An anthroposophist named Karl Koenig, an outstanding, humble servant of humanity, taught a course in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1962 in which he brought this progressive series to our attention and showed how it was preparing for the initiation of Lazarus as the Evangelist John. As one more indication of how the Archangel Michael is working in our Age, it was in 1958 that Morton Smith discovered the letter from Clement of Alexandria, part of which is known as the Secret Gospel of Mark. But while promptly tendered to several experts for evaluation, it was not finally made public until 1973. This letter vindicated not only what Steiner had told us half a century before, but also the fine analysis of Koenig based on Steiner’s insights eleven years earlier.

The letter was written to one Theodore who had inquired as to the genuineness of certain passages in a certain edition of the Gospel of Mark. Clement said most were not authentic, but the passage in question was said to be authentic and to belong between verses 34 and 35 of Chapter 10. In accordance with the tradition of the ancient mysteries, however, and in keeping with Christ’s “don’t throw your pearls to the swine” passage (Mt 7,6), Clement admonished Theodore to deny that authenticity even under oath because not all true things are to be disclosed to all people. You need to know that tradition says Mark went to Alexandria and both founded the church there and wrote his Gospel there which, Clement said, he left in the care of the church there “where it even now is very carefully guarded, being read only to those being initiated into the great mysteries.”

Now let’s hear what this passage, found after the “rich, young ruler” passage and immediately before Zebedee John’s request for privilege, says:

The writing is widely recognized as an authentic letter from Clement of Alexandria, and the person it describes is widely recognized as being Lazarus.

But by failing to understand what the “raising of Lazarus” was, theologians fail to see the immeasurable significance of this discovery, pointing to the “rich, young ruler” as Lazarus/John, recognized by all the Evangelists.1 As indicated earlier, this connection was first pointed out, to my knowledge, by Andrew Welburn in his book, The Beginnings of Christianity.