Dictionary of all Scriptures & Myths

HEROD THE KING

A symbol of the lower principle as the ruler of the lower nature of the soul. It represents the worldly, sordid side of the lower nature in which Spirit is at its lowest ebb.

"Then Herod when he saw that he was mocked of the wise man was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem." - MATTHEW ii. 16.

The anger of the lower principle when disappointed by the upward trend of the intellectual faculties (wise men) was the expression of the malevolence and ignorance of the animal nature. The seeking to kill out the Christ from the soul is the the lower nature's rebellion, and instinctive fear and hate of what is above itself. The lower principle 'slew the innocents," that is, took measures to destroy growth from the germs of virtues and truths,-the spiritual children now born in the soul.

"Herod (i.e. sin, human pride) is reigning, he is not yet dead, and he rises up and seeks the life of the young child, and slays all the children that were in Bethlehem, 'from two years old and upwards,' that is to say, the Spirit of God had visited by his power the human mind, to bring forth the Good (the children) and at the end of two years' particular visitation the Son was born. But sin (which lay concealed) broke forth as a flood and deluged the soul, so that all life died. All the work that the Spirit had done was now swept away with the flood of error and thoughts; and this is in reality what is meant by Noah's Flood'; all that had life died.'" - JOHN WARD, Zion's Works, Vol. III. p. 5.

Herod,-the grossest element of mortal mind." - MRS. EDDY, Science and Health, p. 565.

"We have seen that there is a natural principle in man lowering him, deadening him, pulling him down by inches to the mere animal plane, blinding reason, searing conscience, paralysing will. This is the active destroying principle, or Sin." - H. DRUMMOND, Natural Law, etc., p. 108.

"Herod is the devil, the world, and the flesh, and the way to him is pleasure and greed. They therefore, who pass from him to Christ, walk by the other way of the cross and mortification; and thus it behoves them to return to their own country, that is, the heavenly paradise."

"Herod is the devil, who strives to cut off 'infants '—that is, those who are weak in faith and virtue, also the first inspirations from God, and good thoughts before they have become strong and increased." - C. À LAPIDE, The Great Commentary, Vol. I. pp. 71, 77.

The following portion of a leading article has evidently been written without a thought that its philosophy interprets the story of the birth and infancy of Jesus-the Divine Idea or Ideal.

"The story of the progress of the human race is the story of the birth of moral ideas, which attain their incarnation and manifestation in human society by one of two means, Evolution or Revolution. Evolution is the natural process. Some fundamental principle of truth, hitherto undiscovered by the human mind, becomes impregnated with the life-force and pushes its way through prejudices and misconceptions, meeting but the normal obstruction which the materialism of the present always offers to the spirit of the future. With gradual quiet growth it emerges into human consciousness, having secured its place; material conditions gradually adapt themselves to its presence, and it becomes part of the social inheritance of humanity. But sometimes the process of birth is different. The divine idea is opposed by perverted human will. Those who hold the sceptre of rule in the world summon all the forces of materialism and all the forces of physical repression to their aid, with the intent to crush the new manifestation. They may seem to succeed for a time. But because there is the germ of indestructible life latent in the idea, it grows under the repression, and one day there comes a world-shaking upheaval. That upheaval is revolution." - Votes for Women, May 16, 1913.

See Also

BETHLEHEM
BIRTH OF KRISHNA
CURETES
DEVIL
DURASROBO
ELIJAH (restorer)
FLOOD
LITTLE CHILDREN
LITTLE ONES
MAGI
PHARISEES
RITES
STAR IN EAST