Chapter 8:
The False Prophets

THE RISING OF FALSE PROPHETS

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matt 24:11)

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt 24:24)

“But there are, among men, those who purchase idle tales, without knowledge (or meaning), to mislead (men) from the Path of Allah and throw ridicule (on the Path): for such there will be a humiliating Penalty.” (Qur’án 31:6)

“Behold! when they meet the men of Faith, they say: ‘We believe,’ but when they meet each other in private, they say: ‘Shall you tell them what Allah hath revealed to you, that they may engage you in argument about it before your Lord?’ Do ye not understand (their aim)? Know they not that Allah knoweth what they conceal and what they reveal? And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.” (Qur’án 2:76-78)

“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” (2 Peter 2:1)

“And if the messenger were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand…” (Qur’án 69:44-45)

“And they say: ‘The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days;’ Say: ‘Have ye taken a promise from Allah for He never breaks His promise? Or is it that ye say of Allah what ye do not know?’ Nay, those who seek gain in Evil, and are girt round by their sins, they are Companions of the Fire, therein shall they abide (for ever). But those who have faith and work righteousness, they are Companions of the Garden, therein shall they abide (for ever).” (Qur’án 2:80-82)

Bahá’u’lláh asked no one to accept His statements and His tokens blindly. On the contrary, He put in the very forefront of His teachings emphatic warnings against blind acceptance of authority, and urged all to open their eyes and ears, and use their own judgement, independently and fearlessly, in order to ascertain the truth. He enjoined the fullest investigation and never concealed Himself, offering, as the supreme proofs of His Prophethood, His words and works and their effects in transforming the lives and characters of men. The tests He proposed are the same as those laid down by His great predecessors.

Moses said: “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” (Deut. xviii, 22)

Christ put His test just as plainly, and appealed to it in proof of His own claim.

He said: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. vii, 15-17, 20)

(Dr. J.E. Esslemont, Baha’u’llah and the New Era, p. 8)

They whose sight is keen, whose ears are retentive, whose hearts are enlightened, and whose breasts are dilated, recognize both truth and falsehood, and distinguish the one from the other.

(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Page: 9)

We entreat Our loved ones not to besmirch the hem of Our raiment with the dust of falsehood, neither to allow references to what they have regarded as miracles and prodigies to debase Our rank and station, or to mar the purity and sanctity of Our name.

(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Page: 33)

Whoever gazeth this day on My signs will distinguish truth from falsehood as the sun from shadow, and will be made cognizant of the goal. God is aware and beareth Me witness that whatever hath been mentioned was for the sake of God, that haply thou mayest be the cause of the guidance of men, and mayest deliver the peoples of the world from idle fancies and vain imaginings.

(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Page: 88)

I swear by God! Were he that treadeth the path of guidance and seeketh to scale the heights of righteousness to attain unto this glorious and exalted station, he would inhale, at a distance of a thousand leagues, the fragrance of God, and would perceive the resplendent morn of a Divine guidance rising above the Day Spring of all things. Each and every thing, however small, would be to him a revelation, leading him to his Beloved, the Object of his quest. So great shall be the discernment of this seeker that he will discriminate between truth and falsehood, even as he doth distinguish the sun from shadow. If in the uttermost corners of the East the sweet savors of God be wafted, he will assuredly recognize and inhale their fragrance, even though he be dwelling in the uttermost ends of the West. He will, likewise, clearly distinguish all the signs of God - His wondrous utterances, His great works, and mighty deeds - from the doings, the words and ways of men, even as the jeweler who knoweth the gem from the stone, or the man who distinguisheth the spring from autumn, and heat from cold. When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude.

Therein he will discern the wonders of His ancient Wisdom, and will perceive all the hidden teachings from the rustling leaves of the Tree that flourisheth in that City. With both his inner and outer ear, he will hear from its dust the hymns of glory and praise ascending unto the Lord of Lords, and with his inner eye will he discover the mysteries of “return” and “revival.”

(Baha’u’llah: Gleanings, Pages: 267-269)

THE LEADERS OF RELIGION

“Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.” (Jer 12:10-11)

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 7:21)

“But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.” (Matt 23:8-10)

“But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt 15:9)

“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” (Matt 15:14)

“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” (Col 2:8)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Eph 2:8)

It is not only the leaders of the established religions who, by misrepresenting the teachings of their Faiths, have alienated the people. We also come across many a ‘false prophet’ who, out of love for leadership and personal gain, has appeared in the guise of a ‘holy man’, announcing himself as a saviour of men and founder of a religious sect, advocating some sensational or corrupt and immoral practice. He then attracts simple-minded or ignorant persons to his cause, exploits them for his own benefit, holds them tight in the clutches of his authority and rules over their minds and souls. It is this kind of blind obedience which is abhorred by every discerning person.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Covenant of Baha’u’llah, p. 266)

As the moral and spiritual values in life decline today, a great many people all over the world look upon the word ‘obedience’ with suspicion and fear. They regard this word to be synonymous with dictatorship, blind acceptance, religious fanaticism and all sorts of fettered beliefs. The majority of those who hold this view are among the honest, open-minded and enlightened peoples of the world. Some may belong to religious groups with a liberal outlook, others may be intellectuals, agnostics or atheists. They are fully aware of the dangers which blind obedience may cause within human society and are weary of any so-called authority, whether religious or secular, which demands obedience to its commands.

Such fears are fully justified and those who campaign against the setting up of such an authority and abhor its reign, are worthy of praise and admiration. For, as we survey the religious field, we come across many a ‘false prophet’ who, fo lust of leadership, appears in the guise of a religious leader, posing as a man of holiness, and for his own personal benfit rules over his followers’ minds. There are also millionsof people, followers of the wolds’ major relgions, anyowhom are fettered in the cage of outdated religious doctrines and antiquated dogmas.

During this century, more and more of these people are becoming awakened to their tragedy, breaking the shackles which had been placed on their minds and freeing themselves from this bondage. They either remain lukewarm, disillusioned followers, or join the rank of agnostics and atheists. The voice of religious leadership, which in older days inspired multitudes, is now heard by these people with various degrees of indifference or hostility. The reason for this change is that God has manifested Himself through Bahá’u’lláh and religious leaders have not recognized Him and in His words they have become as ‘fallen stars’.[1] We have already stated[2] that every religion has a certain period of validity during which its teachings are operative. That period comes to an end with the birth of a new religion.

(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha’u’llah v 3, p. 29)

My study of the facts suggested that these seals mentioned by Isaiah and Daniel would not be opened by Christ in His first coming, but only in His second. It would happen only at the time of the end. Furthermore, I found that the New Testament upheld this reading of the case. In the words of St. Paul:

‘... judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who ... will bring light to the hidden things of darkness.’ (1 Cor 4:5)

Apparently when Christ returned, all would be clear. Until then it would remain hidden. The Apostle Peter left a similar warning to the followers of Christ not to interpret the prophecies according to their own deficient understanding before the day of His return:

‘We have also a more sure word of prophesy...that no prophesy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (2 Pet 1:19-20)

Peter told them that there was only one way in which prophecy came to man, and only one way in which it could be interpreted:

‘For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ (2 Pet 1:21)

Until this Holy Spirit appeared again in the Son of man at the time of the end, the meaning of the prophecies would remain hidden. There seemed to be little doubt that the truth was ‘closed up’ and the ‘books sealed’ and that none would be able to read them correctly until that time. I found that Christ made no claim that the time of the end or the day of the one fold and one Shepherd, were fulfilled by Himself. On the contrary, He revealed a prayer which was both a prayer and a prophesy of the future. He said:

`...Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.’

I found ample evidence that Christ never tried to ‘unseal’ the Books Himself. He left is for a future date. Rather, He spoke in parables and hidden meanings. He even prophesied that while He (Christ) spoke in parables, there would be a time in the future, when the Son would return in the Glory of the Father, and would speak plainly to them. Christ said:

‘These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall speak no more unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.’ (John 16:25)

This promise to explain the hidden meanings is given by Jesus in the very same chapter in which He speaks of the coming of the Spirit of Truth who will guide His followers unto all truth. When this ‘Comforter’ comes, Christ promises:

‘...he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your emembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ (John 14:26)

Christ, in these words, seems to offer the clear promise that the new Messiah would, in the day of His coming, ‘unseal the books’ and bring to light the ‘hidden things of darkness’.

If He had appeared in 1844, that would certainly account for all the renewed enthusiasm.

(William Sears, Thief in the Night, p. 46-47)

“Judge thou fairly, I adjure thee by God. What proof did the Jewish doctors adduce wherewith to condemn Him Who was the Spirit of God (Jesus Christ), when He came unto them with truth? What could have been the evidence produced by the Pharisees and the idolatrous priests to justify their denial of Muhammad, the Apostle of God when He came unto them with a Book that judged between truth and falsehood with a justice which turned into light the darkness of the earth, and enraptured the hearts of such as had known Him? Indeed thou hast produced, in this day, the same proofs which the foolish divines advanced in that age. Unto this testifieth He Who is the King of the realm of grace in this great Prison. Thou hast, truly, walked in their ways, nay, hast surpassed them in their cruelty, and hast deemed thyself to be helping the Faith and defending the Law of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. By Him Who is the Truth! Thine iniquity hath made Gabriel to groan, and hath drawn tears from the Law of God, through which the breezes of justice have been wafted over all who are in heaven and on earth. Hast thou fondly imagined that the judgment thou didst pronounce hath profited thee? Nay, by Him Who is the King of all Names! Unto thy loss testifieth He with Whom is the knowledge of all things as recorded in the preserved Tablet.”

(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Pages: 81-82)

It is evident and manifest unto every discerning observer that even as the light of the star fadeth before the effulgent splendour of the sun, so doth the luminary of earthly knowledge, of wisdom, and understanding vanish into nothingness when brought face to face with the resplendent glories of the Sun of Truth, the Day-star of divine enlightenment.

That the term “sun” hath been applied to the leaders of religion is due to their lofty position, their fame, and renown. Such are the universally recognized divines of every age, who speak with authority, and whose fame is securely established. If they be in the likeness of the Sun of Truth, they will surely be accounted as the most exalted of all luminaries; otherwise, they are to be recognize as the focal centres of hellish fire. Even as He saith: “Verily, the sun and the moon are both condemned to the torment of infernal fire.”[3] You are no doubt familiar with the interpretation of theterm “sun” and “moon” mentioned in this verse; no need therefore to refer unto it. And whosoever isof the element of this “sun” and “moon”, that is,followeth the example ofthese leader in sttnhis face towards falsehood and in turning away from the truth he undoubtedly cometh out of infernal gloom and returneth thereunto.

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Pages: 37-38)

And, now, strive thou to comprehend the meaning of… “Piercing the veils of glory, unaided.” Among these “veils of glory” are the divines and doctors living in the days of the Manifestation of God, who, because of their want of discernment and their love and eagerness for leadership, have failed to submit to the Cause of God, nay, have even refused to incline their ears unto the divine Melody. “They have thrust their fingers into their ears.”[4] And the people also, utterly ignoring God and taking them for their masters, have placed themselves unreservedly under the authority of these pompous and hypocritical leaders, for they have no sight, no hearing, no heart, of their own to distinguish truth from falsehood.

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Page: 164)

Notwithstanding the divinely-inspired admonitions of all the Prophets, the Saints, and Chosen ones of God, enjoining the people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, they have disdainfully rejected their counsels and have blindly followed, and will continue to follow, the leaders of their Faith. Should a poor and obscure person, destitute of the attire of men of learning, address them saying: “Follow ye, O people! the Messengers of God,”[5] they would, greatly surprised at such a statement, reply: “What! Meanest thou that all these divines, all these exponents of learning, with all their authority, their pomp and pageantry, have erred, and failed to distinguish truth from falsehood? Dost thou, and people like thyself, pretend to have comprehended that which they have not understood?” If numbers and excellence of apparel be regarded as the criterions of learning and truth, the peoples of a bygone age, whom those of today have never surpassed in numbers, magnificence and power, should certainly be accounted a superior and worthier people.

It is clear and evident that whenever the Manifestations of Holiness were revealed, the divines of their day have hindered the people from attaining unto the way of truth. To this testify the records of all the scriptures and heavenly books. Not one Prophet of God was made manifest Who did not fall a victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and execration of the clerics of His day! Woe unto them for the iniquities their hands have formerly wrought! Woe unto them for that which they are now doing! What veils of glory more grievous than these embodiments of error! By the righteousness of God! to pierce such veils is the mightiest of all acts, and to rend them asunder the most meritorious of all deeds! May God assist us and assist you, O concourse of the Spirit! that perchance ye may in the time of His Manifestation be graciously aided to perform such deeds, and may in His days attain unto the Presence of God.

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Pages: 164-166)

The ordinances of God have been sent down from the heaven of His most august Revelation. All must diligently observe them. Man’s supreme distinction, his real advancement, his final victory, have always depended, and will continue to depend, upon them. Whoso keepeth the commandments of God shall attain everlasting felicity.

A twofold obligation resteth upon him who hath recognized the Day Spring of the Unity of God, and acknowledged thetruth of Him Who is the Manifestation of His oneness. The irst is steadfastness in His ove, such steafastnes taneither the clamor of the enemy nor the claims of the idle pretender can deter him from cleaving unto Him Who is the Eternal Truth, a steadfastness that taketh no account of them whatever. The second is strict observance of the laws He hath prescribed - laws which He hath always ordained, and will continue to ordain, unto men, and through which the truth may be distinguished and separated from falsehood.

(Baha’u’llah: Gleanings, Pages: 289-290)

CHRIST, AND THE PHARISEES

Christ was considered, by the great mass of the people of His day, to be a ‘false prophet’. It is written:

‘And here was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, he is a good man; others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.’ (John 7:12)

When the simple, humble people went to their religious leaders and asked about the truth of Christ’s Mission, they were told that He was a false prophet. They were warned against Him. Even though Christ showed signs and wonders that attracted people, the leaders still denied Him. This is shown clearly in the words:

‘The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?’ (John 7:46-47)

The great separation between the few who considered Him true and the vast majority who considered Him false is clear from the words of John:

‘So there was a division among the people because of him.’ (John 7:43)

The public was told that only the lowest class believed in Christ, and that the important and influential people who had knowledge, education, and wisdom knew Christ to be false. It was pointed out to those foolish ones who wanted to believe:

‘Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?’ (John 7:48)

It was repeatedly said that only those ignorant ones who didn’t know the book of Moses believed in Christ. These people were misled, and as false as Christ, the leaders warned, saying:

‘...this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.’ (John 7:49)

The great public of Palestine did not believe in Jesus of Nazareth because He had not fulfilled their understanding of the prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah.

To the followers of Christ who tried to win over their allegiance, the people replied scornfully that He, Christ, was a false prophet. They proved it from the prophecies in their Scriptures.

‘The Messiah will sit upon the throne of David,’ they pointed out. ‘Where is the throne of the Nazarene?’

(William Sears, Thief in the Night, p. 201-202)

The Bahá’i writings have shown that His Holiness Jesus Christ had fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament and proved that He was the promised Messiah. However in the days of His life on earth, He was denied, bitterly persecuted and finally crucified.

Although some perceived Him to be a good man, yet there were others who claimed that “He deceiveth the people”. Could it be that Christ had not fulfilled their expectations of a prophet, who would be the idol of their own handiwork that they themselves would have conceived? Or perhaps, was it due to their ignorance and lack of understanding of the Truth, and the meaning of the Holy Scriptures that pointed to His coming? Likewise, in His Second coming, there would still be some who would misconceive the Truth of the Holy Scriptures and deny Him again, and consequently, inflict upon Him the torment as had been when He First came to mankind. In Mathew, chapter 17, verses 11 though 13, Jesus points out to the disciples as to how the scriptures had already been misunderstood:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.”

It is evidently clear that every prophet has been called false by His own generation. It had been true of Jesus Christ as well, for He, too, was considered by the great mass of the people of His Day as a “false prophet”. In John, chapter 7, verse 12, it has been said of Christ:

“for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.”

Even though that Christ was considered “a good man,” yet, the leaders (Pharisees) still denied Him. This has been clearly shown in John, chapter 7, verses 45 through 47:

“Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?”

In John, chapter 7, verse 52, the Pharisees also:

“...answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.”

Was not Christ the Promise of the Old Testament, from Whom, the Jews had lamented their separation for centuries? Was not Christ the One foretold to come after Elijah (John the Baptist)? In Malachi, chapter 4, verse 5, it is written:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:”

Would not the Biblical and historical facts suggest that when He came the Second Time, He would still be called a “deceiver” again, and be bitterly persecuted by the people of His generation?

“Reflect, what could have been the motive for such deeds? What could have prompted such behaviour towards the Revealers of the beauty of the All-Glorious? Whatever in days gone by hath been the cause of the denial and opposition of those people hath now led to the perversity of the people of this age. To maintain that the testimony of Providence was incomplete, that it hath therefore been the cause of the denial of the people, is but open blasphemy. How far from the grace of the All-Bountiful and from His loving providence and tender mercies it is to single out a soul from amongst all men for the guidance of His creatures, and, on one hand, to withhold from Him the full measure of His divine testimony, and, on the other, inflict severe retribution on His people for having turned away from His chosen One! Nay, the manifold bounties of the Lord of all beings have, at all times, through the Manifestations of His divine Essence, encompassed the earth and all that dwell therein. Not for a moment hath His grace been withheld, nor have the showers of His loving-kindness ceased to rain upon mankind.”

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Pages: 13-14)

LET HIM BE ACCURSED

The spiritual education of mankind has been a long and difficult process. In order that the writings of God’s Holy Messengers bear fruit, it is vitally important that they be protected from changes made by mortal man. Such changes could have disastrous consequences by perverting the Divine message. There are many Holy Writings that make this clear. Although mortal man must not change a single word, a Manifestation of God has total authority as to add to, or abrogate former writings.

“But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Gal 1:8-9)

“Can ye (O ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you? Seeing that a party of them heard the word of Allah, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it.” (Qur’án 2:75)

“Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: ‘This is from Allah,’ to traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby. And they say: ‘The fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days;’ Say: ‘Have ye taken a promise from Allah for He never breaks His promise? Or is it that ye say of Allah what ye do not know?’” (Qur’án 2:79-80)

“Those who conceal the clear (Signs) We have sent down, and the guidance, after We have made it clear for the people in the book, on them shall be Allah’s curse, and the curse of those entitled to curse.” (Qur’án 2:159)

“O thou who hast gone astray!… Produce thou a sign, if thou art one of the truthful. We testify that thou hast cast behind thy back the Law of God, and laid hold on the dictates of thy passions. Nothing, in truth, escapeth His knowledge; He, verily, is the Incomparable, the All-Informed. O heedless one! Hearken unto that which the Merciful hath revealed in the Qur’an: `Say not to every one who meeteth you with a greeting, “Thou art not a believer.”’ Thus hath He decreed in Whose grasp are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if thou be of them that hearken. Thou hast set aside the commandment of God, and clung unto the promptings of thine own desire. Woe, then, unto thee, O careless one that doubtest! If thou deniest Me, by what proof canst thou vindicate the truth of that which thou dost possess? Produce it, then, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and turned aside from His sovereignty that hath encompassed the worlds!

“Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful. If thou be of them that occupy such a sublime station, produce then a sign from God, the Creator of the heavens. And shouldst thou recognize thy powerlessness,do thou rein in thy passions, and return unto thy Lord, that perchance He may forgive thee thy sins which have caused the leaves of the Divine Lote-Tree to be burnt up, and the Rock to cry out, and the eyes of men of understanding to weep. Because of thee the Veil of Divinity was rent asunder, and the Ark has foundered, and the She-Camel was hamstrung, and the Spirit (Jesus) groaned in His sublime retreat.”

(Baha’u’llah: Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Pages: 82-83)

Woe betide thee, O thou who hast joined partners with God, and woe betide them that have taken thee as their leader, without a clear token or a perspicuous Book.

How numerous the oppressors before thee who have arisen to quench the light of God, and how many the impious who murdered and pillaged until the hearts and souls of men groaned by reason of their cruelty! The sun of justice hath been obscured, inasmuch as the embodiment of tyranny hath been stablished upon the throne of hatred, and yet the people understand not.

(Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 101)

BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Christ knew that this same disbelief would be repeated in the day of His return. He warned His followers not to be misled by outward, physical wonders which might be worked in His name, but to look for the Figure Who would have that humble, loving, in-swelling Spirit.

Whenever a Messenger of God such as Jesus, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Muhammad, the Báb, or Bahá’u’lláh appears, He is considered to be a ‘false prophet’ by those who are not spiritually awake.

This is not a new problem. It did not begin with Christ or with Bahá’u’lláh. It is as old as the human race.

In that same chapter of Matthew in which Christ so clearly foretold the time of His return, He also gives His strongest warnings about the false prophets in the last days. He says:

‘Wherefore if they shall say unto you, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.’ (Matthew 24:26)

It is said that in the fifty years following the crucifixion, many people arose and claimed to be the Messiah, and throughout the centuries many have made this false claim.

In spite of these false prophets and fake Messiahs, Durant, in his The Age of Faith, says that the Jewish thinker Maimonides ‘accepted the Messianic hope as an indispensable support to the Jewish spirit in the Dispersion, and made it one of the thirteen principal tenets of the Jewish Faith.’

Although both Christianity and Judaism eagerly awaited the coming of the Messiah, the great mass of believers lost interest and became indifferent, even though in both Faiths the coming Kingdom was spoken of in prayer each day.

And so I asked myself if there were not some positive way in which I could test Bahá’u’lláh to make certain that He was a true prophet, and not a false prophet.

Fortunately, there was a way. It was given us by Christ Himself. He gave all Christians an infallible method by which they could test each prophet that came.

‘Beware of false prophets,’ Christ warned, ‘which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.’ (Matthew 7:15)

Christ promised that if we looked for the ‘inward’ truth and not the ‘outward’ appearance, we would know the true from the false…

In the very prophecy in which Christ warns His followers to ‘beware of false prophets’, He gives them the method by which they can judge the true from the false. He has provided humanity with an unerring standard by which every person can determine for himself whether a prophet is true or false.

I found this standard in the seventh chapter of Matthew. In this one chapter Christ gives the warning concerning false prophets, and gives the measuring rod by which to judge them.

I felt there was no excuse for me, or any other follower of Christ not to know the truth, for it is taken from His famous Sermon on the Mount.

‘Beware of false prophets,’ He warns, ‘which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit... Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’

Therefore, I intended to use this sound basis for judgement. I would do as Christ Himself advised. I would judge Bahá’u’lláh by His fruits. I would measure Bahá’u’lláh according to the standard which Christ had given, knowing that it would prove once and for all whether Bahá’u’lláh had the right to be called the Messiah.

If the fruit is good, the tree is good; and the prophet is true. That would be my test.

I decided to make this one of my most fundamental proofs, for I felt that the solution to The Case of the Missing Millenium depended upon this one proof perhaps more than on any other.

(William Sears, Thief in the Night, pp. 205-208)

The Bahá’i writings reveal that the Scripture in I John, chapter 4, verse 1, clarifies that on the day when a prophet appears in this world, one must “try the spirit” and find, whether or not, He is of God.

In order to distinguish truth from falsehood, as to whether, the spirit is of God, the Scripture in Galatians, chapter 5, verse 22, teaches that one must investigate and find whether the prophet bears the Divine fruit, which are:

“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,”

Among the fruits that Bahá’u’lláh (The Glory of God) in His 40 years of longsuffering, exile, banishment, and imprisonment, revealed to mankind are the following 12 Divine Principles:

ONENESS OF GOD

ONENESS OF MANKIND

COMMON FOUNDATION OF ALL RELIGIONS

INDIVIDUAL SEARCH FOR TRUTH

ELIMINATION OF PREJUDICE OF ALL KINDS

UNIVERSAL AUXILIARY LANGUAGE

EQUALITY OF MEN AND WOMEN

UNIVERSAL EDUCATION

HARMONY OF SCIENCE AND RELIGION

ELIMINATION OF EXTREME OF WEALTH AND POVERTY

UNIVERSAL PEACE UPHELD BY A WORLD GOVERNMENT

PROTECTION OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

And many more, which include over one hundred volumes containing over twelve thousand Tablets and Revelations for the unification of mankind.

MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME

“For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matt 24:5)

The New Testament gives warning that ‘no man knoweth (the new name) saving he that receiveth it.’ Obviously it was not going to be any easier to accept the new name in Christ’s second coming than it had been in His first. Only that small group that had correctly read the prophecies and believed in the Messiah in His first coming had accepted the name Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ, and only passing centuries brought popularity to the name Christian. Apparently it would be the same in His second coming. In one and the same chapter of Revelation we read:

1. ‘I will write upon him (that overcometh) my new name.’ (Rev 3: 12)
2. ‘I will confess his (new) name before my Father...’ (Rev 3: 5)
3. ‘I will not blot out his (new) name out of the book of life...’ (Rev 3: 5)
4. ‘These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth...I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou...hast not denied my name.’ (Rev 3: 7-8)
5. ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear...’ (Rev 3: 22)

In these words is the promise that in the day of His return, Christ will be the ‘holy’ and the ‘true’ Messiah, that He will have the ‘key’, and that He will ‘open the door’ to anyone who has ‘ears to hear’, and who will not deny His new name.

I decided to look further behind this ‘open door’.

The clue of the new name required careful study. Christ Himself gives notice that He will come in an unexpected manner, at an unexpected time, and that it will be difficult to recognize Him. He says in the very chapter which promises the new name:

‘Be watchful ... If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come upon thee.’ (Rev 3: 2-3)

To those who would cling to His old name, denying the new name, Christ in that same chapter admonishes:

‘I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.’ (Rev 3:1)

As a Christian, I didn’t like the idea of a new name at all. In fact, throughout the early part of my investigation I suffered frequently from the pricking of my conscious. This theory of a new name, however clearly it was written in both the Old and the New Testaments, was contrary to everything I had been taught. Still, I had to admit that those words ‘If thou shalt not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief’ could not be lightly set aside.

My investigation of this clue of the new name demonstrated clearly that the followers of Christ had been told in unistakable terms to cast aside all that they held dear in th hour of His second coming, jst as they hadbeen focedtdo in the day of His first coming, if they hoped to recognize Him and receive His new name.

The evidence showed distinctly that His return would not be according to the beliefs, standards, or expectations of any man. Each individual was warned to seek out the truth for himself, to be among those who ‘overcome’ the obstacles placed in their path. Each one must look with his own inner eye for the Messiah. It would not be sufficient in the day of Christ’s return to go along the old path and call upon Him by His old name, for in the same chapter in which is promised the new name, it is also foretold of God:

‘Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.’ (Rev 2: 2)

Later in that same book of Revelation, it speaks of the ‘great day of God Almighty’. Again Christ warns:

‘Behold, I come as a thief.’ (Rev 16: 15)

Then He comforts those with spiritual insight, saying:

‘Blessed is he that watcheth ...’ (Rev 16: 15)

There seemed little doubt that only those who had ‘eyes to see’ and ‘ears to hear’ would ‘receive’ the new name, recognize it, and understand it.

In the midst of this outpouring, so filled with the promise of Christ’s second coming, and so laden with warnings that spiritual faculties would be needed to perceive the manner of His coming, the promise of a new name is given yet another time.

This time it speaks not only of the new name, but of the new city, the new Jerusalem of that day. In these words, all those things with which man was then familiar would be changed, just as they had been changed in the day of His first coming. Unless a man could ‘overcome’ his preconceived ideas, his prejudices, and empty his cup of ‘former things’, he would not recognize the new name and the new day. If he could set aside all he possessed and believed in, Christ promised him the following blessing:

‘He that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.’ (Rev 3: 12)

The deeper I went into my search, the more I realized that I had a tiger by the tail and couldn’t let go. Instead of gradually diminishing the interest The Case of the Missing Millenium steadily gained momentum. But now my most difficult problem was with myself. I had many mental obstacles to overcome. I had to work overtime at being (in the words of Christ) ‘him that overcometh’, and I didn’t like the taste of it at all. I found the story fascinating, but something inside me rebelled. Long years of training at school, Sunday-school and home rose up within me to do battle. I hoped for the moment that all my research would prove to be nothing more than a fascinating story, but I had a nagging suspicion that the fun was only beginning.

I began to laugh at my predicament and to remind myself that I was a detective trying to solve a century-old mystery, and not a Christian trying to defend my beliefs.

Although I was now confidant that, according to the Bible, the Messiah would have a new name in the day of His coming, it still did not satisfy me. As a detective in search of facts, it was not sufficient to know that He would be called by a new name. Therefore, I examined the Scriptures with care to see if I might find it.

I made a very welcome discovery; I actually did find a new name by which the Promised One might very well be known. The more I tested it, the firmer it held, and this name was repeated time after time in connection with the prophecies of the time of the end.

It was given so often, that there seemed little doubt that this would be one of the titles by which He, the Messiah, would be known in that day. He would be recognized as the ‘Glory of God’ or the ‘Glory of the Lord’.

Isaiah prophesied that the plain of Sharon and the holy mountain, Carmel, would both be centres for the light and presence of the ‘Glory of the Lord’ in the last days. He said:

‘... the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the Glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.’ (Isa 35: 2)

Once again in the chapter preceding the one in which he, Isaiah, promises that God will raise up a ‘righteous man from the East,’ he foretells:

‘And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of God hath spoken it.’ (Isa 40: 5)

In the next chapter but one Isaiah adds the warning:

‘Hear, ye deaf; and look ye blind, that ye may see.’ (Isa 42: 18)

One group among the millennial scholars of the 1844 period was so certain that the ‘Glory of God’ would appear on the side of Mount Carmel, as foretold by Isaiah, that they sold all they owned and sailed for the Holy Land.

This group was originally under the leadership of Leonard H. Kelber. Their home was in Germany, where they were known as Templars. They were disillusioned when Christ did not appear, as expected, between 1843 and 1845, so they abandoned their former life and settled at the foot of Mount Carmel to await the great day of His coming.

They were positive that the ‘Glory of God’ would appear on the side of Mount Carmel. Their study of the Scriptures assured them that this promise would be kept. In the stone arches above their doorways, they chiseled the words which held their hopes:

DER HERR IST NAHE (The Lord is near).

Further search uncovered additional evidence that the title ‘Glory of the Lord’ or ‘Glory of God’ would be the new name by which the Messiah could be identified in the latter days.

The Book of Revelation, which, as we have already seen, gave the date of 844 (1260) for the end of the ‘times o the Gentiles’, andwhich proisedtnew name and the new city, also confirms the name or title of Him Who will be the central Light of that new city of God. St. John declares:

‘And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem ... and the city had no need of the sun ... for the Glory of God did lighten it.’ (Rev 21:2,23)

Christ Himself links the hour of His return with this same wondrous Figure ‘the Glory of the Lord’ or the ‘Glory of God’. He promises that in the last days He will appear in this very likeness of God, and in His glory:

‘For the Son of man shall come in the Glory of his Father.’ (Matt 16:27)

(William Sears, Thief in the Night, p. 34-40)

Since A.D. 1844 (1260 A.H. of the Islamic Lunar Calendar), many followers of Bahá’u’lláh (The Glory of God) have suffered bitter persecution, and been put to death by the Muslim clerics in Iran (Persia). These clerics believe that the process of divine revelation ended with Prophet Muhammad, and that any assertion to the contrary represented apostasy, punishable by death.

As a result, many Bahá’is in Iran have been compelled to flee their homeland seeking refuge for safety in the other parts of the world.

“And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name:” (Isaiah 65:15)

“The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam (Persia)…saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might…and will scatter them… and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come…And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the LORD. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the LORD.” (Jer 49:34-39)

YE SHALL NOT ADD UNTO THE WORD

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deut 4:2)

The Bahá’i Faith has revealed that the utterance of Moses in Deuteronomy, chapter 4, verse 2:

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you,”

has been interpreted by the Jewish clergy as to purport the finality, and ending of the Word of God and His Prophets, that after Moses, no Prophet should have been sent of God. Not surprisingly, the process of divine revelation did not come to a standstill with Moses, for according to His final blessing before death (Deut 33:2), after Him, came other Divine Manifestations Who both abrogated and added to the laws of His Dispensation: The Christ, Muhammad, The Báb, and Bahá’u’lláh.

The chain of successive divine revelations was a theme of Moses in THE OLD TESTAMENT. In Deuteronomy, chapter 33, verse 2, Moses spoke to the Israelites of the signs which accurately foretold the advent of future Dispensations, the High Prophets, Who would each become the Founder and Inaugurator of yet another cycle of divine civilization, conducive to the restructuring of the life of man upon earth:

“And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he Shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”

“Mount Sinai,” is where Moses revealed THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, “Mount Seir,” is where Jesus Christ revealed His Sermon on the Mount, “Mount Paran,” located in the Arabian Peninsula, is where Muhammad revealed His Divine Message (Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of “the Holy One from mount Paran.”,) “he came with ten thousands of saints,” prophesied the coming of The Báb(1) and His followers, and, “from his right hand went a fiery law for them,” prophesied the Advent of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh: The Most Holy Book (Kitab-i-Aqdas).

1. The Forerunner and Herald of the Cause of Bahá’u’lláh.

…how many Revealers of the light everlasting, have appeared since the time of Moses, and yet Israel, wrapt in the densest veils of satanic fancy and false imaginings, is still expectant that the idol of her own handiwork will appear with such signs as she herself hath conceived!

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Page: 18)

…all the Prophets of God, whenever made manifest unto the peoples of the world, have invariably foretold the coming of yet another Prophet after them, and have established such signs as would herald the advent of the future Dispensation. To this the records of all sacred books bear witness.

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Iqan, Pages: 12-13)

Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God with such standards and sciences as are current amongst you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established amongst men. In this most perfectBalance whatsoever the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested according to its own standard, did ye but know it.

(Baha’u’llah: The Kitab-i-Aqdas, Page: 56)

But as to the Jewish doctors, Christian priests and monks who read those Books, verily, they know the letter only and they utter the words, as parrots, without understanding their inner meanings. They comprehend them not, because they are engrossed in worldly desires and lusts and their hearts are attached to mundane allurements. Verily, are they not heedless of God and understand nothing and find not the right path?

(`Abdu’l-Baha: Baha’i World Faith*, Page: 391)

In a similar fashion, as in the days of the Mosaic Dispensation (Deut 4:2), the utterance of Jesus Christ in the Revelation of St. John, chapter 22, verse 18:

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book,”

has been interpreted by the Christian clerics as to purport the finality of the Word of God and His Prophets, that after Jesus Christ, no Prophet should have been sent of God. Like Moses, successive divine revelation was yet a theme of Jesus Christ in THE NEW TESTAMENT, for He said:

“I go away, and come again unto you.” (John 14:28)

The Bahá’i writings reveal that with this utterance, Jesus Christ dispelled the doubts and misunderstandings as to the Truth that His coming was not the last to be expected, and that, neither His revelation to be the last ‘of the prophecy of this book,’ for He had ‘yet many things to say,’ which He did not, since, in His Day, no one around Him could yet bear and comprehend their inner meanings:

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.” (John 16:12)

Know of a certainty that in every Dispensation the light of Divine Revelation hath been vouchsafed unto men in direct proportion to their spiritual capacity. Consider the sun. How feeble its rays the moment it appeareth above the horizon. How gradually its warmth and potency increase as it approacheth its zenith, enabling meanwhile all created things to adapt themselves to the growing intensity of its light. How steadily it declineth until it reacheth its setting point. Were it, all of a sudden, to manifest the energies latent within it, it would, no doubt, cause injury to all created things.... In like manner, if the Sun of Truth were suddenly to reveal, at the earliest stages of its manifestation, the full measure of the potencies which the providence of the Almighty hath bestowed upon it, the earth of human understanding would waste away and be consumed; for men’s hearts would neither sustain the intensity of its revelation, nor be able to mirror forth the radiance of its light. Dismayed and overpowered, they would cease to exist.

(Baha’u’llah: Gleanings, Pages: 87-88)

Lastly, in a fashion similar as to both the Dispensations of Moses (Deut 4:2), and Jesus Christ (Rev 22:18), the utterance of Prophet Muhammad in the Qur’án, chapter 33, verse 40:

“Muhammad… (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets:,”

has been interpreted by the Moslem clerics as to claiming that Qur’án is the final Book, and the final testimony of God and His Prophets. For by virtue of this verse: “(he is) the… Seal of the Prophets,” they believe that the coming of Prophet Muhammad has sealed both the cycle of the Prophethood, as well as the cycle of the Messengership, this to mean that, after Muhammad, no Prophet and Messenger should have been sent of God.

But, continuos divine revelation was yet a theme of Muhammad, the Apostle of God, when He came to the peoples of the world, like Moses and Jesus Christ, testifying, and proclaiming as to the Truth that the process of divine revelation is never to be ended, nor exhausted.

The Bahá’i writings reveal that the Divine teachings of Prophet Muhammad denies the concept of finality. This upon His bestowal of the glad tidings of future Messengers Who would come after Him ‘rehearsing my signs unto you’:

“O ye children of Adam! whenever there come to you Messengers from amongst you, rehearsing my signs unto you, those who are righteous and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” (Qur’án 7:35)

In another Surah, He furthermore admonishes that ‘the Words of Allah,’ would not ‘be exhausted (in the writing)’:

“…if all the trees on earth were pens and the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the Words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom.” (Qur’án 31:27)

This, for the Divine Truth that ‘Allah…has power to create the like of them (anew)’:

“See they not that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, has power to create the like of them (anew)? Only He has decreed a term appointed, of which there is no doubt.” (Qur’án 17:99)

It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained, and may, in a sense, be characterized as God’s appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique, and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it. The designation “Seal of the Prophets” fully revealeth its high station. The Prophetic Cycle hath, verily, ended. The Eternal Truth is now come. He hath lifted up the Ensign of Power, and is now shedding upon the world the unclouded splendor of His Revelation.

(Baha’u’llah: Gleanings, Page: 60)

Baha’u’llah cautions people “of insight” not to allow their interpretations of the Holy Scriptures to prevent them from recognizing the Manifestation of God. Followers of each religion have tended to allow their devotion to its Founder to cause them to perceive His Revelation as the final Word of Godand to deny the possibility of the appearance of any subsequent Prophet. This has been the case of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Baha’u’llah denies the validity of this concept of finality both in relation to past Dispensations and to His own. With regard to Muslims, He wrote in the Kitab-i-Iqan that the “people of the Qur’an ... have allowed the words `Seal of the Prophets’ to veil their eyes”, “to obscure their understanding, and deprive them of the grace of all His manifold bounties”. He affirms that “this theme hath ... been a sore test unto all mankind”, and laments the fate of “those who, clinging unto these words, have disbelieved in Him Who is their true Revealer”. The Báb refers to this same theme when He warns: “Let not names shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is their Lord, even the name Prophet, for such a name is but a creation of His utterance.”

(Baha’u’llah: Aqdas: Notes, Pages: 243-244)

Contemplate with thine inward eye the chain of successive Revelations that hath linked the Manifestation of Adam with that of the Báb. I testify before God that each one of these Manifestations hath been sent down through the operation of the Divine Will and Purpose, that each hath been the bearer of a specific Message, that each hath been entrusted with a divinely-revealed Book and been commissioned to unravel the mysteries of a mighty Tablet. The measure of the Revelation with which every one of them hath been identified had been definitely fore-ordained. This, verily, is a token of Our favor unto them, if ye be of those that comprehend this truth.... And when this process of progressive Revelation culminated in the stage at which His peerless, His most sacred, and exalted Countenance was to be unveiled to men’s eyes, He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils, lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory. This He did at a time when the signs and tokens of a divinely-appointed Revelation were being showered upon Him - signs and tokens which none can reckon except the Lord, your God, the Lord of all worlds. And when the set time of concealment was fulfilled, We sent forth, whilst still wrapt within a myriad veils, an infinitesimal glimmer of the effulgent Glory enveloping the Face of the Youth, and lo, the entire company of the dwellers of the Realms above were seized with violent commotion and the favored of God fell down in adoration before Him. He hath, verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation hath witnessed, inasmuch as He hath arisen to proclaim in person His Cause unto all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth.

(Baha’u’llah: Gleanings, Pages: 74-75)

Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore, it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. If it be without motion and nonprogressive, it is without the divine life; it is dead. The divine institutes are continuously active and evolutionary; therefore, the revelation of them must be progressive and continuous. All things are subject to reformation. This is a century of life and renewal. Sciences and arts, industry and invention have been reformed. Law and ethics have been reconstituted, reorganized. The world of thought has been regenerated. Sciences of former ages and philosophies of the past are useless today. Present exigencies demand new methods of solution; world problems are without precedent. Old ideas and modes of thought are fast becoming obsolete. Ancient laws and archaic ethical systems will not meet the requirements of modern conditions, for this is clearly the century of a new life, the century of the revelation of reality and, therefore, the greatest of all centuries. Consider how the scientific developments of fifty years have surpassed and eclipsed the knowledge and achievements of all the former ages combined. Would the announcements and theories of ancient astronomers explain our present knowledge of the suns and planetary systems? Would the mask of obscurity which beclouded medieval centuries meet the demand for clear-eyed vision and understanding which characterizes the world today? Will the despotism of former governments answer the call for freedom which has risen from the heart of humanity in this cycle of illumination? It is evident that no vital results are now forthcoming from the customs, institutions and standpoints of the past. In view of this, shall blind imitations of ancestral forms and theological interpretations continue to guide and control the religious life and spiritual development of humanity today? Shall man, gifted with the power of reason, unthinkingly follow and adhere to dogma, creeds and hereditary beliefs which will not bear the analysis of reason in this century of effulgent reality? Unquestionably this will not satisfy men of science, for when they find premise or conclusion contrary to present standards of proof and without real foundation, they reject that which has been formerly accepted as standard and correct and move forward from new foundations.

(`Abdu’l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace*, Pages: 140-141)

The Dispensation of Baha’u’llah will last until the coming of the next Manifestation of God, Whose advent will not take place before at least “a full thousand years” will have elapsed. Baha’u’llah cautions against ascribing to “this verse” anything other than its “obvious meaning”, and in one of His Tablets, He specifies that “each year” of this thousand year period consists of “twelve months according to the Qur’an, and of nineteen months of nineteen days each, according to the Bayan[6]”.

The intimation of His Revelation to Baha’u’llah in the Siyah-Chal of Tihran[7], in October 1852, marks the birth of His Prophetic Mission and hence the commencement of the one thousand years or more that must elapse before the appearance of the next Manifestation of God.

(Baha’u’llah: Aqdas: Notes, Pages: 195-196)