Christ in the future cultural ages and next epochs

This page is an aspect in the study of the nature of the Christ being, see Christ Module 2 - Nature of the Christ being and this naturally follows afterThe Christ Impulse from the 1st to the 20th century.

Note: for the current century, see also : Christ Module 19 - experiencing the Christ and Christ in the etheric

Aspects

see Second Adam for Christ as future group soul of humanity, and the effect that works ongoing, but especially in the next sixth cultural age and the sixth epoch into the seventh epoch and beyond
the working of the sun-laws or the working of the Sun-evolution in human earthly life) can be found in the study of the course of philosophical evolution. Eight-hundred year periods can be distinguished in the development of philosophy (1915-01-10-GA161)

Current fifth epoch

period of the 19 centuries after the MoG: extinction of consciousness (or second crucifixion) of Christ as an angelic being on the etheric plane, will lead to appearance of 'Christ in the etheric' from the 20th century onwards (1913-05-02-GA152)
for Christ in the etheric
- faculties and lecture references, see Schema FMC00.081 below
- experience reports and Discussion notes, see topic page
from 2400 AD onwards, the forces towards an understanding of the Christ will only come from the Earth. Christ will work from the physical plane into men and will reveal himself on the physical plane in etheric form. The current 'Christ in the etheric' is a forebode of this. (1914-03-05-GA152). Note this start is about the middle of the future Oriphiel age (see Schema FMC00.239). This period of 800 years 2400-3200 would lead allmost into the important Sixth cultural age.
Through the Mystery of Golgotha, a fourth faculty is and will be developing: memory, as in remembrance of previous lives (1914-03-07-GA152)
- see also the faculties as part of 'Christ in the etheric'( eg Schema FMC00.081), and the concept of the causal body (spirit self)

Sixth and seventh epochs

The sixth epoch is the epoch of the Christ Impulse, especially the fifth to seventh cultural ages (see Schema FMC00.373A below).
The seventh epoch probably represents the time of or after the Reunion of Sun, where Christ will live together with humanity on Earth+Sun, before the transition and pralaya towards Future Jupiter.

Future Conditions of Life (or rounds)

see Earth rounds perspective

.

Inspirational quotes

1888 - Helena Blavatsky - The Esoteric Character of the Gospels

... the coming of Christ, means the presence of Christos in a regenerated world, and not at all the actual coming in body of 'Christ' Jesus; this Christ is to be sought neither in the wilderness nor 'in the inner chambers', nor in the sanctuary of any temple or church built by Man; for Christ – the true esoteric saviour – is no man, but the divine principle in every human being. He who strives to resurrect the spirit crucified in him by his own terrestrial passions, and buried deep in the 'sepulchre' of his sinful flesh; he who has the strength to roll back the stone of matter from the door of his own inner sanctuary, he has the risen Christ in him.

to read and interpret this statement, see also Schema FMC00.481 on the topic page Love. The Christos is an impersonal cosmic principle.

This does not do away that this principle was brought down to Earth for humanity by Christ-Jesus in the Mystery of Golgotha. This last point is where gnostics and theosophists did not believe.

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.082 shows (linking into schema FMC00.047), the evolving relationship Man will have (or be able to develop) with the Christ

Schema FMC00.081 gives an overview of some of the expected faculties related to the appearance of 'Christ in the etheric' due to the arising new clairvoyance. As depicted in the GA191 BBD (see eg FMC00.013) this clairvoyance will be a mixture of wisdom with moral consciousness, hence the elements related to karma in the table below.

Schema FMC00.239 shows the archangelic rulers of approx 354 periods for the current cultural age (plus and minus a cultural age). See also Spiritual hierarchies and their eigenperiods for more info on the 354 period. Rudolf Steiner uses this period to describe the nature of current Michael age and the future Oriphiel age.

Schema FMC00.373 sketches the symbols of the Christ in the language of the stars and the zodiac signs: the five pointed star, and the symbol Pi.

Note: compare the drawing below right with FMC00.471 (the Mystical Lamb in green on the right) for correspondence: the Christ Impulse starts from Libra, then takes the soul Virgo and adds the power of Leo on the way to Gemini.

Schema FMC00.373A depicts Schema FMC00.373 using the zodiac clock (Schema FMC00.029). Double click in new tab to enlarge.

See Note [1] - 'The Christ Impulse in the starry script' in the Discussion area below. See also Schema FMC00.020 on Holy Supper symbolism - apostles

Schema FMC00.373B depicts the symbolism of of the Christ impulse in the language of the zodiac signs. This version was derived from Schema FMC00.373A to represent it along the time axis in a similar format as other schemas that depict the journey between the third and sixth epochs.

Schema FMC00.376 provides an synthetic overview of the Christ Impulse with its four main interventions in the development of humanity ('I' in red), how the Christ was observed by initiates in the current epoch ('O' in grey), how the Christ will manifest in the higher worlds in the next cultural ages ('M' in blue), and the workings of the Christ Impulse per period of 800 years '(W' in green). Lecture references are given as indication but not exhaustively, for these refer to the corresponding topic pages. More detail in FMC00.376A below.

This 'includes' the Schemas FMC00.082 and FMC00.081 above, and provides a seamless connection to Schema FMC00.373A.

Schema FMC00.376A provides more detail on FMC00.376.

It includes comments (below) from a lecture from 1915 studied by Maximilian Rebholz in the 1940s, long before the GA, but for which the exact lecture date was apparently missing. As Schema FMC00.120 on Rudolf Steiner's Gesamtausgabe (GA) shows, one has to remain conscious of the fact that more than a quarter of Rudolf Steiner's lectures don't have official notes. However in the first decades notes were exchanged between students, and hence it is always possible that lecture notes appear or are found back, or did not make it to the official registry in Dornach. This was certainly the case in the 1940s, knowing that Rebholz was a diligent collector of materials for decades.

Schema FMC00.490 shows how the human thought about Man and the cosmos, or philosophy, evolves in periods of approx. 800 years related to the sun laws. Note everything in light grey - the extensions after 2400 and the time periods before 800 BC were added by extrapolation and are not covered in the lecture. Compare with Schema FMC00.376 and variants and Christ Module 11 - A new physics

Schema FMC00.371 shows how our state of soul brings us closer to the Christ Impulse.

More on: Christ Module 19 - experiencing the Christ and Schema FMC00.189 on Second Adam

Schema FMC00.533 positions some important personalities in the first four centuries after Christ, a period of persecution of Christians, but also where Christianity was established by the roman empire, and with major debates between various streams due to influences from pagan and gnostic streams, as well as scepticism about the divinity of Jesus, the trinity, etc. The schema is not intended to be complete, but can be used as a mind map to position some important names that occur in the storyline of the Michaelic stream in the lectures of Rudolf Steiner.

Above with rectangles in grey are three main church fathers, blue rectangles show important Individualities of special high stature, as explained by Rudolf Steiner (and see also White Lodge and Three classes of Buddhas). Brown rectangles below relate to the christianization of central europe preparing for the age of the consciousness soul, see 1921-05-15-GA325 and Central European cultural basin, also Schema FMC00.438)

The blue KRI numbers are the Karmic Relationship Individualities, see more on Karma research case studies and KRI - Karmic Relationships Individualities. For example: Origen and Spyridon are incarnations of Daskalos, part of the stream of John the Evangelist. Augustinus was a carrier of a copy of the etheric body of Christ, see Principle of spiritual economy and (- also on that topic page) the I of Master Jesus (KRI90) lived again in Lucian of Antioch, the teacher of Arius (1909-02-19-GA109 notes to lecture).

Rudolf Steiner often described the importance of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the great polarity between Aryanism and Athanasianism, also Daskalos describes this from a perspective of Spyridon. Also the Individuality of Soloviev attended (KRI 49) attended that council (in an incarnation not further named).

For a broader perspective and what followed, see Transition between 4th and 14th century and The Christ Impulse from the 1st to the 20th century (oa covering battle between Constantin and Maxentius in 312).

Lecture coverage and references

1911-08-21-GA129

It will permeate the totality of human souls, who will rise out of the corpse of the Earth, out of the earthly dross.
.
The Christ Being, together with the totality of human souls, ascends further into the spiritual realms, in order later to come to the next incorporation of the Earth, which in Spiritual Science we call Future Jupiter

1913-05-02-GA152

When we look back we remember what came to pass at the Baptism by John in the Jordan, when Christ revealed Himself in a human form, visible on the earth among mankind. Further, we will fill our souls with the thought of how, as regards His outer form, Christ then united Himself with the Hierarchy of the Angels and has since that time lived invisibly in the sphere of the earth. Let us remember what has been said: that in the invisible worlds there is no death. Christ Himself, because He descended to our world, passed through a death similar to that of human beings. When he again became a spiritual being, he still retained the remembrance of his death; but as a being of the rank of the angels in which he continued to manifest himself outwardly, he could experience only a diminution of consciousness.

and further

The angelic being, who since then has been the outer form asumed by Christ, suffered an extinction of consciousness in the course of the intervening nineteen centuries as a result of the opposing materialistic forces that had been brought into the spiritual worlds by materialistic human souls who had passed through the gate of death. This onset of unconsciousness in the spiritual worlds will lead to the resurrection of the Christ-consciousness in the souls of men on Earth between birth and death in the twentieth century.

1914-03-05-GA152

(not on rsarchive, extract freely translated).

Note: the first two millenia are covered on The Christ Impulse from the 1st to the 20th century

In the period of 800 BC until our times, humanity consumes the last herited divine forces. Then a null-point takes place with the MoG, and it works into humanity. The stimulating powers of the Christ Impulse worked differently in the period after MoG, coming from different planes or worlds of consciousness.

Sketching this we can first consider the period of the first 800 years after Christ. In this period these powers worked from the higher spirit world. Human intelligence failed to understand (gnosis) the Christ Impulse as it worked in human facts and occurences (re Maxentius and Konstantin). We still see a final stage and transition of this period with the work of Scotus Erigena around 850. In his system of thought, the Christ impuls is still working as a force radiating from the higher spirit world into the physical world.

In the period between 800 to 1600 AD, this impuls works from the lower spirit world into the physical world. People look to approach their souls to the Christ Impulse with and in various forms and presentations. Thought shows itself to be inappropriate and all considerations unfruitful. Neither the crusades nor all attempts to prove God succeed in bringing about an inner lively connection of the soul. At the transition to the next period stands the virgin of Orleans. Her soul experience reveals the Christ Impulse from the spirit world, and it is in this name she intervenes in shaping human history.

The spiritual influence working from the higher spirit world gets lost in Man ever more. These forces become ever weaker, and the impulse now works from about 1600 into our times only from the astral world. In this period theology becomes ever more learned and abstract. The cosmic divine being of Christ is replaced slowly by the 'simple man of Nazareth'. Still, our time would have fallen into materialism a great deal more, and penetrated from this antichristian impuls even more, if it were not for the influence of the Christ Impulse in special ways from the astral world. In the 15th and 16th centuries strange stories appeared everywhere, that spread across the western world. Across the most varied places in all countries of Europe, Man appeared: very poorly clothed, calloused feet, very long hair .. that told the story that they where there when the Mystery of Golgotha appeared, and they had seen the Christ walk the Earth. However, as he passed their house, they had not shown respect or reverence but had insulted and scorned him. That is why since they had to go around without any rest or further development, as repentance. This is referred to as the 'eternal [or wandering] jew'. These men told their stories as from memory. They were taken up by people everywhere, were received by bishops and prelates. In these men an insight into the akasha chronicle lives, and these men could not do otherwise, then through their whole way of living, appear so as to witness the Christ event. Their other consciousness was clouded, but through the Impulse from the astral world they could have this view from experience. Through this, these men were saved from the antichristianity and materialism that was grabbing hold of humanity.

Then from 2400 AD onwards, an age will follow where the forces towards an understanding of the Christ will only come from the Earth.

In this age Christ will work from the physical plane into men. In our times the precursors herald that which will be substantial after 2400: the Christ will reveal himself on the physical plane in etheric form.

In this way, we see how the working of the Christ Impulse, rolling off in periods from 800 to 800 years, is related to the impulses from the spiritual world.
[reference to Steiner's books about the evolution of human 'I' consciousness in the same period]
[then follows the description of the nature of living thought for an understanding of the Christ - see Enlivened images and Christ Module 15 - Study of Spiritual Science and the Mystery of Golgotha

1915-01-10-GA161

I should like to give you an example of something where you can still recognise the Sun-part that is active, although attention can only be directed to it in a veiled way. Those of you who have acquainted yourselves with the new edition of my book, Riddles of Philosophy (1914-GA018) will have found that four periods in the development of philosophy are distinguished.
I have called the first period “The World-conceptions of the Greek Thinkers”. This lasted from 800 B.C. — in round numbers — or 600 B.C. to the birth of Christ, i.e. into the age of the origin of Christianity.

A second period lasted from the rise of Christianity to about 800 – 900 A.D. up to the time of John Scotus Erigena.

Then came a third period which I have called “the World-conception of the Middle Ages”, and which lasted from 800, 900 A.D. to 1600 A.D.

And then there is the forth period up to our own time; we are just in this period.

Eight-hundred year periods have been assigned to the history of philosophy, presented in such a way as was possible in a book meant for a public still quite unacquainted with spiritual science.
...
Thus you see at least one example of the working of the Sun-evolution in human earthly life. I said that one could encounter these sun-laws if one studied the course of philosophical evolution, though one does not always recognise that it is sun-law which is active in it. This must be recognised by spiritual science. Just reflect that in reality a being is evolving which little by little acquires the same members as man himself.
If one were to go still farther back into ancient times one would find that not alone the etheric, but the physical body too gave rise to the forming of world concepts. It is difficult to give clear characteristics of the age that goes back beyond the 12th – 14th centuries B.C.; it lies before Homer, before historical times. But then something was evolving which is not man as man lives upon the earth.
Something lives in history which passes through the etheric body, the sentient body etc., a real, actual being. I said in my book that in the Greek era thought was born. But in modern times it comes to actual self-consciousness in the consciousness soul: thought is an independent active being. This could not of course be said in an exoteric book intended for the public. The anthroposophist will find it however if he reads the book and notes what was the prevailing trend of its presentation. It is not brought into it, but results of itself out of the very subject matter.
You see from this that very many impulses of transformation as regards the spiritual life are coming forward in our time. For here we see something evolving that is like a human being except that it has a longer duration of life than an individual man.
The individual man lives on the physical plane: for seven years he develops the physical body, for seven years the etheric body, for seven years the sentient body etc.
The being which evolves as philosophy (we call it by the abstract name ‘philosophy’) lives for 700 years in the etheric body, 700 – 800 years in the sentient body (the time is only approximate), 700 – 800 years in the sentient soul, 700 – 800 years in the intellectual or mind-soul and again 700 – 800 years in the consciousness soul.
A being evolves upwards of whom we can say:

if we look at the very first beginnings of Greek philosophy this being has then just reached the stage of development which corresponds in mankind to puberty; as being it is like man when he has reached the 14th – 16th year.

Then it lives upwards to the time when a human being experiences the events between the 14th and 21st year; that is the age of Greek philosophy, Greek thought.

Then comes the next 7 years, what man experiences from the age of 21 to 28; the Christ Impulse enters the development of philosophy. Then comes the period from Scotus Erigena up to the new age.

This Being develops in the following 700 – 800 years what man develops between the ages of 28 and 35 years.

And now we are living in the development of what man experiences in his consciousness soul: we are experiencing the consciousness soul of philosophy, of philosophical thought.

Discussion

Note 1 - The Christ Impulse in the starry script

Introduction

Schema FMC00.373A follows from lecture 1906-10-04-GA091, combined with lecture 1905-02-02-GA090B. In both lectures, Steiner uses the language of the zodiac signs to describe both the development of Man across epochs at a high level (GA090B), and the Christ's impact especially in the current and next two epochs (GA091).

Both lectures were published as recent volumes in the GA and have not been translated, however see Zodiac streams: seven and five for an extract of the 1905 lecture.

For a view on the Christ as the Lion, see Christ Module 9: Trinity and Logoi#.5B2.5D - Christ as Lion and Sun Cherub. In point [9C] above on that pages are given references to various descriptions, (a) to (f).

Commentary

1 - Christ in the sixth epoch

The future of the Christ follows in the Sixth epoch, especially in the fifth to seventh cultural ages. The fifth cultural age is really where the Christ Impulse will blossom.

An enabling forebode is the further development of the spiritual physiology of Man in the fourth cultural age.

Not Man today, but rather see Schema FMC00.176 on Man past and future; shortened recap copy from that page (our wordings):

In the sixth epoch, Man's form will change: the current two legs and right arm will disappear, the current organs will develop and three main organs will remain: the heart as Buddhi-organ, the two-petalled lotus-flower between the eyes will develop two wings and be the motive organ of will, an organ of movement, arising from metamorphosis of the left side of the chest, and the left hand. Man will ‘fly’ and make use of two last of these organs.The pineal gland and pituitary glands and sympathetic nervous system will give rise to a second spinal column. Ida & Pingala will merge with Sushumna and become one. In the seventh epoch the two spinal columns will merge into one.

On that picture now superimpose Schema FMC00.092 on Development of the chakras. Now look at Schema FMC00.373A which provides a similar view. It is clear that, whereas Man will be partly spiritualized in the sixth epoch, the astral physiology develops and the chakras will provide a direct connection with the spiritual realities, just as our senses today do for the mineral realm.

2 - Reunion with the Sun, and third 'father' impulse

Note that the sixth epoch will also provide recapitulation of the previous epochs, and the sixth cultural age is then really when the new is created, see Schema FMC00.168 on Recapitulation.

From contemplating the above two lectures, together with and against a basis of spiritual scientific knowledge, can be put forth the following. It is advised to study the two lectures in depth and also laterally with the links provided.

Schema FMC00.373 (middle) depicts the evolution of Man from the lower to the higher, from Fishes to Gemini. FMC00.373 (right) shows how that is done, from a separation in Libra, splitting two tracks in development that is then brough together over time to the convergence point Gemini.

The fact that Steiner mentions that in the Seventh epoch, Christ will be fully descended from heaven, and lives with its full power in humanity, points to the period after the reunion with the Sun. It is not so far fetched to see Gemini as the period of that merger.

This is further supported by various other small points, eg Schema FMC00.185 shows the third atma impulse for spiritualization in the sixth epoch. This could be seen fitting into the above, as the new development in the sixth age of the sixth epoch.

More on the Father impulse, see: Mysteries of the Spirit, the Son and the Father#.5B2.5D - About the Father impulse

3 - Second Hyperborean epoch

3.1 - Introduction

The lecture 1906-10-04-GA091 contains an interesting statement that is worth some more careful attention.

The lecture gives a unique view on the evolution of mankind in the language of the zodiac signs and as related to the impact of the Christ Impulse.

In context of describing the Christ, all at once Steiner talks about a force that came down in the second Hyperborean epoch. One could think this is an error in the notes, but in fact it appears in the lecture later again. So as it appears in two places, and given these are notes from Mathilde Scholl in a private teaching session, it is very unlikely that it is an error.

3.2 - Quotes

Here are the two quotes, freely translated in version (A)

.. In the sixth cultural age, the risen Christ will be declared, in the fifth age of the Sixth epoch he stands again in the heavens and on Earth, at that time Man stars the understands the sign of the Lion as the sign [INCORRECT: of the being who] in the second and fifth epochs came down from heaven to have his whole power (penetrate and) embed into Man.
...
.. Then the number Pi also reaches its fulfillment, as Pi is the sign for the force of the Lion in Man, which in the seventh cultural age of the Sixth epoch draws into Man. Gemini with Lion = Pi [editor: see Schema FMC00.373 shows this as Pi = Gemini + Lion based on text]. Then humanity will be very consciously under the lead of the Cherubim with the Lion head, who brought its power into Man in the second epoch, and who overcame the enemy of humanity in the fifth epoch by killing the dragon.

or again version (B)

In the sixth age/epoch (tbc) the resurrected Christ is announced [verkündet], in the fifth age of the Sixth epoch he stands anew 'in heaven' [am Himmel] and on Earth .. then humanity starts to understand the sign of the Lion as the sign that came down from heaven in the second and fifth epochs, to let his full power sink into humanity [um seine ganze Kraft in die Menschheit zu versenken]. In the fifth age of the sixth epoch Christ is both 'in heaven' and on Earth simultaneously. [note: am Himmel is more 'in the sky' then 'in heaven']
...
Thomas is the part of humanity, that could not recognize Christ at first, until he appears with the five signs before him, as fifth in the sixth epoch.
[DL note on interpretation: this might well mean that in the fifth age of the sixth epoch, Christ will appear at the heavens as the fifth pointed star, the illustration shown in the lecture text with this paragraph. This is consistent with 'am himmel' as in 'appearing in the heavens, in the sky'. Note - laterally - that this sign of Christ in the sky is also spoken of on Three days of darkness where is said "the sign of the Cross will appear in the heavens" ]
Then also the number Pi reaches completion, as Pi is the sign for the forece of the Lion in mankind .. which draws in in the seventh age of the sixth epoch. Gemini with Lion = Pi.
At that time mankind stands consciously under the leadership of the Cherubim with the Lion head, who brought his power into humanity in the second root race [or epoch], overwon the enemy of mankind in the fifth epoch by killing the dragon]

Note: from the discussion below it will become clear that (A) really makes things impossible to understand. By interpretation was added 'of the being who' but actually the German text does not state a being, but a sign. The sign represents the force, the buddhi principle. It is understandeable that, as the person reading and translating, interprets what is said, this is filled in as a blank in order that it reads 'more understandeable or logical' at first. See further below.

3.3 - Commentary

To our current knowledge there is only one single lecture where Rudolf Steiner states something similar, namely Sixth epoch#1905-10-25-GA093A

Man must now wait for the coming of a Sun Hero, until the Principle of the Sun Hero in the Sixth Race will make him able to develop further without Luciferic knowledge. Those endowed with this higher degree of advancement are like Prometheus, they are Sun Heroes.
...
It might still be possible today for the teaching of Christianity without reincarnation and karma to prevail. Then the Earth would be lost for the Principle of Lucifer. The whole earth is still a battlefield of these two principles. The principle that leads the earth towards spirituality is Lucifer. In order to live in accordance with this Principle one must first love the Earth, one must descend on to the Earth. Lucifer is the Prince who reigns in the kingdom of science and art, but he cannot descend altogether on to the Earth: for this, his power does not suffice. Quite alone, it would be impossible for Lucifer to lead upwards what is on the Earth.
For this, not only is the power of a Moon Adept necessary, but of a Sun Adept, who embraces the universality of human life, not manifesting only in science and art. Lucifer is represented as the Winged Form of the Dragon; Ezekiel describes him as the Winged Bull.
[second divine impulse]
Now there came a Sun Hero, similar to those who appeared in the Hyperborean Epoch, represented by Ezekiel as the Winged Lion. This Hero, Who gave the second impulse, is the Christ, the Lion out of the tribe of Judah.
Christ is a Solar Hero, a Lion-Nature, a Sun Pitri.
[third divine impulse]
The representative of the Eagle will come only later; he represents the Father Principle.

This formulation states that Christ came, but compares this with other Sun pitris that came to Earth before. Indeed in that same lecture we read, see Hyperborean epoch#1905-10-25-GA093A (our rephrasing):

In the Hyperborean epoch the Sons of the Sun were in position to incarnate, and they formed a particularly beautiful race: solar pitris became the beautiful Sun Men or Apollo-men, who had already attained the upright posture, completely transforming the Hyperborean bodies. This the other human beings were unable to do. (1905-10-25-GA093A)

.

The terminology needs to be well understood, see Christ on Old Sun#Aspects (from Christ on Old Sun#1907-06-24-GA100)

During the Old Sun stage the 'fire spirits' or the 'logoi' whose highest representative is named the Logos or the Word, reached this stage. For this reason, Christ is named the “Word” that existed in “the beginning”. Christ is the leader of the whole hosts of 'fire spirits'.
Christ is the great Sun Hero, and that the Light which belongs to the Sun constitutes His being. That is: "I am the Light of the World” is to be taken literally. For more on Sun Hero, see also Initiation in ancient Mysteries

with also, taken from Initiation in ancient Mysteries#Aspects

Sun Hero <-> Chrestos <-> Buddhi
- an initiate of the sixth degree was called a Sun Hero, these were to be found among all peoples. The soul a Sun Hero was no longer considered to be a single individual human soul, but one that had brought to birth in itself the universal soul streaming through the whole cosmos. This universal soul was called “Chrestos” in ancient Greece, and “Buddhi" in the Orient. He no longer represented the character of his people but that of all mankind in its development from the third epoch down into the current fifth postatlantean. When one has ceased to feel himself to be only the bearer of his individual soul and comes to experience the universe within himself, then he has created an image in himself of what as Sun Soul was united with the human body at that time. (1905-12-14-GA054, 1904-12-19-GA090F)

.

And it are the excerpts listed under Love#Buddhi that bring us full circle if we contemplate on all elements together. It is important to 'build' this imaginative comprehension feeling-wise in our soul, because it is about something universal, not a concept of a 'thing' (as we like to think and reason about 'things').

The Sun Hero, or solar pitris, the Christ, buddhi .. all these are but words that point to concepts but to one and the same reality. This is what Rudolf Steiner tries to convey in Love#1905-02-09-GA053.

See also the description of the buddhi principle as in the lecture 1904-11-10-GA089, see Schema FMC00.078 on Planes or Worlds of Consciousness.

So reading the two phrases again as a recap:

the sign that came down from heaven in the second and fifth epochs
brought its power into Man in the second epoch, and who overcame the enemy of humanity in the fifth epoch by killing the dragon.

.

These statements are not about the being of Christ as the 'cosmic sun hero', but about the buddhi principle of the Sun Hero, the universal cosmic principle is spoken of here, as the sign of the Lion.

Beings that were archangels on Old Sun (like Christ was at that stage, and this entity was at that stage the most advanced, and went through a wholly different cosmic evolution between Old Sun and Earth) .. so 'regular' beings that were archangels on Old Sun .. and evolved 'normally' .. already incarnated in the Hyperborean epoch, and kept being part of the guidance of mankind in the form of Sun Heroes. See Hyperborean epoch#Guidance of mankind

Appendix - Additional flanker comments

Note or disclaimer:

the below is not directly 'on the ball', it may be more far fetched, it just represents a related additional angle to look at the timeframe in evolution that is considered here. It is relevant in that the buddhi principle completely withdrew at the separation of Sun, and it was brought onto Earth and into current humanity by the Sun Heros.
related for lateral study perspective, see also: Christ Module 11 - A new physics#The fall and the .27blinders on.27

.

1/ The key moment in evolution for mankind is given as the middle of the third Lemurian epoch, with the Jehovah impulse and the separation of the Moon. At that time however the six SoF (Elohim) had left with the separation of the Sun, and one (Jehovah) had stayed with the Earth, until he too separated off with the Moon. A key event as shown on Schema FMC00.185, and the start of the Book of Genesis.

Now consider: Christ Module 9: Trinity and Logoi#9C - Christ.27s relationship to the hierarchies.

Whereas for Man the separation of Moon and the Jehovah impulse was obviously a key milestone in the development, cosmically the separation of the Sun was even more drastic. The second epoch was a recapitulation of the second CoL (see Schemas FMC00.057C and FMC00.298 on Earth rounds perspective). After the Sun, also Mercury and Venus communities separated off as separate planets. The separation of the Sun is described on the page Hyperborean epoch, where we can read:

1908-06-23-GA104 (SWCC)

.. the sun separated from the Earth: the present Earth plus the present moon. On the sun remained the beings who are the spiritual directors of earthly events. When they came over from Old Moon there were seven such beings; in Genesis these seven Spirits of Light are called Elohim. For a time they went through their evolution together with the Earth, then they drew forth the sun so that they could now work upon the Earth from the sun. Six of them united their existence with the actual cosmic sun, and one, known in the Old Testament as Jehovah, separated from them and remained at first united with the earth. He guided and directed the earthly evolution from within, while the others worked upon it from without.

The influence of the SoF working from outside of Man, was the major influence in the second epoch, and it was required for the development of Man.

2/ Another idea one could entertain is the fact that Christ 'came down' from the higher realms in the second epoch, as this is literally what it says in 1906-10-04-GA091: 'came down from heaven'.

To 'see' this:

first see Schema FMC00.471A
and/or, put differently: double click Schema FMC00.077B where column 'Earth' shows how the second Logos comes into our solar system evolution 'through the SoW gate' (see Christ's descent to Earth#1912-04-13-GA136)

Note 2 - Various further notes (draft)

See also Discussion area Nostradamus regarding prophecies