Book of Revelation

The Book of Revelation - also referred to as 'the Apocalyps of St. John' is a book in the Bible written by John the Evangelist (see Individuality of Christian Rosenkreutz and Mystery of John).

It describes the future evolution of humanity and the Earth (see also PDF file The great journey of humanity) in symbolic language and imagery or pictures from clairvoyant vision. Rudolf Steiner states that John, the writer of Gospel of John, was the first and only human being to be initiated by the Christ (re raising of Lazarus-John), and had the highest degree of clairvoyance called 'intuition' or vision into the higher spirit world (see Stages of clairvoyance).

In different lecture cycles between 1904 and 1924 and some 60 lectures in total, Rudolf Steiner provided in depth explanations about the images and meaning of the Book of Revelation from his own clairvoyant vision, mapping it to the 'modern' spiritual scientific evolutionary framework as used in theosophy and anthroposophy (see Schema FMC00.258 below).

Aspects

• the Book of Revelation is an inexhaustible source of ever deeper study, that leads one into 'believing' (or shraddha). Once one has one meaning, one should not cling to it but leave that behind, and so on (1904-10-24-GA090A).
  • see also the Gospel of John as an initiation document, and the quote from Steiner's 1903-12-24-GA088 letter below: "[these images are] living sentences that germinate during meditation, and sprouts of knowledge grow from them".
  • the way to study Revelation is 1) take in every word in a kind of naieve but true belief, 2) look for allegoric meaning by contemplation and meditation 3) take everything literal (1904-11-14-GA090A)
  • the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse is the 'revelation of the divine will of the Father', and as the value of a book comes only from when it is understood, in this case this means that when one 'lives in Christo' (leads life in devotion to Christ, and studies the Gospels and the Book of Revelation) this will give Man the powers that are to be developed
• the Father impulse and spiritualization
  • meteoric impulses, as described by Rudolf Steiner, see Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father#.5B2.5D - About the Father impulse
  • cosmic fire and ascension by Beinsa Douno, see: Sixth epoch#Beinsa Douno.27s last prophecy .281944.29 on ascension
• key concepts appearing in the imagery are ao:
  • seven of each: letters to the churches, seals, trumpets, bowls or vials of wrath
  • Babylon and Old/New Jerusalem
  • Eagle, Lion, Bull and Man
  • 4 horses (white, red, black, pale) and horsemen
    • the horse appears as symbol of intelligence (first four ages of Sixth epoch): "Hence there appears again that which indicated the mere intelligence, the mere intellect; the horse appears four consecutive times. The old form of Man appears which he obtains by receiving into himself the horse nature. This form appears at the opening of the seals." (1908-06-24-GA104)
  • the Mystical Lamb
  • numerical keys:
    • 12, 12.000, 144.000
    • 24: twenty-four Elders (re also secret of the seven seals)
      • in the fourth CoL of the Earth planetary stage of evolution, Man reaches the CoC=4 'human stage' Condition of Consciousness, but already 24 spiritual beings have gone through that stage before - though under very different circumstances (3 times 7 in each CoL of Old Saturn, Old Sun and Old Moon, and three from the Earth's earlier CoL). Because they 'know from experience' and are able to understand evolving Man, these 24 can guide and regulate evolution, they are called the guides of evolution, the directors of time. (1908-06-22-GA104)
      • Rudolf Steiner also calls the '24 Elders' the evolution or time spirits described on Twelve guiding spirits (1907-04-27-GA096; see Mystical Lamb#1907-04-27-GA096) and Zodiac clock
    • 666 (the number of the 'beast', see Sorat) - see Schema FMC00.425 and FMC00.425A on Evil and Sixteen paths of perdition
  • furthermore:
    • two witnesses (referenced in a GA090AB lecture as the Sun and the Moon as witnesses of the path of humanity's development)
    • three beasts, mapping to the Luciferic, Ahrimanic, and Soratic counterforces (see Schema FMC00.426 and Sorat)
    • images from the apocalyptic seal: eg the fifth: woman with sun (see Reunion of Sun)
• the different Letters are directed to communities (geographies, races) that develop one of Man's bodily principles, eg Ephesus physical body, Perganomians astral body. (see 1907-05-15-GA104A on Human races)
• seven seals: refers to the seven 'unspeakable' secrets for the seven epochs and root races of humanity, see Note [2] in the Discussion area
• for the seven apocalyptic seals, see the topic page Apocalyptic seals
• when was it written?
  • Most scholars date the Book of Revelation to approx 95-96 AD. The author John (e.g., Revelation 1:1, 1:4, 1:9) says he received the visions on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9), a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea where he was exiled “because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus,” which is generally taken to mean he was persecuted for being a Christian. Irenaeus (ca. 180 AD), wrote that Revelation was seen "near the end of Domitian’s reign.", and Emperor Domitian (ruled 81–96 AD) is believed to have persecuted Christians, which would explain John's exile.
  • In order to write the Book of Revelation or Apocalypse, John chose a particular point in time and space to become completely separated from himself and his personality and all temporal things around him, and he moved or transported himself to the evening of 30th of September 395 at sundown on Patmos Island .. and he had his visions from this point. On that day the sun stood before the Virgo sign and the moon was under her feet. The configuration of the sun, Virgo and moon on that evening can be checked astronomically, this was done (o.a. by Nikolai Morozov in 1907). See fifth of the apocalyptic seals 'virgin with the radiating sun and the moon under her feet'. (1911-02-12-GA266, 1911-03-05-GA266)

• for reference, on the evolution of humanity and the Earth
  • The PDF file The great journey of humanity provides an introductory overview with a selection of Schemas from the site, and zooms into the pivotal phases of the four epochs between the third and sixth epoch on Earth, and the crucial period of the next 3000 years which is pivotal in the transition of humanity between the current fifth and sixth epochs.

Inspirational quotes

1924-09-09-GA346

.. one of our tasks is to develop this particular understanding of the Apocalypse today, namely, to be able to understand the tasks which are demanding our heartfelt attention every day. It doesn't do any good to merely interpret the Apocalypse. We must put the Apocalypse into practice in everything we do, otherwise we might just as well forget about it. A desire to interpret it in order to satisfy one's curiosity doesn't have much value.

second version

…we have today the task of developing this new understanding of the Apocalypse: to be able to understand it as a task, which presses daily upon our hearts. Today we do not need merely to interpret the Apocalypse. It is necessary that we do the Apocalypse in everything, otherwise we can simply leave it alone. The desire merely to interpret it is of  little value.

Illustrations

Overview structure

Schema FMC00.258 links the spiritual scientific phases of evolution to the structure and chapters of the Book of Revelation

Schema FMC00.491 is an one example of the thousands of illustrations that were made over the centuries to depict the structure and imagery described in the Book of Revelation. The example below is by Clarence Larkin (1850–1924).

Other examples on this site are eg FMC00.390 and FMC00.374B (from the Beatus, copies of 9th to 14th century), or the Apocalyptic seals.

It should be noted that the Book of Revelation has symbolic meaning that can be read on many different levels, and can therefore not be forced into a single unique structure or intellectual mould. This is not dissimilar of the variant Schemas FMC00.196x on Overview of solar system evolution. People use the two graphical dimensions to try and provide some support structure in the form of a kind of logical map that depicts, albeit oversimplified, some of the manifold dimensions of the reality they reference (re 'the map vs the territory' in NLP).

Such maps can be useful as a means of support and introductory overview to not get lost. However there are pros and cons, as Rudolf Steiner points out, see ao the references under FMC enrichment#Introduction: on the importance of illustrations.

Schema FMC00.491A is a colour version of the illustration by Clarence Larkin (1850–1924), produced by Ray N. Tharp (1936-2021).

.

Various aspects from the Book of Revelation

Schema FMC00.402 illustrates the white horse in the Book of Revelation. In 1904-10-24-GA090A this is called the horse Kalki, and is explained how this festival was celebrated since the ancient Indian cultural age and the time of the Rishis.

The divine being with a bow on the white horse is the son of God, who will come as a king (hence wearing a crown) to bring the revelation of what is in the book of the seven seals (see the two right illustrations). The horse with raised forefoot (see illustrations) will step with the forefoot on a snake, representing all of the lower nature that falls off. The upper right picture illustrates Rudolf Steiner's words.

Schema FMC00.426 provides an overview of the three beasts that appears in the Book of Revelation, corresponding to the three faces of Evil.

Additional

Schema FMC00.461 is taken from James Morgan Pryse's 'The apocalypse unsealed' (1910), and shows - on the left - the gnostic chart concealed in the Book of Revelation, with - on the right - the numbers of the names. On the left is depicted the pathway to the arousal of the kundalini force or dormant serpent power, see more on the topic page Kundalini. The three pathways correspond to ida and pingala and the middle sushumna.

Whereas mostly all interpreters and commentaries of the Book of Revelation describe the contents as visions for the future evolution of mankind, Pryse (1859-1942) discovered that the writer also embedded or hid a 'coded' manual for initiation and spiritual development, leading to enlightenment. The correspondences and deep esoteric knowledge appear to make an 'hinein-interpretierung' (fitting something to one's own interpretation) very unlikely to nearly impossible. Pryse's book thereby provides a unique complementary 'reading' of the contents, with well documented explanations and an extensive commentary.

Note Rudolf Steiner pointed to the fact that the Book of Revelation inded "is a book of initiation" (1907-05-15-GA104A) and an inexhaustible source of ever deeper study which has not just one but several or many meanings (oa 1904-10-24-GA090A).

Schema FMC00.611: illustrates two lectures where Rudolf Steiner describes historical development of the Central European cultural basin in the last two millenia in rhythms of some 150 and 600 years. In 1924-09-17-GA346 the seven seals and seven trumpets are used as language to describe time periods of some 150-160 years. In 1911-03-13-GA124 time periods of 600-650 years are used to described waves of cultural impulses and renewal.

The first lecture is an interesting illustration of the Cosmic Fractal nature, and patterns in the cycles connected with the various levels of the spiritual hierarchies: stages from the Book of Revelation are used to describe patterns at a smaller time scale of shorter cycles.

Regarding the renewal waves in 1911-03-13-GA124 (re : Reconquista#1911-03-13-GA124) against a timeline, see also Schema FMC00.534 and Schema FMC00.535

Note: view full screen on large monitor and/on download high resolution version.

Additional positioning - evolutionary frame

Schema FMC00.505 provides a synthetic overview on the sixth epoch on the basis of various commentaries by Rudolf Steiner in early lectures.

Such large reference schemas are condensed as they integrate a lot of information: they can be viewed by clicking 1-2-3 times, and printed high resolution (click once and save maximum size jpg) in large format as a study reference.

Schema FMC00.401 is a meta schema that pulls together various perspectives on the three main epochs in the process of the Individuation of the Human 'I' upto the Christ Impulse. After the initial impulse in the middle of the Lemurian epoch, the group soul process lasted upto the fourth age or root race in the Atlantean epoch. The three main epochs therefore are the 4th Atlantean, current 5th, and the next 6th epoch. Two angles of perspective:

• the zodiacal sign 'language' (re eg FMC00.373 lectures)
• the clear language of:
  • 12 x 12 = 144
  • 16 paths of perdition

These different perspectives point to one and the same anticipated development timeline, and the below serves the discussion to lay these timings and perspectives next to one another and overlay and align them.

Schema FMC00.401A is slightly more complete, adding Schema FMC00.092 with the important timing of Man's clairvoyance and spiritualization linked to the 16 petalled lotus flower (throat chakra throat, larynx). That natural development would complete itself by the fourth age in the sixth epoch, leaving indeed the three last ages of that epoch as key ones (as is mentioned in Revelation lecture 1909-05-21-GA104A).

Lecture coverage and references

Coverage

The main coverage by Rudolf Steiner (besides other coverage in books and lectures) consists of the 60 lectures in the five cycles below:

• 1904-GA090A: 8 lectures
• 1905-GA090B: 6 lectures
• 1907/1909-GA104A: 16 lectures (4 in Munich 1907 and 12 in Christiana 1909)
  • 1907-07-27-GA096 - during the timeframe of a main lecture cycle on this topic, the Book of Revelation sometimes also received important coverage in lectures published in other cycles, this is one such example
• 1908-GA104: 12 lectures
• 1924-GA346: 18 lectures

.. from which appears consistency of an allmost annual cycle in the period 1904-1909; besides this he also gave an annual cycle on the Gospel of John in 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910 (also for a total of about 50-60 lectures).

References

Book of Revelation

Chapter 4

See: Seven creative spirits

The 'Beatus' or Beatus of Liébana's 'Commentary on the Apocalypse'

or 'Commentaria in Apocalypsin' by Beatus of Liébana (730-785), illustrated manuscript of the 8th century of which some 27 copies still exist.

See eg Schema FMC00.374B and Schema FMC00.390

Rudolf Steiner's coverage of the Book of Revelation

1902-GA008 Chapter 8

Christianity as Mystical Fact - Ch 8. The Apocalypse of John

1902-03-22-GA087 and 1902-03-xx-GA087

(p287, 301)

1904-05-21-GA090A

(p150)

1904-10-03-GA090A

(p323)

1904-10-10-GA090A

see also here for an EN copy

1904-10-17-GA090A

see also here for an EN copy

1904-10-24-GA090A

see also here for an EN copy

1904-11-01-GA090A

(p384)

1905-03-19-GA090B

(p286)

1908-06-22-GA104

longer extract on: Old Moon#1908-06-22-GA104

[24 elders]

Now the most important thing for us to realize is that man really only becomes man in the present sense in the middle of the Earth evolution. In the Earth period also we have to distinguish seven conditions. We are now in the fourth. Three have gone before and three will follow. It was in the fourth principal cycle that our present human race was to become man.

Now, just as in all the Rounds upon Old Saturn, Old Sun and Old Moon, certain beings reached the human stage (upon Old Saturn the Archai, upon Old Sun the Archangels, and upon Old Moon the Angels), there were always beings who remained behind. Upon Old Moon there were also beings who could no longer reach the human stage, backward Angels, shall we say, who could only catch up their human stage upon the Earth planet during the first three Rounds. Man reached this stage at the fourth. We therefore say: Before man three other kinds of beings passed through the human stage upon the earth, and the fourth to pass through the human stage upon the earth is man himself.

At that moment in cosmic evolution when man is about to become man, all the beings who have been able to pass through the human stage, throughout Old Saturn, Old Sun, Old Moon and the first three Rounds of the Earth, are beings who have more or less progressed beyond man. But they are all able to look back, as it were, and remember the stage at which they themselves passed through the human stage. They could look down upon the evolving human being and say, “He is now becoming something which we have already been, something which we can understand; although we passed through the stage under different circumstances.” For this reason they could guide and regulate his evolution from the spiritual world.

Let us enumerate how many of these beings there are who are able to look back at the human stage, who are able to understand evolving man.

• Seven from the Saturn evolution,
• plus seven from the Sun,
• plus seven from the Moon stage,
• three from the Earth; twenty-four beings in all.

Twenty-four “Men” look down upon the present man. These are the beings whom for good reasons we have called the guides of evolution, the directors of time. Time is connected with evolution. They are the twenty-four Elders who meet us in the Apocalypse of John. They are the same beings who are described in the part relating to the secret of the seven seals.

They are described as the real directors of history, the true Alpha and Omega. Thus we have also found the twenty-four Elders again here and you see how the Apocalyptist who wrote this important document has secreted in his pictures in a wonderful way what we ourselves are able to find from the study of the spiritual evolution of the world.

1908-06-25-GA104

Thus you see how the present-day humanity will pass into the new epoch beyond the War of All against All, just as that root-race of the Atlanteans lived over into our epoch and founded our civilizations. After the great War of All against All humanity will develop in seven consecutive stages. We have already seen how that which is said concerning the opening of the seven seals in the Apocalypse of John gives us the character of the seven consecutive civilizations after the great war. Then when this civilization — which can only be seen by the initiates in the astral world and in its symbolism — has run its course, a new epoch will begin for our earth development in which again new forms will appear. And this new epoch, which will follow the one just described, is symbolized in the Apocalypse of John by the sounding of the seven trumpets. Just as the epoch after the great War of All against All [editor: sixth epoch] is characterized by the seven seals, because the seer can only see it today from the astral world, so by the sounding of the trumpets is characterized the stage of civilization which follows [editor: seventh epoch], because man can only perceive it from the true spiritual world where the tones of the spheres sound forth. In the astral world man perceives the world in pictures, in symbols, in the spirit world he perceives it in inspiring music; and in this spirit world is contained the climax, as it were, of what is revealed concerning what follows the great War of All against All.

Thus if we represent it in a diagram, we have our seven ages of civilization in the space between the letters a–b, so that we have the ancient Indian civilization as the first, the ancient Persian as the second, the Assyrian-Babylonian-Chaldean-Egyptian-Jewish, the Graeco-Latin,and our own as the fifth stage of the post-Atlantean epoch. The figure IV would be the Atlantean epoch, (a) the great flood by which this comes to an end, and (b) the great War of All against All. Then follows an epoch of seven stages (VI) which is represented by the seven seals, then follows another (VII) also containing seven stages, represented by the seven trumpets. Here again lies the boundary of our physical earth development.

Now the Atlantean civilization (IV), which preceded our own, was also preceded by other stages of civilization; for that of our own (V), which follows the Atlantean, is the fifth -Stage on our earth. Four stages of civilization preceded it. But we can scarcely call the first stage a civilization culture. Everything was still etheric and spiritual, all in such a condition that if it had developed further in this way it would not have become visible at all to sense organs such as ours. The first stage developed when the sun was still bound up with our earth. There were then quite different conditions, one could not speak of anything which looked like the objects now surrounding us. Then followed a stage characterized by the sun separating. Then one characterized by the moon leaving the earth; this was the third stage, which we call the ancient Lemurian. At this point the present man appeared on our earth in his very first form, concerning which I have pointed out that they were such grotesque bodily forms that it would shock you if you were to hear them described. After the Lemurian followed the Atlantean, and finally our own.

So you see that we have on our earth seven epochs of development.

• The first two were absolutely unlike our epoch;
• the third partly ran its course in a region lying between the present Africa, Asia and Australia, in ancient Lemuria. In the very last Lemurian race there was again a small group of the most advanced. These were able to emigrate, and from them developed the seven races of the Atlanteans. The last Lemurian race founded the Atlantean races.
• The fifth of the Atlantean races founded our civilizations,
• [our civilization and current fifth epoch] .. of which the sixth will found the future civilization after the great War of All against All.
• And the very last of those civilizations will have to found that which is indicated by the seven trumpets. [editor: the seventh epoch]

After that, what will happen?

Our earth will then have reached the goal of its physical evolution. All the objects and all the beings upon it will then have been transformed.

For if we have had to say that

• already in the sixth epoch men will show good and evil un their faces, we shall have to say
• all the more of the seventh that the form of man and the forms of all the other beings will be an expression of good and evil to a much higher degree than in the sixth epoch. All matter will bear the stamp of the spirit. There will be absolutely nothing in this seventh epoch that can be hidden in any way.

[so]

• Even those belonging to the sixth epoch will be unable to hide anything from him who has the necessary vision. An evil man will express his evil, a good man will express the good that is within him; but
• in the seventh epoch it will be quite impossible by speech to hide what is in the soul. Thought will no longer remain dumb so that it can be hidden, for when the soul thinks, its thought will ring forth outwardly. It will then be just as thought is already to the Initiates today. To them thought now rings out in Devachan.

But this Devachan will have descended into the physical world, just as the astral world will have descended into the physical world in the sixth epoch. Even now the sixth epoch can be found in the astral world and the seventh in the heavenly world.

• The sixth epoch is the descended astral world, that is to say the images, the expressions, the manifestations of it.
• The seventh epoch will be the descended heavenly [spirit] world, the expression of it.

And then the earth will have reached the goal of its physical evolution. The earth, together with all its beings, will then change into an astral heavenly body. Physical substance as such will disappear. The part which until then had been able to spiritualize itself, will pass over into the spirit, into astral substance. Imagine all the beings of the Earth who up to that time have been able to express what is good, noble, intellectual and beautiful in their external material form; who will bear an expression of Christ Jesus in their countenances, whose words will manifest Christ Jesus, for they will ring out as resounding thoughts — all these will have the power to dissolve what they have within them as physical matter, as warm water dissolves salt. Everything physical will pass over into an astral globe. But those who up to that time have not progressed so far as to be a material and corporeal expression of what is noble, beautiful, intellectual and good, will not have the power to dissolve matter; for them matter will remain. They will become hardened in matter; they will retain material form.

At this point in the earth's evolution there will be an ascent into the spirit of forms which will live in the astral and which will separate from themselves another material globe, a globe which will contain beings unfit for the ascent because they are unable to dissolve the material part.

In this way our earth will advance towards its future. Through the souls gradually refining matter from within, the substance of the earth will become more and more refined until it receives the power to dissolve. Then will come the time when the insoluble part will be ejected as a special planet.

In the course of seven ages that which has hardened itself in matter will be driven out, and the power which drives it out will be the opposite force to that which will have forced the good beings upward.

1908-06-27-GA104

Man had to go through four group-souls until he attained individual consciousness and thereby perfected four kinds of bodily members: four heads corresponding to the four parts of the body: the horns, densifications of the etheric system of force. After the I-man receives the Christ-principle no more animal heads are formed. Man has become man-like and appears in white raiment. The seven heads and ten horns which are brought over from Atlantean times are overthrown. One who rejects Christ would bring the old form to view: the beast with the seven heads as at the time of the seals, so now in the time when the vials of wrath are poured out and the Earth divides into two parts.

1908-06-29-GA104

The form-conditions also pass through seven stages and give race- or culture-conditions. We live in the fifth; the sixth is indicated in the Apocalypse through the seven seals, the seventh through the seven trumpets. Then the physical passes over into the astral.

1908-06-29-GA104 and 1908-06-30 -GA104

describe Future Jupiter as 'the New Jerusalem'

1911-02-12-GA266

Men could only tread the inner path for a long time before the event of Golgotha. Men who went out into the macrocosm in ancient India would have become lost in it as in darkness and emptiness, because their inner members had a different relationship to each other then. This kind of union with God existed until medieval times, because man changes but slowly. Mystics like Eckhart, Tauler and Molinos teach us the inner path an describe it exactly. Miguel de Molinos speaks of five stages of immersion He says that we must turn away from all creatures that corresponds to the forces of our etheric body, from our talents that correspond to the astral body, and from our ego that coincides with our fourth part and that we must merge with God.

But it gradually became necessary for men to tread the inner and outer paths simultaneously, and that's why the Rosicrucian, esoteric schools that taught both ways rose in the 11th and 12th centuries.

The writer of the Apocalypse points to the outer path for the first time. He shows us that we must become entirely separated from our personality to treat it. In a modest way he says that he was caught up by the spirit on Patmos Island. This has a particular meaning.

In order to tread this outer path or to find the union with the divine in the macrocosm one must choose a firm point from which one concentrates oneself. So John the theologian calculated the stars' position on September 30, 395 A.D. and he had his visions from this point.

On that day the sun stood before the Virgo sign and the moon was under her feet. We showed this picture on one of the seven seals.

One can also calculate this time exoterically. Scholars have done this and have concluded that John Chrysostum wrote the Apocalypse around this time. But in reality we're touching upon a great secret here, for of course the Apocalypse arose much earlier, and its writer only moved himself ahead into the year 395.

note:

Nikolai Morozov (1854–1946) was a russian polymath who was a revolutionary who, during his nearly 25-year imprisonment, conducted remarkable studies ... he arrived at the surprising discovery that the apostle John must have had the revelations he recorded on Patmos in the year 395. In his book 'Revelation in Thunderstorm and Tempest' (1907), he used astronomical calculations to pinpoint that on 30 September 395 AD, at sunset over Patmos, the sun appeared in Virgo and the moon was under her feet; an alignment that corresponds exactly with Revelation 12:1. Morozov therefore concluded that, since the Apostle John had long since died by that time, the author of the Book of Revelation must have been the Greek Church Father, scholar, and bishop John Chrysostom.

Rudolf Steiner later confirmed the date of September 30, 395, as a day marked by special astrological-astronomical conditions that made possible a clairvoyant vision of the future, such as the one described in the Book of Revelation. However, he maintained that it was the Apostle John who had this vision, as he was spiritually transported to that future date.

1911-03-05-GA266

Two sayings are given to pupils in Rosicrucian schools to support them in their meditations: Beware of drowning in your esoteric striving. Beware of burning in the fire of your own I. There's an outer and an inner way to strive towards the spiritual. Everything around us is like a veil, like a cover before the spiritual that we must punch through to get to the spiritual behind it. But in which direction? This cover surrounds us on all sides, above below front back right and left. And inwardly, everything that we experience as joy, pain, etc., is like a veil, like fog that conceals the spiritual in us, and this spiritual is the same one that we find when we break through the outer cover.

So that mankind can evolve further and get into the spiritual there's always men from time to time who're more advanced than is permitted by the momentary stage of human development, and who have things to tell us about states of human evolution that reach far into the future. Such advanced beings must exist to lead men further.

John, the writer of the Apocalypse, was such a man. When he wanted to write a revelation of the future, he told himself: If I write this book out of the whole surroundings in which I'm living here and now it'll be influenced by the self that's in my body, since I'm connected with everything around and in me. I must free myself from all of this. He had to place himself on something like a rock that served him as a firm support, on which he didn't wobble and wasn't influenced by anything that surged around and in him. And he moved himself to the evening to 30th of September 395, to Patmos Island, as the sun had already disappeared under the horizon, though its effect could still be felt, and as the moon and stars appeared. The Virgin constellation was there in the western sky, irradiated by the last gleam of the sun that had set, with the moon under it. This picture is reproduced in one of the seals—the virgin with the radiating sun and the moon under her feet. Thus, all of these seals were produced out of deep mystical connections.

John broke through the cover that surrounds us in this one direction—that of Virgo. There are 12 of these signs. Seven of them are good—the ones reproduced in the seals; the other five are more or less dangerous. Just as John chose this particular point in time and space to become completely separated from himself and all temporal things around him, so a Rosicrucian pupil must acquire a firm foundation in himself. The best way to do this is to let theosophical teachings work on us. Our astral body and thereby our etheric body become expanded by listening to theosophical ideas. This is the effect on anyone who hears anything about theosophy But the effect on those who are inclined towards theosophy is different than on those who aren't. The former feel the etheric body's expansion and fill it up with theosophical teachings, by accepting them. The other feel an emptiness in their etheric body through its expansion because they don't accept these ideas and so don't fill the expansion. Then doubt and skepticism arise through this emptiness. Whereas with the first men, it's like a pouring of oneself into the universe, which they can't let go too far, for they'll get a feeling of hollowness, of not feeling at home in these widths of space, like a fish that's taken out of water and can't live in air, because its organs haven't adapted themselves to this changed element. When a theosophist devotes himself to the teachings and his astral body expands evermore, he loses himself in this unfamiliar element One must avoid drowning here. And this is possible if one studies theosophy seriously, takes it in, elaborates it, and grasps it with feeling, not just with thinking and will, but permeates it completely with feeling. One can only do this with great earnestness. One must gain a firm support within oneself—like John when he wanted to write the Apocalypse and he transported himself to Patmos Island at sundown of Sept. 30, 395.

The configuration of the sun, Virgo and moon on that evening can be checked astronomically, and this was done. From this materialistic science draws the conclusion: Therefore the Apocalypse was written at that time. And then we're told that science has ascertained this. That's the way science ascertains things.

1924-GA347

The hardening of matter is shown to the Apocalyptist in the Great Babylon

1924-09-17-GA346

quote A

My lectures in 1908 dealt more with the evolution of mankind in general, and with the evolution of the astral body, but with respect to the consciousness soul which doesn't run parallel with the other evolutionary processes, but pushes into them we're really living in the age of the trumpet sounds today.

We're standing at the beginning of the development of the consciousness soul, and we only hear the trumpet sounds if this consciousness soul elevates itself to the point where it can have supersensible visions, because people do not interpret what goes on down below in a supersensible way today. The significant thing today is that people accept things indifferently and that they do not interpret them in a supersensible way.

In anthroposophical lectures I have often referred to a particular point in the 19th century in this connection, namely to the beginning of the 1840s.

[editor: see also topic page 1840 and 1879]

I said that the beginning of the forties is a significant incision into the development of the civilized world, from a spiritual viewpoint. It is the culmination of materialism, as it were. Everything that is connected with materialism was already decided in 1843/44. What happened after this until now is basically only an after effect of this, and everything that happens in the future will also be an after effect. This point in time at the beginning of the forties is really extremely important for what has happened to the civilized population of Europe and its American appendage, for the breaking in of Ahrimanic powers into human affairs was a tremendously intensive one. You can say: yes, but there were even worse events after the years 1843/44. However, this only seems to be the case. You have to remember that Ahriman is smarter than human beings. Ahriman did his most important work in 1843/44, and he arranged things in the way that he does this in accordance with his intelligence. This is the low point in the materialistic path, or the summit, if you prefer. Then men continued to go about their business, and the things they did later on are sometimes seemingly nastier, but they are not as terrible for the totality of human evolution. If one looks at them from a spiritual viewpoint, they are the after effects of what was projected at the beginning of the forties. The sixth angel began to blow his trumpet at the beginning of the forties and he will continue to sound until the events of which I spoke yesterday will begin at the end of the 20th century, when the seventh trumpet will begin to sound.

We are definitely in the midst of the three woes. This is the second woe that civilized humanity is going through in the age of the consciousness soul, which was preceded by the fifth trumpet back to 150 years earlier.

And if we follow the trumpets back with respect to the seven-foldness of the consciousness soul, we arrive at a somewhat earlier point in time. The consciousness age begins in 1413 down below here on Earth; but things have shifted, and earlier times work into them.

The trumpet sounds go back to about the age of the Crusades. In real occult centers one always looked upon this time of the Crusades up to our time as the age of the trumpet sounds, in a certain sense. You will be able to connect the stages which are described in the Apocalypse' with outer events.

For instance, when Copernicanism takes hold and when materialism sets in one third of the human beings are killed, that is, they stop developing their full spirituality. And the plague of locusts which is described in the Apocalypse is really very shocking.

Here one comes to something which one doesn't like to talk about, although of course it belongs to the things that priests must deal with. This plague of locusts is with us in a very prominent way from a purely consciousness standpoint. Of course such things should not be discussed when we speak in a theoretical way or when we speak to humanity in general, where cures for sick conditions can always occur. But if it's a question of priestly activities, then of course one must know with whom one is dealing, just as one has to know this for normal humanity.

continued on: I-less human beings#1924-09-17-GA346

quote B

see: Schema FMC00.611

[on the Crusades]

All of this is really secreted in the Apocalypse. And if one takes these ideas in the Apocalypse that are given as Imaginations, they sometimes cut into one's heart in a terrible way. It's really horrible the way he talks about all kinds of suffering that will befall mankind on Earth with regard to our age; we can only say that a great deal of this is already here as far as the spiritual aspects go.

Then of course there are mildly grand ideas like the angels who come down with incense and a censer. There's a reference to the smoke of incense. Then our gaze immediately falls upon a great deal which happened at the time of the Crusades. The trumpets go back to the Crusades. What we see in the sphere of the consciousness soul enters the consciousness soul of humanity during the Crusades epoch.

Here one finds that consciousnesses of individual personalities arise during the time of the Crusades and what is connected with this, who really had tremendously strong impressions from their experiences of the spiritual world. Here we really meet what I would like to call geniuses of piety. It's very important for us to realize that we meet geniuses of, religiousness there.

If we go further back, we find that for the consciousness sphere the period between the Mystery of Golgotha and the time of the Crusades and everything that is connected with this is a smaller epoch that corresponds to the opening of the seven seals.

One can only understand this completely if one realizes the following. Just think of how many personalities arise during the time of the Crusades who direct almost all of their religiousness into their depths, into their intensity of feeling, into an inner mystical experience. This begins at that time, whereas previously one looked up into the whole universe when one wanted to perceive the divine world; the previous state of affairs also existed in tone-setting places, although there was a continual battle with the stream that proceeded from Rome. They had an understanding for the God who lives, weaves and works in the sensory phenomena to which they looked up. However, at some point everything was more or less directed within. The great geniuses of mysticism appear. Previously one received divine revelations through the perception of the universe; afterwards we have a feeling of the, inner kindling of light which the human heart can feel, so that divine things can be illuminated from within men.

The stages which the Apocalypse describes are also present here.

• We have the first, quiet, victorious advance, where the spreading out of Christianity depends on the victorious spirit and word, where Christianity spreads out in the sub-depths of the social life at that time.
• Then we have a second epoch, where the spread of, Christianity takes away a lot of what one could call peace from the world. Christianity participates quite a bit in the wars which take place in a second epoch.
• Then we see a [third] epoch where a gradual dying out of the inner impulse of Christianity occurs, where Christianity becomes the state religion, which of course is a dying of the real Christian impulse.
• Then we have the [fourth] period which corresponds to the fourth seal, when Islam breaks in in the way I described.

And so it goes; seal after seal is opened, and then what occurs under the influence of significant religious geniuses and under the influence of the Crusades is something that one can observe if one follows up what really happened more exactly. In this respect all the history books are really a falsification of history.

Up till the Crusades the spread of Christianity .. a) in a good sense through the repeated efforts of countless members of monastic orders and also ... b) in a more external and bad sense, occurred through the direct inspiration of the Palestinian stories. Of course, the gospels were only referred to by priests and not by laymen, but the things that happened were definitely influenced by what the priests learned from the gospels. The priests had the gospels and the cultic rites; the cult gradually became something that reflected the supersensible world in a sensory way. The priests looked upon the sacrifice in the mass as a direct portal to the supersensible world, and therefore they looked up to the starry heavens less and less for their divine, spiritual inspiration. All of the wonderful prophecies and wisdom which I mentioned this morning in connection with ancient astrology and astrosophy disappeared almost entirely by the time of the Crusades.

During the time of the Crusades we suddenly see people appearing who travelled from east to west. Some of them are coming back from the Crusades, and others who came a little later had taken a deep interest in the secrets of the Orient. A large number of writings were brought from the east that were later lost or destroyed. They were definitely brought, but not many of them survived because people didn't watch their literary possessions as vigilantly then as one does today. However, the cosmic Christianity which they contained was handed down by word of mouth from about the time of the Crusades. People began to develop a deep interest in this at the time of the Crusades.

A kind of 7th seal is opened here. And one could say that things have really changed with regard to people's respect for written things.

...

Thus it's not too surprising that the Christianity that was still alive in the Orient, or the orientalism that helped to explain Christianity were spread by the Crusades. What we would call cabalistic truths spread and a few people who might have known much more than Jakob Boehme lived at a time when no one thought that this was strange, whereas during Jakob Boehme's time the fact that someone like him existed created a sensation.

It is the time of the Crusades, where we want to point to what was going on in men's consciousnesses, and not so much to the outer events that are described in history books, it's the time when the seal age gave way to the trumpet age. People with a little depth to them have always had a feeling about the time of the Crusades which made them say: Ah yes, the trumpet sounds; if I look at the thing from supersensible viewpoints it's really terrible what is going on there with respect to human souls. However, men on Earth don't hear the trumpets, even though they're there.

A great many people should be aware of this trumpet period, since we're living at the time of the 6th trumpet, and you know what the most important effects and characteristics of this trumpet are. We're told that a third part of the men are killed, as I mentioned. Of course this doesn't happen all at once. But this killing refers to the absence of an I in those men who had already been prepared previously through their locust forms.

Note: Rudolf Steiner speaks here of the 150 year periods. To 'see' this, take Schema FMC00.534 on topic page 1840 and 1879. A cultural age period is 2160 years but the exhale of the spiritual beings are at a maximum in the first half, so 1080 years. If we take Steiner's statement 'the seven-foldness of the consciousness soul' as a clue and divide 1080/7=154 years, the one notices that this gives 1844+154=1998, and these 154 years lead back to 1074-1228-1382-1536-1690. The crusades: 1095-1291.

So recap (Schema FMC00.611)

• fifth trumpet: approx 1690 -> 1840
• sixth angel trumpet: 1840s -> 1998
• seventh trumpet: 1998 -> 2152

1924-09-20-GA346

Whenever the Apocalypticer refers to beasts, he's really speaking about the forces and activities of comets.

Once you know about this terminology you will begin to understand a number of things that the Apocalypticer knew about the nature of comets, although mankind in general then forgot about these things. So let's take a look at the nature of comets in connection with the Apocalypse. I would like to present this as follows.

If comets didn't exist, People wouldn't be able to endure the demands that are made upon their physical bodies by their astral bodies, if these astral bodies which constitute the bestial element in Man weren't being continuously corrected and healed by the absorbed cometary substances that are radiated back to the surface of the Earth, and that have an equilibrating effect upon human capacities.

So you see that Man is placed into the universe in a strange way in this respect.

Let's look at Biela's comet of 1872. Fire falls from heaven; the earth absorbs it, so that someone who can percelve these things spiritually sees that something comes up again and influences man's astral body in a favorable or unfavorable way.

Some comets have a therapeutic effect upon men's nerves, and others which the Earth absorbs unleash wild astral forces in Man when, they press upwards again.

Thus the Apocalypticer looks at cometary phenomena and he lets them run parallel with the descriptions of his beasts.

He compares them with seven-headed beasts because at that time the latter were much more closely connected with physical conditions, and a comet that was split into seven parts was a heavenly expression of what occurred on the Earth.

Likewise, the two-horned beast referred to a comet with two tails.

1924-09-22-GA346

discusses Satan as an Ahrimanic influence and power, yet also talks about 666

144.000 as twelve times 12.000

Book of Revelation

7:4

14:1-3

11:15

1902-GA008

Chapter 8 about the 144.000:

These are the ones who prepared the way for the eternal before it took the form of Christianity, and who have been transformed by the impetus given through Christ.

1904-05-XX-GA090A

This is not the most structured lecture in terms of available notes, but it is a (or thé) most interesting lecture after 1909-05-21-GA104A on the subject of the 144.000.

In the lecture is explicitly stated that the sixth seal brings the 12, and further described that

• the sixth epoch is represented by 12
• there are 12 groups of souls that have fully taken everything from a previous epoch that this epoch could bring, development-wise
• and the latter is represented esoterically by a '0'

hence the 12 x 12 = 144

Also it states:

In the sixth epoch .. meteoric appearances will be awakened, that have materialised, and through which certain souls will spiritualize. [Note the literal phrasing is not as clear, it says "und die andern beginnen höher hinaufzusteigen", but from the context of the description and 1909-05-21-GA104A this is clear].

In the sixth epoch the four lower bodily characteristics will have been worked through in a very different way. The horses represent a recapitulative reworkn with more intense penetration with the soul. The three souls will be much closer connected with the three lower bodies. Leading to the attainment of the spirit-self.

1904-10-24-GA090A

explains the concept of 'father', the most advanced cohort of humanity, and states that, see p 365-366:

.. the part of humanity are not yet ready but only understand the word at the end of the current fifth epoch ..

.. the twelve apostles are the oldest ("Die zwölf Jünger sind die Äldesten")

.. regarding becoming 'father', reaching this stage: only a third of the population reaches the developmental goal at the end of the fifth epoch (a second third will reach this later) (72* 1/3 = 24). RS states that 72 of the elderly were called to step into this process of development, and so only 24 of the elders will be there when the seven seals are opened.

This same lecture also appears or appeared in GA092, see online in translation here

1904-10-24-GA092

extract on the fact that only a third of the population achieves the developmental goal:

(SWCC)

Again something of particular significance comes to pass in evolution. We are told what conditions will be when the Fifth epoch has progressed, to the point where it must be decided whether the time has come for the transition into the Sixth epoch. ...

The coming of the Sixth epoch is announced by the sounding of trumpets.

Quote from Rev. IV;12

“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third, part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”

This refers to the third part that has remained behind, which however, need not have happened. The Letters to the Communities contain not only warnings and admonitions but also sharp reproof.

Not all reach the goal. A third part (of humanity) falls away completely from evolution.

We have therefore one third which will attain the goal, one third which lags behind, and one third which does not reach the goal and falls completely away. One third attains its goal, a second third will only later attain its goal, making together two thirds; and at the end of the fifth epoch, only one third of those who began evolution will have reached the necessary stage of development.

Seventy-two Elders were called upon to enter into evolution and to develop to further stages. The admonitions to the Communities which it devolved upon the Elders to lead, indicates that only a third reach the goal. If we take a third of 72 Elders, we have 24 Elders who will still be there when the seven seals of the Book are opened.

See also

• more on: Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father#1904-10-24-GA090A
• and about the Father impulse: Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father#.5B2.5D - About the Father impulse

1909-05-21-GA104A

SWCC

In the [epoch of the seals] something like a shower of meteorites will occur, caused by increasing materialism, and some human beings will ascend to a spiritual state. What these spiritualized human beings will have acquired through their efforts in the Postatlantean epoch will completely permeate them from within.

...

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 the three soul forces (sentient, intellectual and consciousness souls) to permeate and work on themselves in order to take in manas.

.. human beings will have permeated the three with four ..

.. they have gone three cycles, that is, through three zero's .. hence twelve with three zero's: 12.000

[citing Rev. 7:2-5]

.. "out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, twelve thousand sealed out of the tride of Judah, 12.000 of the tribe of Reuben ... "

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.

1909-11-14-GA117

[Christ represents] .. as fusion and at the same time a rebirth of all former spiritual streams of humanity. In him the earlier streams are born anew in an enhanced degree.

see also (along with a longer extract), Schema FMC00.102 and Schema FMC00.452 on Gospels

Discussion

See also: Discussion page D00.004 - Book of Revelation (under development)

Note 1 - Challenges in timeline mapping

Schema FMC00.258 provides a first overview. However this requires further study because confusion can easily arise:

• as in the GA90A/B cycles a different mapping of Revelation imagery to anthroposophical evolutionary stages is given
• events such as the reunion of Sun will happen during the Earth stage, but in the context of Revelation and the explanations of evil and 666 (that takes us all the way to Future Venus), Rudolf Steiner at times also talks about the reunion of Sun and Earth during Future Jupiter stage

See also Cosmic fractal for the multiple meanings to be read into numbers (at different levels of evolution)

Note 2 -Seven seals

2.1 - On the seven secrets references in these seven seals

See also: Seven secrets

Note 3 - The letters to the churches

• The seven communities are the seven representative brother lodges for the seven cultural ages, they are the seven lights or leaders of the subraces or cultural ages. When a group of men is selflessly united (the image of selfless organs that make up Man is given), a higher entity or being can incorporate, so they can be the light to lead through this age. (1904-11-14-GA090A)
• The seven communities have their mission, but stick stubbornly to their tasks, and have to surrender and hand them over to humanity, they pave the road by getting the old teachings out of the way (1905-01-16-GA090B)

Note 4 - The four horses

4 horses (white, red, black, pale) and horsemen

Note 5 - Earthquake references in the Book of Revelation

James Morgan Pryse (1859-1942) interprets the symbolic imagery in his book 'The apocalypse unsealed' (1910)

see also Kundalini

.. the manifestation of the kundalini .. this sixth centre is especially violent, and so John describes the opening of the sixth seal (which is identical with the sixth Society) as being accompanied by a 'great earthquake'.

Ch 6: 12-17

I saw when he opened the sixth seal ; and, Be­hold! there came to be a great earthquake; the sun became dark as a sack [woven of camel's] hair; the moon became as blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig-tree drops her first-crop figs when shaken by a violent wind. The sky was re­moved like a scroll being rolled up ; and every mountain and island—they were moved from their places! The rulers of the earth, the very great, the commanders, the rich, and the mighty, and every slave and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and among the crags of the mountains; and they kept saying to the mountains and the crags :

"Fall on us and hide us from the face of the [God] seated on the throne and from the passion of the Lamb! For the great day of his passion has come, and who can stand firm ?"

COMMENTARY

This sixth seal is the muladhara chakra, which lies at the base of the spinal cord and is the starting-point of the central current, the sushumna, the re­generative force, here called the orge ( fecundating energy) of the "Lamb," the Nous. Upon the out­pouring of this fiery electric force into the brain, the mind becomes blank and the novice is conscious

only of blind terror; this is allegorized as the dark­ening of the sun (the mind) , the falling of the stars (the thoughts) , the vanishing of the sky (the con­cept of space) , and the panic of the earth-dwellers (the lower forces and faculties).

Note 6 - On the 144.000

Or, the 12 x 12 groups, the twelve groups that will be matured in terms of spiritual development

Elements to consider:

• twelve tribes
  • link between the twelve tribes and the zodiac signs
    • note in 1904-10-03-GA090A reference is made that each subrace has its stellar configuration, and hence the seven stars are the seven angels or genies leading the subraces
  • the twelve tribes appear again Rev. 21:12 as the Sons of Israel.
• the apostles
  • after the spirit of Elijah fructified the twelve apostles, Rudolf Steiner mentions that this influence continued to work through them, hence in those twelve streams
  • in another lecture, RS also - in a subphrase - states that Christ was surrounded by the twelve bodhisattvas (in the apostles)
• the 144.000 are described for the end of the Sixth epoch, but also for the end of Earth evolution

Note 7 - The three beasts of evil and corresponding counterforces

1. Introduction

1/ Schema FMC00.426 provides an overview of the three beasts that appears in the Book of Revelation, corresponding to the three faces of Evil, see also Christ Module 14 – the counterforces: Lucifer, Ahriman and Sorat.

2/ In twenty years of lecturing, Rudolf Steiner was consistent in the content, however:

• not always with regards to terminology. This is due to the change in audience and maturity, eg in the period 1903-1905 more indian terms were used (building on Blavatsky and the theosophical audience) but over 20 years lectures covered ancient teachings (eg from the ancient persian cultural age) and documents (eg Bhagavad Gita, Book of Revelation, Gospels), each with their own spiritual scientific terminology.
• he did refine or adapt certain messages and descriptions (eg the length in Earth years of evolutionary phases).

.

Important note upfront is the excerpt from 1924-09-20-GA346

Whenever the Apocalypticer refers to beasts, he's really speaking about the forces and activities of comets. ... Thus the Apocalypticer looks at cometary phenomena and he lets them run parallel with the descriptions of his beasts. He compares them with seven-headed beasts because at that time the latter were much more closely connected with physical conditions, and a comet that was split into seven parts was a heavenly expression of what occurred on the Earth. Likewise, the two-horned beast referred to a comet with two tails.

3/This Discussion Note looks into the relationship between Sorat and the asuras (or rakshasas) and Ahrimanic beings and their influences.

This was already touched on here: Three days descent into Hades#Note 1 - On 'the bad guy below'

A related page is: False prophet

4/ In what follows, the three types of evil will be referenced by the three 'beasts'. This terminology comes from the Book of Revelation, where the term dragon and/or beast is used as an image for the counterforce challenge that humanity faces. The most well-known version of this image in widespread culture is Michael fighting the dragon. Consistent with Schema FMC00.426 we will use one for Luciferic, two for Ahrimanic, and three for the third type of evil referenced by Sorat.

2. Problem statement

Rudolf Steiner covered Luciferic beings and the Fall extensively, also covered Ahrimanic beings explicitly to a great extent, but was much less explicit or going in depth on the third type of true evil described via Sorat and the asuras (or rakshasas). This despite the fact that each of these three terms were used and described in many lectures (see individual topic pages):*the links or relationships between Sorat and the asuras (or rakshasas) was never made explicit. To date we have not found a literal statement by Rudolf Steiner linking Sorat as the leader of the asuras (or rakshasas). Even though from the descriptions and context ('laying the puzzle') this is usually logically deduced, as many lifelong students of anthroposophy have done, it remains a topic that comes up regularly as it is open to interpretation, given the fact here is no literal quote or statement by Rudolf Steiner that gives hermetic closure on the matter.

• the links or relationships between the third type of evil and Luciferic and Ahrimanic types or evil were described in various contexts, but again it was not to a level of detail that provides full closure and hence similarly leaves space for interpretation.

The working assumption in these matters is that, in order to provide cohesion and coherence, one requires imaginative insight to integrate the available information from study, and that it will not be able to reach a conclusive statement by strictly applying inductive or deductive logic. This is a well known problem for anthroposophists: people debate various interpretations or ways to read-into cohesion due to various perspectives and different degrees of their depth of study.

Specifically now: what are the elements that give rise to the above 'problem'?

One finds that, across/between lecture excerpts various terms are used that give rise to potential confusion.

• When Rudolf Steiner talks of the Beast, then one needs to fill in what Beast is meant. Whereas in some lecture cycles the Beast is used only for Sorat 666, in the Revelation lectures there are three 'falls' with corresponding Beasts - see Schema FMC00.426.
  • also: references to the appearance of the beasts in the Book of Revelation are sometimes given by description (eg fall of Babylon), by context (beast coming from heaven or from sea/earth), and sometimes by literal reference to the chapter in the Book of Revelation.

• The terms Ahriman and Sorat are used in contexts that point to a relationship between both.
  • one such lecture quote is in context of the start of world war 1
  • another is around the 20th century where there is both the rising of the beast for 1933 but also the 3*666=1998 and then the incarnation of Ahriman
  • for this particular point, see also: False prophet
• Whereas on the one hand Steiner separates Sorat as the anti-christ sun demon and worst type of evil, on other occasions it appears as if Sorat is an Ahrimanic being.
• Steiner also states that Satan is the name for Ahriman, but then uses Satan also for the third type of evil. The term Satan is seemingly used for both. This confusion may partly be caused by references using the terminology used in Revelation (references to satan, devil, dragon, beast).
  • see oa here Three days descent into Hades#Note 1 - On 'the bad guy below'
• Harrison states that Satan is the name for Lucifer .. ‘whom it is a mistake to confound with the Devil’ .. of the order of archai .. and ‘he is not .. as is generally supposed, a fallen archangel, like Beelzebub, Mammon, ..’ note 'Archangel Michael recognized his superior dignity’.
  • see oa Luciferic beings and their influences#The being of Lucifer
  • and excerpt here: Christ Module 14 – the counterforces: Lucifer, Ahriman and Sorat#1893 - C.G. Harrison
  • So with Harrison it seems that Lucifer is at a level higher than Ahriman
• And last, there are other elements that require a diligent study
  • the term false prophet in not always described clearly and explicitly in relation to the three beasts (it appears in 1924-09-15-GA346 linked to the second beast)

This Discussion note covers all three beasts/falls but focuses on two and three mainly.

3. Relevant key lectures and excerpts

3.0 - General

Schema FMC00.426 is based on the following references given:

• 1904-05-21-GA090A - choosen from the 1904-5 cycles on the Book of Revelation (GA090A/B) because here a chrystal clear and delineated description is given.
• 1909-05-20-GA104A - chosen from the 1907-8-9 cycles (GA104/104A)
  • see Sorat#1909-05-20-GA104A and Reunion of Sun#1909-05-20-GA104A
  • whereby 1908-06-29-GA104 describes how the third tempter recruits from/via the second
• 1909-05-21-GA104A
  • see Eighth sphere#1909-05-21-GA104A
  • comment:
    • this excerpt is an example of multiplicity or dimensionality of meaning/perspective. Rev 17 clearly states this section is about the Beast with seven heads and ten horns, and following Schema FMC00.426 this would be the second Beast.
    • now see Schema FMC00.425A; in Rev. 17 what is described is the first red 666-B in this schema, which is 'final' for this Earth stage of planetary evolution. However then still two such falls or blows are to follow, before things are final for the Eight Sphere at the Future Venus stage. One can imagine the Eight sphere is created and starts at the Earth stage, and has a parallel evolution that is 'de-coupled' or falls away completely at the Future Venus stage.
• 1924-09-15-GA346 is the main lecture from the last 1924 cycle GA346 (see however also ao 1924-09-12-GA346).

3.1 - First beast and fall

The first dragon/beast is quite clear - it is Luciferic and relates to the first Fall and redemption of the luciferic beings at reunion of the sun. At the reunion of the sun, certain luciferic beings will stay behind and not be redeemed.

Notes:*weak human nature -> degenerate, become corrupt out of weakness

• through error in/control over physical body

Book of Revelation:

• imagery: first dragon, old snake, from heaven
• Fall of Babylon
  • what falls here are men, it is a human aberration: 'emotions out of control'
  • mediumistic, spiritual moral corruption - another power takes over/lives in astral body and I***re also false clairvoyance (see also Nesfield-Cookson p 287-289 ref GA254)

3.2 - Second beast and fall

1904-05-21-GA090A:

second dragon from below, from the sea

those 'backward' men who remain slaves to animal instincts

1924-09-15-GA346

Fall of beast + companion false prophet (its herald) who spreads teachings of the beast

something outside of human kingdom falls

fate is that their human I is no in them, but possessed by beast+false prophet .. Ahrimanic powers will act in them directly Book of Revelation

For more on what is meant by false prophet(s), see the separate topic page False prophet

3.3 - Third beast and fall

Revelation 13

13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

1904-05-21-GA090A:

• black magicians represent physical incarnation of Sun demon Sorat who is their group soul.
• black magicians get a chance on Future Jupiter (some do, some don't), and then the last chance on Future Venus (some do, some don't) .. where this becomes final (Eight sphere). See also Schema FMC00.425 and Schema FMC00.425A on Evil.

1924-09-12-GA346

• Sorat: "one of the mightiest demons in our solar system" <-> Arabism (<-> materialism)

1924-09-15-GA346

• comets are 'out of time', not regular planetary rhythms
• events/occurences unexplainable by the laws of nature - disorder in planetary system

  Then we have the third fall, which is the fall of Satan in the Apocalypse.

Here we have a very high being who does a different kind of work than the one which can be done on Earth.

The beast and the false prophet are powers who lead mankind astray; they want to steer men in the wrong direction in a moral and intellectual respect.

However, the power which is meant in the fall of Satan wants something quite different. It wants to throw the whole Earth off its course, and not just mankind. Seen from a human, earthly standpoint, this power is a terrible adversary of the Godhead.

4. Commentary

The current position taken in the materials on this site, is that Sorat <-> asuras <-> black magic <-> Eight sphere; and that all of this is in direct opposition with the Christos or Buddhi principle (see Schema FMC00.481), as explained in the lecture of Schema FMC00.078.

The Beasts represent challenges for humanity, along the evolutionary developmental pathway, not three distinct singular events in a sequence or so.

The current cultural age is a deeply Ahrimanic age of lies and materialism, the incarnation of Ahriman, getting humanity of course. But also an age which sees a re-emergence of the asuras (or rakshasas), and black magic.

These influences will not go away, but stay with humanity for long epochs and eons to come. Whereas humanity will be able to redeem Luciferic beings in the current Earth stage (ai reunion of Sun), this will not be the case for the two other types of evil. Similar pivotal milestone stages are described on Future Jupiter and Future Venus.

Study of Future Jupiter#1915-04-03-GA161 allows to coin together many things. It is described how Man's actions on Earth will give rise to the new kingdoms on Future Jupiter, and how the next stage always builds on the previous, not just in recapitulations. In that context needs to be places a phrase as "The historical events of Earth are a kind of prophetic proclamation of the natural events of Future Jupiter".

The judgement day with the image of Michelangelo (Schema FMC00.539) may also call up in our minds the image of the Representative of Mankind between Ahriman and Lucifer (Schema FMC00.301) - see also Christ Module 14 – the counterforces: Lucifer, Ahriman and Sorat

5 - Various notes

1/ Regarding the exact interpretation of milestone dates such as 1933 and 1998 'to the year' versus the broad spiritual impulses that Rudolf Steiner describes.

1998 - Bernard Nesfield-Cookson

in his book 'Michael and the Two-horned beast' (1998, on p230 of the 2009 edition), discusses this point and goes on to cover the fact that Steiner sometimes talks about the "ahrimanic-soratic impulse" (literal quote - reference to be added) and that this may probably have to be interpretated as smeared out over multiple/many decades rather than taken literally as related to this or that year.

We need not, it would seem, hold too dogmatically to the year 1998 mentioned by Rudolf Steiner as being a point in time at which Sorat is particularly powerful in his assaults on struggling humanity.

Speaking about a different date in quite a different context (3101BC) Rudolf Steiner observes:

"This date is not to be taken as an absolute but as an approximate date" (1910-05-10-GA118).

Elsewhere, referring to the quoted date 333 (1918-10-16-GA182, 1918-10-13-GA184), Steiner states quite clearly:

"It does not matter whether something occurs a few decades earlier or later. In outer physical reality, which takes on the form of the 'great illusion', things are sometimes misplaced" (1916-09-17-GA171).

Related pages

• Apocalyptic seals
• D00.004 - Book of Revelation
• Mystery of John
• Gospel of John as an initiation document
• Evolution
• False prophet

• Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father

• Evil

References and further reading

• James Morgan Pryse (1859-1942): 'The apocalypse unsealed' (1910)
  • subtitle: being an esoteric interpretation of the initiation of Ioannes, commonly called The relevant of (St.) John, with a new translation
  • this book is unique in its kind, it describes a totally different reading or interpretation of the Book of Revelation , whereby the symbolic language and meaning of the numbers describes the esoteric knowledge of the human being and initiation.
  • to assess this work, research also the person of Pryse (eg starting from the info on Sources of spiritual science#1870 onwards) and his other works eg on the Gospel of Saint John.
• Emil Bock: 'The Apocalyps of Saint John' (original in DE: 'Apokalypse. Betrachtungen über die Offenbarung des Johannes' (1951); in EN a.o. 1957, 1986, 2012)
• Fred Poeppig: 'Die Apocalypse des Johannes als Schulungsbuch' (14 issues) (1970, 1985)
• Arthur Schult: 'Weltenwerden und Johannes-Apokalypse' (1976)
• Alfred Heidenreich: 'The Book of Revelation' (1977)
• Erich Zimmer (1924-1976): 'Im Geiste an des Herren Tag' (1986)
• Charles Kovacs: 'The Apocalyps in Rudolf Steiner's lecture series' (2013 in EN, in 2011 in DE as: 'Betrachtungen zur Apokalypse, Ein Kommentar zum Nurnburger Zyklus von Rudolf Steiner')
• Ludwig Neidhart: 'Die Offenbarung des Johannes' (first version 1994, last version 2019) (freely downloadable in PDF)
• Hartmut Fischer: 'Die sieben Gemeinden des Johannesoffenbarung : Reiseführer' (1996)
• Hergen Noordendorp: 'Die Offenbarung des Johannes - eine okkulte Zahlenlehre (2004)

• Edward Reaugh Smith:
  • Terms & Phrases Vol 1. (The Burning Bush), (1997, 2001) p. 393-400 in 2001 edition on 'Trumpets'
  • Terms & Phrases Vol 2. (David's Question What is Man?), (2001) p. 54-67, essay on 'Revelation'
  • 'Revelation: a cosmic perspective' (2015)
• Kees Zoeteman: Project-Apocalypse.com
• various authors (a.o. Wolf-Ulrich Klünker, Peter Selg, Christiane Haid, Virginia Sease, Jaap Sijmons): 'Apocalypse im Ich' (2017)
• Judith von Halle: 'Die Apokalypse des Johannes, Bindeglied zwischen judische Mystik und christlich-anthroposophischer Geisteswissenschaft' (2018)

The Book of Revelation in art

• Frederik van der Meer: 'Apocalypse: Visions from the Book of Revelation in western art' (1978)
• Nancy Grubb: 'Revelations: Art of the Apocalypse' (1997)

• Natasha and Anthony O'Hear: 'Picturing the Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation in the Arts over Two Millennia' (2015)

specific

• The Apocalypse in the Middle Ages (1993) (editors: Richard K. Emmerson and Bernard McGinn)
• Nigel J. Morgan: 'Illuminating the End of Time: The Getty Apocalypse Manuscript (2012)

Various more

• John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805–1872), known as F. D. Maurice:
  • What is Revelation?: a Series of Sermons on the Epiphany (1859)
  • Sequel to the Enquiry, What is Revelation? (1860)
  • Lectures on the Apocalypse, or the Book of Revelation of St John the Divine (1861)

• Edgar Cayce:
  • A Commentary on the Book of Revelation Based on a Study of 24 Psychic Discourses by Edgar Cayce (1969)
  • The Book of the Revelation: A Commentary Based on a Study of Twenty-Three Psychic Discourses by Edgar Cayce (1995)
  • John Van Auken: Edgar Cayce on the Revelation (2000)
• Hans C. Moolenburgh: 'Het boek Openbaring als baken voor onze tijd' (2015)
• Konrad Dietzfelbinger: 'Apocalypse Today - The Actuality of the Revelation of John' (2025)