Fourth hierarchy

The fourth hierarchy joins the three higher spiritual Hierarchies below. Humans were destined from the beginning to open this fourth hierarchy - in three gradations of the human. This is the task of the Earth evolution, which followed the Old Moon. It was through this that life, i.e. the life ether, first came into the world and likewise the solid crystalline earth element. Through the Fall, however, man first descended too deeply into the earthly-material world and thus did not form the lowest hierarchy of the heavenly beings, but placed himself at the top of the earthly kingdoms of nature. Only through the Mystery of Golgotha was it made possible for man to ascend again to the hierarchies, insofar as he permeates himself more and more with the living Christ-power. Then one day he will indeed form the fourth (future) hierarchy.

Man, as the coming Spirit of Freedom, is the potential builder of the fourth (future) Hierarchy. Through the creation of Manas (spirit self) "a higher member of the human being is given, one that is germinally present in it, as it were, and that comes out more and more in the course of its work on itself" (Lit.:GA 13, p. 71f). In the same way, Buddhi and Atma are disposed germinally in man for his perfection. In the language of the Apocalypse of John, man creates his name, i.e. an initial independent right of existence in the spiritual world, through the spirit self. "He who passes the test shall likewise be clothed in white robes, and I will not blot out his name from the book of life. I will confess his name before the face of my Father and before his angelic kingdoms" (Rev 3:5). The perpetuation of the name is tested by means of the Manas, which the spiritually more advanced human being at this time (5th post-Atlantean cultural epoch = community of Sardis) has already developed more than just germinally (→ consciousness soul). The word "Manas" is related to the word "Manna" (Hebrew: מָן‎ mān) from the Bible. "Man does not live by bread alone" (Matthew 4:4), but more and more also by every "word (of God)", i.e. by spiritual nourishment, which the manna represents and which is especially spiritually filling. "The spiritual is the eternal nourishment of man" (Lit.:GA 9, p. 54).

Literature

• Rudolf Steiner: Mysterienstätten des Mittelalters, GA 233a (1991), ISBN 3-7274-2335-8 English: rsarchive.org German: pdf pdf(2) html mobi epub archive.org

References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated. Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com. Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English. Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA) Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.