde kommen noch einmal alle die großen Zeitkulturen vor und die sieben Zwischenzeiträume, nur viel weniger scharf angedeutet. Auf dieser Jupiter-Erde haben noch viele Wesenheiten die Möglichkeit, errettet zu werden, selbst die schwarzen Magier.
Ebenso ist es noch einmal auf der Venus-Erde; da haben wir einen sechsten planetarischen Zwischenzustand. Aber auch da sträuben sich diese zurückgebliebenen Wesen noch hartnäckig und dieser Zustand ist entscheidend.
Auf der Vulkan-Erde kann dann nichts mehr gerettet werden. Auf der Venus-Erde ist in der letzten Unterzeitepoche der letzte Moment für die Errettung gekommen. Deshalb haben die alten Kabbalisten das Wort «Sorat» gebildet, weil darin die Zahl 666 enthalten ist. Das ist auch die Zahl jener Menschen, die aus ihrem freien, raffinierten Willen heraus zu schwarzen Magiern geworden sind, indem sie spirituelle Kräfte in den Dienst ihres Egoismus gestellt haben.
Der erste Drache ist also kein Mensch; er kam aus der geistigen Welt; der zweite Drache wird zur tierischen Natur gerechnet, aber im eminentesten Sinne rechnet die Bibel diese Zahl der dritten Gruppe zu den Menschen. So ist 666 nicht eines Tieres Zeichen, sondern eines Menschen Zahl.
Die Apokalypse ist ein Abriß der ganzen Entwickelung. Die Venus-Erde stellt sich dem hellseherischen Blicke so dar, daß nicht mehr viel zu hoffen bleibt für die Zurückgebliebenen; denn die Menschenkräfte werden da nicht viel ausrichten. Daher sieht es da wüst aus und die schlimmsten Laster werden dort herrschen in der übelsten Weise; sie müssen ausgestoßen werden während des VenusZustandes der Erde. Auf der Jupiter-Erde sind noch viele, viele, die sich retten lassen werden und sich mit der Sonne vereinigen.
Auf der Venus-Erde aber muß überwunden werden und in den Abgrund hinabgestoßen werden das Böse; das ist der «Fall von Babylon». (Apk. Kap. 17 u. 18) Die Menschen aber, die sich gerettet haben, die können sich weiterentwickeln zu einem neuen Sonnenzustand. Zur Vulkan-Erde erhebt sich das, was sich gereinigt und geläutert hat.
Der Mensch ist heute bereits schöpferisch auf Erden. Er kann die leblosen Naturkräfte in seinen Dienst stellen und zwingen, er kann Dome bauen, kann den Marmor behauen; die leblose Natur meistert der Mensch heute. Das, was der Mensch geleistet hat während der Erdenentwickelung als Kunst, das wird, während das äußere Physische vergeht, während zu Staub zerfallen sein werden die Raffaelischen Madonnenbilder, einst in anderer Form auferstehen. Die Kristalle, die wir heute sehen, sind einst von den Mondenmenschen ausgearbeitet worden in Formen, so ähnlich wie wir heute Künstlerisches formen und leisten. Das, was die Geister einst erarbeitet haben in unendlichen Zeiträumen, das wächst heute heraus aus der Erde, das geht heute auf. So geht auch auf die Materie von Raffaels Madonnen; in jener fernen Zukunft wird alles, was die Menschen jetzt erschaffen haben, in kristallener Helle erstehen. Die Stätte, die sich der Mensch vorbereitet hat und die er vorfinden wird, die nennt der Apokalyptiker «das neue Jerusalem». (Apk. Kap. 21) Eine neue Welt wird erstehen, und sie wird bewohnt werden können von Menschen, die den Reifezustand erlangt haben werden und die in einem neuen Zustande, dem Jupiter-Dasein, die Stätte finden werden, wo aus der Liebe und aus der Menschen Arbeit heraus Frieden herrschen wird.
Eleventh Lecture
Looking back over the development of our earth, we have seen that the earth is becoming more spiritual, that human beings can participate in this development, and that they can return to the sun. Evolution thus leads to an ever-increasing spiritualization, to a higher, devachanic state. All those beings who are too deeply entrenched in their materialization cannot participate in this spiritual Earth. First, everything must pass into an astral state. But the coarse material elements of humanity and the bad substances in the lower realms enter with human beings into a kind of lower astral world, which could be called the sub-physical astral world. So we have the devachan, the astral world, the physical world, and the lower astral world. This lower astral world is also the one that stands in the way of our development today. It is ruled by the spirit Mammon, that is, the spirit of obstacles. He is a power of the lower astral world.
All beings who cannot ascend to the higher world must descend into this lower world, while all higher beings will enter the Earth state reunited with the Sun after the period of the seven trumpet blasts.
In each earthly state, a certain group of beings has passed through its human state: on the moon, the angels; on the sun, the archangels; on Saturn, the good Asuras, also called Archai or Urbeginnings. There are also beings who did not complete their development. Such beings existed, for example, on the moon; these were then transferred to the earth. They were higher than humans, but at that time had not yet reached the human stage. These are the Luciferic spirits. They have entangled humans even more deeply in matter; they have been connected with humanity since the Lemurian era. Humans would have completed their development in a higher sphere if they had not become connected with them. But humans also owe them something good: freedom. The Luciferic spirits made a sacrifice, so to speak, for the good of humanity by linking their development to the earth at that time and remaining behind.
But Saturn, the sun, and the moon lie before the middle of the earth's development; the beings who remained behind before the middle made a sacrifice. However, those who remain behind from now on, after the middle of Earth's development, would be an obstacle and not a sacrifice. But the Luciferic spirits also brought something positive to humanity; they permeated its astral body with their powers and brought it to independence.
If we now consider that the physical body of the human being was prepared during the old Saturn state, the etheric body during the Sun state, and the astral body during the old Moon state, we see how this physical body is in its nature the most perfect member; it is the most developed. If we gain insight into the miraculous structure of the physical heart, the brain — which is still completely unexplained by physical science, so wisely is it arranged and organized. The astral body is indeed a higher member, but much less perfect; the etheric body is already more perfected; least perfect is the I. How little the ego knows, for example, about the structure of the physical body!
This impact is described in detail in the Bible, where it is said: “Then Yahweh formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7) This took place in the Lemurian epoch. At that time, the Luciferic beings were working into the astral body of man; but precisely because they had crept into the astral body, they were making up for what they themselves had neglected; they were doing in man, by proxy, what they should have done on the moon.
When the Sun has reunited with the Earth, human beings will redeem the Luciferic beings by having purified their instincts, desires, and passions. The Luciferic beings that do not go with them to the Sun will remain in the state they were in; they will then appear as if cast out into the evil lower astral world. This is then the old serpent, and the first of the dragons emerges. When the Earth enters the Sun, a dragon appears. But there are others who remain behind: those human beings who are not really to blame for remaining in animality, who remain slaves to their animal instincts. While the other human beings go to the Sun, they form an evil power against the others. They form the second monster, and the apocalyptic writer says in his precise manner: the Luciferic dragon appears in the sky because it comes from higher worlds; the second beast rises out of the sea — these are the animalistic people who have been left behind. (See Rev. 12:3-13, 10)
Now we have a third phenomenon: the black magicians. They do not remain in animality, but develop spiritual abilities within themselves. They have turned away in full consciousness and renounce their fleshly incarnation for the Sorat; this will be the incarnation of the sun demon.
But now we see how, once again in the future, the earthly will emerge from the sun. If spiritual human beings were to remain united with the sun forever, those human beings who, through no fault of their own, remained behind in animality would no longer be saved. So these spiritual human beings will emerge once again and unite with those who have fallen away in order to try to save those who have been left behind.
When the earth began to be “earth,” it had to briefly repeat the Saturn, sun, and moon states once again. Thus, it went through repetitions before becoming the earth we know today, and now, while still in its actual earth state, it must prophetically foreshadow Jupiter, Venus, and Vulcan. Thus, within the actual Earth state, it goes through seven states, which are usually called rounds. During the foreshadowed Jupiter state, the Earth unites with the Sun. On this Jupiter Earth, all the great time cultures and the seven intermediate periods occur once again, only much less sharply indicated. On this Jupiter Earth, many beings still have the opportunity to be saved, even the black magicians.
The same thing happens again on the Venus Earth; there we have a sixth planetary intermediate state. But even there, these backward beings stubbornly resist, and this state is decisive.
On the volcanic Earth, nothing can be saved. On the Venus Earth, the last moment for salvation has come in the last sub-epoch. That is why the ancient Kabbalists coined the word “Sorat,” because it contains the number 666. This is also the number of those people who, out of their free, refined will, have become black magicians by placing spiritual powers at the service of their egoism.
The first dragon is therefore not a human being; he came from the spiritual world; the second dragon is counted as animal nature, but in the most eminent sense, the Bible counts this number of the third group as human beings. Thus, 666 is not the sign of an animal, but the number of a human being.
The Apocalypse is an outline of the entire development. The Venus Earth presents itself to the clairvoyant gaze in such a way that there is not much hope left for those who remain behind, for human powers will not accomplish much there. Therefore, it looks desolate there, and the worst vices will reign there in the worst way; they must be cast out during the Venus state of the Earth. On the Jupiter Earth, there are still many, many who will be saved and unite with the Sun.
On the Venus Earth, however, evil must be overcome and cast down into the abyss; this is the “fall of Babylon” (Rev. 17 and 18). But those people who have saved themselves can continue to develop into a new solar state. That which has been purified and refined rises to the volcanic Earth.
Man is already creative on Earth today. He can put the lifeless forces of nature at his service and compel them; he can build domes and carve marble; man has mastered lifeless nature today. What man has achieved during the evolution of the earth as art will, while the outer physical passes away and Raphael's Madonna paintings crumble to dust, once rise again in another form. The crystals we see today were once worked into shapes by the moon people, similar to the way we shape and create art today. What the spirits once worked out over infinite periods of time is now growing out of the earth, is now blossoming. So too with the matter of Raphael's Madonnas; in that distant future, everything that humans have now created will arise in crystalline brightness. The place that humans have prepared for themselves and will find is called by the apocalyptic writer “the new Jerusalem.” (Apoc. Chap. 21) A new world will arise, and it will be inhabited by people who will have attained maturity and who, in a new state, the Jupiter existence, will find the place where peace will reign through love and human work.