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.

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.