The New Age Religion: Brought to us by the Ascended Masters

Left to Right:
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) - Contacted by the Master Morya in 1851. After years of contact with her spirit masters she helped to found the Theosophical Society in 1875. Published Isis Unveiled in 1877, established Lucifer, an occult magazine, in London in 1887, and then published The Secret Doctrine in 1888.

Alice Ann Bailey (1880-1949) - Contacted by the Master Koot Humi in 1895. In 1917 she became acquainted with students of Blavatsky and then joined the Theosophical Society. In 1919 the Master Djwhal Khul contacted her and asked for her assistance in taking some dictation. At first she refused out of fear, but then later accepted upon instruction from the Master Koot Humi. The Master Djwhal Khul then wrote eighteen books through Bailey from 1922-1960. She founded the hugely influential Lucis Trust in 1922.

Benjamin Creme (born in 1922) - From a young age he was a student of the works of Blavatsky and Bailey, (and other occultists). First contacted by The Master (full name undisclosed) in 1959. The Master informed him that he would play a major role in the reappearance of Maitreya the Christ. Formed Share International Foundation in 1975. Since then he has been travelling the globe, speaking and lecturing in preparation for The Christ, and he claims to be in direct telepathic contact with both The Master and Maitreya.

Maitreya the World Teacher (a.k.a. The Christ) - As he allegedly appeared in Kenya in 1988. Creme claims that Maitreya created and inhabited a human body in 1977, and privately entered society taking up residence in London. Since then he is alleged to have privately appeared to thousands of individuals, performing miracles and wonders and convincing many of the truth of his mission. (Wayne S. Peterson is one influential casualty, as is Mikhail Gorbachev.)

Benjamin Creme's theology is directly founded on the teachings that were published by Helena P. Blavatsky (HPB) and Alice A. Bailey (AAB) as dictated to them from various Ascended Masters. Through a closer examination of their beliefs it can be shown that the so-called "Ascended Masters" who developed their twisted theology are in fact the Fallen Angels of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

According to AAB, the Hierarchy of Ascended Masters who are responsible for humanity's evolution are led by a trinity of Supreme Beings. This trinity is explained in the following chart, taken from AAB's The Destiny of Nations, p.23

I.    SHAMBALLA    Will or Power    Planetary head centre,
    The Holy City    Purpose . . Plan     spiritual pineal gland.
                    Life Aspect.
                Ruler:- Sanat Kumara, the Lord of the World.
                    The Ancient of Days.
                    Melchizedek.

II.    THE HIERARCHY    Love-Wisdom     Planetary heart centre.
    The new Jerusalem    Consciousness.
                   Group Unity.
                Ruler:- The Christ.
                    The World Saviour.

III.    HUMANITY    Active Intelligence     Planetary throat centre.
    The city, standing foursquare    Self-Consciousness.
                    Creativity.
                Ruler:- Lucifer.
                    Son of the Morning.
                    The Prodigal Son.

AAB's trinity includes Sanat Kumara, The Christ (Maitreya), and Lucifer. And, although they are represented in the chart as distinct individuals, their characteristics, as given by AAB, overlap to the point where they are almost indistinguishable from one another.

AAB refers to Sanat Kumara as the head of the Hierarchy, the Creator (although not the ultimate creator), the Eternal Youth, the Heavenly Man, and most often as The Lord of the World. Supposedly he "descended" to the earth about 18 million years ago, and "sacrificed" himself to humanity, to help guide us to divinity.

The Bible describes how Satan was thrown out of heaven and came down to earth. In Genesis the serpent convinced Eve to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, promising that she would become as God. Through this successful corrupting of humanity Lucifer thereby became the possessor of man and earth. When Jesus began His earthly ministry He spent forty days in the wilderness, and Satan came and offered Him the kingdoms of the world: "All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for this is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine," (Luke 4:6-7). Satan was not making a bogus proposal, for all the kingdoms of the world had indeed been "delivered unto him," and mankind with it. Jesus later referred to Satan as "the prince of this world" in John 12:31 and 14:30, and Paul referred to him as "the god of this world" in 2 Corinthians 4, also describing the hierarchy of fallen angels as "the rulers," "the authorities" and "the powers of this dark world" (Ephesians 6:12).

When AAB describes Sanat Kumara as The Lord of the World, she is merely referring to a cleverly repackaged Satan, the evil being in control of the earth, the Adversary of God and man, who is constantly scheming and manipulating to keep us from the saving knowledge of the one true God and of our Messiah, our way out of this mess.

The Christ, the second person in this unholy trinity, is also referred to as Maitreya, the World Teacher. AAB writes that at the beginning of each new age of human evolution The Christ takes up human form and comes to guide humanity during the transition period. The Bible teaches that mankind will in fact enjoy something of a transition into a new age, but it will not be a result of blind evolution. Rather, it will be a transition that will take place because of God's love and grace to those who have come to find Him. AAB's Christ is one that she claims is expected by all religions, known as Krishna, Maitreya Buddha, the Imam Mahdi, the Messiah and the Christ, etc. It is true that many faiths predict a coming figure who will lead humanity, but only Christianity and Judaism predict a great deceiver to come upon the earth first, prior to the real New Age of the genuine leader. The career of this Deceiver will be a final attempt by the Lord of the World to keep men from the true knowledge of their Creator. As the table below demonstrates, Maitreya the Christ does indeed fit the predictions of this future deceiver: The Anti-Christ.

Lucifer is the final member of AAB's occult trinity. She writes, "Symbolically speaking, some of the sons of God fell from their high estate, led, at one time, by "Lucifer, Son of the Morning". This "fall of the angels" was a tremendous event in the history of our planet, but was nevertheless only a passing and interesting phenomenon in the history of the solar system, and a trifling incident in the affairs of the seven constellations, of which our solar system is but one. Pause and consider this statement for a moment, and so readjust your sense of values." (Esoteric Psychology, vol.1, pp394-395).

HPB writes that "Lucifer is the LOGOS in his highest, and the "Adversary" in his lowest aspect - both of which are reflected in our Ego," (The Secret Doctrine II, p.162). She then writes that "Satan is the god of our planet, and the only god," (p.234). She sums up on page 513 by writing, "Lucifer is divine and terrestrial light, the "Holy Ghost" and "Satan," at one and the same time... And now it stands proven that Satan, or the Red Fiery Dragon... and Lucifer, or "Light-Bearer," is in us: it is our Mind -- our tempter and Redeemer, our intelligent liberator and Saviour..."

Please consider the words of Paul, his prediction of the future Antichrist and the power behind him.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

Beneath the trinity at the head of the Hierarchy of Ascended Masters AAB places the Devas or angels. These are subdivided into greater and lesser Builders. She refers to the greater Builders as the Solar Pitris, Agnishvattas and Fire Devas, and also as Solar Angels or Solar Gods. On p.950 of A Treatise On Cosmic Fire Bailey writes, "As the solar Gods descend ever nearer to the physical plane... the thoughts and desires of men are consequently purified and refined." Bailey footnotes "Solar Gods" here by quoting from Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine, saying, "The Solar Gods are the Fallen Angels... They are the Serpents of Wisdom" and "Their nature is Knowledge and Love."

Curiously, the unholy trinity of Blavatsky and Bailey, according to their own writings, is not the ultimate expression of God. Their trinity is only concerned with this planet, so Blavatsky writes in one passage that Satan is our only god, yet elsewhere she puts him in his place relative to the universe. The ultimate force is referred to by Bailey as "The Unknown," or "The One About Whom Naught May Be Said," This is her impersonal pantheistic god-force that is creation, it is her divine force of which she says we all have a spark. On p.293 of A Treatise On Cosmic Fire Bailey offers a chart that shows The Unknown presiding over seven Cosmic Logos, and each Cosmic Logos presiding over seven Solar Logos, and each Solar Logos presiding over seven Heavenly Men. As explained earlier, Sanat Kumara is described by Bailey as a Heavenly Man. He is Satan or Lucifer: The Lord of the World. He is far from the top of Bailey's confusing universal hierarchy, but according to her he is the "only god" as far as humanity is concerned.

And now to AAB's and HPB's view of the God of Israel, the true Biblical Creator of the Universe. Blavatsky referred to the "God of Abram, Isaac and Jacob" as a "spiteful and revengeful" deity. (S.D. I, p.439 footnote). Elsewhere she describes Him as the true creator of mankind, but states that after Lucifer offered the knowledge of good and evil to humanity, (a previously "soulless, ignorant monster") our Creator became filled with rage, envy and animosity towards His creation. HPB writes, "In this case it is but natural... to view Satan, the Serpent of Genesis, as the real creator and benefactor, the Father of Spiritual mankind. For it is he who was the "Harbinger of Light," bright radiant Lucifer, who opened the eyes of the automaton created by Jehovah, as alleged; (Lucifer) can only be regarded in the light of a Saviour. An "adversary" to Jehovah the "personating spirit," he still remains in esoteric truth the ever-loving "Messenger"..." (S.D. II, pp.243-244).

HPB describes Lucifer, or Satan the Adversary, as the Saviour, the ever-loving Messenger, but Jesus described him in totally opposite terms saying, "He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies," (Luke 8:44).

Jesus: The Master Jesus is considered by Blavatsky and Bailey to be an individual who is separate from Maitreya the Christ. He is simply another Ascended Master just like Krishna, Buddha, Mohamed, etc. However, the story of this Master, as told by AAB is rather peculiar. She writes that He was indeed the man who was crucified and then resurrected, but that He was able to do this only because He was overshadowed by Maitreya the Christ. New Age theology is predicated on a regimented series of degrees, or levels, of spiritual evolution. According to Bailey Jesus achieved the 5th degree at His resurrection, but He was then demoted back down to the 4th degree! In His next incarnation as Appollonius of Tyana He finally re-established His 5th degree status.

Presently, according to Benjamin Creme, the Master Jesus is waiting in Rome to take control of the Roman Catholic Church and to lead Christianity to accept Maitreya the Christ. The Master Jesus is the only known Master to have been demoted, and He is also the only known Master whose ministry is tinged with negativity, because He is described by Bailey as a man whose followers are distinguished by their "fanaticism and devotion," (Initiation, Human and Solar, p.56). Elsewhere Bailey describes fanaticism as a trait that is characteristic of "small minds" and of those who are "beginners on The Path," (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p.20).

She also predicts that the future ideological battle will see those who are on the side of the New Age faced against the "fanatics" of Christianity, "Years ago I said that the war which may follow this one would be waged in the field of the world religions. Such a war will not work out, however, in a similar period of extreme carnage and blood; it will be fought largely with mental weapons and in the world of thought; it will involve also the emotional realm, from the standpoint of idealistic fanaticism. This inherent fanaticism (found ever in reactionary groups) will fight against the appearance of the coming world religion and the spread of esotericism. For this struggle certain of the well-organised churches, through their conservative elements (their most powerful elements), are already girding themselves. Those sensitive to the new spiritual impacts are still far from powerful; that which is new always faces the supreme difficulty of superseding and overcoming that which is old and established. Fanaticism, entrenched theological positions, and materialistic selfishness are to be found actively organised in the churches in all continents and of all denominations," (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p.453).

Predictions of the Emergence of Maitreya - from New Age sources.	Biblical Predictions of the Antichrist - as understood by the majority of Evangelicals.

Maitreya to appear at a time when catastrophic events are overtaking the earth. "This 'end of an age' inevitably produces a certain number of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and we are seeing a dramatic climax in the number of disasters taking place around the world... Maitreya says: 'The last time I came, as Jesus, it was written in the Bible that when I appeared again the very elements of nature would be disturbed.' " "...After the disasters have peaked there will come a period of calm -the violence and destruction will come to an end. As people gain awareness, their guilt will recede..." Maitreya's Mission, Volume Two, Benjamin Creme, Share International Foundation, 1993, pp186-187	The Antichrist to appear at a time when catastrophic events are overtaking the earth. The Biblical "Day of the Lord" begins with a Polar Shift of the earth. This period of judgment will include earthquakes, meteor impacts, (one large one in Rev. 8:8), major famines and plagues, intense heat from the sun, and many other catastrophic events.

Maitreya to appear in connection with a major shift in the world's economy. "When the US's "oasis of prosperity" begins to dry up, as it must in the current global financial crisis, stock markets in the West will plunge. This collapse will provide an opportunity for governments to re-evaluate their economic priorities, says futurist Benjamin Creme. The nations of the world will meet together to discuss how to cope with the future in an orderly fashion." from the Share International website at- http://www.shareintl.org/maitreya/Ma_prior.htm Also see Maitreya's Mission, Volume Two, by Benjamin Creme, Share International Foundation, 1993, pp. 8, 118-119, 137	The global economy will be immediately affected by the preliminary events of Revelation (especially the polar shift). End-times Babylon (the world's superpower) will cease to function as the world's economic center (Rev.18). The Antichrist will replace free-market capitalism with a single economic system connected with the Mark of the Beast, (Revelation 13), allowing no one to buy or sell without the mandatory Mark.

Maitreya is predicted to establish a New World Religion, (despite the fact that Benjamin Creme often denies that Maitreya is here for that purpose). 1. ... and in celebration of this event, Pentecost will become one of the major festivals of the new world religion which the Christ will eventually inaugurate. Our response to his call will ... 2. ... the new science will demonstrate man's divinity and will lead to the establishment of the New World Religion. The ancient schism between religion and science will be healed and a new impulse ... 3. ... between what you wrote in Maitreya’s Mission, Vol. I. — that Maitreya had come to found the New World Religion and to inspire a change in the world’s political/economic structures, and yet ... 4. ... as members of the Church Universal, and they are building the spiritual nucleus of the coming New World Religion, which will finally encompass the peoples of the whole world into a single ... 5. ... A comparison of all religions shows their common elements. "Eventually a new world religion will be inaugurated which will be a fusion and synthesis of the approaches of East and West. The ... (from a Share International SEARCH page)	The Antichrist will establish a single, mandatory religious system. Revelation 13:8. "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (Antichrist), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." 13:15, "as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

Maitreya will be aided by the Master Jesus, who is predicted to soon take control of the Roman Catholic Church and lead Christianity to accept Maitreya as the Christ returned. "The disciple Jesus, who is now the Master Jesus, was born in Palestine as a third degree initiate. The five major Initiations which take one to Liberation have their symbolic enactment in the life of Jesus. That is what the Gospel story is really about. It is a very ancient story and has been presented to mankind again and again, in different forms, long before the time of Jesus. He was, and still is, a disciple of the Christ and made the great sacrifice of giving up his body for the use of the Christ. By the occult process of overshadowing, the Christ, Maitreya, took over and worked through the body of Jesus from the Baptism onwards. In his next incarnation, as Apollonius of Tyana, Jesus became a Master. He lives now in a Syrian body which is some 600 years old, and has his base in Rome. He has, in the last 2,000 years, worked in the closest relation to the Christ, saving his time and energy where possible, and has special work to do with the Christian Churches. He is one of the Masters who will very shortly return to outer work in the world, taking over the throne of St Peter, in Rome. He will seek to transform the Christian Churches, in so far as they are flexible enough to respond correctly to the new reality which the return of the Christ and the Masters will create. I am afraid that the Churches have gone very far away from the religion which the Christ inaugurated; which is to do with sharing, with love, with brotherhood and right relationship. But this monolithic institution has grown up in the name of that simple man and transformed his simple teaching into ... well, you know what it has taught." From here, also see the article at http://www.redmoonrising.com/contFP.htm for more information.	The Antichrist will be aided by the False Prophet, a spiritual leader, possibly to come from Rome, who will lead the world to worship the Antichrist. The False Prophet is first described in Revelation 13:11-12, "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast (Antichrist)..." The second beast is referred to as the False Prophet in Rev.16:13 and 19:20. Revelation 13:14 describes how the False Prophet sets up the Abomination of Desolation (the image of the Antichrist). Daniel 9:27 describes how a future "prince" will set up the Abomination of Desolation. This "prince" will come from Rome (Daniel 9:26), therefore the False Prophet will come from Rome. This interpretation is only this author's opinion, while the majority of scholars maintain that Daniel 9:27 describes a Roman Antichrist (rather than the False Prophet).

Maitreya will play an important role in achieving peace in the Middle East. "...politically, the next problem [for Maitreya] is to solve the situation in the Middle East, solve the Arab-Israeli problem." from The Reappearance of the Christ..., p 187 "There can't be true peace in the world until 'the Middle East' question is settled. . . . So deep are the feelings aroused in both sides, so entrenched are the positions which each adopt, that I believe Maitreya alone has the spiritual authority to point to the solution and achieve its implementation." Maitreya's Mission, Volume 1, page 128 "I believe the Israelis will procrastinate endlessly and that it may well take the emergence of Maitreya to bring about reconciliation." Maitreya's Mission, Volume 2, page 100	The Antichrist will be instrumental in confirming a covenant with Israel that will bring peace and allow the Temple to be rebuilt. Daniel 9:27, "He will confirm a covenant with many for one `seven.' In the middle of the `seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing [of the temple] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. " Some interpret the above text as applying to the Antichrist, while this author applies it to the False Prophet (see the article linked above). In either case, it is ultimately the authority of the Antichrist that brings about the final seven year covenant of the earth's rebellious history, as the False Prophet is merely a lackey for the Antichrist.

Bible-believers will reject Maitreya based on misunderstood scriptural warnings. "There are many fundamentalists - Christian and others - who see my information as a travesty of the truth, and who will reject Maitreya in the first place, but not for ever. It may be that Christians will accept the Master Jesus before they accept Maitreya, but it could well be that they will not even accept the Master Jesus. The name is right, but He does not have holes in His hands and feet any more." "For a time, it may well be that very orthodox Christians - in particular Fundamentalists - will reject both Maitreya and the Master Jesus, now in Rome. He has not come 'on a cloud at the end of the world' as they expect, nor does He have holes in His hands and feet. But gradually, many Christians will find it easier to accept the Master Jesus as the returned Christ (at least the name is the same) rather than Maitreya, and the Master Jesus is in charge of the Christian Church worldwide. Eventually, however, I believe that most people, Christian and otherwise, will accept that Maitreya is indeed the Christ, Messiah, Krishna - World Teacher for all." "A great polarisation will take place in humanity, between those who are ready to go forward with the Christ, into the future, on the only rational basis of sharing and co-operation for the good of all, creating right relationships; and those who are holding on to the old separatist ways, who are ready (though they wouldn’t see it in these terms, it would be the inevitable result) to plunge the world into chaos, and war..." [notice how "chaos and war" will likely be blamed on those who reject Maitreya, once the end-times events begin to take place] From here. Read another at http://www.shareintl.org/archives/economics/ec_mas-coping.htm Also read a sinister message from "The Master" \n\nAre you sure you want to open the page http://www.shareintl.org/archives/M's_emergence/mem_mas-reception.htm?\n\n(To alter dial protection settings open Options\|options in WebStripper)')) {href='http://www.shareintl.org/archives/M\'s_emergence/mem_mas-reception.htm'}else{href='javascript:void(0)'}" href="http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/Dial%20Protected" webstripperwas="http://www.shareintl.org/archives/M's_emergence/mem_mas-reception.htm"> here that speaks of misinterpreted "scriptural warnings."	Bible-believers will reject the Antichrist based on simple scriptural warnings that are almost impossible to misunderstand. The prophet Daniel, Jesus, Paul and the book of Revelation are all crystal clear that this age will not end until the Antichrist has had his reign over the entire earth. The Bible is also crystal clear that the real Messiah, or Christ, will appear after the Antichrist, and on the clouds of heaven in plain site of all men. Zechariah 12:10, "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son." Revelation 1:7, "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen." Matthew 24:30, "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." Christian expectations are not based on radical interpretations, rather, they are based on simple beliefs. We believe in a future Antichrist and a literal Second Coming simply because that is what Jesus and our Scriptures have always clearly predicted. The perseverance of Bible-believing Christians and their subsequent persecution by the Antichrist is described in many texts including, Daniel 7:25, 11:32-35, 12:10, Matthew 24:9-13, Revelation 12:17 13:7-10, 14:12-13, etc, etc.
Maitreya displays a strong dislike for the USA and especially for the American-dominated capitalist system. "America is the foremost expression of economic totalitarianism, based on the blind following of market forces, that is imposing its will throughout the world; even the Soviet Union is adopting a market-forces economy. Maitreya calls market forces 'the forces of evil.' Any government which bases its policies on the blind following of market forces, He says, is leading its people to destruction. That is what is happening now." see http://www.shareintl.org/archives/political/faq_political-issues.htm on this page Creme also predicts the demise of "religious totalitarianism" (fundamentalism) and he describes Karl Marx as a disciple of the Master Jesus. "Maitreya calls commercialization more dangerous to the world than an atomic bomb. It is killing life at its source, which is human. It is based on competition and greed. Greed and competition are at the basis of the commercial and social life of America, and therefore, through its influence, of a huge section of the world." from http://www.shareintl.org/archives/cooperation/faq_cooperation.htm Much of the criticism that Creme levels at the United States is valid, and this writer does not seek to defend our corporate-dominated and oppressive foreign policies, rather, the intent is simply to demonstrate Creme's deep-seated resentment of America's status as the lone global superpower.	End-times Babylon, the world's last independent superpower, will be attacked by the Antichrist and the ten kings who give him his power. Revelation 17:16-17, "The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute (Babylon). They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled."

Parallels between Jesus Christ and the Antichrist
The career of the Great Deceiver mimics the life of the Son of God.

The Antichrist	Jesus Christ
The Unholy Trinity: Alice Bailey taught of a trinity composed of Sanat Kumara, Maitreya the Christ, and Lucifer. However, the book of Revelation gives them as Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet.	The Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Son of Satan: Paul refers to the Antichrist as "the son of perdition," (2Thess.2:3). "Perdition" is from a Greek word meaning "destruction." Most scholars believe that *the Antichrist will come from the union of a human female and Satan himself.* Alice Bailey's theology places Sanat Kumara as presiding over the Shamballa energy, which she describes as a destructive force (Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p.89). She goes on to describe Nazism as an aspect of the Shamballa force (p.127).	Son of God: The human form of Jesus Christ was literally created through the Virgin Mary by God the Father.
The Antichrist will be given power over the earth for three and a half years: "He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever." (Daniel 7:25-26) "The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation." (Revelation 13:5-7)	The active ministry of Jesus Christ lasted for three and a half years: Tradition has it that Jesus was baptised in the Fall season, and the Gospels describe Jesus then attending three Passover festivals (in the Spring). The third was marked by His crucifixion.
The Antichrist will very likely be resurrected from the dead: "One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast." (Revelation 13:3) "The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth... will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come." (Revelation 17:8) The Antichrist will be alive, then dead with his soul going to hell (the Abyss), then alive again. The world will be astonished. When he comes out of the Abyss he will kill the Two Witnesses (11:7) and have the Abomination of Desolation erected in the rebuilt Jewish Temple. It will be... "an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived," (13:14).	Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.
The public appearance of Maitreya is being preceded by Benjamin Creme, whose mission is to prepare the world to receive and accept Maitreya as the Christ returned: The Tara Center is a New Age organization that works with Benjamin Creme and aggresively promotes the New Age Religion. They have produced a video documentary on Benjamin Creme, and his predictions regarding Maitreya, which begins with the following words, "For over twenty years, a man whom some call 'a modern day John the Baptist' has been traveling the globe, telling audiences that the Second Coming of Christ will not be a celestial spectacle in a distant future, but is instead a real event, unfolding since 1977 behind the scenes of everyday life, and signifying the reappearance of a great spiritual teacher for all people..." *Jesus Christ Himself made it clear that He would be preceded by an imposter, and that His real* Second Coming would indeed be a "celestial spectacle." (Read Matthew 24.)**	The public ministry of Jesus Christ was preceded by John the Baptist, whose mission was to prepare the nation of Israel to receive Him.

*Creme claims that Maitreya has entered society in a self-created body. However, the Bible gives the impression that the Antichrist will come from a union of Satan and a human female, to be born and grow to adulthood as any other human being.

*Creme claims that Maitreya is an Ascended Master, a perfected being who will appear on the scene out of nowhere and take advantage of a pre-existent global power structure that will immediately give him support. Biblically, it is possible that the Antichrist may seem to appear out of nowhere and may masquerade as an "Ascended Master," however, this scholar is under the impression that the Antichrist could just as well be an individual born to an influential family, who will gain power and prestige in a normal way, but whose identity will remain relatively unknown until he begins his blatant public attempts to achieve global dominance.

*Creme claims that Maitreya will make his public appearance through an occult Day of Declaration, when he will telepathically overshadow every human being on the earth, and put forth his plan for humanity calling us to his service. Biblically there is only one moment in time when the Antichrist may actually do this. This earth and every human being on it is the legal property of Satan, everyone except the individuals who have declared their allegiance to God and received His divine "seal of ownership" through acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. ( "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." 2Cor.1:21-22. There will be a future time when Jesus Christ takes every one of His faithful followers to heaven in a miraculous Rapture, snatching His people off of the surface of the earth. In the moments after this event every single person left on earth will be the legal property of Satan, and the Antichrist could conceivably fulfill the prediction that Creme has made concerning Maitreya's Day of Declaration. Prior to the Rapture Satan has no way of violating God's "seal of ownership" and intruding into the minds of those who follow Him. He could not telepathically reach out to every single individual on earth until the moments immediately following the Rapture.

*Creme claims that when Maitreya appears he will be known by a different, as yet ungiven name. Perhaps the nature of Maitreya's emergence will be in a manner that is completely unexpected, and perhaps the identity of the Antichrist will surprise everyone.

*Creme claims that Maitreya descended from the Himalayas in 1977 and then flew to London on a 747, thus returning to human society "on the clouds of heaven," fulfilling Matthew 24:29. Of course it is possible that the Antichrist may have flown from Asia to London in 1977, but this trip would not in any way have fulfilled the prophecy regarding the visible Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

"The New Age Movement, the Humanist Religion, and the Communists have made a god out of man; they have deified mankind. The new morality for a man-god is whatever he decides it is, and that is what the New Age-Humanists-Communists have done. Their new morality is called Situation Ethics."

SOURCE: The New World Order, pg. 217, by Ralph A. Epperson; 1990; ISBN: 0-9614135-1-4; publisher: PUBLIUS PRESS, Tucson, Arizona.