Page 135 - Gnosis volume 2
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                   was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. Indeed, the king made his decision only after

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                   having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together .
                     Of course, the preparatory work today assumes quite a different form than it did in

                   John  the  Baptist's  day.  But  hostile  forces  can  reveal  themselves  at  any  moment.  All
                   those who are interested in the evolution of humanity, in the esoteric sense of the word

                   evolution, would be vigilant. For it is among them that the new elite will be recruited –

                   those capable of collectively assuming a preparatory role like that of the Forerunner.
                   They should, therefore, try to foil the efforts of those who, consciously or unconsciously,

                   serve the forces which wish to halt man's progress. The Scriptures put us on our guard

                   regarding this point. One may notice with what precision the Gospels, according to St.

                   Matthew and St. Mark, relate the circumstances leading to the execution  of John the

                   Baptist. Not a single detail of these accounts is superfluous. Every detail unmasks the
                   redoubtable effects that human passions can exercise over esoteric work, and how the

                   forces of darkness know how to utilize for their own ends the whole range of keys, from

                   the ambition of a Herodias to the charm of a Salome and the lust it can arouse. These
                   texts hold a tale, a lesson and a warning that we cannot overlook.



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                          St. John the Baptist had to announce the approach of the Kingdom of Heaven,

                   which was a new idea for the majority


















                     22
                        Matthew, II, 1-4.
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