1that haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined
for you…1 Bahá’u’lláh

2www.TheKnowledgeOfGod.com

3Copyright © 2014 by Hushidar Hugh Motlagh
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
The New English Bible (NEB). Copyright © the Delegates of the
Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University
Press, 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission.
Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973,
1978, 1984. International Bible Society. Used by permission of
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version (NKJ). Copyright © 1982 by

4Part I
Attachment!
What Does That Mean?

1idols away from the worshippers seems an almost impossible
task, because they have been blended and bonded with their
hearts and souls like a mixture of glues. Intense emotions and
attachments are involved.
My background is mostly in psychology. I should know what
motivates people, yet every day I encounter new surprises. The
more we understand the complexity of human nature, the better
our chances of understanding how and why people believe or
disbelieve and behave or misbehave. One way to do this is to
compare the spiritual health with the physical. My training is
not in nutrition, yet I cover it briefly in my teaching. For the last
ten years, I have been analyzing diets to see the effects of
nutrition on health. Many students are addicted to junk foods;
that they have in common. But as soon as I ask them to make
changes, the differences emerge. I had a student who sneezed
quite frequently, to the extent that a few times she left the class
to sneeze without being embarrassed. She said she sneezed
more than 100 times a day. She was tall and strong, but had a
weak immune system. I asked if she knew the reason for her
frequent sneezing. She did not know. I have learned from
experience to start asking anyone with health problems if he or
she drinks milk. Her answer was, “Yes, lots of it.” I asked if she
was willing to conduct an experiment: to stop using all dairy
products for only one week. I was confident she had a good
chance of recovery. But she refused to conduct this simple experi-

2this true story written by another student who was willing to take
any action to recover. It is one of many similar stories I have
heard from my students:
How did I overcome my headache? I started getting severe
headaches in high school. The symptoms were severe pain in
my head and neck. No medication, hot or cold compress did
any good. I also saw spots or what looked like a fuzzy TV. I
would get extremely sick to my stomach and occasionally
black-out. I had to stay in bed with doors and windows shut.
The doctor ordered blood tests and a cat scan. I was also sent
to an eye surgeon to rule out brain tumors. All the tests came
back normal. The doctor said my headaches were definitely
vascular and put me on a beta-blocker (high blood pressure
medicine) called Tenormin. I took it every day. A year later,
he doubled the dosage. It seemed to help, but the next year I
got worse. I started having the headaches about once a week.
I went back to my doctor and he referred me to a neurologist.
When I went to the neurologist, my blood pressure was
alarmingly low. He was surprised I didn’t have fainting
spells. He gradually took me off the Tenormin and put on
Pamelor, a muscle relaxant. No one ever said why I was
having headaches—just stress related. Along with Pamelor,
the doctor gave me Fiorinal, a strong painkiller to “take as
needed” and asked me to go back in 6 weeks.
Within four weeks, I had used the whole bottle of pain
killers. When I went back 6 weeks later, he forgot to tell me
that Fiorinal was habit-forming, and I was not to take it more
than once every other day. At this appointment the doctor
gave me Imitrex injections. The shot looks like a gun that
shoots 6 cc’s of strong pain medication into the arm or leg.
The drug costs $75 for 2 syringes!
On my next appointment I saw a different neurologist. He
doubled the dosage of Pamelor to 50 mg. I called him a week
later and said I couldn’t tolerate 2 tablets; they were making
me fall asleep at work. So I started taking 1 in the morning

3Midrin, a new painkiller, muscle relaxant, sleeping pill, and
emotion calmer all in one. This doctor was the one I pressed
saying, “Why, why is this happening? Why have I been in
pain for so many years?” In response, he talked about
genetics. He said allergies were a possibility, but it would be
too hard to figure out what.
During the fall semester, I met Dr. Motlagh in my psychology
of human development. He gave me a hand-out about
allergies. The characteristics described in that paper perfectly
fit my condition. Then I remembered my mom saying that I
was allergic to milk as an infant and drank soy milk. But she
thought I “grew out of it.” I worked with Dr. Motlagh on a
new diet. He asked me to avoid wheat and all dairy products.
I followed his recommendation closely. He said he knew I
must have been in serious pain to stick so closely to this diet.
Only a few weeks have passed. My headaches are almost
gone. If I slip a little and get some wheat or milk I get a
headache that lasts 1-3 days. I always know the cause.
I am finally free from a lifetime of pain. I hope my story will
help others.
We should note that she was being treated at the medical center
attached to the University of Michigan, one of the best medical
centers in the world.
As a rule, I ask those with health problem, if their doctors ever
ask them about their diet. The answer is usually “No.” But why
not? Why do so many doctors fail to ask about their patients’
diet? Many reasons can be given, among them attachment to the
past, staying under the spell of tradition. At this writing, most
medical schools do not require courses in nutrition for their
students. But why not? Recently I met a medical student and
asked him this very question. He said that he too had the same
question and asked several authorities in his school. They said,
“We try to prepare you for the Board Exam. On that test there
are no questions about nutrition!”

4but continue to investigate on his own. A few months later, he
told me that as a result of our conversation, he went back to
medical authorities in his university, and convinced them to
offer a course in nutrition! What a sweet victory! Reason had
conquered the forces of tradition. This shows the powers of
persistence.
The consequences of physical sickness are visible. They consist
of pain, fever, chill, fatigue, sneezing, dizziness, and sleepless
nights, and yet the medical schools show such a degree of
complacency. What then can we expect from seminary schools,
from those who deal with people’s spiritual sickness, with only
concealed symptoms? Unlike our physical health, our spiritual
health becomes visible mostly after passing from this life. For
on this plane of existence, self-deception stands ready to serve
us. It is a universal disease that conceals all other diseases. Self-
deception is perhaps the most common strategy humans use for
coping, surviving, and accepting the status quo.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the
way of death. Proverbs 14:12
We have so much knowledge about health, yet about 65 percent
of calories consumed come from fat and sugar. If this is how
people protect their physical health with painful consequences,
how will they care for their spiritual health, with only concealed
and late-maturing consequences? If this is the state of medical
schools, centers of scientific objectivity, what then can we expect
from seminary schools, built on strong traditions and sustained
by age-long and deeply-rooted beliefs and loyalties? These
examples, I hope, will give you some insight into the complexity
of human nature, the psychology of attachment to the past. I
hope they help you see the overwhelming power of doing what
comes easy, the astonishing forces of habit and tradition.

1We should sympathize with every seeker of truth, who is facing
this supreme challenge: overcoming his or her emotional attach-
ments. I must acknowledge that if I was not raised in a Bahá’í
family, my chances of becoming a Bahá’í would be anywhere
from 1 in a 100 to 1 in a 1000. I understand the immense
difficulties a seeker may face.
The deep attachments prevent most people from recognizing
and acknowledging Bahá’u’lláh immediately. As a rule, it takes
several years, sometimes decades, to overcome one’s lifelong
attachments. God is full of grace and patience. He allows us to
take our time. If it were not for His sustained patience and
grace, no one would have a chance.
No wonder Jesus promised the most splendid rewards to anyone
who “overcomes.” Overcomes what? Emotional attachments
and the many other obstacles. What are some of Christians’
most favorite attachments?
• The name Jesus Christ.
• The deeply rooted belief that only Jesus can save.
• The Bible as the only source of truth.
• The church.
• Religious symbols, ceremonies, and holidays.
• Loyalty to one’s ancestors and ancient traditions.
• Loyalty to family members, relatives, and friends.
• The desire for safety, the fear of getting lost and
losing one’s precious faith.
• The comfort of being on the side of the established
majority.
Overcoming even one of these attachments is often a supreme
challenge. For most people, it is much easier to remain attached
to their comfort zone, and to brush aside anything that may

2threaten it—every invitation, every reason, every warning, every
evidence, however compelling, by a simple remark such as:
• If this were true, everyone would know it.
• How can I tell? I am not an expert.
• There are many deceivers out there.
• I don’t have time.
• Not now, later.
To ignore this awesome message—the news of Advent of the
most glorious Revelation from God—the first step one must
take is to reduce its significance. The individual who hears the
message must act as if he or she is invited to a concert, a game,
or a party. Even that may be an exaggeration. Few people would
reject an invitation to a party, a game, or a concert, as long as it
is free.
The excuses that the human mind can find or fashion are
endless. This explains why, after the lapse of 2,000 years, the
majority of the people of our planet still have not acknowledged
the divine station of Jesus Christ. If this has happened to others
for so long, can it not happen also to Christians?
Over the course of years, I have witnessed numerous truth
seekers who have recognized Bahá’u’lláh, and yet have been
prevented by their loved ones from joining the Bahá’í Faith.
They failed this awesome test because of only one attachment:
their loved ones. Imagine then the incredible power of several
attachments combined!
Recently I had a phone call from a highly educated Christian,
who had discovered the Bahá’í Faith through the Internet. He
said that he had read all Bahá’u’lláh’s works in English, but in
secrecy. These readings had convinced him of the divine station
of Bahá’u’lláh. But he had one problem: his wife. “If she finds
out,” he said, “she may leave me.” “Once,” he confided, “she
saw me reading a Bahá’í book and threatened me with divorce!”
His wife had no idea what the Bahá’í Faith was. Yet she
determined to prevent her loved one from pursuing his journey

3of the search for truth. No cruelty can surpass this; no wonder
Jesus said:
And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in
me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea
with a large millstone tied around his neck.
Christ (Mark 9:42 NIV)
We had a university student who became a Bahá’í after doing
much research. He seemed so firm in his beliefs, several times
he made teaching trips to far away places to proclaim the advent
of Bahá’u’lláh. He was quite knowledgeable about both
Christianity and the Bahá’í Faith. His father had a high position
in the Mormon church, and had provided his son with a special
training to prepare him for the same distinctions he had attained.
But when the son became a Bahá’í, everything in his life changed.
All his family members and friends mourned for him; they were
deeply ashamed of his disloyalty. They felt and acted this way
without knowing anything about the Bahá’í Faith, without read-
ing even a single page! He withstood these relentless pressures for
several years, but suddenly he disappeared without a trace.
Efforts to find him failed. Sometime later we discovered that he
had given all his Bahá’í books back to a Bahá’í friend, and left.
We could only assume that the intense pressures eventually did
their work. His return to his comfort zone seemed so incredible.
It is hard to understand why such an intelligent person with
such a distinguished background could be pressured to change
course, to alter his eternal spiritual destiny.•
Once a university student came to our “fireside” and showed
much enthusiasm about the Bahá’í Faith. She went home and
told her parents about her exciting discovery. Her mother felt so
threatened and so angry, she told her daughter not to ever again

4•
Recently I received a call. It was the voice of my lost friend. He said that
he has regained his faith and become an active Bahá’í. I could have never
believed that this could happen. How unpredictable human beings are! But
that is not the end of the story. For a few years he remained quite active,
then suddenly he disappeared. His friends cannot find him. They believe
that once again he has left the Faith.

5mention the word Bahá’í to her. Her father was more cautious.
He was a priest turned lawyer. He displayed only a cool and
discouraging response to his daughter’s new discovery, and
made no attempt to examine a copy of I Shall Come Again,
which she took specifically for him to read. Instead of reading
any Bahá’í book, he checked his encyclopedia, and then remarked,
“Bahá’ís say nothing about resurrection.” The daughter was
extremely upset by the lukewarm and hostile response of her
parents. She said, “I overestimated their open-mindedness.”
In her recent letter she wrote, “I still have not come to a decision.
I often wonder if my hesitancy is due to cowardice rather than
questioning. The line between the two has become fine. I will
continue praying about it; I would be grateful if you could
include me in your prayers.”
The point of these stories and countless others is this: attach-
ments carry awesome powers. They can make millions of people
prisoners of the past; they can make countless generations to
cling to their ancestral beliefs for thousands of years. This is why
Jesus repeated the phrase “He who overcomes” in the Book of
Revelation eight times, each time offering the most splendid
rewards to the one who does.
The examples of attachment cited demonstrate clearly the over-
whelming powers of emotions in human life. They may give us
some insight and help us recognize why it is so hard for many
people to envision even the remote possibility of accepting a
new faith. When emotions arise, reason trembles and runs in
fear. An emotionally attached person who hears the news of the
advent of a new Revelation often feels and acts like the one who
is suddenly thrown into an ocean, with nothing to cling to. The
fear of the loss of security is enormous. Consider this prophecy
about our time.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not:
behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with
a recompense; he will come and save you. Isaiah 35:4
If it were easy to recognize the Lord, why would we need to be
strong? Why would we need courage? Why should people be

6afraid of being saved? Please remember Jesus’ warning in the
Book of Revelation that He will punish the fearful with eternal
fire (Rev. 21:7-8).
The powers of fear are astonishing; some Christians even fear
the sound of the new name: Bahá’u’lláh. Subconsciously they
think that He has come to replace Jesus Christ, to steal their
most precious possession: their faith. To protect themselves,
they try to avoid any encounter with Bahá’ís. See how perfectly
this prophecy describes them:
It [the day of the Lord] will be as though a man fled from a
lion, and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the
house, leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him!
Amos 5:19
Our Creator asks us why we run away from His most precious
gift: eternal life. Does anyone have an answer to this question?
We, verily, have come for your sakes, and have borne the
misfortunes of the world for your salvation. Flee ye the One
Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may be quickened [brought
to life]?2 Bahá’u’lláh
Abraham Maslow, the noted psychologist, has ranked the need
for safety as the second most urgent need—next to biological
needs, such as need for food and water. When the instinct for
survival—physical or spiritual—assumes power, everything else
submits.
The warning flashes of fear are healthy as long as they do not
assume full power. We must heed them, but never let them
shape our eternal destiny. Note how Jesus links fear with lack of
faith in God:
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Christ (Matt. 8:26)
A person who trusts God, follows His directions and commands.
When he hears, “Seek and ye shall find!” he does not say,
“What if I get lost!” “What if someone deceives me!” “What if I
fall into a trap!” He starts his journey with will confidence,
knowing full well that the One who said “Seek!” and “Watch!”
will protect him from getting lost. If the Shepherd says, “Jump!”

7and the sheep just waits and looks in fear, what does that mean?
Lack of faith in the Shepherd. No wonder Jesus predicted:
At that time many will turn away from the faith…
Christ (Matt. 24:10)
Fear, which is designed to protect us from danger, can itself
become the most dangerous destroyer. This is why Jesus
threatens His fearful followers with a fiery punishment. Can a
warning be stronger than this?
He who overcomes will inherit all this…But the cowardly…
their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Christ (Rev. 21:7-8)
Let us ponder this question: Why would God threaten a cowardly
person with “the fiery lake”? Because fear stops action; it
freezes all human capacities. It deactivates the reasoning
powers; it turns human beings into robots, who act not by the
rules of reason and evidence, not in the light of true knowledge
and wisdom, but by the commands of tradition, conformity, and
convenience. Fear puts safety first, above everything else. Con-
sider the disciples of Jesus. They felt much safer as Jews than as
Christians, and enjoyed their comfort zone. Could they have
become Jesus’ disciples, if they had put safety first in their
lives? At last, their love for truth made them victorious over
every danger, even the fear of dying. It takes awesome courage
for a person who, all his life, has heard the name Moses to get
used to hearing Jesus. It takes awesome courage for a person
who, all his life, has heard Jesus Christ, to get used to hearing
Bahá’u’lláh. No matter how many times we assure the person
that only the name has changed, not the Shepherd, his or her
soul feels a difference.
What would happen if your friends and family members started
calling you by a new name? At first you would feel uneasy, but
gradually you would get used to it. But would your new name
cause you to doubt that you are the same person? Apply that
example to Bahá’u’lláh. If we listen carefully to His Voice, we
will recognize that the Voice of the Shepherd has not changed.
Note Bahá’u’lláh’s loving words to Christians who fear His new
name:

8Say,• O followers of the Son! Have ye shut out yourselves
from Me by reason of My Name?…Day and night ye have
been calling upon your Lord, the Omnipotent, but when He
came from the heaven of eternity in His great glory, ye
turned aside from Him and remained sunk in heedlessness.3
Bahá’u’lláh

1as it is to travel without motion. Can a person tied to a tree go to
a new garden? Can an eye focused on earth see the glory of
heaven? Bahá’u’lláh makes countless references to detachment.
As you read the following verses, try to listen to His Voice to
see if it is not the One that is heard throughout the Bible. The
power, glory, and majesty of God radiate from every sentence
Bahá’u’lláh utters:
O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My witness
that streams of fresh and soft-flowing waters have gushed
from the rocks through the sweetness of the words uttered by
your Lord, the Unconstrained; and still ye slumber. Cast away
that which ye possess, and, on the wings of detachment, soar
beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you the Lord of
creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath revolutionized
the soul of mankind.
Know ye from what heights your Lord, the All-Glorious, is
calling? Think ye that ye have recognized the Pen wherewith
your Lord, the Lord of all names, commandeth you? Nay, by
My life! Did ye but know it, ye would renounce the world,
and would hasten with your whole hearts to the presence of
the Well-Beloved. Your spirits would be so transported by
His Word as to throw into commotion the Greater World—
how much more this small and petty one! Thus have the
showers of My bounty been poured down from the heaven of

2•
Equivalent to “Thus saith the Lord.”

3My loving-kindness, as a token of My grace, that ye may be
of the thankful.4

4O God, my God! Adorn the heads of Thy loved ones with the
crown of detachment and attire their temples with the raiment
of righteousness.5
Say: O God, my God!…I beg of Thee, O Beloved of every
understanding heart and the Desire of such as have near
access unto Thee, to grant that Thy loved ones may become
wholly detached from their own inclinations, holding fast
unto that which pleaseth Thee. Attire them, O Lord, with the
robe of righteousness and illumine them with the splendors
of the light of detachment.6

5Blinded are your eyes! Perceived ye not the greatness of the
power of God and of His sovereignty? Beheld ye not His
majesty and glory?…tarry not though it be for less than a
moment. Thus biddeth you He Who is the Beauty of the All-
Merciful, that haply ye may detach yourselves from the
things ye possess, and ascend to the heights from which ye
can discover the whole creation sheltered beneath the
shadow of His Revelation.7

6Should any man, in this Day, arise and, with absolute
detachment from all that is in the heavens and all that is on
the earth, set his affections on Him Who is the Day Spring of
God’s holy Revelation, he will, verily, be empowered to
subdue all created things, through the potency of one of the
Names of the Lord, his God, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Know thou of a certainty that the Day Star of Truth hath, in
this Day, shed upon the world a radiance, the like of which
bygone ages have never witnessed. Let the light of His glory,
O people, shine upon you, and be not of the negligent.8

7Those souls that are the symbols of detachment are the
leaven of the world.9
The essence of detachment is for man to turn his face towards
the courts of the Lord, to enter His Presence, behold His
Countenance, and stand as witness before Him.10
Shouldst thou step into the realm of complete detachment,
thou wilt readily testify that no day is mightier than this Day,
and that no resurrection more awful than this Resurrection
can ever be conceived.11

8Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of
malice, thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic
terms revealed by the all-embracing Word of God made
manifest in every Dispensation, and wouldst discover the
mysteries of divine knowledge. Not, however, until thou
consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of
idle learning, that are current amongst men, canst thou
behold the resplendent morn of true knowledge.12

9No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true under-
standing except he be detached from all that is in heaven and
on earth. Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that
haply ye may attain that station which God hath destined for
you…13
The essence of these words is this: they that tread the path of
faith, they that thirst for the wine of certitude, must cleanse
themselves of all that is earthly—their ears from idle talk,
their minds from vain imaginings, their hearts from worldly
affections, their eyes from that which perisheth. They should
put their trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him, follow in
His way. Then will they be made worthy of the effulgent
glories of the sun of divine knowledge and understanding,
and become the recipients of a grace that is infinite and
unseen, inasmuch as man can never hope to attain unto the
knowledge of the All-Glorious, can never quaff from the

10stream of divine knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the
abode of immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine near-
ness and favor, unless and until he ceases to regard the words
and deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true
understanding and recognition of God and His Prophets.14

11Blessed is he who hath remained faithful to My Covenant,
and whom the things of the world have not kept back from
attaining My Court of holiness. Blessed is the man who hath
detached himself from all else but Me, hath soared in the
atmosphere of My love, hath gained admittance into My
Kingdom, gazed upon My realms of glory, quaffed the living
waters of My bounty, hath drunk his fill from the heavenly
river of My loving providence…15

12Part II
Bahá’u’lláh: A New
Name Everyone
Should Know

13Ye Shall Be Called
By A New Name.
Isaiah 62:2

You Shall Be Called
By A New Name

1Isaiah 62:2 NEB

1By My Beauty! He Who is the Monarch of all names is
come…16 Bahá’u’lláh
Prophets have prayed, throughout history, that God’s glory,
beauty, and splendor may dawn:
Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto
their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be
upon us… Psalms 90:16-17
Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth
be filled with his glory [glory of God]. Psalms 72:19 NIV
Prophets have also asked us to rejoice at His glorious name and
spread the news of its dawning to all nations:
Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing to the glory of his
name; offer him glory and praise! Say to God, “How awe-
some are your deeds!” Psalms 66:1-3 NIV
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, Praise his name; proclaim his salvation day

2after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous
deeds among all peoples. Psalms 96:1-3 NIV
Chapter 113 of Psalms is all in praise of the glorious name of
the Lord. Here are a few verses:
Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forever-
more. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets the
name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over
all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Psalms 113:2-4 NIV
What is the name or the title designated for the Redeemer of our
age and His followers? Is He to be called Jesus Christ and are
His followers to be called Christians? Or are they to receive a
new name?
Contrary to what many expect, the prophecies point to a new
name. When God renews His covenant, He calls it by a new
name. As Jesus reminded the Jews:
And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does,
the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and
the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured
into new wineskins. Luke 5:37-38 NIV
We are living at the dawning of a new day, when all things are
destined to be made new:
…the old order of things has passed away…”I am making
everything new!” Revelation 21:4-5 NIV
Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth [a new
heavenly and earthly civilization]. The former things will not
be remembered, nor will they come to mind. Isaiah 65:17 NIV
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first
heaven and the first earth had passed away…
Revelation 21:1 NIV
And they sang a new song… Revelation 5:9 NIV
See also Revelation 14:3
Chapter 62 of Isaiah pertains entirely to our time. It starts by
giving the tidings of a glorious day for Zion (the Holy Land),
and then points to a new name:

3For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I
will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shine out like the
dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. The nations will see
your righteousness, and the kings your glory; you will be
called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will
bestow. You will be a crown of splendor [a glorious crown
NEB] in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your
God. Isaiah 62:1-3 NIV
Similarly, in Chapter 65, which points to our time, Isaiah
predicts a new name for the followers of the new faith, whom
he calls God’s servants. The chapter raises the following points:
• People fail to search for the expected Messenger, the Lord of
Hosts:
I was there to be sought by a people who did not ask, to
be found by men who did not seek me. I said, ‘Here am I,
here am I,’ to a nation that did not invoke me by name. I
spread out my hands all day appealing to an unruly people
who went their evil way… Isaiah 65:1-2 NEB
• The future of the Holy Land is glorious.
• Sharon and Achor (located in the northern half of Israel,
where Bahá’u’lláh lived and passed away) will belong to
those who seek the Lord. Many Bahá’ís traveled long
distances on foot to attain the presence of Bahá’u’lláh:
…Sharon, and the Vale of Achor…shall belong to my
people who seek me. Isaiah 65:10 NEB
• Divine punishment awaits those who refuse to respond to the
new Call. Others—called God’s servants—receive the gift of
a new name:
…I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not
listen; and you did what was wrong in my eyes and you
chose what was against my will. Therefore these are the
words of the Lord God: My servants shall eat [heavenly
food] but you shall starve; my servants shall drink but you
shall go thirsty; my servants shall rejoice but you shall be
put to shame; my servants shall shout in triumph in the
gladness of their hearts, but you shall cry from sorrow and

4wail from anguish of spirit; your name shall be used as an
oath by my chosen, and the Lord God shall give you over
to [spiritual] death; but his servants he shall call by
another name [emphasis added throughout].Isaiah 65:12-15 NEB
Bahá’u’lláh frequently uses the expression “My servants” or
“My servant:”
Know assuredly that My commandments are the lamps of
My loving providence among My servants, and the keys
of My mercy for My creatures. Thus hath it been sent
down from the heaven of the Will of your Lord, the Lord
of Revelation.17
Here are three examples from The Hidden Words of Bahá’u’lláh:
O MY SERVANT!
Abandon not for that which perisheth an everlasting
dominion, and cast not away celestial sovereignty for a
worldly desire. This is the river of everlasting life that
hath flowed from the well-spring of the pen of the
merciful; well is it with them that drink!18
O MY SERVANT!
Free thyself from the fetters of this world, and loose thy
soul from the prison of self. Seize thy chance, for it will
come to thee no more.19
O MY SERVANT!
Purge thy heart from malice and, innocent of envy, enter
the divine court of holiness.20
• To emphasize God’s novel creation, Isaiah points to new
heavens and a new earth (a new world order), and then to the
Holy Land—where Bahá’u’lláh lived for more than two
decades —as a place of joy:
…the former troubles are forgotten and they are hidden
from my sight. For behold, I create new heavens and a
new earth. Former things shall no more be remembered
nor shall they be called to mind. Rejoice and be filled
with delight, you boundless realms which I create; for I

5create Jerusalem to be a delight and her people a joy…
Isaiah 65:16-18 NEB
• Finally, the prophetic chapter ends with the tidings of a
world in peace and unity:
They shall not toil in vain or raise children for misfortune.
For they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord and
their issue after them; before they call to me, I will answer,
and while they are still speaking I will listen. The wolf
and the lamb [antagonistic nations] shall feed together and
the lion shall eat straw like cattle [domestication of
warlike nations]. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my
holy mountain, says the Lord. Isaiah 65:23-25 NEB
Christian Scriptures confirm the Jewish. The Book of Revelation
indicates that those who overcome the many obstacles that stand
in the path of the search for truth shall receive the gift of a new
name, which is God’s own name. Both Isaiah and Revelation
refer to the new Jerusalem, the city of God, which symbolizes a
new world order and a spiritual civilization for humankind:
Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my
God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the
name of my God [Bahá] and the name of the city of my
God, the new Jerusalem [the divine Revelation, namely,
Bahá’í] which is coming down out of heaven from my God;
and I will also write on him my new name. Revelation 3:12 NIV
And again:
To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden
manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name
written on it, known only to him who receives it.
Revelation 2:17 NIV
Robert Riggs in his book The Apocalypse Unsealed writes:
The Báb presented His followers and Bahá’u’lláh with a
scroll often called the White Stone on which He inscribed a
pentacle (five pointed star) with 360 derivatives of the word
Bahá. This scroll represented a revelation of the name of the
new Manifestation to follow him.21

6The following prophecy from Revelation gives us not only the
tidings of a new name, but several other clues as well:
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white
horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he
judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on
his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him
that no one but he himself knows. He is dressed in a robe
dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies
of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and
dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes
a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He
will rule them with an iron scepter.” Revelation 19:11-15 NIV
The Book of Revelation is clothed with symbolism. For instance,
heaven symbolizes the divine Revelation, from which descends
the light of knowledge and truth. The rider is the divine
Redeemer; the war he makes is spiritual:
We have decreed that war shall be waged in the path of God
with the armies of wisdom and utterance, and of a goodly
character and praiseworthy deeds.22 Bahá’u’lláh
Fire symbolizes many things, among them the power to burn
the veils of man’s separation from God, and to destroy evil.
Many crowns symbolizes the vast expanse of the Redeemer’s
spiritual sovereignty. His vesture dipped in blood points to the
great sufferings He and His followers endure. The armies of
heaven symbolizes the heavenly blessings, or the Redeemer’s
devoted followers, who stand pure and refined as fine linen,
white and clean. Sharp sword stands for God’s definitive and
decisive Word, which separates the deniers and the believers,
and iron scepter symbolizes authority and power (first spiritual
and later earthly).
Here Bahá’u’lláh refers to His word as having the power to
decide the destiny of all “created things:”
I bear witness…that through a word from Thee Thou hast
decided between all created things, causing them who are
devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the
infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.23

7The prophecy bestows several titles on the promised Messenger
of our time but does not reveal His name.

1Jehovah; and many attributes, such as the All-Wise, the All-
Powerful, and the All-Knowing. Prophecies indicate that God
reveals a new Name for Himself, and bestows that Name on the
Redeemer of our time. Although “Bahá” like “the Creator” is an
attribute, it is called a Name. This Name has been prophesied
but never divulged until the advent of the new revelation.
He has a name written on him that no one but he himself
knows. Revelation 19:12 NIV
But on that day my people shall know my name…Isaiah 52:6 NEB
In His works, Bahá’u’lláh refers to this hidden name and hidden
treasure:
I testify that within thee [Tihrán] He who is the Hidden
Name [Bahá’u’lláh] was revealed, and the Unseen Treasure
uncovered.24
I pray to Thee, O my Lord, by Thy hidden, Thy treasured
Name
By the righteousness of God! The Hidden Treasure, the
Impenetrable Mystery, hath been uncovered to men’s
eyes
Thou art He, by Whose name the Hidden Secret was
divulged, and the Well-Guarded Name was revealed…
shedding thereby its fragrance over all creation
Many passages glorify and praise the name of God. As we
noted, God is beyond all praise. The only way we can praise
Him is through His Messengers or Manifestations. Thus when
we glorify them it is as if we have glorified God.
The following passages first and foremost seem to refer to the
One who comes in the name of the Lord:

2whole earth be filled with His glory.
Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the
name of the Lord! Blessed be the name of the Lord from this
time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its
going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.
I will take up the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of
the Lord. I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and will call upon the name of the Lord. Psalms 116:13,17 NKJ
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to Your name give
glory, because of Your mercy, because of Your truth.
Psalms 115:1 NKJ
Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord. Psalms 135:1
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Matthew 21:9
Knowing and acknowledging the Name of God brings spiritual
blessings and honors:
Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver
him; I will set him on high, because he has known My
name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will
be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
Psalms 91:14-16 NKJ
If the name of the new Redeemer were to be Jesus Christ, there
would be no secrecy about it. Jesus Christ is perhaps known
better than any other name.
Certain facts about the advent of the new Revelation have been
kept secret:
• The day and the hour of the advent.
• The name of the Redeemer.
• The manner of His coming.
It was the Báb who first lifted the veil from the new name, from
this long-kept secret. He prophesied the exact word with glaring
clarity:

3Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord! For He
will assuredly be made manifest
This is how the new Name appears in Arabic and Persian:

4Bahá

5Bahá’u’lláh
In a conference held in a district called Badasht, Bahá’u’lláh
adopted the title of Bahá for Himself. This took place before
declaring His mission. At that conference, there were
guests29—9 units of 9. As stated, the numerical value of “Bahá”
in Arabic is also equal to 9. Further, the 144,000 mentioned in
Revelation is also a multiple of 9.
Seldom if ever does Bahá’u’lláh refer to Himself as Bahá’u’lláh.
His favorite title for Himself is Bahá. He uses the same word to
identify His followers: the people of Bahá (not of Bahá’u’lláh).
The concordance from His Writings has 102 references to Bahá,
but none to Bahá’u’lláh. Here are some examples:
Oh, would that the world could believe Me! Were all the
things that lie enshrined within the heart of Bahá, and which
the Lord, His God, the Lord of all names, hath taught Him,
to be unveiled to mankind, every man on earth would be
dumbfounded.30
Who else but Bahá can speak forth before the face of men,
and who else but He can have the power to pronounce that
which He was bidden by God, the Lord of Hosts?31
By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands
on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the
hearts of men. Upon them the eyes of Bahá are fastened.32
Say: Step out of Thy holy chamber, O Maid of Heaven,
inmate of the Exalted Paradise! Drape thyself in whatever
manner pleaseth Thee in the silken Vesture of Immortality,
and put on, in the name of the All-Glorious, the broidered

6the Voice that cometh from the Throne of Thy Lord, the
Inaccessible, the Most High…Cry out before the gaze of the
dwellers of heaven and of earth: I am the Maid of Heaven,
the Offspring begotten by the Spirit of Bahá. My habitation
is the Mansion of His Name, the All-Glorious.33
Cling, O ye people of Bahá, to the cord of servitude unto
God, the True One, for thereby your stations shall be made
manifest, your names written and preserved, your ranks
raised and your memory exalted
Orthodox Jews consider the name of the Creator so sacred, they
do not spell it fully. They write G-d, instead of God. Something
like this has happened in relation to the name Bahá’u’lláh
without anyone being aware.
The new name is so sacred and so secret, it seems a mysterious
power has prevented people, since the dawn of history, from
adopting it as a personal name. In the Persian and Arabic
languages, parents use many attributes of God for their children.

1God, Bahá’u’lláh. The name “Bahá’u’lláh” seems to have been
off limits for no apparent reason. This is quite astonishing. The
Qur’án is known to contain 99 names of God. The one name
and attribute it does not contain is God’s most glorious name—
Bahá. Is this coincidence?
Besides “glory” and “glory of the Lord,” Bahá’u’lláh has been
identified by many titles. Shoghi Effendi has listed some of them
in God Passes By.35 Here is his list arranged in the following
columns:

2On His Head Are Many Crowns.
Revelation 9:12
God hath most excellent names.36
Qur’án
He Who is the Lord of Names
Bahá’u’lláh
The Monarch of all names.38
Bahá’u’lláh
…the King of the names and attributes of God.39
Bahá’u’lláh
The Everlasting Father
The Lord of Hosts
The Most Great Name
The Ancient Beauty
The Pen of the Most High
The Hidden Name
He Whom God will make manifest
The Most Great Light
The Self-subsistent
The Speaker on Sinai
The Sifter of Men
The desire of the Nations
The Lord of the Covenant
The Glory of the Lord
The Prince of Peace
The Counselor
Lord of Lords
The Prince of this World
The Comforter
The Spirit of Truth
The Lord of the Vineyard
The Glory of God
Alpha and Omega
The First and the Last
The Judge
The Lawgiver
The Redeemer of all mankind

3The Organizer of the entire planet
The Unifier of the Children of men
The Inaugurator of the Long-awaited Millennium
The Great Announcement
The Essence of Being
The Remnant of God
The Omnipotent Master
Lord of the visible and invisible
The Originator of a new “Universal Cycle”
The Establisher of the Most Great Peace
The Proclaimer of the coming of age of the entire human race
The Blessed Beauty
The Sun of Righteousness
The Creator of a new World Order
The Inspirer and Founder of a World Civilization
Christ returned in the glory of the Father
The Fountain of the Most Great Justice
Sháh Bahrám
The Spirit of God
The All Highest Horizon
The Most Great Ocean
The Supreme Heaven
The Pre-Existent Root
The Day Star of the Universe
The Wronged One of the World
The Wonderful
The Beginning and the End
The Tenth Avatar
The Most Great Spirit
The Immaculate Manifestation of Krishna
The Buddha of Universal Fellowship
The Fifth Buddha
The Buddha named Maitreye
The King of Glory
The Lord
The Son of Man Who shall come in the glory of His Father
The Tree beyond which there is no passing
The Rod come forth out of the stem of Jesse

4The Branch grown out of His Roots
The Word of God
The preserved Treasure
Here are still a few other titles of Bahá’u’lláh:

5Redeemer The Lord Our Righteousness
The Holy One of Israel A Teacher of Righteousness
Faithful and True. The Root of Jesse
The Throne Youth
Before the Throne The Hidden Mystery
Jehovah or Yahweh The Hidden Name
The Lord God God
The Spirit The Burning Bush
David He who sits on the throne
The Most High The Father
The King Anointed King
King of Kings The Bird of Heaven
The Ancient of Days Christ
The Blessed Michael
The Beauty The Great Prince
My Beauty Bahrám
The Most Great Beauty Súshíánt
Our God Amitabha
The God of gods The Ruler of the Kingdom of
Ancient Root Names
Mighty Stock The Revealer of the names of
The Holy Spirit God
The Sun The Lord of Names
Lord God Almighty The Monarch of all names
The Goodness of the Lord

6The list of names and titles offered here is quite incomplete.
Bahá’u’lláh’s Writings contain many others. The following passage
alone presents five titles:
This, verily, is the Day wherewith Thy [God’s] Scriptures…
have been adorned. And He Who now speaketh is, in truth,
the Well-guarded Treasure, and the Hidden Secret, and the
Preserved Tablet, and the Impenetrable Mystery, and the

7Sealed Book. He, truly, is to be obeyed in whatsoever He
commandeth, and decreeth, and revealeth, and is to be loved
in everything He, through His sovereignty, enjoineth, and,
through His power, ordaineth. Whoso will hesitate for less
than the twinkling of an eye, hath, verily, denied Thy right,
and repudiated all that Thou hast revealed in Thy Books, and
in Thy Scriptures, and sent down with Thy chosen Ones, and
Thy Prophets, and Thy Messengers, and the Trustees of Thy
Revelation.40
Never before have so many titles been bestowed on or assumed
by a divine Manifestation. Bahá’u’lláh is indeed “the Ruler of
the Kingdom of Names.”41
Although all these names or titles refer to the Redeemer of our
age, the most specific name by which He is known is Glory of
God or Glory of the Lord. The original form of this name in
Arabic is Bahá’u’lláh, consisting of two words: Bahá meaning
glory and light, and Alláh meaning God. Bahá is a word with a
unique combination of the most magnificent meanings.
According to Muhammad Muvahhid, a scholar well versed in
Arabic, no other word in the vast vocabulary of the Arabic
language can compare in grandeur and richness of meaning with
bahá. In addition to brightness, radiance, glory, and splendor,
the dictionary lists the following meanings as well: beauty,
adornment, goodness, greatness, and perfection. (See Mo’ín
Persian Dictionary.) One wonders if a word with such distinc-
tions can be found in any other language. The Random House
Dictionary of the English Language lists these meanings for
glory:
• Exalted praise, honor, or distinction.
• Adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving.
• A state of splendor, magnificence, or great prosperity.
• The splendor and bliss of heaven; heaven.
• A state of absolute happiness; gratification, contentment,
etc.

8• Something that makes one honored or illustrious; a
distinguished ornament; an object of pride.
• Resplendent beauty or magnificence.
• A ring circle, or surrounding radiance of light represented
about the head or the whole figure of a sacred person, as
Christ
According to some Christian authors, “Glory of God expresses
the sum total of the divine perfections.”43 It is “the manifesta-
tion of His divine attributes and perfections.”44 It is “the
outward shining of God’s inner being.”45
According to Bahá’í Scriptures, all the divine names depend
upon Bahá. It has a unique power that influences all things both
visible and invisible.46 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes it as “the name
of comfort, protection, happiness, illumination, love and
unity.”47
These verses express the greatness of the glory of God:
The moon shall grow pale and the sun hide its face in shame;
for the Lord of Hosts has become king on Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem, and shows his glory [the glory of God]…Isaiah 24:23 NEB
Great is the glory of the Lord. Psalms 138:5
The glory of Him Whom God shall make manifest
[Bahá’u’lláh] is immeasurably above every other glory…48
The Báb
Bahá’u’lláh repeatedly confirms the abundant outpouring of
God’s glory and the blessings destined for the receivers:
The Ancient of Days is come in His great glory!
Bahá’u’lláh
‘O ye peoples of the earth! Turn yourselves towards Him
Who hath turned towards you. He, verily, is the Face of God
amongst you, and His Testimony and His Guide unto you. He
hath come to you with signs which none can produce.’ The
voice of the Burning Bush is raised in the midmost heart of
the world, and the Holy Spirit calleth aloud among the nations:

9‘Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!’50
Bahá’u’lláh
Set your faces towardsHim (Bahá’u’lláh), on this Day which
God hath exalted above all other days, and whereon the All-
Merciful hath shed the splendor of His effulgent glory upon
all who are in heaven and all who are on earth.51
The greatness of the name bahá can be discerned not only from
its meaning but from its numerical value (gematria) as well. For
it carries a value of nine, which in the decimal system is the
largest single number, and as such symbolizes both oneness and
perfection.
The new name is eulogized in several Scriptures, especially the
Judeo-Christian Scriptures. Few divine attributes, and perhaps
none, are repeated throughout the Bible as frequently and
prophetically as glory, the equivalent of the word Bahá. The
total number of biblical references to the word glory and its
derivatives surpass five hundred—an average of about once
every two pages.
One of the titles of Bahá’u’lláh that is used most frequently by
His Son ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as well as by eastern Bahá’ís, is Blessed
Beauty.
The Blessed Beauty saith: ‘Ye are all the fruits of one tree,
the leaves of one branch.’52 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Bahá’u’lláh uses the title occasionally:
We foresee that in every city people will arise to suppress
the Blessed Beauty…53
Bahá’u’lláh sometimes refers to His Name as “this blessed
Name.”54 In the Bible we find a special reference made to this
title:
His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued
as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all
nations shall call him blessed. Psalms 72:17

10The title Blessed Beauty• is often shortened as “Blessed.”
Bahá’u’lláh uses it occasionally to refer to Himself.55 Among
Persian Bahá’ís, the shortened form (Mubárak) is used quite
frequently and has been gradually generalized to refer not only
to Bahá’u’lláh but also to the Báb, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Shoghi
Effendi. It is the only common title that identifies any or all of
them. It is also used to refer to their words. For instance, instead
of saying “the words of Bahá’u’lláh or ‘Abdu’l-Bahá,” they often
say, “the words of the Blessed.”
Bahá’u’lláh refers repeatedly to the revelation of divine beauty
in this age:
All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld,
Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of
glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty.56
In this prophecy David first prays for the return of the Promised
One and then refers to His attributes of glory and beauty:
Return, O Lord, how long?…Let thy work appear unto thy
servants, and thy glory to their children…And let the beauty
of the Lord our God [Bahá’u’lláh] be upon us…
Psalms 90:13,16,17
David prays again to receive the honor of beholding the blessed
Beauty of the Lord:
One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I
may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to
behold the beauty of the Lord… Psalms 27:4 NKJ

11•
A dramatic and well-publicized case of near-death vision is that of Reinee
Pasarow, a friend of this author, who has appeared on many television
programs. She had one of the deepest known near-death experiences. To
help her find her way in this confusing world, Reinee was given certain
clues during her vision. One of them was the title "Blessed Beauty." At that
time, she had no idea what the clue meant. Later, she found the Bahá’í
Faith and subsequently learned that the Blessed Beauty is one of
Bahá’u’lláh’s titles. She is now a Bahá’í. Such experiences should never be
used as proof, but rather as an inspiration to search for proofs that God
Himself has established, such as prophecies.

12These references further confirm the supreme expression of
God’s awesome beauty and glory in this age:
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth.
Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent…
Psalms 50:2-3 NKJ
Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the
Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalms 29:2 NKJ
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the
earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; proclaim the good
news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory
among the nations, His wonders among all peoples…Honor
and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His
sanctuary. Psalms 96:1-3, 6 NKJ
Your eyes will see the King in His beauty… Isaiah 33:17 NKJ
In addition to “Blessed Beauty,” Bahá’u’lláh sometimes refers
to Himself as “the Ancient Beauty,” “the Beauty” “the Most
Great Beauty,” and “My Beauty” (God’s Beauty):
The Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty
[Bahá’u’lláh] ruleth upon the throne of David.57
…He Who is the Ancient Beauty hath come in the Most
Great Name [Bahá], that He may quicken the world and
unite its peoples.58
Verily this is that Most Great Beauty, foretold in the Books
of the Messengers, through Whom truth shall be distinguished
from error and the wisdom of every command shall be tested
…Be thou assured in thyself that verily, he who turns away
from this Beauty hath also turned away from the Messengers
of the past and showeth pride towards God from all eternity
to all eternity.59
Most translations of the Bible attribute beauty to the followers
of the new Revelation. The American Revised Version attributes
the beauty to the Redeemer Himself:
And Jehovah their God will save them in that day as the
flock of his people; for they shall be as the stones of a crown,

13lifted on high over his land. For how great is his goodness,
and how great is his beauty! Zechariah 9:16-17 ARV
The following passage is from an Epistle by Bahá’u’lláh. It is
recited by Bahá’ís around the world annually at the moment
when He passed away. In this Epistle Bahá’u’lláh uses the word
beauty again and again. Notice the authority with which
Bahá’u’lláh speaks:
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self,
and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most
effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the
Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the
Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth! I testify that
through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and
the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the
Day-Stars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the
heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the
Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation. I
testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy Pen
Thine injunction “Be Thou” hath been enforced, and God’s
hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things
have been called into being, and all the Revelations have
been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the
beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through
Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth…
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known
God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath
attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the
blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy
signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and
hath been honored with meeting Thee, and hath attained the
good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood
before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed
against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs,
and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and
waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy
testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion

1promised to reveal them in our time. One is the Beauty of His
Countenance; the other is His greatest and most glorious Name.
David prays for the revelation of His Countenance:
How long, O Lord…will You hide Your face from me?
Psalms 13:1 NKJ
O Lord…shine forth. Psalms 94:1 NIV
O Lord…show thyself. Psalms 94:1 NEB
And Ezekiel utters the promise of the disclosure of His
countenance:
I will set My glory [glory of God] among the nations…I will
not hide My face from them anymore… Ezekiel 39:21, 29 NKJ
Bahá’u’lláh confirms the fulfillment of the prayer and the
promise and invites all true lovers and seekers of His Beauty to
His presence:
He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-
conquering sovereignty is manifest; His all-encompassing
splendor is revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt.61
Here Bahá’u’lláh encourages the truth seekers to break through
the clouds of concealment and behold the beauty of the
Beloved:
That hour is now come. The world is illumined with the
effulgent glory of His countenance. And yet, behold how far
its peoples have strayed from His path! None have believed
in Him except them who, through the power of the Lord of
Names, have shattered the idols of their vain imaginings and
corrupt desires and entered the city of certitude. The seal of
the choice Wine of His Revelation hath, in this Day and in
His Name, the Self-Sufficing, been broken. Its grace is being
poured out upon men. Fill thy cup, and drink in, in His
Name, the Most Holy, the All-Praised.62

2by God’s invisible assistance, these dark veils, these clouds
of Heaven-sent trials, may not hinder us from beholding the
beauty of His shining Countenance, and that we may
recognize Him only by His own Self.63
Bahá’u’lláh repeatedly refers to the revelation of divine
countenance in this age:
All eyes are gladdened, for He Whom none hath beheld,
Whose secret no one hath discovered, hath lifted the veil of
glory, and uncovered the countenance of Beauty.64
Bahá’u’lláh declares that when the time came for the unveiling
of the divine Countenance, He hid Himself “behind a thousand
veils,” so that those unworthy of His Beauty could not see Him:
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…He hath,
verily, manifested a glory such as none in the whole creation
hath witnessed
Even when God reveals the light of His Countenance with such
intensity, it is astonishing that many still cannot see it.
Bahá’u’lláh declares that God, in His Wisdom, conceals His
glory from “mortal eyes”; from those who want to see His glory
with their perishable and mortal, but not immortal, eyes; from
those who care more for seeing His body come down in the
clouds of vapor than witnessing His heavenly Soul shine in the
clouds of glory.
In the following passage, Bahá’u’lláh addresses the people of
our time, who are so fortunate to live in this glorious age, one
that countless people have longed to witness. And yet they are
so wrapt in worldly veils that they cannot behold the dazzling
Beauty of their Beloved:
O SON OF DESIRE!
The learned and the wise have for long years striven and

3spent their lives in search of Him, yet did not behold the
beauty of His countenance. Thou without the least effort
didst attain thy goal, and without search hast obtained the
object of thy quest. Yet, notwithstanding, thou didst remain
so wrapt in the veil of self, that thine eyes beheld not the
beauty of the Beloved, nor did thy hand touch the hem of His
robe. Ye that have eyes, behold and wonder.66
Christ predicted that only the faithful will see the glory of God:
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the glory
of God? John 11:40 NEB
He also predicted the faithful will be few:
But when the son of man comes will he find faith on earth?
Luke 18:8 NEB
Once again these verses indicate that certain veils will prevent
Christians from seeing and recognizing the glory of God. This
point is also confirmed in John:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The
world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. John 14:16-17 NIV
It is ironic that God’s most glorious Name and the most awesome
revelation of His Countenance have themselves become veils! It
is like saying that the sun’s glory and splendor prevent people
from seeing it.
As you move forward, consider each chapter as a piece of a
gigantic jigsaw puzzle. The coming of two supreme Messengers
and Redeemers in the station of the Lord is unprecedented in all
history. Yet that is the glorious honor God has bestowed on us.
The next chapter presents prophecies, especially from the Book
of Revelation, that proclaim and promise the twin comings.

1The Greatest Name carries such significance and enshrines such
profound meanings, it has received a visible and symbolic image
by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Its image also appears on Bahá’í ringstone:

2“For My name shall be great among the nations,”
says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 1:11 NKJ
The symbol presents a perfect blending of the Arabic letters B
and H:

3=B
=H

4The symbol for the Greatest Name contains three vertical levels,
portraying the three levels of existence. The upper level
symbolizes the world of God, the middle level the world of
Revelation, Command, or Cause (the world of the great Messen-
gers and Redeemers),• and the lower level the world of humanity
or creation.
…the three planes represent the World of God, the World of
Command, and the World of Creation…68 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Each plane stands on the separate level, yet is connected with
every other. Each of the upper levels stands exalted far beyond
the understanding of the level or levels below it. The great

5•
The world of Command (also translated as the world or kingdom of
Cause) is known by several other titles such as: the Word, the Logos, the
Primal Point, and the Primal Will.

6cannot comprehend the Essence of God; similarly we cannot
comprehend the Essence of the great Messengers.
It is by the power of the world of Command —the world in
which all great Messengers and Redeemers function —that God
created the universe and sent His Revelations. He said, “Be
Thou!” and it was.
I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy
[Bahá’u’lláh’s] Pen Thine injunction “Be Thou” hath been
enforced, and God’s hidden Secret hath been divulged, and
all created things have been called into being, and all the
Revelations have been sent down.69 Bahá’u’lláh
Here Bahá’u’lláh refers to three worlds: the world of God in
which God’s Essence remains concealed, the Greater Worlds,
and the Lesser Worlds:
Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I testify that Thou
wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial
Being and an impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own
Essence. Wishing to reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into
being the Greater and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose
Man [any great Messenger] above all Thy creatures, and
didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, O Thou Who
art our Lord, the Most Compassionate!70
The twin stars, which appear on the Bahá’í ringstone, symbolize
the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. Literally, the Báb founded the Bábí
Faith and Bahá’u’lláh the Bahá’í Faith. But spiritually, they are
the twin founders of both the Bábí Faith and the Bahá’í Faith.
Before declaring His Mission, Bahá’u’lláh was the most distin-
guished Follower and the supreme Supporter of the Báb. What
Bahá’u’lláh endured in the Black Pit as a follower of the Báb
surpasses human understanding. If Bahá’u’lláh had a thousand
lives, He would have offered them, without hesitation, to His
Beloved the Báb.
It is easy to underestimate the station of the Báb because of His
title (the Gate), His position (the Herald), and His absolute
humility before Bahá’u’lláh. Please remember the title that the

7King of Kings, and the title it bestows on Bahá’u’lláh, King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. These titles point to perfect equality
between the twin Redeemers. Similarly, in essence, all the titles
that refer to Bahá’u’lláh also refer to the Báb. For instance, the
title the Lord of Hosts is usually associated only with Bahá’u’lláh,
but ‘Abdu’l-Bahá declares that it points to both of them.71 The
Báb is as much the glory of the Lord as Bahá’u’lláh. They differ
only in the expression of their glory.
Many laws of the Bahá’í Faith have their origin in the writings
of the Báb. The twin Messengers only look different to us; in
essence, they are one. The two suns on the cover of this book
symbolize both their equality and oneness as well as the varying
intensity of their revelation.
Bahá’u’lláh declares that no name, however exalted, can
describe the greatness of God’s Messengers and Redeemers:
…they have been at all times, and will through eternity
continue to be, exalted above every praising name, and
sanctified from every descriptive attribute. The quintessence
of every name can hope for no access unto their court of
holiness, and the highest and purest of all attributes can
never approach their kingdom of glory.72
The earthly titles bestowed on great Messengers are limited by
human thinking and language. They are only symbols of their
awesome greatness. No human being can fully comprehend the
meaning of those symbols. Bahá’u’lláh states that in the next
Kingdom He “beareth the most excellent titles.”73 Then He
refers to one of the titles He has received in this world, the gift
of the Name of God Himself:
…He Who, among the Concourse on high [the heavenly
Kingdom], beareth the most excellent titles, and Who, in the
kingdom of creation, is called by the name of God, the
Effulgent, the All-Glorious.74

1my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
Matthew 24:4-5 NIV
Regarding the preceding prophecy, Elizabeth Cheney writes:
Jesus warned His disciples to beware of those who claimed
the name of Christ, for He knew that the Promised One of
the latter days would not bear that holy name. It would be the
same Word of God which Jesus brought, the same Divine
Reality, but another human temple and another name.
Ridpath’s History of the World shows how Jesus’ warning
began to be fulfilled within a few years of His own passing,
when in 70 A.D. one arose claiming the name of Christ and
led the revolution of the Jewish nation. May not the warning
be fulfilled today also by the hundreds of sects, each
claiming the name of Christ, each asserting itself to be the
true path to God, and each differing with the others
concerning the divine Truth taught by His Holiness Jesus?75
A Christian writer, explaining the preceding words of Jesus,
states:
Notice carefully! These deceivers would come in Christ’s
name, saying Jesus is the Christ. They would be calling
themselves “Christians.”76
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that “return” is always spiritual not literal,
that He is not the person of Jesus the Christ, but a new creation
with divine attributes and powers similar to His. We find an
example of this spiritual renewal in John the Baptist who was
the “return” of Elijah (Matt. 11:14-15; 17:10-13).
The topic of the new name is so extensive that we will continue
it into the next chapter.

You Shall Be Called By
A New Name

1Isaiah 62:2 NEB

1the new day and its supreme Redeemer in various ways. In the
following prophecy, Isaiah refers to both the darkness of our
time and to the light and glory of the Lord. The word light in
these verses stands for the Bahá’í Faith (bahá means both light
and glory):
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the
Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick
darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and
his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn. Isaiah 60:1-3 NIV
Compare Isaiah’s prophecy with this passage from Bahá’u’lláh:
Arise thou to serve the Cause of thy Lord; then give the
people the joyful tidings concerning this resplendent Light
whose revelation hath been announced by God through His
Prophets and Messengers.77

2Let us compare the first verse of the previous passage with
another like it:
Arise, shine, for your light has come… Isaiah 60:1 NIV
Come…let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 2:5 NIV
Both passages encourage the seeker of truth to “walk in the light
of the Lord” and to “shine” or be enlightened. To be a Bahá’í
literally means to be enlightened. A person who becomes a
Bahá’í literally walks in the light of God, for Bahá’u’lláh means
the light of God. A Bahá’í also allows the glory of the Lord to
rise upon him and to glorify him:
When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will
appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:4 NIV
This is how Nelson’s Pictorial Bible Dictionary interprets the
preceding verses: “Believers will be fully glorified at the end of
time in God’s heavenly prince.”78 Anyone who acknowledges
Bahá’u’lláh, “will appear with Him in glory.”
This prophecy from Micah asks us to walk in the name of Lord
our God:
…we will walk in the name of Lord our God. Micah 4:5 NKJ
Bahá’u’lláh offers the same injunction:
Walk thou amongst men in the name of God, and by the
power of His might, that thou mayest show forth His signs
amidst the peoples of the earth.79
Isaiah’s well-known prophecy about peace contains the same
critical expression:
In the last days…Many peoples will come and say, “Come,
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the
God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may
walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word
of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the
nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will
beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation,

3nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of
Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 2:2-5 NIV
This prophecy also blesses those who walk in the light of the
Redeemer’s presence:
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those who
have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your
presence… Psalms 89:14-15 NIV
Bahá’u’lláh declares the coming of the light and invites all
lovers of the light to His presence:
O SON OF MAN!
The light hath shone on thee…free thyself from the veils of
idle fancies and enter into My court, that thou mayest be fit
for everlasting life and worthy to meet Me. Thus may death
not come upon thee, neither weariness nor trouble.80
By the righteousness of God! The Dawn hath truly brightened
and the light hath shone forth and the night hath receded.
Happy are they that comprehend. Happy are they that have
attained thereunto.81
O My servants! Deprive not yourselves of the unfading and
resplendent Light that shineth within the Lamp of Divine
glory. Let the flame of the love of God burn brightly within
your radiant hearts.82
In one prophecy, Haggai points to the coming of the One
desired by all nations and then refers to His sublime and
glorious Revelation. It declares that the glory of His “house”
will be greater than that of former Revelations:
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “…the desired of all
nations will come, and I will fill this house [Revelation] with
glory…The glory of this present house will be greater than
the glory of the former house.” Haggai 2:6-8 NIV
Ezekiel predicts that in the last days God will unveil His face
and His glory among the nations:

4I will set My glory among the nations…I will not hide My
face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My
Spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 39:21,29 NKJ
It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
shall come and see My glory [glory of God]. Isaiah 66:18 NKJ
Like John the Revelator, Isaiah offers several clues concerning
the new Name and new Revelation:
I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give
to another…Behold the former things are come to pass, and
new things do I declare…Sing unto the Lord a new song…
Isaiah 42:8-10
Since Bahá’u’lláh came as the Lord, only He is entitled to the
promised glory, namely the glory of the Lord. Moreover, Isaiah’s
prophecies, like those of the Book of Revelation and Haggai,
quoted earlier, point to the passing of the old age and old order
(end of the age) and the dawning of a new one. Both sources
refer to a new song (see Rev. 5:9), which would celebrate the
arrival of a new cycle in human history.
The next prophecy also links the Second Advent with both glory
and renewal:
At the renewal of all things when the Son of Man sits on his
glorious throne… Matthew 19:28 NIV
The following verse also links salvation to the glory of God:
Will you not revive us again…?…Surely his salvation is near
those who fear him, that his glory [the glory of God] may
dwell in our land [Holy Land]. Psalms 85:5,9 NIV
The Book of Revelation not only prophesies a new name, but
specifies the name as well. Chapters 21 and 22 of this glorious
book refer to the descending of the city of God (divine
Revelation) from heaven, and then describe its distinct features.
To demonstrate and emphasize throughout this chapter the clarity
and power of verses that specify the name of the Redeemer of
our time, the prophecies that specify the title of “the glory of

5God” are repeated twice, once with the English translation of
the title from the original language (Hebrew, Greek, or
Aramaic), and again with the Arabic translation of the title:
And he [an angel] carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain
great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the
glory of God… Revelation 21:10-11 NIV
And he [an angel] carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain
great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with
Bahá’u’lláh… Revelation 21:10-11
The prophecy continues:
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth
will bring their splendor into it. Revelation 21:22-24 NIV
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it,
for Bahá’u’lláh gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The
nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will
bring their splendor into it. Revelation 21:22-24
Bahá’u’lláh fulfills the preceding prophecy. In one of His Tablets
(Epistles) He declares that anyone who enters the shadow of the
divine Tree does not need the sun.83
Isaiah has a similar prophecy. It states that the sun and the
moon, the two most splendid symbols and sources of light, will
be ashamed before His glorious appearance:
The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the Lord
Almighty will reign…gloriously.
When on the Mount of Olives (Mt. Olivet), Jesus prophesied
saying:
…and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory. Matthew 24:30
The phrase great glory is a subtle allusion to the name Glory of
God. For we may ask: What Glory is greater than the Glory of

6God? Further, as mentioned, the word Bahá means both great-
ness and glory.
Another prophecy points to the Glory of God as the divine
Attribute under which Christ will return:
…when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father
and of the holy angels [spiritual and heavenly disciples].
Luke 9:26 NIV
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s [God’s]
glory… Matthew 16:27 NIV
See also Mark 8:38
The “Glory of the Father” or the “Father’s glory” is the same as
“Glory of God.”
A Christian author states that the glory predicted in the preceding
prophecy is threefold, glory upon glory upon glory:
His own, which He has of and for Himself as the exalted
Messiah; the glory of God which accompanies him as coming
down from God’s throne, and the glory of the angels who
surround Him with their brightness.84
A similar prophecy also appears in Matthew:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
Matthew 25:31 NIV
Note, it says heavenly, not earthly glory.
Psalms also predicts the coming of the Glory of God:
When the Lord…shall appear in his glory. Psalms 102:16
The Lord is come in his great glory!85 Bahá’u’lláh
Here are two translations of a verse from Titus pointing to the
glory of God:
Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of
the great God… Titus 2:13
Looking for the…appearing of the glory of the great God…
Titus 2:13 ARV

7This frequently quoted verse not only has a literal but symbolic
message as well:
The heavens declare the glory of God… Psalms 19:1 NIV
The heavens declare Bahá’u’lláh… Psalms 19:1 NIV
The word heaven symbolizes religion. All religions have pre-
dicted the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

1never sets.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of
Bahá’u’lláh, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind
together will see it. Isaiah 40:5 NIV
And Bahá’u’lláh will be revealed, and all mankind together
will see it. Isaiah 40:5
…as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory
of the Lord. Numbers 14:21
…as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with
Bahá’u’lláh. Numbers 14:21
The world is illumined with the effulgent glory of His
countenance.86 Bahá’u’lláh
…let your [God’s] glory be over all the earth. Psalms 57:11 NKJ
This is the Day in which the earth shineth with the effulgent
light of thy Lord, but the people are lost in error and have
been shut out as by a veil.87 Bahá’u’lláh

2Ezekiel 39:21 NIV
…I will fill this house [world, faith] with glory… Haggai 2:7 NIV
And after these things I saw another angel [Bahá’u’lláh]
come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth
was lightened with his glory. Revelation 18:1
But God…revealed this Light through His sovereign authority
and protected it through the power of His might until earth
and heaven were illumined by its radiance and bright-
ness.88 Bahá’u’lláh
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be
above all the earth. Psalms 57:5
And the earth will shine with the glory• of its Lord.
Qur’án 39:69 Y
All the prophecies pointing to unity and universality find fulfill-
ment in Bahá’u’lláh’s New World Order and His supranational
teachings proclaimed at a time when nationalism was the
highest and most cherished goal of political leaders. Unity and
universality characterize all the teachings of the new Revelation:
That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to
the service of the entire human race…It is not for him to
pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him
who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country,
and mankind its citizens.89 Bahá’u’lláh
The time will come when everyone will acknowledge God and
His great glory:
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make
a new covenant…this is the covenant I will make with the
house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put
my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be
their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man
teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the

3•
The literal meaning of the Arabic word—Núr—translated here as “glory”
is “light.”

4Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them
to the greatest,” declares the Lord. Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV

1just as an attribute of God. This is quite unusual, for other
attributes are seldom if ever personified. For instance, we never
see the Love of God, the Grace of God, the Power of God, the
Knowledge of God, the Justice of God, or similar attributes
used as if to signify a person. These examples show how the
attribute of glory is personified.
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven
and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right
hand of God. Acts 7:55 NIV
But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven
and saw Bahá’u’lláh, and Jesus standing at the right hand of
God. Acts 7:55
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the glory
of God? John 11:40 NEB
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see
Bahá’u’lláh? John 11:40
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind
together will see it. Isaiah 40:5 NIV
And Bahá’u’lláh will be revealed, and all mankind together
will see it. Isaiah 40:5
And we rejoice in the hope of [seeing] the glory of God.
Romans 5:2 NIV
And we rejoice in the hope of [seeing] Bahá’u’lláh.
Romans 5:2
…they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our
God. Isaiah 35:2 NIV
…they will see Bahá’u’lláh, the splendor of our God.
Isaiah 35:2

2primarily as a person:
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
Romans 3:23 NIV
…all have sinned and fall short of Bahá’u’lláh… Romans 3:23
Why should we have this repeated use of the Glory of God, and
the Glory of the Lord pointing to a person? Only now can we
recognize that this title represented an individual Soul who
would walk in our midst, manifesting God’s Glory and Splendor.
Only now do we realize that the promise of seeing the Glory of
God in the future refers to the realization of this attribute in a
human being. Otherwise why would such a promise be needed,
for the universe has always been an evidence of God’s glory and
greatness.
Some prophecies indicate that the glory of God entered the
court or the temple:
Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the
front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord
filling the temple of the Lord, and I fell facedown.
Ezekiel 44:4 NIV
Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the
front of the temple. I looked and saw Bahá’u’lláh filling the
temple of the Lord, and I fell facedown. Ezekiel 44:4
The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate
facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into
the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
Ezekiel 43:4-5 NIV
Bahá’u’lláh entered the temple through the gate facing east.
Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner
court, and Bahá’u’lláh filled the temple. Ezekiel 43:4-5
And the temple was filled with smoke• from the glory of
God and from his power… Revelation 15:8 NIV

3•
Smoke, like cloud, serves as a vehicle for the glory of God. It veils its
intense splendor.

4Bahá’u’lláh and from his power… Revelation 15:8
O thou who art waiting, tarry no longer, for He is come.
Behold His Tabernacle and His Glory dwelling therein. It is
the Ancient Glory, with a new Manifestation.90 Bahá’u’lláh
See also Ezekiel 3:12, 22-23; 8:3-4; 9:3; 10:4; 11:22-23; Exodus
16:10; Numbers 14:10; Leviticus 9:23; II Chronicles 7:3; Luke
2:9; I Kings 8:11-12.
The word temple, in biblical terms, is synonymous with sanctu-
ary, or tabernacle, and it consists of two parts: the inner court
and the outer court. While in the Holy Land, Bahá’u’lláh had a
tent, which He used during His visits to Mt. Carmel. He called
this tent the Tabernacle of Glory:
It is here [on Mt. Carmel] that, by the grace of the Lord of
Revelation, the Tabernacle of Glory hath been raised.91
One meaning of Bahá’u’lláh in Arabic is the Goodness of God.
A prophecy from Psalms clearly predicts the coming of this
Goodness to the land of the living:
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong
and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalms 27:13-14 NIV
I am still confident of this: I will see Bahá’u’lláh in the land
of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and

1splendor of the Glory of the Lord:
Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a
throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure
like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his
waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and

2surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the
clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This
was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.
When I saw it, I fell facedown. Ezekiel 1:26:28 NIV
In his book The Sign, Christian scholar Robert Van Kampen
offers this interpretation for the preceding prophecy:
The “figure with the appearance of a man” clearly refers to
Christ, who had “the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” The
prophet later sees the same figure, described in almost the
exact same way: “The hand of the Lord fell on me there. Then
I looked, and behold, a likeness as the appearance of a man;
from His loins and downward there was the appearance of
fire, and from His loins and upward the appearance of bright-
ness, like the appearance of glowing metal” (8:2). Previously,
like John in our Revelation account, the Lord gave Ezekiel a
scroll to eat, which the prophet says” was sweet as honey in
my mouth” (3:3).92
After quoting Hosea 11:10-11, the author concludes:
Putting all these pieces together, it seems incontestable that
“the figure with appearance of a man” depicted by Ezekiel
corresponds to the angel described by John in Revelation 10,
and that both passages correspond to the coming of the Lord
…When we take these passages together, then, there are at
least four reasons why these passages from Ezekiel, Hosea,
and Revelation refer to the literal return of Christ to earth…
First, the strong angel is shown “coming down out of heaven”
…with His “open” little book or scroll. Second, Ezekiel’s
description of a “figure with the appearance of a man” who
had “the likeness of the glory of the Lord” and John’s descrip-
tion of the “strong angel” of Revelation are remarkably
similar (Ezekiel 1:27,28; 8:2; Revelation 10:1). Third, the
heavenly persons give the two human witnesses of these
events (the prophet Ezekiel and the Apostle John) small
scrolls to eat that were sweet to the taste (Ezekiel 3:1-3;
Revelation 10:9). And finally, the voices of the heavenly
persons are compared to the roaring of lions (Hosea 11:10;

3Revelation 10:3; cf. 5:5), which, as we shall see, is directly
associated with the salvation of the remnant of Israel.93

1Other sacred Scriptures also allude to the name Bahá. Accord-
ing to the Islamic Scriptures, Bahá (glory) is God’s greatest name.
This knowledge was concealed in an Islamic dawn prayer. By
comparing the names or attributes used in this and other prayers,
a great mystic poet, who lived centuries before the advent of the
Bahá’í Faith, discovered the mystery. The concealed name he
found was Bahá. Following this discovery, he adopted the name
Bahá’í for himself. This famous mystic poet is known in the
East as Shaykh Bahá’í. He may have been the first person to
call himself Bahá’í!
In one of his works Shaykh Bahá’í states:
The Greatest Name is unknown to man, but in the list of all
the Names of God it stands first.94
Another great mystic poet, Mawlaví, uses the word Bahá:
We have found Bahá and we hasten to offer our lives to
Him. He is our ransom.95
Bahá’u’lláh often refers to His Name or to Himself as the Most
Great Name. In the following passage, He declares that God
reveals Himself in two ways: directly and indirectly. Every
atom, every being expresses God’s wisdom, knowledge, and
glory. This influence is direct and universal. The other influence
comes indirectly through God’s Manifestations, and in this age
it has come through His Most Great Name, Bahá’u’lláh:
Consider, for instance, the revelation of the light of the Name
of God, the Educator. Behold, how in all things the evidences
of such a revelation are manifest, how the betterment of all
beings dependeth upon it. This education is of two kinds.
The one is universal. Its influence pervadeth all things and
sustaineth them. It is for this reason that God hath assumed

2the title, “Lord of all worlds.” The other is confined to them
that have come under the shadow of this Name, and sought
the shelter of this most mighty Revelation. They, however,
that have failed to seek this shelter, have deprived themselves
of this privilege, and are powerless to benefit from the
spiritual sustenance that hath been sent down through the
heavenly grace of this Most Great Name. How great the gulf
fixed between the one and the other [the believer and the
denier]! If the veil were lifted, and the full glory of the
station of those that have turned wholly towards God, and
have, in their love for Him, renounced the world, were made
manifest, the entire creation would be dumbfounded.96
Here are two more quotations:
It beseemeth all men, in this Day, to take firm hold on the
Most Great Name, and to establish the unity of all mankind.
There is no place to flee to, no refuge that any one can seek,
except Him.97
The Most Great Name beareth Me witness! How sad if any
man were, in this Day, to rest his heart on the transitory
things of this world! Arise, and cling firmly to the Cause of
God. Be most loving one to another. Burn away, wholly for
the sake of the Well-Beloved, the veil of self with the flame
of the undying Fire, and with faces joyous and beaming with
light, associate with your neighbor.98
This passage from Psalms seems to point to the same great
name:
The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits enthroned
between the cherubim, let the earth shake. Great is the Lord
in Zion; he is exalted over all the nations. Let them praise
your great and awesome name… Psalms 99:1-3 NIV
As the Islamic Scriptures refer to “Glory” as the Name of God,
so do the Christian Scriptures:
He who is victorious…I will write the name of my God upon
him… Revelation 3:12 NEB
Consider the preceding prophecy in its context:

3Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that
no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will
make him a pillar in the temple of My God [Bahá], and he
shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of
My God and the name of the city of My God [Bahá’í], the
New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My
God. And I will write on him My new name [Bahá’u’lláh].
Revelation 3:11-13 NKJ
As the Islamic Scriptures refer to the secrecy surrounding the
name, so do the Christian Scriptures:
He has a name written on him that no one but he himself
knows. Revelation 19:12 NIV
Anyone who overcomes the spiritual obstacles, anyone who
conquers his self, receives the gift of the newly revealed Name
of God: Glory. He becomes its follower. (The Bahá’í Faith
means the Glorious and Enlightened Faith.)
The word glory (an attribute) is granted the station of a Name of
God—Names such as the Lord, God, or the Father:
…to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:11 NIV
Justice, love, and wisdom are referred to as attributes of God,
but not as His Name.
Dedications are also made, as a rule, to persons, not to
attributes:
…to the glory of God. II Corinthians 1:20 NIV
…to Bahá’u’lláh. II Corinthians 1:20
Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
I Corinthians 10:31 NIV
Whatever you do, do it all for Bahá’u’lláh. I Corinthians 10:31
William Miller, the leader of the Advent Movement in the West,
might also have gained a glimpse of this mystery. He made this
statement before the advent of the Báb:
I believe the Scriptures reveal unto us, in plain language, that
Jesus Christ will appear again on this earth…in the glory of
God.99

4William Miller might have come to his discovery by pondering
this prophecy:
…the Son of Man is going to come in His Father’s glory…
Matthew 16:27 NIV
If we substitute God for Father, the verse reads:
…the Son of Man is going to come in God’s glory [as the
glory of God]…
The great Persian mystic, Mawlaví, refers to “Bahá” as the
greatest name, one that stands above all other names.
Compare these prophecies from Ezekiel and the Qur’án:
…I saw the glory of the God of Israel…the land was radiant
with His glory. Ezekiel 43:2 NIV
And the earth will shine with the glory of its Lord.
Qur’án 39:69 Y
And the earth will shine with Bahá’u’lláh. Qur’án 39:69
The following prophecies from Islamic Scriptures are very
direct and clear; they point both to the name Bahá and ‘Akká,
where Bahá’u’lláh lived, died, and was buried:
Soon will God reveal a radiance from a most glorious face,
whose name is Bahá. He will appear in the day of Motlagh•
and enter the guest-house of ‘Akká (Acre) and unify all
humanity.100
All the followers of the Promised Qá’im [the Báb] shall be
put to death except One Whose face shall shine with Abhá
[the All-Glorious] beauty in the plain of ‘Akká.101
All the súrihs (chapters) of the Qur’án begin with the letter b.
There is a special significance to this: a prophecy states that the
letter b stands for Bahá’u’lláh. It indicates that whatever is in

5•
Motlagh means 1. Freed, liberated; 2. Free; 3. Not bound by limitations,
unconditioned. It is also one of the attributes of God. Perhaps the third
meaning is intended here. This day is so inconceivably great, no word can
adequately describe it. It stands beyond the limitations of human
understanding.

6the Torah is in the Gospel, whatever is in the Gospel is in the
Qur’án, whatever is in the Qur’án is in the first Súrih of the
Qur’án, whatever is in the first Súrih is in the first verse of the
Súrih,• whatever is in the first verse of the Súrih is in the letter
b [which is the first letter of the first Súrih], and the letter b is
[stands for] Bahá’u’lláh.102
The above prophecy points to the oneness of the knowledge
revealed by God’s great Messengers and Redeemers. All the
sacred Scriptures come from the same Source, the same
generating Point, indicated by the letter “b,” which stands for
Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God. The essence of every sacred
Scripture can be found in every other, and the essence of all of
them in Bahá’u’lláh. Thus the prophecy intimates that
Bahá’u’lláh is the source and the essence of all knowledge.
The writings of the Báb also refer to the next Manifestation or
Messenger as the Glory of God, naming Him by the exact titles
Bahá and Bahá’u’lláh. More often He uses the word Bahá:
Well is it with him who fixeth his gaze upon the Order of
Bahá’u’lláh, and rendereth thanks unto his Lord. For He
will assuredly be made manifest.103
When the Day-Star of Bahá will shine resplendent above the
horizon of eternity it is incumbent upon you to present your-
selves before His Throne…on that Day all the revelations of
divine bounty shall circle around the Seat of His glory
The Buddhist Scriptures refer to their Promised One as
Amitabha, meaning infinite Light. The second part of this word
(bha) is the exact name of Bahá’u’lláh as spelled in the original
language. Whether it is by chance or by destiny, the spelling of
the word bahá in Arabic is identical with the English spelling of
bhá as used in Amitabha. For the name Bahá (which in Arabic
means light and glory) contains the same letters in the same
order: bha rather than baha.•

7•
The first verse of the first Súrih reads: "In the Name of God, the
Compassionate, the Merciful."
•
Bahá is the English version of the original form Bhá. In Arabic some
vowels, such as the short a and short o are not spelled out.

8It is even more astonishing that Amitabha’s sacred syllables are
ba and ah. Similarly, the most sacred letters in the Bahá’í Faith
are bá and há.• The name of the Báb likewise contains bá in
both directions.
The letters B and Bahá’í also seem to carry a special signifi-
cance among the Jews:
The Jewish mystics knew of the significance of the two
letters “B” and “H” and attached much importance to them.
Their spiritual leaders and philosophers wrote commentaries
and drew the attention of seeking souls to these letters.105
A scholar in Buddhist Scriptures relates that he “had read the
entire Gospel of Buddha in Sanskrit, every word of which he
had understood with the exception of the meaning of a word
composed of “B,” “H” and “A,” which occasionally appears in
Buddhist Scripture. When he learned of the Bahá’í Faith, the
mystery was solved. The letters, joined together, formed the
name of “Bahá.”106
The following prophecy from Buddha also contains a reference
to the attribute of glory:
I am not the first Buddha who came upon earth, nor shall I
be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise…He shall
reveal to you the same eternal truths which I have taught
you. He will preach to you His religion, glorious in its
origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal
The Bhagavad-Gita, a Hindu Scripture, also uses a word like
baha with a similar meaning and spelling: bhih,• meaning
effulgence or radiance. It describes the awesome majesty of
Bahá’u’lláh in these words:
Suppose a thousand suns should rise together…such is the
glory of…God.108

9•
In Arabic the letter b is pronounced bá, the letter h is pronounced há.
Bahá’u’lláh refers to these two letters in The Hidden Words. (See the
Persian section, No. 77, as well as the symbol of the Bahá’í ring stone.)
•
The only consonant letters found in both bha and bhih (as well as bahá)
are b and h.

10The Upanishads, another Hindu Scripture, declares:
Behold the universe in the glory of God, and all that lives
and moves on earth.109 Upanishad 1:1-2
The word bahá has entered even the prophetic heritage of the
Cuna Indians who live in the San Blas Islands, off the Atlantic
coast of Panama.
The Cuna’s prophetic heritage includes a promise that God
will send people to them from the outside world with a new
Book, a new Message and a new Name. They believe that
Message will teach them to live in harmony with all
mankind. The Cuna word for God is Bahá.110
The Native American prophecies also indicate that the second
religion that comes to America will bring peace. Those who carry
the message of this religion are called the Bahánís, meaning the
people of Bahá. Some of the Native Americans in Washington
who heard the word Bahá’í, instantly recognized it as the
promised religion for which they have been waiting.111
As we noted earlier, the title “Glory of God” is synonymous
with the Most Great Spirit, the Primal Point, and the Word,
through which God created the universe. The following prophecy
from the Avesta, a Zoroastrian Scripture, confirms the creative
power of this Spirit:
We hail the glory…that stands above all other beings…the
glory that is God’s and from its effulgence He created the
beings—very good, beautiful, bright, and efficient…so that
they may transform the world and make it new, a world that
will neither die nor age nor rot, an eternal, proud, self-
fulfilled world. That is a time when the dead will rise to
immortal life, the time when Súshíánt will appear and
transform the world as He pleases.112
Here is another prophecy from the Avesta:
The glory that belongs to Súshíánt [Bahá’u’lláh] and His
followers [Bahá’ís] at the time when they transform the
world and build it anew
Súshíánt is the World-Savior and the last of the Redeemers
promised in the Zoroastrian Scriptures. Bahá’u’lláh fulfills that
promise. Sháh Bahrám (the Kingly Light) or Bahrám (the Light)
is another title bestowed on Him in Zoroastrian Scriptures.

11In one of the chapters of the Avesta, the two attributes of Light
and Glory (Bahá) are glorified again and again—fourteen times
within four pages.114
Even as in the Bible, no divine attribute is mentioned in the
Avesta as frequently as glory. The Persian word used for this
attribute is farr, for which the dictionary offers these meanings:
glory, radiance, beauty, and loftiness. This is how a Persian
dictionary (Mo’ín) defines the meaning of farr as stated in the
Zoroastrian Scriptures:
It is a radiance from God. A heart that receives it transcends
other hearts. It is by the power of this radiance that a person
attains perfection and becomes a divine Redeemer.115
We also find references to God’s greatest Name in Hindu
Scriptures:
The followers of Krishna also have many references to the
name of Bahá’u’lláh. In the prayer, “the Mother of the Vedas,”
the Hindus stand with great reverence and beseech guidance
from the “Glory of God” (Bahá’u’lláh). Also in Gita XI:30, it
is said, “…Thine Blazing BHAH, O Vishnu, (the Omnipresent
God), doth glow intensely.”116
The supreme potential of the word “Bahá” can also be found in
its numerical value: 9. The number 9 symbolizes the principle
of “unity in diversity” the ultimate fruit of Bahá’u’lláh’s social
teachings. It also symbolizes perfection: it contains all single
digit numbers, which can, in spite of their fewness, produce an
infinite array of numbers. The advent of the Bahá’í Faith
corresponds to the dawning of the stage of the social and
spiritual maturity of humankind. It represents the highest stage
of unity or oneness in the social development of the citizens of
our planet.

1ways of reason, but to the words of the Scriptures as well. For
we know by both reason and the testimony of the Bible that
“God does not show favoritism” (Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11).
How could He, the impartial Father who is Love itself (John
3:16; I John 4:8), ignore His children, leave them comfortless,

2and not any sooner—decide to save them, to redeem them, to
offer them the gift of eternal life? Can such an unjustified
partiality be expected from the All-Knowing—the God of grace,
compassion, love, and mercy? Could we accept or tolerate such
treatment even from our own fallible parents?
Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles
too? Romans 3:29 NIV
Like parents who give their growing children new gifts, our
Creator crowns each age and each of His Messengers and
Redeemers with special blessings and bounties. But they are all
invested with greatness, for they all come from the same Source
and are tokens of love from the same great Spirit.
There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
I Corinthians 12:4 NEB

3God—the Great Spirit
God’s Messengers The Gift of Names

Abraham The Friend Of God
Moses The Converser With God
Jesus The Son Of God
The Son Of Man

1Muhammad The Seal• of the

Messengers

1The Báb The Gate of God

Lord The Most High

1Bahá’u’lláh The Glory of God

1“Seal” implies both adornment and approval or acknowledgment of
previous Messengers. It also implies the termination of the "Prophetic
Cycle."

2bestows the Name? Should we say my way is the only way or
my way is better than your way?
Is not My way equal? Are not your ways unequal?
Ezekiel 18:25
This is the way, walk ye in it. •
Isaiah 30:21
I am the way—and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me. Christ (John 14:6 NIV)
This is the right way. Qur’án 19:37
…follow ye me: this is the right way… Qur’án 43:61
Verily this is none other than the sovereign Truth; it is the
Path which God hath laid out for all that are in heaven and
on earth.117 The Báb
God’s way is always one way:
This is the Way of God unto all who are in the heavens and
who are on the earth.118 Bahá’u’lláh
God is the only Savior:
Truly You are God, who hide Yourself, God of Israel, the
Savior. Isaiah 45:15 NKJ
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your
Savior… Isaiah 43:3 NKJ
I, even I, am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior…
Isaiah 43:11 NKJ
Jesus was a Savior who spoke for God:
…God raised up for Israel a Savior—Jesus. Acts 13:23 NKJ
But God has many Saviors who speak for Him:
Then Saviors shall come to Mount Zion [Israel].
Obadiah 21 NKJ
Bahá’u’lláh refers to the one divine Spirit that appears in many
names:

3•
This verse points to the Revelation destined for our time.

4appeared in the name of the Spirit [Jesus Christ], thereafter
in the name of the Friend [Muhammad], then in the name of
‘Alí [the Báb], and afterwards in this blessed…Name
[Bahá’u’lláh].119
These words are light to all those who search for truth:
The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. II Corinthians 3:6
What is a name? A word made of a few letters. What is the
Spirit? The Creator and Possessor of names. In each age the
Spirit appears with a special name. For that age, that name is
the way to truth.
Although not generally recognized, the following verse also
carries a prophetic message. It offers salvation to those who call
or accept the One promised to come as the Lord:
And everyone who calls on the name of his Lord

1In the following statement, Bahá’u’lláh points to the unsealing
of the new name and the unveiling of that which was hidden:
The Best-Beloved is come. In His right hand is the sealed
Wine of His name. Happy is the man that turneth unto Him,
and drinketh his fill, and exclaimeth: “Praise be to Thee, O
Revealer of the signs of God!” By the righteousness of the
Almighty! Every hidden thing hath been manifested through
the power of truth. All the favors of God have been sent down,
as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have,
in their fullness, been proffered unto men. Every single cup
hath been borne round by the hand of the Well-Beloved. Draw
near, and tarry not, though it be for one short moment.120
The Báb also alludes to the obstacle of names:
Say, O peoples of the world! Do ye dispute with Me about
God by virtue of the names which ye and your fathers have
adopted for Him…?121

2Some people cannot take even the first step; they stumble over
the label. Many people decline to examine Bahá’u’lláh and His
Revelation, because of the new name. They pass judgment
without searching. Bahá’u’lláh reminds them not to be hindered
by the veils of names. Many cling to an old name without
knowing the honors that are bestowed on those who accept the
new name:
Then you shall be called by a new name…you will be a
glorious crown in the Lord’s hand… Isaiah 62:2 NEB
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
crown of glory that will never fade away. I Peter 5:4 NIV
Never before has the name of God been “written” on people.
Such an honor has been destined only for this dispensation:
Him who overcomes [his attachment to a given name]…I will
write on him the name of my God… Revelation 3:12 NIV
Bahá is that name and Bahá’í is the one on whom God’s own
name is written.
What does the name Jesus mean? According to a Christian
source:
When the angel Gabriel told Joseph in a dream that Mary’s
child was of the Holy Spirit, the angel explained, “She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name
Yehoshuah. The English rendition is usually Joshua. In Hebrew
this name means “God is salvation” or “God saves.”122
Saving humanity from sin and spiritual death did not begin with
Jesus. God has always saved His people and will continue to
save them. Any belief beyond this limits God. The sun does not
withhold its light from the earth. The clouds do. The clouds
arise out of our hearts and souls, not from God.
In every age, God focuses His light on a special mirror or
mediator. For that age, that mirror is the only name or source of
light from which we should seek enlightenment (Acts 4:12;

3John 14:6). When the age changes, so does the name. As
Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name is as sweet.” If we
pay close attention to the literal meaning of Jesus—God saves—
we recognize that it is God the Creator who saves, not the word
Jesus. It is the Spirit of God in the Son of Man that saves, not
the name itself. That name may be different in different lan-
guages, but it has only one meaning: God saves. That same God
has always saved His beloved children and will continue to save
them for all eternity. He loves them all equally.
Bahá’u’lláh refers to His new name repeatedly and asks us not
to turn it into a veil:
Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the
Possessor of all names…Turn unto God and seek His protec-
tion, O concourse of divines [religious leaders], and make
not of yourselves a veil between Me and My creatures. Thus
doth your Lord admonish you, and command you to be just,
lest your works should come to naught and ye yourselves be
oblivious of your plight. Shall he who denieth this Cause be
able to vindicate the truth of any cause throughout creation?
Nay, by Him Who is the Fashioner of the universe!…Tear the
veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of the Kingdom
will hear them being rent. This is the command of God, in
days gone by and for those to come. Blessed the man that
observeth that whereunto he was bidden, and woe betide the
negligent.123
Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling
Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Mighty,
the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one
of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all
names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him,
and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest
injustice.124 Bahá’u’lláh
The Muslims are as attached to names and labels as are the
Christians. Here the Báb addresses them:

4Let 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.125
The title “Son of God” has been emphasized so much by
Christians, yet seldom did Jesus refer to Himself by that title.
The following is a rare exception:
He [Jesus] said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe
in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him
and it is He who is talking with you.” John 9:35-37 NKJ
A few times Jesus used “the Son” (Matthew 11:27; 28:19), but
His favorite title was Son of Man, which He used over eighty
times. In the following passage, the high priest calls Jesus Son
of God. Jesus accepts that title, but as soon as He begins to
speak on His own, He adopts “Son of Man:”
“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as
you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future
you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:63-64 NIV
We find similar examples of humility in Bahá’u’lláh, who
seldom called Himself by that most glorious title: the Glory of
God. He often declares the exalted Station God has bestowed on
Him, but He does not glorify His own self. He glorifies the
Spirit of God in Him and the awesome Revelation of that Spirit
in this great Day of the Lord.
The followers of every religion encounter special tests or
stumbling blocks. What hinders Muslims from investigating
the Message of Bahá’u’lláh is the strongly held belief that no
Revelation or Prophet can come after Muhammad. What hinders
Christians is the conviction that no Name can save but Jesus.
When Bahá’u’lláh addresses Christians, He especially refers to
His Name. He reminds them that He bears the greatest Name
and is the Creator of all Names:
O followers of the Son [Son of God, or Son of Man]! Have
ye shut out yourselves from Me by reason of My name?126

5Tear ye asunder the veils of names and cleave ye their
kingdom. By My Beauty! He Who is the Monarch of all
names is come, He at Whose bidding every single name
hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been
created, He Who shall continue to create them as He
pleaseth. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.127
Jesus predicted that only the faithful will see the glory of God:
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the
glory of God? John 11:40 NEB
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see
Bahá’u’lláh? John 11:40
Jesus also predicted that the faithful will be few:
But when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?
Luke 18:8 NEB
Once again these verses indicate that certain veils will prevent
Christians from seeing and recognizing the glory of God. This
point is also confirmed in John:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The
world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. John 14:16-17 NIV
It is ironic that God’s most glorious Name—a Name so radiant,
so resplendent—has itself become a veil! It is like saying that
the sun’s radiance, beauty, and splendor prevent people from
seeing it.
The beauty in the universe is enhanced by diversity and
contrast. The next two chapters offer an evidence of this. They
portray the shadows that have followed and tried to extinguish
the light in this great day of the Lord.

1In the following statement, Bahá’u’lláh points to the unsealing
of the new name and the unveiling of that which was hidden:
The Best-Beloved is come. In His right hand is the sealed
Wine of His name. Happy is the man that turneth unto Him,
and drinketh his fill, and exclaimeth: “Praise be to Thee, O
Revealer of the signs of God!” By the righteousness of the
Almighty! Every hidden thing hath been manifested through
the power of truth. All the favors of God have been sent down,
as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have,
in their fullness, been proffered unto men. Every single cup
hath been borne round by the hand of the Well-Beloved. Draw
near, and tarry not, though it be for one short moment.120
The Báb also alludes to the obstacle of names:
Say, O peoples of the world! Do ye dispute with Me about
God by virtue of the names which ye and your fathers have
adopted for Him…?121

2Some people cannot take even the first step; they stumble over
the label. Many people decline to examine Bahá’u’lláh and His
Revelation, because of the new name. They pass judgment
without searching. Bahá’u’lláh reminds them not to be hindered
by the veils of names. Many cling to an old name without
knowing the honors that are bestowed on those who accept the
new name:
Then you shall be called by a new name…you will be a
glorious crown in the Lord’s hand… Isaiah 62:2 NEB
And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the
crown of glory that will never fade away. I Peter 5:4 NIV
Never before has the name of God been “written” on people.
Such an honor has been destined only for this dispensation:
Him who overcomes [his attachment to a given name]…I will
write on him the name of my God… Revelation 3:12 NIV
Bahá is that name and Bahá’í is the one on whom God’s own
name is written.
What does the name Jesus mean? According to a Christian
source:
When the angel Gabriel told Joseph in a dream that Mary’s
child was of the Holy Spirit, the angel explained, “She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name
Yehoshuah. The English rendition is usually Joshua. In Hebrew
this name means “God is salvation” or “God saves.”122
Saving humanity from sin and spiritual death did not begin with
Jesus. God has always saved His people and will continue to
save them. Any belief beyond this limits God. The sun does not
withhold its light from the earth. The clouds do. The clouds
arise out of our hearts and souls, not from God.
In every age, God focuses His light on a special mirror or
mediator. For that age, that mirror is the only name or source of
light from which we should seek enlightenment (Acts 4:12;

3John 14:6). When the age changes, so does the name. As
Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name is as sweet.” If we
pay close attention to the literal meaning of Jesus—God saves—
we recognize that it is God the Creator who saves, not the word
Jesus. It is the Spirit of God in the Son of Man that saves, not
the name itself. That name may be different in different lan-
guages, but it has only one meaning: God saves. That same God
has always saved His beloved children and will continue to save
them for all eternity. He loves them all equally.
Bahá’u’lláh refers to His new name repeatedly and asks us not
to turn it into a veil:
Beware lest any name debar you from Him Who is the
Possessor of all names…Turn unto God and seek His protec-
tion, O concourse of divines [religious leaders], and make
not of yourselves a veil between Me and My creatures. Thus
doth your Lord admonish you, and command you to be just,
lest your works should come to naught and ye yourselves be
oblivious of your plight. Shall he who denieth this Cause be
able to vindicate the truth of any cause throughout creation?
Nay, by Him Who is the Fashioner of the universe!…Tear the
veils asunder in such wise that the inmates of the Kingdom
will hear them being rent. This is the command of God, in
days gone by and for those to come. Blessed the man that
observeth that whereunto he was bidden, and woe betide the
negligent.123
Arise thou amongst men in the name of this all-compelling
Cause, and summon, then, the nations unto God, the Mighty,
the Great. Be thou not of them who called upon God by one
of His names, but who, when He Who is the Object of all
names appeared, denied Him and turned aside from Him,
and, in the end, pronounced sentence against Him with manifest
injustice.124 Bahá’u’lláh
The Muslims are as attached to names and labels as are the
Christians. Here the Báb addresses them:

4Let 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.125
The title “Son of God” has been emphasized so much by
Christians, yet seldom did Jesus refer to Himself by that title.
The following is a rare exception:
He [Jesus] said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe
in Him?” And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him
and it is He who is talking with you.” John 9:35-37 NKJ
A few times Jesus used “the Son” (Matthew 11:27; 28:19), but
His favorite title was Son of Man, which He used over eighty
times. In the following passage, the high priest calls Jesus Son
of God. Jesus accepts that title, but as soon as He begins to
speak on His own, He adopts “Son of Man:”
“Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” “Yes, it is as
you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future
you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the
Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Matthew 26:63-64 NIV
We find similar examples of humility in Bahá’u’lláh, who
seldom called Himself by that most glorious title: the Glory of
God. He often declares the exalted Station God has bestowed on
Him, but He does not glorify His own self. He glorifies the
Spirit of God in Him and the awesome Revelation of that Spirit
in this great Day of the Lord.
The followers of every religion encounter special tests or
stumbling blocks. What hinders Muslims from investigating
the Message of Bahá’u’lláh is the strongly held belief that no
Revelation or Prophet can come after Muhammad. What hinders
Christians is the conviction that no Name can save but Jesus.
When Bahá’u’lláh addresses Christians, He especially refers to
His Name. He reminds them that He bears the greatest Name
and is the Creator of all Names:
O followers of the Son [Son of God, or Son of Man]! Have
ye shut out yourselves from Me by reason of My name?126

5Tear ye asunder the veils of names and cleave ye their
kingdom. By My Beauty! He Who is the Monarch of all
names is come, He at Whose bidding every single name
hath, from the beginning that hath no beginning, been
created, He Who shall continue to create them as He
pleaseth. He, verily, is the All-Powerful, the All-Wise.127
Jesus predicted that only the faithful will see the glory of God:
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the
glory of God? John 11:40 NEB
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see
Bahá’u’lláh? John 11:40
Jesus also predicted that the faithful will be few:
But when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth?
Luke 18:8 NEB
Once again these verses indicate that certain veils will prevent
Christians from seeing and recognizing the glory of God. This
point is also confirmed in John:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The
world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor
knows him. John 14:16-17 NIV
It is ironic that God’s most glorious Name—a Name so radiant,
so resplendent—has itself become a veil! It is like saying that
the sun’s radiance, beauty, and splendor prevent people from
seeing it.
The beauty in the universe is enhanced by diversity and
contrast. The next two chapters offer an evidence of this. They
portray the shadows that have followed and tried to extinguish
the light in this great day of the Lord.