Lectures to Priests: The Apocalypse
GA 346
Dornach, 12 September 1924
Lecture VIII
If, as it were, we place the main centers in which the Apocalypticer lets the description of his views culminate before our souls, as we have already done with a few things, the whole composition and the ongoing content of the Apocalypse will become disclosed to us in a very short time. Therefore, we will have to continue our contemplation of its main points and centers today, and tomorrow we will begin to explain its other contents.
Yesterday I pointed out that the Apocalypticer sees something which is breaking in upon what he feels is the real Christianity, something which wants to make Christians renounce Christianity and lead them back to the Father principle that can only take on materilistic and naturalistic forms if it wins through in this epoch.
The Apocalypticer sees and feels the secrets which are connected with a number like 666 more or less consciously, for he sees things and processes in accordance with the secret of numbers, or it would be better to say that he feels them like a musician feels the connection between tones in accordance with the secret of numbers, but who at most only becomes aware of this at certain places. What we'll have to do is to look into the cosmos so that we can get more secrets about 666 from it.
We should consider that the entire Christian revelation is really a sun revelation, and that Christ is a being who comes from the sun. Christ sends Michael and his hosts before him, as Jehova used to send Michael before him in a different way. If we consider that we are living in a Michael age, it will be possible to place the sun mystery which is connected with the Christ impulse before our souls in a very profound way.
The main thing for something deep down in human souls which are combatting Christianity will always be to oppose the idea that the really spiritual part of Christianity is connected with the sun. The opponents of Christianity would like nothing better than if people would completely lose their view about the sun as a spiritual being and only retained the view about the sun's physical existence, as I said in a previous lecture. And in fact the breaking in of Arabism gave rise to the great danger that the secret of the sun as the secret of Christ himself would be forgotten and that the whole evolution of humanity would be deflected away from the Michael direction which should always only as it were prepare for men's Christ-evolution and give them their human understanding.
What happens outwardly in the world order occurs on the background of supersensible processes for the Apocalypticer, who sees behind the scenes of outer historical developments. And so we will try to get an idea of what these supersensible processes which the Apocalypticer sees behind the outer events look like.
If we look at the planets and the sun in our solar system, we have a gathering of beings in each of them. Evolving human beings are assembled upon the earth, and if we want to make a mental image about men on earth which goes deep into our soul, we can, for example, place the Vulcan evolution which will follow earth evolution before our souls, since there is an evolution in time and since we can look at a later point in time when mankind will have reached a much higher stage just as well as we can look at the present one.
You can imagine the spiritual idea someone would have to get of the earth as a world body with a gathering of Vulcan men in it if he had it before him, and yet it would only be the earth with its men at a different stage. It is very important for the human soul to think of the earth as a whole in this way, so that it doesn't take the present stage of humanity upon earth, but what is already contained in this present state in a germinal way, namely, the Vulcan condition which man bears within him, and therefore also is. If we look at the other planets we will find such gatherings of beings everywhere. We have to say that the earth is meant to be the place where human beings evolve, and that's why it's located at the center. We have other planets like present-day Jupiter which shows us that it has an entirely different kind of beings. We meet these beings when we work out our karma between death and a new birth. The same applies to each of the other planets, including the sun. If we think of the totality of beings which are at work in connection with the individual planets we get what is conceived of as the present-day spirituality of each one of these planets, which the teachers in the catholic church called the intelligence of the planet up till the 14th century. We can definitely speak about the intelligence of a planet as a reality, just as we can speak of earth men as a whole as the intelligence of the earth. And up till the 14th, 15th centuries the church teachers knew that each one of these planets not only has an intelligence but also a demon. The totality of the opponents of the intelligences on planets are demons. This also applies to the sun.
Now if we mainly have to look upon Christianity as an evolution which is in accordance with the impulses of the sun genius or sun intelligence, we have to see the sun demon in what opposes the evolution of Christianity. And this is what the Apocalypticer saw. He saw the mighty counter principle of Arabism breaking in behind the scenes of the Christianity which was threatened by maya in two directions as Christianity fled from Rome towards the east and as Christianity had taken on other cognitional forms. But when he looked behind the scenes of the outer Arabian and Islamic deeds it was obvious to him that the sun demon was working there against the sun genius or sun intelligence. Hence he had to present the sun demon as something which works against the actual Christian principle in man, so that if he yields to the sun demon he will not want to make the connection with the divinity of Christ, but he will want to remain in the subhuman element. If the Apocalypticer had been asked what kind of human souls were devoted to the sun demon, he would have pointed to the supporters of Arabism in Europe. It was clear to him that everything which brings men in the direction of bestiality in their views and also gradually in their will impulses has arisen from Arabism. And this is obviously, in them.
The things which happen in the world in a very real way are such that one doesn't always see cause and effect side by side,—the object and that which has the object in view. Therefore, one can ask oneself: What would happen if Arabism or the teachings of the sun demon would gain a complete victory? Mankind would then be unable to have an experience of the conditions which have to be experienced if the working of karma from previous incarnations are to be grasped. When it comes right down to it, everything which flowed out of Arabism was directed against an understanding of transubstantiation. To be sure, it doesn't look like it from an outer point of view, but the sun demon only acknowledges the old Father principle and natural connections, and he wants to make men forget about the kinds of connections that are particularly active in a sacrament like transubstantiation.
And so the Apocalypticer sensed that the sun demon was particularly active around the year 666. He describes him in such a way that every initiate can recognize him. For each of these spiritual beings which one calls the intelligences of the planets, the intelligences of the sun, the demons of the planets and of the sun has a key symbol in the mysteries, and they are also actually present in the latter on special occasions. The sun demon has this sign: The Apocalypticer describes him as the two horned beast. The kind of reading which interprets numbers had become somewhat externalized during the Latin period where one combined Greek and Latin in the mystery language, but it could still interpret them.
The Apocalypticer uses the special kind of reading which was customary at his time. He writes the number 666 = 400, 200, 60, 6. He writes it with the Hebraic letters:
He writes these letters with their numerical values and one reads them from right to left. After one adds the corresponding vowels to the consonants they give the name of the demon who has this sign, the sun demon: Sorat. At that time Sorat was the name of the sun demon, and he describes this sign and we know it very well. The Apocalypticer looks upon everything which works against Christianity in the way that Arabism does as an emanation from those spiritual forces which are represented by Sorat the sun demon.
However, 666 was there once at the time when Arabism shot into Christianity in order to press the seal of materialism upon western culture. It is there a second time after another 666 went by as 1332 in the 14th century. There we have another rising of the beast from the waters of world events. To someone who sees like the Apocalypticer does, world events seem like a continual surging of the 666 epoch. It rises and threatens Christianity's search for true humanity, asserting beast-hood against manhood; Sorat makes his move. In the 14th century we see Sorat the adversary rising up again.
It is the time when the Templar order in Europe wanted to establish a solar view of Christianity which came from the depths of their souls than from orientalism. They wanted to found a view of Christianity which looked upon the Christ as a sun being and a cosmic being again, a view which knew something about the spirituality of planets and stars and of how the intelligences of worlds which are far apart, and not just the beings on one planet, work together in world events. This view knew something about the mighty oppositions which arise through such disobedient beings like the sun demon Sorat, one of the mightiest demons in our solar system. It is basically possession by sun demons which is at work in the materialism of human beings. Of course from a certain point of view it is justified to speak about what would have become of European civilization if the inwardly and outwardly powerful Templar order—although they took their treasures away from them—had been able to carry out its intentions. During the destruction of this order Sorat came to life again in the hearts and souls of those who were the adversaries of the cosmic Christ or of the Christ who looks out into the cosmos, and they weren't satisfied until Jacques de Molay went to his death in 1312.
Sorat mainly came to life again in such a way that he used the views of the Roman church to exterminate the Templars. The emergence of this Sorat at that time was already more visible, for an overwhelming secret hovers around the downfall of this Templar order. If one looks at what went on in these human beings and Templars as they were being tortured before they were executed, one gets an idea of how what had been instigated by Sorat lived in the visions of the tortured Templars, so that they denied their beliefs and so that one had a reasonable accusation from their own mouths. Mankind witnessed a terrible spectacle; the people who advocated something quite different were unable to speak about it while they were being tortured, for various spirits from the hosts of Sorat spoke out of them instead and said the most disgraceful things about the order out of its own members. 666 was fulfilled a second time. It was a time during which all preparations were being made in the spiritual world by Sorat and other recalcitrant demons to prevent the sun principle from coming to the earth. They were at war with Michael and his hosts as Michael prepared for his new reign. He was the earth regent before the Mystery of Golgotha during the time of Alexander and was then relieved by the other archangels,—by Oriphiel, Anael, Zachariel, Raphael, Gabriel, and he is now reigning on earth again since the last third of the 19th century in order to go on working for the Christ, in his own particular way. He had worked for the Christ until the end of his previous reign until about the end of Alexander's reign. One could say that Michael is now on the earth, but this time in order to become of use in the preparation for Christianity and for the deeper Christian impulse.
I have described how this Michael impulse was introduced from a spiritual viewpoint at various times and places. I mentioned some of this recently in a lecture, where I pointed out that a really Christian impulsivity was introduced by the individualities of Alexander and Aristotle in 869 under the regency of Michael. And this continued. We have a marvelous spectacle at the beginning of the new age when the consciousness soul took hold, as I mentioned before. If we look up at spiritual events which belong to earth humanity and which go parallel with physical events, we find a supersensible school with Michael as a teacher. Those beings who are supposed to be active for a real further development of Christianity, whether they be souls who weren't incarnated at the time or whether they be other spiritual beings, are gathered around Michael in large numbers in a great, supersensible school in the 14th to 16th centuries, where souls are being prepared who are then supposed to appear on earth at the beginning of the 20th century during Michael's reign. If one looks at what was prepared there, one can see that the Anthroposophical world conception wants to work along the lines of this evolution.
When one looks at ancient mystery wisdom, it follows from what was and is mystery teaching for the prophetic vision of future wisdom that the human beings who as it were accept inner Christianity and spiritualized Christianity and who look towards the sun genius in connection with Christianity will accelerate their evolution and reappear at the end of the 20tn century. For everything we can do now in this age is of great importance if we look at it from the viewpoint of eternity; it is of great importance if we grasp spirituality for the teachings and deeds of human beings in this age; it is a preparation for the great, extensive and intensive spiritual deeds which should be done at the end of the century. After a great deal will have come before, which will be contrary to the spiritualization of modern civilization—after the second 666 stood in the sign of that great upheaval in Europe which was begun by the crusades and which had its outer fact in the appearance and destruction of the Templar knights, everything from the sun genius which is trying to create true Christianity works on, as does everything from Sorat which is trying to work against it. And we have the age of the third 666:1998. We are coming to the end of this century, when Sorat will again lift his head from the waters of evolution very strongly, where he will be the adversary of that vision of the Christ which prepared human beings will already have in the first half of the 20th century through the appearance of the etheric Christ. It will then take almost two thirds of a century until Sorat raises his_ head in a mighty way.
When the first 666 went by Sorat was still hidden in the evolutionary course of events; one didn't see him in an external form; he lived in the deeds of Arabism, although initiates could see him. When the second 666 came he already showed himself in the thinking and feeling of the tortured Templars. He will show himself before the end of this century already, and he will appear in a great many people as a being by whom they will be possessed. One will see people coming up to one and one will not be able to believe that they are really human beings. They will develop in a very strange way even outwardly. They will be intensive, strong natures outwardly with fierce features and a destructive rage in their emotions; they will have a face in which one will see a kind of a beast's face outwardly. Sorat men will also be recognizable outwardly; they will be those who not only ridicule spiritual things,—they will fight it in the most terrible way and they will want to thrust it down into a cesspool. One will see that what is concentrated in a small region in present-day Russian communism will be inserted into the whole earth evolution of humanity.
This is why it is so important that everything which can strive towards spirituality should really do so. Everything which opposes spirituality will be there, for this does not work in accordance with freedom but in accordance with determinism. This determinism is moving in the direction where Sorat will be loose again at the end of this century, when a striving to sweep away everything spiritual will be present in the intentions of a large number of earth souls, whom the Apocalypticer prophetically sees with their bestial faces and their strength of a tiger with respect to the execution of their adversarial deeds against the spiritual. Outbursts of rage against the spiritual are already here today: but they are only the first seeds.
And so we see, if the Apocalypticer saw all of that, and he did see it, for he saw that the true unfolding of Christianity is a sun event, and he saw the development of this abominable possession by sun demons. That hovered before him. And the entry of Michael into the spiritual evolution of humanity at the end of the 19th century and the appearance of the etheric Christ in the first half of the 20th century, will be followed by the appearance of the sun demon before the end of this century. We are living in the Michael age, and if we want to work in the theological field, in religion, we have every reason to learn how to think and feel in an apocalyptic way, especially from the Apocalypse, and not to remain stuck to the mere outer facts but to raise ourselves to the spiritual impulses which stand behind them.
The path is being prepared for the entry of demons who are the followers of the great Sorat demon. For instance, one only has to speak to intelligent people who know, something about the starting point of the world war. No one will object if one says that almost all of the 40 or so people who were responsible for the outbreak of this world war had a dulled consciousness at the moment when it broke out. However, this is always a portal for Ahrimanic, demonic powers to enter. One of the greatest of these is Sorat. These are the attempts from Sorat's side to at least temporarily penetrate human consciousnesses and to wreak havoc and confusion. What is striven for by the Soratic spirits who are pressing into the soul of humanity is not the world war, but what followed it; this is terrible and will become ever more terrible, for instance, look at the present condition of Russia.
We must know that this is the case, for what has the work of priests signified during the ages when true spirituality was on the earth? Never anything else than a standing in the spiritual world with full consciousness and a dealing with the world of gods, and not just a working within earth events. This was the spirit in which the Apocalypticer wrote his Apocalypse. Anyone who wants to lead men into the spiritual must see into the spiritual. Every age must do this in its own way. We only have to look at the inner lawfulness—which no doubt in a somewhat externalized way—makes the succession of Egyptian pharaohs look so logical, and we will see that these pharaohs didn't follow each other in an accidental way, but that each one in the line had his task spelled out for him in ancient writings, and that the impulse for the formulation of his task proceeded from what was later called the revelation of Hermes, although this distorts the Egyptian nomenclature somewhat. This Hermetic revelation was not the one we know today, for this wisdom belongs to the great mysteries where one could speak of revelation as a threefold, holy one—a revelation from the Father, a revelation from the Son and a revelation from the Holy Spirit. All of this points to the fact that it was always a question for the priesthood everywhere of working out of the spirit and into the material world, and this was also the way everyone looked upon the priesthood.
This must become an impulse for priests again, after work out of the spiritual world could not be felt as a reality for a while. People were very far removed from being able to grasp something like the mystery of transubstantiation and therewith the spiritual secrets of Christianity through the education and culture which had gradually been accepted by humanity in the consciousness soul age, and which had taken on such materialistic forms in all fields. For individuals who had to work in a priestly way it was really a kind of a lie with respect to this culture of the age to speak about the deep mystery contents which are connected with something like the transubstantiation. This resulted in the rationalistic discussions about transubstantiation which began during the second Soratic attack and which continued until the third Soratic attack. It's pointless to just give commentaries on the Apocalypse and to make remarks about it. It only makes sense if one becomes an Apocalypticer oneself through this Apocalypse and if one begins to understand one's age through this process of becoming an Apocalypticer to such an extent that one can make the impulses of this age into impulses for one's own work.
However here present-day human beings, including people who are active as priests, must look at the rise of Michael in the seventies of the last century, at the appearance of Christ in the first half of the 20th century and at the threatening rise of Sorat and the Soratians at the end of the 20th century. Let us arrange our lives in accordance with these three mysteries of our time, the Michael mystery, the Christ mystery and the Sorat mystery as understanding human beings who know how to interpret the signs of our time, and we will be able to work in the right way in the field into which karma has led us, as for instance, the priest in his priestly field. We will go on from here tomorrow.
Achter Vortrag
[ 1 ] Meine lieben Freunde! Wenn wir die Hauptzentren, in denen der Apokalyptiker die Darstellung seiner Anschauungen kulminieren läßt, vor unsere Seelen stellen, wie wir das bisher mit einigem getan haben, so wird sich uns dann die ganze Komposition und der fortlaufende Inhalt der Apokalypse in aller Kürze ergeben. Deshalb ist es notwendig, daß wir in dem Betrachten dieser Hauptpunkte, dieser Hauptzentren heute noch fortfahren und morgen wirklich den fortlaufenden Inhalt auseinanderzusetzen beginnen.
[ 2 ] Ich habe gestern darauf aufmerksam gemacht, wie dem ApokaIyptiker in einer gewissen Weise vor Augen steht, wie über die Christenheit - die er dabei als die wirkliche Christenheit empfindet — etwas hereinbricht, das sie hinlenken will zum Abfall vom Christus-Prinzip und sie zurücklenken will zu dem Vater-Prinzip, das ja, wenn es siegt, in diesem Zeitraum nur materialistischnaturalistische Formen annehmen kann.
[ 3 ] Der Apokalyptiker sieht die Dinge und Vorgänge nach dem Geheimnis der Zahl - man könnte besser sagen: er schaut und empfindet nach dem Geheimnis der Zahl. Und wie der Musiker die Tonzusammenklänge nach dem Geheimnis der Zahl empfindet, sich dessen aber höchstens an gewissen Stellen bewußt wird, so empfindet der Apokalyptiker mehr oder weniger bewußt schauend solche Geheimnisse, wie sie mit einer Zahl wie 666 verbunden sind.
[ 4 ] Nun handelt es sich darum, daß wir in den Kosmos selber hineinschauen, um diese Geheimnisse von 666 noch weiter aus dem Kosmos herauszuholen. Bedenken wir doch, daß die ganze christliche Offenbarung eigentlich eine Sonnenoffenbarung ist, daß Christus das Wesen ist, das aus der Sonne kommt, und daß der Christus gewissermaßen vor sich hersendet Michael mit seinen Scharen - so wie in anderer Weise in der alten Zeit Jehova Michael vor sich hersandte. Stellen wir uns vor die Seele, daß wir selbst im Michaelzeitalter leben, dann wird sich uns doch dasjenige, was zusammenhängt mit dem Christus-Impuls als Sonnenmysterium, in einer ganz tiefen Weise vor die Seele stellen können.
[ 5 ] Und immer werden wir uns tief vor die Seelen stellen müssen, daß bei der Bekämpfung des Christentums es darauf ankommt, gerade das zu bekämpfen, daß das eigentliche Geistige des Christentums mit der Sonne zusammenhängt. Es könnte ja sozusagen den Gegnern des Christentums nichts wichtiger sein als dieses, daß die Menschen vollständig verlören die Anschauung von der Sonne als Geistwesen und nur behielten die Anschauung von der Sonne im physischen Dasein, wie ich das ja an anderer Stelle in diesen Vorträgen charakterisiert habe. Tatsächlich lag im Hereinbrechen des Arabismus die große Gefahr vor, das Geheimnis der Sonne als das Geheimnis des Christus selber zu vergessen und der ganzen Evolution der Menschheit eine andere Richtung zu geben, als es die Michael-Richtung ist, die ja nur für die Menschheit überall sozusagen die Christus-Evolution vorzubereiten hat für das menschliche Verständnis.
[ 6 ] Für den Apokalyptiker, der hinter die Kulissen der äußeren geschichtlichen Entwickelung schaut, spielt sich dasjenige, was äußerlich in der Weltordnung geschieht, auf dem Grunde übersinnlicher Vorgänge ab. Und so wollen wir einmal sehen, wie diese übersinnlichen Vorgänge ausschauen, die der Apokalyptiker hinter den äußeren Ereignissen schaut.
[ 7 ] Wenn wir die Sterne unseres Planetensystems einschließlich der Sonne ins Auge fassen, so haben wir in jedem dieser Planeten gewissermaßen eine Versammlung von Wesenheiten. Auf der Erde haben wir eben die Versammlung der Menschen in ihrer Evolution. Und wenn wir uns eine uns tief in die Seele gehende Vorstellung von den Menschen auf der Erde machen wollen, so können wir ja einmal einen späteren Zeitpunkt der Entwickelung ins Auge fassen, in dem die Menschheit eine viel höhere Stufe erreicht haben wird als die heutige. Wir können uns zum Beispiel einmal die Vulkanentwickelung, die auf die Erdenentwickelung folgen wird, vor die Seele stellen.
[ 8 ] Meine lieben Freunde, Ihr könnt Euch vorstellen, was jemand von der Erde für eine geistige Vorstellung bekommen müßte, wenn er sie vor sich hätte als einen Weltenkörper, der die Versammlung von Vulkanmenschen enthält. Und dennoch wäre es die Erde mit ihren Menschen, nur in einem anderen Stadium. Es ist ja von großer Bedeutung für die Menschenseele, daß sie sich die Erde in dieser Weise als ein Ganzes vorstellt, daß sie nicht nur den heutigen Zustand der Menschheit auf der Erde nimmt, sondern auch das, was im Keime schon in diesem heutigen Zustand enthalten ist, daß sie hinschaut auf das, was der Mensch in sich trägt und was er daher auch ist: der Mensch im Vulkanzustand. Wenn wir die anderen Planeten anschauen, haben wir überall eine solche Versammlung von Wesenheiten. Wir müssen sagen, die Erde ist bestimmt, die eigentliche Entwickelungsstätte des Menschen zu sein, deshalb liegt sie in der Mitte. Wir haben die anderen Planeten, zum Beispiel einen solchen wie den heutigen Jupiter, der uns durchaus zeigt, wie seine Wesen ganz anderer Art sind. Wir kommen ja mit diesen Wesenheiten zusammen, wenn wir unser Karma ausarbeiten zwischen dem Tode und einer neuen Geburt. Wenn wir uns diese Gesamtheit der Wesen vorstellen, die walten im Zusammenhang mit den einzelnen Planeten einschließlich der Sonne, dann bekommen wir dasjenige, was als die Geistigkeit jedes einzelnen dieser Planeten bis ins 14. Jahrhundert, selbst von den katholischen Kirchenlehrern, als die Intelligenz der Planeten angeschaut wurde. Wir können durchaus von der Intelligenz der Planeten als von einer Realität sprechen, so wie wir von der Erdenmenschheit sprechen können als der Intelligenz der Erde. Und jeder solche Planet hat nicht nur seine Intelligenz, sondern auch seinen Dämon; und das wußten, wie gesagt, die Kirchenlehrer bis ins 14., 15. Jahrhundert. Die Gesamtheit der Gegner der Intelligenzen auf einem Planeten sind Dämonen. Und so ist es auch auf der Sonne.
[ 9 ] Wenn wir nun in dem Christentum vorzugsweise eine Evolution im Sinne des Sonnengenius sehen, der Sonnenintelligenz, so müssen wir in dem, was der Evolution des Christentums widerstrebt, den Sonnendämon sehen. Und das sah der Apokalyptiker. Er sah hinter die Kulissen desjenigen, was geschah, indem das Christentum aus Rom nach dem Osten flüchtete, und er sah das Christentum andere Formen des Erkennens annehmen. Er sah hereinbrechen in dieses nach zwei Seiten hin vom Schein bedrohte Christentum das mächtige Gegenprinzip des Arabismus. Und indem er hinter die Kulissen der äußeren arabischen und mohammedanischen Taten sah, war es ihm klar: da arbeitet gegen den Sonnengenius, gegen die Sonnenintelligenz, der Sonnendämon. — Den Sonnendämon mußte er daher hinstellen als dasjenige, was gegen das christliche Prinzip im Menschen so wirkt und lebt, daß der Mensch, wenn er sich diesem Sonnendämon ergibt, nicht erreichen will den Anschluß an die Göttlichkeit Christi, sondern im Untermenschlichen bleiben will. «Dem Sonnendämon ergebene Menschen» ihrer Seelenart nach, so würde der Apokalyptiker, wenn er darum gefragt worden wäre, die Vertreter des Arabismus in Europa genannt haben. Und ihm war es klar, daß aus diesem Arabismus alles aufsteigt, was den Menschen an die Tierheit heranbringt, in den Anschauungen, aber nach und nach ja auch in den Willensimpulsen. Wer könnte verkennen, daß das auch in den Willensimpulsen lebt. Die Dinge, die in der Welt als Realitäten geschehen, sind so, daß man nicht immer Ursache und Wirkung nebeneinander sieht; man sieht nicht die Absicht und das, was die Absicht im Auge hat.
[ 10 ] Deshalb darf man sich fragen: Was würde denn geschehen, wenn der Arabismus, die Lehre des Sonnendämons, vollständig siegen würde? - Dann würde die Menschheit herausgeworfen aus dem Erleben solcher Zustände, wie sie von den Menschen erlebt werden müssen, wenn das Wirken des Karma aus früheren Inkarnationen oder die Transsubstantiation erfaßt werden soll. Letzten Endes war das, was aus dem Arabismus herausfloß, gegen das Verständnis der Transsubstantiation gerichtet. Gewiß, die äußerlichen Tatsachen schauen nicht so aus, aber der Sonnendämon, er hat die Absicht, indem er nur das alte Vater-Prinzip, die natürlichen Zusammenhänge, gelten läßt, hinwegzufegen von der menschlichen Anschauung jene Art des Zusammenhanges, die in allerhöchstem Maße tätig ist bei einem Sakrament wie der Transsubstantiation.
[ 11 ] Und so war für den Apokalyptiker der Sonnendämon ganz besonders am Werke um dieses Jahr 666. Er beschreibt ihn ja so, daß jeder Initiierte ihn wiedererkennt. Denn jede dieser geistigen Wesenheiten, die man die Intelligenzen der Planeten, die Intelligenzen der Sonne, die Dämonen der Planeten und die Dämonen der Sonne nennt, sie haben innerhalb der Mysterien, in denen sie wesenhaft bei wichtigen Angelegenheiten anwesend sind, ihre Schlüsselzeichen, und der Sonnendämon hat dieses Zeichen:
Tafel 6[ 12 ] Der Apokalyptiker beschreibt den Sonnendämon als das zweihörnige Tier. In der lateinischen Zeit, in der man in der Mysteriensprache verknüpfte das Griechisch-Lateinische, hatte man ja jene Art von Lesen, die in den Zahlen las, schon etwas veräußerlicht, aber man las noch in den Zahlen. Der Apokalyptiker bediente sich der besonderen Lesart, die zu seiner Zeit üblich war. Er schreibt die Zahl 666. Er schreibt sie mit hebräischen Buchstaben.
7[ 13 ] Diese Buchstaben schreibt er in ihrem Zahlenwert, und er hat sie von rechts nach links zu lesen. Die Konsonanten, zu denen man die entsprechenden Vokale zu sprechen hat, ergeben den Namen des Dämons, der dieses Zeichen des Sonnendämons hat: Sorat. Sorat hieß in dieser Zeit der Sonnendämon, und der Apokalyptiker beschreibt dieses Zeichen und wir erkennen es genau. Der ApokaIyptiker sieht alles dasjenige, was in dieser Art dem Christentum entgegenwirkt - wie der Arabismus - als einen Ausfluß jenes Spirituellen, das repräsentiert wird durch Sorat, den Sonnendämon.
[ 14 ] Aber, meine lieben Freunde, die Zahl 666 ist einmal da in jener Zeit, in welcher der Arabismus hineinschießt in das Christentum, um der abendländischen Kultur das Siegel des Materialismus aufzudrücken, sie ist ein zweites Mal da, nachdem wieder 666 Jahre verlaufen sind: 1332, im 14. Jahrhundert (Tafel 6). Und da haben wir ein neues Erheben des Tieres aus den Fluten des Weltgeschehens heraus. Es erscheint demjenigen, der so schaut wie der Apokalyptiker, das Weltgeschehen wie ein fortwährendes Fluten einer Epoche von 666. Das Tier erhebt sich, bedrohend das Christentum mit seinem Suchen nach dem wahren Menschentum, geltend machend gegen das Menschentum das Tiertum; es regt sich Sorat. Im 14. Jahrhundert sehen wir wieder sich erheben den Sorat, den Widersacher.
[ 15 ] Es ist die Zeit, in welcher aus tiefen Seelenuntergründen heraus, viel mehr als aus dem Orientalismus heraus, der Tempelherren-Orden in Europa stiften wollte eine Sonnenansicht des Christentums, eine Ansicht vom Christentum, die wiederum hinaufschaute zu dem Christus als einem Sonnenwesen, als einem kosmischen Wesen, die wiederum etwas wußte von den Geistigkeiten der Planeten und der Sterne, die wußte, wie im Weltengeschehen zusammenwirken die Intelligenzen weit auseinanderliegender Welten, nicht bloß die Wesenheiten eines Planeten, und die auch etwas wußte von den mächtigen Oppositionen, die stattfinden durch solche widerspenstigen Wesenheiten wie den Sonnendämon Sorat, der einer der mächtigsten Dämonen innerhalb unseres Systems ist. Im Grunde ist es Sonnendämonie, welche im Materialismus der Menschen wirkt.
[ 16 ] Es ist heute natürlich von einem gewissen Gesichtspunkt aus schwierig, davon zu sprechen, was aus der europäischen Zivilisation geworden wäre, wenn der so mächtige, auch äußerlich mächtige Tempelherren-Orden — man hat ihm seine Schätze ja genommen — seine Absichten hätte ausführen können. Aber in den Herzen und Seelen derjenigen, die nicht früher ruhen konnten, als
[ 17 ] Tafel 6 bis dieser Orden 1312 untergegangen war und Jakob von Molay 1314 den Tod gefunden hatte, in den Herzen derjenigen, die die Widersacher des kosmischen, des in den Kosmos hinausschauenden Christus waren, lebte Sorat wieder auf, und nicht zum geringsten Teile so, daß er sich der damaligen Gesinnung der römischen Kirche bediente, um gerade die Templer zu töten. Damals war ja das Hervortreten dieses Sorat schon anschaulicher, denn es umschwebt ein grandioses Geheimnis den Untergang dieses Tempelherren-Ordens. Wenn man in das hineinschaut, was in diesen Menschen, die dazumal als Templer hingerichtet worden sind, vorging während ihrer Folterungen, dann bekommt man schon eine Vorstellung davon, wie das von Sorat angestiftet war, was in den Visionen der gefolterten Templer lebte, so daß sie sich selbst verleumdeten und man eine billige Anklage gegen sie hatte, die aus ihrem eigenen Munde kam. Das furchtbare Schauspiel stand vor den Menschen, daß diejenigen, die etwas ganz anderes vertraten, während ihrer Folterung nicht davon sprechen konnten, sondern daß die verschiedenen Geister aus den Heerscharen des Sorat aus ihnen sprachen und über den Orden selbst die schändlichsten Dinge aus dessen eigenen Angehörigen sprachen.
[ 18 ] Zweimal ist 666 erfüllt worden. Es ist jetzt die Zeit, in der in der geistigen Welt von Sorat und den anderen Gegendämonen alle Anstalten gemacht werden, um das Sonnenprinzip nicht auf die Erde hereinzulassen, um das aber, vorbereitend seine neue Herrschaft, Michael kämpft mit seinen Scharen, Michael, der der Erdenregent war vor dem Mysterium von Golgatha, etwa zur Alexanderzeit, und der dann abgelöst wurde von anderen Erzengeln, von Oriphiel, Anael, Zachariel, Raphael, Gabriel, und der seit dem letzten Drittel des 19. Jahrhunderts wiederum die Erdenherrschaft hat, um in seiner Art weiterzuarbeiten für den Christus, für den er gearbeitet hat, bis seine vorige Herrschaft zu Ende war, ungefähr bis zum Ende der Alexanderherrschaft. Jetzt ist Michael wieder da auf der Erde, jetzt aber, um auf der Erde dienstbar zu werden in der Vorbereitung des Christus und des tieferen Verständnisses für den Christus-Impuls.
[ 19 ] Nun habe ich im Laufe der Zeit hier und an verschiedenen anderen Orten ausgeführt, wie durch Michael in geistiger Beziehung das Christentum eingeleitet worden ist. Ein Stück davon habe ich neulich im Vortrag erwähnt, wo ich hingewiesen habe darauf, wie unter der Regentschaft Michaels zur Zeit von Aristoteles und Alexander schon ein wirklicher christlicher Impuls eingeleitet worden ist, und wo ich hingewiesen habe auf das Jahr 869, in dem eine Art von übersinnlichem Konzil sich abgespielt hat. Das hat sich ja weiter fortgesetzt. Und im Beginne des neuen Zeitalters, wo die Bewußtseinsseele eingreift -— das habe ich ja ausgeführt —, haben wir, wenn wir hinaufschauen in das dem physischen Geschehen parallelgehende, zur Erdenmenschheit gehörende Geistgeschehen, den großartigen Anblick einer übersinnlichen Schule mit Michael als Lehrer. Diejenigen, die für eine wirkliche christliche Fortentwickelung tätig sein sollen, sind in großen Scharen - seien sie nun in dieser Zeit nichtverkörperte Seelen, seien sie andere geistige Wesenheiten - um Michael wie in einer großen übersinnlichen Schule versammelt seit dem 14. bis 16. Jahrhundert, wo vorbereitet werden diejenigen Seelen, die dann zu der Zeit der Michael-Herrschaft zu Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts auf Erden erscheinen sollen. Hinschauend auf das, was da vorbereitet worden ist, ist es ja die anthroposophische Weltanschauung, die im Sinne dieser Evolution arbeiten will.
[ 20 ] Aus dem, was da in den Anschauungen der alten Mysterienweisheit und in dem prophetischen Schauen künftiger Mysterienweisheit lebte, folgt, daß die Menschen, die das sozusagen innere Christentum annehmen, das vergeistigte Christentum, die hinschauen in bezug auf den Christus zum Sonnengenius, daß diese Menschen mit einer Beschleunigung ihrer Evolution am Ende dieses 20. Jahrhunderts wiedererscheinen werden. Und alles das, meine lieben Freunde, was wir jetzt in diesem Zeitalter tun können, indem wir die Spiritualität der Lehre ergreifen, ist von großer Bedeutung, denn wir tun es für die Menschen in diesem Zeitalter sub specie aeternitatis. Es ist eine Vorbereitung für dasjenige, was, zunächst in großen, umfassenden, intensiven Geistestaten, geschehen soll am Ende des Jahrhunderts, nachdem viel vorangegangen ist, was einer Spiritualisierung der modernen Zivilisation widersetzlich ist. Im Zeichen des zweiten Auftretens der 666 standen jene großen Umwälzungen in Europa, die durch die Kreuzzüge eingeleitet wurden, und im Untergang der Tempelritter fand diese Tatsache ihren äußeren Ausdruck. Immer weiter arbeitet Sorat dem entgegen, was vom Sonnengenius aus sich bemüht, für ein wahres Christentum zu wirken.
[ 21 ] Wir haben jetzt bevorstehend das Zeitalter der dritten 666: 1998. Zum Ende dieses Jahrhunderts kommen wir zu dem Zeitpunkt, wo Sorat wiederum aus den Fluten der Evolution am stärksten sein Haupt erheben wird, wo er sein wird der Widersacher jenes Anblickes des Christus, den die dazu vorbereiteten Menschen schon in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts haben werden durch die Sichtbarwerdung des ätherischen Christus. Es wird nur noch zwei Drittel des Jahrhunderts dauern, bis Sorat in mächtiger Weise sein Haupt erheben wird.
[ 22 ] Meine lieben Freunde, beim Ablauf der ersten 666 war Sorat noch hineingeheimnißt in den Evolutionsgang der Ereignisse; man sah ihn nicht in äußerlicher Gestalt, er lebte in den Taten des Arabismus drinnen und der Initiat konnte ihn sehen. Als die zweiten 666 Jahre abgelaufen waren, zeigte er sich schon in dem Denken und Fühlen der gefolterten Templer. Und noch vor Ablauf dieses Jahrhunderts wird er sich zeigen, indem er in zahlreichen Menschen auftreten wird als diejenige Wesenheit, von der sie besessen sind. Man wird Menschen heraufkommen sehen, von denen man nicht wird glauben können, daß sie wirkliche Menschen seien. Sie werden sich in einer eigentümlichen Weise auch äußerlich entwickeln. Sie werden äußerlich intensive starke Naturen sein mit wütigen Zügen, Zerstörungswut in ihren Emotionen. Sie werden ein Antlitz tragen, in dem man äußerlich eine Art Tierantlitz sehen wird. Die Soratmenschen werden auch äußerlich kenntlich sein, sie werden in der furchtbarsten Weise nicht nur alles verspotten, sondern alles bekämpfen und in den Pfuhl stoßen wollen, was geistiger Art ist. Man wird es erleben zum Beispiel in dem, was gewissermaßen konzentriert ist auf engem Raume in seinen Keimen im heutigen Bolschewismus, wie das eingefügt werden wird in die ganze Erdenentwickelung der Menschheit.
[ 23 ] Darum ist es so wichtig, daß alles, was nach Spiritualität streben kann, das auch wirklich tut. Denn das, was der Spiritualität widerstrebt, das wird da sein, denn das arbeitet sozusagen nicht unter der Freiheit, sondern unter der Determination. Diese Determination geht dahin, daß am Ende dieses Jahrhunderts Sorat wieder los sein wird, und daß das Streben, alles Geistige hinwegzufegen, in den Absichten einer großen Anzahl von Erdenseelen sitzen wird, wie es prophetisch der Apokalyptiker vorausschaut in dem tierhaften Antlitz und in der tierhaften Stärke in bezug auf die Ausführung der Widersachertaten gegen das Spirituelle. Sind ja doch heute schon wahrhafte Wutentfaltungen vorhanden gegen das Spirituelle. Aber das sind nur die ersten Keime.
[ 24 ] So sehen wir, wie der Apokalyptiker das alles voraussah. Er sah die wahre Entfaltung des Christentums als eine Sonnenangelegenheit, aber er sah auch voraus diese Entsetzlichkeit der Entwickelung der Sonnendämonie. Das alles schwebte ihm vor. Auf das Hineintreten des Michael in die geistige Evolution der Menschheit mit dem Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts und des ätherischen Christus in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts wird folgen das Hereintreten des Sonnendämons vor Ablauf dieses Jahrhunderts. Wir haben in diesem unserem Michael-Zeitalter, in dem wir leben, gerade wenn wir auf dem Gebiete des Theologischen, der Religion, arbeiten wollen, allen Grund, vor allem an der Apokalypse zu lernen, selbst apokalyptisch zu denken und zu empfinden, nicht kleben zu bleiben an dem, was bloß äußere Tatsachen sind, sondern uns zu erheben zu den dahinterstehenden spirituellen Impulsen.
[ 25 ] Gebahnt wird ja der Weg für das Hereintreten der Dämonen, die Anhänger des großen Soratdämons sind. Man braucht nur mit denjenigen verständigen Menschen zu sprechen, die zum Beispiel etwas wissen über den Ausgangspunkt des Weltkrieges. Man wird nie Unrecht bekommen, wenn man sagt, daß die etwa 40 Menschen, die schuldig sind am Ausbruch dieses Weltkrieges, fast alle im Augenblick des Kriegsausbruches herabgedämpftes Bewußtsein hatten. Das ist aber immer das Eingangstor für ahrimanische Dämonenmächte, und einer der größten dieser Dämonen ist Sorat. Das sind die Versuche von Sorats Seite, zunächst wenigstens temporär in menschliche Bewußtseine einzudringen und Unheil, Verwirrung zu bewirken. Nicht der Weltkrieg, aber das, was folgte und das furchtbarer ist und immer noch furchtbarer werden wird, zum Beispiel die gegenwärtige Verfassung Rußlands, das ist dasjenige, was durch die in die Menschenseelen eindringenden Soratgeister angestrebt wird.
[ 26 ] Daß das so ist, das müssen wir wissen. Denn was hat in den Zeiten, in denen wahrhafte Spiritualität auf der Erde war, Priesterwirken bedeutet? Nie etwas anderes, meine lieben Freunde, als ein Wirken nicht bloß innerhalb der Erdenereignisse, sondern ein Wirken mit vollem Bewußtsein des Darinnenstehens in der geistigen Welt, des Verkehrs mit der Götterwelt. Und in keinem anderen Geiste hat der Apokalyptiker seine Apokalypse verfaßt. Der, der die Menschen ins Geistige führen will, muß in das Geistige hineinschauen. Jedes Zeitalter muß das auf seine Art tun. Wir brauchen nur die innere Gesetzmäßigkeit anzuschauen, mit der — ja wohl etwas veräußerlicht — die Reihenfolge der ägyptischen Pharaonen so logisch erscheint, und wir werden begreifen, daß diese Pharaonen in der Tat nicht zufällig aufeinander gefolgt sind, sondern daß in uralten Schriften ihnen vorgeschrieben war, was jeder, der einem anderen folgte, als seine Aufgabe zu betrachten hatte, und daß der Impuls zum Formulieren seiner Aufgabe eben ausging von dem, was dann später die hermetische Offenbarung, die Offenbarung des Hermes genannt wurde. Nicht die hermetische Offenbarung ist gemeint, wie man sie heute mit einiger Verballhornung kennt, sondern diese alte Hermesweisheit, die eben auch zu den großen Mysterien gehört, in denen man von der Offenbarung als einer dreimal heiligen sprach: einer Offenbarung vom Vater, einer Offenbarung vom Sohn, einer Offenbarung vom Heiligen Geiste. Das alles weist darauf hin, daß es sich bei dem Priestertum überall handelte um ein Herauswirken aus dem Spi rituellen in die materielle Welt, und daß das Priestertum auch überall so verstanden worden ist.
[ 27 ] Das muß aber wieder Priesterimpuls werden, nachdem es eine Zeitlang gar nicht als Wahrheit empfunden werden konnte: aus der spirituellen Welt heraus zu wirken. Bei der Bildung der Menschheit, die im Zeitalter der Bewußtseinsseele allmählich auf allen Gebieten materialistische Formen angenommen hat, ist man eben weit davon entfernt, so etwas wie das Mysterium der Transsubstantiation und damit die spirituellen Geheimnisse des Christentums erfassen zu können. Für den einzelnen, der priesterlich zu wirken hat, bedeutet es gegenüber dieser heutigen Zeitbildung schon eine Art von Unwahrheit, über die tiefen Mysterieninhalte zu sprechen, die mit der Transsubstantiation verbunden sind. Daher diese rationalistischen Diskussionen über die Transsubstantiation, wie sie eintraten mit dem zweiten Soratangriff und wie sie sich fortpflanzen bis zum dritten Soratangriff. Es hat gar keine Bedeutung, die Apokalypse so zu nehmen, daß man sie lediglich kommentiert. Es hat einzig und allein einen Sinn, wenn man an der Apokalypse selbst zum Apokalyptiker wird und aus diesem Apokalyptiker-Werden seine Zeit so verstehen lernt, daß man die Impulse dieser Zeit zu Impulsen des eigenen Wirkens machen kann.
[ 28 ] Da aber steht der Mensch der Gegenwart auch mit dem priesterlichen Wirken gerade drinnen, daß er hinschauen muß auf den Aufgang der Michaelszeit in den Siebzigerjahren des vorigen Jahrhunderts, auf die Erscheinung Christi in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts und auf den bedrohlichen Aufstieg des Sorat und der Soratanhänger am Ende des 20. Jahrhunderts. Richten wir als verstehende Menschen, die die Zeichen der Zeit zu deuten wissen, unser Leben ein im Sinne dieser drei Mysterien unserer Zeit: des Michael-Mysteriums, des Christus-Mysteriums und des SoratMysteriums, dann werden wir auf dem Gebiete, das uns unser Karma angewiesen hat, in der richtigen Weise wirken und der Priester auf seinem priesterlichen Gebiete. Daran wollen wir dann morgen anknüpfen.
Eighth Lecture
[ 1 ] My dear friends! If we place before our souls the main centers in which the apocalyptic writer culminates the presentation of his views, as we have done with some of them so far, then the whole composition and the continuous content of the Apocalypse will become clear to us in a nutshell. Therefore, it is necessary that we continue today with our consideration of these main points, these main centers, and that tomorrow we begin to analyze the continuous content.
[ 2 ] Yesterday I pointed out how the apocalyptic writer has a certain vision of how something is breaking in over Christianity — which he perceives as true Christianity — is being overtaken by something that wants to lead it away from the Christ principle and back to the Father principle, which, if it prevails, can only take on materialistic-naturalistic forms in this period.
[ 3 ] The apocalypticist sees things and events according to the mystery of numbers — or rather, he sees and feels according to the mystery of numbers. And just as the musician perceives the harmonies of sound according to the mystery of numbers, but is only aware of this at certain points, so the apocalypticist perceives, more or less consciously, such mysteries as are connected with a number such as 666.
[ 4 ] Now it is a matter of looking into the cosmos itself in order to extract these mysteries of 666 even further from the cosmos. Let us consider that the entire Christian revelation is actually a solar revelation, that Christ is the being who comes from the sun, and that Christ, in a sense, sends Michael and his hosts before him—just as, in a different way, Jehovah sent Michael before him in ancient times. If we imagine in our souls that we ourselves are living in the Michaelic age, then that which is connected with the Christ impulse as a solar mystery will be able to present itself to our souls in a very profound way.
[ 5 ] And we will always have to keep in mind that in the fight against Christianity, it is important to fight against the very fact that the actual spirituality of Christianity is connected with the sun. Nothing could be more important to the opponents of Christianity than for people to completely lose their view of the sun as a spiritual being and retain only the view of the sun in its physical existence, as I have characterized elsewhere in these lectures. In fact, the advent of Arabism carried with it the great danger of forgetting the mystery of the sun as the mystery of Christ himself and of giving the whole evolution of humanity a different direction from that of Michael, whose task is, so to speak, to prepare humanity everywhere for the Christ evolution in terms of human understanding.
[ 6 ] For the apocalypticist who looks behind the scenes of external historical development, what happens externally in the world order takes place on the basis of supersensible processes. And so let us see what these supersensible processes look like, which the apocalypticist sees behind external events.
[ 7 ] When we consider the stars of our planetary system, including the sun, we have, in each of these planets, a gathering of beings, so to speak. On Earth, we have the gathering of human beings in their evolution. And if we want to form a deeply soul-stirring image of the human beings on Earth, we can consider a later stage of development in which humanity will have reached a much higher level than today. For example, we can imagine the volcanic development that will follow the development of Earth.
[ 8 ] My dear friends, you can imagine what kind of spiritual idea someone from Earth would have if they saw it as a world body containing the gathering of volcanic people. And yet it would still be Earth with its people, only in a different stage. It is of great importance for the human soul to imagine the Earth in this way as a whole, to take not only the present state of humanity on Earth, but also what is already contained in embryo in this present state, to look at what man carries within himself and what he therefore also is: man in the volcanic state. When we look at the other planets, we see such a gathering of beings everywhere. We must say that the earth is destined to be the actual place of human development, which is why it lies in the middle. We have the other planets, for example one such as today's Jupiter, which shows us quite clearly how its beings are of a completely different kind. We come together with these beings when we work out our karma between death and a new birth. When we imagine this totality of beings that reign in connection with the individual planets, including the sun, we get what was regarded as the spirituality of each of these planets until the 14th century, even by Catholic church teachers, as the intelligence of the planets. We can certainly speak of the intelligence of the planets as a reality, just as we can speak of the human race on Earth as the intelligence of the Earth. And each such planet has not only its intelligence, but also its demon; and, as I said, the church teachers knew this until the 14th and 15th centuries. All the opponents of the intelligences on a planet are demons. And so it is on the sun.
[ 9 ] If we now see in Christianity primarily an evolution in the sense of the sun genius, the sun intelligence, then we must see in that which resists the evolution of Christianity the sun demon. And that is what the apocalypticist saw. He saw behind the scenes of what was happening when Christianity fled from Rome to the East, and he saw Christianity taking on other forms of knowledge. He saw the powerful counter-principle of Arabism breaking into this Christianity, which was threatened on two sides by appearances. And as he looked behind the scenes of the outward Arab and Mohammedan deeds, it became clear to him: the sun demon is working against the sun genius, against the sun intelligence. He therefore had to portray the demon of the sun as that which works and lives against the Christian principle in man, so that when man surrenders to this demon of the sun, he does not want to attain union with the divinity of Christ, but wants to remain in the subhuman. If asked, the apocalypticist would have named the representatives of Arabism in Europe as “people devoted to the sun demon” according to their soul type. And it was clear to him that everything that brings man closer to animality arises from this Arabism, in his views, but gradually also in his impulses of will. Who could fail to recognize that this also lives in the impulses of the will? The things that happen in the world as realities are such that one does not always see cause and effect side by side; one does not see the intention and what the intention has in mind.
[ 10 ] Therefore, one may ask: What would happen if Arabism, the doctrine of the sun demon, were to triumph completely? Then humanity would be thrown out of the experience of such conditions as must be experienced by human beings if the working of karma from previous incarnations or transubstantiation is to be grasped. Ultimately, what flowed out of Arabism was directed against the understanding of transubstantiation. Certainly, the external facts do not appear that way, but the sun demon, by allowing only the old father principle, the natural connections, to apply, intends to sweep away from human perception that kind of connection which is most active in a sacrament such as transubstantiation.
[ 11 ] And so, for the apocalypticist, the sun demon was particularly active around the year 666. He describes him in such a way that every initiate recognizes him. For each of these spiritual beings, which are called the intelligences of the planets, the intelligences of the sun, the demons of the planets, and the demons of the sun, have their key signs within the mysteries, in which they are essentially present in important matters, and the sun demon has this sign:
Table 6[ 12 ] The apocalypticist describes the sun demon as the two-horned beast. In the Latin period, when Greek and Latin were linked in the language of the mysteries, this type of reading, which read in numbers, had already been somewhat externalized, but people still read in numbers. The apocalyptic writer used the special reading that was common in his time. He writes the number 666. He writes it with Hebrew letters.
7[ 13 ] He writes these letters in their numerical value, and they are to be read from right to left. The consonants, to which the corresponding vowels must be added, form the name of the demon who bears this sign of the sun demon: Sorat. Sorat was the name of the sun demon at that time, and the apocalyptic writer describes this sign, and we recognize it clearly. The apocalypticist sees everything that works against Christianity in this way—such as Arabism—as an outflow of that spiritual force represented by Sorat, the sun demon.
[ 14 ] But, my dear friends, the number 666 appears once in that period when Arabism bursts into Christianity to impose the seal of materialism on Western culture, and it appears a second time after another 666 years have passed: in 1332, in the 14th century (plate 6). And there we have a new rising of the beast from the floods of world events. To those who see things as the apocalypticists do, world events appear as a continuous flood of an epoch of 666. The beast rises, threatening Christianity with its search for true humanity, asserting animalism against humanity; Sorat stirs. In the 14th century, we see Sorat, the adversary, rising again.
[ 15 ] It is the time when, from deep soul foundations, much more than from Orientalism, the Order of the Knights Templar in Europe wanted to establish a solar view of Christianity, a view of Christianity that in turn looked up to Christ as a solar being, as a cosmic being, who in turn knew something about the spiritualities of the planets and the stars, that knew how the intelligences of far-flung worlds interact in world events, not just the beings of one planet, and that also knew something about the powerful oppositions that take place through such rebellious beings as the sun demon Sorat, who is one of the most powerful demons within our system. Basically, it is solar demonism that works in the materialism of human beings.
[ 16 ] From a certain point of view, it is of course difficult today to speak of what would have become of European civilization if the powerful, and also outwardly powerful, Order of the Knights Templar — whose treasures had been taken from it — had been able to carry out its intentions. But in the hearts and souls of those who could not rest until
[ 17 ] Table 6 until this Order was destroyed in 1312 and Jacques de Molay met his death in 1314, in the hearts of those who were the adversaries of the cosmic Christ, who looked out into the cosmos, Sorat lived again, and not least in such a way that he made use of the attitude of the Roman Church at that time to kill the Templars. At that time, the emergence of this Sorat was already more vivid, for a grandiose mystery surrounds the downfall of this Order of the Knights Templar. If one looks into what was going on in the minds of those people who were executed as Templars at that time during their torture, one gets an idea of how Sorat instigated what lived in the visions of the tortured Templars, so that they slandered themselves and one had a cheap accusation against them that came from their own mouths. The terrible spectacle was presented to the people that those who represented something completely different could not speak of it during their torture, but that the various spirits from the hosts of Sorat spoke through them and said the most shameful things about the Order itself from its own members.
[ 18 ] Twice, 666 has been fulfilled. Now is the time when, in the spiritual world of Sorat and the other counter-demons, all preparations are being made to prevent the solar principle from entering the earth. But Michael, preparing for his new reign, is fighting with his hosts, Michael, who was the ruler of the Earth before the Mystery of Golgotha, around the time of Alexander, and who was then replaced by other archangels, by Oriphiel, Anael, Zachariel, Raphael, Gabriel, and who since the last third of the 19th century has once again had dominion over the earth in order to continue working in his own way for the Christ, for whom he worked until his previous reign came to an end, approximately until the end of Alexander's reign. Now Michael is back on earth, but now to serve on earth in preparation for Christ and a deeper understanding of the Christ impulse.
[ 19 ] Over time, here and in various other places, I have explained how Christianity was introduced through Michael in a spiritual sense. I mentioned a part of this recently in a lecture, where I pointed out how, under Michael's reign at the time of Aristotle and Alexander, a real Christian impulse had already been initiated, and where I referred to the year 869, when a kind of supersensible council took place. This has continued. And at the beginning of the new age, when the consciousness soul intervenes — as I have explained — we have, when we look up into the spiritual events parallel to physical events and belonging to humanity on earth, the magnificent sight of a supersensible school with Michael as the teacher. Those who are to be active in a true Christian development are gathered in large numbers — whether they are souls not incarnated at this time or other spiritual beings — have been gathered around Michael as in a great supersensible school since the 14th to 16th centuries, where those souls are being prepared who are to appear on earth at the time of Michael's reign at the beginning of the 20th century. Looking at what has been prepared, it is indeed the anthroposophical worldview that wants to work in the spirit of this evolution.
[ 20 ] From what lived in the views of the ancient mystery wisdom and in the prophetic vision of future mystery wisdom, it follows that those people who accept, so to speak, inner Christianity, spiritualized Christianity, who look to Christ as the genius of the sun, will reappear at the end of this 20th century with an acceleration of their evolution. And everything we can do now in this age, my dear friends, by embracing the spirituality of the teaching, is of great importance, for we are doing it for the people of this age sub specie aeternitatis. It is a preparation for what is to happen at the end of the century, after much that is contrary to the spiritualization of modern civilization has preceded it, initially in great, comprehensive, intense spiritual deeds. The second appearance of 666 was marked by the great upheavals in Europe that were initiated by the Crusades, and this fact found its outward expression in the downfall of the Knights Templar. Sorat continues to work against what the Sun Genius strives to achieve for true Christianity.
[ 21 ] We now have before us the age of the third 666: 1998. At the end of this century, we will reach the point where Sorat will once again raise his head most powerfully from the floods of evolution, where he will be the adversary of that vision of Christ which those who are prepared for it will already have in the first half of the 20th century through the manifestation of the etheric Christ. It will only take two-thirds of the century before Sorat will raise his head in a powerful way.
[ 22 ] My dear friends, at the end of the first 666, Sorat was still hidden in the evolutionary course of events; he was not seen in outward form, he lived within the deeds of Arabism, and the initiate could see him. When the second 666 years had passed, he already showed himself in the thoughts and feelings of the tortured Templars. And even before the end of this century, he will show himself by appearing in numerous people as the entity that possesses them. People will appear whom one will not be able to believe are real human beings. They will also develop in a peculiar way outwardly. Outwardly, they will be intense, strong characters with angry features and destructive rage in their emotions. They will have a face in which one will see a kind of animal face. The Sorat people will also be recognizable externally; they will not only mock everything in the most terrible way, but will also want to fight everything that is spiritual and throw it into the mire. We will experience this, for example, in what is concentrated in a narrow space in its seeds in today's Bolshevism, how it will be inserted into the whole earthly development of humanity.
[ 23 ] That is why it is so important that everything that can strive for spirituality actually does so. For that which resists spirituality will be there, because it works, so to speak, not under freedom, but under determination. This determination is such that at the end of this century, Sorat will be unleashed again, and the desire to sweep away everything spiritual will be in the intentions of a large number of earthly souls, as the apocalypticist prophetically foresees in the animal-like face and animal-like strength in relation to the execution of the adversary's deeds against the spiritual. Indeed, there are already true outbursts of rage against the spiritual today. But these are only the first seeds.
[ 24 ] Thus we see how the apocalypticist foresaw all this. He saw the true unfolding of Christianity as a solar affair, but he also foresaw this horror of the development of solar demonism. All this was in his mind. The entry of Michael into the spiritual evolution of humanity at the end of the 19th century and of the etheric Christ in the first half of the 20th century will be followed by the entry of the solar demon before the end of this century. In this Michaelic age in which we live, especially when we want to work in the field of theology and religion, we have every reason to learn from the Apocalypse, to think and feel apocalyptically ourselves, not to cling to what are merely external facts, but to rise to the spiritual impulses behind them.
[ 25 ] The way is being paved for the entry of the demons who are followers of the great Sorat demon. One need only speak with those intelligent people who, for example, know something about the starting point of the world war. One would never be wrong in saying that the approximately 40 people who are guilty of starting this world war almost all had subdued consciousness at the moment the war broke out. But that is always the gateway for Ahrimanic demonic powers, and one of the greatest of these demons is Sorat. These are Sorat's attempts to penetrate human consciousness, at least temporarily, and to cause harm and confusion. Not the world war itself, but what followed and is even more terrible and will become even more terrible, for example, the current state of Russia, is what the Sorat spirits penetrating human souls are striving for.
[ 26 ] We must know that this is so. For what did the work of priests mean in the times when true spirituality was on earth? Never anything else, my dear friends, than working not merely within earthly events, but working with full consciousness of standing within the spiritual world, of communicating with the world of the gods. And the apocalyptic writer composed his apocalypse in no other spirit. He who wants to lead people into the spiritual must look into the spiritual. Every age must do this in its own way. We need only look at the inner lawfulness with which — albeit somewhat externalized — the sequence of Egyptian pharaohs appears so logical, and we will understand that these pharaohs did not in fact succeed one another by chance, but that ancient writings prescribed what each one who succeeded another was to regard as his task, and that the impulse to formulate his task came precisely from what was later called the Hermetic revelation, the revelation of Hermes. This does not refer to the Hermetic revelation as we know it today with some distortion, but to the ancient wisdom of Hermes, which is also part of the great mysteries, in which the revelation was spoken of as thrice holy: a revelation from the Father, a revelation from the Son, a revelation from the Holy Spirit. All this indicates that the priesthood everywhere was a working out of the spiritual into the material world, and that the priesthood was also understood in this way everywhere.
[27] But this must become a priestly impulse again, after it could not be perceived as truth for a time: to work out of the spiritual world. In the education of humanity, which in the age of the consciousness soul has gradually taken on materialistic forms in all areas, we are far from being able to comprehend such things as the mystery of transubstantiation and thus the spiritual secrets of Christianity. For the individual who has to work as a priest, it is already a kind of untruth in relation to today's education to speak about the deep mysteries associated with transubstantiation. Hence these rationalistic discussions about transubstantiation, as they occurred with the second Sorat attack and as they continue up to the third Sorat attack. It is meaningless to take the Apocalypse merely as something to be commented on. It only makes sense if one becomes an apocalypticist through the Apocalypse itself and, through this becoming an apocalypticist, learns to understand one's own time in such a way that one can turn the impulses of this time into impulses for one's own work.
[ 28 ] But the human being of the present, even with the priestly work, is right in the middle of it, in that he must look at the dawn of the Michaelic era in the 1970s, at the appearance of Christ in the first half of the 20th century, and at the threatening rise of Sorat and the Sorat followers at the end of the 20th century. If we, as understanding human beings who know how to interpret the signs of the times, organize our lives in accordance with these three mysteries of our time: the Michael mystery, the Christ mystery, and the Sorat mystery, then we will work in the right way in the field that our karma has assigned to us, and the priest will work in his priestly field. We will continue with this tomorrow.