Elohim
The seven Elohim (Hebrew אלהים) belong to the hierarchy of the Spirits of Form and are the creator gods of earth's evolution spoken of in Genesis. According to ancient Hebrew grammar, Elohim is the plural form to the singular Eloah, which, however, is only used extremely rarely in the Tanakh. It is derived from the general term El used in many Semitic languages for spiritual entities. This corresponds in Aramaic to Elah or Elaha (or differently vocalized also Alah or Alaha) and in Arabic to Allah.
About the phonetic sound of Elohim Rudolf Steiner says:
The existence of the Elohim, i.e. a plurality of creator gods, forms a contradiction to the strict monotheism of Judaism and also Islam. Only the hierarchy doctrine of the angelic orders, which we find in Christianity, resolves this contradiction. Within the angelic hierarchies, the Elohim belong to the second hierarchy (assigned to the Christ Logos).
„And Elohim said, Let US make man, an image in our likeness ...“ (Lit.: Gen 1:26 ELB - Revised Elberfelder Translation)
„ELOHIM is active as One. How puzzling it must be, then, when he suddenly and abruptly speaks to himself in the plural: <And ELOHIM said, Let us...>! (...) A High Council is assembled and Its members take the grave decision to work together. They decide : <Let us create man...!>“ (Lit.: Eberhard Klemp, p. 12)
„The sculptor stands directly by the side of the Elohim, when they knew how to transform the shapeless, repulsive clay into the most glorious form.“ (Lit.: J. W. Goethe: Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, 3rd book, 3rd chapter)
The love forces of six of the Elohim weave inside the physical sunlight, which is why Rudolf Steiner calls them light spirits too. The seventh, Yahweh, took the moon as his abode and from there sends exalted wisdom to the earth, thereby preparing for the reception of love. However, Yahweh also represents the consciousness of common unity of the seven Elohim, which they attained by creating man in their image in the course of the Six Day Creation. Through the sacrificial act of the Elohim, human beings received their 'I', (self). With the baptism of the Jordan, the common powers of the six solar Elohim entered through the (spirit of) Christ into the evolution of earth and humanity.
Literature
- Rudolf Steiner: Die Geheimnisse der biblischen Schöpfungsgeschichte, GA 122 (1992)
- Rudolf Steiner: Zur Geschichte und aus den Inhalten der erkenntniskultischen Abteilung der Esoterischen Schule von 1904 bis 1914, GA 265 (1987), ISBN 3-7274-2650-0 Template:Schule
- Hans-Werner Schroeder: Mensch und Engel. Die Wirklichkeit der Hierarchien, Fischer TB, Frankfurt/Main 1982
- Eberhard Klemp: Das Schöpfungs-Wort. Eine Übertragung aus Genesis, Kapitel 1 bis 9 nach dem Hebräischen, Selbstverlag, Krefeld 1995
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Wilhelm Meisters Wanderjahre, 3. Buch, 3. Kapitel
- Die Heilige Schrift. Aus dem Grundtext übersetzt. Elberfelder Bibel. Revidierte Fassung, R. Brockhaus Vlg. (7. Auflage), Wuppertal 1996
