Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00711)

The following review appears in the current (Fall 2006) issue of The 
Esoteric Quarterly, which is an online journal published by the School for 
Esoteric Studies.  Copies of this journal can be downloaded at: 
http://www.esotericstudies.net/quarterly/

The Revelation of Saint John: the Path to Soul Initiation, by Zachary F. 
Lansdowne. Weiser Books, 2006. Paperback, 236 pages. US$22.95.



The Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, was an enigma in 
its own time. The text has more in common with Jew­ish apocryphal and 
"wisdom" literature than with the gospels and epistles that precede it. Its 
inclusion in the New Testament was opposed in the third century by Eusebius, 
bishop of Caesarea, but supported by church father Origen who was accused of 
Gnostic leanings. Selection was finally announced in 367 CE by Athanasius, 
the controversial patriarch of Al­exandria, and confirmed 15 years later by 
Pope Damasus I.



The Book of Revelation is traditionally attrib­uted to "Saint John," the 
fisherman brother of James. However, despite the opinions of early church 
apologists and some modern esoteric teachers-and despite its internal 
reference to "John"-most scholars today conclude that the author of 
Revelation is unknown. External and internal evidence suggests that it was 
written neither by John the Apostle nor by the author of the fourth gospel 
and the Johannine epistles. Revelation remains an enigma, quoted by 
commentators whose interpretations vary as widely as the religious agendas 
the text is forced to support.

Zachary Lansdowne's The Revelation of Saint John: the Path to Soul 
Initiation provides a new and refreshing interpretation based on esoteric 
psychology. With his extensive knowledge of esoteric teachings he helps us 
penetrate the biblical text's arcane symbolism. Publication of the book this 
summer is particu­larly timely since his article, "The Beasts of Revelation: 
Glamour and Maya," appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of the Esoteric 
Quar­terly. We can now put the article, which addressed just one of the book's 
topics, in the broader context of the author's research find­ings.

Like Revelation itself, the book is divided into 22 chapters, a number not 
without significance since it equals the number of letters in the He-brew 
alphabet and the number of Major Arcana in the Tarot. Dr. Lansdowne's main 
the­sis is that Revelation is a practical manual pro­viding the basic 
knowledge required by the disciple and leading him or her through the many 
challenges confronted on the journey to initiation and enlightenment. For 
example, Chapter 4 relates to the practice of meditation, while Chapter 16 
discusses the seven trials through which the disciple attains purity of the 
lower self. Chapter 17 discusses the disciple's need to overcome ego.

Lansdowne provides a verse-by-verse interpre­tation for each verse in 
Revelation. For exam­ple, the first verse of Chapter 17, which the King 
James Bible renders:

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked 
with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of 
the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

is interpreted thus:

One of the seven chohans comes to the aspi­rant and says, "Raise your 
consciousness

and I will show you the truth about your ego, which is a controlling, 
corrupt, and de­luded sense of identity supported by your many emotional 
reactions. (Page 145)

Extensive footnotes are provided explaining particular interpretations and 
directing the reader to supporting references in the esoteric literature. 
With respect to the verse just quoted, we are told that the disciple has 
earned the assistance of the seven chohans, or angels, by having overcome 
the trials discussed in Chapter 16.

One of the most famous verses in the whole of Revelation (21:1), which the 
author notes is an echo of Isaiah 65:17:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first 
earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

is interpreted as:

The aspirant realizes that the spiritual and physical worlds are united, for 
his earlier perceptions of separate worlds have passed away. He realizes 
that the emotional world does not exist. (Page 185)

We are reminded that, in esoteric teachings, the physical and emotional 
planes are not con­sidered "principles." At a sufficiently high level of 
consciousness they will be recognized as illusory.

The Revelation of Saint John: the Path to Soul Initiation is an attractive, 
carefully researched, and well-written book that will please all serious 
esoteric students. To those with a spe­cial interest in the esoteric 
philosophy and psy­chology of late Judaism, Neoplatonism, or early 
Christianity, it will have even greater appeal. However Zachary Lansdowne 
insists that, even though Revelation was included in the Christian New 
Testament, it speaks to peo­ple of all religious persuasions, in all periods 
of history. His careful analysis helps make the text accessible to this 
broader readership. We enthusiastically recommend the book.



Editorial Staff