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FOUR AND TWENTY TIRTHAMKARAS
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shall thus free themselves from subjection to the inimical forces is countless. These are the Siddhas of Jainism !
The Christian description of the Siddhas is given in the seventh chapter of the Book of Revelation in the 9th and 13th to 17th verses, and runs as follows:
9. “ After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number . . . . stood before the throne, .... clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.
13. “And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, what are these that are arrayed in white robes ? and whence came they? · 14. “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15. “ Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16. “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17. “ l'or the Lamb that is in the unidst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water, and God shall wipe array all tears from their eyes."
This is undoubtedly the true description of the status of Siddhahood, in mystic script. For
