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Mystery School

The Royal Art

0. The Story

I. Book of Formation

II. The Primordial Tradition

III. The Lineage of the Patriarchs

IV. The Way of the Christ

V. Gnostic Disciple of the Light

VI. The Arthurian Mysteries & The Grail Quest

VII. The Hermetic Art

VIII. The Mystery School

IX. The Venusian & Bardic Arts

X. The Story of the New Earth

XI. Royal Theocracy

XII. The Book of Revelation

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IV. The Way of the Christ
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The Purification of the Temple

The Purification of the Temple

The Cleansing of the Temple

MONDAY — 10th of Nisan

  1. Cursing of the fig tree — on the road from Bethany. "May no one ever eat fruit from you again" (Mark 11:12-14)
  2. Cleansing of the Temple — Jesus overturns tables of money-changers and merchants. "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13). Chief priests and scribes begin seeking to destroy him.
  3. Returns to Bethany for the night

TUESDAY — 11th of Nisan

  1. The withered fig tree — disciples see it dried up. Jesus teaches on faith and prayer (Mark 11:20-25)
  2. Authority challenged in the Temple — chief priests, scribes, and elders demand to know by what authority he acts. Jesus answers with the question about John's baptism (Mark 11:27-33)
  3. Parables of judgment — Parable of the Two Sons, Parable of the Wicked Tenants, Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 21-22)
  4. Controversies in the Temple — Pharisees and Herodians test him on paying taxes to Caesar ("Render unto Caesar..."). Sadducees question him on the resurrection. A scribe asks about the greatest commandment (Mark 12:13-34)
  5. Jesus's question — "Whose son is the Christ?" — silences all challengers (Mark 12:35-37)
  6. Denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees — the seven woes: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites..." (Matthew 23)
  7. The widow's offering — two small coins, "more than all the others" (Mark 12:41-44)

Holy Tuesday & Wednesday

  • Jesus curses the barren fig tree on the way from Bethany to Jerusalem, declaring it will never bear fruit again (symbolizing judgment on unfruitful Israel). (Holy Monday morning.)
  • Jesus cleanses the Temple: He drives out the merchants, moneychangers, and sellers of doves; overturns their tables; and declares, “My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.” He heals the blind and lame there. (Holy Monday.)
  • Chief priests and scribes seek to destroy Jesus but fear the crowds, who are astonished at His teaching; Jesus and the disciples return to Bethany for the night. (Holy Monday evening.)
  • The disciples notice the fig tree has withered from the roots; Jesus teaches on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. (Holy Tuesday morning.)
  • Jesus’ authority is challenged by the chief priests, scribes, and elders in the Temple; He responds with a counter-question about John the Baptist’s baptism. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Jesus delivers three parables in the Temple: the two sons (repentance), the wicked tenants (rejection of prophets and Son), and the wedding banquet (invitation to the kingdom). (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Pharisees and Herodians attempt to entrap Jesus on paying taxes to Caesar; He replies, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Sadducees question Jesus on the resurrection (hypothetical of seven brothers and one widow); He affirms the resurrection and corrects their misunderstanding of Scripture and God’s power. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • A scribe asks for the greatest commandment; Jesus answers: love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself; the scribe agrees, and Jesus notes he is not far from the kingdom. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees with a series of woes for hypocrisy, burdening others, and neglecting justice, mercy, and faith. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Jesus observes and commends a poor widow who casts two small copper coins (mites) into the Temple treasury, noting she gave more than the rich because she gave all she had. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Certain Greeks seek to see Jesus; He speaks of His impending glorification (death and resurrection) as a grain of wheat dying to bear fruit and draws all people to Himself. (Holy Tuesday.)
  • Jesus delivers the Olivet Discourse on the Mount of Olives: signs of the end times, destruction of the Temple, His second coming, and parables urging watchfulness (ten virgins, talents, sheep and goats). (Holy Tuesday afternoon/evening.)
  • The chief priests, scribes, and elders assemble at the high priest’s palace and plot to arrest and kill Jesus by stealth, avoiding the feast to prevent a riot. (Holy Wednesday.)
  • Judas Iscariot approaches the chief priests and agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver; he seeks an opportunity to hand Him over. (Holy Wednesday—traditionally called Spy Wednesday.)c

Scripture Passages — NKJV

All four Gospel accounts of the events of Holy Tuesday & Wednesday, organized by event.

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The Cursing of the Fig Tree

Matthew 21:18–19

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.

Mark 11:12–14

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again." And His disciples heard it.

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The Cleansing of the Temple

Matthew 21:12–17

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 13 And He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant 16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?"

And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?"

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Mark 11:15–19

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Luke 19:45–48

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it, 46 saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him, 48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

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The Fig Tree Withered — Lesson on Faith & Prayer

Matthew 21:20–22

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither away so soon?"

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. 22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

Mark 11:20–26

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

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Jesus' Authority Questioned

Matthew 21:23–27

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?"

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?"

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 26 But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet." 27 So they answered Jesus and said, "We do not know."

And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Mark 11:27–33

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?"

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me."

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 32 But if we say, 'From men'"—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, "We do not know."

And Jesus answered and said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Luke 20:1–8

1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him 2 and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?"

3 But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?"

5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet." 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8 And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

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The Parable of the Two Sons

Matthew 21:28–32

28 "But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, 'Son, go, work today in my vineyard.' 29 He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?"

They said to Him, "The first."

Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him."

Purification of the Temple

And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise.

— John 2:15–16, King James Version

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

— Matthew 21:12–13, King James Version

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