According to William Blake (1804), the Wheel of religion, and the Church, was the Dark Preacher of Death – ” of sin, of sorrow and punishment.”

Jesus died because he “strove against the current of this Wheel,” championing, instead to conquer by forgiveness, the true religion.

The Church was the terrible devouring sword that pretends to love but practices hate, pretends to forgiveness but practices envy, revenge and cruelty.

Albert Schweitzer (1906) also wrote about ‘the wheel’ …

There is silence all around. The Baptist appears, and cries: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Soon after that comes Jesus, and in the knowledge that He is the coming Son of Man lays hold of the wheel of the world to set it moving on that last revolution which is to bring all ordinary history to a close. It refuses to turn, and He throws Himself upon it. Then it does turn; and crushes Him … the wheel rolls onward, and the mangled body of the one immeasurably great Man, who was strong enough to think of Himself as the spiritual ruler of mankind and to bend history to His purpose, is hanging upon it still. That is His victory and His reign.