Widow's Son, Page 3

Changing direction, let us look at two noble Individualities (i.e., entelechies, or “I Ams”). The first is that of Adam Cadmon-Phinehas-Elijah- John the Baptist-Raphael-Novalis, discussed under the heading “Novalis” in Cognate Writings, Vol. 3, Companions Along The Way, and expanded upon there under “Prokofieff.” The incarnations of the second are set out also in Cognate Writings under the heading “Interlude for Steiner Individuality,” and included Eabani- ( Abraham? ) - Cratylus-Aristotle- Schionatulander-Thomas Aquinas- Steiner. Particular note should be taken of the “great cosmic law,” set out as a footnote in the “Interlude,” “according to which each individual who accomplishes something in the service of the Guiding Powers of the world must, after a certain time, perform a similar deed in consequence of it, but in such a way now that it appears like the opposite pole of the first.” The application of this cosmic law to both noble Individualities is obvious in the above references in Cognate Writings. Let us now consider how that applies in the case of the one known as Hiram-Abiff. Whether or not he was the same entelechy as Cain and/or Tubal-cain, we see from anthroposophy that his incarnations included those known as Hiram-Lazarus/ John-Christian Rosenkreutz⁵-Count St. Germain;⁶ and there is the distinct probability that Joshua⁷ should be added to the front of this line. If Hiram, through his ancestry if not in fact his own prior incarnations, had brought the earthly craft of bronze work to humanity on its descending path, in the last three incarnations listed he clearly began to take the human being back on the ascending path of spiritual development. But it is from his enlightened status as Son of a Widow that he commenced this line of development—much as the enlightened Aristotle Individuality, the father of modern science, led humanity away from recognition of multiple Earth lives, or reincarnation, and later, as Steiner, is the one who, in the twentieth century, leads it back again to a true knowledge thereof.

With the above background, let us now look, in canonical order, at instances where the Bible speaks of the Widow’s Son (emphasis mine):

1 K 7,13-14: (13) And King Solomon sent and brought Hiram from Tyre. (14) He was the son of a widow of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in bronze; and he was full of wisdom, understanding, and skill, for making any work in bronze. He came to King Solomon, and did all his work.

Aside from the accomplishments of Joshua in implementing the mission of Moses in the “outer world,” we see in this passage the application of wisdom to the (domination of the) “outer world” in a manner not possible for the sheer wisdom of Solomon.

1 K 11,26-31: (26) Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also lifted up his hand against the king. (27) And this was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the breach of the city of David his father. (28) The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph. (29) And at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clad himself with a new garment; and the two of them were alone in the open country. (30) Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. (31) And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes....’”

Clearly we see the continuation, in verse 28, of the ability of Jeroboam to apply himself to the “outer world,” as in the case of Hiram, and the further indication of his “wisdom” is probably suggested by the fact that the eventual opposition of Solomon forced Jereboam into “Egypt” (vs 40), an esoteric term for the ancient clairvoyance from which “Israel” had to depart, as we shall see. The emphasized conclusion of the passage relates to the division of the kingdom into kingly and priestly elements, as discussed above. The “historian(s)” who wrote the above passage left one other hidden but persuasive clue that points to the esoteric meaning of the Widow’s Son. We are told in 6 AB 1084, “Zeruah,” “While the identity of the king’s mother is a common feature in Judean regnal formulas, it is missing from those of Israelite kings. Thus, the identification of Zeruah in 1 K 11,26 is a rare reference to an Israelite king’s mother.” And the significance of the break between the kingly, male, northern kingdom and the priestly, female, southern kingdom from which the Savior was to be born, is also strongly indicated by the meaning of “Zeruah.” According to 6 AB 1084, “In a variant version of Jeroboam’s origin,” in the Septuagint’s (Greek) treatment of 1 K 12,24 “Jeroboam’s mother is Sarira, a ‘harlot’,” foreshadowing the general characterization of the northern kingdom of Israel as a “whoremonger” after other gods, namely, those of the “outer world” from the standpoint of the priestly southern kingdom of Judea. All of this plays strongly, however, into the idea of the “two becoming one” with the advent of the Christ, as more fully indicated in “The Nativity.” The necessity of all the streams again converging in humanity’s reascent is always emphasized in Steiner’s work, and is uniquely summarized in Lievegoed’s deathbed work, BATSO.

1 K 17,1-24: (1) Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” (2) And the word of the Lord came to him. (3) “Depart from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, that is east of the Jordan. (4) You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” (5) So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and dwelt by the brook Cherith that is east of the Jordan. (6) And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. (7) And after a while the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. (8) Then the word of the Lord came to him. (9) “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” (10) So he arose and went to Zarephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” (11) And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” (12) And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” (13) And Elijah said to her, “Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son. (14) For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” (15) And she went and did as Elijah said; and she, and he, and her household ate for many days. (16) The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord which he spoke by Elijah.

(17) After this the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was so severe that there was no breath left in him. (18) And she said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance,⁸ and to cause the death of my son!” (19) And he said to her, “Give me your son.” And he took him from her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he lodged and laid him upon his own bed. (20) And he cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, hast thou brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?” (21) Then he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s soul come into him again.” (22) And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. (23) And Elijah took the child, and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house, and delivered him to his mother; and Elijah said, “See, your son lives.” (24) And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.”

While every word of this is important, the emphasized portions readily identify this passage as an initiation. What one must then come to see is that the pre-initiation personality is Naboth (1 K 21) whose Individuality is that of Elijah, Naboth’s post-initiation manifestation. Before examining what Steiner said about this in more detail, it is pertinent here to note that the account in the books of Kings clearly shows Naboth/Elijah to have been initiated into the Mithraic Mysteries, as explained in “Mysteries” herein. When this is realized, it can be seen how the passage contains the critical features found in other Biblical initiations, such as that of Lazarus (Jn 11), et al.; see also “Three Days’ Journey.” Like other personalities who, upon receiving the insight of deep spiritual experience, have their names changed (see “Name Change”), Naboth became Elijah through the initiation by which he also became the Son of a Widow. Christ himself emphasized that the Individuality of Elijah came to one personality who was the Son of a Widow (Lk 4,26).⁹