Secrets of Creation · Chapter 23 · The Symbol of the Cross in Creation (February 1, 1872)

Chapter 23

The Symbol of the Cross in Creation (February 1, 1872)

01] In My last Word I have shown you how the form of the Cross should be understood in spiritual correspondence (see "Passion Garden"). I have further proved to you how between spiritual striving and worldly action the cross form again expresses the work of one against the other; I have taught you how in this form figuratively always two opposing forces, be they material forces, be they spiritual qualities, always seek to cross each other. I have also shown you the way which you should walk under the burden of the cross when human, worldly conditions "cross" your spiritual direction. And now I want to open still further to you other depths where exactly this cross as a symbol of My humiliation and glorification is either clearly represented or hidden in all forms of the created beings, and show you how even in the course of the worlds, in the form of their orbits and in the material and spiritual cosmic man this form always shines out; so that you may see that it was not insignificant in My way of life that I, the Creator of all that exists, had to suffer the bodily death just in this way, where, as with My birth, also the circumstances and places contributed to designate the descent of the supreme being, so also his going home in the manner in which it happened was worthy of the Creator of all beings and bore the stamp of divine qualities.

02] For you have to well consider that the type of death by which I was to "breathe out My spirit" according to the concepts of men, was not just the closet one, but that such a way of death had to be chosen, which for men should bear a sign of shame, but for Me it should bear the sign of divinity.

03] Now see, the shape of the cross as it existed when I was attached to it was such that the crossbar cut the main beam not in the middle but in the upper third.

04] This average in the upper third is also not without meaning, but, as with the worldly cross, of great importance in spiritual correspondence.

05] For as little as a man could be nailed to the cross if this crossbeam did not correspond with the height of his arms, it is also in spiritual terms the living condition of the existence of all worlds that precisely this average point in the orbits of the world falls into the upper half, because thereby the purpose of the preservation and continuation of their own existence is secured.

06] In another word I once explained to you how the oval, ellipse or egg form is the form in which worlds revolve around worlds, systems revolve around systems, and how almost all forms of created things, small and large, can be traced back to this form. I have also told you how in the great cosmos, spiritually or materially, in one of the focal points is My seat from where I direct everything; furthermore, that this focal point and movement factor is also always the most important in all world orbits, wherever the central suns are located, and that even in every created thing this spiritual point exists as an attraction point , which connects both the smallest atoms to a large body, and in the large spirit and world-creation-man is the junction of all life (see "The Earth" ("Earth and Moon"), chapter 1 about the center of gravity of the Earth).

07] Now, if you look closely at this egg, ellipse or oval shape, and if you draw lines from its two focal points against its periphery which vertically intersect the great axis of the ellipse, an egg or oval, you have again a cross formed from the great axis and the radius of the circle, which is used in the construction of this oval shape and is actually its main factor

08] In the ellipse or oval form, where the circles - described from the two focal points are the same - it doesn't matter how you look at or turn this ellipse, it is always the same form. In the egg it is different, you get to see two circles, one of which is a big one, the other a small one. As I explained in the egg, "there the small is the more important spiritual carrier of life and the larger is the less significant, material preservation factor. There the material spreads out in wide orbits over this focal point of the great circle, and here (at 0) everything unites and approaches the smaller, but spiritually more powerful circle, from which the whole periphery of the egg form and the other large circle is dominated. (This egg is similar to the pyramid, above the smaller, but more important, and below the broad matter-base).

09] Now, if you want to look at this figure of the cross in the great structure of the world, you will find that the vertical line erected on the focal points or midpoints cuts through the periphery on both sides, at the top where the circle line completes its semicircle and the egg-shaped extension of the whole perimeter line then gradually leads to the small circle.

10] So this point is where the transverse line breaks through the periphery, passing through the center, and also divides a body moving on the periphery line into two halves, as soon as it arrives at this point.

11] Now the question arises what is in the spiritual correspondence of the great axis of an ellipse, oval, or egg shape, and what is this other transverse, intersecting, opposite direction.

12] Now see, after all world systems in the form of the egg, together with their satellites (companions) of earth, moons and comets, again move around other larger central suns, then this large, upright axis designates the spiritual direction of all spirits bound to matter and the transverse line, which goes from the focal point to the periphery, to always provide the material tendency of spiritual resistance, even to stop at the average of the periphery.

13] So here again two powers, the spiritual and the material, are fighting over their lasting existence.

14] In the great world systems the focal point of the small circle is always the more powerful, spiritually taken, around which the planets and suns are driven with greater speed, while in the great circles in the far distance their movement is in decline.

15] Here, near the small circle, spirit develops in rapid flight; there in the great circle, in slow progression, material things progress.

16] Here the line that passes through the focal point of the smaller circle meets the periphery of the egg form in close proximity to its center; it is the divine that cuts through or touches the spiritual, and there it is the spiritual that seeks to spiritualize matter.

17] What is established here in the elliptical or egg form in every planetary system and is repeated in larger systems can also be found in the worlds and spirit-men, where the direction from the feet to the head expresses the spiritual and that of the extended arms corresponds to that of the material direction.

18] It is the form of the cross which, as two different directions, awakens, conditions and sustains life and thus secures the existence of all created things.

19] If you look carefully at the human form, you will find that if you think of a man with his arms outstretched like a man nailed to the cross, you can also draw a line through the end points of his body, that is, through his head, hands and feet, which corresponds to the egg shape.

20] Only the difference is that here the large circle falls where the head is and the small circle comes to stand near the feet.

21] This should be understood as follows: The great axis of the egg form determines the spiritual direction of man, from bottom to top, from earth to heaven, from material to spiritual! It is this direction, as that of a created being, which opposes Me and My spirit world; for with me it was said - from the spiritual to the material, from top to bottom, and with man from the material to the spiritual.

22] Therefore in man, the great circle passing above and around his head denotes the great material creation that spreads over his head into infinity, as the starry sky of the night shows.

23] There the focal point is his heart, as the community of the spiritual with the world, and the organ of the mind the head, which, subordinated to the heart, should not act independently, but only helping the heart. (So the heart lies here at the upper crossroads as the main focus of life, spiritually - as love, and in the soul as will, to which the other focus corresponds and thus describes the spiritual humility corresponding to love, while in the soul as such the corresponding focus is sensuality, psychically as a sexual system. Looking at this scheme on a scale of spiritual values, it is easy to see whose spirit is a child, depending on whether a mental or spiritual or - according to today's fashion - often no focal point at all, but even the "eccentric" brain prevails. (See "The Antichrist," in: "The Second Coming of Christ," p. 62.)

24] The extended hands are the average point or the line of opposition of all spiritual actions and aspirations through spiritual and worldly passions.

25] So it is the focal point of the great circle that plays the main role in man, while the smaller one does not exist as fixed, but only as the divine spark is given to the spiritual ego of man in order to spiritualize it.

26] In the animals you will also find the shape of the cross, as in birds, flying insects; in the four-footed animals it is also the same forces and spiritual focal points, only in the latter the main direction is parallel to the earth's surface, and their double points of intersection, like their four feet - still doubly attached to the surface of the earth - according to the purpose of their existence, and the instinct of their spiritual direction.

27] In the confines of nature, the animals are still guided from step to step by their instincts, the material direction is the predominant, the spiritual-emotional the subordinate.

28] Even their hands, destined to be "handled" by man, are still used as feet, as supports of the whole, and only a few except the monkey species can use them for anything other than walking. With them the form of the cross is certainly there, but not used for the purpose of expression as with man, where in him only the spiritual-emotional principle is free and yearns more and more for spiritual development. The more the cross form multiplies with insects and worms, the more you may recognize how often the material cuts through the spiritual path and thus oppose the higher development and lets it only be carried out on many and slow ways.

29] Thus the cross form is first of all: bearer and founder of the egg or ellipse form; secondly: the only factor of moving life, of the preservation and existence and the constant stimulus to greater activity, to further advancement on the spiritual level up to Me, as the highest final goal of all created spirits.

30] See, as with your globe, an axis exists which runs through it from south to north, but not as you see such on your figuratively imitated earth globes, but as it is to be thought from one magnetic (not mathematical) pole to another, where then in the upper third part another force runs through it, that is to say the force of intelligence and spiritual abilities - so you also see these parts of the world, which lie in the upper third part, more spiritual, more awakened, because they are urged to the higher spiritual life by this force opposing them; while in the south the material part as if asleep still lacks these abilities more in the half dream life, and, as in a dream, probably possesses a more beautifully equipped (natural) world, but taken spiritually it can be compared to the imaginary creations of the dream life in comparison to the awakened spiritual mind and emotional life.

31] Just as your globe also here shows the form of the cross, so it expresses itself everywhere in the existence and passing away of matter, in the spiritual as a direction upwards or downwards; only in the divine there is no longer any opposite direction, for there is as a base for all that is created a stability, peace and eternal established basic principle: only, although striving for a purpose, to calculate according to love and wisdom, where the latter conditions and modifies the former.

32] But while the cross everywhere indicates the struggle of two opposing directions, love and wisdom are united in the Divine to the extent that two lines running parallel, which - striving for the same direction and the same purpose - have only the eternal existence of the created as their purpose, and just love and wisdom or My own self finds its satisfaction in it when everything created by both recognizes its purpose and its mission correctly, and when love in this way sees its thoughts realized through wisdom - sees the spiritual sparks put out as primitive ideas return as luminous stars.

33] Thus the cross was, is, and will remain the symbol of spiritual and material life, where always the product of two opposing, intersecting factors as a result should be a higher spiritual level, from where one direction upwards should always be more powerful, the other one cutting through it becomes weaker, shorter and more powerless - until also in the transfigured spirit only two concurrent potencies, wisdom and love, have become its guiding principle and, all influences of material events ceased, the spiritual alone will continue the way of the transfiguration.

34] In this form of the cross the great triumph of the spiritual over the material, figuratively represented by My crucifixion, lives on eternally; this form, taken spiritually, forms the school of your test life; this form of the cross is the life factor of My world systems, My spiritual and material great cosmic man.

35] Everywhere it is the predominant form, for it requires two fighting elements, and through struggle life arises, the eternally progressive life struggling to higher levels.

36] Up! As I was fastened to the Cross, as a symbolic image of the earth directed towards heaven, also upwards, after this Great Spirit world is the great urge of all beings. Forward! unconsciously it pushes the smallest atom of ether like the great angelic spirit in the spiritual realm; and only through the divergent, crossing secondary directions, which does not let anyone achieve what he longed for; precisely through this inhibition the urge of resistance, struggle and finite victory is aimed, through which the material, spiritual and divine world can exist and continue.

37] Therefore, even under the cross or under the pressure of worldly circumstances, do not forget the principal upward direction. There all resistance ceases, and you too will find your heavenly Father in the form of the Cross, standing upright, with outstretched arms, who wants to welcome with love all those who have not forgotten Him and His teachings under the cross, as a symbolic image of suffering and struggle, during their apprenticeship!

38] Therefore honor the Cross! Which in the great scale of My creation and in the small one on Golgotha contributed to My glorification and which will also help you to spiritual exaltation through humiliation.

39] It is the symbol of suffering; therefore remember My words when I once said: "he who humbles himself will be exalted!"

40] Also the Jews humiliated Me, then raised Me up at the shameful crucifixion, but they did not understand the spiritual glorification which they brought about by this exaltation!

41] What was felt and suspected by only a few in those times, you can now clearly see before your eyes; I showed you how also this form and its later pictorial expression as suffering and struggles, as a spiritual cross, is the only way to me, which I gloriously preceded you and on which you are to follow with humility; because also your humiliation will one day become the greatest exaltation with me, and you will then realize that not enjoyed pleasures, no, but surrendered sufferings can give the delight of a blessedness which I also enjoyed when I, My mission completed, returned to My love and showed to all My angels and spirits that the cross is not a stumbling block but a sign of victory for whomever wants to undergo it patiently! Amen.