• 3 This "signature mark" indicates the third leaf of a gathering in the printed book.

Preliminary Report concerning the Figure.

2. and 3. enclosed / are separated from the uppermost-brightly-shining Circle / so that it does not touch it / which already indicates, alongside what follows, the divided or separated property of fallen Human Nature / namely the reality of malice / as seen in Cain, the second human / who set himself above the third, his brother Abel, out of pride / ambition and envy / and murdered him / thus this generation took possession of the world through the sword of vengeance / and through all ages has become increasingly more fruitful in the curse upon earth.

But that the rays of the uppermost Circle still penetrate this / indicates the embodied Word of Grace in the covenant of the promise of the Crusher of the Serpent original: "Schlangen-tretter"; a reference to the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, interpreted here as the coming of Christ. / as the holy and pious mind of Abel / and all succeeding holy Patriarchs original: "Erzt-vätter"; literally "Arch-fathers." / teachers and prophets.

The Eye in the center-point of the clockwork and the pointer in the fiery triangle, enclosed by a three-fold watery triangle / and surrounded by a shine of light / indicates the Eye of GOD / and also the eye of man in the Holy Ternary original: "Ternario Sancto"; refers to the three-fold manifestation of God within the created order. / through which GOD sees / and man reveals the mysteries of GOD and His will according to the form of this time / how close the time has run to its end / and herewith the seventh trumpet is blown / so that the mystery of the Kingdom of GOD shall be completed and made manifest / when Babel is swallowed up by the fiery sword of the Turba original: "Turbæ"; in Böhmean theosophy, the "Turba" is the spirit of wrath, or the awakening of the dark principle that destroys vanity and false systems (Babel). / and all the curse of vanity is consumed.

The Alphabet around the inside / designates the revealed Language of Nature original: "Natur-Sprache"; the mystical idea that names should perfectly express the inner essence of things, a language lost after the Fall or the Tower of Babel. / concerning which the wonders of GOD are sufficiently discussed in the Great Mystery original: "Mysterio Magno"; a reference to one of Jacob Böhme's major works, an exposition on Genesis. and other indicated places / which is not necessary to elaborate here.

And just as this first [figure] is touched upon here only in the briefest manner / so we wish to similarly point out the actual interpretations in the following special figures of each book according to the title / where the power of the Word will reveal more to the God-loving reader and penetrate the heart / than this slight testimony or ornament / which we nevertheless have received as a gift out of God’s love / and have drawn from this fountain / but have added for the reader only as a thoughtful sight for the sake of further inquiry.

Wherein this little bit is still to be remembered: That although the form of the Eternal Divine Birth and Revelation through the two Principles original: "Principia"; the fundamental forces of Light/Love and Darkness/Wrath. of Darkness and Light / together with everything that is Spiritual and hidden / cannot be depicted: For / that which is in one another and must remain / and yet one [is] to the...