The Rudolf Steiner Archive

19. Access to Christianity through Spiritual Science

[ 1 ] Today I would like to offer you some additional insights regarding various reflections we have made on Christianity from a spiritual-scientific perspective. First, we will consider an interpretation and explanation of Christian parables from the perspective of the spiritual sciences. Then I would like to say a few things—in a general sense—about the Book of Revelation, based on what you may have heard in the public lectures.

[ 2 ] The parable I would like to discuss first is the parable of the unjust steward. You know that this parable is a source of confusion for many people. Let us now bring it to mind, at least as far as we intend to explain it today. It will therefore be presented here according to the literary translation. We will discuss it later in an esoteric sense.

[ 3 ] “He also said to his disciples: ‘There was a rich man who had a steward; the steward was reported to him as having squandered his property. So he summoned him and said to him, “What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be my steward.” The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do? My master is taking the stewardship away from me; I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I know exactly what I’ll do so that, when I’m removed from this position, they will take me into their homes.” So he called all his master’s debtors to him and said to the first one, “How much do you owe my master?” He replied, “A hundred barrels of oil.” Then he said to him, “Take your bill, sit down, and quickly write fifty.” Then he said to the second, “And you, how much do you owe?” He replied, “A hundred bushels of wheat.” And he said to him, “Take your bill, sit down, and write eighty.” And the master commended the dishonest steward for acting shrewdly, for the children of this world are more shrewd in their own generation than the children of light.”

[ 4 ] This parable has caused a great deal of confusion, and rightly so. Before we delve into it, let us briefly point out that parables such as this one have given rise to a wide variety of interpretations over the course of time. We have heard people say: “There is a deeper meaning behind such a parable.” Many have tried to find explanations based on their own understanding. It is quite clear: If everyone comes forward and offers explanations for such parables based on their own understanding, the result will be something sensible from the wise and something less sensible from the less wise. If everyone brings their own understanding to bear on it, there can of course be no guarantee that the interpretation is correct. In the spiritual-scientific worldview, the matter is quite different. For us, it is a matter of explaining such parables as they were explained in the original Christian mysteries; of knowing the deep meaning that was laid into them and from which they arose.

[ 5 ] I have often mentioned that such Christian mysteries existed. I have repeatedly said that Paul went out and explained Christianity, and that he founded the esoteric Christian school in Athens under Dionysius. In the same way, we, too, wish to explain the parables as they were explained back then. We do not want to say whatever comes to mind, but rather what we can truly know. Those who taught in these Christian schools drew upon what they had received from Christ Jesus himself.

[ 6 ] Especially in our time, such parables have suffered greatly under the general materialistic mindset—even among theologians. To demonstrate to you what is ultimately possible in this area, I would like to read to you a passage about this parable from a small book published in the collection *Aus Natur- und Geisteswelt*. The author is considered one of the most outstanding representatives of the Harnack school and was appointed associate professor at the University of Jena. A few days ago, he was granted the chair of New Testament studies there. This is the spirit that is proclaimed from a theological chair. Added to this is the fact that this wisdom is brought to the people in a little book that anyone can buy for eighty pfennigs. It is the best way to spread such a spirit—to present it in this way in inexpensive works. Everything points to the fact that the matter is more important than is usually understood, for this is how the materialistic mindset of the theologians finds its way into the hearts and minds of the people. The way such a parable is explained goes something like this: What people say about a deeper meaning behind these parables is nothing special; it is something that does not lie behind the parables at all. We must return to our childlike, original understanding. — It is as if Christ had intended to offer nothing more than an artfully constructed story. What he says in them is so insignificant that it is entirely in the style of today’s materialistic thinking, which cannot belittle such a thing enough to bring it down to the level of the most mundane triviality. He says the following about it, word for word: “Let us take the parable of the unjust steward, which is a particular source of offense. Let us consider it entirely on its own, up only to the sentence: ‘The Lord commended the unjust steward for having acted wisely.’ Why we set aside all the other sayings will become clear later; in any case, it is clear that they can no longer all be drawn upon for interpretation, because they contain very different ideas. If we take the parable as a parable, it simply means this: the steward knew that the reckoning—and then his dismissal—would soon come. He then considered what he could do in his situation and immediately applied the only remedy he could find. That was a wise course of action. Even his deceived master had to acknowledge this. Now, as it applies to Jesus’ contemporaries: You, too, know and believe that God will one day demand an accounting from you, so be wise and prepare yourselves for it! At the very least, be wise—that is what the parable is saying. Jesus is not appealing here to the goodness or the longing of the human heart. A harsh, ironic tone pervades the entire passage. It does not say: “Blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the pure in heart!” Rather, it says: “If you will not listen to anything else, you should at least be as shrewd as such a dishonest steward!” There is a sharp undertone in this parable; that is why the image is so strangely chosen. Jesus deemed it unnecessary to add that one cannot prepare for God’s judgment by committing new acts of villainy, as the steward did.”

[ 7 ] You can see that Weinel himself compares the master of the house to the Lord God. The last three lines clearly show that the parable could be applied in this way, for they state that God may one day demand an accounting from the soul. Surely a “be at least good” should follow here. But if one then reads what the Lord says to the unjust steward and uses the phrase, “You should be at least as shrewd as such a crooked steward,” then one has not understood the parable. Yet such things are preached today in popular books of this kind. This is instilled in young students. It is not the materialism that explains the external world in materialistic terms that is the worst, but rather the kind that wants nothing to do with any deeper insight into theology. It is this kind of materialism that is the cause of the other—scientific materialism. Here, materialism sinks into people’s souls, and then one cannot help but interpret the facts of natural science in a materialistic way. We will have to learn once again to understand the spiritual. And this can only happen through the current of thought that is truly capable of explaining the Bible and other religious texts.

[ 8 ] We can understand such a parable when we delve deeper into its meaning. One thing stands out right away: namely, that it is a parable found in the Gospel of Luke, and only there. It does not appear in the other Gospels. What does it mean that it is found only in the Gospel of Luke? It means a great deal. If you take the Gospels—specifically the Gospels of Mark and Luke—and compare them, you will find that a certain underlying tone characterizes them. In yesterday’s lecture, I mentioned that these are canonical books originating from different centers of initiation. Luke traces his account back to the initiation undergone by the Essenes and the Therapeuts. That is why you find in his Gospel a medical character—one that strives to bring balance to humanity, that endeavors to bridge the differences between people, and to realize that, in the eyes of the spiritual world, all people are equal. The Gospel of Luke often seems like a gospel for the oppressed and the weary. They can take heart from it because they are equal in the spiritual world. One must bear this in mind; then one will find the underlying tone and mood present in the Gospel of Luke.

[ 9 ] In ancient times, these various Gospels were in fact already interpreted differently in tone. Let us bear this in mind. We must address an essential fundamental characteristic of Christianity here, one we are likely familiar with from earlier lectures. You know that I have often recalled the statement: “Whoever does not forsake wife, child, mother, and brother cannot be my disciple.” You know that this saying points to a great step forward in the development of humanity. It stems from the fact that in ancient times, love in the world was based on blood ties; yet this love had to fade as soon as those blood ties were severed. In ancient times, in the past, people loved one another based on blood ties. Christ taught a love that consists in one person loving another, regardless of their blood relationship. This brotherhood will not be found in the greatest possible external equality, but in what Christianity teaches as equality in relation to the spiritual worlds.

[ 10 ] Thus, the appearance of Christ Jesus on Earth has a profound impact on human development. It provides the impetus for the human race’s progress toward a great, universal brotherhood. What Christ Jesus has given to humanity is this: that through the power derived from the teachings of Christ Jesus, they may be guided toward that all-encompassing love expressed by the term “brotherhood.” From the Gospel we draw the strength to establish this brotherhood. We must be clear about this.

[ 11 ] If we understand it this way, then we grasp deeply, very deeply, a word that we also find in many forms in the Gospel—the word that always points to the old law, to that law which prevailed in the ancient times described to us in the Old Testament. Although Jesus says that not even the smallest dot or comma of this law is to be violated, he replaces this law with something entirely new—something that does not yet truly exist. He replaces what is currently governed by the law with the free, loving conduct of one person toward another. Laws govern the way people live together and what one person is required to do or provide for another. But a time will come when everyone will know, out of an immediate sense of feeling, what they must do and give to their fellow human beings.

[ 12 ] Now let us look down upon the parable from this perspective that Christianity opens up for us. If we take this seriously, we will grasp its deeper meaning and understand that it is indeed permissible to compare the rich man with the divine Ruler of the universe. The comparison is indeed valid: the rich man and the divine Ruler of the universe. But how? — Anyone who asks this might just as easily ask why the steward is unjust. The usual explanation is that he records only eighty metric tons instead of a hundred, and so on. People think the steward is unjust because he imposes on people a debt that does not correspond to the IOU. That is completely wrong. The truth is rather that the steward is called unjust because he acted unjustly in the past—because he charged excessive prices to the people to whom he sold grain and so on. Now we understand that when his master dismisses him, the people will not support him. If that were not the case, then we would have to assume that the rich man himself wants to be unjust. But that is not expressed anywhere in the parable. And if we include the subsequent sentences, which Weinel arbitrarily omits, we will find that we do not need to interpret the rich man as if he were demanding that his steward cheat the people. The steward believes he is doing his master a favor by charging him the highest possible prices. Nevertheless, he could not escape the accusation that he has harmed his master.

[ 13 ] Let’s approach this parable with these premises in mind and clarify it for ourselves. The steward has been slandered for defrauding his master. He knows that, given the way he has managed the household and charged high prices, he will find no support among the people. So he wonders: What should I do? My master is demanding an accounting; he will remove me from my position. The other people won’t accept me—that’s what he tells himself. And what does he do now? He makes amends for some of the wrongdoing he committed as an unjust steward. He shows the people some leniency—that is, he now sets prices that are fair. He relinquishes some of the unjust wealth he had amassed for his master. If we interpret the parable this way, then we may compare the rich man to the divine Ruler of the Universe, and we may compare the steward to the one who has been appointed by the divine Ruler of the Universe to govern this old world, where the law was meant to regulate relationships. Then we may also understand it to mean that an accounting must be made regarding how the administration has been conducted. It turns out that the steward has become unjust. The same is true of the law. Originally it was good, but little by little it has become unjust. It has created class distinctions and established rights that can no longer be upheld. Therefore, the One who said that not a single iota or tittle of the old law would be changed must now demand an accounting from those who are the stewards of the law—the Pharisees and the scribes. The parable was directed at the Pharisees; they were the unjust stewards, the administrators of the law. They were the ones who could not imagine that they would be welcomed into the huts of those subject to the law unless they found shelter with the supposed God. Now we can also understand why the parable does not need to portray the rich man himself as unjust. It is precisely for this reason that he praises the steward—because he drove down the prices. If a rich man himself wanted to cheat, he certainly would not praise someone who gave back a portion of the high prices. The steward simply believed he was serving his master and became unjust toward the others. In the same way, those who were charged with guarding the laws believed they were serving their master and became unjust toward the rest of humanity.

[ 14 ] This was transformed the moment Christ came. There we also see that those who have applied these laws must necessarily correct some of the mistakes they made in the process. The law has become unjust. Now that love for all people is required, those who wish to conquer, to some extent, the huts of humanity—that is, the parable for the souls—must replace the law, which has become unjust in certain places, with a just one. They must set aside some of what has become unjust. Therefore, the Gospel classifies the ancient scribes and Pharisees into those who, rigidly orthodox, continue to call themselves “the children of God.” These are the ones condemned by Christ Jesus as those with whom he wants nothing to do. These are the ones of whom he says that they remain far from him; they say: “We serve God, who gave us the laws.” — Because they hold so firmly to the law, they are the children of light. This is the technical term for the servants of God, who are later compared to the unrighteous steward. The others, who live among people and had to contend with human inclinations, are the children of the world. They did not insist on the rigid letter of the law; they relented because it was no longer possible to manage unjustly. These are the ones who were once unjust but, because they had to live with life as it is, were forced to change. That is why the children of the world are wiser than the children of light.

[ 15 ] This parable points to world government. What was once good may, under certain circumstances, become a source of suffering, and something else must take its place. What is the current state of the law and the integrity of those who administer it? Where are those who no longer stand on the ground of the old law? Where are those who should fear finding no support in the huts of others, because what they have done is unjust? Thus, this parable becomes readily clear to us when we apply the ancient esoteric interpretation from which the parable originally sprang. One need not interpret the parable in a materialistic-theological way, but quite simply. These parables are meant to elucidate the profound meaning of humanity’s great mission.

[ 16 ] The other parable is the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which you are familiar with and which also poses difficulties for some. It would take too long to read the entire parable aloud. You know what it’s about. A father had two sons. One demanded his inheritance so he could go out into the world; the other stayed at home, was good and obedient, and worked alongside his father. The one who went out into the world lost his inheritance, became poor, and fell into the bitterest need and great misery. When he finally returned, his father welcomed him most lovingly. When the older son heard this, he became angry and refused to go into the house. So his father went out and pleaded with him to come in. But he said to his father, “Look, I’ve served you for so many years, and you’ve never given me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.” But now that this son of yours has come—who has squandered his inheritance with prostitutes—you have slaughtered a fattened calf for him.” But the father said to him, “My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But you should be glad and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and has been found.”

[ 17 ] Imagine if someone told the parable of the Prodigal Son today, without all the dust that has accumulated on it over the millennia due to the venerable “tradition.” Don’t you think there are people today who believe it would be supremely unjust for the father to take back the son who ran away, thereby putting the other son at a disadvantage? Don’t you think people would say otherwise! — And that is exactly what they say. There are people who do not hold the Bible in the same reverence as believers do. There are people who regard the Bible as just an ordinary secular book. A few sentences from someone who views the Bible this way—a liberal-minded person and a true philistine—will show you this. They are found in the book *Finsternisse*. Here it says: “Our sympathy lies entirely with the older son. ... The treatment the father bestows upon his younger son entails a grave injustice toward the older son,” and so on.

[ 18 ] This may be philistine, but there would be many people who would judge it the same way if the parable were written today. But consider that there is something hidden behind such things. Consider that we can grasp the entire nature of these things from what lies hidden. We then see that we simply have to ascribe a deeper meaning to them. The most important of these parables are, in fact, also contained in a kind of mystical canon, and they appear among different peoples in various forms. I would like to tell you one from the Hebrew canon, and then you can compare them.

[ 19 ] A king had to watch as his son left him and went away. He sent for the tutor, who had authority over this son, so that he might bring him home. The tutor also softened the son’s heart. But the son said: “How can I appear before my father again?” — And the father sent word to him: “Is it not your father’s face that you are to appear before?”—and so on. But there is something else mentioned there, namely: “So it has also been with the people of Israel, who, in their sinfulness, have turned away from their Father, the divine Ruler of the universe. They became unfaithful.” — And then it continues: The king sent messengers to his son. But he said, “How can I come before my father’s face?” — Then the father replied, “Is it not your father before whose face you come?”

[ 20 ] This parable is not the same as the one in the Gospel, but it originated many centuries before Christianity, with clear echoes of the same theme, and has been preserved in the Hebrew tradition. The only difference is that a deeper explanation is provided. People are made to realize that it refers to the people who are to return to their Father. Jesus merely provided the imagery of the parables, but he explained the parables only to his disciples. Just as the Jewish parable points to the people—to a single people bound by blood ties—so the Christian parable points to the entire development of humanity.

[ 21 ] Now let us recall how, in ancient Lemurian times, the “souls descended from the bosom of the Deity,” how the soul entered into human beings, and how it was only through this that human beings first became individual human beings. Let us observe how the soul becomes more and more individual; let us observe how animals still have a group soul today, how they do not possess an individual soul at all, but rather have a group soul on the astral plane. If we trace the human race, we also find that humans once had group souls, that they were still closer to the Divine than they are today. At that time, human beings had not yet descended, had not yet entered their bodies. There they acted as the God within them acted. After they had entered human bodies, they became increasingly individual; they became more and more their own masters within the vessel of the human body. But others also remained behind; others remained at the original stage and at earlier stages. As a result, we have different types of human beings existing side by side. As a result, we have people who even today still possess almost the group soul—people in whom we cannot discern their own impulses, who act less out of themselves than out of the group. It was the group soul that God instilled in them. This was the case until the emergence of the independent human being, who seeks the path back to God.

[ 22 ] The course of evolution unfolded in such a way that human beings were originally a group soul within the bosom of the Divine. When we look at a human being and the course of human development today, we can say: Primitive man has remained with the Father; he has not emerged from the Father’s embrace; the other, however, has gone out into the world and claimed his inheritance so that he may develop freely. There comes a moment when the human being developing in this way becomes lonely and feels impoverished in spiritual goods. Then he seeks to find his way back to God. This is the course of evolution: the descent from God into matter and the ascent, the return to the Father’s house. When we find our way back through our own strength, we return after having been impoverished and having suffered hunger for spiritual goods. But we return as free individuals, and the higher we ascend spiritually, the more fully we return. Those about to be initiated felt as though they were returning to the divine Father’s house. What they said sprang from the group soul. If we understand it in the occult sense, it will become clear to us.

[ 23 ] When we study the human organism in the esoteric sense, it is not that simple. As people are today, they have the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the true “I.” All these different bodies do not exist solely on their own; they are not yet independent entities. Please forgive the unappetizing analogy, but it makes the matter a bit clearer. All of these bodies are more or less infested with alien entities, just as maggots infest cheese. These various entities come and go. The influences that a person experiences from the outside stem from entirely different entities. The entities that enter and leave the physical body are called phantoms. This makes the human being unfree. The entities that pass through the etheric body are called ghosts or spectres. And those entities that pass through the astral body are called demons. You know, those people who were not superstitious but knew something about these things are familiar with this. What has to do with the “I” is what is called spirits.

[ 24 ] How does a person become an individual? By purifying themselves. The most powerful form of purification occurs when they become a participant in the spiritual world. Then they work on their astral body so that it may be freed from demons. When they work on the etheric body, they free themselves from ghosts or spectres. When they work on the physical body, they free themselves from phantoms. Once they have accomplished this, they return to the pure Divine. In doing so, however, they have gained something. They were once unfree. But now, having freed themselves, they return as free beings to the Father’s house. This will help you understand the accounts referring to Christ’s casting out of demons more easily.

[ 25 ] In the parable of the Prodigal Son, you are to envision the development of all humanity. The spirits will rejoice over the soul’s return, for it has not remained as it was when it left. The human being has changed; he has become free. That is why his companions rejoice over him. Therefore, we must not view the realm to which the parable refers as insignificant or small, but rather we must regard it as the grand tableau of the world. If you recall that I said everything is reversed on the astral plane, then you will delve even deeper into it. I have indeed said that even numbers in the astral world must be read in reverse. When we encounter the number 64 there, we must read not 64, but 46. When your passions now flow out of you, they appear to you as all manner of beings rushing toward you. If you wish to create a parable with a profound moral core for the highest worlds, use many images that appear reversed in the physical realm. From this you will recognize the deeper meaning of why some parables, which are ethical for the spiritual world, are sometimes offensive in the physical realm. You must conceive of many things in parables, through which you are drawn—through feeling—into the spiritual world. Such is also the mood that lives in such parables. And even this is significant: that such parables are offensive in their physical form.

[ 26 ] Another parable I’d like to briefly mention is that of the five foolish and the five wise virgins. That, too, gives us much to think about. Let’s go over it: “Then the Son of Man will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but they did not take any oil with them. But the wise ones took oil in their vessels along with their lamps. Now, since the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry: ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The wise ones replied, ‘No, lest there be not enough for us and for you; but go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ While they went to buy some, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. Later, the other virgins also came and said, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he replied, “Truly, I tell you, I do not know you.” Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.”

[ 27 ] Here it is suggested that this parable has something to do with the fact that the Christ will reappear in the future. Let’s clarify this for ourselves. We can do so by once again considering the different parts of the human being. When I work on the astral body, it becomes the Holy Spirit in the Christian sense. When the “I” works on the etheric body, it becomes what we call Budhi, or Christ, or the Logos. In my *Theosophy*, the Holy Spirit is called the Spiritual Self, and Christ, the Logos, is called Budhi or the Life Spirit.

[ 28 ] When we look at human beings today, we find that, given the way they live, the following are developed: the physical body, the etheric body, the astral body, and the I. When the I works on the astral body, the Holy Spirit—the spiritual self, Manas—develops from the astral body. And because the ego has already worked to some extent on the astral body, there is also some Manas, some Holy Spirit, present in human beings. This Manas works within human beings through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. A time will come when humanity will enter the sixth root race. Then Manas will be developed in those human beings who have truly done something for their own evolution. In these individuals, Manas will be developed. They will be ready to receive Budhi, the Christ, the sixth fundamental principle. In the sixth race, humanity will develop the Christ—indeed, the majority of people will do so. We are moving toward this moment. It is a time when the Christ Jesus will appear. At this time, people will be given the strength to move toward the place where they can receive the Christ in a new form as a fruit—the place where the Christ has, as it were, sown the seed, like a mustard seed that will sprout in the soul. The Christ will appear visibly to them—specifically to those who have developed the Christ-eye within themselves. What human beings develop within themselves is described through a parable, through a symbol. Just as the physical human being comes into being through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine, so one imagines that the other parts of the human being are also fertilized—that the various parts are likewise fertilized in a certain way. In ancient times, only the physical body existed for human beings. That was during the Saturnic Age. Then the etheric body developed, and then the astral body. This emergence of new stages of development is conceived of as a kind of fertilization. Here, particularly in this example, you can also see how deeply the words of the Bible are to be understood. It is not without reason that the Bible says, “And Adam knew his wife,” referring to the fact that she was fertilized, because this is based on the awareness of a spiritual fertilization. To “know” means to be fertilized by something. Self-knowledge means nothing other than being fertilized by the divine Self. “Know thyself” means: Let yourself be fertilized by the divine Self that pervades the world.

[ 29 ] Something similar underlies the parable of the five foolish and the five wise virgins in Christian esotericism. It conceives of this fertilization through the image of a lamp that has been filled with oil. Thus, each of these parts of the human being is represented as a virgin who has not yet been fertilized, and the fertilized aspects of the human being as the virgins who have poured oil into the lamp. The undeveloped part of humanity remains stagnant, has no oil in its lamp, and does not raise its spiritual members up to Budhi; the developed part has allowed the Spirit to work upon its bodies, having, so to speak, poured oil into the lamp. The others have not poured oil into their lamps; they have not developed their five members. The former have developed them; they have prepared themselves for the crucial moment when Christ comes. Now the time has come for Christ to come. Some will have poured oil into their lamps; their souls will shine brightly and be ready to receive Christ. The others, who have remained in darkness within themselves, will see that others have developed this and will go to receive wisdom from them. They will have to go to the merchants to get the oil. But they will be too late. And what will the Christ say to the wise virgins? “I know you.” — And what will He say to the foolish virgins? “I do not know you.”

[ 30 ] Applied to fertilization, the parable thus means: He will come to fertilize the sixth fundamental part, and he will enter into the sixth fundamental part. “Adam knew his wife, and she conceived.” And now the bridegroom says to the foolish virgins: “I do not know you.”—When we take such a word from the depths of Scripture, it will always be true. If we continued in this way, we would find that the Bible contains the teachings of spiritual science letter by letter and that we can learn the truths of spiritual science from it. We would need no other book. Anyone who says the Bible contradicts spiritual science does not know the Bible, no matter how highly self-regarded the theologians who say this may be. But the spiritual life must be rediscovered in this document.

[ 31 ] Now a few more remarks on what I alluded to in my public lectures on the Apocalypse. You know that the Sun once separated from the Earth, but that in the distant future it will reunite with the Earth. The being that enables human beings to spiritualize themselves to such an extent that they can reunite with the Sun is referred to in occultism as the Intelligence of the Sun. This benevolent Sun Spirit is opposed by an evil one, the Demonic Principle of the Sun. Both forces are at work not only in the Sun, but they also send their effects down to Earth. The forces of the benevolent solar spirit enter plants, animals, and human beings; they give rise to life on Earth. The opposing principle of the solar demon—the force that stands in the way of the Earth’s union with the Sun—is at work in the evil forces within human beings.

[ 32 ] Since ancient times, there have been occult symbols for this. A heptagonal symbol represents the benevolent spirit of the sun. The seven corners symbolically represent the seven planets. The pentagram is the symbol of humanity. The occultist draws the stars in the form of seven eyes within the figure [of the septagram]. Encircled by a line, all the forces are intertwined. They bind everything together. This is also represented by occultists in the days of the week. If you follow this line, you will find the names of the days of the week in the direction of the line.

[ 33 ] In ancient times, time could not yet be measured externally by the sun’s rotation around the Earth. The ancient occultists conceived of specific rulers for the sun’s orbit, and they were correct in doing so. The entire system revolves, and thus time was determined according to the cycle through the twelve signs of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, and so on. Now you know that in the evolution of a world system, a cycle is called a Manvantara, that each is followed by a Pralaya as a state of rest, and that such states alternate like day and night. Therefore, the day has twelve hours and the night has twelve hours. These twelve hours correspond to the great periods of the world day, which are governed by the ancient rulers of the zodiacal cycle. I would have to draw twenty-four Lords of the Cycle around this symbol. If I were to draw that for you, you would have the septagram here. You would then have here the seven eyes, which signify the seven stars, and the twenty-four ancient rulers—twelve for the day and twelve for the night.

[ 34 ] The benevolent sun spirit is also called the Lamb. We have already spoken of the pentagram as a symbol of the human being. The black magician uses the pentagram so that the two “horns” point upward and the one—the tip—points downward. Upon completion of this development, the good ones have then developed seven “horns.” This is the sign of the Christ Spirit.

[ 35 ] Read the passage where John receives the book with the seven seals in light of this occult insight. Let us read it as it is described in the fourth chapter of Revelation. “And immediately I was in the Spirit. And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and on the throne sat One; and He who sat there was like jasper and sardius in appearance... And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones sat twenty-four elders”—whom I have presented to you during the twenty-four hours of World Day—day and night. And then, what follows in the fifth chapter: “And I looked, and behold, in the midst between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders stood a Lamb, as though it had been slain, and it had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.” — This occult symbol underlies John’s references to the mysteries of the world’s existence in the Apocalypse. Only those who know these mysteries can begin to grasp how profound a book the Apocalypse is and what it means when the adversary of the Lamb is depicted as the beast with two horns. The symbol of the sun demon is depicted as follows:

[ 36 ] The Apocalypse is written entirely in occult script, expressed through words.

[ 37 ] A secret is also hidden in the number of the beast, 666, of which it is also said: “It is the number of a man.” — According to Aramaic esoteric teachings, this number is to be read as follows: 400, 200, 6, 60. These four numbers correspond to the Hebrew letters ת (Tav), ר (Resh), ו (Vav), and ס (Samech). In Hebrew, one reads from right to left:

[ 38 ] These letters symbolize the four principles that lead a person to complete hardening if he fails to transform them. Samech expresses the principle of the physical body, Vav that of the etheric body, Resh that of the astral body, and Tav the lower self, which has not risen to the higher self. Read together, they form the word “Sorat.” This is the occult name of the solar demon, the adversary of the Lamb.

[ 39 ] This is the mystery that modern theology has concocted: it is called Nero. One truly cannot find a greater fabrication. The one who invented the story of Nero is regarded as one of the greatest minds in theology. Thick volumes have been written on the subject. This is how the meaning of symbolic signs is misunderstood. Books such as the Apocalypse can only be understood by those who are able to read occult writings.

[ 40 ] The prophetic significance of such symbols also suggests to you that the spiritual science movement has an important mission. By choosing the seven seals of the Apocalypse as decorations for the hall in Munich, we are also outwardly indicating what our aspirations are directed toward. The spiritual should also meet us again in the outer world.