Martinus: Livets Bog, vol. 4, sect. 1432

1432. But since the beings within a flock or a society are not on exactly the same step, the longings for new ideals do not occur simultaneously in these beings. At first the new ideals or longings gradually begin making their presence felt in a few of the most advanced individuals of society. They thus become the pioneers of the new ideals of their society. But since the rest of the individuals of the society have not yet attained the same desires and ideals, but are as yet more or less satisfied with the old ideals, there arises in the "dark zone" of the spiral cycle criticism, indignation, intolerance or persecution of these pioneers of the flock or society. But gradually as the flock or the majority arrive at the desire for and understanding of the new ideals, and thereby begin to understand the pioneers or forerunners of the coming new kingdom, they begin to acclaim or worship these beings or their memory of them. Through myths and legends these beings, previously perhaps crucified or tortured to death by the flock, gradually become "celestial" or "superhuman" beings, "saints" or "gods", whose handed-down words are "sacred" and authoritative. And it is this principle that gave rise to Christ first being crucified by the flock or mob, and later being worshipped by them. They did not yet understand the great ideals, the enormous moral light that God's messenger revealed in the form of his own life and being. But later this same being was acclaimed as a "godhead" by millions upon millions of society's or the flock's beings. Previously "they knew not what they did". They were as yet ruled by the strong ideals of the Law of Moses or the dark, egoistic tendencies towards retribution of the "animal kingdom". But today society as a whole, indeed, the whole of terrestrial humanity comprising millions of people the world over is consciously or unconsciously clamouring for the "new Paradise" or the new "Eden", the "kingdom of heaven" in the form of a "lasting peace" among all nations and individuals.
Now that the entire flock has almost reached the threshold of the "kingdom of heaven", a divine kingdom on the Earth where justice, humaneness or neighbourly love will be the greatest, principal ideal, one begins to praise everything that one believes can stimulate and promote this mental structure and thereby have the effect of stabilising or confirming this "new Paradise" or the next sphere of the spiral: the "real human kingdom".
In the same way that the flock feels antipathy towards pioneers of a "new Paradise", so too does it feel, while in the dark sphere, antipathy towards beings that constitute its stragglers, which means, the beings that have not yet reached the step of the flock and therefore more or less acclaim the ideals of "darkness". In the worst case these beings, are termed "criminals", just as their sphere of existence is expressed as civilisation's "underworld". But also these beings will attain the ideals of the flock and thereby come into harmony with its laws and precepts. As we have seen here, antipathy towards the "manifestations of Paradise" is due only to a kind of birth pangs or the ineptitude of the flock as regards the real structure of life or the world plan. In the "light sphere" of the spiral, the transition between the kingdoms will not be so deadly in nature, for here one has "cosmic consciousness" and thereby understands this structure perfectly.