The Book of the Law, Revelations, and Daniel

The Book of the Law, Revelations, and Daniel

Aleister Crowley Introduction:

Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) was born Alexander Edward “Aleister” Crowley, to parents who were of the Plymouth Brethren, an offshoot of the Church Of England. When Aleister was young, his father would teach him the Bible and also take him along when he had preaching engagements. Crowley’s earliest aspiration in life was to become a Crusader for Christ, like his father. Oddly enough, though, he identified with God’s enemies in the Bible, especially those found in the Book of Revelation. Crowley acknowledged this in The Confessions Of Aleister Crowley, which he wrote in the third person:

“The Christianity in his home was entirely pleasant to him, and yet his sympathies were with the opponents of heaven. He suspects obscurely that this was partly an instinctive love of terrors. The Elders and the harps seemed tame. He preferred the Dragon (Satan), the False Prophet, the Beast and the Scarlet Woman, as being more exciting. He reveled in descriptions of torment. One may suspect, moreover, a strain of congenital masochism. He liked to imagine himself in agony; in particular, he liked to identify himself with the Beast whose number is the number of a man, six hundred and threescore six”.

Crowley sought to achieve the death of Christianity and free men from all restrictions. He wrote:

“I say today: to hell with Christianity, Rationalism, Buddhism, and all the lumber of the centuries. I bring you a positive and primal fact, Magick by name: and with this I will build me a new Heaven and a new Earth. I want none of your faint approval or faint dispraise. I want blasphemy, murder, rape, revolution, anything, bad or good, but strong”.

During his stay in Egypt in 1904, Crowley wrote his most important book, the “bible” of his works, The Book Of The Law. The Book Of The Law contains Crowley’s religious philosophy and teaching, the central tenets being, “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law”, and “Love is the law, love under will.” This basically is a call to exercise one’s "true will" (do what you want to do) in order to find “heaven’s” purpose for your life. It sounds good in some respects, but Crowley claimed it was Aiwass – and later revealed that it was Satan – who gave him the contents of The Book Of The Law and his “Law of Thelema” (“thelema” is Greek for “will”).

(The preceding introduction on Aleister Crowley was taken from the articles “Contemporary Christian Music, The Church Of Rome, And The New World Order” [ http://www.fmh-child.org/FallingStars/CCM.html] and “Musick, Magick, And Mayhem: Led Zeppelin’s Rock n’ Roll Deal With The Devil” [http://www.fmh-child.org/FallingStars/LedZeppelin.html].)

For additional information, watch the following BBC documentary “Masters Of Darkness: Aleister Crowley – The Wickedest Man In The World” on YouTube (7 parts):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czn8uCaPSl4

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The Book of the Law, Revelations, and Daniel

This essay will discuss the true nature of the Book of the Law and its relationship to Daniel and Revelations. I will not be covering the basic concepts of these books. You might want to read the wikipedia entry on The Book of the Law (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_the_Law) before continuing. From here on The Book of the Law will be abbreviated to tBotL.

I will start by throwing out elements of tBotL that are clearly meant to hide its true nature.

1. TBotL has nothing to do with Egyptian mythology. Crowley used the names of Egyptian gods to hide the names that would be easily recognized.
2. TBotL is not about the coming of a new "Aen." It is about the war between Heaven and Hell, and it supports the side of Hell.
3. The violent and disgusting verses of tBotL are exactly what they say. They are not metaphors for internal struggles, or coded kinder themes as the Thelemites try to make them. When Crowley says "With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross." His means quite plainly to desecrate Christ. It's foolish to try to make it something else.
4. Crowley's comments on tBotL are meant to deceive. They should be disregarded.

Next we will address the clearest connection between tBotL, and apocalyptic books of the bible. Revelations and tBotL both refer to the woman dressed in scarlet traveling with the beast. Note in several of quotes in this essay she is admired and hated. It seems that soul of the scarlet woman is part of the struggle.

Revelation 17:4
3Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.
4The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.

TBotL:
15. Now ye shall know that the chosen priest & apostle of infinite space is the prince-priest the Beast; and in his woman called the Scarlet Woman is all power given. They shall gather my children into their fold: they shall bring the glory of the stars into the hearts of men. TBotL:
14. Ye shall see that hour, o blessed Beast, and thou the Scarlet Concubine of his desire!

TBotL:
43. Let the Scarlet Woman beware! If pity and compassion and tenderness visit her heart; if she leave my work to toy with old sweetnesses; then shall my vengeance be known. I will slay me her child: I will alienate her heart: I will cast her out from men: as a shrinking and despised harlot shall she crawl through dusk wet streets, and die cold and an-hungered.

Without getting into interpreting the true nature of the scarlet woman as an entity, city, or the planet it's clear that they are the same in the two texts. Another discussion could be had about Revelations 12, and the above text.

The image of the serpent is also present in tBotL and Revelations.

Revelation 12:9
The great dragon was hurled down-that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

TBotL
18. Burn upon their brows, o splendrous serpent!

TBotL
26. I am the secret Serpent coiled about to spring: in my coiling there is joy. If I lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one. If I droop down mine head, and shoot forth venom, then is rapture of the earth, and I and the earth are one.

Other connections between these texts are not as clear cut. Crowley intentionally muddies the waters and stays away from details that would bring his work under quick scrutiny. Still we can see the relationship between the stories if we remember that we are hearing the story from the side of Satan. For example all three texts address the eating of flesh.

Daniel 7:5
"And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!'

Revelation 17:16
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

TBotL
11. This shall be your only proof. I forbid argument. Conquer! That is enough. I will make easy to you the abstruction from the ill-ordered house in the Victorious City. Thou shalt thyself convey it with worship, o prophet, though thou likest it not. Thou shalt have danger & trouble. Ra-Hoor-Khu is with thee. Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords & with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow to my name. Trample down the Heathen; be upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their flesh to eat!

Sacrifice plays an important role in all three books.

Revelation 2:20
But I have against thee that thou permittest the woman Jezebel, she who calls herself prophetess, and she teaches and leads astray my servants to commit fornication and eat of idol sacrifices.

Daniel 8:12
And a time of trial was appointed unto the continual [sacrifice] by reason of transgression.) And it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised and prospered.

TBotL
12. Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child.

Now let's consider some of the strong messages tBotL issues against the will of God.

The weak and helpless are abandon, and the snake from Eden is praised. The purging of humanity is encouraged.

TBotL
21. We have nothing with the outcast and the unfit: let them die in their misery. For they feel not. Compassion is the vice of kings: stamp down the wretched & the weak: this is the law of the strong: this is our law and the joy of the world. Think not, o king, upon that lie: That Thou Must Die: verily thou shalt not die, but live. Now let it be understood: If the body of the King dissolve, he shall remain in pure ecstasy for ever. Nuit! Hadit! Ra-Hoor-Khuit! The Sun, Strength & Sight, Light; these are for the servants of the Star & the Snake.
22. I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs whereof I will tell my prophet, & be drunk thereof! They shall not harm ye at all. It is a lie, this folly against self. The exposure of innocence is a lie. Be strong, o man! lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear not that any God shall deny thee for this.

Idol worship, and blood sacrifice is encouraged, and the ritual is described in detail.

TBotL
21. Set up my image in the East: thou shalt buy thee an image which I will show thee, especial, not unlike the one thou knowest. And it shall be suddenly easy for thee to do this.
22. The other images group around me to support me: let all be worshipped, for they shall cluster to exalt me. I am the visible object of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast & his Bride are they: and for the winners of the Ordeal x. What is this? Thou shalt know.
23. For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood.
24. The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.

TBotL addresses several other biblical issues that are critical to the Apocalypse. The most important of which is the rebuilding of Solomon's Temple. Revelations seems improbable today because it is unlikely that a New Temple could be built in Jerusalem for political reasons. TBotL however says,

34. But your holy place shall be untouched throughout the centuries: though with fire and sword it be burnt down & shattered, yet an invisible house there standeth, and shall stand until the fall of the Great Equinox; when Hrumachis shall arise and the double-wanded one assume my throne and place. Another prophet shall arise, and bring fresh fever from the skies; another woman shall awakethe lust & worship of the Snake; another soul of God and beast shall mingle in the globed priest; another sacrifice shall stain the tomb; another king shall reign; and blessing no longer be poured To the Hawk-headed mystical Lord!

If the Temple stands invisible no physical temple needs to be constructed. The third temple exists today on the site of the Temple Mount.

The connections I have made here only scratch the surface of these works. As you read through the verse here, I'm sure you can see the relationships even in this small sample. I am well aware of the deeper interpretations of all of these books. However I think it would be foolish to deny the stories are much the same. A great deal more could be said. Numerology plays a big part in tBotL and in Revelations. I've looked at these connections as well, but I'm unqualified to comment on them at this time.

I would like to leave with you my belief that the Book of the Law is a very dangerous piece of literature. I see at least four sections of this book that will be used to rally troops before battle. A time will come when these words will be spread to all tongues. They will be familiar and required.

I also believe that the Book of the Law is incomplete. It is mostly a character introduction. I think this dark work will be added to in the future. A future prophet is called for.

I don't think Crowley even completely understood what he was dealing with. The demon that posessed Crowley insulted him in several verses.

TBotL:
47. This book shall be translated into all tongues: but always with the original in the writing of the Beast; for in the chance shape of the letters and their position to one another: in these are mysteries that no Beast shall divine. Let him not seek to try: but one cometh after him, whence I say not, who shall discover the Key of it all. Then this line drawn is a key: then this circle squared in its failure is a key also. And Abrahadabra. It shall be his child & that strangely. Let him not seek after this; for thereby alone can he fall from it.

Crowley embraced the title of the beast. I don't think he understood the general scope of the term.

(Author chooses to remain anonymous.)