The Archetype of the Apocalypse

A persistent daemon

It’s probably worthwhile to briefly review the definitions of an archetype according to Jungian psychology. Foremost, an archetype is a dynamic psychic pattern and organizing principle. In the above painting, the angel and the saint are archetypes. As innate patterns in a picture, we experience angel and saint as object.

Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious also boast overpowering influence. This dynamic attribute is often overlooked and underappreciated. An archetype is a living, psychic organism inhabiting simultaneously both the collective psyche of humankind and one’s own personal psyche. We may further assert that since archetypes can assert intentionality, they themselves are consequently conscious.

Let’s now experience the angel and saint as subject:

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Rev 8:7)

Although the above banner art is misidentified by online search engines, it clearly depicts one of the seven angels with seven trumpets of Revelation, Chapters 8-10 - probably the first angel. As an interesting aside, Revelation’s third angel witnesses a Great Star falling from the sky that affects a third of the rivers, etc. And the name of the star is Wormwood. Wormwood in Ukrainian (полынь) means bitter and has been translated as Chernobyl. Therefore, the Great Star can be interpreted as a metaphor for nuclear energy.

Around the beginning of the Christian era, the Archetype of the Apocalypse (the word apocalypse means revelation in Greek) was most certainly constellated in a forceful manner. (An archetype in one’s personal psyche becomes active, whereas in the collective psyche it is said to constellate.)

We know that nascent Christianity and the years preceding the birth of Christ saw an upsurge in the volume of new apocalyptic literature, most notably the writings of the Essene¹ sect, of which both Jesus and John the Baptist are presumed members. The Essene Community’s literature prophesied the coming of a catastrophic war between the Sons of Light (themselves) and the Sons of Darkness, as explicated in the New Testament.

As we close the curtain on 2,000+ years of Piscean Era Christianity, this same archetype is once again powerfully constellating. We can point to numerous examples in both the individual and the collective. The Branch Davidians of Waco, Texas, immediately come to mind. Their leader, David Koresh, likely was wholly possessed by this archetype.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.” ~ Nietzsche

Today we witness the manifestation, and to various degrees the possession, of the Archetype of the Apocalypse in the breakdown of social structures, the rejection of Divine reality and collapse of religion.

We witness it in the formation of death cults such as Climate Emergency disciples and in the growing contagion of willful blindness to totalitarianism, the erotic dream of egomaniacal demagogues and petty tyrants possessed by the Dark Ruler Archetype. The list includes Joe Biden, Klaus Schwab, George Soros, Bill Gates, Justin Trudeau, Xi Jinping and others.

While activation of the Archetype of the Apocalypse in the psyches of world leaders certainly portends world-shattering events and large-scale creative destruction, on a more positive note it prefigures “the coming of the Self into conscious realization,” according to the late Jungian scholar Edward Edinger.

It can represent “activation of the archetype of the Self - the central archetype of meaning - that is bringing with it some new worldview, a new God-image, and a new relationship to the Divine plus a new stage of psychological maturation for the whole earth.”²

The Archetype of the Apocalypse’s intention to evolve humanity’s consciousness and propound a “new God-image,” evinces sacramental qualities in that it manifests an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. So, there is a new tomorrow. 

This spiritual grace, a bountiful basket of gifts, bestows upon us “eyes to see,” thereby allowing us to renounce the hive-mind matrix and its weak-willed supplicants who prefer narcissistic ego to humility and self-awareness. Those of us who have elected to thrive and survive outside the dark matrix of blissful ignorance are alluded to in the Book of Revelation as “a saving remnant.”

Scripture consistently teaches that God has always had a remnant people. As the enemy of God has attempted to destroy God’s servants, the Lord has always preserved a group of faithful followers through whom he continues to fulfill His salvific design for humanity. This remnant has played a significant role in the cosmic conflict, and its very existence indicates that God is still directly involved in the conflict on behalf of His servants.

While we try not to anthropomorphize God, we believe that the Divine Nature is transcendent to and immanent within the human psyche. However, in the final analysis we believe it makes little difference how someone conceptualizes the Divine, or chooses to (or not to) identify with any particular religion, only that we should “in all places and at all times” sublimate personal ego to a living, transcendent spiritual essence, however we may define that essence.

Rational Spirituality’s conceptualization of God as the supreme spiritual authority is far greater than any individual ego. “It is he who has made us and not we ourselves.” (Ps 100)

Armageddon, by Chris Rahn

Apocalypse and Armageddon denote two separate events; the first is personal and metaphysical, as we have described, and the second is external and physical.

In spiritual eschatology, Armageddon, which is the external and physical event, symbolizes the final battle when Good triumphs over Evil. A “saving remnant,” often referred to as “the elect,” inspired and guided by the Divine, will create the coming age from the carnage of the old.

On the other hand, in secular eschatology, as taught by Karl Marx, only a violent, chaotic, worldwide revolution by an oppressed proletariat led by a vanguard of secular “saints” can usher in a new age.

These contrasting worldviews, one spiritual and the other material, cast light on the spiritual battle being waged on the world stage.

The Saving Remnant wear the blessed “breastplates of righteousness.” Their adversary conjures up an angry, ego-dependent affliction, symbolized by the Dark Triad Archetype, that seeks to impose commonly held and often absurd opinions, values and beliefs on everyone else.

Change is always stressful. The epochal paradigm shift, characteristic of the changes we now face, poses challenges that no one alive today has ever endured. In fact, change of this magnitude, as we noted earlier, last occurred over 2,000 years ago. Our Substack, Rational Spirituality, was created in part to help us make sense during the turmoil of transition as we extract order from chaos.

Marc Chagall, The Blue Landscape

1. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness (Britannica)

2. What is the Archetype of the Apocalypse all about?