Reading the Pictures of the Apocalypse
GA 104a
21 May 1909, Kristiania
Lecture II-XII
We cannot discuss everything that could be said in connection with the Apocalypse, for then we would have to speak for years. In these lectures we can only give a kind of sketch, and some explanations that can help us understand this mighty work. Today we would still like to point out some particularly important things. We begin by returning to a specific question of human evolution.
Every age between the Atlantean catastrophe and the great war of all against all has its own unique task for our development. In a new incarnation a human being never has the same task as in the last one. From incarnation to incarnation new tasks approach us, and so this post-Atlantean evolutionary age has worked on human beings in a special way. The whole epoch of earth evolution exists to make human beings fit particularly to develop the human I. In the last third of the Atlantean age, human beings were first equipped to draw the I toward the physical head. That is, the I, the spiritual basis for the experience of self that was only like a seed at the time, was pulled “down” toward the physical body, specifically, toward the human head. But the most significant impulse to have an effect on the I came through the event of Golgotha. All the preceding epochs had already worked in that direction. When we look back at the last third of Atlantean evolution we see that a certain point in the etheric head and the physical head did not then coincide, whereas today the etheric body of the head is approximately the same as the physical head. Because of this, human beings gradually came to develop their I, their sense of self. The rest of Atlantean evolution was used to make the human being fit to be a proper bearer of the I. Even at the end of Atlantean culture the brain was entirely soft, more or less like that of a hydrocephalic today, as part of an atavistic inheritance. The physical brain could only become firm enough through the arrival of the etheric brain. Still, even when the etheric head had fully entered the physical head in the ancient Indian age, it was not yet possible for this head to be a perfect bearer of the I. For this reason the ancient Indians longed for the spiritual world and had to be educated so that the I could gradually develop in them.
To begin with, the human being consists of the four members: physical body, etheric body, astral body, and the I. However, if we wish to investigate post-Atlantean evolution more precisely, we must also consider the ninefold aspect of the human being. This is the difference between the oriental and the northern mystery teachings. The I works to transform the astral body into manas or spirit-self, the etheric body into budhi or life-spirit, and the physical body, through breathing, into atma. In other words, the I transforms the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body. But before this can happen consciously, it must have taken place through higher beings.
Today the conscious transformation of these members occurs only in schools of initiation. For example, in the last third of the Atlantean age the physical body was transformed to the point that it could be a bearer of an I, but this occurred unconsciously. What was transformed in the astral body is called sentient soul, the etheric body transformed in this way is called the intellectual soul, and the physical body thus unconsciously transformed is the consciousness soul. And only when human beings have developed the consciousness soul can the spirit-self gradually—and at first, unconsciously—be woven into them.
In the cultural epochs of our earth evolution, manas is gradually being formed and slipped into the astral body. After it has been prepared in the last third of the Atlantean age, the consciousness soul must again be transformed by the Yahweh-Christ principle in the next cultural epoch.
In the ancient Indian age the etheric body was permeated by the I, which by then had moved into the human being. In the ancient Persian age the astral body was permeated by the I, in the Egyptian age the I permeated the sentient soul; in the Greco-Latin age the intellectual soul was permeated by the I, in our culture, the I permeates the consciousness soul. In the age of “Philadelphia” the I will permeate the spirit-self, or manas. Then the human beings who, through theosophical-spiritual teachings, have made themselves capable of recognizing Christ will be in a position to see him in a new form of existence—in his delicate etheric body—for he will come again.
The I will be educated through wisdom, through Theosophy, so that it receives manas or spirit-self and will be able to recognize Christ again. Theosophical teachings have been given to humankind not in order to agitate for Theosophy but rather because they were necessary.
In the age represented by the seven seals something like a shower of meteorites will occur, caused by increasing materialism, and some human beings will ascend to a spiritual state. What the spiritualized human beings have acquired through their efforts in our post-Atlantean age will completely permeate them within. When, in the age of the sixth seal, everything that the human being has in terms of sentient soul, intellectual soul, and consciousness soul has been worked into the other members, human beings will have achieved the ability to create an external imprint of their inner life in their gesture, features, in their whole life. Because they have worked on their development they will be able, in the fourth, fifth, and sixth ages in the epoch of the seals, to use these three soul forces—the sentient, intellectual, and consciousness souls—to permeate and work on themselves in order to take in manas.
When the human being has gone through a cycle fully, so that nothing more remains to be done, this is characterized in occultism with a “0” or zero. Therefore, human beings will have permeated the three with four. For the next age, this permeation of the three with the four is expressed by multiplying three by four; they have gone through three cycles, that is through three zeros. This is expressed thus: twelve with three zeros: 12,000. “Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, ‘Do not harn the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of the sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, twelve thousand sealed out of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand of the tribe of Reuben ...” (Rev. 7:2–5) Then the various groups of people who have matured will be united in the community of Philadelphia for mature brotherhood when every soul will feel for others. All those who have been separated out of the various groups can now be multiplied together because they will live within one another. Their life together will be such that they will not disturb one another, such that one soul will work into another soul in complete harmony. Twelve times 12,000 gives the number 144,000.
These are the people who will constitute human society in the age of the sixth seal. The writer of the Apocalypse knows the secrets of all evolution, and he tells them in a language generally little understood. He does this because human beings will be able to develop their consciousness soul precisely through the exertion of energy required to penetrate such riddles. What today is presented as Theosophy is appropriate for the present age. In later ages an entirely different form of wisdom will be given. The souls who are preparing themselves by taking in Theosophy will take in new forms of wisdom in the next age. What is exoteric culture today was mystery wisdom in ancient times.
In all the ancient mysteries there was a last stage wherein the student experienced the mystery of Golgotha. Therefore, the coffin in which the student experienced the crucifixion, the laying in the grave—and out of which, experienced the resurrection—this coffin was given the shape of the cross. Since the mystery of Golgotha, this fact has become exoteric.
The conservative attitude has always been opposed to making the esoteric exoteric. Hence, Christ was seen as someone who makes the esoteric manifest. But when the time for it has come, the esoteric must always be made manifest. Had we been able to follow the writer of the Apocalypse to the place where he spoke to his disciples, we would be able to hear what is spoken to us today.
In the age when the sixth seal is broken the “people of twelve” will appear. The salvation of the “great whore of Babylon” will also occur in the sixth age. In this sixth age the earth will have repeated the Saturn, Sun, and Moon stages, as well as the earth condition itself and Jupiter-Earth. On Venus-Earth the earth will finally have the five rounds behind it. Then the sixth state will have come. Nevertheless, the Vulcan state for the chosen will not be present yet. For this reason we read [“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come ...”] “... five are fallen ...” and the remnant that has maintained itself: “... one is ...” and the seventh: “the other has not yet come.” (Rev. 17:10) We see how we again find the messages of the writer of the Apocalypse in Theosophy.
But those who have proven themselves to be immature in the age of Venus-Earth, who have placed themselves under the rulership of Sorat, must now isolate themselves on a special sphere of earth while the other seven proceed downward and again upward. Thus the colony of Sorat falls away. The black magicians inhabit this eighth sphere, which goes to the left and away, and the beast gives a home to all that thus falls away: that is the eighth state. In this way we can find all the teachings of Theosophy in the Apocalypse.
The more humanity advances, the more energy is necessary in order to spiritualize those who have been left behind. For this reason those who are the most deeply initiated, Moses and Elijah, are called. Powerful forces are needed. Because they were already deeply initiated, they will be able in that distant future to stand so high that they will be able to work in a very special way. However, karma is a law to which all are subject; therefore, those who were initiated before the event of Golgotha must make up for the following.
The three and a half days required for initiation in ancient times were lost days in the initiates' development. Initiates had to leave their bodies during these three and a half days. Therefore, the I could not work on the transformation of its physical body, its etheric body, and its astral body. For this reason, in the future they must leave their physical body to the external world for three and a half days. Hence, we read, “For three days and a half ... gaze at their dead bodies.” (Rev. 11:9) Even the deeds that are sacrifices for humanity must find their cosmic compensation.
In this way spiritual seers have spoken to other spiritual seers through the millennia and we find all of this again even unto the names in the Apocalypse. As Paul said, “... it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) This, too, we find again in the Apocalypse. The I is permeated by Christ. The one who can fructify the I with his name is the Christ: “... and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but he himself.” (Rev. 19:12)
We are also told that the earth will be spiritualized in the New Jerusalem. There will be no external sun present then; the corresponding spiritual beings will provide the light. We read, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it ...” (Rev. 21:23)
The writer of the Apocalypse always shows the evolution of humankind in pictures. He sees the leader who was first proclaimed as Vishva Karman, and then as Ahura Mazdao, and he points to him, to Christ.
In order to illuminate what is found in the Apocalypse, we must refer to the transformation of organs that are developed in human beings into other forms. They now have the ability to change their forms.
The heart muscle is distinguished from other muscles under our voluntary control by the fact that the heart is an involuntary muscle, and yet is striated in the same way as voluntary muscle. The heart is on the way to becoming an organ with entirely different functions. We see this indicated in the structure of the muscle.
What comes forth from the voice box will become increasingly powerful. What we speak forth in order to express our thoughts shapes the air—already now it forms it according to how we think. But the word will become increasingly powerful. One day the human being will create the human being's equal through the word that comes forth from the larynx. The one who has the sword coming forth from his mouth is an indication of the being who is the alpha and the omega.
The lamb, who will be the lord over the lower nature, forms one of the seals. Sorat is as if expelled in the eighth sphere by the woman who shows us another seal of the Rosicrucian. The seer can also see this in the spiritual world. In this way, these Rosicrucian seals have an awakening effect when we meditate upon them with understanding.
We have seen how we must understand ancient religious texts literally, taking them at their word. Theosophy is the only possible commentary for the Apocalypse and it should prepare the community of Philadelphia. It is therefore within the plan for the evolution of the earth that Theosophy exists. Therefore, at various locations on the earth, great individualities are at work to give Theosophy to those able to receive it.
Zwölfter Vortrag
Wir können nicht alles besprechen, was in Anknüpfung an die Apokalypse zu sagen ist, denn sonst müßten wir jahrelang darüber sprechen. Es kann sich deshalb in diesen Vorträgen nur darum handeln, eine Art von Skizze zu geben und einige Erklärungen, die helfen können, dieses gewaltige Werk zu verstehen. Heute wollen wir noch auf einige besonders wichtige Dinge hinweisen. Zunächst müssen wir da auf eine Einzelfrage der menschlichen Entwickelung zurückgehen.
Zwischen der atlantischen Katastrophe und dem großen Kriege aller gegen alle hat jeder Zeitraum seine ganz besondere Aufgabe für unsere Entwickelung. Niemals hat ein Mensch in einer neuen Inkarnation dieselbe Aufgabe wie in der vorherigen. Von Inkarnation zu Inkarnation treten neue Aufgaben an ihn heran und so hat diese nachatlantische Entwickelungszeit in besonderer Weise an den Menschen gearbeitet. Die Erdenzeit ist dazu da, den Menschen geeignet zu machen, das Menschen-Ich besonders zu entwickeln. Im letzten Drittel der atlantischen Zeit hat der Mensch die erste Anlage dazu empfangen, sein Ich, das im ersten Keime war, heranzuziehen an den physischen Kopf. Aber der bedeutendste Impuls wurde ausgeübt auf das Ich durch das Ereignis von Golgatha. Alle vorhergehenden Epochen wirkten aber schon im voraus darauf hin. Wenn wir zurückschauen auf das letzte Drittel der atlantischen Entwickelung, so sehen wir, wie damals ein gewisser Punkt im Ätherkopf und im physischen Kopf sich nicht deckten, während heute der Ätherleib des Kopfes ‚ungefähr gleich ist dem physischen Kopfe. Dadurch kam der Mensch nach und nach dazu, sein Ich zu entwickeln. Der ganze Rest der atlantischen Entwickelung wurde dazu verwendet, den Menschen geeignet zu machen, ein richtiger Ich-Träger zu werden. Selbst in der letzten Zeit der atlantischen Kultur war das Gehirn noch ganz weich, ungefähr so, wie heute der Wasserkopf noch als atavistisches Erbteil zu finden ist. Nur durch das Hereinrücken des Ätherkopfes konnte das physische Gehirn fest genug werden. Als nun im alten indischen Zeitraum der Ätherkopf vollkommen im physischen Kopf drin war, konnte dieser Kopf doch noch nicht ein vollkommener Ich-Träger sein. Deshalb sehnte sich der alte Inder nach der geistigen Welt und mußte dazu erzogen werden, daß sich das Ich nach und nach in ihm entwickeln konnte.
Der Mensch besteht zunächst aus den vier Wesensgliedern: aus dem physischen Leib, dem Ätherleib, dem Astralleib und dem Ich. Wollen wir aber genauer eingehen auf die nachatlantische Entwickelung, müssen wir die neungliedrige Wesenheit des Menschen in Betracht ziehen. Das ist der Unterschied zwischen orientalischer und nordischer Mysterienlehre. Das Ich arbeitet nun, um den Astralleib zu Manas oder Geistselbst, den Ätherleib zu Budhi oder Lebensgeist und den physischen Leib zu Atma - durch den Atem - umzugestalten. Das Ich bildet also den Astralleib, den Ätherleib und den physischen Leib um. Aber ehe das bewußt vor sich gehen kann, muß es durch höhere Wesenheiten geschehen.
Heute geschieht ein bewußtes Hineinarbeiten nur in den Mysterienschulen, in den Einweihungsschulen. Es ist zum Beispiel im letzten Drittel der atlantischen Zeit nur in unbewußter Weise der physische Leib soweit umgestaltet worden, daß er ein Ich-Träger werden konnte. Das, was nun in dem Astralleib umgewandelt worden ist, nennt man Empfindungsseele, der so umgewandelte Ätherleib ist die Verstandesseele und der so unbewußt umgearbeitete physische Leib ist die Bewußtseinsseele. Und erst dann, wenn der Mensch die Bewußtseinsseele entwickelt hat, kann nach und nach, unbewußt anfangs, das Geistselbst in ihn hineingearbeitet werden.
Nach und nach wird nun in den Kulturepochen unserer Erdenentwickelung das ausgebildet, daß sich Manas hineinschiebt in den Astralleib. Die Bewußtseinsseele muß, nachdem sie vorbereitet worden ist im letzten Drittel der atlantischen Zeit, in den nächsten Kulturepochen wieder umgebildet werden durch das Jahve-ChristusPrinzip.
In der altindischen Zeit wird der Ätherleib durchzogen von dem nun in den Menschen eingezogenen Ich, in der persischen wird der Astralleib vom Ich durchzogen, in der ägyptischen die Empfindungsseele, in der griechisch-lateinischen die Verstandesseele, in unserer Kultur die Bewußtseinsseele, in der Zeit «Philadelphia» das Geistselbst oder Manas. Dann werden die Menschen, die sich durch die theosophisch-spirituellen Lehren fähig gemacht haben, den Christus zu erkennen, imstande sein, ihn in einer neuen Daseinsform, in seinem feinen Ätherleibe zu sehen, denn er wird wiederkommen.
Durch Weisheit, durch Theosophie wird das Ich so erzogen, daß es Manas oder Geistselbst empfängt und den Christus wiederzuerkennen imstande sein wird. Nicht um für die Theosophie zu agitieren wurden die theosophischen Lehren der Menschheit gegeben, sondern weil sie notwendig waren.
In dem Zeitraum, der repräsentiert wird durch die sieben Siegel, wird nun eintreten durch den zunehmenden Materialismus so etwas wie ein Meteorregen und die anderen Menschen werden aufsteigen in einem geistigen Zustande. Das, was sich die spiritualisierten Menschen in unserer nachatlantischen Kultur erarbeitet haben, das wird sich innig in ihrem Innern durchdringen. Wenn im Zeitraum des sechsten Siegels alles, was der Mensch hat an Empfindungs-, Verstandes- und Bewußtseinsseele, in die anderen Glieder hineingearbeitet sein wird, dann wird der Mensch die Fähigkeit erlangt haben, im Äußeren einen Abdruck zu schaffen des Innern in seinen Gesten, seinen Zügen, seinem ganzen Leben. Dadurch, daß er gearbeitet hat an seiner Entwickelung, wird er im vierten, fünften, sechsten Zeitraum in der Epoche der Siegel gerade dazu fähig sein, durch die Durchdringung mit diesen drei Seelenkräften — der Empfindungs-, Verstandes- und Bewußtseinsseele —- an sich zu arbeiten, um Manas aufnehmen zu können.
Wenn der Mensch einen Zyklus wirklich durchgemacht hat, so daß nichts mehr übriggeblieben ist, so bezeichnet man das im Okkultismus mit 0 oder Null. Da werden also die Menschen die 3 mit der 4 durchdrungen haben. Für den nächsten Zeitraum ist diese Durchdringung der 3 mit der 4 ausgedrückt dadurch, daß man die 3 mit der 4 multipliziert; sie sind durch 3 Zyklen hindurchgegangen, das heißt durch 3 Nullen. Man drückt dieses so aus: 12 mit drei Nullen: 12 000. «Und ich sah einen anderen Engel aufsteigen von Sonnenaufgang mit einem Siegel des lebendigen Gottes, der rief mit lauter Stimme den vier Engeln, denen gegeben war zu schädigen die Erde und das Meer und sprach: schädiget die Erde nicht, noch das Meer, noch die Bäume, bis wir die Knechte Gottes versiegelt haben auf der Stirne. Und ich hörte die Zahl der Versiegelten, nämlich hundert vier und vierzig Tausend Versiegelte aus allen Stämmen der Söhne Israel: aus dem Stamm Juda zwölftausend versiegelt, aus dem Stamm Ruben zwölftausend...» (Apk. 7, 2-5) Nun werden die verschiedenen Gruppen der Menschen, die es zur Reife gebracht haben, vereint in der Gemeinde der Philadelphia zur Reife in der Bruderschaft, weil die eine Seele mitfühlt mit der anderen. Alle die, welche aus den verschiedenen Gruppen sich herausgegliedert haben, darf man nun miteinander multiplizieren, weil sie so ineinander leben werden, daß sie sich nicht stören, daß Seele in Seele sich hineinarbeitet: 12 mal 12000, das ergibt die Zahl 144 000.
Das sind die, welche die menschliche Gesellschaft bilden werden im Zeitraum des sechsten Siegels. Der Apokalyptiker kennt die Geheimnisse der ganzen Entwickelung und er erzählt sie in einer allgemein so wenig verständlichen Sprache, weil die Menschen gerade durch die Kräfteaufwendung, um in die Rätsel einzudringen, imstande sein werden, die Bewußtseinsseele zu entwickeln.
Das, was heute als Theosophie vorgetragen wird, das paßt für die heutige Epoche. In späteren Zeiten wird eine ganz andere Form der Weisheit vorgetragen werden. Die Seelen, die sich heute durch Aufnahme der Theosophie vorbereiten, werden im nächsten Zeitalter neue Weisheitsformen aufnehmen. Was heute exoterische Kultur ist, das war in alten Zeiten Mysterienweisheit.
In allen alten Mysterien nun gab es eine letzte Stufe, bei der der Schüler das Mysterium von Golgatha erlebte. So gab man dem Sarg, in dem der Schüler die Kreuzigung, die Grablegung und aus dem er die Auferstehung erlebte, die Kreuzesform. Seit dem Mysterium von Golgatha ist diese Tatsache exoterisch geworden.
Der konservative Sinn wehrt sich immer dagegen, daß das Esoterische exoterisch gemacht wird. So wurde der Christus betrachtet als jemand, der das Esoterische hinaustrug. Aber es muß} immer, wenn die Zeit dazu da ist, das Esoterische hinausgetragen werden. Hätten wir folgen können dem Apokalyptiker dahin, wo er zu seinen Schülern gesprochen hat, so hätten wir das alle hören können, was heute zu uns gesprochen wird.
In dem Zeitraum, da das sechste Siegel erbrochen wird, werden die Zwölfer-Menschen erscheinen, und ebenso wird in dem sechsten Zustand die Errettung der «großen Hure Babylon» stattfinden. In diesem sechsten Zustand wird die Erde wiederholt haben die Saturn-, Sonnen- und Mond-Erde, dazu den eigentlichen Erdenzustand, die Jupiter-Erde und wird endlich auf der Venus-Erde die fünf Runden hinter sich haben. Dann ist der sechste Zustand gekommen; doch noch ist der Vulkan-Zustand für die Auserwählten nicht da. Deshalb heißt es: «Die fünf sind gefallen» — und das, was sich als Rest erhalten hat: — «der eine ist» — und der siebente: — «der andere ist noch nicht gekommen.» (Apk. 17, 10) So sehen wir, wie wir die Theosophie in den Angaben des Apokalyptikers wiederfinden.
Aber die, welche sich in der Zeit der Venus-Erde als unreif erwiesen haben, die sich unter die Herrschaft des Sorat gestellt haben, müssen sich jetzt absondern auf einer besonderen Erdkugel, während die sieben anderen abwärts und wieder aufwärts gehen. So fällt die Kolonie des Sorat heraus. Die schwarzen Magier bewohnen diese achte Sphäre, die links geht, und das Tier beherbergt alles, was herausfällt: das ist der achte Zustand. So könnten wir alle theosophischen Lehren in der Apokalypse finden.
Je mehr die Menschen vorschreiten, desto mehr Kraft ist dazu notwendig, die Zurückgebliebenen zu spiritualisieren. Daher werden die, welche die Tiefsteingeweihten sind, Moses und Elias, aufgerufen, denn da sind starke Kräfte nötig. Sie waren schon tief eingeweiht; daher können sie in jener fernen Zukunft so hoch stehen, daß sie in besonderer Weise wirken können. Aber Karma ist ein Gesetz, dem alle unterworfen sind; daher müssen die, welche vor dem Ereignis von Golgatha eingeweiht wurden, folgendes nachholen:
Die dreieinhalb Tage, in denen der alte Eingeweihte eingeweiht worden ist, sind herausgefallen aus seiner Entwickelung. Der Eingeweihte mußte ja seinen Leib verlassen in diesen dreieinhalb Tagen. So konnte das Ich in diesen Tagen nicht arbeiten an der Umwandlung seines physischen Leibes, seines Ätherleibes und seines Astralleibes. Deshalb müssen sie durch dreieinhalb Tage in Zukunft ihren physischen Leib der Außenwelt überlassen. So lesen wir: «Und... werden ihre Leichen sehen drei und einen halben Tag.» (Apk. 11, 9) Selbst die Taten, die der Menschheit als Opfer gebracht wurden, müssen ihren kosmischen Ausgleich finden.
So haben die geistigen Seher durch die Jahrtausende hinüber zu den geistigen Sehern gesprochen und wir finden alles bis auf die Namen in der Apokalypse wieder. Wie Paulus sagt: «Ich lebe, doch nun nicht ich, sondern der Christus in mir» (vgl. Gal. 2, 20), das finden wir auch dort wieder. In das Ich leuchtet der Christus hinein. So wird das Ich von dem Christus durchdrungen werden; derjenige, der mit seinem Namen das Ich befruchten kann, das ist der Christus: «...und ein Name ist geschrieben, welchen niemand kennt, außer er selbst.» (Apk. 19, 12)
Auch daß die Erde vergeistigt werden wird in dem neuen Jerusalem, das wird uns gesagt. Dann ist keine äußere Sonne mehr da; die entsprechenden geistigen Wesen sind es, die Licht verbreiten. Dort heißt es: «... und die Stadt bedarf nicht Sonne noch Mond, daß sie ihr scheinen.» (Apk. 21, 23)
Immer zeigt der Apokalyptiker im Bilde die Menschheitsentwickelung; er sieht den Führer, der zuerst als Vishva Karman, dann als Ahura Mazdao verkündet ward, und er weist auf Ihn, auf Christus hin.
Um das zu beleuchten, was in der Apokalypse steht, müssen wir noch auf die Verwandlung der Organe hinweisen, die sich im Menschen entwickeln, um andere Gestaltung anzunehmen; sie haben jetzt sozusagen die Anlage, sich umzugestalten.
Der Herzmuskel unterscheidet sich dadurch von den anderen Muskeln, die in des Menschen Willkür stehen, daß das Herz ein unwillkürlicher Muskel und doch quergestreift ist wie alle willkürlichen Muskeln. Das Herz ist auf dem Wege, ein ganz anders funktionierendes Organ zu werden; das können wir daran schon angedeutet finden.
Immer mächtiger wird das, was aus dem Stimmorgan dringt; das, was wir reden, um unsere Gedanken auszudrücken, das gestaltet die Luft so um, das formt sie schon jetzt so, wie wir denken. Aber immer mächtiger wird das Wort werden. Durch das Wort, das aus der Kehle dringt, wird der Mensch einst seinesgleichen erschaffen. Jene Wesenheit, die das Alpha und das Omega ist, wird angedeutet durch den, der das Schwert im Munde führt.
Das Lamm, das Herr sein wird über das Niedere, bildet eines der Siegel. Wie hinausgestoßen wird Sorat in die achte Sphäre durch das Weib, das uns ein anderes Rosenkreuzersiegel zeigt; das kann der Seher auch heute sehen in der geistigen Welt. So wirken diese Rosenkreuzersiegel erweckend, wenn man sich verständnisvoll in sie versenkt.
Wir aber haben gesehen, wie man die religiösen Urkunden wörtlich nehmen muß. Die Theosophie ist der einzig mögliche Kommentar für die Apokalypse und sie soll ja vorbereiten die Gemeinde von Philadelphia; es liegt also im Plan der Erdenentwickelung, daß es eine Theosophie gibt.
So wirken an den verschiedenen Punkten unserer Erde große Individualitäten, um den Menschen, die sie aufzunehmen imstande sind, die Theosophie zu geben.
Twelfth Lecture
We cannot discuss everything that needs to be said in connection with the Apocalypse, for that would take years. Therefore, these lectures can only provide a kind of outline and a few explanations that may help to understand this enormous work. Today we want to point out a few particularly important things. First, we must return to a specific question concerning human development.
Between the Atlantean catastrophe and the great war of all against all, each period has its own special task for our development. No human being ever has the same task in a new incarnation as in the previous one. From incarnation to incarnation, new tasks arise for him, and so this post-Atlantean period of development has worked on human beings in a special way. The time on earth is there to make human beings suitable for developing the human ego in particular. In the last third of the Atlantean epoch, human beings received the first inclination to draw their ego, which was in its first germ, up to the physical head. But the most significant impulse was exerted on the ego by the event at Golgotha. All previous epochs, however, had already been working toward this in advance. When we look back at the last third of the Atlantean development, we see how at that time a certain point in the etheric head and in the physical head did not coincide, whereas today the etheric body of the head is approximately equal to the physical head. As a result, human beings gradually came to develop their ego. The entire remainder of the Atlantean evolution was used to make human beings suitable to become true carriers of the I. Even in the last period of the Atlantean culture, the brain was still quite soft, much as the hydrocephalus is still found today as an atavistic inheritance. Only with the arrival of the etheric head could the physical brain become solid enough. When, in ancient Indian times, the etheric head was completely within the physical head, this head was still not a perfect carrier of the ego. That is why the ancient Indians longed for the spiritual world and had to be educated so that the ego could gradually develop within them.
Human beings initially consist of four elements: the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the ego. However, if we want to go into more detail about post-Atlantean development, we must consider the ninefold nature of human beings. This is the difference between Eastern and Northern mystery teachings. The ego now works to transform the astral body into manas or spirit self, the etheric body into buddhi or life spirit, and the physical body into atma—through the breath. The ego thus transforms the astral body, the etheric body, and the physical body. But before this can happen consciously, it must be done by higher beings.
Today, conscious work of this kind takes place only in the mystery schools, in the schools of initiation. In the last third of the Atlantean epoch, for example, the physical body was transformed only unconsciously to the extent that it could become a vehicle for the ego. What has now been transformed in the astral body is called the sentient soul; the etheric body thus transformed is the intellectual soul, and the physical body, thus unconsciously transformed, is the conscious soul. And only when the human being has developed the consciousness soul can the spirit self gradually, and initially unconsciously, be worked into him.
Gradually, during the cultural epochs of our earth's development, manas is formed and pushes its way into the astral body. After being prepared in the last third of the Atlantean epoch, the consciousness soul must be transformed again in the following cultural epochs through the Yahweh-Christ principle.
In ancient Indian times, the etheric body was permeated by the ego, which had now entered into human beings; in Persian times, the astral body was permeated by the ego; in Egyptian times, the sentient soul; in Greek-Latin times, the intellectual soul; in our culture, the consciousness soul; and in the “Philadelphia” era, the spirit self or manas. Then those human beings who have made themselves capable of recognizing Christ through theosophical-spiritual teachings will be able to see him in a new form of existence, in his subtle etheric body, for he will return.
Through wisdom, through theosophy, the ego is educated in such a way that it receives manas or the spirit self and will be able to recognize Christ again. The theosophical teachings were not given to humanity in order to promote theosophy, but because they were necessary.
In the period represented by the seven seals, something like a meteor shower will now occur due to increasing materialism, and other people will ascend to a spiritual state. What spiritualized people have achieved in our post-Atlantean culture will penetrate deeply into their inner being. When, during the period of the sixth seal, everything that man has in his feeling, thinking, and conscious soul has been worked into the other members, then man will have attained the ability to create an external impression of his inner being in his gestures, his features, his whole life. Through working on their development, in the fourth, fifth, and sixth periods of the epoch of the seals, they will be able to work on themselves through the permeation of these three soul forces—the soul of feeling, the soul of understanding, and the soul of consciousness—in order to be able to take in manas.
When a human being has truly gone through a cycle so that nothing remains, this is referred to in occultism as 0 or zero. At this point, human beings will have permeated the 3 with the 4. For the next period, this permeation of the 3 with the 4 is expressed by multiplying the 3 by the 4; they have gone through 3 cycles, that is, through 3 zeros. This is expressed as follows: 12 with three zeros: 12,000. “And I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise with a seal of the living God, who called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of those who were sealed, 144,000 from every tribe of the sons of Israel: 12,000 from the tribe of Judah, 12,000 from the tribe of Reuben... (Rev. 7:2-5) Now the various groups of people who have reached maturity are united in the church of Philadelphia to reach maturity in the brotherhood, because one soul feels with another. All those who have separated themselves from the various groups may now be multiplied together, because they will live in such a way that they do not disturb each other, that soul works into soul: 12 times 12,000 equals 144,000.
These are the ones who will form human society during the period of the sixth seal. The apocalyptic writer knows the secrets of the entire development and tells them in a language that is generally so difficult to understand because it is precisely through the effort to penetrate the riddles that human beings will be able to develop the consciousness soul.
What is presented today as theosophy is appropriate for the present age. In later times, a completely different form of wisdom will be presented. The souls who are preparing themselves today by accepting theosophy will take up new forms of wisdom in the next age. What is exoteric culture today was mystery wisdom in ancient times.
In all ancient mysteries there was a final stage in which the disciple experienced the mystery of Golgotha. Thus, the coffin in which the disciple experienced the crucifixion, the burial, and from which he experienced the resurrection was given the shape of a cross. Since the mystery of Golgotha, this fact has become exoteric.
The conservative mind always resists the esoteric being made exoteric. Thus, Christ was regarded as someone who carried the esoteric out into the world. But when the time comes, the esoteric must always be carried out into the world. If we had been able to follow the apocalyptic writer where he spoke to his disciples, we would have been able to hear everything that is being said to us today.
In the period when the sixth seal is broken, the twelve men will appear, and likewise, in the sixth state, the salvation of the “great whore Babylon” will take place. In this sixth state, the earth will have repeated the Saturn, Sun, and Moon earth, plus the actual earth state, the Jupiter earth, and will finally have completed the five rounds on the Venus earth. Then the sixth state will have come; but the volcanic state is not yet there for the elect. That is why it is said: “The five have fallen” — and that which has remained: “the one is” — and the seventh: “the other has not yet come.” (Rev. 17:10) Thus we see how we find theosophy in the statements of the apocalyptic writer.
But those who proved immature during the Venus-Earth period, who placed themselves under the rule of Sorat, must now separate themselves on a special sphere of the Earth, while the other seven go down and up again. Thus the colony of Sorat falls away. The black magicians inhabit this eighth sphere, which goes to the left, and the beast harbors everything that falls out: this is the eighth state. Thus we could find all theosophical teachings in the Apocalypse.
The more people progress, the more power is needed to spiritualize those who have been left behind. Therefore, those who are the most deeply initiated, Moses and Elijah, are called upon, for strong forces are needed there. They were already deeply initiated; therefore, they can stand so high in that distant future that they can work in a special way. But karma is a law to which all are subject; therefore, those who were initiated before the event of Golgotha must make up for the following:
The three and a half days in which the old initiate was initiated were omitted from his development. The initiate had to leave his body during these three and a half days. Thus, during these days, the I could not work on the transformation of its physical body, its etheric body, and its astral body. Therefore, in future, they must surrender their physical bodies to the outer world for three and a half days. Thus we read: “And... their corpses will lie three and a half days.” (Rev. 11:9) Even the deeds that were offered as sacrifices to humanity must find their cosmic balance.
Thus, spiritual seers have spoken to spiritual seers throughout the millennia, and we find everything except the names in the Apocalypse. As Paul says, “I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (cf. Gal. 2:20), we find this again there. Christ shines into the I. Thus, the I will be permeated by Christ; the one who can fertilize the I with his name is Christ: “...and a name is written which no one knows except himself” (Rev. 19:12).
We are also told that the earth will be spiritualized in the new Jerusalem. Then there will be no more external sun; it will be the corresponding spiritual beings who spread light. There it says: “... and the city has no need of the sun or the moon to shine on it” (Rev. 21:23).
The apocalyptic writer always shows the development of humanity in images; he sees the leader who was first proclaimed as Vishva Karman, then as Ahura Mazdao, and he points to Him, to Christ.
In order to illuminate what is written in the Apocalypse, we must point to the transformation of the organs that develop in human beings in order to take on a different form; they now have, so to speak, the capacity to transform themselves.
The heart muscle differs from the other muscles that are under the control of the human will in that the heart is an involuntary muscle and yet is striated like all voluntary muscles. The heart is on its way to becoming an organ that functions in a completely different way; we can already see hints of this.
What emerges from the vocal organ is becoming ever more powerful; what we say to express our thoughts shapes the air and already forms it in accordance with our thoughts. But the word will become ever more powerful. Through the word that emerges from the throat, man will one day create his own kind. That being which is the Alpha and the Omega is indicated by the one who carries the sword in his mouth.
The lamb that will be lord over the lowly forms one of the seals. How Sorat is cast out into the eighth sphere by the woman who shows us another Rosicrucian seal; the seer can still see this today in the spiritual world. Thus these Rosicrucian seals have an awakening effect when one immerses oneself in them with understanding.
But we have seen how religious documents must be taken literally. Theosophy is the only possible commentary on the Apocalypse, and it is intended to prepare the congregation of Philadelphia; it is therefore part of the plan of Earth's development that there is a theosophy.
Thus, great individualities are working at various points on our earth to give Theosophy to those who are capable of receiving it.