The imagery of the Book of Revelation – St John’s Apocalypse – has
inspired centuries of interpretation, much of it symbolic or
speculative. In this exceptional series of lectures, Rudolf Steiner
approaches the least understood of Christian texts from a
fundamentally different standpoint: that of direct spiritual
perception and experiential knowledge.
Steiner presents the Apocalypse not as a prophecy of distant events,
but as a living book of initiation that addresses the evolution of
human awareness, the sacramental life and the future tasks of
Christianity. The Apocalypse unfolds as a cosmic and historical
drama: the Alpha and Omega of consciousness, the meaning of its
sacred numbers, letters, seals and trumpets, and the downfall of the
powers opposing the Christ Impulse. The Michael and Sun
mysteries, the significance of 666 and the images of Babylon, the
Beast and the New Jerusalem are explored in relation to karma,
freedom and morality.
The Apocalypse emerges as a spiritual guide for our time,
demanding engagement of the will and conscious striving. Central
to this vision is the changing experience of the Communion service
through successive Mystery epochs, culminating in a future
knowledge of the human ‘I’. By revealing the unity of cosmic and
earthly processes, religion and knowledge, Steiner presents the
Book of Revelation as a living source for humanity’s future
development and the renewal of priestly work.
