עברית The supersensible apocalyptic event of the twentieth century, centered in the 12 years 1933-45, contains and prefigures, as a seed, all the essential components of the future apocalypses that will characterize the future of humanity and the earth.
'When the Earth is Fertilized by the Spirit, it Glows in Flaming Red of Deep Shame'
The Twiliight and Resurrection of Humanity
From chapter 2
The supersensible apocalyptic event of the twentieth century, centered in the 12 years 1933-45, contains and prefigures, as a seed, all the essential components of the future apocalypses that will characterize the future of humanity and the earth. Therefore, in the true school of spiritual science, this is considered as the center of esoteric work on the earth, because in this school, the pupils learn how to accomplish on earth, in full earthly consciousness, what they themselves accomplished in the etheric world before the present birth.
From a certain point of view, we can characterize the apocalyptic event of the last century as follows.
Rudolf Steiner described it, in another context, in this way: ‘Goethe once spoke of the colour that the earth would have to display when it’s dying at the end of the present cycle and passes over into a spiritual realm, as it is fertilized by the spirit. It would have to “glow in flaming red”. This remark arises from deep knowledge. For when the earth is mature enough to be fertilized by the spirit, how could the earth do anything else than to glow in deep shame?’
Now, recent spiritual scientific investigations reveal, that we were right there in the centre of this cosmic and earthly apocalyptic drama, in the etheric world, when this ‘fertilization of the earth by the spirit’ took place and the most shameful ‘cosmic disgrace’ of humanity was streaming out to the whole universe. Only the smallest band of human souls, that remained loyal to Michael in this time, decided to fulfil a new Michaelic resolution and incarnate on the earth to bring this to earthly consciousness at the end of the last century and make it real as the new Michaelic stream and movement in the twenty-first century. These souls bear witness to it from direct experience. They embody and carry this cosmic disgrace of humanity in their free etheric hearts. But if we want to join them, we must also let our courageous fiery enthusiasm be tested in its inner creative energy. We must test its honesty and strength, in carrying the pain and suffering of humanity, nature and earth, not in a depressed mood, but with courageous Michaelic fire. We must prove to ourselves that we can take it into our etheric hearts and go through it strengthened and rejuvenated. Our newborn strength must carry this burden willingly, not crushed under its infinite weight, but rather using it to strengthen our resolve to join our etheric forces with Christ’s will; to not let go of the earth, not give it up to the forces of evil, to remain loyal to the new Earth spirit, the etheric Christ, and the newborn being of the earthly-human sun.
This is a central aspect of the second major transformation of humanity and the Earth, as it is experienced, carried and redeemed by the Michaelic stream and the spiritual being of Anthroposophia. When Rudolf Steiner spoke about the first major Michaelic event in 1924, the second was already in the process of becoming, but its absolute horror couldn’t yet be imagined. It must also be pointed out, that the group souls of the higher animals couldn’t pay humanity’s infinite cosmic debt since 1933- 45 by themselves alone. During these years, the cosmic disgrace of the earth darkened the inner sunlight of the Etheric Christ and the external spiritual light of the sun at the same time. Not even the faintest thread of light could stream in those years from the earth to the universe and from the universe to the earth. The forces of the old sun couldn’t penetrate the earth from outside and the new Christ light was wholly covered and repressed inside. This darkest time was the result of the eclipse of the whole sun being, external and internal, old, and new, in the heaven and in the earth at the same time.
We cannot produce the forces of Michaelic courage and fiery enthusiasm, required in the second Michaelic century, without experiencing, again and again, in our meditations and in our communal work with each other, this great, all transforming, apocalyptic drama of humanity and the earth in 1933-45. Ignoring it would be like ignoring the Mystery of Golgotha, because what took place in this time in the etheric world is the continuation and culmination of the second Mystery of Golgotha that started, according to Rudolf Steiner, at the end of the nineteenth century. It is the only source of life-giving resurrection forces for the present age. There alone can the way be found to the presently active, resurrected etheric Christ. Today, the inner etheric flames of the youngest enthusiasm can burn most powerfully in our free etheric hearts, only if we experience in full consciousness the second Mystery of Golgotha and the creation of the new earthly-human sun. The fiery flames of the first Michaelic revelation can only begin to live in us if we are able to kindle them in this darkness. We must find the strength and dedication to let them burn brightly in our hearts while we experience the total extinction of the old earth and the eclipse of the old and new sun forces. Only such etheric hearts will be able to experience in full consciousness the renewed revelation of the etheric Christ in the twenty-first century. But can such souls be found today? Can such etheric hearts find themselves today?
Since the end of the twentieth century our free etheric heart has become more mature, spiritually speaking, and this means also that it grew much younger during the dark years of the twentieth century. It can experience today—a century later—on a higher octave, the flaming sunrise of the Michaelic dawn, shining through the darkest and impenetrable cover of the flames of hatred and despair. We can experience for the first time, the freshest forces of the new age of light, as Rudolf Steiner expressed it in 1924. But we must also experience their total eclipse in the 1930s and 40s and the disappearing of the old world into the abyss. While the old forces of light and life fell into the abyss of evil and were annihilated, they were replaced by the new forces of light and life, streaming forth from the new source of etheric resurrection. And this new light will connect with the original Michaelic light, and both lights and flames, from the beginning of the last century and from the beginning of the present one, will unite to carry together creatively the weight of the twentieth century. Then the Michaelic sun of Christ will be able to shine more and more brightly in human hearts in the coming years. If people could be found today, who would take the whole twentieth century into their etheric hearts in this manner, we would be able to resurrect the dying earth and humanity and old Anthroposophy and prepare the ground for the next incarnation of the real Michaelic stream in this century.
The Twilight and Resurrection of Humanity
The History of the Michaelic Movement since the Death of Rudolf Steiner