"The tests for the first initiation, as far as humanity (the world disciple) is concerned, are well-nigh over, and the hour of birth of the Christ as an expression of the fourth kingdom in nature, and the consummation of the work of the Fourth Creative Hierarchy, is at hand. This there is no gainsaying; the hour may be long, and the form may be 'in labour' for much time, but the Christ will be born, and the nature of the Christ and His consciousness will permeate and colour all human affairs. It is this condition -- so imminent and so desirable and long foretold and anticipated -- which will make possible the return of the Hierarchy and the restoration of the Mysteries.
     These occurrences are not only dependent upon the fitness of humanity to provide the right setting, and upon the inevitability of evolutionary development itself, but the reappearance of the Hierarchy, and that which its Members will accomplish, is related also (and primarily) to the interior life, and the spiritual impulses within the Hierarchy itself, and unrelated to mankind altogether. The Hierarchy pursues its own line of spiritual unfoldment, as a paralleling activity to its service on Earth, in connection with planetary evolution. Men are so apt to regard their own lives and destiny, and the unfoldment of the human consciousness, as the factor of only and paramount importance upon Earth. and in the evolutionary processes of the planet. These conditions are of importance, but they are not the only factors of importance, nor does humanity stand alone and isolated. Humanity occupies a midway point between the subhuman and the superhuman kingdoms, and each of these groups of evolving lives, has its own important destiny -- important to all contained within the group ring-pass-not. They have their own chosen and differing modes, methods, and ways of achievement. Just as individual man has to learn the art of the science of relationship to other men and to his environment, so humanity as a whole has to learn its relationship to that which lies above and beyond mankind, and with that which is below and left behind. This involves a sense of proportion which can be attained only by the mind principle in man, and by those who are beginning to be mentally polarized. This sense of proportion will reveal to men their place upon the ladder of evolution, and lead them to the recognition of the peculiar destiny, and unique goals of other kingdoms in nature, including the Fifth kingdom, the Kingdom of God, the spiritual Hierarchy of our planet.
     The Hierarchy is itself also at a point of spiritual crisis. Its initiates stand before the Door which leads to the Way of the Higher Evolution, and the entire personnel of the Hierarchy waits to make a united move forward, paralleling -- on its own level -- the move forward which humanity is also destined to make.
     But, my brothers, here is the point of interest. Under the great law of synthetic expression (called by us the Law of Synthesis, the law governing the first divine aspect), the Hierarchy must move forward in such a manner that the effort must encompass the physical plane as well as the higher planes. The activity engineered must cover the three worlds of the Spiritual Triad. Forget not the overlapping of these two worlds, which takes place upon the mental plane and warrants the well-known phrase 'the five worlds of superhuman evolution'. Hence, therefore, the necessity for the externalization of the Hierarchy, and the demonstration of Their united ability to work from the physical plane up to the highest, in order to move unitedly through this Door on to the Way. Speaking symbolically, this externalization is for the Members of the Hierarchy, an act of sacrificial service, but it is also a symbolic gesture. The Hierarchy incarnates on Earth again, and for the first time since it last incarnation in Atlantean days. It is, however, a group incarnation and not the incarnation of individual Members. This is probably a subtle point, too difficult for you to grasp.
     The externalization of the Hierarchy, therefore, and the restoration of the Mysteries, are not something done for humanity or simply carried out because men have earned a closer contact, have a right to some reward, or are now so spiritual that the Hierarchy can have a good and useful time helping them. The picture is entirely different. What looms with such importance in the consciousness of men is, in reality, quite secondary in relation to the hierarchical crisis which we are considering. This reappearance on the physical plane, and the consequent life of service (involving factors of profound significance to men), are an expression of the inherent spiritual impulse, which is impelling hierarchical action in two directions, but involving one unified movement, embracing all the five planes of superhuman evolution, and necessitating a group recapitulation of incarnated process.
     The Hierarchy has its own life, and its own goals and objectives, its own evolutionary rhythm, and its own spiritual expansions; these are not the same as those of the human kingdom. These goals and rhythms will become more familiar to thinking men as the Hierarchy approaches closer to the physical plane." (The Rays and the Initiations, p. 333/5)

     "(The Members of the Hierarchy) are already -- one by one -- entering into outer activity upon the physical plane. They are not recognized for what They are, but They go about the Father's business, demonstrating goodwill, seeking to enlarge the horizon of humanity, and thus prepare the way for the One Whom They serve, the Christ, the Master of all the Masters, and the Teacher alike of angels and of men." (The Reappearance of the Christ, p. 170)

     "Two things must be realized as the interested student considers this event of externalization:

1. The senior Members of the Hierarchy will not be at first the ones who will make the needed approach. Under Their direction and Their close supervision, this approach will be made -- in the early stages -- by initiates of and under the degree of the third initiation, and also by those disciples who will be chosen and designated to implement Their efforts, and so will work under Their direction. It is only in the later stages, and when the time has come for the return into recognised physical expression of the Christ, leading to the definite restoration of the Mysteries, that certain of the senior Members of the Hierarchy will appear and take outer and recognizable physical control of world affairs. The time for this will be dependent necessarily upon the success of the steps taken by the Members of the Hierarchy who are not so advanced.

2. Members of the Hierarchy, whether working in the early stages or later when the true externalization takes place, will work as members of the human family, and not as proclaimed members of the Kingdom of God, or of souls, known to us as the Hierarchy; they will appear in office of some kind or another; they will be the current politicians, business men, financiers, religious teachers or churchmen; they will be scientists and philosophers, college professors and educators; they will be the mayors of cities, and the custodians of all public ethical movements. The spiritual forcefulness of their lives, their clear, pure wisdom, the sanity and the modern acceptableness of their proposed measures in any department in which they choose to function, will be so convincing, that little impediment will be set in the way of their undertakings." (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p. 570)

     "The externalised Ashrams will be active along four major lines:

1.Creating and vitalizing the new world religion.

2.The gradual reorganizing of the social order - an order free from oppression, the persecution of minorities, materialism and pride.

3.The public inauguration of the system of initiation. This will involve the growth and comprehension of symbolism.

4.The exoteric training of disciples and of humanity in this new cycle." (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p. 700)

     "The preparatory work of externalisation falls into three phases or stages, as far as relation to mankind is concerned:

     First. The present stage in which a few isolated disciples and initiates, scattered all over the world, are doing the important task of destruction, plus the enunciation of principles. They are preparing the way for the first organised body of disciples and initiates who -- coming from certain Ashrams -- will proceed with the next phase of the work.
     Second. The stage of the first real externalisation upon a large and organised scale will succeed upon the above endeavours. These disciples and initiates will be the real Builders of the new world, of the new civilisation; they will assume leadership in most countries and take high office in all departments of human life. This they will do by the free choice of the people and by virtue of their advanced and proven merit. By this means, gradually the Hierarchy will take over the control upon the physical plane -- subjectively as well as objectively -- of the direction of human affairs. This direction will be in virtue of their known and approved capacity, and will not involve the imposition of any hierarchical control or authority; it will simply signify the free recognition by free people, of certain spiritual qualities and effective activities which they believe signify that these men are adequate to the demanded job, and whom they therefore choose as directing agents in the new and coming world. Freedom of choice under the authority of a spiritual livingness which demonstrates competency, will be distinctive of the attitude of the general public. Men will be put into high office and into positions of power not because they are disciples or initiates, but because they are wise and intelligent servants of the public, with an internal awareness, a deeply religious and inclusive consciousness, and a well-trained mind with an obedient brain.
     This stage of hierarchical appearance is dependent upon the effective service of the first group of isolated and hard-working disciples who are the senior members of the New Group of World Servers, and who are today working among the sons of men. This second group will take over from them, and theirs will be the task of instituting a more unified preparation for the return of the Christ. The first group prepare humanity for the possibility; the second group definitely prepare for the return itself. They will build for a future which will arise out of the wreckage they will remove; they will instill certain basic concepts anent right human relations into men's minds. Their immediate group work, when they are coming into power and recognition, will consist of a sweetening and a clarification of the political situation and the presentation of those ideas which will eventually lead to a fusion of those principles which govern a democracy and which also condition the hierarchical method -- which is somewhat different; this effort will produce a third political situation which will not be entirely dependent upon the choices of an unintelligent public, or on the control which the hierarchical technique evidently involves. The mode of this new group of political guidance will later appear.
     This second group will implement the new religion; by the time they come into control, the old theological activities will have been completely broken; Judaism will be fast disappearing; Buddhism will be spreading and becoming increasingly dogmatic; Christianity will be in a state of chaotic divisions and upheavals. When this takes place and the situation is acute enough, the Master Jesus will take certain initial steps towards reassuming control of His Church; the Buddha will send two trained disciples to reform Buddhism; other steps will also be taken in this department of religions and education, over which the Christ rules, and He will move to restore the ancient spiritual landmarks, to eliminate that which is non-essential, and to reorganise the entire religious field -- again in preparation for the restoration of the Mysteries. These Mysteries, when restored, will unify all faiths.
     Groups of spiritually-minded financiers, who are conscious members of an Ashram, will take hold of the world economic situation and bring about great and needed changes. All these activities, built upon the preparatory work of the first group, are also preparatory in nature.
     Third. The stage wherein Christ and the Masters of the Wisdom can make public appearance, and begin to work publicly, openly and outwardly in the world of men. The time of Their coming will be dependent upon the success of the work undertaken by the first two groups; it is not possible for me to prophesy anent this matter. So many factors are involved: the earnest work of the two groups, the readiness and the willingness of mankind to learn, the rapidity with which the forces of restoration and of resurrection can rehabilitate the world, the responsiveness of advanced humanitarians and intelligentsia to the opportunity to rebuild, to recreate and to recognise the factors which the new culture and the new civilisation will demand. Even the Hierarchy Itself, with all Its sources of information, does not know how long this will take, but They are ready to move at any time." (The Externalisation of the Hierarchy, p. 571/4 )

     "As a result of the cleansing of the Earth through the medium of the world war (1914-45), and through the suffering to which humanity has been subjected (with a consequent purifying effect which will demonstrate later), it will be possible for the Hierarchy to externalise itself and function openly upon the physical plane. This will indicate a return to the situation which existed in Atlantean days, when (using Biblical symbolism) God Himself walked among men -- divinity was present in physical form, because the Members of the Hierarchy were guiding and directing the affairs of humanity as far as innate free will permitted. On a higher turn of the spiral, this again will happen. The Masters will walk openly among men." (The Rays and the Initiations, p. 330 )