Judas and Lazarus/John
In Steiner's "The Last Address" he delves into the successive incarnations of Elijah/John. In an excerpt from his address Steiner remarks:
"When we look back into olden times, we see rise up before us within the traditions of Judaism the prophetic figure of Elijah. We know what significance the prophet Elijah had for the people of the Old Testament, and therewith for all mankind; we know how he set before them the goal and destiny of their existence. And we have shown how in the course of time the being who was present in Elijah appeared again at the very most important moment of human evolution, appeared again so that Christ Jesus Himself could give him the Initiation he was to receive for the evolution of mankind. For the being of Elijah appeared again in Lazarus-John — who are in truth one and the same figure, as you will have understood from my book 'Christianity as Mystical Fact.' "
Though the initiation of Lazarus is paramount in the Gospel of John, Steiner brings to us the additional account and revelation that John the Baptist is also significantly involved in this initiation. This is an initiation of Lazarus but it is also an initiation of John the Baptist on a possibly higher level. John is brought into the consciousness soul of Lazarus to which Lazarus' name is then changed to John. Why was it necessary for John to interpenetrate the soul of Lazarus? Why did this even need to come about? What was its purpose?
Steiner answers this with the following from his "Last Address":
"Elijah appeared again at the very most important moment of human evolution, appeared again so that Christ Jesus Himself could give him the Initiation he was to receive for the evolution of mankind."
John the Baptist was being prepared for a very special mission. His immediate purpose and mission was to carry the cosmic aura of Christ through the Passion from the time of the arrest of Christ to Easter morning if the Apostles were to fail to do so.
The cosmic aura of Christ " with its cosmic laws and its cosmic forces' which were to enter earth life were there as long as Christ was united with His chosen Apostles.
The Apostles were given one last chance on Gethsemane to prove themselves that they were capable of comprehending the Mystery of Golgotha. They proved, however, that they could not remain united with Christ through His Passion. This cosmic aura which again was to enter earth life was in jeopardy of dissipating if it did not retain its micro- zodiacal configuration in the human being; that is, if it weren't carried within the zodiacal configuration that the Apostles gave Christ.
Here, I believe that Christ anticipated this. He saw this potential catastrophe when the Apostles were "heavy with sleep" (Luke 9:32) during part of the Transfiguration.
This is why John the Baptist was initiated by Christ at the same time Lazarus was initiated. This gave John the fuller capacity to carry this aura through the entire Passion. To the best of my present understanding Christ could not be taken and could not pass through death as long as this aura was enveloping His Being. It was to be given over to the Apostles but they in turn were not capable of holding such a powerful cosmic force. At the time of the arrest and at the moment of the presence of the 'fleeing youth' it was passed on to John the Baptist who stood in their place because he was their group soul/spirit and their unitary consciousness. At this point in time it was only John the Baptist who was capable of doing so. The "incomprehension" of the Apostles which caused the agony of Christ on Gethsemane was recovered by the awakened consciousness of Lazarus who through his past incarnations was steeped in the wisdom of the mysteries.
Thereby, the Mystery of Golgotha was no longer in jeopardy of failing. It was salvaged by the 'raising/initiation of Lazarus/John the Baptist'.
When we look at both Judas and Lazarus/John the Baptist we see two opposing archetypal individuals. Judas was the archetypal figure in which in a sense the "incomprehension" of the Apostles culminated in one individual. Their incomprehension was like a betrayal of Christ and their fears and failures were like a death between them and Christ which again culminated in the suicide of Judas. In Lazarus/John as one individual we have the polar figure of Judas. Lazarus brings to Christ the needed comprehension and awakened consciousness all the way through to the death on the cross. John the Baptist has the strength to carry the aura of Christ through to the morning of Easter where it is now to enter earth life. They together as ONE act as an archetypal figure of that which the Apostles were to accomplish as a singular body of Twelve.
In the Gospel of St. Mark it mentions a "young man" in the tomb. Was this one of the two men/angels that are mentioned in the tomb of Christ (Luke and John Gospels) or is it actually a third angel that John and Luke do not mention? Steiner stressed that the two angels/men were the archetypal bodies of Christ's etheric and astral bodies. However, is the young man in the tomb in Mark's Gospel and the angel that rolls back the stone in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 28:2-7) one and the same angel? Could this angel have been John the Baptist in spirit with the Cosmic Aura of Christ living within him? Why do Mark and Matthew only mention one young man/angel at the tomb respectively?
Also, does the linen cloth that is mentioned in relation to the 'Fleeing Youth' and the linen cloths in the tomb of Christ have any bearing to one another? Do they signify the "youthful cosmic forces"?
Rick Distasi
