Archive for April, 2014

Holy Day: Rizvan 9-The Day of the Establisher of the Baha’i Faith, Jamal 2, 171 B.E. (4/29/2014)

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Now concerning the verse in Daniel, the interpretation whereof thou didst ask, namely, “Blessed is he who cometh unto the thousand three hundred and thirty five days”. These days must be reckoned as solar and not lunar years. For according to this calculation a century will have elapsed from the dawn of the Sun of Truth, then will the teachings of God be firmly established upon the earth, and the Divine Light shall flood the world from the East even unto the West. Then, on this day, will the faithful rejoice!

Abdu’l-Baha’ cf The Passing of Abdu’l-Baha’ also Baha’u’llah And The New Era

 

Of the exact circumstances attending that epoch-making Declaration we, alas, are but scantily informed. The words Bahá’u’lláh actually uttered on that occasion, the manner of His Declaration, the reaction it produced, its impact on Mírzá Yaḥyá, the identity of those who were privileged to hear Him, are shrouded in an obscurity which future historians will find it difficult to penetrate. The fragmentary description left to posterity by His chronicler Nabíl is one of the very few authentic records we possess of the memorable days He spent in that garden. “Every day,” Nabíl has related, “ere the hour of dawn, the gardeners would pick the roses which lined the four avenues of the garden, and would pile them in the center of the floor of His blessed tent. So great would be the heap that when His companions gathered to drink their morning tea in His presence, they would be unable to see each other across it. All these roses Bahá’u’lláh would, with His own hands, entrust to those whom He dismissed from His presence every morning to be delivered, on His behalf, to His Arab and Persian friends in the city.” “One night,” he continues, “the ninth night of the waxing moon, I happened to be one of those who watched beside His blessed tent. As the hour of midnight approached, I saw Him issue from His tent, pass by the places where some of His companions were sleeping, and begin to pace up and down the moonlit, flower-bordered avenues of the garden. So loud was the singing of the nightingales on every side that only those who were near Him could hear distinctly His voice. He continued to walk until, pausing in the midst of one of these avenues, He observed: ‘Consider these nightingales. So great is their love for these roses, that sleepless from dusk till dawn, they warble their melodies and commune with burning passion with the object of their adoration. How then can those who claim to be afire with the rose-like beauty of the Beloved choose to sleep?’ For three successive nights I watched and circled round His blessed tent. Every time I passed by the couch whereon He lay, I would find Him wakeful, and every day, from morn till eventide, I would see Him ceaselessly engaged in conversing with the stream of visitors who kept flowing in from Baghdád. Not once could I discover in the words He spoke any trace of dissimulation.”

As to the significance of that Declaration let Bahá’u’lláh Himself reveal to us its import. Acclaiming that historic occasion as the “Most Great Festival,” the “King of Festivals,” the “Festival of God,” He has, in His Kitáb-i-Aqdas, characterized it as the Day whereon “all created things were immersed in the sea of purification,” whilst in one of His specific Tablets, He has referred to it as the Day whereon “the breezes of forgiveness were wafted over the entire creation.” “Rejoice, with exceeding gladness, O people of Bahá!”, He, in another Tablet, has written, “as ye call to remembrance the Day of supreme felicity, the Day whereon the Tongue of the Ancient of Days hath spoken, as He departed from His House proceeding to the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendors of His Name, the All-Merciful… Were We to reveal the hidden secrets of that Day, all that dwell on earth and in the heavens would swoon away and die, except such as will be preserved by God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. Such is the inebriating effect of the words of God upon the Revealer of His undoubted proofs that His pen can move no longer.” And again: “The Divine Springtime is come, O Most Exalted Pen, for the Festival of the All-Merciful is fast approaching…. The Day-Star of Blissfulness shineth above the horizon of Our Name, the Blissful, inasmuch as the Kingdom of the Name of God hath been adorned with the ornament of the Name of Thy Lord, the Creator of the heavens…. Take heed lest anything deter Thee from extolling the greatness of this Day—the Day whereon the Finger of Majesty and Power hath opened the seal of the Wine of Reunion, and called all who are in the heavens and all who are on earth…. This is the Day whereon the unseen world crieth out: ‘Great is thy blessedness, O earth, for thou hast been made the footstool of thy God, and been chosen as the seat of His mighty throne’ …Say … He it is Who hath laid bare before you the hidden and treasured Gem, were ye to seek it. He it is who is the One Beloved of all things, whether of the past or of the future.” And yet again: “Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Riḍván and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the Garden of Delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise… Within this Paradise, and from the heights of its loftiest chambers, the Maids of Heaven have cried out and shouted: ‘Rejoice, ye dwellers of the realms above, for the fingers of Him Who is the Ancient of Days are ringing, in the name of the All-Glorious, the Most Great Bell, in the midmost heart of the heavens. The hands of bounty have borne round the cups of everlasting life. Approach, and quaff your fill.’” And finally: “Forget the world of creation, O Pen, and turn Thou towards the face of Thy Lord, the Lord of all names. Adorn, then, the world with the ornament of the favors of Thy Lord, the King of everlasting days. For We perceive the fragrance of the Day whereon He Who is the Desire of all nations hath shed upon the kingdoms of the unseen and of the seen the splendors of the light of His most excellent names, and enveloped them with the radiance of the luminaries of His most gracious favors, favors which none can reckon except Him Who is the Omnipotent Protector of the entire creation.”

Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By pg. 153-155

 

`Abdu’l-Baha spoke of the coming of the establisher in Some Answered Questions in his commentary on the eleventh chapter of the Revelation of St. John. This was written in 1906:

The seventh angel is a man qualified with heavenly attributes, who will arise with heavenly qualities and character. Voices will be raised, so that the appearance of the Divine Manifestation will be proclaimed and diffused. In the day of the manifestation of the Lord of Hosts, and at the epoch of the divine cycle of the Omnipotent which is promised and mentioned in all the books and writings of the Prophets – in that day of God, the Spiritual and Divine Kingdom will be established, and the world will be renewed; a new spirit will be breathed into the body of creation; the season of the divine spring will come; the clouds of mercy will rain; the sun of reality will shine; the life-giving breeze will blow; the world of humanity will wear a new garment; the surface of the earth will be a sublime paradise; mankind will be educated; wars, disputes, quarrels and malignity will disappear; and truthfulness, righteousness, peace and the worship of God will appear; union, love and brotherhood will surround the world; and God will rule for evermore – meaning that the Spiritual and Everlasting Kingdom will be established. Such is the day of God. (Pages: 56-57)

You may remember when you read the date prophecy for Baha’u’llah in His proofs, that we read Matthew 24:3 and 15. There, when the disciples asked Jesus when he would return, he referred them to the book of Daniel. We figured out the first two dates but not the third. This was in chapter 12 of the book of Daniel. Esselmont writes about this date in his book, Baha’u’llah and the New Era in the chapter titled, Prophesies of Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l- Baha under subtitle Coming of the Kingdom of God:

In the last two verses of the book of Daniel occur the cryptic words:– “Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days. But go thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.”

Many have been the attempts of learned students to solve the problem of the significance of these words. In a table-talk at which the writer was present, Abdu’l-Baha reckoned the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy from the date of the beginning of the Muhammadan era. (page, 249)

The Muhammadan era began with the victory of Muhammad in 628 AD, and 628 AD plus 1335 years brings us to 1963. The date for the coming of the Bab was from the start of the calendar to 1260 AH which was 1844 AD. For the coming of Baha’u’llah, it was from the proclamation of Muhammad to the proclamation of Baha’u’llah. But this date is from the victory of Muhammad to the victory of the Cause of God—from victory to victory.

Esselmont gives this date:

Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablets make it clear that this prophecy refers to the one-hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad, or the year 1963: —

‘Now concerning the verse in Daniel, the interpretation whereof thou didst ask, namely, “Blessed is he who cometh unto the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days.” These days must be reckoned as solar and not lunar years. For according to this calculation a century will have elapsed from the dawn of the Sun of Truth, then will the teachings of God be firmly established upon the earth, and the divine light shall flood the world from the East even unto the West. Then, on this day, will the faithful rejoice!’

‘Abdu’l-Baha said that all of these things would be established by the seventh angel, and the seventh angel comes in 1963, and this is the start of Dr. Jensen’s ministry. The seventh angel is the same as Joshua the High Priest:

“And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing on his right hand to resist him.” (Zechariah 3:1)

This took place on April 21, 1963. ‘Abdu’l-Baha said that the seventh angel would come exactly one hundred years after Baha’u’llah’s proclamation on April 21, 1863. So at that date Dr. Jensen was opposed by Satan, Rex King, who came against Dr. Jensen at the Feast of Ridvan during National Assembly elections. This prophecy was fulfilled perfectly, down to the very day.

Proofs for The Establisher of the Baha’i Faith, www.bupc.org

 

THE RETURN OF JESUS,
THE HIGH PRIEST,
AFTER THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEC

The return of Jesus is prophesied to come under various names and titles besides “The High Priest.” He is the return of the sacrificial Lamb, the Lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes:

And between the throne [a Davidic King] and the four living creatures [the four beasts after they become Baha’i nations] and among the elders [they are the ones that remained with the executive after it was split from the Covenant-breaking “Hands”], I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain [it was Jesus that was slain and he returns as the Lamb], with seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth [the eyes of the Lamb understand the prophecies of the 7 Revelations of God]; and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. (Revelation 5:6, 7 RSV)

Each king has a scepter in his right hand to show the proof of his authority. This Davidic king who separated from the Covenant-breaking “Hands” has a scroll, or the Book of the Covenant and Will and Testament, as his scepter in his hand to show the proof of his authority, but he could not reestablish this back into the world. So the Lamb takes the scroll, or the Book of the Covenant and Will and Testament, from the king’s hand and reestablishes this kingship back at the head of the Universal House of Justice, starting with the second International Baha’i Council that is going through the four stages.

And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and they sang a new song [which are the explanations and commentaries of the Lamb], saying, “Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain [on his first coming] and by thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and hast made them a kingdom [Davidic] and priests [teachers] to our God, and they shall reign on earth.” (Revelation 5:8-10 RSV)

He comes as the Knight on the white horse, as he was knighted by Shoghi Effendi. This is prophesied in both the sixth and the nineteenth chapters of Revelation:

Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say, as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and its rider had a bow [sign of the Covenant]; and a crown [the golden halo around his head] was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer [he will conquer over the evils of the Covenant-breakers]. (Revelation 6:1, 2 RSV) [1]

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war [on the Covenant-breakers]. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems [many titles]; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself [the Land]. He is clad in a robe dipped in blood…. (Revelation 19:11-13 RSV)

Baha’u’llah referred to His Revelation as a robe. It is dipped in blood which was the blood of 20,000 Baha’i Martyrs. Shoghi Effendi knighted the Lamb as a Knight of Baha’u’llah; thus as a Knight of Baha’u’llah he is establishing Baha’u’llah and His Cause in the world:

…and the name by which he is called is The Word of God [‘Abdu’l-Baha said that the Word of God referred to Jesus]. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses. [The white horses are symbolic of the pure Revelation of Baha’u’llah which they are establishing.] From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron [Jesus’ rod is a rod of iron]; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty [the fury of the wrath of God is against the Covenant-breakers that did away with His Kingdom]. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.
(Revelation 19:13-16 RSV)

Every knight that rushes into battle has on his robe and on his chaps the name of the king that he is championing. This knight, Dr. Leland Jensen, a Knight of Baha’u’llah, is championing Baha’u’llah and His administration that the Covenant-breakers abolished. He fulfills Revelation 19:11-16, defeating all people who are in opposition to Baha’u’llah Who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the only Knight of Baha’u’llah left. All the rest have either died off or have become fallen knights by going against Shoghi Effendi and God.

Another title, or diadem, by which he is called is the “seventh angel” who is doing the same things that the Knight on the white horse is doing. Another title by which he is called is “Blessed is he who cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days:”—

In the last two verses of the Book of Daniel occur the cryptic words—”Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of Days [we are in the end of days now].”

Many have been the attempts of learned students to solve the problem of the significance of these words. In a tabletalk at which the writer [Esslemont] was present, ‘Abdu’l-Baha reckoned the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy from the date of the beginning of the Muhammadan era [the victory of Muhammad over Mecca in 628 AD—628 + 1335 = 1963].

‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablets make it clear that this prophecy refers to the one hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Baha’u’llah in Baghdad, or the year [April 21st] 1963:—

Now concerning the verse in Daniel, the interpretation whereof thou didst ask, namely, “Blessed is he who cometh unto the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days.” These days must be reckoned as solar and not lunar years. For according to this calculation a century will have elapsed from the dawn of the Sun of Truth, then will the teachings of God be firmly established [by Blessed is he] upon the earth, and the Divine Light shall flood the world from the East even unto the West. Then, on this day, will the faithful rejoice! (J.E. Esslemont author of Baha’u’llah and the New Era on pages 249-250 of the 1970 Edition.)

On April 21st, 1963 the return of Jesus began his ministry by being opposed by Satan (Rex King) who was designated Satan by the Davidic King who was ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s son.

1 And he shewed me Joshua [Jesus] the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

3 Now Joshua [Jesus] was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel [Jesus himself was not dirty, just his outer appearance was dirty].

4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with a change of raiment [that is, the image of being guilty changes to one of innocence and purity].

5 And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. [Although he began his ministry on April 21, 1963 he didn’t know that he was the return of Jesus at that time. Just like Jesus on his first coming, although he was a follower of John the Baptist, he didn’t know that he was the Christ until he was baptized by John.] And the angel of the LORD stood by.

6 And the angel of the LORD protested unto Joshua [Jesus], saying,

7 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house [the Universal House of Justice], and shalt also keep my courts [local, national and international], and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

8 Hear now, O Joshua [Jesus], the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee [his Twelve Apostles that are his appointed members of the second International Baha’i Council]: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. [‘Abdu’l-Baha and his descendants seated on the throne of King David, which is the executive head of the Universal House of Justice, as found in ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s Sacred Will and Testament. The plan for this Universal House of Justice was set up by Shoghi Effendi in four stages, which was abolished by the Covenant-breaking Baha’is when they went against Shoghi Effendi.]

9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua [Jesus]; upon one stone shall be seven eyes:… (Zechariah 3:1-9)

This is the stone wall surrounding the old Montana State Prison where Jesus was incarcerated on a trumped-up charge by a very corrupt legal system, including corrupt lawyers, corrupt prosecutors, and corrupt judges. There were other prisoners in that prison convicted for crimes they did not commit. Some prisoners are held in prison for 15 or more years until it is discovered that they could not have committed that crime, or valuable evidence was withheld by the prosecution in order to get a verdict. When these injustices come to light the prisoner is released, but the state doesn’t even apologize, much less reimburse him for stealing 15 or more years of his valuable life.

…Behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that [the] land [2] in one day. (Zechariah 3:9)

The iniquity of “the land” in the ninth paragraph is the same iniquity of Jesus in the fourth paragraph. The meaning of the word “iniquity” is: “Grievous violation of right or justice” [3] by the corrupt legal system. Therefore Jesus and “the land” are the same individual, with “the land” being the name of the person that fulfills the prophecies for the return of Jesus. The name of the person that was put in prison was Leland, which is a French surname [4] and an English given name meaning the land. This shows that Leland is the prophesied name of the person who is the return of Jesus the High Priest.

Nobody knew that Leland (the Land) was the name for the return of Jesus. If they did, all the mothers in the world would have named their sons “Leland.” So God kept it a secret. As he was the Knight of Baha’u’llah prophesied in the nineteenth chapter of Revelation, this knight had a name written that only he knew:—

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [diadems, or titles]; and he had a name written [or inscribed], that no man knew, but he himself. (Revelation 19:11, 12)

When Dr. Leland was participating in Shoghi Effendi’s World Crusade, he was on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. Reunion Island was a department of France, and French was the official language spoken there. Therefore many of the people called him “the land,” for “le” is the masculine word for the English word “the.”

It was Dr. Leland Jensen, a Knight of Baha’u’llah, who was put in prison with the “stone with seven eyes” before him, fulfilling prophecy for the name and address (Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge, Montana) for the return of Jesus. However, God said that He laid the “stone with seven eyes” before Jesus—Dr. Leland Jensen. He saw that he fulfilled the prophecies of the third chapter of Zechariah. As the iniquity of Jesus in the fourth paragraph and the iniquity of “the land” were the same iniquity (the dirty garment), he knew he was the only person in the world who knew what the name for Jesus the High Priest, on his second coming, was—”the Land,” or Leland—for that was his name.

For behold the stone that I [God] have laid before Joshua [Jesus]; upon one stone [5] shall be seven eyes: behold, I [God] will engrave [to impress as if with a graver [6]] the engravings thereof, saith the LORD of hosts,…. (Zechariah 3:9)

Here, God as an engraver is impressing upon us that it was He who put Dr. Leland Jensen in prison. Why would God do a thing like that? Well, God seems to be hard on most of His Promised Ones. For instance, He had Moses, who was brought up in the palace of the Pharaoh and next to sit on the throne of Egypt, exiled out into the desert for forty years before he was to take the 12 tribes of Israel out of bondage. God had Jesus suffer one of the most painful deaths of crucifixion. Baha’u’llah, Who was born and raised in luxury and was probably the richest man in the world, ended up separated from that way of life. He suffered immense pain by being chained with an iron collar riveted around His neck and was seated in a circle of 150 other prisoners who also had iron collars around their necks and were attached to each other with chains on either side. They were all in a completely dark dungeon that was only opened to light for a short time each day for them to be fed swill. They sat in their own excrement. The Black Pit reeked with the odor of human excrement. He endured this for four months. Then He was exiled for forty years, with twenty years spent in prison in Acca, which was one of the most foul cities in the world. The Bab was also a prisoner and was martyred by being shot with seven hundred and fifty rifle balls.

Why did God have Baha’u’llah suffer these injustices? Because His mission was to establish Justice. So He Himself had to experience injustice. The reason Leland had to suffer injustice is that he had to know injustice first hand, for he has to judge God’s house, keep God’s courts, [7] and reestablish the Universal House of Justice given by Baha’u’llah, delineated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha and set up by Shoghi Effendi in four stages, all of which was discarded by the Covenant-breaking “Hands”. The real reason God put Dr. Leland Jensen in prison in Deer Lodge is to prove to the entire world that Dr. Leland Jensen is the one who fulfills the prophecies for the return of Jesus the High Priest. That is, he was in the plan at the beginning.

GOD HAD A PLAN

God had a plan from the very beginning, six thousand years ago in 4000 BC. Everything that has happened during the last six thousand years was in that plan. Thus Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” [8] Was Jesus alive before Abraham? No! What he was saying is that before Abraham was born, he, Jesus, was in the plan of God. This plan was hidden behind a veil. The minor prophets like Daniel and Isaiah where so spiritual that they could pull the veil open and look at part of God’s plan. Then they wrote down what they saw and these became the prophecies that are found in the Holy Scriptures. One prophet, Daniel, saw the four dates for the coming of Jesus: 34 AD, 1844 AD, 1863 AD and 1963 AD. Other prophets saw the names, addresses and missions of different Promised Ones. When these Promised Ones come they point out that they were prophesied by name, address, date and mission to show their authenticity, for authenticity is the criteria of believability. God purposely gave them this authenticity so that they could carry out the mission that God entrusted them with.

When God placed Dr. Leland Jensen in prison, it wasn’t an afterthought on the part of God, but Leland, the return of Jesus, was in the plan of God six thousand years ago. The purpose of this prophecy is to show that the one that fulfills this prophecy is the return of Jesus the High Priest. There is just one person in this world that fulfilled this prophecy. You can be sure that Dr. Leland Jensen didn’t go down to the “stone with seven eyes” and knock on the door and say, “Please let me in so that I can fulfill prophecy.” No. Like Baha’u’llah, he was brought there against his will.

There may have been other persons named Leland who might have lived in Montana. But there is only one person named Leland who had the “stone with seven eyes” before him. No matter which direction he turned, the “stone with seven eyes” was before him. He began his ministry on the date given by Daniel on April 21st, 1963, when he was opposed by Satan. He was sent to prison on a dirty garment charge. This was to show that neither Baha’u’llah nor any of the other Promised Ones fulfilled this prophecy, for none of the other Promised Ones were in prison on a dirty garment charge. None of the other Promised Ones had the “stone with seven eyes” before them. None of them wore the dirty garment. None of them came in 1963. None of them came in the name of “the Land.” And no other Promised One fulfilled his mission. [9]

Who are you going to believe? Those crackpots on Mt. Carmel that went against God as they were in opposition to Shoghi Effendi, doing away with the plan of God set up by Shoghi Effendi? Or are you going to turn to the return of Jesus the High Priest after the Order of Melchizedec, the son (Jesus) returned to establish his Father’s (Baha’u’llah’s) Kingdom?—

Then cometh the end, when he [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father [Baha’u’llah]; when he [Jesus] shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he [Jesus] must reign, till he [Jesus] hath put all enemies [including the Covenant-breakers on Mt. Carmel] under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is [spiritual] death. For he [Jesus] hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he [Jesus] is excepted, which did put all things under him [Jesus]. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son [Jesus] also himself be subject unto him [Baha’u’llah] that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (I Corinthians 15:24-28)

Leland, the Son, hath put the lineage of David that is to exist forever (Psalm 89) back at the head of the Universal House of Justice in four stages as set up by Shoghi Effendi. He established the second International Baha’i Council on January 9th, 1991, exactly forty years to the day from when Shoghi Effendi had set up the first International Baha’i Council, in fulfillment of prophecy. It remained embryonic until Jesus, the authorized person, had it born into this world as the second International Baha’i Council. It will go through the four stages as Shoghi Effendi had planned, next becoming a World Court. This will take place right after the nuclear war when the four “beast nations”—England, France, United States and Russia—become the four living creatures by becoming Baha’i nations as prophesied in the Bible.

…and I will remove the iniquity [10] of that [the] land [Leland] in one day. (Zechariah 3:9)

What day is that?—

In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree. (Zechariah 3:10)

 

By the fulfillment of prophecy, the Baha’i Faith and the Kingdom Of God on earth as in heaven was firmly Established on this day in 1963. 

 

 

Baha’i Month: Jamal (Beauty) 1, 171 B.E., Ridvan 8 (4/28/2014)

Monday, April 28th, 2014

THE Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty ruleth upon the throne of David. Thus hath My Pen spoken that which the histories of bygone ages have related. At this time, however, David crieth aloud and saith: ‘O my loving Lord! Do Thou number me with such as have stood steadfast in Thy Cause, O Thou through Whom the faces have been illumined, and the footsteps have slipped!’

Baha’u’llah, The Proclamation of Baha’u’llah, pg. 89

Ridvan 5, Baha’i Sabbath, Jalal 17, 171 B.E. (4/25/2014)

Friday, April 25th, 2014

O ye who are turned towards the Kingdom and drawn unto the Holy Fragrances diffused from the Garden of El-Abha!

Arise with every power to assist the Covenant of God and serve in His vineyard. Be confident that a confirmation will be granted unto you and a success on His part given unto you. Verily He shall support you by the angels of His Holiness and reinforce you with the breaths of the Spirit that ye may mount the Ark of Safety, set forth the evident signs, impart the spirit of life, declare the essence of His commands and precepts, guide the sheep who are straying from the fold in all directions, use every effort in your power to give the blessings ye have and strive earnestly and wisely in this new century. By God, verily the Lord of Hosts is your support, the angels of heaven your assistance, the Holy Spirit your companion and the Center of the Covenant your helper! Be not idle, but active and fear not. Look unto those who have been in the former ages—how they have resisted all nations and suffered persecutions and afflictions, and how their stars shone and their attacks proved successful, their teachings established, their regions expanded, their hearts gladdened, their ideas cleared and their motives effective. Ye are now in a great station and noble rank and ye shall find yourselves in evident success and prosperity, the like of which the eye of existence hath never seen in former ages.

El-Baha and salutations be upon every one who is firm in the Covenant, free from dissension, sanctified from deceits and steadfast in the Path!

Abdu’l-Baha’, Tablets Vol. 2 pp. 433-434 

Baha’i Holy Day: 1st Day Of Ridvan, Jalal 13, 171 B.E. (4/21/2014)

Monday, April 21st, 2014

The arrival of Bahá’u’lláh in the Najíbíyyih Garden, subsequently designated by His followers the Garden of Riḍván, signalizes the commencement of what has come to be recognized as the holiest and most significant of all Bahá’í festivals, the festival commemorating the Declaration of His Mission to His companions. So momentous a Declaration may well be regarded both as the logical consummation of that revolutionizing process which was initiated by Himself upon His return from Sulaymáníyyih, and as a prelude to the final proclamation of that same Mission to the world and its rulers from Adrianople.

Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, Chapter 9 para. 1

The following was revealed by Baha’u’llah on this day, April 21, 1863 in the Najíbíyyih Garden called the Garden of Riḍván.

 

This is the City of Patience. Strive ye to enter it, O concourse of the patient ones!

In His name, the Exalted One, He Who is the Most Exalted.

This is the remembrance of God in the City of Patience regarding Job, Our servant, Whom We sheltered under the shade of that Holy Tree planted in His heart, to Whom We demonstrated the fire ignited in His Own Essence, and to Whose Self We revealed Our Own Self by His Own Self. We called Job from this sacred Spot whose environs are sanctified with this call, “Verily, He is God, Thy Lord and the Lord of all things. He is All-Powerful over all things, the Self-Subsisting One.” When Job’s face was illumined by the fire burning in the sacred Tree, We clothed Him with the garment of Prophethood and commanded Him to instruct men in the essence of graciousness and bounty and to invite the people to the holy and beloved Shore. We established Job on earth and caused the waters of divine munificence to descend on Him so that through riches He became independent of all the inhabitants of the earth. We conferred on Him a bounteous fortune and made Him very wealthy in the kingdom. We caused Him to receive a portion of all wealth and strengthened His back with great power. We gave Him sons from his loins and established an exalted station for Him in all the lands.

Job was amongst His people many years, counseling them with the hidden gems of the knowledge We taught Him, and He reminded His people of the Days of God that were truly to come. He said, “O my people! In truth, oceans of knowledge are contained within the Self of God Who hath arisen to establish justice. Hasten ye therefore that ye may find a way unto it. Verily, the Sun of God’s loving kindness continues to shine forth from the midmost zenith and the beauty of the Countenance of God hath appeared from behind the Holy Tabernacles. Attend unto His presence that haply He may bestow upon you portions of His much-loved splendor. The heavens of grandeur are uplifted and have become adorned with constellations of knowledge and wisdom. Thus has God’s holy cause dawned forth from the sanctified horizon. O my people! Before Me Messengers came with the divine Word and They all announced unto you that which will turn you towards the exalted and glorious shore. The divinely appointed time hath come upon you and the Lights of God’s justice hath shone forth, the Immortal Bird hath sung, the Dove of Revelation has warbled, the clouds of God’s illumination have become uplifted, and the oceans of divine bounty have poured forth. O people of the earth! Ye are deprived of all this. Fear ye God, corrupt not the earth of God’s wisdom, and hearken unto these words which are descending from the heaven of God’s nearness.”

From the beginning that hath no beginning, to the end that hath no end, We have thus counseled Our servants through the tongue of the Messengers, yet all have turned away from God’s admonitions and have retreated therefrom save those who have been encompassed by Our loving-kindness. These are the souls who hearkened unto God’s call as voiced from behind the hidden veils of glory. They responded to the Summoner unto God with both their inner and outer being and sought attraction through the melodies of the Beloved, attaining unto the stations of guidance. Upon them be the mercy of God, and the salutations of God, Who hath given them what no one knoweth and hath caused them to reach a station that is hidden from the eyes of all creation.

Ere long will the cause of God be manifested and truth shall be distinguished from falsehood. The standards of guidance will be uplifted and all traces of those who have joined partners with God obliterated. The earth shall be inherited by those servants who are wholly consecrated unto God, have not imbibed the love of the “Calf” in their hearts, and who turn away from those who continue to disbelieve despite clear evidences presented to them. Thus have the fingers of might upon the tablets of light inscribed the divine behest.

Opening verses of Súrih-i-Sabr or Tablet Of Patience

Baha’i Sabbath: Jalal 10, 171 B.E. (4/18/2014)

Friday, April 18th, 2014

Hearken ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: “There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.” Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur: “Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing.” Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

Baha’u’llah, Proclamation, pg. 63

Baha’i Sabbath: Jalal 3, 171 B.E. (4/11/2014)

Friday, April 11th, 2014

O my God! O my God! Verily, these are Thy weak servants and Thy submissive, faithful ones and Thy sincere maid-servants who are humbled before Thy illumined Threshold, acknowledging Thy Oneness which hath appeared like unto the appearance of the sun in midday, listening to Thy call from Thy mysterious Kingdom and uttering Thy prayers with hearts overflowing with Thy love and devotion!

O my Lord! Pour upon all of them the rain of Thy mercy, descend upon every one the showers of Thy bounty from the clouds of Thy munificence, make them graceful plants in Thy divine Rose-garden and suffer these myrtles to become verdant, green and refreshed by the outpouring from the Cloud of Thy Singleness.

Verily Thou art the Powerful, the Most High, the Mighty and Omnipotent, and the Creator of the earth and heaven, and verily there is no God but Thee, the Lord of the Manifest Signs!

Abdu’l-Baha’, Tablets Vol. 2, pg. 390

Baha’i Month: Jalal (Glory) 1, 171 B.E. (4/9/2014)

Wednesday, April 9th, 2014

He Is God!

O ye dwellers of the Kingdom!

Thank ye God that ye have turned your faces toward the Kingdom of Abha, and are yearning for the outpouring of the Exalted Realm. Ye are accepted in the Threshold of the True One and are chosen by the Most Great Guidance!

Ye have asked regarding the word of the “Ransomed Ones”. The mystery of “Ransom” (or Sacrifice) is a most great subject and is inexhaustible.

Briefly it is as follows: The moth is a sacrifice to the candle. The spring is a sacrifice to the thirsty one. The sincere lover is a sacrifice to the loved one and the longing one is a sacrifice to the beloved. The point lies in this: He must wholly forget himself, become a wanderer (in the Abode of the Beloved) enamoured with His Tresses. He must consign to oblivion the body and soul, the life, comfort and existence. He must seek the good pleasure of the True One; desire the Face of the True One; and walk in the Path of the True One. He must become intoxicated with His Cup, resigned in His Hand and close the eyes to life and living, in order that he may shine like unto the Light of Truth from the Horizon of Eternity. This is the first station of sacrifice.

The second station of sacrifice is as follows: Man must become severed from the human world, be delivered from the contingent gloominess, the illumination of mercifulness must shine and radiate in him, the nether world become as non-existent and the Kingdom become manifest. He must become like unto the iron thrown within the furnace of fire. The qualities of iron, such as blackness, coldness and solidity which belong to the earth disappear and vanish while the characteristics of fire, such as redness, glowing and heat, which belong to the Kingdom become apparent and visible. Therefore, iron hath sacrificed its qualities and grades to the fire, acquiring the virtues of that element.

Likewise, when the souls are released from the fetters of the world, the imperfections of mankind and that animalistic darkness, and have stepped into the Realm of Abstraction, have partaken a share from the outpouring of the Placeless and have acquired lordly perfections, they are the “ransomed ones” (or the martyrs) of the Sun of Truth, who are hastening to the altar of heart and soul.

Abdu’l-Baha’ Tablets, Vol. 2 pp 353-355

Baha’i Sabbath: Baha’ 15, 171 B.E. (4/4/2014)

Friday, April 4th, 2014

Hu Allah!

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

Thou hast written that thou lovest the Bible. Undoubtedly, the friends and the maid-servants of the Merciful should know the value of the Bible, for they are the ones who have discovered its real significances and have become cognizant of the hidden mystery of the Holy Book.

*****

Hu Allah!

O thou gem of the Kingdom and brilliant leaf!

Seeing this servant in thy prayers is a proof of the ideal nearness, of the spiritual unity and of the impression that was printed within thine own consciousness. At all times I do supplicate to the divine Kingdom to make thy heart a pure, clear and polished mirror, facing the most glorious Kingdom, El-Abha, that the pictures of the Supreme Concourse may be printed in it, and this is exactly what was meant in the Bible by this text: “Let us create man after our own image and likeness.”

To see repeatedly is an evidence that the vision will take place both in the spirit and body; but separation and union, parting and meeting are things which belong to the material body. The spirit is sanctified from association, departure, nearness, remoteness, connection and separation, for these are of the properties of material bodies and of the characteristics of the elementary facts; but the Spirit is everlastingly in the station of its loftiness and supremacy in a similar way to the sun which is continually stationed in its sphere orbit; its appearance and disappearance signify the clearness of the place and the fineness of the body which is facing it, and as long as the confronting surface continues to be in a well-polished condition, the lights of the sun will then appear in it; but when it becometh rough and impure, the lights disappear.

Consequently, it hath been proven that nearness and remoteness signify smoothness, clearness and fineness; or rust, impurity and roughness, respectively.

And if God wisheth, through the clearness of the heart, we will be continually in the assembly of alliance and friendship, resting permanently in the spiritual and heavenly realm, adoring and worshipping God, meeting and uniting by the holy fragrances, drawn by the magnet of the love of God and thanking Him for this great bounty and evident victory.

*****

As to thee, O thou being who art attracted to God, announce the glad-tidings of the Kingdom of God through the breaths of the Holy Spirit; for He will confirm thee in a similar manner to the confirmation He bestowed upon the holy souls in the past decades and former ages.

Excerpts From: Tablets Of Abdu’l-Baha’ Vol. 1 & Vol. 3