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Daniel
The Sixth Vision: The Archangel Gabriel

   After a moment, the text continues, Daniel became aware of a band touching him (be is out of his body) and a gentle voice saying, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, unto thee — am I now sent." The voice and the angelic figure "in the likeness of a man" are the same as described in verses four to six. The entire vision relates to the Archangel Gabriel, at first in his glorious archangelic panoply and then in a softer, more human likeness assumed for Daniel's benefit lest be be overcome by the glory. In Greek stories the Gods of Olympus thus take upon themselves a human likeness when appearing to men because their God-like brilliance could not be borne by mortal sight.

   The vision of Daniel took place in the first month, the month of Aries, on the twenty-fourth day of the month after three weeks of fasting. This would be roughly equivalent to the Lenten Season, for the vision appeared about the time of the Vernal Equinox. The river Hiddekel is named in Genesis as one of the four rivers of Paradise. Alchemically, it is the Life Ether, and Daniel was recounting a higher phase of Initiation. Through the conservation and transmutation of the life essence he touched the higher Mysteries of the archangelic Sun Spirit who, in His spiritual Selfhood, is the Sun of the spiritual world. He radiates the warmth of Love and the light of Wisdom upon all angelic and archangelic Beings and upon all blessed Ones of the human race who can lift their consciousness to His realm.

   The vibratory power of Gabriel's presence was so high that none with Daniel (Initiates of lesser Degrees) could endure it; their senses were overwhelmed and they fled in fear, leaving Daniel alone. He himself was almost overcome by Gabriel's radiance and his consciousness was momentarily extinguished: "then was I in a deep sleep upon my face."

The Seventh Vision: The Time of the End

   It is a fact known to Initiates that as an individual rises to a higher plane his consciousness is temporarily overshadowed by the high vibration; but as he becomes accustomed to it, consciousness gradually returns. He has the assistance of ministering Angels to help him make the adjustment, as does Daniel: "Behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands." Then he heard Gabriel speaking the words: "O Daniel, a man greatly beloved ... unto thee am I now sent." These words addressed to Daniel by the Archangel are very similar to those addressed to the Virgin Mary at the Annunciation.

   Gabriel admonishes the prophet: "Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come . . . " Then he tells Daniel of his activities as an archangelic Race Spirit: "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia." (Daniel 10:13) Gabriel is the messenger associated with the Moon; Michael, the messenger from the Sun.

   The text continues: "O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong ... I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that boldeth with me in these things, but Michael, your prince." Here we find that Gabriel speaks of Michael as "your prince;" that is, the Race Spirit of the Jews.

   No spirit lower than an Archangel may reveal Mysteries pertaining to the blending of head and heart (Fire and Water). Lack of balance between these two caused the fall of Lucifer and the Angels who followed him. As a. result they became the evolutionary stragglers who tempted man and caused his Fall. Only one in whom this blending has been achieved could be chosen as Savior of the world. The Christ is the highest in development of all Archangels; Michael is second to Him. For this reason it was Michael who ministered so constantly to the Christ during His stay upon earth. Gabriel is the angelic Teacher, the Revealer. As the agent of lunar power he has rule over human race functions, working particularly. with parents of the New Dispensation through whom a new race will be born on our planet.

   The great work of evolution is to establish perfect balance between the masculine and feminine qualities within every individual. The heart principle (Love) must therefore be raised from its present condition of servitude to materiality, and sensualism. Jacob Boehme describes a vision of a Tree having its roots in the heart and its branches in the head. Every mystic knows of this plant growing between heart and head. Among Christians it is customary to liken it to a lily because an etheric lily cup is seen to take form within the head of a regenerated neophyte. A lily is also the symbol of Gabriel, and those in whom it is developed are under his special protection.

   After many centuries of conflict due to the imbalance between the masculine attributes of will, desire and reason and the feminine attributes of love and imagination — during which period desolation has been wrought upon earth through war, pestilence and hate — there comes the Time of the End wherein the Christ Power is to conquer. It was this Time of the End that was symbolized in the ram with the two horns, one a little higher than the other, as described in the eighth chapter of Daniel. The two horns are the two polarities. The feminine fell first and will be the last to be lifted up. Those who unite the two principles here and now are already equipped to meet the etheric Christ of the Aquarian Age, and they will help Him usher in the New Dispensation.

   One School of esotericism declares it is here shown that Michael represents Leo and the Sun, not Mercury, despite the fact that many Jewish mystics of the Roman period looked upon Michael as representative of the latter. The tribe of Judah was ruled by Leo whose symbol is the Lion. After the Exile Judah was the dominant force in the entire nation, with the Moon (Cancer) tribe of Benjamin a close second. The other ten tribes, corresponding to the other ten signs of the Zodiac, were scattered abroad, or "lost." Hence, with Judah dominating the country it was Leo and its ruler, the Sun, which represented the Jewish nation. "Michael, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people;" that is, Daniel was himself of the royal House of Judah. The House of Benjamin provided the nation with many of her foremost scribes and mystics.

   In this twelfth chapter Daniel sums up the destiny of the Earth Period, showing the two paths humanity follows and the causation held by each.

   This verse should not be given a literal interpretation, the one so familiar to us. It should be read to mean that those who sleep in the dust of materiality will awaken to spiritual realities. Those who awake to everlasting contempt" are the ones who lag behind the civilization of the age — for "everlasting" means age-long, not eternal. When a new dispensation is being prepared backward egos are held out from incarnation until the new order is well established; then they are permitted to incarnate that they may profit by the improved evolutionary conditions wherein they find themselves. Of necessity, they are under the tutelage of more advanced egos and may not occupy positions of true spiritual power until they have developed further, the age-lasting consequence being that they are placed in a lower grade of life's school. But "they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as stars for ever and ever and ever." This is the radiance of the "golden wedding garment" spoken of by Paul, the soul-glory that shines about every saint and Initiate.

   Kabbalists state that every man has two Angels, the Bright Angel and the Dark Angel, called respectively Metatron and Scandalphon. These are the two angelic powers which accompany the ego in all its trials. They Are sometimes represented as serpents, for an Essene Teaching says that had not the serpent been cursed, every man would possess two, sending one north and the other south to seek out treasures. In an Initiate the serpent is not cursed; for the curse has been removed in the Fiery Furnace of the Lion's Den, and the two Angels minister to him at the right and at the left of the River of Life.

   "The time, times and a half" again refer to the period preceding the Messianic conquest.

   According to certain planetary cycles carefully worked out in detail by astrologers, "time, times and a half" are calculated as 1,260 years, or about half of a zodiacal age. By this calculation Daniel's "seven times" are the 2,520 years of zodiacal age according to Chaldean calculations, which give an age slightly longer than the one used by modern astrologers (30 X 72 = 2160).

   During the Time of-the End those who are able to receive the ideal of the New Age are purified by suffering and "made white, and tried." The wicked shall do wickedly by trying to preserve the Old Order, and because of their wickedness they shall not understand the Mysteries of the New Order.

   The Temple sacrifices were abolished. When, after the successful revolt under Judas Maccabeus, the holy place was purified and worship of Jahveh restored, the occasion was commemorated by the Feast of Lights, celebrated during the Winter Solstice period, at which time candles were lighted and placed in the windows of every Jewish home. However, the Feast is actually more ancient. Hebrew scholars concede that it may date from the Restoration era, but esotericists give it a still earlier reckoning in remotest antiquity — for there has never been a time in any land when the Winter Solstice period was not celebrated as a holy feast.

   Christians apply Daniel's prophecy to events following the downfall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., when similar conditions prevailed.

   Numbers mentioned in this and the preceding verse yield, by esoteric addition, the numeral twelve, symbol of occult development. It is the number of the signs of the Zodiac; the number of the sons of Jacob, who represent the spiritual attainment of the Old Testament; the number of Christ Jesus' Disciples, who symbolize the spiritual development of the New Testament. It is also the number that will belong to every man who has been "purified, and made white, and tried."

   The esoteric experiences of Daniel will one glad day be.the personal experiences of all. Then shall mankind enjoy the fulfillment of that glorious promise made to the prophet: "For thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." This statement has the same meaning as the one in Revelation 3:12: "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." Both refer to the God-man of the future who is free from the cycle of earthly incarnations.

   Historically, although it is not clearly seen in the text, the 1,335 days extend from the close of the 1,290-day period. Together they give 2,625, bringing the esoteric calculation definitely to the beginning of the Aquarian Age — for though astronomers differ as to the exact location of the boundary line between Pisces and Aquarius, it is generally agreed that the Aquarian Age begins not later than the year 2655 A.D. We are, however, already within the orb of Aquarian influence, which accounts for its often being held that we are now actually in the Age of Aquaria. But the full force of the Sign of the Water Bearer will not be manifest until several centuries hence. According to the foregoing calculation the Piscean Age began about 495 A. D. (The rate of precession is 1 degree in 72 years, or 30 X 72 = 2160 years for each zodiacal age).

   We repeat that the purpose of these biblical interpretations is not so much to interpret secular history — although the historical approach is essential to a knowledge of the law of cycles involved in biblical ages — as to reveal eternal truths. Therefore the work with prophecy has dealt primarily with its initiatory aspect. Yet the fascinating law of cycles cannot be ignored, for time cycles and world cycles have their microcosmic reflection in the human soul. To understand the soul one must understand the mother-universe which gives it birth, and within whose time-womb the soul recapitulates all that the universe has ever known. A great historical event may disappear into the mists of time, seemingly gone forever; then, lo, it emerges anew upon the horizon of the morrow in a different form but recognizably the same, even as the child reappears in the man, the bud in the flower. The image seen by Nebuchadnezzar represented four ancient nations: Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. Today the same image may be seen as representing four modern nations, psychic re-embodiments of that ancient four. Methods of waging war have changed but not the selfish, cruel ambitions actuating them.

   Karmic lines continue to weave and interweave as these four continue, as they have for centuries past, the struggle for world supremacy.

   It is not by the amassing of soldiers and armaments that wars and rumors of war will be stilled upon earth. That great peace which passeth all understanding, and for which peoples of the world are yearning, can be realized only as humanity learns to live brotherhood, man to man, nation to nation. Love is the eternal weapon. By it alone can the dream of Angels be realized, the dream long envisioned in their chants above this weary, waiting world:

 — Corinne Heline

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