Self-Knowledge and God-Knowledge I

GA 90a — 24 May 1904, Berlin

XXVI. On the Apocalypse II

There were a few directives that I could give to better understand this momentous work. Today, we want to deal with a single issue of human development, because it will shed light on the whole development.

There are seven periods in post-Atlantean culture, and we are currently in the fifth. Each period has a specific task in relation to the human being. The human being is reborn because the conditions on Earth have changed. The great developmental epochs really work on the human being. Let us bear in mind that the human being consists of a physical body, an etheric body, an astral body and an I. When the human being began his development on Earth, he had developed the first three bodies. The task on Earth is to develop the I.

Let us look back at Atlantis, at the last third. In the last third, man had received the first seed to say “I” to himself. That was only a first seed. The two previous post-Atlantean thirds had to draw this “I” to themselves bit by bit. The main moment for the development of the “I” is the event of Golgotha. What is the fact that man received his “I” in the last third of Atlantis? Before man had arrived at this germ of the I, the connection between the physical body and the etheric body was quite different than later. Today, the etheric body of the head has approximately the same size and shape, which was not the case in Atlantis, where the etheric body still protruded. A certain point of the etheric head had to enter in order to connect with a point in the forebrain. Through this “mating”, the human being became mature enough to gradually develop his ego. To educate this ego, the human being needed the processing of the entire physical body, and all the rest of the Atlantean development was used to make the human physical body a carrier of the ego.

It was only after the Atlantic catastrophe that the human brain was so dense that it could become an ego carrier. The hydrocephalus is an atavism from ancient times. A firm, compact head was made by the etheric head going inside. And so the Indian culture could arise, in which a similar brain was already present. But the etheric body inside the physical body had not yet been educated to become a complete I-bearer. That is why the Indian longed to get out of this world.

Thus, in post-Atlantic culture, people begin to make changes to their etheric body that make it possible for the body to develop into an I-bearer. The I works from the inside out to transform the other bodies. Because the work of reworking the physical body begins with regulating the breath, the spiritual person is called “Atm”. Thus we can speak of seven basic parts. If we want to go into more detail in the sense and spirit of post-Atlantean culture, then we have to base it on the division into nine limbs as in my “Theosophy”. In Nordic mysteries, the division into nine was always taught.

In a sense, the future conscious work with the lower members must be anticipated. It must be preceded by unconscious work. This already took place in the Atlantean body – and also now. Only the initiated work quite consciously. First, therefore, there is an unconscious transformation of the astral body through the influence of higher powers of the ego. The result of this unconscious transformation of the astral body is now called the sentient soul. The transformed etheric body is the mind soul, and the transformed physical body is what we call the consciousness soul.

But even under the guidance of higher spiritual beings, the human being then begins to work more consciously and to develop the spirit self.

Physical body, etheric body, astral body, sentient soul, intellectual soul, consciousness soul, spirit self, life spirit, spiritual man – these are the nine members of the human being. These were the nine members taught in the old Nordic mysteries. What is formed between the astral body and the spirit self is developed step by step. In the first impulse, the I-radiation in the Atlantean time transformed it into the consciousness soul. This consciousness soul must educate the others in order to educate itself; then it must allow the Christ principle to permeate it in order to develop the spirit self.

In Indian culture, the etheric body is permeated by the Christized I.

In Persian culture, the sentient body
In Egyptian culture, the sentient soul
In Greco-Roman culture, the mind soul
In our culture, the consciousness soul.

In Philadelphia [the apocalypse], the first spark of the spirit self is struck under the influence of the Christ principle.

We are therefore in the culture that develops the consciousness soul and have to prepare ourselves to receive the Christed spiritual self. In Philadelphia, Christ will appear again in a finer body that will be visible to those who have prepared themselves.

In this way, the theosophical movement enables people to see Christ. This is how this processing of the bodies is gradually and thoroughly carried out. This is how we, through the wisdom of Theosophia, lead people to rise above themselves, to not get stuck in the personal, and thus become able to recognize Christ. Because it was necessary in terms of the evolution of the earth, Theosophy has entered our lives.

In the sixth period, meteorical phenomena that have materialized are evoked, and the others begin to ascend higher. But the sub-periods in it, which are characterized by the horses - white clothes and so on - do not pass by human development without leaving a trace. The three bodies interpenetrate more intimately with the three souls and with what will be acquired as a spiritual self. So what has happened in the sixth period? The four members and the finer differentiations of the I will have been worked through to a completely different extent. The three souls will have grown into the three bodies, they will have grown into them intimately.

What does it mean when we say that these members have grown together? They will have acquired the ability to create expression in the physical body. This ability is acquired through the fact that the person has worked through three periods of time. The fact that the person brings with them a development in the sixth period of time, in which they have worked on their soul, means that they have endeavored to spiritualize themselves. The third and the fourth will become intimately interwoven when they have completed the three cycles or epochs. This passage through a cycle, in which he has truly absorbed everything that a cycle offers, is called ©. Man is then finished with the completion of the cycle to its end.

They have achieved the interpenetration of the three with the four.

Sensitive soul / intellectual soul / consciousness soul.

First the number seven. Then, for the next period, the characteristic number is twelve, the multiplier. The twelve-thousanders emerge after completing the three cycles. Three zeros next to the twelve: 12,000.

And I heard the number of those who were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from all the generations of the sons of Israel: of the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand sealed; of the thousand of the tribe of Levi were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed. [Rev 7,4-8]

Now the various groups of people with 12 and 3 zeros who have joined the brotherhood of Philadelphia are designated. 144,000 are multiplied by the twelve groups (12x12) that have thus formed. Those who have developed the power over their soul will also have the power in the other souls. When soul works its way into soul, the deeds of men multiply. Thus, the apocalyptic shows us in depth that he knows the whole secret of human development. The truth is told in such a way that the human being is educated to penetrate from the cover into the real form, so that the consciousness soul is also developed. It is important to find certain things for oneself. That is why theosophy is presented later in a different form of wisdom. Even what is said today is still veiled.

Those who were initiated at the time of the apocalypse have already received the meaning. But what is esoteric in one age later becomes exoteric. That is the meaning of development. The esoteric transforms into the exoteric in the course of human development. This is also the case with the secret of Golgotha. The last act in the initiation of the mysteries. Awakening from the lethargic death and crucifixion, entombment and resurrection of the one to be initiated. Then it emerged, became an external historical fact, the historically evolved mystery wisdom of ancient times. The conservative mind always resists what is esoteric being carried out into the world. Christ was regarded as one who brought the mysteries into public life. The inner will appear more and more in the outer, unfolding splendor and color. If they had been able to follow the apocalypticist, they would have heard exactly the same thing when he spoke to his intimate disciples.

The sixth period has something of a decision everywhere. Philadelphia culture over into another time. The sixth seal brings the number twelve. The sixth trumpet also brings something crucial. 5 Jupiter Earth, 6 Venus Earth - overcoming the great Babylon.

Saved all who can be saved. It is decided who has to wait until the next time.

Repetition of Saturn 1, Sun 2, Moon 3, Earth 4, Jupiter 5, Venus 6, Vulcan 7.

When the Earth is forming into a world body for the sixth time, having completed five rounds, the sixth state is there, but the seventh is not yet. Therefore, for the time when Babylon is overcome, we are told:

Here is wisdom.

Five have fallen, that is Saturn, Sun...

They are gone for the elect - only sputum as beast -, and the sixth is, and the seventh has not yet come.

Up to this, the apocalypticist characterizes exactly.

One more thing: we have seven states, these are the proper ones that are gone through to ascend. But those who have proven to be immature are also placed under Sorat. What happens to them? They now have to separate a world of their own, on which they continue their development. So a special sphere separates, it falls out.

A small colony of the wicked, the black magicians, settle there. Read in the theosophical literature about the mysterious eighth sphere, which goes left, while the other goes right. He will remain there for a time, and the beast is the eighth and has come from the seventh and leads to destruction. The apocalypticist also knows that in addition to the seven balls, there is also an eighth. All theosophy could be extracted. The more development progresses, the more strength is needed to lead those who have turned away from spiritualization back to it. Therefore, an attempt must be made to save what can still be saved through the best. That is why Moses and Elijah are called upon. And we see them saying Wisdom in a later epoch on Earth. Moses and Elijah are among those who are initiated very early on. Therefore, they have to work later. Karma is at work in the world. The highest and the lowest are subject to it. Those who are initiated before Golgotha must attain the karmic correspondence. What happened earlier?

Lived in a lethargic state in the physical body for three and a half days. What was done? Nothing. Left to the outer powers. These three and a half years drop out of the development of these initiates. These are the only three and a half years that the old initiate has ignored in the work of his ego. Such a thing must also find its karmic balance. There, where they occur in their state of development, they must again leave their physical body to the outer world for three and a half days. Therefore we read:

And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is called spiritually “Sodom and Egypt”, because there also the Lord was crucified. And they of the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations shall lie three days and a half, and their dead bodies shall not be left in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they went up into heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. [Rev 11, 7-12].

And so we have the karmic fulfillment of leaving the body to external powers. Even deeds that are done as sacrifices must find their karmic compensation. Except for the names, we find in the Apocalypse what Christ is. Christ is the deepest impulse that enters into the I of man. The I takes the Christ. We can characterize the I through intimate contemplation. Everyone can call all external things by their name. The name of the I must resound from within. The Christ plunges into this principle of the human being and gradually permeates it. A name that is not written in the external world, that only the one with the name can fertilize, who has it - recognize.

And he had a name written that no one knew [recognized] except himself.

That in the end the earth will be spiritualized in the sun, that everything will be spiritualized in the outer Jerusalem, is expressed:

And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. [Rev 21,23]

First the apocalyptic seer sees the leader who guided our Earth as Vishnu Karma, then as Ahura Mazdao and so forth. He sees him as the one who carries the seven stars, who has the brazen rod, the spirits of development in his hand and the sword in his mouth. The word [gap in the transcript]

Everything undergoes a certain transformation. Even the organs, for example the heart muscle; it is on the way to becoming an arbitrary muscle. The larynx is on the way to becoming a reproductive organ. Through the voice, human beings will produce their own kind. Today, human beings can only communicate that which inspires their soul by communicating with the air. But more and more of the human being is communicated in this way. And man will multiply out of himself through the voice. “In the primeval beginning” and at the end will be the Logos - creating word. And so the mighty vision of the sword from the mouth is at a higher level the reawakening of Atlantis.

Vision: Lamb instead of four animals. Sorat pushed down by an archangel - Sorat. “In brief” is a wrong translation: the apocalypticist does not mean “in a short time”, but “in a brief outline”. Theosophy is the commentary on the Apocalypse - and in our time it is the only possible commentary.