Alice A. Bailey’s Vision of Christ’s Return and the Role of the Spiritual Hierarchy

Alice A. Bailey, a prominent esoteric writer of the early twentieth century, presented an intricate metaphysical perspective on the anticipated return of Christ in her 1948 book, "The Reappearance of the Christ". Her predictions revolved around the idea that this event, potentially occurring around 2025, would signify not a traditional, doctrinal Second Coming, but a profound spiritual renewal and externalization of the World Teacher, whom she identified not solely as the Christian messiah but as an embodiment of divine love and wisdom acting on behalf of all humanity.

The Spiritual Hierarchy and Human Collaboration

Central to Bailey’s vision is the existence of a Spiritual Hierarchy, a group of advanced spiritual beings—Masters of Wisdom—working behind the scenes to guide humanity’s evolution. In Bailey’s framework, "the Christ" (foreseen as the World Teacher, also known as the Lord Maitreya) is the head of this Hierarchy. The success of his externalization—the act of becoming publicly known or accessible—depends on the collaborative efforts of both the invisible Hierarchy and spiritually receptive individuals within humanity.

Bailey posits that certain people, aligned in consciousness and intention with the Hierarchy, form what she calls the "New Group of World Servers". These individuals act as the spiritual vanguard by cultivating goodwill, promoting right human relations, and preparing the mental and emotional climate necessary for Christ’s manifestation. Their conscious alignment with the divine plan, coupled with universal service and invocation, creates the spiritual magnetism required to draw forth the Christ into outer activity.

How People Should Operate to Facilitate Christ’s Return

Bailey outlines practical and spiritual ways in which these initiates and world servers should operate to enable and hasten Christ’s externalization. She specifically highlights the need for:

Right Human Relations: The primary collective task is to establish right human relations—relationships among individuals, communities, and nations characterized by goodwill, justice, and mutual respect. This foundational change is necessary to create the atmosphere in which Christ’s return becomes possible, as his mission is inseparable from the healing of societal and intergroup divisions.

Dissemination of Goodwill and Spiritual Recognition: Spiritual aspirants must foster and spread goodwill as an active, positive force, transforming it from merely an ideal into a living, energetic principle affecting all spheres of human interaction. They should also heighten spiritual recognition, which involves preparing humanity to accept the reality of a spiritual order beyond sectarian boundaries.

Collective Service and Group Work: Rather than seeking personal salvation, members of this group are expected to dedicate themselves to service, working in concert with others to usher in spiritual changes. This includes group meditation, invocation (such as the use of the "Great Invocation"), educational effort, and direct humanitarian action designed to bring relief and inspiration to the world.

Non-Sectarian, Inclusive Efforts: Bailey insists that these efforts are not to be confined to any single religious system. The Christ, in her vision, stands above religious divisions and responds to human need broadly understood, whether it be among Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, or those of no religion.

Standing Against Entrenched Evil and Inertia: The forces of entrenched evil, and the inertia of ordinary spiritually minded people, are presented as major obstacles. Overcoming these challenges requires courage, the willingness to identify and confront problems directly, and persistent cooperative action.

Christ’s Awareness of His Duty

According to Bailey, Christ’s awareness of his cosmic duty is intimately linked to the conditions cultivated by humanity and the spiritual Hierarchy. He does not act unilaterally or forcibly intervene; rather, his reappearance is "conditioned and determined by the reaction of humanity itself; by that reaction He must abide". In Bailey’s words, his return is called forth by the "mass intent" and sustained spiritual appeal of a prepared collective, much as "the invocation of the masses is strident enough and the faith of those who know is keen enough, then always He has come and today will be no exception to this ancient rule".

This sense of duty arises from Christ’s role as the embodiment of planetary love and wisdom, attuned both to the will of God (the divine Plan) and to the needs, aspirations, and invitations of humanity. When conditions are right—marked particularly by the emergence of "right human relations," goodwill, and spiritual readiness—he becomes inwardly aware that his intervention is needed and divinely permitted.

How Christ Would Fulfill the Needs of Humanity, the Planet, and All Life

Bailey’s expectation is that, upon his return, Christ will act as the World Teacher, inspiring and catalyzing changes that fulfill not only the spiritual but also the practical and ecological needs of the planet. His principal contribution is the establishment of right human relations—a spiritual and ethical foundation for a new world civilization.

Teaching Universal Spiritual Laws: Christ is expected to present spiritual teachings suitable for the evolutionary level of humanity, including the Law of Rebirth (reincarnation) and the true meaning of spiritual brotherhood.

Restoring Faith in Divine Love and Unity: His major task is to restore faith in the livingness of the Christ principle and the Father’s love, anchoring an awareness of the inherent unity among all people.

Healing Divisions: He will operate through all available avenues—religious, educational, scientific, and humanitarian—to heal divisions, encourage peace, and foster cooperation and collective well-being.

Fostering Planetary and Ecological Well-being: As the head of the spiritual Hierarchy (concerned not only with human affairs but with all kingdoms of nature), the Christ’s presence is envisioned as bringing balance and alignment to the broader planetary ecosystem.

Bailey asserts that the Christ's reappearance will enable humanity to move beyond a focus on institutional religion to a recognition of the inherent divinity in all people, promoting a new world religion based on essential spiritual truths and cooperation among the faiths.

The Significance of Post–World War II Circumstances

Bailey is explicit that the aftermath of the Second World War created a set of unique and urgent conditions necessitating Christ’s return to "reinstate the dharma"—the cosmic order or right law. The magnitude of planetary suffering, chaos, and the collapse of old values revealed that material, political, and religious systems were insufficient to address the profound needs of the age.

Crisis as a Prerequisite for Revelation: Bailey points to an historical pattern wherein Avatars appear at major points of planetary crisis, whenever the inadequacy of old systems becomes apparent and humanity’s collective invocation for help grows sufficiently intense.

A New World Requiring a New Response: She stresses that the world to which the Christ will return is fundamentally different—characterized by global interconnection, rapid communication, mass education, and unprecedented challenges.

The Postwar Spiritual Vacuum: The devastation of the war left a spiritual vacuum and a yearning for deeper meaning and global peace, highlighting the failure of institutions (including organized religion) to provide answers or effective leadership. This vacuum, coupled with humanity’s sense of powerlessness and anguish, configured the circumstances in which a higher, spiritual restoration became necessary.

The Need to Reestablish Dharma: In Bailey’s terms, the postwar era demanded the reestablishment of dharma—a guiding principle of spiritual order, justice, and enlightened living—capable of supporting the transition from the Piscean age (of division and exclusion) to the Aquarian age (marked by synthesis, sharing, and inclusivity).

The Path Forward According to Alice A. Bailey

Bailey’s esoteric model thus requires that individuals and groups engaged in spiritual work focus on aligning their lives with higher ideals, practicing group service, and nurturing the global conditions that will make Christ’s public return not only possible but sustainable. The operation of the World Servers is fundamentally practical; they must actively participate in the healing of social, political, and economic wounds, all the while cooperating with the unseen spiritual Hierarchy through meditation, invocation, and collective goodwill.

The Christ, attuned to these developments, becomes inwardly aware of humanity’s readiness and his own appointed time and task, stepping forward to fulfill not only the needs of the people, but the needs of the entire planetary life, by inaugurating a new spiritual dispensation grounded in love, truth, and cosmic harmony.

In summary, Alice Bailey’s vision for the return of Christ is profoundly participatory, requiring the deliberate effort of spiritually attuned individuals and groups to prepare humanity and the world, so that the Christ may respond to their united appeal and initiate a new era of spiritual and planetary renewal.