Voices of the New Age – Part 3

By: Carl Teichrib; ©2003

When examined through a biblical lens, New Age teachings quickly reveal themselves for what they are—anti-biblical spiritual approaches that place a positive spin on Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness.

Voices of the New Age: Thoughts on Lucifer

By Carl Teichrib

[Author’s note: this is the second article in a multipart series on New Age philosophies, taken directly from New Age authors and key figures. All italics and capitals in quotes are found in the originals.]

For many Christians, the New Age movement is a confusing and perplexing phenomena. One question of particular concern is simply, what does the New Age teach?

Answers to this question are as varied as the New Age movement itself; which embraces Tarot cards, astrology, divination, mysticism, channeling, UFO sub-cultures, earth-based worship, numerous rites and rituals, occultism and secret orders, symbols and talismans, eastern religions and spiritual pluralism, and so much more. For the Christian researcher, trying to grasp the full meaning and context of just one of these many manifestations is an enormous task. For the average person who “just wants to know what’s going on,” the New Age movement can be a quagmire of contradictory information, obscure concepts, and out­right bizarreness.

Sometimes, when faced with this mountain of disturbing information, the best way to grasp what the New Age movement teaches is simply to listen to what New Age leaders and authors are saying. Then, when examined through a Biblical lens, these New Age “teachings” quickly reveal themselves for what they are; anti-Biblical spiritual approaches which places a positive spin on Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness.

Consider the following statements,

Christ is the same force as Lucifer but moving in seemingly the opposite direction. Lucifer moves in to create the light within through the pressure of experience. Christ moves out to release that light, that wisdom, that love into creation…. — David Spangler, Reflections on the Christ (Findhorn Publications, 1977), p. 40.

Satan and the Judgement rests with every man; each one is his own Satan, each his own judge. — Benjamin Crème, The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom (Tara Press, 1980), p. 104.

Eventually, if we achieve our chosen task on planet Earth to transmute duality into Oneness, then Lucifer, too, with his fallen Angels, must rise up into the Light to once again sit at the right hand of God as one of the brightest of the Angels. For nothing and no one is to remain separate from God. Within the Greater Reality, everything is God. — Solara, The Star-Borne: A Remembrance for the Awakened Ones (Star-Borne Unlimited, 1989), p. 138.

Another aspect to this anti-Biblical philosophy is the New Age teaching that Satan (also known as Lucifer) is the personification of wisdom and liberty. In a book sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (the IUCN is a major environmental lobby and policy organization), this liberating “wisdom” came to Adam and Eve through the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Thus, Satan is not viewed as the architect of our demise, but the facilitator of our intellec­tual liberty.

By eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam broke the bonds of instinct and entered the realm of mind, with its potential for reflection and choice. Once this happened, human life was transformed from instinctual to intentional action, and destiny passed from historical impetus to self-direction. — New Ideas in Environmental Education (Croom Helm, 1988), p. 9. See all of chapter one.

David Spangler, a leading figure in the New Age Movement and a key individual in the Findhorn spiritual community, tells his readers,

Lucifer, like Christ, stands at the door of man’s consciousness and knocks. If man says, “Go away because I do not like what you represent. I am afraid of you,” Lucifer will play tricks on that fellow. If man says, “Come in, and I will give to you the treat of my love and understanding and I will uplift you in the light and presence of the Christ, my outflow,” then Lucifer becomes something else again. He becomes the being who carries that great treat, the ultimate treat, the light of wisdom. — David Spangler, Reflections on the Christ (Findhorn Publications, 1977), p. 41.

Lucifer comes to give us the final gift of wholeness. If we accept it then he is free and we are free. That is the Luciferic initiation. It is one that many people now, and in the days ahead, will be facing, for it is an initiation into the New Age. — David Spangler, Reflections on the Christ (Findhorn Publications, 1977), p. 45.

Madame Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society and mother of the modern New Age Movement, also taught an anti-Biblical interpretation of the Dark Angel.

Satan will now be shown, in the teaching of the Secret Doctrine, allegorized as Good, and Sacrifice, a God of Wisdom, under different names. —Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2 (Theosophical University Press, 1988), p. 237.

Lucifer is divine and terrestrial light, the “Holy Ghost” and “Satan,” at one and the same time… — Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2 (Theosophical University Press, 1988), p. 513.

Thus “SATAN,” once he ceases to be viewed in the superstitious, dogmatic, unphilosophical spirit of the Churches, grows into the grandiose image of one who made of terrestrial a divine MAN; who gave him…the law of the Spirit of Life, and made him free from the Sin of Ignorance, hence of death. — Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume 1 (Theosophical University Press, 1988), p. 198.

And now it stands proven that Satan, or the Red Fiery Dragon, the “Lord of Phosphorus,” and Lucifer, or “Light-Bearer,” is in us: it is our Mind—our tempter and Redeemer, our intelligent liberator and Saviour from pure animalism. — Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2 (Theosophical University Press, 1988), p. 513.

Moreover, in the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ—an occult/New Age rewrite of the New Testament, complete with an Egyptian-brotherhood initiated Jesus Christ—tells of Jesus’ wilderness temptation in a significantly different way than how the Bible explains the event. In the Aquarian Gospel, it isn’t an actual evil being called Satan that tempts Jesus, rather, this evil temptation comes from Christ’s “lower self.” Finally, in a struggle with him­self, this Aquarian Jesus says,

“I may not tempt the Lord, my God…Away from me all tempting thoughts. My heart is fixed; I spurn this carnal self with all its vain ambitions and its pride.” For forty days did Jesus wrestle with his carnal self; his higher self prevailed. — The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, Chapter 65.

Not surprisingly, this twisted Aquarian version—complete with the “Satan-within” concept of Christ—uns parallel to Blavatsky’s idea of the internal “Holy-Ghost” type-Lucifer. Hence, with both the Aquarian Gospel and Blavatsky’s teachings, Satan isn’t considered the en­emy of God’s children or the deceiving “Angel of Light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Rather, Satan is called “the cosmic reflection of God.” (The Secret Doctrine, Vol. 2, p. 235)

Conversely, the Bible (the real Bible, not the Aquarian manuscript) makes it clear that Satan exists as an actual individual and not just some “lower self” concept. And, according to God’s Word, this being certainly doesn’t bestow “wisdom” or “goodness.” Instead, Satan is called the King of Death (Heb. 2:14), the Dragon (Rev. 12:7), the Deceiver (Rev. 20:10), the Wicked One (Matt. 13:38), and the Enemy (Matt. 13:39). As a supernatural being of tremendous evil intent, Lucifer blinds men to the truth of God’s Word (2 Cor. 4:4), he lays spiritual snares for men (2 Tim. 2:26), he tempts, he deceives, he lies, he destroys.

Contrast this to the real Jesus Christ; who forgives sinners, is the way and the truth and the life, has no blemish of sin or falseness, and shows us mercy even though we don’t deserve it. This Jesus doesn’t masquerade as an Angel of Light, coming to us under false pretexts or with any selfish ambitions. Rather, He comes with open arms, desiring that all would come into He rest.

(Carl Teichrib is a freelance writer and researcher on global political and religious issues. He lives in Canada with his wife and children.)