newage

The New Age Movement and Maitreya
By: Walter J. Veith

The new age movement essentially teaches that mankind is moving into an
age of enlightenment. The Age of Pisces the fish with its emphasis on formal
religion is to be replaced by the Age of Aquarius, or the Age of Enlightenment.

The term ‘new age’ is derived from astrology. The zodiac which originated in
ancient Babylon consists of twelve signs and it takes about 25,000 years for
our solar system to move through these star signs.

The new age movement essentially teaches that mankind is moving into an
age of enlightenment. The Age of Pisces the fish with its emphasis on formal
religion is to be replaced by the Age of Aquarius, or the Age of
Enlightenment. Each age covers a period of supposedly two thousand years,
and has its own zodiacal sign and planetary force.

When a transition takes place from one Age to another and hence from one
sign to another, certain Adepts who for centuries may have been preparing
for their office by meditation and study, take over the work of inspiring the
new cycle. For nearly two thousand years the earth has been under the
watery sign Pisces ruled by Neptune, the main features of which have been
the establishing of Christianity and the conquest of the ocean. Now the new
cycle has begun, Aquarius, an airy sign, is influencing men’s minds along
scientific lines in every direction, especially towards the conquest of the air.[i]

       In the Age of Enlightenment, mankind is to experience a new birth and
to be initiated into a higher state of consciousness reflecting the godhood
within humanity. Essentially the doctrines of the new age imply that man is
inherently divine in a pantheistic sense. Moreover it is implied that the
material human element has evolved over successive lives, and that the
spiritual element is immortal and coexists with God since time began.

      According to new age philosophy, the change from one phase to another
occurs under the mediation of enlightened ones who have accumulated the
wisdom of the ages. World affairs have ever been run by Ascended Masters
who periodically intervene in the earth’s affairs. The new age is awaiting the
Maitreya, or the Christ, who will assist mankind in its rebirth. To the
Christians, he is to appear as Christ, to Hindus as the Krishna, to Islam as
the Iman Madhi, and to the Orient as the Bodhi-sattva. His office is that of
World Teacher, and he presides over the destiny of great religions.

      The Ascended Masters, speaking through earthly channels, claim to
have influenced mankind for thousands of years, and with each millennium,
there is a change in approach. It is taught that essentially nine world
teachers or masters have influenced age transitions over the ages and that
numerous spirit entities have assisted in bringing mankind to the age of
enlightenment. These enlightened ones can exist in ethereal form or as
incarnations. The nine masters are:

      The Master Hilarion who claims to have been St. Paul in a previous
incarnation. According to new age insiders, he maintains a Cretan body and
spends much of his time in Egypt. The Master Morya who is a Rujput Prince
residing in Shigatse, who occupied Akbar’s body in a previous incarnation.
The Master Koot Hoomi Lal Singh who is of Kashmiri origin and was
supposedly Pythagoras in one of his previous incarnations, also resides at
Shigatse. The Master Jesus, whose previous incarnations include Joshua,
son of Nun and Jesus of Nazareth lives in disguise somewhere in the Holy
Land. According to new age theology, “The Master Jesus” did not act on his
own behalf when he resided on earth as Jesus of Nazareth, but was then
overshadowed (a type of possession) by the Maitreya, or by the Christ. The
Venetian Master who claims to have been the reincarnation of the painter
Paul Veronese. The Master Mahachohan’s work is to gauge correctly and
counteract if necessary, the conflicting forces in space.                     The
Master Serapis is known for his work with Deva Evolution, and his dwelling
place may not be revealed.

The nine so-called Great Ones who have inspired the cycles of mankind are
so advanced in their thinking and approach, that their teachings supposedly
fall like music on the ears of mankind.

The combined notes of these nine Great Ones create a chord of harmonious
sound in heaven, yet within the aura of the earth for its helping. He who has
learnt to hear this exquisite music has done so by first listening to the note
of his own Master, on the inner planes and during meditation. Aspire towards
Him Whom you feel to be your own Master if you would hear on earth, albeit
faintly at first, that note which shall ultimately harmonize your heart with His.
[ii]

There are also other Ascended Masters significant to the new age. Each one
with a particular message for a particular time period or situation. The
teachings of the New Age are steeped in eastern mysticism and in the occult.
It forms part of the revival of the ancient Babylonian hierarchy where
enchanters, astrologers and mystics would work alongside Chaldean priests
in religious and state matters. When Nebuchadnezzer had his dream he
consulted these “wise men” to seek an interpretation:

Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the
sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came
and stood before the king. Daniel 2:2

This system of pagan hierarchy was not only confined to Babylon, but was
the all pervading system of most pagan cultures. It is appealing to man to
have a religion steeped in mysticism and to have diviners and fortune tellers
revealing the unknown. This deceptive system even crept into the ranks of
the Israelites and this thinking contaminated their own religion. This
prompted the prophet Jeremiah to warn his people:

Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your
dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, which speak unto
you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon. Jeremiah 27:9

      The age of enlightenment in which we live today will yet prove to be an
age of great spiritual darkness. The same systems exist today in modern
cloaks. Governments consult mediums and astrologers and even the most
respected politicians of the day make use of the same list of consultants, as
did the king of Babylon.

      The Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death, and that God had made
it perfectly clear in Eden, that if Adam and Eve were to transgress the law of
God, they would have to suffer the consequences - the consequences being
the forfeiture of immortality. It is the serpent that beguiled Eve to transgress
the law of God by partaking of the forbidden fruit. The tree of the knowledge
of good and evil was a test of obedience to the Edenic pair. There was no
virtue in abstinence from the tree itself. The virtue lay in obedience to God’s
requirements.

      According to the Biblical account, Satan questioned God’s intent with
the placing of the tree of good and evil in the middle of the garden.

Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord
God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said,“Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden”?’ Genesis 3:1

In her answer to the serpent (the serpent being the medium through which
Satan spoke), Eve makes it quite clear that she fully understood what God
had said.

And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of
the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden,
God hath said, 'Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.'
Genesis 3:2,3

Satan counters with the first two lies spoken to mankind, namely: “You shall
not surely die”, and “You will be like God”.

And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: For God doth
know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye
shall be as gods; knowing good and evil.’ Genesis 3:4,5

The twin lies of human immortality and innate divinity have ever been Satan’s
foundation for his counterfeit religion throughout the ages. It is through
these twin lies that Satan can divert the importance of seeking salvation in
Christ from the minds of men. With immortality, we do not need Christ to
regain something we have not lost. With divinity, we become His equal and
capable of saving ourselves. With this masterpiece of Satan, the plan of
salvation becomes futile. The success he achieved in Eden is a success he
has enjoyed throughout the ages, and particularly at the end of time, his
strategy that proved to be so successful in Eden would ensnare the great
majority of men before the great and terrible day of the Lord. The Biblical
account shows us that the very character of Satan was transferred to
mankind.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of
the fruit thereof, and did eat... Genesis 3:6

By desiring to be like God, it is not only the tenth commandment which is
broken, but the first as well. Coveting the position of God and desiring to
place yourself in the place of God will eventually culminate in breaking all the
commandments of God, thus making the law of God null and void. This has
been demonstrated amply in the history of mankind.

      The pure teachings of the Scriptures stood as a bulwark against satanic
delusions, but over time, the great truths have been buried under the rubble
of counterfeit doctrines. The twentieth century, in many ways an age of great
advancement and scientific wonders, is also an age of terrible spiritual
declension. Prophetically we are living in the last days of the final conflict
between the gospel of Jesus Christ and Satan, and the new age movement is
Satan’s master plan to counteract truth.

      The modern new age has its origin in spiritism, and the communication
with spirit beings. As the Bible teaches that the dead are in a state of
unconsciousness (See The Mystic Realm of Death), these spirit beings must
represent demonic forces masquerading as men. Indeed, the Bible teaches
that in the last days, people will be studying the doctrines of devils, and we
should have no dealings with demonic forces.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
1Timothy 4:1

But I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils
and not to God. And I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils; you cannot be
partakers of the Lord’s table and of a table of devils. 1Corinthians 10:20,21

      A more refined form of spiritism tending to combine Christian concepts
is a feature of new age theology, commencing in the mid-19th century. The
founder of the Christian Science movement, Mary Baker Eddy, was one of
the first to teach the immortality of the soul and the innate deity of man. In
her book Science and Health with a Key to the Scripture, the age old
principles of gnosticism, pantheism, Hinduism, and dualism, are once again
mingled with Christian concepts. The twin Satanic lies spoken in Eden are
reiterated in her writings. A few statements from her book should suffice to
demonstrate her position:

Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place nor thing but is simply a belief,
an illusion of material sense.[iii]

Let us remember that harmonious and immortal man has existed for ever.[iv]

Death. An illusion, the lie of life in matter...Any material evidence of death is
false, for it contradicts the spiritual fact of being.[v]

Man and woman as co-existent and eternal with God forever reflect in
glorified equality the infinite Father-Mother God. [vi]

Soul is the divine principle of man, and never sins, hence the immortality of
the soul.[vii]

The Mormons maintain similar concepts. The Mormon Doctrine of Covenants
states:

Ye were also in the beginning with the Father. Man was also in the beginning
with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither
indeed can be.

Brigham Young, the great Mormon leader, reportedly said,

The devil told the truth about godhead. I do not blame mother Eve. I would
not have her miss eating the forbidden fruit for anything. Through the gift of
sin, humanity can achieve godhood.

Modern New Age channels and books reiterate the same concept:

Virginia Essene, a modern channel states that “Jesus” said through her:

Death is the Creation of humanity, not of God. This is the simple truth.

      The forerunner of the new age movement is the Hindu reformation
movement (1830-1870). A central teaching of this movement is Bahti, the
teaching that the divine nature is approached by directed meditational
concentration and visualisation. Hindu gurus fall under the control of a
secret organisation called the Visha Hindu Parishad. Such groups include
Rama Krishna, Vedanta movements, Hare Krishna, ISKON, 3HO, the
Theosophical Society, and many Yoga groups. Their stated aim is to unify all
religions. The history of this apostasy can be traced back to Babylon, and
has been maintained throughout the ages. In the time of Christ, the Essenes
adhered to occultic teachings and later they were initiated into a
brotherhood, called Sufis. Those in charge of these mystical organisations
are known as the Masters of Wisdom. Currently the Great White
Brotherhood, with its headquarters in Tibet is the source to which most
occultic organisations can be traced, including the Order of the Rosy Cross,
Ordo Templi Orientis, The Bavarian Illuminati, and even the Jesuits.
According to a prominent occultist, Elisabeth van Buren, the Great White
Brotherhood is led by Sanat Kumara (‘Sanat’ being a scrambling of the word
‘Satan’).

      Symbols used by the New Age Movement are essentially the same as
those used by the Jesuit Order and Freemasonry, and we can trace their
origin to Babylon and Egypt. Freemasonry uses the acronym “Solomon” and
Solomon’s temple to give legitimacy to their rituals, but the rituals are
essentially the same as found in all pagan secret societies. Sol – om – on are
the names of the solar deity in Latin, Eastern mysticism and ancient Egyptian
mysticism. The “born again” experience of Freemasonry and many other
secret societies and religious bodies cannot be equated with the Biblical
concept of conversion, since they entail rituals such as lying in a coffin and
being raised to a life of enlightenment by a master. Moreover, the temple
rituals are precisely those that God instructed His people not to follow since
they involve the glorification of celestial bodies. Temple terminology,
Mithraism, Eastern Religions, and modern Christianity are all equated in the
New Age and placed in the context of Babylonian mysteries – the new
religion for the New Age. Their own writing illustrate this point:

... the two pillars of Jachin and Boaz... came into being approximately eight
thousand years ago. Then came Taurus, the Bull, wherein Mithra came as the
world Teacher and instituted the Mysteries of Mithras with an (apparent)
worship of the Bull. Next followed Aries the Ram, which saw the start of the
Jewish Dispensation which is of importance to the Jews and unfortunately of
importance to the Christian religion, but of no importance to the untold
millions in the other parts of the world; during this cycle came the Buddha,
Shri Krishna and Sankaracharva; finally we have the age of Pisces the
Fishes, which brought to us the Christ. The sequence of the Mysteries
which each of the signs of the Zodiac embodies will be clarified for us by the
Christ.[viii]

Leading up to the final World Religion, a preparatory work was done by a
number of mystics to pave the way for the acceptance of this mindset. The
modern Theosophy Movement was spread largely through the efforts of
Helen Petrovna Blavatsky, who stayed with Koot Hoomi, one of the Masters,
and was instrumental in introducing the ancient occult ideas into Western
civilization. Blavatsky’s book The Secret Doctrine contains much channeled
material, and the twin lies of Eden are once again reiterated.

      The High Priestess of the modern new age movement is undoubtedly
Alice A. Bailey (1880-1949) who received messages from the Tibetan Master
Djwal Khul, also known as D.K., who was a pupil of Koot Hoomi. Her famous
writings include Problems of Humanity and The Reappearance of Christ.
These writings were to prepare the world for a one-world government, one
world religion, and universal acceptance of the Christ (Satan masquerading
as an angel of light). Djwal Khul claims those associated with him will know
him through the office of Alice A. Bailey. He further claims that:

I am a brother of yours, who has traveled a little longer upon the Path than
has the average student, and has therefore incurred greater responsibilities.
I am one who has wrestled and fought his way into a greater measure of light
than has the aspirant who will read this article, and I must therefore act as a
transmitter of the light, no matter what the cost. I am not an old man, as age
counts among the teachers, yet I am not young and inexperienced. My work
is to teach and spread the knowledge of the Ageless Wisdom wherever I can
find a response, and I have been doing this for many years.[ix]

      The essence of his message was that the new age mystic ideas
camouflaged by the outer symbols of amulets and talismans, as well as such
new age concepts as astrology, numerology, colour work, card reading,
palmistry, pyramid power, natural healing, and eco-consciousness should
eventually infiltrate all religions, and fueled by the acceptance of the twin lies
of immortality and innate godliness, all would eventually come to accept the
false Christ who would lead the world in a millennium of peace.

      Djwal Khul instructed his followers to spread these doctrines through
every conceivable channel, the media, the entertainment world, institutes of
learning, and medicine, and that this should commence after 1975. Secret
societies such as the FreeMasons, Illuminati, and those of religious orders
would infiltrate the economies of the world, and prepare the great religious
movements for unification, with acceptance of the bishop of Rome as the
supreme religious ruler of the 20th century. Information as to how this
should be achieved would be channeled by the Masters through selected
individuals who would keep governments informed and allow for the planning
of strategies. The world is being prepared for the final conflict between
Christ and Satan.

      The great Catholic visionary, Don Bosco, predicted in 1862 that the Pope
would succeed to anchor the “gospel” ship between the twin pillars of the
faith at the end of the twentieth century. The twin pillars he envisaged were
those of the Eucharist and the veneration of Mary. The Eucharist is the
symbol of a defeated Christ (Christ sacrificed again and again) and Mary is
the symbol of the Solar deity or the great female personification of that deity,
Isis, Artemis, Venus, Astarte or whatever one may call her. In New Age
thinking, the goddess concept (the great earth mother) is also very
prominent. New Age proponent and psychologist Ken Wilber writes:

‘The great goddess Kali of India when viewed in her highest form as the wife
of Shiva, is a perfect example of the assimilation of the old Great Mother
image into a new and higher corpus of Great Goddess mythology ... which
serves actual sacrifice in awareness, not substitute sacrifice in blood. The
‘Fall’ was an evolutionary advance and perfect growth, but it was
experienced as a fall because it necessarily carried an increase in guilt,
vulnerability and knowledge of mortality and finitude.   By eating from the
Tree of Knowledge, not only did men and women realize their already mortal
and finite state, they realized they had to leave Eden’s subconscious’s and
begin the actual life of true self. .... They did not get thrown out of the
Garden of Eden; they grew up and walked out. (Incidentally, for this
courageous act, we have to thank Eve, not blame.[x]

In contrast, the Bible has its pillars of faith, which rest on an entirely different
foundation, namely obedience to God and faith in Jesus Christ:

Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Revelation 14:12

One of the first truly public advertisements for the new age was introduced
through the musical Hair, where the lead song introduces the new age
concept through the following words:

When the moon is in the seventh house

And Jupiter aligns with Mars —
Then Peace will guide the planets,

And love will steer the stars,

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius;

Harmony and Understanding,

Sympathy and Trust abounding,

No more falsehood or division,

Golden living, dreams of visions,

Mystical crystal revelation,

And the mind’s true liberation,

Aquarius! Aquarius! Aquarius!

The final battle for supremacy is a battle for the mind, no wonder then that
the entertainment and media world should be a prime target for the
introduction of the New Age philosophy. The great Hollywood entertainers of
the 20th century were to be a prime target, and today we know that Masters
speak through numerous channels (a modern name for a spiritualistic
medium) and have in their clientele the prominent stars of the music and
theatre world, such as Ramtha who speaks through J.Z. Knight to Shirley
Maclaine, Burt Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Richard Chamberlain, the late Joan
Hacket, Shelley Fabares, Mike Farrell, and Linda Evans and many others.
Shirley Maclaine is closely associated with an Indian yoga expert known as
Bikram, who also has in his clientele stars such as Michael Jackson and
Quincy Jones. Actor Richard Gere has commitments to Tibet, and Patrick
Duffy and Tina Turner are committed Buddhists, embracing new age
ideologies.

      It is through these role models, that the minds of the 20th century
generation must be attuned to new age concepts. A further avenue is that of
computer technology. Computer games and software is largely produced by
organizations which further the aims of occultism. The computer game
Hexen, has an occult overtone ridiculing the book of Revelation and having
as heroes precisely that trilogy which is identified as Babylon in the book of
Revelation. Occult games of this nature are a prominent feature of the new
age and the launch of Hexen was even planned for release on Devil’s Night
(Halloween), Oct. 31, 1994.

      The concepts of reincarnation, life after death, and the return of spirits
to this earth are part and parcel of the entertainment world. Deceased stars
are glorified or worshipped as gods (Elvis Presley), and miracles are
attributed to others (Michael Landon). Modern TV shows are rife with after
death experiences, second chance theology, communication with angels,
angels that become men and have relations with women, and the list goes on
and on. The world truly believes the twin lies of Eden.

The western mind was open for eastern mysticism, and from the worship of
the dead to the worship of the living is merely a short step. Eastern gurus
such as Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Ashram are worshipped as "Almighty God",
and shrines are erected in western cities and houses to his honor. The
German nation in particular is very receptive to the worship of Sai Baba. His
message again is “Love your neighbor, peace, and God is in us all.” This is
the false millennial teaching of peace and safety.

      For the intellectuals, the new age theology finds its modern realization in
the writings of Helen Schucman, a psychologist from the psychiatry
department at Columbia University. After first resisting the inaudible voice of
an Ascended Master, she finally consented to writing the great new age book
for the modern mystic - a teacher’s manual as to how to achieve godhood,
and to become like Christ, able to do all things that He could. The work is
known as A Course in Miracles. In her own words, she describes the
experience:

When I was first approached for this task, I had a constant questioning that
demanded, ‘But why me? Why me, when there are so many other good
people available?’ And the answer came, in gentle support, ‘Because you
wish to know the true me, are willing to serve, and have given me permission
to enter your life.’ Over and over again I was told that because this is a free
will planet, all of us must ask to receive the spiritual ones — must agree to
cooperate by our personal choice. [xi]

       The evil hidden in this text is beyond description. Playing to the ego of
man, Satan uses subtle lies to coerce man into cooperation with his
schemes. It is gratifying however, that even Satan knows that man was
created with the freedom of choice, and that by choosing the right side in the
great conflict, he would have no right to control our minds.

      In this channeled work, mankind, through a series of lessons, is initiated
into the cultic mindset. Each lesson commences with a chant, reiterating the
separateness of body and soul. “I am not a body. I am free”. The twin lies of
there being no death and our innate divinity are constantly repeated:

There is no death, because the Son of God is like his Father. Nothing you
can do can change Eternal Love. Forget your dreams of sin and guilt, and
come with me instead to share the resurrection of God’s Son. And bring with
you all those whom He has sent to you to care for as I care for you.[xii]

A further statement is: "I call upon God’s Name and on my own. " Thus
making yourself equal with God

The Name of God is my deliverance

From every thought of evil and of sin.

Because it is my own as well as His. [xiii]

      It is Satan’s strategy to divert the mind from sin and repentance, so that
salvation will become obsolete. The same lies as concealed in the new age
theology, find their entrance in the so-called Christian churches of our day.
After his 1000th telecast of his Hour of Power, Dr. Robert Schuler was
congratulated by Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, C. Scott King (widow of
Martin Luther King), all the living presidents of the US as well as entertainer
Sammy Davis Jr. Dr. Schuler said the following:

I believe the responsibility in this age is to positivise religion. (This does not
have much bearing to you people being unity people, you are positive), but I
speak about groups that are not positive even to what we would call
fundamentalists who deal constantly with words like sin, salvation,
repentance, guilt, and that sort of thing. I’m dealing with these people. What
we need is to positivise the words that have only had a negative connotation.
There is no greater damage that can be done than to refer to the lost sinful
condition of man.

This article was excerpted from the book Truth Matters by Dr. Walter Veith.

REFERENCES:
[i] Through the Eyes of the Masters - Meditations and Portraits, David Anrias

[ii] Ibid.

[iii] Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with a Key to the Scripture, p. 71

[iv] Ibid, p. 302

[v] Ibid, p. 584

[vi] Ibid, p. 516

[vii] Ibid, p. 480

[viii] The Teachings of Christ, p. 127

[ix] Published August 1934, Statement by D.K., Prophecies by D.K.

[x] Ken Wilber Up from Eden

[xi] Helen Shucman, A Course in Miracles

[xii] Ibid.

[xiii] Ibid.

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