PROPHET OF ETERNITY

There are events that take place in the outer world which we observe through our senses and interpret through our reason. Blake, however, looks at the inner dimension which determines the activity underlying the outer events. For this reason Blake gave each of the Zoas a name and personality in both the inner and outer worlds. Frye refers to these as their Eternal names, and their Time names:

Luvah = Orc

Urizen = Satan

Tharmas = Covering Cherub

Urthona = Los 

When Los acts as the Prophet of Eternity he is acting for Urthona to accomplish Eternal endeavors.

Binding of Urizen.

Book of Urizen, Plate 5, (E 94)

2: Upfolding his Fibres together
To a Form of impregnable strength
Los astonish'd and terrified, built                 
Furnaces; he formed an Anvil
A  Hammer of adamant then began
The binding of Urizen day and night

3: Circling round the dark Demon, with howlings
Dismay & sharp blightings; the Prophet               
Of Eternity beat on his iron links

4: And first from those infinite fires
The light that flow'd down on the winds
lie siez'd; beating incessant, condensing
The subtil particles in an Orb.                    

5: Roaring indignant the bright sparks
Endur'd the vast Hammer; but unwearied
Los beat on the Anvil; till glorious
An immense Orb of fire be fram'd"

Directing Satan to his "own station."

Milton, Plate 7, (E 101) 

Loud as the wind of Beulah that unroots the rocks & hills        
Palamabron call'd! and Los & Satan came before him
And Palamabron shew'd the horses & the servants. Satan wept,
And mildly cursing Palamabron, him accus'd of crimes
Himself had wrought. Los trembled; Satans blandishments almost 
Perswaded the Prophet of Eternity that Palamabron
Was Satans enemy, & that the Gnomes being Palamabron's friends
Were leagued together against Satan thro' ancient enmity.
What could Los do? how could be judge, when Satans self, believ'd
That he had not oppres'd the horses of the Harrow, nor the servants.  

So Los said, Henceforth Palamabron, let each his own station
Keep: nor in pity false, nor in officious brotherhood, where
None needs, be active. Mean time Palamabrons horses.
Rag'd with thick flames redundant, & the Harrow maddend with fury.
Trembling Palamabron stood, the strongest of Demons trembled:  
Curbing his living creatures; many of the strongest Gnomes,
They bit in their wild fury, who also maddend like wildest beasts

Mark well my words; they are of your eternal salvation 

Disrupting the "Eternal Hatred" and the "chain of sorrows" initiated by Urizen. 

Jerusalem, Plate 53, (E 336)

"The voice of Los compelld he labourd round the Furnaces

And thus began the binding of Urizen day & night in fear         
Circling round the dark Demon with howlings dismay & sharp blightings
The Prophet of Eternity beat on his iron links & links of brass
And as he beat round the hurtling Demon. terrified at the Shapes
Enslavd humanity put on he became what he beheld
Raging against Tharmas his God & uttering                        
Ambiguous words blasphemous filld with envy firm resolvd
On hate Eternal in his vast disdain he labourd beating
The Links of fate link after link an endless chain of sorrows" 

---

Damon states "Prophets are not foretellers of future facts; they are revealers of eternal truths." Blake accepted the role of prophet when he took on his Great Task of opening the Eternal Worlds to our immortal Eyes, for which I am forever grateful. He was following his hero Los who acted for Urthona who "never manifests in time" but dwells in the subconscious asserting his influence. 

Jerusalem, Plate 5, (E 147) 

"Trembling I sit day and night, my friends are astonish'd at me.
Yet they forgive my wanderings, I rest not from my great task!
To open the Eternal Worlds, to open the immortal Eyes
Of Man inwards into the Worlds of Thought: into Eternity
Ever expanding in the Bosom of God. the Human Imagination        
O Saviour pour upon me thy Spirit of meekness & love:
Annihilate the Selfhood in me, be thou all my life!
Guide thou my hand which trembles exceedingly upon the rock of ages,"

Four Zoas, Night I, Page 9, (E 305)

"His [Los'] head beamd light & in his vigorous voice was prophecy
He could controll the times & seasons, & the days & years"

Milton, Plate 24 [26], (E 121) 

"Los is by mortals nam'd Time Enitharmon is nam'd Space
But they depict him bald & aged who is in eternal youth
All powerful and his locks flourish like the brows of morning    
He is the Spirit of Prophecy the ever apparent Elias
Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Times swiftness
Which is the swiftest of all things: all were eternal torment:
All the Gods of the Kingdoms of Earth labour in Los's Halls.
Every one is a fallen Son of the Spirit of Prophecy             
He is the Fourth Zoa, that stood around the Throne Divine. 

Jerusalem, Plate 39 [44], (E 187) 

"And feeling the damps of death they with one accord delegated Los
Conjuring him by the Highest that he should Watch over them
Till Jesus shall appear: & they gave their power to Los       
Naming him the Spirit of Prophecy, calling him Elijah" 

---

Revelation 20

[1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum 

The Angel Michael Binding Satan 

("He Cast him into the Bottomless Pit, and Shut him up")