Spiritual Economy, Page 5

But the Christ avatar is even further distinguished. Steiner says of it (SE, Lect. 3):

If an avatar enters a human sheath, the essence of the host is dispersed into many replicas. In contrast to the copies of Shem’s etheric body, the copies of the astral and etheric bodies of Jesus of Nazareth had another special characteristic. The copies of Shem’s etheric body could be implanted only into his own descendants whereas the copies of the etheric body and the astral body of Jesus of Nazareth could be implanted into all human beings of the most diverse peoples and races. A copy of the archetypal astral and etheric bodies of Jesus of Nazareth could be implanted in anyone who through his or her personal development had become ready for this transfer, no matter what race such an individual belonged to. And we see how in this subsequent evolution of Christendom, strange developments take place behind the external historical facade, and only such developments can render the external course of events intelligible.

Steiner gives examples, summarized in I-74, of historical personalities who embodied copies of the etheric or astral bodies of Jesus. It was in such an etheric body that Paul perceived Christ on the Damascus road(Acts 9,1-9; see also Gal 1,16 in KJV and in RSV footnote).⁸ The concept of spiritual economy also helps us understand the depth of that scriptural passage quoted by Steiner more than any other, Paul’s Gal 2,20, “Not I, but Christ in me,” which tends to demonstrate the Ego and astral body, as well as the etheric body, of Jesus of Nazareth. All people who ready themselves sufficiently can “put on” one of these bodies and therefore, in spiritual reality, actually embody the Christ within. Steiner put it thus: “Yes, these imprinted copies of the Christ Jesus individuality are waiting to be taken in by human souls—they are waiting!”

Does not this put special meaning in Rev 3,20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” That this passage concludes the Seventh and last Cultural Era of the Aryan (post-Atlantean) Epoch (see I-24 and I-25) is an indication of the extent to which one must progress in order to “open the door” to the Christ for full entry.⁹

If one reflects upon it, it is the joinder of Christ’s earthly sacrifice, the Mystery of Golgotha, with the principle of spiritual economy that made it possible for Evangelist John to say, in Jn 3,16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

One can now begin to understand Steiner’s statement in Lect. l, “The result of this is that the whole configuration of the process of reincarnation is much more complicated than is usually supposed.” And the passages of scripture that are clarified by such understanding, of which only a few have been discussed here, show that the truths of karma and reincarnation are woven deeply into the Bible when it is properly understood.