Three days descent into Hades

The three days between the death of Christ-Jesus at the cross at Golgotha, and the resurrection at Easter, includes the descent and appearance of Christ in Hades, the ‘realm of shades’, 'hell', or the Earth's inner layers.

Aspects

around the middle of the Future Jupiter stage of evolution, Man will experience around mid-life a short but life-changing revival of Earth consciousness. A brief renewal of Earth consciousness will happen during a period of three days, and a review of all one has achieved during the previous Earth stage of evolution, and one's relationship with the Mystery of Golgotha (and it's meaning for a person and humanity, so meant broadly). After that nothing will be the same again for that soul. Rudolf Steiner links this to the three days of Christ between death and resurrection, and the rescue of the human soul from the adverse powers of Lucifer and Ahriman (see Three days descent into Hades). See also the Representative of humanity, and Michelangelo's 'Last Judgement'. More on the Future Jupiter topic page.

Illustrations

Schema FMC00.390 shows 'The binding of Satan for one thousand years' (Rev. 20,1-3) from the Book of Revelation with illustrations from the Beatus, the Commentary on the Apocalypse by Beatus of Liébana (8th century). There are about 30 illustrated copies of the Beatus that date from the 9th to the 14th century. Examples shown here are from the Gerona (10th century, left) and Morgan (10th century, right).

For more from the Beatus, see eg Schema FMC00.374B.

Lecture coverage and references

Book of Revelation

20:1-3 has the following scene (which is positioned to take place at the end of the Earth stage of evolution, before Future Jupiter)

¹ Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain.
² And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,

³ and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were ended. After that he must be loosed for a little while.

1904-06-10-GA093

1909-01-01-GA107

Ahriman works upon man in countless, infinitely diverse ways. I have told you that the Event of the Mystery of Golgotha was a moment of supreme importance for the evolution of the world.
The Christ appeared in the realm into which Man enters after death, where Ahriman's influence was even mightier than in the world around Man here on earth between birth and death. In the realm of existence between death and rebirth, Ahriman's influences worked upon Man with terrible, overwhelming power. And if nothing else had taken place, utter darkness would gradually have closed in upon man in the ‘realm of Shades’, as it was correctly designated by the ancient Greeks. A condition of complete isolation, leading to the intensification of egoism would have set in between death and rebirth; Man would have been born into his new life as a gross and overweening egotist.
Hence it is more than a figure of speech to say that after the Event of Golgotha, at the moment when the blood flowed from the wounds, the Christ appeared in yonder world, in the realm of the Shades, and cast Ahriman into fetters.
Although Ahriman's influence remained and is really the origin of all materialistic thinking on the part of Man, although this influence can be paralyzed only if men receive into themselves the power emanating from the Mystery of Golgotha, nevertheless they can draw from that event a power which enables them to find their way once again into the divine spiritual world.

1910-GA013

(An Outline of Occult Science), Chapter 4, part 7:

The event of Palestine is not only the center of the physical evolution of mankind, but it is also the center of the other worlds to which the human being belongs. When the “Mystery of Golgotha” was accomplished, when “Death on the Cross” was suffered, the Christ appeared in the world in which souls tarry after death, and in that region He set bounds to the power of Ahriman. From this moment the realm that was named by the Greeks the “kingdom of the shades” was illuminated by that spiritual lightning flash that showed its inhabitants that henceforth light would again appear in it. What was attained through the Mystery of Golgotha for the physical world threw its light into the spiritual world.

1922-04-24-GA211

Christ was the first of the Upper Gods to learn to know the interior of the Earth. That is an important fact. The Christ, because He was buried in the Earth, brought knowledge to the Upper Gods of a region of which before They had no knowledge. And this secret, that the Gods too undergo evolution — this secret Christ communicated to His initiate pupils after His Resurrection.

Sonja Berger

writes in 'The Way of the Christ Being According to Rudolf Steiner - A Sketched Attempt at a Synopsis', in the chapter 'The Journey into Hades: The Descent into the Earth’s Interior'

The Gospel of Nicodemus states that Christ “delivered him unto the power of Hell” and Rudolf Steiner also says that Ahriman is cast “into fetters,” that is, not yet finally defeated or eliminated, only so limited in his effectiveness that the human being, strengthened and revitalized by the power of Christ, can exist beside Ahriman — not uncontested and in constant readiness to fight — and can continue, promote, and fight for his and the earth’s development when he uses his whole being.
In the Greek original of the Gospel of Nicodemus, it says that Christ delivers the bound Satan (Ahriman) to Hades with the instruction,
“Take him and hold him until my second coming (parousia).”
According to Rudolf Steiner, we understand this second coming as the appearance of the etheric Christ. But with that, we would be directly in the present. And is the conclusion that Satan-Ahriman can escape from the imprisonment of Hades at this time not in direct connection with the expected incarnation of Ahriman near the turn of the millennium?

Discussion

Note 1 - On 'the bad guy below'

This topic is about the confusion in terminology and interpretation between Satan, Ahriman and Sorat, in the lectures of Rudolf Steiner as published.

It is possible and maybe likely that over hundred years, insufficient clear understanding and consistency in the army of editors and translators, caused confusion in the formulations of the two/three beasts in the Book of Revelation, and how Satan and Anti-Christ are called Ahriman and Sorat .. but not always consistent, leading to much confusion.

On this topic, see also: [[D00.004 - Book of Revelation#Note [2] - The three beasts of evil and corresponding counterforces]]

1 - Some imagery

To start there are three main events we can look at:

Three days descent into Hades, and the chaining of the counterforces by Christ
the fifth apocalyptic seal, woman with sun, mapping to reunion of Sun. Here 'the bad guy below' is Sorat (1907-10-21-GA101).
(Rev.20, 1-3) and the binding of Satan for one thousand years. Given Rev 20 is before New Jerusalem (Future Jupiter), wouldn't 'the bad guy below' also be Sorat instead of Ahriman?

We can entertain the above with illustrations: the chained figure on Schema FMC00.390 (above), comparing with Schema FMC00.374B on Reunion of Sun, an illustration of the fifth apocalyptic seal from the famous Beatus. The fifth apocalyptic seal Schema FMC00.374B shows some elements so as to say .. it comes closes, there is resemblance, or it could have provided inspiration for FMC00.390.

FMC00.374B - The fifth seal of woman with sun maps to the stage of the reunion with sun, when mankind will "morally have overcome the destructive forces in his lower nature". Now intellectually these counterforces of the lower bodies could be said to be all three Luciferic, Ahrimanic and Soratic. However the reunion of the Sun is usually coupled to the redemption of luciferic spirits .. only. The other challenges remain, with Sorat leading with black magic to the Eight sphere upto the Future Venus stage of evolution. For the Ahrimanic challenge, see Schema FMC00.238, these appear to be what's coming up as the human stage for Future Jupiter.
FMC00.390 - The chained figure at the bottom on Christ's descent into Hades now can be used to ask the question: who or what is being chained there? Intuitively, and thinking about the temptations in the desert, one can conceive this illustration to represent Lucifer (snake) and Ahriman (chained for some period). One can also connect this illustration with the image of the Representative of humanity and Lucifer and Ahriman .. but the real worst evil that is to be overwon by mankind is Soratic (as in: asuras, rakshasas) .. rather than Luciferic and Ahrimanic influences that are of a different nature (more of elemental balance). Interestingly, we find two different statements in Steiner's lectures:
- Sorat or the Rakshasas (or Asuras)
  - 1904-06-10-GA093
    [Christ] was confronted by spiritual beings. The Rakshasa beings were brought thereby into a state of paralysis and lethargy! They were at the same time kept in check so that they became unable to move. .. the banishment of the enemies of mankind which has its echo in the Saga of the Antichrist, who was put in chains but will make his appearance again, .. Those whose vision extends to the higher planes have long foreseen that the moment when this could happen might be at the end of the nineteenth century, at the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. [editor: reference could be made to 1998=3x666, .. and/or the incarnation of Ahriman]
- Ahriman
  - 1909-01-01-GA107
    Hence it is more than a figure of speech to say that after the Event of Golgotha, at the moment when the blood flowed from the wounds, the Christ appeared in yonder world, in the realm of the Shades, and cast Ahriman into fetters. Although Ahriman's influence remained and is really the origin of all materialistic thinking on the part of Man, although this influence can be paralyzed only if men receive into themselves the power emanating from the Mystery of Golgotha, nevertheless they can draw from that event a power which enables them to find their way once again into the divine spiritual world
  - 1910-GA013 Chapter 4, part 7:
    When the Mystery of Golgotha was accomplished, when death on the cross was suffered, the Christ appeared in the world in which souls tarry after death, and in that region He set bounds to the power of Ahriman. From this moment the realm that was named by the Greeks the “kingdom of the shades” was illuminated by that spiritual lightning flash that showed its inhabitants that henceforth light would again appear in it.

2 - Further checks of terminology and meaning

Interestingly this is not the only place where this terminology is not unanimously clear:

1906-11-01-GA266 (SWCC)

on Sorat/Ahriman, the apocalyptic two-horned beast or Sun demon (Rev.13), third adversary power ‘Satan’ (Rev. 20)

Luciferic spirits fell behind on Old Moon. Lucifer was at work in the Lemurian epoch, could be included in Earth evolution, and worked as a liberator by giving men independence and enthusiasm for wisdom. Lucifers influence gave independence, egoity with egoism. Egoism, error and animal love are the first expressions of egoity, wisdom and highest spiritual love.

Satanic fire spirits on Old Sun. The regent of fire spirits is Christ. Satanic Gods of hindrances began their work in the Atlantean epoch.

Asuras remain behind on Old Saturn. Asuras are starting to work in the Postatlantean epoch. They're the worst of the three and they mainly work into sexual life in the physical body. The many sexual aberrations today are to be ascribed to this strong influx.

All forces of hindrances try to hold onto currently existing things that are still imperfect, carry them out and intensify them.
..
When the forces of the masters and of the men who join them with their whole strength and will, and when the forces of the Gods of hindrances, Mammon, Satan, Asuras and their human followers intervene ever more mightily into human life and Earth evolution, then good will develop into a divine good, and evil into a terrible Antichrist.

In this case it seems we should not be too literal, the Antichrist is the culmination of all that goes astray due to the counterforces.

Reading the statements in the published lectures, Rudolf Steiner's wordings (as captured and published) may be said to appear quite consistent in identifying Satan with Ahriman and the Sun demon. Ahriman is also called the Mammon.

1924-09-15-GA346

The second thing is that human beings will walk around - one will be able to see this - of whom one will have to say that Ahrimanic powers, are living in them. Here Ahriman is acting directly; this is the beast; the fall of the beast and of the false prophet of the beast, who is a superhuman being and not a Man.

Holding the 1906-11-01-GA266 against Schema FMC00.185, it appears that the Luciferic impulse had to be kept in balance by the Jehovah impulse (and will be redeemed by the Christ impulse, and find redemption with the reunion of the moon), and that Ahriman is an opposing force in the current fifth epoch. FMC00.185 shows the Father impulse in the sixth epoch, a theme that received little coverage, just as Sorat.

On the topic of Sorat and Ahriman, see also here

3 - More on terminology of Satan and counterforces

see more on: D00.004 - Book of Revelation#Note 2 - The three beasts of evil and corresponding counterforces

Lucifer: In Christian theology and literature, Lucifer is often depicted as a 'fallen angel' who rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven, becoming synonymous with Satan. The name "Lucifer" means "light-bringer" or "morning star" in Latin, and it originally referred to the planet Venus, seen at dawn.
- Over time, Lucifer came to be identified with the devil in Christian mythology, particularly through interpretations of passages in Isaiah 14:12-15 and other apocryphal writings like "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. However see Christ Module 14 – the counterforces: Lucifer, Ahriman and Sorat#1893 - C.G. Harrison .. correcting Milton and making the distinction "he is not, as Milton taught, and it is generally supposed, a fallen archangel, like Beelzebub, Mammon, etc."
Sathanas (or Satanas) is a Greek/Latin name for Satan, meaning "the adversary" or "accuser." Satan, in Abrahamic religions, is often seen as the personification of evil, the tempter of humanity, and the enemy of God. In Christian demonology, he is believed to be the leader of the fallen angels and the ruler of Hell.
- Note 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 and a cause for confusion.

Related pages

References and further reading

Sonja Berger:
- 'Der Weg der Christus-Wesenheit in der Darstellung Rudolf Steiners - Skizzenhafter Versuch einer Zusammenschau' (translates as 'The Way of the Christ Being According to Rudolf Steiner - A Sketched Attempt at a Synopsis') (1971)
  - chapter: 'Die Hadesfahrt. Der Abstieg in das Erdinnere' (translates as 'The Journey into Hades: The Descent into the Earth’s Interior')
- article 'Die Hadesfahrt des Christus: Der Weg zur Durchchristlichung der Erde' (1979, 6 pages)
- Note: both sources have been translated into EN by the Free Man Creator initiative in 2018, as part of a Study Volume on the Christ Impulse.