Author Of The Apocalypse Unsealed

A Story With An Incredible Ending That Is Made Credible By The Sheer

1weight of evidence. It is a must for anyone interested in the proofs
of the advent of the Promised One of all ages. John Huddleston

Chief Of Budget And Planning

1Division, International Monetary Fund,

1A scholarly work of meticulous research. Appealing to reason and
applying the scientific method to prophetic scripture, it demonstrates
that God has once again revealed Himself to humankind and has
provided hope for unity and peace on this planet.
John Paul Vader, M. D.

1and their fulfillment in the Bahá’í Faith…well researched and
documented. This is the most thorough examination of the proofs
of the Bahá’í Revelation that I have read… William Diehl, Ed. D.
Adjunct Faculty Member,

1…fascinating reading for anyone interested in deciphering the great-
est mystery of all time: the return of Christ. Each chapter reveals
a little of the mystery and climbs, progressively, to a convincing
conclusion. This is, without question, the most comprehensive book
of proofs on the Bahá’í Faith. M. Moshrefzadeh, M.D.

1This book says that the Epiphany is now…that it is not yet too late
to join in the Sacred Ritual that presages the redemption of man. In
love there is no threat. This book, like all sacred communions, is an
act of love. It is also an act of scholarship. William Maxwell, Ed. D.
Chairman, The IQ Foundation

2I Shall
Come Again

1Foreword by the Hon. Dorothy W. Nelson
Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals

2Copyright © 1992, 2000 by Hushidar Hugh Motlagh
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
ISBN 0-937661-16-3 (cloth)
ISBN 0-937661-15-5 (paper)
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 98-94039
Acknowledgments of permission to reprint previously copy-
righted material appear on pages 495-498.
Cover design by Rowshan Maani

SECOND EDITION

4Cover: The two stars symbolize the twin luminaries of our
time, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, whose message spread like
lightening from the East to the West.

5To order copies of this book and other works by this
author, in the United States call or fax:
1-800-949-1863
If you prefer, order online from any country:
www.globalperspective.org
For further information and possible change of our
address, visit our website or send us an E-mail to:

1Global Perspective, 1106 Greenbanks Dr.
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858, USA

2In Commemoration of the Hundredth
Anniversary of the Passing of
Bahá’u’lláh, this Book is Dedicated to:

1Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God [emphasis
added to all passages on this page]. I Corinthians 10:31 NIV
Did I not tell you that if you have faith you will see the
glory of God? John 11: 40 NEB

2Great is the glory of the Lord. Psalms 138:5
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 after day. Declare his glory among the nations…
Psalms 96:1-2 NIV
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory
of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
Romans 5:2 NIV
I have come in the shadows of the clouds of glory…
Bahá’u’lláh

3I believe that the Scriptures do reveal unto us, in plain
language, that Jesus Christ will appear again on this earth
…in the glory of God. William Miller

Views Of The Prophecies And

1Prophetic Chronology, 1842, p. 33

Works By This Author

1About the Bahá’í Faith
Six-volume series on proofs and prophecies

I Shall Come Again
Lord Of Lords
King Of Kings
In The Clouds Of Glory
The Spirit That Acknowledges Jesus Christ
By My Fruits You Shall Know Me

1Introductory books on the Bahá’í Faith
One God, Many Faiths; One Garden, Many Flowers
Heaven’s Most Glorious Gift

Destiny Is A Choice
On Wings Of Destiny
Choosing Your Destiny

1Bahá’í Faith: Teachings for Inner Peace and Purpose
Bahá’í Faith: Teachings for Global Peace and Unity

Books For Christians
Seek And Ye Shall Find
The Glory Of The Son
The Glory Of The Father

1Come Now, Let Us Reason Together
The News Every Christian Should Know

Compilations
The Glorious Journey To God
The Remembrance Of God
Unto Him Shall We Return
Others
Teaching: The Crown Of Immortal Glory
Proclaim The Most Great Name

1Does Your Fishbowl Need Fresh Water?

1“Watch!” What Does That Mean?………………

22. I Shall Come Upon You Like a
Thief Part I ……………………………………………………….
The Master’s Strategy ………………………………
The Most Manifest And the Most Hidden …..
Who Shall Sit Upon the Throne? ……………….
Power and Glory ……………………………………..
What More Could the Master Say?…………….

33. Be Strong, Fear Not …………………………………………
Requirements for Success …………………………
Freedom from Fear ……………………………….
Following the Light of Reason ……………….
Postponing Judgment ……………………………
Persisting …………………………………………….
Being Humble ………………………………………
Praying ………………………………………………..
Prayers for Divine Guidance ……………………..

44. I Shall Come Again ………………………………………….
O Lord Show Thyself ……………………………….
Bahá’u’lláh Glorifies Christ ………………………
The Origin of the Bahá’í Faith …………………..

55. Why Do You Not Understand
My Language? ……………………………………………….
The Promise of a King and its
Fulfillment ………………………………………….
The Promise of Freedom and its
Fulfillment ………………………………………….
Descending from Heaven ………………………..
Power ……………………………………………………
Glory …………………………………………………….
Seeing …………………………………………………..
Life, Death, and Resurrection ………………….
Suffering First, Glory Later …………………….
The Second Advent is Also Prophesied
to Begin with Suffering ………………………..
The Right to Interpret ……………………………..

66. The Great and Terrible
Day of the Lord ……………………………………………..
The Standards of Judgment ……………………..
The Spiritual State of Our Time ………………
The Great Tribulation ……………………………..
To Summarize ……………………………………….

77. You Judge By Worldly Standards ……………………
God’s Way Versus the Human Way …………..
Flaming Fire ………………………………………….
The Worm That Does Not Die …………………
Comparing the First Century
With the Twentieth ……………………………….

8X I Shall Come Again

18. The Wise Shall Understand …………………………….
The “Sprouting” of Time Prophecies………..
The Failure to Decode the
Symbolic Prophecies ……………………………
The Advent Movement …………………………..
The Year of Fulfillment …………………………..
The Millerite Movement …………………………
The Great Disappointment ………………………
Explanation for the Disappointment …………
The Subtle and Sealed Language of
Prophecy …………………………………………….

29. Cause Thy Face to Shine Upon Thy
Sanctuary ………………………………………………………
Time Prophecies of the First Advent ………..
Daniel’s Prophecy of 69 Weeks ……………….
The Prophecy of 70 Weeks ……………………..
Confirming God’s Covenant
With People …………………………………………
The Symbolism of Sacrifice
and Oblation ……………………………………….
Other Time prophecies of
the First Advent …………………………………..
Time Prophecies of the First Advent
Based on the Revised Dates ………………….
The Prophecy of 62 Weeks ……………………..

3Contents XI

4The Coded Language of Prophecy……………

510. Unto Two Thousand and
Three Hundred Days Part I …………………………….
The Date of the Second Advent
in Relation to the First ………………………….
The Significance of Daniel’s
Time Prophecies ………………………………….
The Prophecy of 2300 Days …………………….
The Cleansing of the Sanctuary ……………….
When Shall These Things Be? …………………
The Law of Double Fulfillment ……………….
To Conclude…………………………………………..

611. Unto Two Thousand and
Three Hundred Days Part II ……………………………
The Tarrying Time …………………………………
The Exact Time Never Revealed ……………..
Proclaiming the Year of the Lord ……………..
Similarities Between Daniel’s Vision
of the First and Second Advents ……………
Stand in the Holy Place …………………………..

712. The Times of the Gentiles ……………………………….
The Times of the Gentiles ……………………….
A Call for the Creation of Israel ………………
The Edicts of Submission ……………………….
The Principle of “the Critical Domino” ……
Comparing the Prophecies of the

8XII I Shall Come Again

9First and Second Advents ……………………..
“The Times of the Gentiles” and
“That Day” …………………………………………

1013. The Spirit That Acknowledges
Jesus Christ ……………………………………………………
An Introduction to Islam ………………………..
The Spirit That Acknowledges
Jesus Christ …………………………………………
One God, One Race, One Religion …………..

1114. They Will Prophesy for 1260 Days ………………….
Prophecies From the Book
of Revelation ……………………………………….
The Two Witnesses Who Will
Prophesy 1260 Days …………………………….
The Gentiles Will Trample the
Holy City 42 Months ……………………………
The Symbolism of
“the Trampling of Jerusalem” ……………….
The Two Witnesses Who Lie Unburied
for Three and a Half Days …………………….
The Resurrection of the Two Witnesses …….
The Woman With the Child and
the Seven-headed Dragon ……………………..
Other Explanations …………………………………
The Context of the Prophetic Figures ……….
The Prophecy of the Four Angels …………….
Other Prophecies from the
Book of Revelation ………………………………

12Contents XIII

1315. The Great Prince ……………………………………………
Michael, the Great Prince ……………………….
Increase in Knowledge and Travel ……………
The Time of the Advent of
the Great Prince …………………………………..
Daniel’s Second Prophecy of
“Three Times and a Half ” …………………….
Harmony Among the Prophecies ……………..

1416. The Seven Times ……………………………………………
Moses’ Prophecy of the Seven Times ……….
The Meteor that Lighted the World …………..
The Link Between Two Critical Events …….
Transforming the Codes into Dates…………..
A Unique Prophetic Figure ……………………..
The Major Prophetic Eras ……………………….
The Relationship Between Heavenly and
Earthly “Jerusalem and Sanctuary” ………..
To Conclude…………………………………………..

1517. The Ancient of Days……………………………………….
The Prophecy of 1290 Days …………………….
The Biblical Sources of
Time Prophecies ………………………………….
The Báb’s Prophecies
Concerning Bahá’u’lláh ………………………..
Summer Is Near……………………………………..
Would the Master Be Late? ……………………..

16XIV I Shall Come Again

1718. The Times Spoken of by
All Holy Prophets …………………………………………..
Zoroastrian and Native American
Time Prophecies ………………………………….
Prophecies Pointing to 1844 or 1260 ………..
From the Old Testament ………………………
From the New Testament …………………….

1Islamic Prophecies Pointing to
1260, Covered in Volume IV …………………
Prophecies Pointing to
1852-1853 and 1863 …………………………….
Prophecies Pointing to the Public
Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh …………………….
The Qur’án’s Prophecy Pointing to the
First Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh
Covered in Volume IV ………………………….
The Báb’s Prophecies Pointing to the
First Declaration of Bahá’u’lláh …………….
The Evidence is Established ……………………
He Will Not Be Late ………………………………
The Three Stages of the Social and
Spiritual Evolution of Humanity ……………

219. And This Gospel of the Kingdom
Will be Proclaimed …………………………………………
The Child Preachers of the
Mid-19th Century…………………………………
Joseph Wolff, the Hero of the

3Contents XV

1God’s Covenant With Humanity
20. My People Perish for
Want of Knowledge ……………………………………….. 395
Why Haven’t I Heard
About this Faith Before? ……………………… 395
The Gentle Method of Teaching ……………… 396
Mistrust of the Non-traditional
And Unfamiliar …………………………………… 397
The Excessive Fear of Falsehood ……………. 398
Preoccupation With Worldly Concerns ……. 400
Lack of Knowledge,
the Common Denominator …………………… 401
The Role of Religious Leaders ……………….. 402

221. I Have Set My Rainbow
in the Clouds …………………………………………………. 409
The Gift of Freedom ……………………………… 414

322. Through Knowledge Shall
the Just Be Delivered …………………………………….. 423
The Gift of Understanding
and Knowledge …………………………………… 423
The Gift of Responsibility ……………………… 428

1Be Cleansed …………………………………………………..
The Position Held by Adventists ……………..

2The Symbolism of “the Cleansing
of the Sanctuary” …………………………………
Tabernacle and Sanctuary in
Bahá’í Scriptures …………………………………

3Appendix II: William Miller’s Dream ……………………
Interpretation …………………………………………

4Appendix III: I Shall Come Upon You
Like a Thief Part II………………………………………….

5References…………………………………………………………….

6Permissions …………………………………………………………..

7Index ……………………………………………………………………

8Index of Bible Verses Used in this Book …………………

9Contents of Volumes II and III ………………………………

1human history—the Advent of the Prince of Peace, the
Desire of the Ages, the Redeemer of the World. It presents
hundreds of scriptural prophecies and proofs fitting a pattern
that clearly indicates that the Return expected by the followers
of all the world’s great religions has already occurred. The
prophecies and promises have been fulfilled in the advent of
Bahá’u’lláh (the Glory of God) and His Herald, the Báb (the
Gate), who appeared in the mid-19th century and established
the Bahá’í Faith—a universal religion dedicated to world unity.
The references offered in this work to prove the validity of
Bahá’u’lláh’s claim to be the great world Redeemer come
mostly from the Bible. Prophecies from the Scriptures of other
religions have also been presented, for they have all foretold
His coming. Scientific explanations and mathematical calcula-
tions further substantiate this claim. The overwhelming weight

22 I Shall Come Again

3of the evidence presented here cannot be ignored. It challenges
the reader to investigate further Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.
The author was born to a Jewish family that later became
Bahá’í. His grandfather, after making an extensive study of
proofs and prophecies, recognized Bahá’u’lláh as the expected
Messiah of the Jews in the last days. Although influenced by
his grandfather, the author pursued his own independent search
into the Bahá’í Revelation. After years of study, he became
convinced of the validity of Bahá’u’lláh’s claim and teachings.
It seems ironic to him that his Jewish ancestors met many
Christians who would say: “The Messiah has come!” And
now he is saying to the descendants of those same Christians:
“The Messiah has come again!”
This book points out that the prophets and seers of past ages
longed to witness the dawning of this glorious time in history—
the Day of the Lord. Bahá’ís believe that this blessed Day
has indeed dawned, that Christ has returned, and that all the
prophecies have been fulfilled!
At the opening of this glorious age (1844), a few followed
the warnings of the Scriptures; they stayed awake and watchful
and caught a glimpse of its glory. But the vast majority, as
predicted by the prophets, were caught by surprise—asleep
and dreaming of a loud trumpet blast that would awaken
them, hoping for an unseen hand that would raise them to the
heavens on high.
Seekers who study Bahá’u’lláh’s world order—the Kingdom
of God on earth prayed for by Christ—find it practical, indeed
ideal. Who could rationally deny the need for global unity,
for a universal language, and for world peace? But even
though Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings are in harmony with the needs
of the age and scientific understanding, and even though the
Bahá’í life inspires spiritual transformation, there need to be
objective proofs of the validity of Bahá’u’lláh’s prophetic
Mission. That is the purpose of this book.

4Foreword

5Bahá’u’lláh offers a message of hope and fulfillment, of love,
peace, and harmony; a message that can transform our planet
into a veritable paradise, that can bring the heart of humanity
into fellowship with God.
How glorious a world in which justice, love, and peace prevail;
a world whose inhabitants worship one God, acknowledge
one Faith, speak in one language, and abide by one Law.
How wondrous a world in which prejudice is uprooted,
fanaticism forsaken, illiteracy eradicated, poverty eliminated,
work exalted, and idleness despised. How blessed a world in
which religion and science stand together as perfect partners
in fostering human progress; a world in which the station of
woman is acknowledged as man’s equal. How enchanting a
world from whose heart worldliness is effaced, crime cast
out, enmity expelled, and war banished. How splendid a
world in which the love of God dominates and moves the
hearts of all its inhabitants—a love from which will spring
every noble act, every pure and worthy deed.
Such is the world whose advent all the prophets have foretold;
such is the day for whose dawning the Bahá’ís have offered
countless lives; such is the peace for whose triumph the Báb
suffered and gave His youthful life; and such is the kingdom
for whose coming Bahá’u’lláh endured forty years of afflic-
tion, exile, and imprisonment. What a blessed gift to live in
this glorious time!
Dorothy W. Nelson

He Who Overcomes

1B ehold, I come quickly…He who overcomes…I will
make him a pillar in the temple of my God…And I
will also write on him my new name.
Revelation 3:11-12 NKJ
Recently, a series of interviews entitled, Prophecy Today,
Christian Leaders Look at the Signs of the Time, was con-
ducted with several distinguished Christians. Leaders of
various denominations, both Catholic and Protestant, were
asked to link the events of our time to biblical prophecy.
Among the leaders interviewed was Dr. James Kennedy, one
of the most distinguished Christian scholars and founder of
the Westminster Academy. He is known to many Christians
through his writings as well as his weekly television and
radio broadcasts that reach millions in 3,300 communities in
the United States and 21 other countries. When asked “What
do you believe are some of the major mistakes we tend to

2The great Princeton theologian of the last century, Dr.
Charles Hodge, said something which I have always
thought is worth remembering. He said that though the
Old Testament is filled with some 333 prophecies con-
cerning the first coming of Christ; in spite of that,
nobody got it right. And as you know, they crucified
Christ because of a misunderstanding about what the
Messiah was really coming to do. And we should because
of that be somewhat humbled and modest in our attempts
to interpret prophecies concerning the second coming of
Christ. It is quite possible that all of us [Christian
leaders] are wrong as well. [Emphasis added.]1
To see the present clearly, we must look at the past; to un-
derstand our lives, we must understand the lives of those who
have lived before us:
People are fond of saying that “the past is dead,” but it
is actually the future that is dead—and we make it come
alive only by applying what we have learned from the
living past to the present. Sydney Harris

1Days should speak, and multitudes of years should teach
wisdom… Job 32:7
A Christian publication declares:
The Bible does tell us, of course, that we should use the
past as the right kind of spiritual rearview mirror. We
should learn from our own or others’ errors.
The Hebrew or Old Testament Scriptures, said Paul, provide
us this opportunity. “For whatever things were written
before were written for our learning”… (Romans 15:4).
Paul said the spiritual errors ancient Israel made “were
written for our admonition” (I Cor. 10:11).2

He Who Overcomes

3Has history repeated itself in our time? Is it possible that the
masses of people have once again missed their Redeemer
“because of a misunderstanding about what He was really
coming to do?” Are Christian leaders of our time willing to
acknowledge Dr. Kennedy’s message of humility in interpret-
ing biblical prophecy?
…he shall save the humble person. [Emphasis added
throughout this section.] Job 22:29
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide
me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my
Savior, and my hope is in you all day long…He guides
the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalms 25:4-5, 9 NIV
Deliver me, O Lord, I beseech thee…The Lord preserves
the simple-hearted; I was brought low and he saved me.
Psalms 116:4, 6 NEB
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do
what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s
anger. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV
…the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the
poor [the meek, ARV]. Isaiah 61:1 NIV
See also Luke 4:18
Christian scholar Dr. Barry Chant in his book The Return
illustrates the need for humility by this example:
Imagine four theologians sitting in a library one day, when
a pigeon flutters down and lands on the window sill.
“Aha,” says one, “a symbol of peace.”
“No,” suggests another. “In Scripture, the dove is always
a symbol of the Holy Spirit.”
“Not always.” interjects the third scholar. “It reminds me
of the freedom we have in Christ.”
“I cannot agree with any of you,” argues the fourth.
“That bird obviously reminds us of the return of Christ.”

48 I Shall Come Again

5Now, so far, there is no problem. Each man has a perfect
right to his view and each may have good reason for it.
But let us imagine that this is what happens next—
The fourth man goes on to say, “Listen, you may not
agree, but I’m telling you that you are all wrong. There
is only one possible significance in the landing of that
bird. It is the message of the parousia [the coming and
presence of Christ]!”
Another then says, “Wait a minute! I have had such an
experience of liberation in Christ that there can be no
other meaning for me than spiritual freedom. That bird has
nothing whatsoever to do with some eschatalogical event!”
And then the second speaker chips in. “You men obviously
know nothing whatever of the Scriptures. The dove is
the…sign of the Spirit. To say anything else is to border
on heresy! I insist that you consider my viewpoint and
that you seriously question your own views.”
And then the one who spoke first says, “Listen to me, all
of you. From time immemorial, the dove has been a sign
of peace. I have history and tradition on my side. And I’m
prepared to fight anyone to prove it!”
Dr. Chant then concludes:
Voltaire, an atheistic philosopher once said, “I disapprove
of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right
to say it.” We need a similar attitude in the area of
eschatology.4
Bahá’u’lláh begins The Book of Certitude—which examines
the proofs of His Mission—with the topic of detachment:
No man shall attain the shores of the ocean of true
understanding 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

He Who Overcomes

7And he concludes another of His books (The Hidden Words)
with the topic of detachment:
I bear witness, O friends! that the favor is complete, the
argument fulfilled, the proof manifest and the evidence
established. Let it now be seen what your endeavors in
the path of detachment will reveal.6
What is “detachment”? It is best defined by communication
specialists Ronald Adler and Neil Towne. They state that in
all human relationships and regarding all subjects the most
essential ingredient for effective communication is:
…the ability and disposition to be open-minded—to set
aside for the moment his or her own beliefs, attitudes,
and values and consider those of the other person.
This is especially difficult when the other person’s position
is radically different from your own. The temptation is to
think (and sometimes say), “That’s crazy!” “How can you
believe that?”…attitudes like these often aren’t helpful
even if your position is correct. Being open-minded is
often difficult because people confuse understanding
another’s position with accepting it.7
Countless attachments surround us and entangle us. There is
attachment to:
• Names and labels
• Traditions
• The opinion of authority figures (pastors, parents, celebrities)
• Security, popularity, or power
• Personal inclinations or prejudices
• The voice of the majority
• The voice of ego
• Ignorance
• Illusions and unverified assumptions
• Despair, apathy, and cynicism
• The glitter and glamor of the world

810 I Shall Come Again

9Even one of these attachments can entangle our freedom
and strangle our vision of truth. Bahá’u’lláh refers to many
attachments, but the one He emphasizes in The Book of
Certitude is dependence on the opinion of others:
…man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the
All-Glorious, can never quaff from the stream of divine
knowledge and wisdom, can never enter the abode of
immortality, nor partake of the cup of divine nearness and
favor, unless and until he ceases to regard the words and
deeds of mortal men as a standard for the true understand-
ing and recognition of God and His Prophets.8
Noted psychologist, Dr. Wayne Dyer, discusses the necessity
of detachment:
Certainly it is fine to have strong opinions about anything
that you choose, but the moment you become attached to
these ideas and thereby define yourself by them, you shut
out the possibility of hearing another point of view. This
attachment to ideas and to making others wrong is the
history of the being called Human Being, and it accounts
for untold wars and misery since the beginning of recorded
history.
Seldom do people stop and truly hear what the other
person has to say. Seldom if ever do we change our mind
based upon solid ideas presented by others.9
We can respect and even appreciate the past and the ways
of our ancestors. We can love them for having chosen to
go their own way. But to be attached to having to live
and think the way others before you did, because you
showed up looking like them in forms, is to deny your-
self enlightenment.10
Detachment is freedom, attachment is slavery; freedom from
what others expect us to be, slavery to their judgment of
who we should be and our own judgment of how they should
be. Detachment is an absolute necessity because of this
pervasive principle:

He Who Overcomes

11Every way of a man is right in his own eyes.
Proverbs 21:2
Attachment is perhaps the greatest weakness in human nature,
and overcoming it—attaining detachment—is man’s greatest
victory, his supreme purpose, glory and honor. Both the
difficulty and the glory of “overcoming” are of such mag-
nitude that the Book of Revelation refers to them eight times.
Here are two of these references:
I am coming soon…Him who overcomes…I will write on
him the name of my God…I will also write on him my
new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 3:11-13 NIV
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with
me on my throne… Revelation 3:21 NIV
See also Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5; 21:7
The Cause of God hath come as a token of His grace.
Happy are they who act; happy are they who understand;
happy the man that hath clung unto the truth, detached
from all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth.11
Bahá’u’lláh
The only acceptable attachment is to God:
…they that tread the path of faith…must cleanse themselves
of all that is earthly [detachment]…They should put their
trust in God, and, holding fast unto Him [attachment],
follow in His way.12 Bahá’u’lláh
The Scriptures ask us to “test everything” (I Thess. 5:21 NIV),
to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God ” (I
John 4:1 NIV), to “prove all things” and to “hold fast that
which is good ” (I Thess. 5:21). The necessity of testing is
confirmed in all sacred Scriptures:
Take heed to carefully consider the words of every soul,
then hold fast to the proofs which attest the truth.13
The Báb

1212 I Shall Come Again

13What follows is an attempt to comply with those directives
and guidance; to put the new Messenger to the test; to see
whether He who claims to be the Spirit of truth, the return
of Christ, the expected Savior and Redeemer of the world,
is indeed from God. It is an attempt that has taken the author
over thirty years—and thousands of hours of research and
writing. It tells a story so remarkable that it happens only
once in thousands of years.
It is about a Messenger, Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God:
• Who sacrificed His freedom and comfort to liberate the
human race from the fetters of war, prejudice, and injustice.
• Who endured every conceivable loss, pain, and suffering
for nearly 40 years, yet never wavered in His claim.
• Who, without help, withstood and overcame three of the
most powerful and despotic kings of the earth.
• Who did not attend school, yet wrote words of exquisite
grace and wisdom with astonishing speed.
• Who lived in prison and exile most of His life, yet com-
posed Writings equal to a hundred volumes, unveiling the
knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration that humanity needs
to live in peace for the next thousand years and more.
• A Messenger who has already influenced millions with
His teachings, hailed by great thinkers from many lands
as the ultimate remedy for the afflictions of the world.
• A Teacher whose teachings, within the span of a century,
have given rise to a global community based on the
highest ethical standards—a community that extends to the
farthest reaches of the earth—with members in over
countries and dependencies.
• A Redeemer about whose advent the Bible speaks more
than a thousand times, predicting the events of His life and
His Revelation; events that, according to the facts pre-
sented in this volume and the next, could happen by

He Who Overcomes

15chance only once in 10 80 times—a figure that equals
the estimated number of elementary particles (protons,
neutrons, and electrons) in the observable universe. (See
Volume II, Lord of Lords.)
If Bahá’u’lláh’s claim is false, we need to know, and no
harm will come from knowing. If it is true, we also need
to know. For knowing God’s latest Manifestation of Truth —
the Prince of Peace—is a privilege and a bounty with which
nothing can ever compare. Only through Him can the
purpose of human life be known — a purpose that is the
wellspring of the deepest and most enduring joy.
Paul said we need three things—faith, hope, and love. We
must have faith that the Comforter (John 15:26) would not
leave us comfortless in an hour of dire need, we must have
love for truth, and hope that we can find it.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Christ (John 14:18)
This work consists of six volumes that cover the objective
proofs of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. By objective is meant the
evidences or proofs that are equally accessible to everyone,
that can be examined and verified by all seekers of truth. At
the other extreme, and totally different from these, are
subjective evidences, which result from personal spiritual
transformations or encounters. Such evidences are not equally
accessible to all seekers of truth, and as a rule, cannot be
repeated, tested, and verified. They must be accepted mainly
on faith. These have not received the status of primary
proofs in this book, yet because of the credence given to
them by many seekers, they have not been ignored.

1I, therefore, begins with some preliminary material, which
lays a groundwork for the study of scriptural proofs, and
provides some factual background for those with little or no
exposure to the Bahá’í Faith. It addresses seven central
questions:
• What did Jesus mean when He repeatedly gave this
warning: “Watch!”? (Chapter 1)
• What did Jesus mean when He said “I shall come like a
thief ”? (Chapter 2)
• What attitudes and attributes, according to the Scriptures,
characterize the true seeker? (Chapter 3)
• What is the message of the Bahá’í Faith and who are its

2• Does God speak in the same way humans do? What
features characterize the unique language of the divine?
(Chapter 5)
• Can the interpreters of the Word of God tell with certainty
which prophecies are literal, which prophecies are sym-
bolic? (Chapter 6)
• Is it possible to single out from the Scriptures as well as
historical records the main difference between what people
have expected from God’s Messengers and Redeemers
and what they are given? Does the same difference exist
today? (Chapter 7)
These seven chapters constitute an independent unit. They are
placed at the beginning of the book for this purpose only: to
prove that it is possible to arrive late for the banquet of the
Kingdom, and to miss the Bridegroom. Readers not in need
of this message may wish to proceed directly to Part II,
which carries the main theme of Volume I: the fulfillment of
time prophecies pointing to the advent of the Redeemer of

1with many other biblical predictions pertaining to the return
of Christ: His new name, the chief events of His life, and the
prevailing conditions of the appointed time. (See the table of
contents of those Volumes at the end of this book.)
Volume IV—The Spirit That Acknowledges Jesus Christ—
presents the identical prophecies of the Bible and the Qur’án
concerning the return of Christ. It attempts to eradicate the
prevailing misconceptions about Islam in the West and to
demonstrate the Qur’án’s confirmation of the Bible and
glorification of Christ and His mother, as well as Noah,

2the spiritual teachings of the Bible and the Qur’án are not just
similar; they are identical.
Volume V—In the Clouds of Glory—demonstrates the sharp
contrast between divine and human language. It explores the
meaning of the symbolic prophecies that point to the return
of Christ. It shows how the symbols interrelate and interact,
demonstrates the harmony of seemingly contradictory words,
and resolves some of the most enduring mysteries of the
Scriptures.
Volume VI—By My Fruits Ye Shall Know Me—examines
many other scriptural standards by which a Messenger from
God can be known.
In this work, the words Messenger, Redeemer, Manifestation
(of God), Savior, and divine Teacher are used interchange-
ably. Some writers apply the word Christ to the divine Spirit
manifested in Jesus, and the word Jesus to the Redeemer’s
personal identity. Such a distinction is not always followed
in this book. The author has emphasized some scriptural
passages by putting them in bold print.
Some authorities doubt the authenticity of the words of Jesus.
That position is not upheld here. First, Bahá’u’lláh confirms
the Gospel as “genuine” and “heavenly.” 14 Second, the Word
of God is unique and distinctive. It stands out clearly above
the word of His creatures. The passages attributed to Jesus
testify to this distinction.
To enhance clarity, two modern translations of the Old and
New Testaments are used: The New English Bible (NEB), and
New International Version (NIV). The wording in different
editions of The New International Version varies slightly. For
passages from The King James Version (K JV), identifying
abbreviations are not used. To clarify or emphasize special
meanings, in a few instances, The Amplified Bible (AB), The
New American Bible (NAB), and The New King James Version

1Bahá’u’lláh’s Book of Certitude, more than any other, has been my
guide and inspiration. I have also drawn from Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Selections from the Writings of the Báb, and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s works, especially Some Answered Questions. It is im-
possible to estimate my debts to these sources. To fully acknowledge
my indebtedness would require referring to the names of Bahá’u’lláh,
the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on almost every page.
This acknowledgment does not imply that all the views presented
here stem from the Bahá’í sacred Writings, or that they constitute an
“official” Bahá’í interpretation of those Scriptures.
I make no claim that this work is free from errors. I have made many
corrections and expect to be corrected by others for decades to
come. What matters is not if I have erred in judging specific facts
or interpretations, but if I have erred in judging the concluding
message of this book. That judgment is for everyone to make for him-
self only after he has examined all the facts presented here. The
concluding message of this book should not and cannot be invalidated
by my shortcomings. For we all err “and come short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23).

2Contributors of Thought and Talent
I am indebted most for the contributions made by: Jim Allen, Kenneth
Augustine, Dr. Fredrick Bonds, Waldo Boyd, Dr. Carlos Castillo, Dr.
R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram, Michael S. Centner, John Dale, Jr., Dr.
William Diehl, Alan Gamble, Irma Gray, John Huddleston, Dr. Enrico
Indiogine, Dr. Thomas Kalantar, Kern Kuipers, Joe Killeen, Bruce
Limber, Virginia Martig, Dr. Dorothea Martin, Dr. William Maxwell,
Dr. Dorothy Nelson, Gail Radley, Richard Reid, Robert Riggs, Dr.
Thomas Rowe, Dr. Robert Stockman, Michael W. Thomas, and Jane
Zehnder-Merrell.
I also wish to express my appreciation to other contributors of thought
or talent: Mahmud, Ahmad, Parviz, May, and Navid Motlagh.

1But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth? Luke 18:8 NEB
As things were in Noah’s days, so will they be when the
Son of Man comes. Matthew 24:37 NEB
…I shall come upon you like a thief… Revelation 3:3 NEB
It will be good for those servants whose master finds
them watching when he comes. Luke 12:37 NIV
That is the day when I come like a thief! Happy the
man who stays awake… Revelation 16:15 NEB
Be on the alert… Luke 21:36 NEB
…do not let him find you sleeping. Mark 13:36 NIV
Take ye heed, watch and pray… Mark 13:33
Watch ye therefore, and pray always… Luke 21:36
…whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive. Matthew 21:22
…Unto them that look for him [Christ] shall he appear
the second time… Hebrews 9:28

2Be Always on the Watch
Luke 21:36 NIV

3“Watch!”
What Does That Mean?

4T he Olivet Discourse (Matt., Chapters 24 and 25)E contains
the most comprehensive and emphatic pronouncement
Jesus made during His ministry to prepare Christians for His
return. This chapter introduces the parts of this discourse that
encourage Christians to investigate the good news of “the
coming of the Kingdom of God on earth.” It shows that
in the light of Christ’s clear and definitive instructions,
Bahá’u’lláh’s claim deserves the most serious investigation
by all Christians, especially those who wish to follow the
counsels of their Lord and Savior. Succeeding chapters and
volumes will examine other themes of Jesus’ discourse, among
them the fulfillment of some of His most specific predictions
in Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation.

5E
It also appears in Mark, Chapter 13, and Luke, Chapter 21. But each of the
latter contains only about a third of the verses found in Matthew.

622 I Shall Come Again

7The Olivet Discourse was uttered in response to the disciples’
concern and curiosity about the future:
When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives the disciples
came to speak to him privately. ‘Tell us,’ they said, ‘when
will this happen? And what will be the signal for your
coming and the end of the age?’ Matthew 24:3 NEB
Perhaps the most critical word Jesus used in His discourse
to awaken the Christians to the reality of His return is this:
“Watch!”
Be on guard! Be alert!…keep watch…do not let him find
you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone:
“Watch!” Christ (Mark 13:33-37 NIV)
Be always on the watch…that you may be able to stand
before the Son of Man. Luke 21:36 NIV

8What did He mean by that word? Did He mean: look always
heavenward, and gaze into space? Certainly not! To compre-
hend Jesus' prophecies, it is absolutely essential to decode
this critical word.
As Dr. Ray Stedman,1 a Christian scholar, observes, in His
discourse Jesus uses three different parables to explain His
intentions in saying “Watch!” All of them contain the answer
to this question: the Master is away for a long time. How
should we find and recognize Him when He returns? All of
them explain the meaning of the key word, “Watch!”
The first of the three parables points to the role of those in
positions of leadership. Religious leaders have a sublime sta-
tion, as high and bright as the stars of heaven (Daniel 12:3).
They also have duties commensurate with their position of
honor. Perhaps the most awesome task Jesus has entrusted to
them is that of preparing Christians for His return. As a
reward for complying with His counsel, He has promised to
“put them in charge of all His possessions:”

9Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

10Who then is the faithful and wise servant [leader], whom
the master has put in charge of the servants in his house-
hold [the church]E to give them their food at the proper
time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds
him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will
put him in charge of all his possessions.
Christ (Matthew 24:45-47 NIV)
To be placed in charge of all the Master’s possessions is the
highest and most honored reward anyone can receive. But the
reward must be earned:
That servant who knows his master’s will and does not
get ready or does not do what his master wants will be
beaten with many blows…From everyone who has been
given much, much will be demanded; and from the one
who has been entrusted with much, much more will be
asked. Christ (Luke 12:47-48 NIV)
Both the rewards and the punishments assigned to those in
positions of power are extraordinary. Leaders are responsible
not only for themselves but, to some extent, for the spiritual
destiny of those they lead.
Daniel, too, predicts a bright destiny for those leaders who
walk by the light of wisdom and understanding:
The wise leaders shall shine like the bright vault of
heaven, and those who have guided the people in the true
path shall be like the stars for ever and ever…keep the
words secret and seal the book till the time of the end…
only the wise leaders shall understand.
Daniel 12:3, 4, 10 NEB
Many religious leaders speak in glowing terms about the
return of Christ. They plant the hope of His return in the
hearts of millions. This is commendable. But to conform to

11E
…every teacher of the law [of the Lord] who has been instructed about
the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house… Matthew 13:52 NIV

1224 I Shall Come Again

13the Master’s counsels, they need to take one more step: trans-
form this positive force—hope—into action and search. Some
religious leaders hesitate in this endeavor. Others instill
avoidance. The climate of fear and avoidance that is thus
created affects not only the lay people but the leaders as well.
It generates an attitude of apathy, the feeling that truth need
not be sought; it is something that one is either born into or
forced to recognize by the power of the supernatural.
The second parable, in which Jesus teaches the reality of His
return, is that of the banquet of the Kingdom, or the wise
and foolish maidens—perhaps the most touching of all His
parables (Matt. 25:1-13). He utters this parable to teach not
fear of being deceived, but fear of being deprived of His
Glory at His second coming.
To keep the seekers’ attention on the topic—the closing of
the age and His return—Jesus prefaces the parable with this
passage: “When that day comes the kingdom of Heaven will
be like this” (Matt. 25:1 NEB). That is, when the promised
day dawns, the Kingdom of God on earth will begin as this
parable portrays. As Unger’s Bible Dictionary states:
…the “kingdom of heaven” in its earthly manifested form
was postponed until Christ’s Second Advent…According to
the clear teaching of the Bible it will be realized only in
connection with the Second Advent. The testimony of
Scripture agrees completely with this fact…the kingdom of
heaven is no other than the rule of God on the earth
Jesus then relates the story of ten maidens who waited a long
time to meet the Bridegroom [Christ]. In preparing for the
Bridegroom and His wedding banquet they took their lamps
and went out to meet Him. Five of them carried oil, the rest
did not. The five maidens who carried oil He praised as being
wise, the rest as unwise. Both the wise and unwise maidens
waited a long time for the Bridegroom whom they wished to
meet. The only difference between them was the extra oil
the wise ones carried. Why carry oil? Accompanying the

14Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

15Bridegroom and entering His banquet were deemed by the
wise maidens as the greatest glory and honor. They made
every effort to be prepared. They took every precaution to
be sure they could keep their lamps burning as long as
possible. They knew that without lighted lamps they could
neither see the Bridegroom nor enter His banquet.
The unwise maidens felt that their only duty was waiting and
wishing. To them what mattered was the lamp of the church;
carrying oil did not seem essential. They did not believe they
could miss the Bridegroom or be kept out of His banquet.
The Bridegroom finally arrived in the dark and secrecy of
midnight. The wise maidens with lighted lamps received the
unparalleled honor of accompanying the Bridegroom to the
banquet. The others—who had been complacent, who had not
feared missing the Bridegroom, who had not taken extra
precautions—arrived too late. They met closed doors, and
their pleas to enter the banquet went unheeded.
What the parable teaches is this: waiting and wishing are not
sufficient. Almost all Christians are waiting for Christ to
return and wish to meet Him. But only those who have taken
advantage of every opportunity to enlighten themselves, only
those who carry the oil of wisdom, not just the lamp of the
church can accompany Him to His banquet. It is indeed
possible to miss the Bridegroom.
In all the verses quoted, the attribute of wisdom stands out.
All the verses indicate that:
• Only the wise leaders shall understand (Daniel 12:10 NEB).
• Only the wise leaders shall shine (Daniel 12:3 NEB).
• Only the wise maidens can enter the banquet of the King-
dom (Matt. 25:1-13).
• Only the faithful and wise servants [leaders] are put in
charge of the Master’s possessions (Matt. 24:45-47).
This verse also links deliverance to wisdom:

1626 I Shall Come Again

17…whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26
Still another passage from Isaiah points to a link not only
between wisdom and understanding of prophecies but also the
scarcity of wisdom among the “wise men” of our time:
All prophetic vision has become for you like a sealed
book…the wisdom of their wise men shall vanish and the
discernment of the discerning shall be lost.
Isaiah 29:11-14 NEB
It is evident that wisdom is required when a vital choice is at
stake, especially one that demands discernment. In this case
the choice is investigating the good news of the coming of
the Master, or ignoring the news. A sincere desire to learn
the facts—investigation—is the first step toward attaining
wisdom:
“The true beginning of wisdom is the desire to learn”
(Wisdom of Solomon 6:17 NEB). “A wise man will hear, and
will increase learning” (Prov. 1:5). “The ear of the wise
seeketh knowledge” (Prov. 18:15). “The wise shall inherit
glory” (Prov. 3:35).
The parable of the banquet of the Kingdom teaches one more
lesson. It indicates that each individual must carry out his
own independent investigation of truth. When the unwise
maidens found that their lamps were going out and they had
no oil, they asked their companions to give them some, but
none was given to them. The companions could not comply
with the request. The investigation and recognition of truth
must always come from one’s own soul. As each person sees
the physical realm only with his own eyes, even so should
he see the spiritual. God has granted the gift of recognizing
His divine glory to every soul.
An example may further illustrate why the wise maidens
could not share their oil with their companions. Suppose you
see a spiritually gifted friend, full of love, knowledge, and

18Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

19wisdom, on his deathbed. You say, “Dear friend, before you
go please give me some of your spiritual wealth.” What
would you expect him to say? Would he not say, “I have
gained that wealth at great cost and through many years. You
too must work for yours.” Earthly wealth can be bequeathed,
but spiritual wealth cannot.
The responsibility and ability of each individual to find the
truth is emphasized in all the scriptures:
…I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so
that the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed
unto men. It follows, therefore, that every man hath been,
and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the
Beauty of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed
with such a capacity, how could he be called to account
for his failure? 3 Bahá’u’lláh

20Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man
can shut it. Christ (Revelation 3:8)

21This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses…that I have
set before you life and death…Now choose life…the Lord
is your life… Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NIV

22The parable of the wedding banquet raises this question: why
did the Bridegroom, or any one of His invited guests, not open
the door to the unwise maidens? Answer: should strangers go
to a wedding to which they are not invited? The Bridegroom
had made it clear that Christians who would not honor His
wishes did not belong to His household. Those who faced
closed doors, had ignored the Master’s repeated warnings and
counsels. They had made no attempt to join His household
when the going was tough. Why should they be allowed to
join the banquet?
It is impossible to conceive of a literary device more fitting
than this simple but touching parable to teach the vital
lessons it communicates. It is the quintessence of perfection.

2328 I Shall Come Again

24The last of the three parables, that of the talents (Matt.
25:14-30), likens Jesus to a Master who leaves for a long
journey. Before leaving, the Master calls His servants and
entrusts them with His possessions . To each of them He
gives according to his capacity or talents. Two of the servants,
who had received the most, double their possessions by
investing them. The third one, who had received the least,
buries his.
“A long time afterwards their master returns to settle accounts
with them.” The two servants who had invested their posses-
sions heard these glowing words from their Master: “You
have proved trustworthy in a small way; I will now put you
in charge of something big. Come and share your master’s
delight.” What of the fearful servant who did not invest his
possessions? He presented excuses that showed lack of trust
in his Master. He said, “I was afraid and went out and hid
my talent in the ground.” His Master called him “wicked and
lazy.” Wicked because he pretended to trust Him in words
but not in deeds, lazy because he would not take time to use
his God-given talents for the very purpose for which they
were given him. Then the Master punished the fearful servant
by taking his meager possessions away from him and shutting
him out of His heavenly Kingdom.
It is clear “investing” means using one’s talents in the light
of divine guidance to find and follow the Truth—in this case
the Master Himself. The severe punishment imposed on the
fearful servant points to the severity of his infraction: denying
the very Master who granted him the cherished possessions.
The fearful servant had Jesus Christ in his heart, His Name
at least, but did not obey His command or trust His counsels.
At last, he lost even the very Name he had zealously guarded.
The adventurous, enterprising servants also had Jesus Christ
in their hearts. But since they trusted in His Command
“Watch!”—which means nothing short of “Investigate!”—
they doubled their possessions. They kept the Christ of the
Gospel, and to that added the Christ of the new Revelation.

25Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

26Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have,
even what he has will be taken from him.
Christ (Mark 4:25 NIV)
Jesus used still another parable to show God’s displeasure
with those who are not adventurous, who cling to what they
already have for fear of losing it (Luke 19:11-27).
We can find one more message that the parable of the talents
shares with that of the banquet of the Kingdom. The five
maidens accompanied the Bridegroom to the banquet only
because of a little “oil” or inner light and wisdom they
carried along, only because of a little extra precaution they
took. The two enterprising servants, who invested their
capital, also entered the heavenly Kingdom for the same
reason: “You have proved trustworthy in a small way,” they
were told. Both parables teach us that sometimes a little extra
effort leads to phenomenal gains, in this case everlasting
fellowship with the Master in His Kingdom. Sometimes,
champions become Olympians by staying an inch or a frac-
tion of a second ahead of other runners. An unknown woman
made herself immortal by pouring a small, but precious, bottle
of fragrant oil over Jesus’ head (Matt. 26:6-13).
Many Christians do not investigate the Bahá’í Faith out of
fear of losing what they already have. Some of them even
hesitate to read a book such as this. This is exactly how that
one-talent servant thought. He too was afraid that by invest-
ing his capital—investigating—he might lose his cherished
possessions.
Of course, he felt he had “good reasons” for burying his
wealth, but the Master accepted none of them. His Master
had given him all the instructions, the signs, and clues:
“behold, I have foretold you all things” (Mark 13:23). He
knew that he must be watching for “the thief:” “I shall come
upon you like a thief ” (Rev. 3:3 NEB). Watching is required
only when someone or something can be missed. He knew
the command of the Scriptures: “Test everything” (I Thess.

2730 I Shall Come Again

285:21 NIV), “test the Spirits to see whether they are from God”
(I John 4:1 NIV). He knew that once again the Master would
appear to those who looked for him: “unto them that look for
him shall he appear the second time” (Heb. 9:28).
He knew the blessed task his Lord had entrusted to him:
“Happy that servant who is found at his task when his
master comes!” (Matt. 24:46 NEB). What task? The task of
looking for the Master: “Happy are those servants whom the
master finds on the alert when he comes” (Luke 12:37 NEB).
On the alert for what? For news of the coming of the Master;
about the claim of the One who speaks, lives, and acts like
the Master. “Keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35 NIV).
What lamp? The lamp of search. He knew from the loving
counsels of his Lord and Savior that with a little invest-
ment of his time and talents he could sit with Him on His
throne (Rev. 3:21) and receive the immortal crown of glory:
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive
the crown of glory that will never fade away.
I Peter 5:4 NIV
Why then did this servant hesitate to search, to be daring?
Why did he relinquish his responsibility? Why did he “bury”
his “talents”? It is clear our Creator dearly loves and rewards
courage, the spirit of adventure and openness. Avoidance and
fear of the search for truth have no place in His Presence.
In the Book of Revelation, too, Jesus warns that He will
keep “the fearful” out of His Kingdom. The first obstacle
to the kingdom of heaven, He specifies, is fear felt by His
followers; the second is unbelief; the third is abominable
deeds:
He that overcometh [the obstacles] shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the
fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable…shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire [of
separation from God]… Christ (Revelation 21:7-8)

29Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

30What kind of fear deserves such a severe punishment? None
except this: the fear of searching for truth, the fear of losing
the security that goes with inertia, with preserving the status
quo, the fear of stepping into the Kingdom:
Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. Christ (Luke 12:32)
The consequence of this fear is often a lukewarm and
apathetic attitude.
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were either one or the other!
Christ (Revelation 3:15 NIV)
I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my
word and have not denied my name.
Christ (Revelation 3:8 NIV)
The parable of the talents and the above quoted prophecy
from Revelation both specify the same severe punishment
for fearful believers. One describes the punishment as going
to a place where there is sorrow and anger (“weeping and
grinding of teeth”); the other as sinking in a burning desire
for God and a consuming sense of remorse and grief for
rejecting Heaven’s brightest gift, for saying “no” to the call
of the Lord, for refusing to examine even briefly His mighty
words to get a glimpse of His great power and glory. The
intention of the Master in using strong metaphors, such as
“grinding of teeth,” “scorching fire,” or “burning lake” is not
to frighten His beloved servants for whom He gave His life.
His intention is to motivate them, to set them free from the
fetters of fear and complacency. For He knows they will be
afflicted with both. He knows that even the sound of the
words “Christ has come again!” casts fear in their hearts.
After uttering the three parables, Jesus goes on to conclude
His discourse (Matt. 25:31- 46) with a brief profile of His
own destiny when He comes again. He refers to both the
glory that will accompany Him and the sufferings that He
and His humble servants must endure again.

3132 I Shall Come Again

32He states that when His new followers will be in pain and
suffering, some people will offer them a helping hand, while
others will ignore them. On those who offer help, He bestows
the same sublime gift He grants to the wise maidens and the
wise servants: “His Father’s blessings” and “the kingdom that
had been made ready for them since the world began.” To
them He says, “when I was hungry, you gave me food; when
thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was a stranger you took
me into your home, when naked you clothed me; when I was
ill you came to my help, when in prison you visited me”
(Matt. 25:35-36 NEB). When those servants ask the King,
“When did we see you ill or in prison, and come to visit
you?” (Matt. 25:39 NEB), He responds, “I tell you this: any-
thing you did for one of my brothers here, however humble,
you did for me” (Matt. 25:40 NEB).
On those who felt indifferent to the King’s anguish and
adversities, or refused to lend a helping hand to His humble
and suffering servants, He inflicts a severe punishment: He
deprives them of His glorious Kingdom (Matt. 25:41). To
them He says:
“The curse is upon you…for when I was hungry you gave
me nothing to eat, when thirsty nothing to drink; when I
was a stranger you gave me no home, when naked you
did not clothe me; when I was ill and in prison you did
not come to my help.” And they too will reply, “Lord,
when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and did nothing for
you?” And he will answer, “I tell you this: anything you
did not do for one of these, however humble, you did not
do for me.” Christ (Matthew 25:41-46 NEB)
Why would people cause pain and suffering to their Redeemer?
Why would they reject Him? Why would they mistreat His
servants?
There will be terrible times in the last days. People will
be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…lovers of pleasure

33Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

34rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness
but denying its power…They are the kind who…are…always
learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as
Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men
oppose the truth… II Timothy 3:1-8 NIV
To reveal the state of the world at the time of His second
coming, Jesus said:
As things were in Noah’s days, so will they be when the
Son of Man comes. Christ (Matthew 24:37 NEB)
The New American Bible version of the same verse reads:
The coming [parousia] of the Son of Man will repeat what
happened in Noah’s time. Matthew 24:37
The Greek word used here is parousia, which according to
scholars means both coming and presence. As one source
indicates: “parousia does not mean the moment of coming
but covers the entire duration of the visit.” 4 Harper’s Bible
Dictionary defines parousia as “arrival, coming, or being
present.”
Isaiah too makes the same prediction:
These days recall for me the days of Noah…
Isaiah 54:9 NEB
Noah was present among the people, yet they were unaware
of His presence. To them He was as invisible as “a thief.”
They kept doing what they would usually do—“they ate and
drank and married” (Luke 17:27 NEB); “they knew nothing
until the flood came” (Matt. 24:39 NEB). Their minds were
dulled by complacency, and their souls occupied with worldly
cares. Those same obstacles are predicted to be pervasive at
the time of the second advent:
Keep a watch on yourselves; do not let your minds be
dulled by dissipation and drunkenness and worldly cares
…Be on the alert… Christ (Luke 21:34-36 NEB)

3534 I Shall Come Again

36There is a close link between this prophecy and the one
pointing to the destiny of Noah. The link is this:
• Certain veils will conceal the identity of Christ.
• These veils will be spiritual.
It is clear, “being on the alert” or “on the watch” can be
attained by removing the veils, by cultivating a sincere
desire to know the truth, and by paying attention to news of
the Master's arrival.
Some Christians believe that as long as they belong to a
certain church or espouse a particular set of beliefs, they
will be the chosen ones. When Christ returns, He will take
them to heaven (the rapture). They assume that only the
Redeemer does the choosing, based on people’s previous
beliefs. There is little anyone can do except wait and hope
that he or she will be one of the chosen ones. In one of His
parables Jesus says:
Be like men who wait for their master’s return from a
wedding-party, ready to let him in the moment he arrives
and knocks. Happy are those servants whom the master
finds on the alert when he comes. Christ (Luke 12:36-37 NEB)
What does Jesus mean by “knocks”? It is clear He means the
Redeemer will call you, invite you to His presence, or ask
you to investigate His identity. When someone knocks, the
man or woman of the house has the freedom to either open
the door or to leave it closed. What does Jesus mean by “let
him in”? It is equally clear, He means let him into your
heart, be receptive, be open-minded. Again the freedom of
choice is evident. When a person knows the Voice, he opens
the door without fear. If he cannot recognize it, he must
investigate the caller. Not responding to him is the same as
rejecting him. As these verses imply, people’s freedom to
choose or reject their Redeemer will not be taken away from
them. This is how it has been and always will be. This
subject is so critical, it is discussed in greater depth later.

37Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

38(See God’s eternal covenant with humanity: I Have Set My
Rainbow in the Clouds, Chapter 21.) In the Book of Revela-
tion, which is mainly about the return of the Redeemer of our
time, Jesus confirms the human freedom to accept Him or
reject Him:
Here I stand knocking at the door; if anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in and sit down to
supper with him and he with me. To him who is victorious
[in opening his heart] I will grant a place on my throne,
as I myself was victorious and sat down with my Father
on his throne. Hear, you who have ears to hear, what the
Spirit says to the churches! Christ (Revelation 3:20-22 NEB)
The Master simply invites the people to His banquet. He does
not force them to attend. If they close their hearts to Him,
He too will close His banquet to them:
Blessed the insatiate soul who casteth away his selfish
desires for love of Me and taketh his place at the banquet
table which I have sent down from the heaven of divine
bounty…6 Bahá’u’lláh
I tell you that not one of those who were invited [but did
not come] shall taste my banquet. Christ (Luke 14:24 NEB)
The imagery Jesus uses to encourage investigation is always
tinged with a most urgent and emphatic tone:
Be ready for action, with belts fastened and lamps alight…
ready to let him in the moment he arrives and knocks…
Even if it is the middle of the night or before dawn…
Christ (Luke 12:35-38 NEB)
This is the kind of readiness often required of soldiers or in
emergencies. Why so much emphasis on speed?
The event is so vital and the consequence so far reaching that
there must not be even a moment’s hesitation between hear-
ing the news of the coming of the Master and the initiation
of the search and discovery mission.

3936 I Shall Come Again

40On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with
his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise,
no one in the field should go back for anything.
Christ (Luke 17:31 NIV)
To summarize, “watch” is a state of mind opposite to “sleep.”
Sleeping implies negligence, unawareness, an inability to see
or hear; the absence of a desire to think, to know, and to
investigate. To be asleep is to be wrapped in one’s fantasies
and illusions; to rest in the dark of one’s wishes, dreams, and
desires. To be alert and watchful is to learn, to see, to inquire,
to test, to stay in touch with a larger dimension of life than
one’s own preoccupations. The glory of the dawn always goes
unnoticed by the sleeper, but never by the careful watchman.
In the spring of 1833, eleven years before the advent of the
Báb, Miss Margaret MacDonald of Scotland disclosed the
message of a vision she claimed she had received about the
manner of Christ’s return. Her vision offers further insight
into the meaning of the critical word “Watch!” and the purpose
of Jesus’ prophetic parables. She recorded and printed an
account of her vision under the title “Recollections of the
first morning of the outpouring of the Spirit:”
It was first the awful state of the land that was pressed
upon me. I saw the blindness and infatuation of the people
to be very great…Now there is distress of nations, with
perplexity, the seas and the waves roaring, men’s hearts
failing them for fear—now look out for the sign of the
Son of man. Here I was made to stop and cry out, O it
is not known what the sign of the Son of man is; the
people of God think they are waiting, but they know not
what it is. I felt this needed to be revealed, and that there
was great darkness and error about it…I saw the error to
be, that men think that it will be something seen by the
natural eye; but ’tis spiritual discernment that is needed,
the eye of God in his people. Many passages were
revealed, in a light in which I had not before seen them.

41Chapter 1: Be Always On the Watch

42I repeated, ‘Now is the kingdom of Heaven like unto ten
virgins, who went forth to meet the Bridegroom, five wise
and five foolish; they that were foolish took their lamps,
but took no oil with them; but they that were wise took
oil in their vessels with their lamps.’ ‘But be ye not un-
wise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is; and
be not drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit.’ This
was the oil the wise virgins took in their vessels—this is
the light to be kept burning—the light of God—that we
may discern that which cometh not with observation to
the natural eye. Only those who have the light of God
within them will see the sign of his appearance…I often
said, Oh the glorious inbreaking of God which is now
about to burst on this earth…It was a glorious light above
the brightness of the sun, that shone round about me. I
felt that those who were filled with the Spirit could see
spiritual things, and feel walking in the midst of them,
while those who had not the Spirit could see nothing—
so that two shall be in one bed, the one taken and the
other left, because the one has the light of God within
while the other cannot see the Kingdom of Heaven.7
[Emphasis added.]
Some authorities maintain that Miss MacDonald’s vision gave
rise to the idea of “the rapture,” to the expectation that Jesus
will make two appearances, first secretly, and then later
openly. More about this in Appendix III.
As stated, in the Book of Revelation Jesus offers many gifts
to those who overcome the obstacles that prevent them from
knowing their Lord. This is one of them:
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end…I
will also give him the morning star. Revelation 2:26,28 NIV
In 1852, a noted Christian author, John Darby wrote:
And who is it that sees the morning star? He who watches
while it is night. All see the sun in its brightness; but

4338 I Shall Come Again

44those only who are not of the night, yet knowing that
morally it is night and are looking for the morning star—
those, and those only, see the morning star and get it as
their portion.8
The meaning of the command “Watch! ” and “Be on the
alert!” become clearer when we study in the next chapter
Jesus' purpose in saying, “ I shall come upon you like a
thief !”

45I Shall Come Upon You

Like A Thief

1Revelation 3:3 NEB

1I beseech God, exalted be His glory, that He may
graciously awaken the peoples of the earth
Bahá’u’lláh
That is the day when I come like a thief! Happy the man
who stays awake… Christ (Revelation 16:15 NEB)
Christian scholar Dr. Ray Stedman, in his book Waiting for
the Second Coming, writes:
The first characteristic of the Day of the Lord, said Paul
to the Thessalonians, is that it will come stealthily. It will
come “like a thief in the night” (v. 2). I recall hearing of
an incident where an entire family was sleeping upstairs

240 I Shall Come Again

3one night when someone entered their home and stole
several items of value; the thief came and left without their
knowing it. That is the way a professional thief operates.
He enters silently and unobtrusively and does his work.
That, said Paul, is the way the Lord will come.2
He then concludes:
What should be the result in our lives?…The apostle [Paul]
stirs us from our apathy and from fantasies and dreams
such as the world dreams…“Be alert,” warns the apostle
(v. 6). “Do not lose sight of reality. This is the hour when
God is about to move on earth again. Snap out of your
lethargy and tune in to His voice.”

4The Master’s Strategy
Why does the Master urge His servants to stay awake, to keep
constant watch? The Master has a clear and definitive plan;
to pursue it, He has devised a perfect strategy, an ingenious
plot. His chief goal is to disclose His glory to His faithful
and humble servants, while concealing it from others. To
accomplish this goal, He offers certain simple but coded
instructions that He knows only His faithful and humble
servants can decipher; He gives certain emphatic warnings
that He knows only they will heed.
No ordinary plotter can do this. Only a divine strategist can
devise such instructions. Only He can conceal a blazing glory
before whose radiance the sun, with all its splendor, pales
into darkness. Only He can hide His identity from the great
masses of perfectly sighted but inattentive and veiled viewers
—those who look but see only their own desires, who think
but within the domain of tradition, who listen but hear only
the whisperings of their own selves, who dig deep into the
earth, discover and detect long-forgotten facts from fading
archaeological records but fail to discern the luminous face
of their Lord. Only He has the wisdom to devise a strategy

5Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

6that can be deciphered by a few of His simple and humble
servants, but remain a supreme mystery to others—among
them some of His most well read, best educated, and noted
followers. He is the Perfect Plotter, the Supreme Strategist of
the universe, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
He knows that only His most humble servants will undertake
the effort of searching for His concealed glory. He predicts
that others will be busy with their daily affairs (Matt. 24:37-
39)—working, vacationing, studying, saving, worrying and
wondering why, in spite of all material means and comforts,
life is so full of stress and distress. He knows that people will
have more things to do than they have time for; that there
will be too many attractions to allow them to be attracted
to their Lord. To awaken them, He gives them this astonish-
ingly clear and definitive clue, which He knows most people
will not heed; if they did, His prophecy would not come true:
The coming of the Son of Man will repeat what happened
in Noah’s time. Christ (Matthew 24:37 NAB)
To pursue His plan the Master must choose the most advan-
tageous time—when people live in the darkest depths of
unawareness. The Master had used this same strategy before.
It had worked then; it must work again. While the great
masses of people and their leaders had their sights set on a
mighty Messiah crowned with jewels, a Prince adorned with
swords, a King with myriads of angels at His command, He
came in the guise of a poor and humble man with no home to
protect Him from the heat of the blazing sun, with no bed
to give Him rest through the long hours of the night. Only a
handful discerned His divine glory. People do not change that
much. If the strategy worked then, it must work again.
Those who were eloquent orators and gifted debaters, who
could hold spellbound an audience with their brilliant inter-
pretation of prophecies; those who were the unquestioned
teachers of the Law, the masters of Hebrew and Greek; those

742 I Shall Come Again

8who could quote verse after verse from memory with their
exact location in the Scriptures—yes, scholars, leaders, and
orators of great distinction who could do all these and more,
could not discern the blazing glory of their Messiah, the One
who was the light of the world. Why did their education not
lead them to their Lord? “The letter they knew, but of the
spirit they knew nothing.”
The Jews looked at their suffering Master, but saw only
mercy, misery, and meekness. Of misery and meekness, they
had plenty. They lived like slaves in their own country. And
mercy could not save them from the hands of an astute
enemy. Only power could restore their pride.
They asked their Master to come down from the cross and
prove His powers. They wondered why a Savior could not
save Himself. While they were busy mocking the Son of God
sent from heaven (John 6:38); while they were laughing and
jeering at the One whom Bahá’u’lláh calls the Lord of the
visible and invisible; while they were rejoicing that they had
done away with an impostor, a handful of people, mostly
unschooled, very ordinary people—peasants and fishermen—
were bitterly mourning the painful and agonizing departure
of their Lord, their only hope and desire. Yes, people do
not change that much. The strategy worked then, it must
work again.
Even if this drama repeats itself a thousand times, people will
continue to do what others have done before them. They will
repeat the exact words of their forefathers. They will say,
“No, this time is different. This time our Master will be a
real king. This time He will have a real throne. This time
He will soar through the clouds of glory like a blazing shaft
of light with the roar of thunder. He will not be crowned
again with thorn and thistle. He will not fall again into the
hands of His enemies. The stars of heaven will crown Him.
He will not be held by the harsh hands of His foes, but by
the soft embrace of a rainbow. He will not need again the
help of the poor and lowly. At His command He will have

9Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

10the arrayed armies and angels of heaven.” Most people do
not learn from the experience of others, especially from what
others experienced long ago.
The Master knows that when He comes, the darkness of
despair and confusion will be so vast and deep that, without
His help, even His most humble servants will fail to find Him.
To guide their steps by the light of knowledge, He offers
them hundreds of clues and warnings. He tells them that that
day will come under the veil of clouds and darkness, and so
will the Master.
Perhaps no one is as much concerned with preserving
secrecy as a thief. Everything he does revolves around that
goal. The strategy of a thief offers a perfect demonstration
of the Master’s strategy. These two warnings—about the
secret coming of the Master, and the secret coming of His
day—should not simply be read and glossed over, but
pondered upon day and night. They should adorn a wall in
every home:
…I shall come upon you like a thief…
Christ (Revelation 3:3 NEB)
Lo, I am going to come like a thief! Blessed—happy, to
be envied—is he who stays awake (alert)…
Christ (Revelation 16:15 AB)
…the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night
[emphasis added]. I Thessalonians 5:2 NIV
That day arrives secretly and passes secretly, even as a thief
does. The sleepers are taken by surprise, unaware of what has
happened. If they knew the exact time, secrecy could not be
maintained. The event must occur when people least expect it:
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known
at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let
his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him. Christ (Luke 12:39-40 NIV)

1144 I Shall Come Again

12The owner of the house or the householder here symbolizes
a person in possession of the desired resources: knowledge,
wealth, power, prestige. As we already noted, Jesus applies
the term specifically to religious leaders (Matt. 24:45-47) or
to the teachers of the word of God who are given instruc-
tions about “the kingdom of heaven,” namely the coming of
God’s kingdom to the earthly realm:
…every teacher of the law [of the Lord] who has been
instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner
of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures
as well as old. Christ (Matthew 13:52 NIV)

13Those in positions of power tend to see themselves as “the
householders” and the new Redeemer as “a thief ” who comes
to steal their spiritual and earthly heritage. Instinctively, they
distrust Him and try to prevent Him from pursuing His plans.
For instance, those who had the most to lose, conspired
against Jesus. They thought that by crucifying Him they could
stop His influence. They were the enemies of His plan. Yet
without knowing it, they became the instruments of His plan.
Their counterparts tried to destroy Bahá’u’lláh by sending
Him to the most deadly prison in the most desolate city in
the Holy Land. Without knowing it, they too became the
instruments of His plan. Instead of changing that which was
pre-ordained, they brought about its fulfillment. The same
kind of people imprisoned and executed the Báb for the same
reasons, and faced the same consequence:
Ye cannot alter the things which the Almighty hath
prescribed unto Me. Naught shall touch Me besides that
which God, My Lord, hath pre-ordained for Me. In Him
have I placed my whole trust…4 The Báb

14How can the thief preserve and pursue His pre-ordained plan?
How can He keep His enemies in the dark? He can do this
by clothing the bare facts of His coming with symbols. The
secret must always be kept in such a way as to allow no one

15Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

16the opportunity to misuse or undermine any part of the
divine plan. If the householder could decipher some of the
thief’s well-guarded secrets, then perhaps he could prevent
the thief from “breaking into his home,” into what he con-
siders rightfully his own, the domain of his rule and power.
If the householder could decode more than he is allowed,
then perhaps he could prevent or alter the execution of the
thief’s plans.
The Day of Return is inscrutable unto all men until after
the divine Revelation hath been fulfilled.5 Bahá’u’lláh
When King Herod learned from the wise men of the East that
the king of the Jews was born, he feared the loss of his
power, and plotted in vain to destroy the child before He
could attain His divine destiny (Matt. 2:1-18). An angel in a
dream inspired Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt,
where they could live in safety. If this help had not come,
Jesus could not have fulfilled His Mission. Because the
secrets were kept, Herod was unable to alter the pre-ordained
plan. Not only that, he himself served as an instrument in
carrying out the plan. Without knowing it, he brought about
the fulfillment of the prophecies (Matt. 2:15).
The kings and rulers in the 19th century also tried in vain
to devise ingenious plots against the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh
(see Volumes II and III):
Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers
gather together against the Lord… Psalms 2:1-2 NIV
The term householder also symbolizes any individual who
does not wish to open his heart to the Master, and to let “his
house be broken into.” He is the person who does not feel
threatened by the good news of the Kingdom, but would
like to retain what he already has. Since he does not feel
threatened, he does not try to hinder the thief. His main goal
is simply to protect himself.

1746 I Shall Come Again

18The Master, of course, honors his wishes and in no way does
He try to enter his heart without his consent, without being
invited. How can He do this? This, too, He can do by “not
removing the veil,” by living as other humans do, by being
humble “like a servant” (Luke 22:27), and by not engaging
in dramatic displays of His divine power, His supreme
splendor. That is His best strategy.
No other analogy than “the householder who fears his house
will be broken into” could better describe the way people
feel when they are asked to renew their spiritual possessions,
such as by adopting a new name. They know the Master’s
promise and pre-ordained plan: “the old order of things has
passed away…I am making everything new!” (Rev. 21:4-5
NIV). Yet they feel threatened by the new order of things;
they perceive it as a loss of their eternal heritage. They know
the Master has asked them to stay awake, yet they remain
absorbed in their dreams. Why?
We may enjoy the dreaming part so much that we do not
even want to consider that there is much more available if
we awaken. Thus we choose to remain asleep, unaware of
the grandness that is there for us in awakening. When we
stay with the familiar we take no risks. Dr. Wayne Dyer

19Among the many who sleep with their hearts and homes
firmly locked, among the multitudes who cherish the comfort
of sleeping and the joy of dreaming, a few adventurous house-
holders do just the opposite. They keep constant vigilance
through the whole night with their hopes aglow and their
hearts and homes open. They trim their lamps, and wear their
beautiful white robes with fastened belts, ready for the call
to the banquet. They keep their eyes on the door and set their
hopes on heaven. They pray through the whole night, and
wait for their heavenly Bridegroom to arrive at any moment
and take them. They want to be His possession. That is their
highest hope, their most cherished desire and honor.

20Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

21Fear finds no room in their souls. They know no intruder can
rob them, no earthly thief, no imposter can break in and steal
the precious pearl of their faith. Their trust in their Lord is
limitless, their confidence in His undying care and protection
beyond measure.
When the heavenly thief knocks, they hear His call and know
His voice. They jump with joy—as a bride who hears the
voice of her adored One—and welcome Him to their arms,
to their hearts and homes with the utmost ecstasy. As a
reward for their faith, vigilance, and courage, the heavenly
thief takes them all for Himself. He needs many jewels for
the crown of His Kingdom. He seeks them and gathers them
from the farthest reaches of the earth, from the houses and
the fields, the meadows and mountains. And He does all this
in full secrecy from the slumberers. How could they hear
Him? How could they know? It is midnight. They are sound
asleep and dreaming.
The heavenly thief knows that to remain invisible, He must
take only the hearts and souls of His servants. If He took
their bodies, He would awaken some of the slumberers. That
would violate His most urgent concern: secrecy.
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the
other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill;
one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep
watch… Christ (Matthew 24:40-42 NIV)
Those taken are the first fruits of the vineyard of the Lord,
ripe and ready for the kingdom.
Then as I looked there appeared a white cloud, and on the
cloud sat one like a son of man. He had on his head a
crown of gold and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another
angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice
to him who sat on the cloud: ‘Stretch out your sickle and
reap; for harvest-time has come, and earth’s crop is over-
ripe.’ So he who sat on the cloud put his sickle to the
earth and its harvest was reaped. Revelation 14:14-16 NEB

2248 I Shall Come Again

23What then does the Master’s secret plan require from the
sincere seekers of truth, from those who wish to welcome
their Master, from those who do not mind “their house
being broken into”? It requires perfect readiness, absolute
receptivity and sensitivity. That is how Jesus concludes the
analogy: “you also must be ready” (Luke 12:40 NIV). The
seekers must be as prepared to play their role as the Master
does His.
Of course the Master does not need to keep everything a
secret. To the seekers of His Kingdom He has offered all the
clues they need to find Him: “behold I have foretold you all
things” (Mark 13:23). But they are the kind of clues that
would neither help the householder to prevent the thief from
carrying out His plan, nor force him into submission. The
householder has the right to enjoy his own spiritual freedom,
but not to violate the Master’s. He has the right to keep his
heart closed to the Master, but not to keep Him beyond the
reach of other hearts.
It is an essential part of the Master’s plan and an eternal
requirement of His Covenant, to become known only to those
who sincerely seek Him by being faithful to His instruc-
tions, only to those who use all their talents, only to those
who strive with their whole heart for the un-paralleled
reward of finding their Lord.
…thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart
and with all thy soul. Deuteronomy 4:29
To be known is one of the Master’s most cherished desires,
but only to those servants who leave their selves behind.
If anyone wishes to be a follower of mine, he must leave
self behind…Whoever cares for his own safety is lost…
Christ (Luke 9:23-24 NEB)
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me.
Christ (Matthew 16:24 NIV)

24Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

25No one who sets his hand to the plough and then keeps
looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
Christ (Luke 9:62 NEB)

26The heavenly Host does not wish to have any ungrateful or
unprepared guests at His banquet:
The kingdom of Heaven is like this. There was a king
who prepared a feast for his son’s wedding…When the
king came in to see the company at table, he observed one
man who was not dressed for a wedding. “My friend,” said
the king, “how do you come to be here without your
wedding clothes?” He had nothing to say. The king then
said to his attendants, “Bind him hand and foot; turn him
out into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of
teeth.” For though many are invited, few are chosen.
Christ (Matthew 22:1-2, 11-14 NEB)

27The Master wants to be followed only by those who set aside
whatever pleases them—whether it is the quiet and comfort
of tradition or “the ease of a passing day”—to pursue that
which pleases their Lord. His plan is to test those who call
on His name, to measure their purity in the crucible of trials.
He intends to separate the Annases and Caiaphases from the
Peters and Mary Magdalenes. He wishes to disclose people’s
inward motives:
…wait until the Lord comes. For he will bring to light what
darkness hides, and disclose men’s inward motives
[emphasis added throughout]… I Corinthians 4:5 NEB

28It was for the same reason—to test His followers—that the
Master hid Himself behind “the clouds of glory” on his first
appearance:
Many in Israel will stand or fall because of him [Jesus],
and thus the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare.
Luke 2:35 NEB

2950 I Shall Come Again

30If the Master revealed His full glory, how could people feel
free to disclose their true selves, their inner motives? If the
Master “removed the veil,” who could dare deny Him? How
could anyone not see or recognize Him?
Were I to remove the veil, all would recognize Me as their
Best Beloved, and no one would deny Me.6 The Báb
Why does Jesus use the word “if ” in the following prophecy
addressed to the people of our time?
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for
I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my
God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and
heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I
will come like a thief…He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.
Christ (Revelation 3:2, 3, 6 NIV)
Does Jesus mean the way He comes depends on how people
will act? Does He mean that if Christians fail to watch for
Him, He will come like a thief, otherwise not like a thief ?
The answer to this question can be found in the first two
words of the prophecy. Jesus begins by urging Christians to
“Wake up!” Evidently He knew they would be asleep at His
coming and must be awakened. He knew they would be
dreaming their own earthly dreams and would be unable to
see and recognize their Master’s heavenly visions of truth and
glory. “If a little eyelid can conceal the world, what then can
the vast expanse of human thoughts and theories, advanced
and stored for centuries, conceal?”
The answer to the meaning of “if ” can also be found in
other prophecies where Jesus declares unconditionally that He
will indeed come like a thief (Rev. 16:15). Then what does
the word “if ” imply? It implies this: the thief remains invis-
ible only to those who stay asleep; He remains hidden only
to those who fail to watch for Him, who ignore the good news
of His coming. He need not hide Himself from others. Why
would He wish to conceal Himself from those who have been

31Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

32faithful to His counsels, who have remained awake and alert
to the news, who have been looking for Him?
…unto them that look for him shall he appear the second
time… Hebrews 9:28

33That a shroud enfolds all people, that a veil conceals the
heavenly thief is confirmed also in this prophecy:
…the covering that covereth all peoples, and the veil that
is spread over all nations. Isaiah 25:7 ARV

34Behold how great is the Cause, and yet how the people
are wrapt in veils.8 The Báb

35…the peoples of the world are wrapt in palpable veils.9
Bahá’u’lláh
The accumulations of vain fancy have obscured men’s ears
and stopped them from hearing the Voice of God, and the
veils of human learning and false imaginings have pre-
vented their eyes from beholding the splendor of the light
of His countenance.10 Bahá’u’lláh

36God’s Wisdom ordains that only the “eye” that is humble,
unafraid, and pure from preconceived, even though popular,
notions should see the Lord.
…without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV

37Thus visibility or invisibility is a result of people’s responses.
They choose to see or not to see the heavenly thief. If they
search for their Master with open hearts and minds, they will
behold His heavenly glory, otherwise they will see nothing
but the clouds of their own desires and fantasies.
Awake, sleeper…and Christ will shine upon you.
Ephesians 5:14 NEB

38The Master remains forever both manifest and hidden.

3952 I Shall Come Again

40…He is the Beginning and the End, the Manifest and the
Hidden…11 The Báb

41One more point: just before saying that He will come like a
thief, Jesus declared:
Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard;
obey it, and repent. Christ (Revelation 3:3 NIV)

42What does He ask the servant to obey? The context of the
passage clearly shows He asks the servant to obey the
commandment to stay awake and to investigate the good
news of His Return. In the next verse He predicts that at His
coming only a few will keep their “clothes” pure. Only a few
will walk with Him dressed in white (Rev. 3:4).

1To gain a glimmer of God’s Wisdom, to understand how
the Creator relates to humans, it is absolutely essential to
recognize the immutable and universal “law of visibility and
invisibility.” The best evidence of God’s unlimited and
mysterious powers is this: He always remains both the
most visible and the most invisible to human beings. He
is everywhere and in everything:
The glory and greatness of Almighty God are marvelously
discerned in all His works and divinely read in the book
of heaven. Galileo Galilei

2Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science
becomes convinced that a Spirit is manifest in the Law of
the Universe—a Spirit vastly superior to that of man, and
one in the face of which we, with our modest powers, must
feel humble. Albert Einstein

3Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent
God bursts through everywhere. Ralph Waldo Emerson

4Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

5Every atom declares God’s supreme grandeur; every star
manifests His awesome splendor; every flower unfolds His
wisdom and wonders. He shines with dazzling brightness, yet
many cannot detect even the faintest glimmer of His glory.
Among those incapable of finding any evidence of God are
some of the most astute scientists who detect invisible atoms
and distant galaxies billions of light years away, yet fail to
detect God. Nothing could be more puzzling.
How profound our sense of wonder if we learned that millions
of people with perfect eyes were unable to see, or that count-
less others with flawless hearing could not hear. That is how
puzzling it is to know that many of the people with the
sharpest minds—minds that penetrate the most abstruse
mysteries of nature—cannot discern God. Yet this is so
commonplace that we are used to accepting it with little, if
any, surprise.
The ability to make and maintain the mysterious “law of
visibility and invisibility” is perhaps the most marvelous
evidence of the Creator’s supreme power and wisdom. If this
law were ever lifted, the whole purpose and design of creation
would instantly crumble. This universal law holds true not
only in the way God reveals Himself to humans, but also in
the way His Messengers or Mediators reveal themselves.
That some humans give their lives for those Messengers,
whereas others take the lives of those Messengers is a clear
evidence of this supreme mystery, of how well this immutable
law is upheld.
…they [God’s Messengers] all abide on the throne of divine
Revelation, and are established upon the seat of divine
Concealment.12 Bahá’u’lláh
…[they are] the throne of the revelation and concealment
of God among His creatures…13 The Báb
They are the mirrors that truly and faithfully reflect the
light of God. Whatever is applicable to them is in reality

654 I Shall Come Again

7applicable to God, Himself, Who is both the Visible and
the Invisible.14 Bahá’u’lláh

8Our Creator keeps a perfect balance between how much of
His glory He should reveal to inspire faith without disturb-
ing our freedom, and how much of His glory He should
conceal from those unreceptive to His call and unworthy of
attaining His presence. Thus the supreme gift of knowing
Him is not imposed and the bounty of loving Him does not
lose its luster.
Truly you are a God who hides himself… Isaiah 45:15 NIV

9He chose to hide His own Self behind a thousand veils,
lest profane and mortal eyes discover His glory.15
Bahá’u’lláh
He wraps himself in light as with a garment…He makes
the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.
Psalms 104:2-3 NIV
To the king who exiled Him, the Báb wrote:
Were the veil to be removed from thine eye thou wouldst
crawl unto Me on thy breast, even through the snow, from
fear of the chastisement of God
Without humility, and constant striving and searching, the
“morning light” hides forever behind the “veils of glory:”
Let us humble ourselves, let us strive to know the Lord,
whose justice dawns like morning light, and its dawning
is as sure as the sunrise. Hosea 6:3 NEB

10…if you search with all your heart, I [God] will let you
find me… Jeremiah 29:14 NEB
If people saw the Master’s heavenly Kingdom, if they beheld
the glories of “immortal sovereignty” in His “Father’s many
mansions” (John 14:2), how could they not feel forced to
carry the cross after Him, to become His perfect followers?

11Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

12Did thou behold immortal sovereignty, thou wouldst strive
to pass from this fleeting world. But to conceal the one
from thee and to reveal the other is a mystery which none
but the pure in heart can comprehend.17 Bahá’u’lláh
Should the greatness of this Day be revealed in its fullness,
every man would forsake a myriad lives in his longing to
partake, though it be for one moment, of its great glory—
how much more this world and its corruptible treasures!
Bahá’u’lláh
The great mathematician, Blaise Pascal, discerned not only
the mysteries of the visible but the invisible as well. Here he
speaks about Christ but his thought expresses a universal
principle that establishes the Creator’s relationship with all
humankind for all time:
It was…not right that Christ should appear in a manner
manifestly divine and absolutely capable of convincing all
men, but neither was it right that His coming should be
so hidden that He could not be recognized by those who
sincerely sought Him. He wished to make Himself perfectly
recognizable to them. Thus wishing to appear openly to
those who seek Him with all their heart and hidden from
those who shun Him with all their heart, He has qualified
our knowledge of Him by giving signs which can be seen
by those who seek Him and not by those who do not.
The basic laws that govern the relationship between the
Creator and the created never change.
Every part of this law must remain in force upon all
mankind, and in all ages; as not depending either on time
or place, or any other circumstances liable to change, but
on the nature of God, and the nature of man, and their
unchangeable relation to each other. John Wesley
There is no pleasure or honor in entering hearts by force and
fear. The Master’s glory lies in this: to be invited and wel-
comed. If He wished, He could conquer the hearts of all
humanity in an instant:

1356 I Shall Come Again

14Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel,
through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation,
the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than
the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause
The Báb
…one drop out of the ocean of His bountiful grace is
enough to confer upon all beings the glory of everlasting
life. But inasmuch as the divine Purpose hath decreed
that the true should be known from the false…He hath,
therefore, in every season sent down upon mankind the
showers of tests from His realm of glory.20 Bahá’u’lláh

15“The arm of the Lord is not too short” to reach and lift all
those who are fallen. It is the fallen who avoid His arm. His
light dazzles the eyes. It is the eyes that avoid His light.
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save…your
sins have hidden his face from you… Isaiah 59:1-2 NIV

16The sun with all its glory is veiled by a little eyelid. How
much more can be veiled by the drifting mists of fancy and
desire, by the glow and glitter of the world?
The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has
never mastered it. John 1:5 NEB

17Who Shall Sit Upon the Throne?
What is “the great Day of the Lord” like? It is a time when
“many…shall be tried” (Daniel 12:10); when the work of each
person “will be shown for what it is, because the Day will
bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will
test the quality of each man’s work” (I Cor. 3:13 NIV).
For there is nothing hidden that will not become public,
nothing under cover that will not be made known and
brought into the open. Christ (Luke 8:17 NEB)

18Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

19Those who recognize and follow the Redeemer are promised
“thrones of their own” in the Kingdom of heaven:
…in the world that is to be…you my followers will have
thrones of your own… Christ (Matthew 19:28 NEB)
See also I Peter 5:4

20Those who trust the Redeemer, who discern His power and
glory in the garment of humility and weakness, who look
beyond the barrier of flesh to see the divine in the human,
can also behold the heavenly throne in all its splendor be-
hind the veils of the world. Others see nothing but an empty
promise. Who shall sit upon the throne and be crowned?
Only those who stand the test:
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because
when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of
life… James 1:12 NIV

21In the earthly realm no one can escape tests and trials. Even
the distinguished disciples were asked to pray for strength to
face the loss of their Lord: “pray that you may be spared the
test” (Matt. 26:41 NEB). Even the Redeemer Himself went
through trials to set an example for others (Matt. 26:39-44).
Even gold passes through the assayer’s fire, and more
precious than perishable gold is faith which has stood the
test. These trials come so that your faith may prove itself
worthy…when Jesus Christ is revealed. I Peter 1:7 NEB

22…from time immemorial even unto eternity the Almighty
hath tried, and will continue to try, His servants, so that
light may be distinguished from darkness…22 Bahá’u’lláh

23The Redeemer presents an awesome challenge to those who
call on His name: “Who can stand when he [the Redeemer]
appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire” (Mal. 3:2 NIV).
Only those who enter His fiery crucible with courage, faith,
and patience can stand the test, can meet the demands of the
Hour. Only they are granted the crown of immortal glory.

2458 I Shall Come Again

25To attain the Master’s presence and become worthy of His
grace, those who seek His Kingdom must put all their
spiritual talents to work. They must be ready to encounter
and endure the hardest tests and trials. They must put tradi-
tion aside and become as nonjudgmental and pure as little
children. For “whoever does not accept the kingdom of God
like a child will never enter it” (Luke 18:17 NEB). They must
constantly recall the Master’s words: “Be careful, or your
hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness
and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you un-
expectedly like a trap” (Luke 21:34 NIV).
Only when the lamp of search, of earnest striving, of
longing desire, of passionate devotion, of fervid love, of
rapture, and ecstasy, is kindled within the seeker’s heart,
and the breeze of His loving-kindness is wafted upon his
soul, will the darkness of error be dispelled, the mists of
doubts and misgivings be dissipated, and the lights of
knowledge and certitude envelop his being.23 Bahá’u’lláh
To live up to the awesome challenge the thief presents, the
highest degree of alertness is required. The hearers must be
ready to test every call, just as the detectives must be willing
to follow every lead.
On this journey [of the search for truth] the traveler
abideth in every land and dwelleth in every region. In
every face, he seeketh the beauty of the Friend; in every
country he looketh for the Beloved. He joineth every
company, and seeketh fellowship with every soul, that
haply in some mind he may uncover the secret of the
Friend, or in some face he may behold the beauty of the
Loved One.24 Bahá’u’lláh

1One question remains. The Master gave all these clues and
instructions to show that His return would not be dramatic.
Why, then, did He say that He would come on clouds with

2Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

3great power and glory? This question has deeply puzzled
Christian scholars. Some of them, such as Dr. Ray Stedman,
have resolved the paradox this way: Christ will make two
appearances, first “stealthily, without warning,” and then later
from heaven with power and glory.25 Before reading further,
perhaps you could resolve the puzzle on your own:
• The Master wants to carry out His plan with precision. He
does not want the householder to have any opportunity to
alter or undermine His original design.
• He wants to test His servants in every possible way, so
that nothing hidden is left undisclosed. He wants to
separate those who are willing to search for their Master
from those who are content with the security of a well-
established name.
• He does not wish to have any unprepared or ungrateful
guests at His banquet.
• He does not wish to allow anyone the privilege of apply-
ing the prophecies to himself. If people were absolutely
sure how the Master would come and on what “day and
hour,” some of them would imitate Him. They would
advance an identical claim, at the same time, and in the
same way.
What strategies should the Master adopt?
The Master is extremely kind and caring. He would not give
an incomprehensible puzzle to His beloved servants: “my yoke
is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30 NIV). He has left
them many instructions. What they need is not a new course
in theology, but a fresh mind uncluttered by preconceived
notions. And if for any reason they fail to resolve the puzzle,
He has promised to resolve it for them when He returns.
Since everyone errs and “falls short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23 NIV), it would be best if no one came to a final
conclusion without first studying all the new clues and instruc-
tions the Master has promised to reveal upon His return:

460 I Shall Come Again

5…judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the
Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in
darkness [emphasis added]… I Corinthians 4:5 NIV
In keeping with the preceding promise, Bahá’u’lláh, the
Glory of God, decoded all the clues needed for resolving the
divine puzzle.
Every hidden thing hath been brought to light, by the
virtue of the Will of the Supreme Ordainer [emphasis
added]…26 Bahá’u’lláh
Through Him hath appeared that which had been hidden
from time immemorial and been veiled from the eyes of
men.27 Bahá’u’lláh
We have decreed, O people, that the highest and last end
of all learning be the recognition of Him Who is the
Object of all knowledge; and yet, behold how ye have
allowed your learning to shut you out, as by a veil, from
Him Who is the Dayspring of this Light, through Whom
every hidden thing hath been revealed.28 Bahá’u’lláh
Some of the mysteries Bahá’u’lláh has brought to light are
presented later in this volume, many others in succeeding
volumes.
People have always faced difficult puzzles. How best can
they be deciphered? By mastering Hebrew and Greek? By
reading the latest archeological research? By going to the most
prestigious universities with the most scholarly publications
on the Scriptures? This prophecy points specifically to the
people of our time:
They are the kind who…are…always learning but never
able to acknowledge the truth. II Timothy 3:6-7 NIV
The people of Israel faced puzzles very similar to ours. Who
solved their puzzles? Was it Annas and Caiaphas (the leading
religious leaders and scholars of their time), or was it Peter
(a fisherman) and Mary Magdalene (a peasant)? Who was

6Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

7more educated among Jesus’ twelve apostles? Was it the man
who betrayed Him or the man who could hardly keep track
of the days of the week? Who recognized the glory of the
Master? The unknown woman who cheered her Lord and
immortalized her memory by pouring her precious perfume
on Him, or the established teachers of the Law who jeered
at Him?
…wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,
what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.
Christ (Mark 14:9 NIV)
Who, then, can solve the divine puzzle? And who is crowned
with salvation?
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the
humble with salvation [emphasis added]. Psalms 149:4 NIV
Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land…Seek righteous-
ness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the
day of the Lord’s anger [our day]. Zephaniah 2:3 NIV

8What More Could the Master Say?
Let us summarize some of the devices Jesus used to commu-
nicate the absolute necessity of finding and recognizing Him—
in His second advent as in the first—through investigation:
A Command
• The command to “Watch! ”, to be always awake and
alert—terms that say: “Investigate! ”
Analogies
• The analogy of “the thief in the night” to convey secrecy,
to declare this message: investigate the news of the
coming of the Master just as a detective would follow
every lead to find a thief (Matt. 24:43; Rev. 3:3).

962 I Shall Come Again

10• The analogy of “the sheep and the goats” to show a
contrast between those in the Master’s flock, namely
the Christians, who will hear and welcome the chief
Shepherd and those who will ignore His call (Matt.
25:32-34).
Historical Examples
• “The story of Noah and Lot” to show both the secret
coming of the Master and the denial He must face again
(Matt. 24:37-39).
Parables
• Three parables to explain further the meaning of the
word “Watch!” (Matt. 24:42-51; 25:1-30).
• Two parables to portray the gradual growth or unfolding
of the Redeemer’s heavenly Kingdom on earth: the
parable of “mustard seed,” and that of “the leaven” (Matt.
13:31-33).
• Two parables to show both the secrecy of the Redeemer’s
return and the need for preparing and investigating the
onset of His Kingdom: the parable of “the hidden
treasure,” and that of “a merchant looking for fine
pearls” (Matt. 13:44-46).
• A second parable on the theme of a wedding banquet to
teach that God will continue to honor the freedom He
has granted to humanity, that people will indeed have a
choice between receiving their Redeemer or rejecting
Him (Luke 12:35-40).
• A third parable with the theme of a wedding banquet to
point both to the suffering of the King’s servants and
the unresponsiveness of the people to His call (Matt.
22:1-14).
• The parable of “the doorkeeper” to emphasize the need
for alertness to the news of the coming of the Master
(Mark 13:32-37).

11Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

12• The parable of the dragnet to point to the separation of
the people at the end of the age (Matt. 13:47-50; see also
Matt. 25:31-32).
• The parable of “the weeds and good seeds” to predict
divisions and alterations the Master will find in His
church at the time of His return. Such conditions will
inevitably make it difficult for the servants to recognize
their Master’s voice, to understand His original in-
structions on finding and following Him (Matt. 13:24-
30, 36-43).
Did Jesus not know what the state of the world and of His
church would be at the time of His return? Why did He ask
this question:
…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Luke 18:8 NEB
We have a total of twelve parables all confirming one
another, all leading to the same conclusion: that the banquet
of the kingdom will be open only to those who investi-
gate the news of the coming of the Master with absolute
sincerity, and that many Christians will fail to heed this
warning.
Descriptions
• A graphic description of the suffering that the Master and
His humble followers must endure again (Matt. 25:35-
46). Volume II presents an entire chapter on this topic.
• A list of the obstacles that will conceal the identity of
the Master and the attributes that will lead the faithful
servant to His presence (Luke 21:34-36).

13The Consequences of Action and Inaction
• A graphic—but symbolic—description of the way God
will reward those who investigate the good news of the
Master’s return and punish those who ignore this news.

1464 I Shall Come Again

15To motivate Christians to awareness and action, nowhere
Jesus appeals as often and as strongly to reward and
punishment and to fear of God, as He does in His
prophecies of His second Advent (Matt. 24:48-51; 25:12,
30, 41, 46; 13:30, 40-43, 47-50; 22:13-14; II Thess. 1:9;
Rev. 14:7). The punishment He imposes is always the
most severe (separation from Him and His Kingdom); the
reward He promises is always the most splendid (the
crown of glory, and a place on His throne (I Peter 5:4;
Rev. 3:21). Why so much emphasis on reward and punish-
ment? As we noted, the Scriptures teach that the key to
understanding the prophecies is wisdom (Daniel 12:10;
12:3; Matt. 25:1-4; 24:45-47). There is a clear connection
between wisdom and the fear of God:
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and
they who live by it grow in understanding.
Psalms 111:10 NEB
The essence of wisdom is the fear of God
Bahá’u’lláh
It is evident that the Creator who is the Essence of Love
would not wish to be feared, but loved:
“Thy paradise is My love…” 30 “The essence of wealth is
love for Me; whoso loveth Me is the possessor of all
things…” 31 “I belong to him that loveth Me…”
Bahá’u’lláh
What purpose then does “fear of God” serve? It serves to
move humans out of apathy, and out of attraction and attach-
ment to the world. It is the voice that awakens the soul to
this call: “Since God is the goal, the hope, and desire of the
world, no one should be complacent in his duties toward
Him. No one should risk and suffer the loss of that which
humans were made for.” This awakening by fear is healthy.
It protects the soul from the ravages of primitive and selfish
passions and desires. It draws the soul away from the glitter
of the world and leads it to the hope and peace of nearness

16Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

17to God. Further, the fear of God releases the soul from the
pressures and unreasonable expectations of society. Confor-
mity comes from fearing people, courage from fearing God.
But this fear need not be intense or endure long. When the
light of the knowledge of God casts its glory upon the soul,
fear vanishes away as darkness is banished by the sun. The
fear of the Lord turns into the love of the Lord.
There is no fear in love…perfect love drives out fear…
I John 4:18 NIV
A lover [of God] feareth nothing…
Bahá’u’lláh
Fear overcome by love becomes a positive force. Isaiah
predicted that the promised Redeemer “will delight in the
fear of the Lord:”
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of
wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and
of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2-3 NIV
To summarize: the fear of God is the vanguard and the first
glimmer of wisdom. It protects and leads humans to their
divine destiny:
• It keeps the soul from falling until it grows and gains
strength in the light of love.
• It awakens humans by reminding them of the consequences
of apathy, inaction, and laxity toward their Creator. The
purpose of this awakening is not to make people live in
fear but rather to stir them to awareness and action.
• This fear leads humans to investigate, to acquire knowl-
edge, and to understand God’s way and wisdom. Without
the light of understanding and knowledge, the soul is blind.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge…
Proverbs 1:7

1866 I Shall Come Again

19• The light of knowledge eventually leads humans to
perfect faith, trust, and love; for God is absolute beauty
and perfection.
He [the Lord] will be the sure foundation for your times,
a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge;
the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.
Isaiah 33:6 NIV
What is the common thread running through the parables of
the Olivet Discourse and other instructions pointing to the
second coming of Christ? That there is a clear contrast
between people, between the wise and the unwise, the sheep
and the goat, the daring and the fearful, the curious and the
complacent, the good seed and the weed. And in all cases the
reward or the punishment assigned to each of them is of the
extreme: the highest reward, the harshest punishment. It does
not seem logical to divide people into only two groups
except by this standard: whether they accept or reject the
Master. The heavenly reward and the harsh punishment
assigned to each group is a further evidence of this.
This division, however, does not in any way imply that
individuals within each of the two groups are equal or will
be rewarded equally. Each of the two groups contains an
infinite variety of people with infinite degrees of moral and
spiritual maturity. Each individual is rewarded by the degree
of his faith and deeds.
I will judge between one sheep and another, and between
rams and goats…I myself will judge between the fat sheep
and the lean sheep. Ezekiel 34:17, 20 NIV

20The purpose of knowing the Master is spiritual transformation:
What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have
faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?…faith
by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14, 17 NIV

21Chapter 2: I Shall Come Upon You Like a Thief

22The essence of faith is fewness of words and abundance
of deeds…34 Bahá’u’lláh
Divine justice ordains that those who acknowledge the Master
by their words but deny Him by their deeds should not attain
the fruits of their faith. As for those who do not acknowledge
the Master, they will not be treated equally either, for their
motives and deeds are not the same. They too will reap the
fruits of their deeds. For God is not a God of justice alone;
His mercy and grace encompass the whole creation.
The Olivet Discourse contains all the directives of the Master
to His faithful servants. What more could the Master say to
reveal the reality of His return? What more could the Master do
to awaken His beloved servants, to move them to investigate?
…behold, I have foretold you all things.
Christ (Mark 13:23)
Thus Jesus admonished His faithful followers and concluded
His prophetic discourse as He looked down over Jerusalem
from the Mount of Olives with a few hopeful and humble dis-
ciples; a discourse for whose fulfillment countless Christians
have been waiting and praying for nearly two thousand years.
The Olivet Discourse carries an urgent tone. It is at once a
command from a King and a plea from a compassionate and
loving Guardian. It is Jesus’ final directive. It is His will and
testament to all Christians:
What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch!
Christ (Mark 13:37 NIV)
Jesus finished His discourse with these words:
You know that in two days’ time it will be Passover, and
the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.
Christ (Matthew 26:2 NEB)
The theme of the “thief in the night” is vast and vital. It is
explored further under Appendix III in this volume and again
in Volume V.

23Be Strong, Fear Not
Isaiah 35:4

24A ll through the Bible the faithful are asked to seek and
search, to investigate and inquire:
“Search the scriptures” (John 5:39); “Thou shalt meditate
therein day and night” (Joshua 1:8); “Those that seek me
early shall find me” (Prov. 8:17); “Seek ye the Lord while
he may be found” (Isa. 55:6) ; “You will find him, if
indeed you search with all your heart and soul” (Deut.
4:29 NEB); “unto them that look for him shall he appear
the second time” (Heb. 9:28).
What harm can come from looking, from inquiring? Avoidance,
apathy, and fear show a lack of faith:
Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?
Christ (Matthew 8:26)

2570 I Shall Come Again

26This book is an attempt to seek and find a truth that is the
ultimate goal and the crowning glory of human life on this
planet—a goal that is the wellspring of the deepest and most
enchanting joys, a glory that bestows a new life, abundant
and everlasting:
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you
who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the
world.’ Christ (Matthew 25:34 NIV)
It is a gift offered to those—
• Who thirst for truth:
Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes,
let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Christ (Revelation 22:17 NIV)
See also Isaiah 55:1

27• Who strive to sustain their souls with knowledge:
…through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
Proverbs 11:9
• Who are guided by an open mind and gifted “with a
noble and good heart:”
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble
and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by
persevering produce a crop. Christ (Luke 8:15 NIV)
• Who do not reject or judge a Redeemer by His name or
place of origin:
Judge not according to the appearance…
Christ (John 7:24)
• Who do not allow a known Name (Christ, Moses) to become
an obstacle between them and the new Name (Bahá’u’lláh):
He who is victorious [over obstacles]—I will make him
a pillar in the temple of my God…will write the name

28Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

29of my God upon him…and my own new name [em-
phasis added]. Revelation 3:12 NEB
• Who in their search for truth depend on proof and reason:
Prove all things… I Thessalonians 5:21
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord…
Isaiah 1:18
• Who are not influenced by popularity or concerned with
the judgment of people:
…ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the
judgment is God’s… Deuteronomy 1:17
If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a
servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 NIV
• Who have high regard for prophetic utterances, and a deep
desire to test their fulfillment:
…do not despise prophetic utterances, but bring them
all to the test… I Thessalonians 5:20-21 NEB
• Who do not allow others to decide the truth for them,
even if they are notable scholars or authorities:
…every man shall bear his own burden. Galatians 6:5
• Who in their search for truth are wakeful and watchful,
taking advantage of every opportunity that may lead them
to the object of their search:
Be always on the watch [investigate]…that you may be
able to stand before the Son of Man.
Christ (Luke 21:36 NIV)
Blessed—happy, fortunate and to be envied—are those
servants, whom the master finds awake and alert and
watching when he comes. Christ (Luke 12:37 AB)
• And, finally, those who say: it is possible! Perhaps
during “the night,” when people were “asleep,” He came:

3072 I Shall Come Again

31“That day is a day of…darkness and gloominess…” (Zeph.
1:15). And “every eye” that was awake during “the
night” caught a glimpse of His great Glory. For a sleeper
cannot see: “Awake, sleeper…and Christ will shine upon
you” (Eph. 5:14 NEB). For some eyes may be open and
still never see: “you may look and look, but you will
never see” (Acts 28:26 NEB). And “the eye” that can
“see” is always in the heart:
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Christ (Matthew 5:8)
…without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV

1Just as with any task, chances of success improve with prepa-
ration. Without acquiring the essential skills and attitudes, the
seeker of truth will find success unattainable. Among the
various requirements, the following deserve special attention:
Freedom from Fear
In the first paragraph of the preface to a book published
and distributed by one of the largest and most respected
evangelical groups in the world (Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association) appear these words:
We are living in a disordered age. Most people, including
Christians, are confused. They are bombarded by multi-
tudes of voices and no two of them are in agreement,
they are all saying different things. Which voice are we
to believe or depend on? [Emphasis added].1
Virtually the same message was uttered by Bahá’u’lláh about
a century earlier:
No two men can be found who may be said to be outwardly
and inwardly united. The evidences of discord and malice

2Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

3are apparent everywhere, though all were made for harmony
and union [emphasis added].2
The multitude of inharmonious voices that people hear destroys
their trust. Lack of trust leads them to fear, and fear to avoid-
ance and apathy.
Fear of falsehood is a justifiable concern. No one wants to be
deceived, especially on questions of conscience and belief.
We should, however, note that there is a clear difference
between fear and phobia, between observing caution and
magnifying caution to avoid making any search. The first
(reasonable caution) leads to protection from falsehood; the
second (intense fear or phobia) to separation from truth.
Unfortunately, most people allow their fear of falsehood to
overcome their love for truth.
Some Christians are so sensitized by fear of being deceived
that if they read a hundred verses on the necessity of inves-
tigating the truth and one verse on fearing falsehood, they
forget the hundred, but remember the one. The consequence
is inaction, indifference, and apathy—a belief that the best
defense is to avoid new ideas. They wonder why they
should take chances and venture into the unknown when
they already have something to depend on.
Since fear of falsehood directs the action and destiny of so
many believers—even the most sincere—we should test it in
as many ways as possible. We should put it to the test of the
Scriptures, examine it by the standards of reason, and view
it in the light of history:
• The Test of Reason and Science. In daily life we quickly
learn that to judge something is to test it. Scientists follow
the same course of action. To prove its effectiveness, a
drug or a diet must be tested. Experimentation is the chief
method of scientific search. Does not the same principle
hold true with religion? Reason demands that judgment
must come only after the “fruit” is examined.

474 I Shall Come Again

5…a tree is recognized by its fruit. Matthew 12:33 NIV
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 7:20 NIV
• The Lesson of History. Why did people deny Jesus?
Why did they deny Moses or Noah or Abraham, and all
the other Messengers? Partly because of fear. They were
so overcome by their fear of falsehood that they lost their
sense of adventure and thirst for truth. They preferred
apathy and inaction to concern and active involvement.
They conformed to prevailing views and shifted respon-
sibility from themselves. They allowed the prevailing
views to stifle their spirit of adventure and their longing
for truth. Were not the people of the time of Jesus also
paralyzed by fear and avoidance?
Have no fear…for your Father has chosen to give you
the Kingdom. Christ (Luke 12:32 NEB)
• The Testimony of the Scriptures. The following verse
from the Book of Revelation—a book that is primarily
concerned with the events of the end-times—portrays
clearly the consequences of being fearful to investigate:
He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his
God and he will be my son. But the cowardly…their
place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
Revelation 21:7-8 NIV
The prophecy specifies “He who overcomes.” Overcomes
what? It is clear, overcomes “cowardliness or fear.” What
kind of fear? Fear of inquiry or investigation, fear of
being deceived. Can the severe punishment—to burn in
the fiery lake—be justified for any other fear? Can those
rewards—to inherit all things—be justified for overcoming
any fear other than the fear of the search for truth? Is
there any fear whose dire consequences can be as drastic
as ignoring the news of the coming of the Master? Has
there been and will there ever be news greater than the
news of the coming of the Lord?

6Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

7What should be feared is falsehood, not knowledge. What
should be feared is being deprived of the truth, not the
search for truth. To inspire the spirit of strength and
courage, Bahá’u’lláh quotes this biblical verse that is
addressed to the people of our time:
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear
not: behold, your God will come…and save you.
Isaiah 35:4

8The following verse also inspires strength and courage in
those waiting for their Lord:
Wait for the Lord; be strong, take courage, and wait for
the Lord. Psalms 27:14 NEB

9The task of recognizing the divine Teachers is quite easy
if we use the true standards, the ones that God Himself
has specified. It is easy because when we examine human
beings, we encounter an infinite range of degrees of per-
fection and imperfection. But when we test a Redeemer
from God, we encounter only two degrees of choice. We
contrast the divine against human, not human against
human. A Redeemer is either divine or deceptive. This
makes our search quite simple. We are not called upon to
make fine discriminations between deceptively similar
choices.
“My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Christ; Matt.
11:30). “He will never deal unjustly with any one, neither
will He task a soul beyond its power” 3 (Bahá’u’lláh).
“The evidence set forth by God can never be compared
with evidences produced by any one of the peoples and
kindreds of the earth” 4 (The Báb). “Truth can in no wise
be confounded with aught else except itself…Nor can
error be confused with Truth, if ye do but reflect upon the
testimony of God” 5 (The Báb).

1076 I Shall Come Again

11Following the Light of Reason
This requirement is stated eloquently by noted Christian
scholar and leader, Dr. James Kennedy:
When we do not stand ready with a reason for our hope
and do not know why we believe what we believe, we
give others the impression that Christianity is a religion
based merely upon blind faith or emotional prejudice.
Nothing could be farther from the truth! We often accuse
those who reject Christianity without at least examining
the evidence for it of being prejudiced. Then is it not also
true that if a person accepts Christianity without examin-
ing the evidence, that too is nothing other than prejudice
or credulity?
Dr. Kennedy also encourages Christians to search for truth:
The Bible tells us to examine all things and to hold fast
to that which is good. Yet too frequently we are not
willing to do that just because it takes a little intellectual
effort on our part
Dr. Barry Chant and Winkie Pratney, Christian writers and
scholars, state:
[Jesus] intimates that His servants are not to be passive in
their waiting [for His return]. They must show enterprise
and investment, to use initiative with what has been given
them (even perhaps to take calculated risk)
Postponing Judgment
To prejudge is to decide before examining all the evidence.
Proofs of the validity of a divine Revelation are cumulative.
None of them should be judged apart from the others, for
each proof constitutes only part of the full profile. The
ultimate value of any given proof or precept must be judged
only in the light of the entire spectrum of evidence presented.
We should regard our role as that of a jury, seeking to find
all the facts before coming to a verdict.

12Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

13Does our law…permit us to pass judgment on a man un-
less we have first given him a hearing and learned the
facts? John 7:51 NEB
So pass no premature judgment… I Corinthians 4:5 NEB
Not everything can be fully explained at once. Questions of
concern are dealt with progressively in the course of these six
volumes. Therefore, if you find an idea objectionable, do not
come to a final conclusion; you may well find the issue
resolved later.
Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections
must be first overcome. Samuel Johnson
While pursuing the truth, it is essential to set aside all
traditional expectations or orthodox interpretations. If the
prevailing expectations enjoy the status of an absolute
standard, then how can any other standard, however reason-
able, be viewed with an open mind and tested impartially?
How can judgment be postponed?

14Persisting
Success in any endeavor requires persistence. To stop before
completing an investigation will give only an incomplete or
distorted picture of the prophetic profile. Nothing short of
seeing the whole profile can be a reliable basis for judging.
Jesus used the parable of the sower to demonstrate the
qualities essential for finding the truth. Among the qualities
He emphasized was perseverance:
But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and
good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persever-
ing produce a crop. Christ (Luke 8:15 NIV)
Dr. Robert Schuler, the renowned author, clergyman, and the
best-known advocate of positive and possibility thinking,
considers constancy one of the four essential qualities for
success in any endeavor. The other three are: curiosity,
confidence, and courage.

1578 I Shall Come Again

16What makes persistence or constancy so essential is the
interrelation of the proofs. For each proof leads to another,
like the critical parts of a delicately balanced bridge or a
rising tower. We must walk over the bridge and rise to the
height of the tower to gain a true vision of their glory and
grandeur. “Let us run with patience the race that is set before
us” (Heb. 12:1). “Only have faith, patience and courage—this
is but the beginning…surely you will succeed, for God is with
you!” 9 (‘Abdu’l-Bahá). “If you…know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven
give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matt. 7:11 NIV). “What-
soever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”
(Matt. 21:22). “Watch ye therefore, and pray always” (Luke
21:36).

17Being Humble
In interpreting the Word of God we must be acutely aware
of our weaknesses and fallibility. This rule applies to both the
givers and receivers of knowledge. The freedom of the human
spirit necessitates a diversity of thinking and understanding.
We should welcome and even encourage this freedom, for
it leads us to new dimensions of knowledge, wisdom, and
truth. Yet the gains from diversity can come only if those
who impart knowledge are gifted with humility and those
who receive it are tempered with tolerance.
Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom… Jeremiah 9:23
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Christ (Matthew 5:5)
…the Lord has…sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly
…To announce a year of favor from the Lord.
Isaiah 61:1-2 NAB
…he shall save the humble person. Job 22:29
Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide
me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,

18Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

19and my hope is in you all day long…He guides the humble
in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalms 25:4-5, 9 NIV
The giver of knowledge should say to the receiver, “It is an
honor to offer you the gift of my labors. But please remember
that only the box is mine—the gift comes from heaven. Look
not at my flawed wrappings. Look at the perfect pearls of
truth within that are not mine.” To this acknowledgment, the
receiver of knowledge should reply, “I, too, am surrounded
by the wrappings of my own thoughts and fantasies that are
also of my own creation. I will put all the wrappings—yours
and mine—aside, so that only my spirit, as God gave it,
touches the pearl.”
The greatest friend of truth is Time, her greatest enemy
is Prejudice, and her constant companion is Humility.
Charles C. Colton
The spark of truth comes, as the Master observes, from a
clash of ideas. But the diverse ideas must be tempered with
humility and tolerance, lest their clash lead to a sudden out-
burst, lest they create a battleground in which people take the
place of ideas. This is how the great Gift of God has been
cut into many competing sects. This is why many have used
the sword to promote love, torture to preserve the truth, and
the prison to please God.
People have interpreted the Scriptures from the time Moses
revealed the Ten Commandments, and their interpretations
have differed. This is fine, as long as they do not insist that
their understanding of the words of God is the only truth. This
especially holds true with prophecies, because as a rule they
are concealed in codes. The Scriptures teach that no one has
the right to declare his interpretation of prophecies infallible,
for to no one is given full knowledge of their meaning:
…note this: no one can interpret any prophecy of Scripture
by himself. II Peter 1:20 NEB

2080 I Shall Come Again

21Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait
till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden
in darkness… I Corinthians 4:5 NIV

22Which of the following positions fulfills the above exhorta-
tions and warnings?
• I have no doubt about what Jesus meant, when He said “He
would come from heaven.” I have no doubt that at His
coming, graves will open and the dead will rise…I have
no doubt that all the prophecies are literal.
• I will begin my search with an open mind, without any
preconceived notions. I will postpone my judgment con-
cerning all my expectations until I have examined all the
evidences presented by the One who claims to be the Lord.
If we truly accept the Word of God that “He saves the humble
person,” not the proud , then, who has presented himself
humbly before the Lord, the person who holds the first posi-
tion or the second?
The statement from Dr. James Kennedy, quoted in the
preface, reflects the true spirit of humility; it is a beacon of
enlightenment and awareness for every seeker of truth:
The great Princeton theologian of the last century, Dr.
Charles Hodge, said something which I have always
thought is worth remembering. He said that though
the Old Testament is filled with some 333 prophecies
concerning the first coming of Christ; in spite of that,
nobody got it right. And as you know, they crucified
Christ because of a misunderstanding about what the
Messiah was really coming to do. And we should because
of that be somewhat humbled and modest in our attempts
to interpret prophecies concerning the second coming of
Christ. It is quite possible that all of us [Christian
leaders] are wrong as well. [Emphasis added].10

23Chapter 3: Be Strong, Fear Not

24Praying
Self-reliance shows strength; leaning on others implies weak-
ness. Praying is turning to a higher source for help. Many
hesitate or refuse to accept such a dependency. By so doing,
they leave out the most reliable source of inspiration and
guidance. Perhaps nowhere does praying play as decisive
a role as it does in spiritual matters. Two conditions make
dependence on God absolutely imperative:
• When the choice is very complex and requires profound
wisdom.
• When the choice leads to long lasting or far-reaching
consequences.
Can any decision compare in its consequence with accepting,
ignoring, or denying a Messenger of God? Does a human
being need more wisdom concerning any choice, any decision
than in regard to recognizing a new Redeemer? When Jesus
spoke about His return, did He not say, “pray”?
Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able
to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may
be able to stand before the Son of Man [emphasis added].
Luke 21:34-36 NIV
Do not Jesus’ words imply that for most people knowing
Him the second time may be as difficult as it was the first
time, that it may require more wisdom than a human being
can gain on his own? Did He not also in the prayer concern-
ing His return begin with, “Father…thy kingdom come” and
end with “do not bring us to the test [temptation KJV]” (Luke
11:2-4 NEB)? Did He not also declare:
…the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the
world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Revelation 3:10
A test always implies the possibility of pursuing an improper
course of action. Even Jesus’ enlightened disciples needed to
pray to pass the tests or escape the temptations:

2582 I Shall Come Again

26Pray that you will not fall into temptation. Luke 22:40 NIV
The following verse is both a prophecy and a promise:
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved… Joel 2:32 NIV
The Báb and Bahá’u’lláh have also encouraged dependence
on God and written hundreds of prayers for the spiritual
needs of humankind. Several prayers from both the Bahá’í
and Hebrew Scriptures are offered in the next section. The
prayers are for those who by hearing the good news of the
coming of the kingdom enter the “Valley of Decision” (Joel
3:14 NEB), and suddenly see on the horizon the dawning of
the most critical choice a human being may ever be called
upon to make.
The prayers are suited especially for us, the people of this
age, who live in the evening of time (Zech. 14:7), in the
twilight of uncertainty and confusion (Micah 7:4 NIV), when
“the ways to God have multiplied.” “The light shines in the
darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:5
NIV). “The Dawn hath broken, yet the people understand
not” 11 (Bahá’u’lláh).
Prayer begins where human capacity ends.

Norman Vincent Peal

1God dwells far off from us, but prayer brings Him down
to earth, and links His power with our efforts.
M. Gasparin

1me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long. Psalms 25:4-5 NIV
You are God my stronghold. Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning…? Send forth your light

2your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then
will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my
delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed
within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise
him, my Savior and my God. Psalms 43:2-5 NIV

3May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his
face shine upon us; may your ways be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations…May the peoples praise
you, O God; may all the peoples praise you. Then the
land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless
us. Psalms 67:1-2, 5-6 NIV

4Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know
my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in
me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalms 139:23-24 NIV
O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration, Whose
beauty is my sanctuary, Whose habitation is my goal, Whose
praise is my hope, Whose providence is my companion,
Whose love is the cause of my being, Whose mention is
my solace, Whose nearness is my desire, Whose presence
is my dearest wish and highest aspiration, I entreat Thee
not to withhold from me the things Thou didst ordain for
the chosen ones among Thy servants. Supply me, then,
with the good of this world and of the next.
Thou, truly, art the King of all men. There is no God but
Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.12
Bahá’u’lláh

5O my God, my Lord and my Master! I have detached
myself from my kindred and have sought through Thee to
become independent of all that dwell on earth and ever
ready to receive that which is praiseworthy in Thy sight.
Bestow on me such good as will make me independent of

6Thy boundless favors. Verily, Thou art the Lord of grace
abounding.13 The Báb
Say: O my God! O Thou Who art the Maker of the
heavens and of the earth, O Lord of the Kingdom! Thou
well knowest the secrets of my heart, while Thy Being
is inscrutable to all save Thyself. Thou seest whatsoever
is of me, while no one else can do this save Thee. Vouch-
safe unto me, through Thy grace, what will enable me to
dispense with all except Thee, and destine for me that
which will make me independent of everyone else besides
Thee. Grant that I may reap the benefit of my life in this
world and in the next. Open to my face the portals of Thy
grace and graciously confer upon me Thy tender mercy
and bestowals.14 The Báb
Perhaps the following course of action may prove helpful to
many seekers of truth. After reading each chapter, you may
wish to pause, pray, and meditate as long as needed to
receive the inspiration you may need for the next step in
your spiritual journey. God has assured us that if we pray
sincerely and search with all our hearts and souls, the gift
of guidance will be ours:
Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a
stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If
you, then…know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father in heaven give good
gifts to those who ask him! Christ (Matthew 7:9-11 NIV)
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and
unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 NIV
…you will find him, if indeed you search with all your
heart and soul. Deuteronomy 4:29 NEB
Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with

1T rust in God always; trust also in me. There are many
dwelling-places in my Father’s house…I am going
there on purpose to prepare a place for you. And if I go
and prepare a place for you, I shall come again and
receive you to myself, so that where I am you may be
also [emphasis added]… Christ (John 14:1-3 NEB)
Return, O Lord, how long?…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 90:13, 16,
Come back, O Lord; set my soul free, deliver me for thy
love’s sake. Psalms 6:4 NEB
The advent of the Lord, the Desire of all nations, the Prince

2Father, is the most recurring and emphatic promise of the
Scriptures. “The desire of all nations shall come” (Hag. 2:7).
“For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father”
(Matt. 16:27). “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who
keeps the words of the prophecy in this book” (Rev. 22:7
NIV). “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you”
(John 14:18 NIV). “I go away, and come again unto you”
(John 14:28).
Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the
eternal gospel [good news] to proclaim to those who live
on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people.
He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give him glory,
because the hour of his judgment has come.’
Revelation 14:6-7 NIV

3Dr. John White, in his book on Christ’s return Re-entry, states:
The teaching of the second coming of our Lord is dealt
with some 1,845 times in the Bible, 318 of these being in
the New Testament. The return of the Lord is the domi-
nant theme of 17 Old Testament books and one epistle in
the New. In fact, 7 out of every 10 chapters in the New
Testament make a reference to the second coming.1
Dr. Billy Graham in his foreword to Re-entry states:
The theme…of the second coming of Jesus Christ, is
urgently needed in the preaching of the Church today…
Probably no Gospel theme apart from ‘Ye must be born
again’ is more relevant today, and I preach on some facet
of this subject in virtually all of my crusades. Our world
is filled with fear, hate, lust, greed, war and utter despair.
Surely the second coming of Jesus Christ, His ‘re-entry,’
is the only hope of replacing these depressing features
with trust, love, universal peace and prosperity. For it the

4Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

1Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20 NIV
He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms
cry aloud: “Lo! The Lord is come in His great majesty!”
Bahá’u’lláh
Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of Testimony,
invested with conclusive proof…Blessed is the man who
turneth towards Him…4 Bahá’u’lláh
Followers of the Gospel…behold the gates of heaven are
flung open. He that had ascended unto it is now come.
Give ear to His voice calling aloud over land and sea,
announcing to all mankind the advent of this Revelation
Bahá’u’lláh
Behold how He hath come down from the heaven of His
grace, girded with power and invested with sovereignty. Is
there any doubt concerning His signs? 6 Bahá’u’lláh
By God! This is He Who hath at one time appeared in the
name of the SpiritE [Christ]…7 Bahá’u’lláh
The time foreordained unto the peoples and kindreds of
the earth is now come. The promises of God, as recorded in
the holy Scriptures, have all been fulfilled.8 Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh proclaims in the clearest, most certain, and most
emphatic terms His station as the supreme Savior and Re-
deemer of the World, the Promised One of all ages and
religions, the return of Christ to Christians, and the Glory of
the Lord to the followers of both the Torah and the Gospel.
He claims a station referred to throughout the Scriptures as
E
The Spirit and the Spirit of God are two common titles by which Bahá’u’lláh
refers to Christ. “The spirit of the Lord is upon me [Jesus] because he has
anointed me” (Luke 4:18 NEB). “He [Jesus] saw the Spirit of God descending

2the Return of the Son in the Glory of His Father, the Lord
of the vineyard, the King of Glory, the Desire of all Nations,
the Comforter, the Counselor, and the Prince of Peace.
Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His Mission in Epistles (Tablets)
addressed to humanity in general and to the religious and
political leaders in particular. They are published by the
Universal House of Justice under the title The Proclamation
of Bahá’u’lláh to the Kings and Leaders of the World.9
The following quotations from those epistles and other
sources demonstrate the authority and mission of Bahá’u’lláh:
He who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent
majesty…Better is this for you than all ye possess.10
The Hour which We had concealed from the knowledge
of the peoples of the earth…hath come to pass.11
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.12
This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past,
eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and
as to him that hath refused to seek it—verily, God is
Self-Sufficient, above any need of His creatures.13
Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold
the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One…It
behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle
word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an
open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation,
the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.14
The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the
earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening
to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop

3In His Epistle to Christians, Bahá’u’lláh asks them why they
allow the name Bahá’u’lláh to stand as an obstacle in testing
His claim. He reminds them that the people to whom Jesus
was sent constantly prayed for their Redeemer’s advent.
They expressed the deepest desire to meet Him. Yet when He
came, only a few among them, mostly from the disadvan-
taged of society—the poor and the powerless, the simple and
the sinners—recognized His divine glory. Why did the deep
love of the others who were expecting their adored Redeemer
and Master not save them from denying Him? They read
their Scriptures day and night. Why was their knowledge of
no avail to them? Why did their repeated readings of the
prophecies not guide them to truth?
You study the scriptures diligently, supposing that in
having them you have eternal life; yet, although their
testimony points to me, you refuse to come to me for that
life. Christ (John 5:39-40 NEB)

4Bahá’u’lláh intimates that without asking these questions and
resolving them, we cannot learn from the example of those
who were once in our place, of those who thought that by
ignoring or opposing Jesus they were doing the right thing,
without ever realizing that they were depriving themselves
of the greatest gift that Heaven may bestow upon humans.
Without pondering these questions and resolving them, it is
extremely difficult, even impossible, to overcome the many
obstacles that our traditional beliefs place before us. We will
be as confused and perplexed as our forebears who time and
again rejected God’s Messengers:
You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a
prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed
those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.
Acts 7:51-52 NIV
Great spirits have always encountered opposition from

5In The Book of Certitude, Bahá’u’lláh presents a brief history
of the past Messengers and shows that they all encountered
people unprepared to accept or appreciate them. His purpose
in citing this history is to indicate that in recognizing a new
Redeemer, absolute humility and open-mindedness are
required. The past exerts a profound influence on our lives.
The overwhelming influence comes not from what we learn
from the past, but from what we don’t.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to
repeat it. George Santayna

1What experience and history teach us is this—that people
and governments have never learned anything from history,
or acted on principles deduced from it. Georg Hegel
How can history help us? By separating us from our im-
mediate needs and concerns. How can we get a full picture
of a mountain? By standing at a distance. How can we see
the true meaning and significance of the events of our lives?
By patience, by allowing time to separate us from the events.
How often does it happen that at the time of making a vital
decision we see only part of the picture? Later we wonder
with amazement why we could not have seen more! How
many wars would have been prevented, how many lives
saved, if world leaders had read and heeded the lessons of
history? Bahá’u’lláh calls on Christians to take history as their
guide and inspiration, to pursue its light to the city of true
knowledge:
Say,E O followers of the Son [Jesus]! 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…
E
Here the word “Say” is equivalent to the biblical phrase: “Thus saith the Lord.”

2Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

3Consider those who rejected the Spirit [Jesus] when He
came unto them with manifest dominion. How numerous
the Pharisees who had secluded themselves in synagogues
in His name, lamenting over their separation from Him,
and yet when the portals of reunion were flung open…
they disbelieved in God, the Exalted, the Mighty…No one
from among them turned his face towards the Dayspring
of divine bounty [Jesus] except such as were destitute of
any power amongst men…Moreover, call thou to mind the
one [the high priest] who sentenced Jesus to death. He
was the most learned of his age in his own country, whilst
he who was only a fisherman [Peter] believed in Him. Take
good heed and be of them that observe the warning.16
“The one who sentenced Jesus” may refer either to Annas or
Caiaphas, but more likely to Annas. Annas occupied the
highest spiritual position for the Jews, Caiaphas the highest
state position. They were both the most prestigious, influen-
tial, and learned Jewish religious leaders at the time of Jesus.
According to Nelson Bible Dictionary:
Annas was…the most influential of the priests…[and] was
officially succeeded by each of his five sons, one grand-
son, and his son-in-law Caiaphas, the high priest who
presided at the trial of Jesus (Matt. 26:3, 57; John 18:13-
14). During His trial, Jesus was first taken to Annas, who
then sent Jesus to Caiaphas (John 18:13, 24). Both Annas
and Caiaphas were among the principal examiners when
Peter and John were arrested (Acts 4:6).17
According to The Zondervan Bible Dictionary:
Jesus offered the Kingdom to Israel, for they were its
proper heirs…but the religious leaders, followed by most
of the people, not only refused to enter its blessings but
tried to prevent others from entering (Matt. 23:13).
Nevertheless, many tax-collectors [who occupied a low
position in people’s eyes] and harlots did enter the
Kingdom (Matt. 21:31).18

492 I Shall Come Again

5Is there a single one of our rulers who has believed in
him…? John 7:48 NEB
How vast the number of the learned who have turned aside
from the way of God and how numerous the men devoid
of learning who have apprehended the truth and hastened
unto Him, saying, ‘Praised be Thou, O Lord of all things,
visible and invisible.’19 Bahá’u’lláh
Seeing and knowing the truth—whether it is the recognition
of the Word of God or the very existence of God—does not
require scientific training, biblical scholarship, a master’s
degree in debate and logic, a doctorate in philosophy or
theology. It requires only a pure heart, only a sanctified
soul:
Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.
Christ (Matthew 5:8)
The understanding of His [God’s] words…are in no wise
dependent upon human learning. They depend solely upon
purity of heart…and freedom of spirit…20 Bahá’u’lláh
Sanctify your souls, O ye peoples of the world, that haply
ye may attain that station which God hath destined for
you…21 Bahá’u’lláh
Sanctify your souls from whatsoever is not of God, and
taste ye the sweetness of rest within the pale of His vast
and mighty Revelation, and beneath the shadow of His
supreme and infallible authority.22 Bahá’u’lláh
Every human being—even the least educated from the most
primitive culture—is able to recognize the existence of God
and distinguish His Word from others. The first clue to the
Word of God is its uniqueness. Its tone, its “voice,” its power
and authority clearly set it apart from the words of others.
My own sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they
follow me. Christ (John 10:27 NEB)

6Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

7…he goes ahead and the sheep follow, because they know
his voice. Christ (John 10:4 NEB)
…I have perfected in every one of you My creation, so that
the excellence of My handiwork may be fully revealed
unto men. It follows, therefore, that every man hath been,
and will continue to be, able of himself to appreciate the
Beauty of God, the Glorified. Had he not been endowed
with such a capacity, how could he be called to account
for his failure? If, in the Day when all the peoples of
the earth will be gathered together, any man should, whilst
standing in the presence of God, be asked: “Wherefore
hast thou disbelieved in My Beauty and turned away from
My Self,” and if such a man should reply and say: “In-
asmuch as all men have erred, and none hath been found
willing to turn his face to the Truth, I, too, following their
example, have grievously failed to recognize the Beauty
of the Eternal,” such a plea will, assuredly, be rejected.
For the faith of no man can be conditioned by any one
except himself.23 Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’u’lláh addresses Christians and declares to them the
return of that same Spirit that appeared in the name of
Christ:
…O concourse of Christians! We have, on a previous
occasion, revealed Ourself unto you, and ye recognized
Me not. This is yet another occasion vouchsafed unto you.
This is the Day of God; turn ye unto Him…The Beloved
One loveth not that ye be consumed with the fire of your
desires…Ye make mention of Me, and know Me not. Ye
call upon Me, and are heedless of My Revelation…O
people of the Gospel! They who were not in the Kingdom
have now entered it, whilst We behold you, in this day,
tarrying at the gate. Rend the veils asunder by the power
of your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Bounteous, and enter,
then, in My name My Kingdom. Thus biddeth you He Who
desireth for you everlasting life…We behold you, O children
of the Kingdom, in darkness. This, verily, beseemeth you

894 I Shall Come Again

9not. Are ye, in the face of the Light, fearful because of
your deeds? Direct yourselves towards Him…Verily, He
(Jesus) said: ‘Come ye after Me, and I will make you to
become fishers of men.’ In this day, however, We say:
‘Come ye after Me, that We may make you to become
quickeners of mankind.’24

10Bahá’u’lláh Glorifies Christ
Bahá’u’lláh glorifies Christ in the most moving and majestic
terms:
Know thou that when the Son of Man yielded up His
breath to God, the whole creation wept with a great
weeping. By sacrificing Himself, however, a fresh capacity
was infused into all created things. Its evidences, as wit-
nessed in all the peoples of the earth, are now manifest
before thee. The deepest wisdom which the sages have
uttered, the profoundest learning which any mind hath
unfolded, the arts which the ablest hands have produced,
the influence exerted by the most potent of rulers, are but
manifestations of the quickening power released by His
transcendent, His all-pervasive, and resplendent Spirit.
We testify that when He came into the world, He shed the
splendor of His glory upon all created things. Through
Him the leper recovered from the leprosy of perversity
and ignorance. Through Him, the unchaste and wayward
were healed. Through His power, born of Almighty God,
the eyes of the blind were opened, and the soul of the
sinner sanctified.25
Reflect how Jesus, the Spirit of God, was, notwithstand-
ing His extreme meekness and perfect tender-heartedness,
treated by His enemies. So fierce was the opposition
which He, the Essence of Being and Lord of the visible
and invisible, had to face, that He had nowhere to lay
His head. He wandered continually from place to place,
deprived of a permanent abode.26

11Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

12The Báb and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá too glorify the station of Christ
and His teachings:
O Spirit of God [Jesus]!…Verily God hath inspired Thee
with divine verses and wisdom while still a child and hath
graciously deigned to bestow His favor upon the peoples
of the world through the influence of Thy Most Great
Name…27 The Báb
If you reflect upon the essential teachings of Jesus, you
will realize that they are the light of the world…They are
the very source of life and the cause of happiness to the
human race.28 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Bahá’u’lláh eulogizes the station of Jesus as one “which hath
been exalted above the imaginings of all that dwell on earth.”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá describes that station as one of absolute perfec-
tion.30 Here are some of the titles by which Bahá’u’lláh and
‘Abdu’l-Bahá refer to Christ:
The Lord Christ The Essence of detachment
The Lord of all being The Essence of the Spirit
The Lord of the visible The Word of God
and invisible That Peerless Beauty
The Spirit of God The Revealer of the
The Divine Spirit unseen Beauty
The Spirit The Daystar of the heaven
The Essence of Being of divine Revelation
Jesus did not destroy what was granted to the world before
Him:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets…but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17 NIV
Bahá’u’lláh too does not destroy what was given before. He
rather restores, fulfills, and glorifies it. Jesus declared:
And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose
none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the
last day. John 6:39 NIV

1396 I Shall Come Again

14The Origin of the Bahá’í Faith
This work is about proofs of the Bahá’í Faith, not its history
and teachings. Those not acquainted with the basics of the
new Revelation, will find it helpful to begin their search by
studying first its history and teachings, and then the evidences
of its validity. For proofs of a faith are most relevant when
one already knows its basic principles. The Message is the
goal, and proofs the means for reaching the goal.
For our purposes a brief reference or introduction to the
central figures and the supreme institution of the Bahá’í Faith
is in order:
• The Bahá’í Faith literally means The Glorious Faith—
the Faith that manifests the Glory of God.
• The Báb. On May 23, 1844, a young man entitled the
Báb (the Gate) declared the dawning of a new Day in the
religious history of the world. The young man came from
southern Persia. He announced that God would soon send
a World Teacher and Savior to bring peace and order
and to unify all humanity. Within the brief span of His
ministry (1844 -1850), the Báb attracted many followers,
thousands of whom were massacred, mostly by the order
of fanatical religious leaders of Islam. The Báb Himself
was imprisoned and finally executed in 1850.
• Bahá’u’lláh. In 1863, a nobleman entitled Bahá’u’lláh
(Glory of God) announced that He was the World Teacher
and Redeemer promised by the Báb and expected by
humanity since the dawn of history. Like His Herald, the
Báb, Bahá’u’lláh encountered relentless opposition and
oppression throughout His ministry. His imprisonment and
exile lasted for 39 years. He often refers to His sufferings
with a sense of submission and pride—submission because
He welcomed that which was ordained for Him, pride
because He suffered for the sake of others to bring hope
and love to the heart of humanity and peace and justice

15Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

16to the world. Bahá’u’lláh's Writings equal a hundred vol-
umes. They offer teachings and unveil “all the truth” (John
16:13) needed by humanity for at least a thousand years.
• ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Before His passing in 1892, Bahá’u’lláh
appointed His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Servant of Glory),
to serve as the Interpreter and Exemplar of His teachings
and the Center of His Covenant. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is also
known as the Mystery of God. His station is not that of
the Báb or Bahá’u’lláh, but of a Perfect Exemplar or Model
for all to emulate. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá traveled through many
countries to spread the teachings of the new Revelation.
• Shoghi Effendi. Shoghi Effendi did not consider himself
one of the central figures of the Bahá’í Faith, yet he
occupied a position of preeminence in the development of
the new faith. After the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, he served
as the appointed Guardian of the Faith. His chief accom-
plishment was the building of the Administrative Order
of Bahá’u’lláh, which constitutes a pattern for the future
World Order—an Order called by Jesus the Kingdom of
God, and the Kingdom of heaven, meaning the coming of
the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven on earth.
• The Universal House of Justice. Shortly after Shoghi
Effendi’s passing, the responsibility for leadership in
the Bahá’í Faith was delegated to a supreme elected
institution designated by Bahá’u’lláh as The Universal
House of Justice. Its members represent and receive the
full support of the entire Bahá’í community living in over
two hundred countries and territories around the globe.

17The Goals of the Bahá’í Faith
When that time comes…I will gather all the nations
together… Joel 3:1-2 NEB

1898 I Shall Come Again

19And I…am about to come and gather all nations and
tongues, and they will come and see my glory…they will
bring all your brothers, from all the nations…
Isaiah 66:18-20 NIV
See also Isaiah 10:13-14

20Ye were created to show love one to another…Take pride
not in love for yourselves but in love for your fellow-
creatures. Glory not in love for your country, but in love
for all mankind.31 Bahá’u’lláh

21…the old order of things has passed away…I am making
everything new! Christ (Revelation 21:4-5 NIV)

22Soon will the present-day order be rolled up, and a new
one spread out in its stead.32 Bahá’u’lláh

23The Bahá’í Faith seeks to attain these goals:
• To transform our divided planet into a global community
crowned with harmony, peace, and justice
• To inspire the heart of humanity with a divine purpose,
and an immortal hope, and
• To raise the ethical standards to levels never before
achieved. (For a detailed study of these goals, see any in-
troductory book on Bahá’í teachings. See also Volume VI
of this work, By My Fruits Ye Shall Know Me.)
All these goals are pursued in fulfillment of this divine
prayer and purpose:
Our Father in heaven, thy name be hallowed; thy kingdom
come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Christ (Matthew 6:9-10 NEB)

24Many prominent figures of our time have testified to the
positive and dynamic influence of the Bahá’í Faith in lead-
ing the world toward these goals:

25Chapter 4: I Shall Come Again

26I sympathize with the Bahá’í Faith with all my heart
because it has the Spirit of Christ in it…You hold…the key
that will settle all of our difficulties
Dr. George Washington Carver
…the highest and purest form of religious teaching…I
know of no other [faith] so profound. Leo Tolstoy
The philosophy of Bahá’u’lláh deserves the best thought
we can give it… Helen Keller
In our times we can only survive, and our civilization can
only flower, if we reorient the conventional wisdom and
achieve the new insights…proclaimed by the Bahá’í Faith
and…now also supported by the latest discoveries of the
empirical sciences. Dr. Ervin Laszlo

Editor Of The World Encyclopedia

1of Peace, Renowned Authority on

Systems Sciences And World Order

1Bahá’u’lláh was…without question one of the supreme
spiritual geniuses of history. Dr. John Holmes

1[The Bahá’í Faith] teaches the essential unity of mankind
under one God…That is a force which cuts across politics,
trade routes, racial groupings the world around.
It can be made a powerful force in the practical affairs of
the world. Hon. William O. Douglas
U.S. Supreme Court Justice

2…the greatest movement working today for universal
peace. Dr. Auguste Forel

1Why Do You Not Understand
My Language?
Christ (John 8:43 NEB)

2H e who is from the earth belongs to the earth and
uses earthly speech. John 3:31 NEB
Lack of communication is at the heart of many conflicts,
failures, and tragedies. It affects all spheres of human life,
including religion.
But why is there lack of communication? Many experts believe
the root cause is a tendency to act on unverified perceptions
and assumptions. The following story demonstrates the
point. A man who was hard of hearing wanted to visit a
patient in a hospital. He thought of several questions and
presumed the likely answers from the patient. For instance,
he thought to ask him, “How are you?” and assumed the
patient would say, “I am feeling fine,” etc. But this is actually

3Visitor: How are you my friend?
Patient: I feel terrible!
Visitor: Thank God. How is your heart?
Patient: It misses some beats and it may stop at any
moment.
Visitor: I am glad to hear that. Where are you going
from the hospital?
Patient: To my grave!
Visitor: That is the most restful place to be. When you
leave the hospital, who is going to take care of
you?
Patient: The angel of hell!
Visitor: You are lucky to have someone like her. What
will you be eating there?
Patient: Worms!
Visitor: That is my favorite food. Do you have any close
friends who will come to talk with you?
Patient: Yes, his name is the Devil.
Visitor: You are lucky to have friends like that. What
does your doctor say?
Patient: He says I will be dead in two weeks.
Visitor: Glad to hear it. Take care now.
The story may seem far-fetched, but it portrays vividly how
conflicts and tragedies often take root and spread. It is
believed that the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima
because the political leaders assumed the translation of a
message conveyed by a Japanese news agency was accurate,
when it was not:
Unfortunately the translators at the Domei News Agency
could not know what Suzuki [the Premier] had in mind.
As they hastily translated the prime minister’s statement
into English, they chose the wrong meaning. From the

4world that the Suzuki cabinet had decided to “ignore” the
Potsdam ultimatum.1
The cabinet was furious at the Premier’s choice of words and
the poor translation of his message by the news agency, but
it was too late. “Tokyo radio had flashed it—to America! The
punishment came swiftly.”
What is religion? It is communication between God and man.
The problem is this: people assume that God speaks in their
language, which He does not. They also assume that God
sees things as they do, which He does not. No wonder people
find it easier to be grateful to God in times of comfort and
prosperity. When good fortune visits them, they say “God is
right! I deserve this.” But when trouble touches them they
say “I can’t understand why this is happening to me. Why
would God allow this. I never did anything to deserve it!”
These unverified assumptions, that God speaks as we do and
sees everything as we see, have caused immeasurable misery
and suffering throughout the ages. Such assumptions continue
to prevail in our time.
Why did people fail to understand Jesus whose marvelous
words are models of grace and beauty? Would He—and does
He—address the same words He addressed to the Jews (Why
do you not understand my language?) to the Christians who
are now interpreting His prophecies? Has the way people
understand religion changed since the time of Jesus?
This chapter presents a comparative study of the “symbolic
language” as used in both biblical and Bahá’í Scriptures. It
offers passages from both Scriptures to decode the meaning
of some of the most critical prophecies of the second advent.
It demonstrates the validity of statements such as the following,
which are made by an increasing number of Christian scholars:
Too often, we try to interpret literally what should be

5The examples presented here share this common feature: they
contain messages that imply miraculous and dramatic displays
of powers over the laws of nature, over the ordinary course
of events. The chapter shows:
• The remarkable similarity between the language of Christ
and Bahá’u’lláh.
• The astonishing similarity between how the Jews inter-
preted the prophecies in the first century A. D. and how
Christians interpret them today.
• The stark contrast between what people expect and the
ways prophecies have been fulfilled.
It concludes that the strongest obstacle in recognizing God's
Messengers and Redeemers is and has always been an
inability to discern the difference between how the Creator
speaks and what His hearers would like to hear, how He
acts and how people would like Him to act.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks
at the heart. I Samuel 16:7 NIV
…the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. II Corinthians 3:6
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways… Isaiah 55:8

1throne of his ancestor David, and he will be king over
Israel for ever; his reign shall never end [emphasis added
throughout the chapter]. Luke 1:31-33 NEB
See also Luke 1:70-75
Art thou a king then?…To this end was I [Christ] born…

2The preceding verses are an affirmation of the Old Testament
prophecies and promises such as:
…I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of
your own sons…I will establish his throne forever. I will
be his father, and he will be my son…I will set him over
my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be
established forever. I Chronicles 17:11-14 NIV
The Lord swore to David an oath which he will not break:
‘A prince of your own line will I set upon your throne.’
Psalms 132:11 NEB
But you, Bethlehem…out of you will come for me one
who will be ruler over Israel…E Micah 5:2 NIV
[The Fulfillment:] You cannot tell by observation when
the kingdom of God comes…in fact the kingdom of God
is among you. Christ (Luke 17:20-21 NEB)
My kingdom does not belong to this world.
Christ (John 18:36 NEB)
How did Jesus who was so poor as to say “Foxes have holes
and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no
place to lay his head” (Matt. 8:20 NIV), fulfill the Hebrew
prophecies that the promised Redeemer “will be ruler over
Israel”? How did Jesus receive “the throne of His ancestor
David”? Spiritually. How could the Jews in the time of Jesus
have acknowledged an interpretation contrary to their estab-
lished beliefs? By making wisdom the guiding lamp of their
lives, by being humble and open-minded. To them “carrying
a little extra oil” of wisdom did not seem urgent. Yet that one
small step would have led them to the presence of their Lord.
In spite of His seeming poverty and weakness, Jesus spoke
like a conquering king:
…Jesus Christ, who is…the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Revelation 1:5 NIV
E

3…I have conquered the world. Christ (John 16:33 NEB)
We find Bahá’u’lláh speaking the same way:
The Most Great Law is come, and the Ancient Beauty
[Bahá’u’lláh] ruleth upon the throne of David.5
Ye are but vassals, O kings of the earth! He Who is the
King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most won-
drous glory
When Bahá’u’lláh announced the preceding words, He was
a captive—an exile and a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire,
under a most mighty and cruel king.
It is divine to judge by the heart:
…behold, a [King] greater than Solomon is here.
Christ (Matthew 12:42)
It is human to judge by appearance:
Is not this the carpenter’s son? Matthew 13:55
The King who was greater than Solomon showed His great-
ness not by pomp and pride, but by humility: “he poured
water into a basin, and began to wash his disciples’ feet and
to wipe them with the towel” (John 13:5 NEB). This is true
glory and greatness. The One who was God’s beloved Son
and the Lord of the visible and invisible declared: “whoever
wants to be first must be the willing slave of all—like the
Son of Man” (Matt. 20:27 NEB).
While Bahá’u’lláh was being taken to prison, a woman
“emerged from the midst of the crowd with a stone in her
hand, eager to cast it at the face of Bahá’u’lláh.” Bahá’u’lláh
asked the guards to let her fulfill her heart’s desire: “Deny
her not what she regards as a meritorious act in the sight of
God.” 7 The Master puts the servant’s need above His own.
This is true power.
Both Christ and Bahá’u’lláh ascended the throne of a

4people expected and are still expecting. Orthodox Jews after
two thousand years of expectation and disappointment have

1by the lips of his holy prophets, that he would deliver us
[the Jews] from our enemies… Luke 1:70-71 NEB

2He [the Spirit of the Lord] has sent me…to release the
oppressed… Christ (Luke 4:18 NIV)

3[The Fulfillment:] Praise to the God of Israel! For he has
turned to his people, saved them and set them free, and
has raised up a deliverer [Jesus] of victorious power from
the house of his servant David. Luke 1:68-69 NEB
See also Matt. 11:28-30

4How did Jesus release the Jews who were the captives of the
Roman oppression? Spiritually. Even the Deliverer Him-
self was oppressed by both the Romans and the Jews. Those
who embraced His tidings of love, peace, and salvation
were released from their foremost enemies: unbelief, pride,
prejudice, selfishness, and hypocrisy. True liberty comes
from following what God, the divine Deliverer, prescribes:
Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Christ (John 8:32)
…where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
II Corinthians 3:17
The liberty that profiteth you is to be found nowhere
except in complete servitude unto God, the Eternal Truth.
Whoso hath tasted of its sweetness will refuse to barter it

5He is indeed a captive who hath not recognized the Supreme
Redeemer, but hath suffered his soul to be bound…in the
fetters of his desires.9 Bahá’u’lláh

1great glory,” (3) “be seen by every eye.” Comparing the
following passages from Christ and Bahá’u’lláh should cast
new light on the unique language of revelation, and the
intended meaning of Christ’s promises.
We know Jesus was born physically on earth, yet He made
statements that seem to indicate otherwise:
He who comes from heaven bears witness to what he has
seen and heard, yet no one accepts his witness.
Christ (John 3:31-32 NEB)
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came
from heaven—the Son of Man. Christ (John 3:13 NIV)
I have come down from heaven… Christ (John 6:38 NEB)
How did Christ come down from heaven? Spiritually.
Those who take literally “coming down from heaven” in
relation to the second advent can find their counterparts
among Jesus' contemporaries. For they also took literally the
above words in relation to Christ’s first advent:
Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph; we know his father and
mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from
heaven”? John 6:42 NEB
Why did the people not understand Jesus’ intention in saying
“I have come down from heaven”? They tried to translate

2…he who is from the earth belongs to the earth and uses
earthly speech. John 3:31 NEB
In the following passage, Bahá’u’lláh again speaks in the
language of revelation and declares that He has come from
heaven “even as He had come down from it the first time:”
…God is my witness! The Promised One Himself
[Bahá’u’lláh] hath come down from heaven, seated upon
the crimson cloud with the hosts of revelation on His
right, and the angels of inspiration on His left, and the
Decree hath been fulfilled at the behest of God, the
Omnipotent, the Almighty.10 Bahá’u’lláh
How did Bahá’u’lláh descend from heaven? Spiritually, even
as that Spirit descended the first time:
He [Bahá’u’lláh], verily, hath again come down from

1deliverer [Jesus] of victorious power… Luke 1:68-69 NEB
All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Christ (Matthew 28:18)
See also Mark 9:1
God is my witness! He, the Ancient of everlasting days
is come, girded with majesty and power.12 Bahá’u’lláh
The All-Merciful is come invested with power and
sovereignty.13 Bahá’u’lláh
The following words testify to Bahá’u’lláh’s supreme power.
Has anyone ever spoken with such authority?
I am the One Whom the tongue of Isaiah hath extolled,
the One with Whose name both the Torah and the Evangel

2round the Day-Spring of this Revelation, while from the
heights of the Kingdom the voice of the Son of God is
heard proclaiming: “Bestir yourselves, ye proud ones of
the earth, and hasten ye towards Him.” Carmel hath in
this day hastened in longing adoration to attain His court,
whilst from the heart of Zion there cometh the cry: “The
promise of all ages is now fulfilled. That which had been
announced in the holy writ of God, the Beloved, the Most
High, is made manifest.”…By the one true God, Elijah
hath hastened unto My court and hath circumambulated in
the day-time and in the night-season My throne of glory.
Solomon in all his majesty circles in adoration around Me
in this day, uttering this most exalted word: “I have turned
my face towards Thy face, O Thou omnipotent Ruler of
the world! I am wholly detached from all things pertaining
unto me, and yearn for that which Thou dost possess.”
He, verily, is come with His Kingdom, and all the atoms
cry aloud: …“Here am I, here am I, O Lord, My God!”
whilst Sinai circleth round the House, and the Burning
Bush calleth aloud: “The All-bounteous is come mounted
upon the clouds!”
What kind of power did Christ and Bahá’u’lláh have?
Spiritual. This too was not what people valued and expected

1The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Christ (John 12:23)
Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son…
Christ (John 17:1 neb)

2I sorrow not for the burden of My imprisonment. Neither
do I grieve over My abasement, or the tribulation I suffer
at the hands of Mine enemies. By My life! They are My
glory, a glory wherewith God hath adorned His own Self.
Would that ye know it! 16 Bahá’u’lláh
And again:
I am not impatient in the troubles that touch me in my
love for Thee…Nay, I have, by Thy power, chosen them
for my own self, and I glory in them…17 Bahá’u’lláh
What kind of glory did Christ and Bahá’u’lláh have? Spiritual.
This too was not what the people expected and valued and

1…he [Jesus] came to dwell among us, and we saw his
glory… John 1:14 NEB
But we see Jesus…crowned with glory and honor…
Hebrews 2:9
Who saw Jesus crowned with glory and honor? Only those—
a few—who had insight. At first “even his brothers had no
faith in him” (John 7:5 NEB). It is the spirit and the heart that
see the Glory of God. Seeing the truth requires spiritual sight:
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God. Christ (John 3:3)
…without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 NIV
…your sins have hidden his [the Lord’s] face from you…
Isaiah 59:2 NIV
…whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him… I John 3:6
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Christ (Matthew 5:8)

2112 I Shall Come Again

3…when a true seeker determineth to take the step of search
in the path leading to the knowledge of the Ancient of
Days, he must, before all else, cleanse and purify his
heart…18 Bahá’u’lláh

4…had these people… sanctified their eyes…they surely
would not have been deprived of beholding the beauty of
God…19 Bahá’u’lláh

5I counsel you to buy from me…salve to put on your eyes,
so you can see. Christ (Revelation 3:18 NIV)

6At His trial Jesus said:
…from now on, you will see the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of God… Christ (Matthew 26:64 NEB)

7Who saw Jesus from then on sitting at the right hand of
God? And how was He seen? With insight or eyesight? How
did those who heard Jesus—both believers and unbelievers—
interpret His words? Has anyone ever seen Him sitting at the
right hand of God?
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.20
Bahá’u’lláh
Behold Him [Bahá’u’lláh] manifest and resplendent as
the sun in all its glory.21 Bahá’u’lláh

8“Manifest and resplendent” to whom? Who saw Bahá’u’lláh’s
“all-encompassing” splendor? Only those who stayed awake
with watchful eyes:
Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays
awake… Christ (Revelation 16:15 NIV)

9…do not let him find you sleeping…I say to everyone:
‘Watch!’ Christ (Mark 13:36-37 NIV)

10Chapter 5: Why Do You not Understand My Language?

11Did Jesus mean watching with physical or spiritual eyes?
Did He mean sleeping eyes or sleeping spirits? Did He mean
sleeping in the dark of the night or in the dark of unawareness?
Blessed the slumberer who is awakened…22 Bahá’u’lláh
…blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for
they hear. Christ (Matthew 13:16)
Blessed the ear that hath heard…and the eye that hath
seen and recognized the Lord…23 Bahá’u’lláh

12Life, Death, and Resurrection
I am the resurrection and I am life…no one who is alive
and has faith shall ever die. Christ (John 11:25-26 NEB)
Whoso hath been re-born in this Day, shall never die
Bahá’u’lláh
…if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.
Christ (John 8:51 NKJ)
Who are those who never die? The spiritually alive. They are
resurrected through their faith and their love for God.
If there were no other example in the Bible, the next one
in itself would be adequate to teach us God’s unique way of
communicating. In the last part of this most instructive
passage Jesus promises to return “in His kingdom” during
the lifetime of His contemporaries:
For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory
with his angels, and then he will reward each person
according to what he has done. I tell you the truth, some
who are standing here will not taste death before they
see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.
Christ (Matt. 16:27-28 NIV)
Was Jesus’ promise fulfilled literally or spiritually? Did some
of the people addressed by Him live to see “the coming of the

13114 I Shall Come Again

14Son of Man in his kingdom”? Then what did He mean by
glory, angels, reward, death, see, and kingdom? Can these
words be viewed in any light other than spiritual? Was the
prophecy fulfilled in any other way?
The lack of literal fulfillment of the prophecy at the due time
(the life-span of those addressed by Jesus), has made Chris-
tian interpreters recognize Jesus’ true intention in uttering the
prophecy. They believe it contains a spiritual rather than
literal message. For instance, a Christian scholar states that it
refers to “a spiritual coming of Christ, to an inner experience
of the soul in accordance with the inward nature of the king-
dom.” 25 Another Christian scholar declares that the people
who had insight could “behold with their inward eye those
wonderful words of God which Jesus calls His kingdom…”
To understand God’s word, we must think in His ways of
speaking. His language is unique:
Blessed the man who, assured of My Word, hath arisen
from among the dead to celebrate My praise.27
Bahá’u’lláh

15Suffering First, Glory Later
When the disciples asked: “Lord, are you at this time going
to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6 NIV), Jesus did
not tell them what they wanted to hear. Instead of saying yes
or no, He simply pointed to the future, without giving a
definite date: “It is not for you to know the times” (Acts 1:7
NIV). On another occasion, the Jews asked Him a similar
question: “But we had been hoping that he [Jesus] was the
man to liberate Israel” (Luke 24:21 NEB). And this is the
answer they received: “How dull you are!…Was the Messiah
not bound to suffer thus before entering upon his glory?”
(Luke 24:25-26 NEB).
Just as Jesus said that the days of glory would come later,
so did Bahá’u’lláh:

16Chapter 5: Why Do You not Understand My Language?

17The day is approaching when God will have exalted His
Cause and magnified His testimony in the eyes of all who
are in the heavens and…on the earth.28 Bahá’u’lláh
The day is approaching when We will have rolled up the
world and all that is therein, and spread out a new order
in its stead. He, verily, is powerful over all things.29
Bahá’u’lláh
The universe is pregnant with these manifold bounties,
awaiting the hour when the effects of its unseen gifts will
be made manifest in this world…30 Bahá’u’lláh
The reign of an earthly sovereign endures for his lifetime.
The reign of a spiritual sovereign grows in His absence.
This is true power and glory. A poor, homeless man from
an obscure town is crucified with the utmost meekness, and
with no one to defend Him. Nineteen centuries later, one of
the most powerful monarchs of the earth says this about that
homeless man:
I wish He would come during my lifetime so that I could
take my crown and lay it at His feet.31 Queen Victoria
Ironically, Queen Victoria’s wish came true: both the Báb
and Bahá’u’lláh declared their Mission during her long reign
(1837-1901). She received Bahá’u’lláh’s message in an
epistle addressed to her, but did not recognize Him.
A man suffers persecution and humiliation for forty years. He
dies as a prisoner and exile in an obscure and desolate town.
Decades after He has passed away, a monarch says this about
Him and His teachings:
Indeed a great light came to me with the Message of
Bahá’u’lláh…It is a wondrous Message…It is Christ’s
Message…Some of those of my caste wonder at and
disapprove my courage to step forward pronouncing
words not habitual for Crowned Heads to pronounce, but
I advance by an inner urge I cannot resist. With bowed head

18116 I Shall Come Again

19I recognize that I too am but an instrument in greater Hands
and rejoice in the knowledge.32 Queen Marie of Rumania
(Granddaughter of Queen Victoria)
Edward Browne, the Cambridge scholar, who met Bahá’u’lláh,
said this about Him: “[Bahá’u’lláh is] the object of a devotion
and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in
vain!” 33 Humans desire crowns of jewels, Messengers crowns
of thorns. As Carlyle notes: “Every noble crown is, and on
Earth will forever be, a crown of thorns.” This is how
Bahá’u’lláh viewed Jesus’ poverty and abasement:
Thousands of treasures circle round this poverty, and a
myriad kingdoms of glory yearn for such abasement!
That a crucified homeless man could command the loyalty
of almost a third of the earth’s population for countless
centuries is a wonder far more astonishing than anything an
earthly sovereign can ever achieve. What else but the presence
of suprahuman power can explain such an achievement? This
is true grandeur and glory.
Which is true glory? To conquer by fire or by faith, by
power or by patience? Who is the true sovereign, the one
who fears the triumph of his own evil powers over himself,
or the One who triumphs over the evil powers of the world?
I have conquered an empire but have been unable to con-
quer myself. Peter the Great, Czar of Russia
Dr. James Kennedy, the renowned Christian orator who has
influenced millions by emphasizing the rational basis of
Christianity, makes this statement about the suprahuman
power of Jesus:
Suppose that today in the cities of Europe or America
missionaries were to appear telling us that just recently
some obscure peasant had been put to death in Persia and
was reputed to have risen from the dead and declared to
be the eternal Creator of the cosmos. What chance do you
think such missionaries would have in propagating such a

20Chapter 5: Why Do You not Understand My Language?

21religion? Can you not see that the probabilities against
such a faith ever taking hold would be staggering? But
this is precisely what the Apostles did in the Roman
Empire, and amazing as it is, they succeeded. They
succeeded in overthrowing that pagan empire. This feat
simply demonstrates that there must have been inherent
in this absurd and incredible declaration, some super-
natural power. It was indeed the very power of the spirit
of God, who reached down and drew unto Himself those
whom He would by irresistible power.35
Does the Bahá’í Faith meet the standard declared by Dr.
Kennedy?
The Bahá’í Faith…has spread to over 362 countries,
territories, and islands around the world. This worldwide
Bahá’í community includes believers from nearly every
race, background, nation, and culture. Indeed, the 1988
Britannica Book of the Year states that over 14 major
religious systems are each now found in over 80 countries.
[Among them], Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í World
Faith are the most global…”
The same source presents these figures to show the spread
of the Bahá’í Faith to various countries and territories in
comparison with other faiths:
• Christianity
• Bahá’í Faith
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
Both Christ and Bahá’u’lláh declared that they had no desire
for the pomp and pageantry of this world, that earthly glory
would follow, after they had ascended to the heavenly realms.
This too was not what the people expected and are still
expecting.

22118 I Shall Come Again

1But first he must suffer…Just as it was in the days of
Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
Christ (Luke 17:24-26 NIV)
For a detailed study of this prophecy, as well as many other
biblical passages that point to suffering, see Volume III, King
of Kings, which offers several chapters on the subject. As we
noted in Chapter 1, Jesus also predicted pain and suffering
for the followers of the new Revelation.
Bahá’u’lláh often refers to His motives for enduring pain, to
His purpose in suffering:
I have, all the days of My life, been at the mercy of Mine
enemies, and have suffered each day, in the path of the
love of God, a fresh tribulation.37 Bahá’u’lláh
Verily, He [Bahá’u’lláh] hath consented to be sorely abased
that ye may attain unto glory…He, in truth, liveth in the
most desolate of abodes for your sakes…38 Bahá’u’lláh
Behold Him [Bahá’u’lláh], an exile, a victim of tyranny,
in this Most Great Prison [‘Akká, in the Holy Land]. His
enemies have assailed Him on every side, and will
continue to do so till the end of His life. Whatever, there-
fore, He saith unto you is wholly for the sake of God, that
haply the peoples of the earth may cleanse their hearts
from the stain of evil desire…and attain unto the knowl-
edge of the one true God—the most exalted station to
which any man can aspire. Their belief or disbelief in My
Cause can neither profit nor harm Me. We summon them
wholly for the sake of God.39 Bahá’u’lláh
I yield Thee thanks, O my God, for that Thou has offered
me up as a sacrifice in Thy path, and made me a target

2Thy servants…Whoso hath quaffed the living waters of
Thy favors can fear no trouble in Thy path, neither can
he be deterred by any tribulation from remembering Thee

1Has God given us the right to interpret prophecies? Has He
also given us the right to consider our opinion the right
one?
Opinions differ very little on fundamentals of mathematics
and physics, but as we move to more subjective fields such
as psychology, sociology, education, philosophy, and religion,
we find a wide variation of views. Within religion we see
the greatest diversity of thought in the realm of prophecy,
for nothing is more mysterious. Of course, the mystery is
ingrained by choice, not by chance. Perhaps the only subject
comparable in complexity to prophecy is the interpretation
of dreams. (We should note that the greatest portion of
prophecies are also dreams and visions.)
As a Christian scholar notes “After reading some of the books
on the subject [of prophecy] it would be easy to suggest that
there are as many opinions as there are people.” For instance,
some Christians believe rapture is real; others deny it
vehemently; and still others disagree about how or when it
can happen.
How then can one find a path to true knowledge? First, the
sheer complexity of prophetic language should make every
interpreter of the Word of God utterly humble. Once a very
learned man was found crying. His students asked him why.
He said “For fifty years I believed something to be true. I
just discovered I was wrong. I am afraid everything else I
know is of the same kind.” Second, the interpreter of the
word of God should not look up to any “authority” or

2120 I Shall Come Again

3school as his guide, even as he would not close his eyes and
let someone lead him. And third, he should carefully observe
God’s own guidance, expressed in these verses:
But first note this: no one can interpret any prophecy of
Scripture by himself. II Peter 1:20 NEB

4The Amplified version of the same verse:
[Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of
Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or
special interpretation (loosening, solving) [brackets and
parentheses belong to original source].
The main message of the verse is this: only God knows for
sure the true meaning of a prophecy. God is universal and
infinite; we are private and finite. People have a right to state
their opinions, as long as they do not insist that they are the
only right ones.
In spite of his superb wisdom, St. Paul acknowledged his
own limitations in understanding the Word of God:
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when
perfection [Christ] comes, the imperfect disappears.
I Corinthians 13:9-10 NIV

5The need for being open-minded and non-dogmatic is also
confirmed by some Christian scholars:
Whatever view we adopt, we should avoid dogmatism.
Many wise and godly people have studied the same
passages in the Bible and come up with differing inter-
pretations. It is obvious that they cannot all be right. Yet
they may not all be wrong, either.41
The next verse offers still more enlightenment. It says if
something is mysterious (“is hidden in darkness”), do not
attempt to interpret it:

6Chapter 5: Why Do You not Understand My Language?

7Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait
till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden
in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts.
I Corinthians 4:5 NIV
Then what right do we have over prophecies? The only right
we have is this: to expect all of them without any exception
to come true, all of them to come to pass. A prophecy is
uttered to be fulfilled. Otherwise, what purpose would it
serve? The right we do not have is this: to decide with
certainty which prophecy is literal and which is symbolic;
to insist that our interpretation is the right one.
The power that protects us from stumbling or falling, the
light that leads us to the true knowledge of God’s Word is
the recognition of our specific rights and responsibilities.
Overstepping the boundaries that God has specified for us can
lead us only to illusions and fantasies. For many faithful
believers, the full recognition or acceptance of their limited
powers, rights, and boundaries is extremely painful. Many
reasons account for this:
• Those in positions of leadership and authority must
project confidence and knowledge to the people they lead
and inspire.
• The people they lead and inspire tend to reinforce that
need. For they too need well-informed leaders on whom
they can lean for spiritual guidance and security.
• Most people, especially those in positions of authority, feel
uncomfortable with saying “I don’t know.” Acknowledging
one’s weaknesses is always painful.
• Coming up with new theories and insights is always
exciting. We all like to be in the forefront of discovery.
All these complex needs, relationships, and weaknesses that
affect all human beings, prompt many interpreters of the
Word of God to cross their boundaries, to claim more than
they are entitled to.

8122 I Shall Come Again

9Those who trust their Lord , always submit to and are
content with the limited rights He has given them. Those
unwilling to acknowledge their weaknesses, recognize their
boundaries, and stay within their rights are powerless to
pursue the path of truth, the path that leads to the light of
the Lord.
Separating the symbolic prophecies from the literal is not an
easy task. On the basis of biblical prophecies, many Christians
expect terrible wars between the forces of Christ and military
forces of the earth. The main reason for war is people’s
refusal to accept God’s plan of peace. It is a war the like of
which the world has never seen. According to a source
published and distributed by a Christian association,42 the
earthly side of the war is waged “by a fiendish army of
200,000,000.” This great war is expected to lead to the death
of many hundreds of millions of people, many times more
than have been killed in all wars since the dawn of history.
Hal Lindsey, perhaps the most popular interpreter of proph-
ecies in our time, states that as the result of such wars “blood
will stand to the horses’ bridles [over three feet] for a total
of 200 miles northward and southward of Jerusalem (Rev.
14:20).” (Astonishingly, one of the two major branches of
Islam entertains a similar expectation: that their promised
Redeemer will engage in battles in which blood will reach
the stirrups of His horse.)
Expecting Jesus and the host of His angels to wage war
against earthly people is very common. The following brief
example from Understanding End Time Prophecy, written by
Norman Robertson, assistant Dean of Rhema Bible Training
Center, offers more insight into literal interpretation. Examples
of this kind are found abundantly in books on Bible prophecy:
Jesus speaks the Word which releases a plague to smite
the vast armies of the Antichrist and the 200 million strong
Oriental army. They are immediately blinded; their eyes
are consumed away in their sockets. They are immediately

10Chapter 5: Why Do You not Understand My Language?

11dumb; their tongues are consumed away in their mouths.
In fright, they reach out and grab one another for security.
That only frightens them more, so they turn to fight
among themselves. Their flesh begins to consume away
from their bones. Their blood gushes to the earth, creating
the pool of blood described in Revelation 14. It stretches
over an area of about 185 miles in the valley of Megiddo
and the Plains of Jezreel.43
Would the divine, loving, gentle Savior of the world allow
or engage in such horrible wars? Who can be sure that such
terrible and titanic wars are to be waged with bullets, bombs,
and missiles on airfields and battle grounds, or if they are to
be carried out with an exchange of ideas and thoughts in
churches, temples, and on the airways of the world? Only the
One who knows “what is hidden in darkness” (I Cor. 4:5 NIV).
Unsheathe the sword of your tongue from the scabbard of
utterance, for therewith ye can conquer the citadels of
men’s hearts.44 Bahá’u’lláh
The Book of Revelation speaks of a sword that comes out
of the mouth of the One called the Word of God (19:13, 15).
Who can tell for sure if the sword is spiritual (the Word
of God) or literal? Only the One who has the knowledge of
all things.
The same book speaks of a city (a new Jerusalem) that
descends from heaven. Who can tell for sure if this city is
literal or spiritual (one based on God’s plan but built by
people)? Only the One gifted with divine guidance.
In Matthew 24:40- 41, Jesus declares that at His coming
some people will be taken away (the rapture). Who can tell
for sure if it is the believers’ hearts and souls that are lifted
into the realm of faith, or their flesh and bone? Only the
Lord, the One who as evidence of His divine power fulfills
each and every prophecy that God’s Messengers and
prophets have spoken; the One who fulfills them all—EITHER

12124 I Shall Come Again

13LITERALLY OR SYMBOLICALLY. The choice of resolving the
mysteries (what is literal, what is symbolic?) is all His. No
one has the right to present his private, personal interpreta-
tion as the truth. No one has the wisdom and the insight to
challenge His knowledge.
As we will see in the next chapter, even Jesus’ enlightened
disciples sometimes had to struggle to reconcile their thoughts
and desires with their Master’s. Despite their great wisdom,
they too could not always separate the symbolic from the literal.
Some Christian leaders and scholars are beginning to ac-
knowledge that the pendulum of interpretation supported
by most churches has gone too far toward literalism. For
instance, Dr. Barry Chant, who has written extensively on
Christian issues including prophecy, declares:
Too often, we try to interpret literally what should be
taken symbolically.45…symbolic language is quite typical
of prophecy. In the Old Testament, in fact, it is clearly
stated that prophets speak in visions, dreams and riddles
(Numbers 12:6). A ‘riddle’ was usually a saying that had
some hidden or subtle meaning that was not obvious at
first. In fact, sometimes its meaning would not be known
at all until the matter was fulfilled.46
The most critical message of this chapter should be repeated
once again: God has given us the right to expect the fulfill-
ment of all prophecies, but He has given us neither the right
nor the wisdom to separate with certainty all the literal
prophecies from the symbolic. Even one major mistake can
cause us to become blind to the reality before us.

14The Great and Terrible

1O ur age is one of extreme contrasts. Prophecies attribute
two potentials or possibilities to our age: the most awful
and terrible, and the greatest and most glorious. This brief
verse from Malachi portrays the paradox of our time:
…the great and terrible [dreadful NIV] day of the Lord
[emphasis added throughout the chapter]… Malachi 4:5 NEB
The two translations of the following verse cover the full
range of the potentials of our time:
Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it…

2How awful that day will be! None will be like it.
Jeremiah 30:7 NIV
This chapter shows mainly the gloomy state of the present.
An entire chapter in Volume IV will cover prophecies about
the glory of the future, portraying a magnificent world, a
world wherein love, justice, and peace dominate the hearts
of humanity. A world radiant with the glory of God, for
everything will be under God’s rule.
…I saw the glory of the God of Israel…the land was
radiant with his glory. Ezekiel 43:2 NIV
This is the Day in which the earth shineth with the
effulgent light of thy Lord…1 Bahá’u’lláh
…the earth was illuminated by his splendor.
Revelation 18:1 NIV
The Lord their God will save them on that day…They will
sparkle…like jewels in a crown. How attractive and
beautiful they will be! Zechariah 9:16-17 NIV
Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us
rejoice and be glad and give him glory! Revelation 19:7 NIV
The two portrayals of our time offer extreme contrasts, with
the overwhelming weight on the side of glory rather than
gloom. At this very instant we are experiencing the pangs of
a new birth—one that has been the hope of humanity since
the dawn of history and will be its crown of glory for
countless ages to come. It is the birth of a kingdom divine,
immortal, and everlasting; a kingdom patterned after the one
in heaven. The pains must be proportionate to the gains.
But the “pains” are mostly “mental,” as reachable and
changeable as our thoughts and desires. They can be removed
or lessened by a little change of attitude, by a desire to over-
come the fear of exploring new frontiers of knowledge. The
Book of Revelation promises the most exquisite gifts to those
who overcome their spiritual handicaps; gifts as glorious as

3I am coming soon…Him who overcomes (Rev. 3:11-12
NIV):

4• Will inherit all things (Rev. 21:7).
• I will be his God and he will be my son (Rev. 21:7).
• I will give the right to sit with me on my throne (Rev.
3:21).
• I will give the right to eat from the tree of life which is
in the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7).
• I will make a pillar in the temple of my God (Rev. 3:12).
• I will…give him the morning star (Rev. 2:28).
• I…will acknowledge his name before my Father… (Rev.
3:5).
• I will never erase his name from the book of life… (Rev.
3:5).
• I will write on him the name of my God… (Rev. 3:12).
• I will write on him…the name of the city of my God
(Rev. 3:12).
• I will also give him a white stone with a new name…
(Rev. 2:17).
• I will also write on him my new name. He who has an
[spiritual] ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

1looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the
heart. I Samuel 16:7 NIV

2To feel secure and at ease, human beings tend to accept
and conform to the status quo. According to the Book of

3assess the spiritual state of the nations. The assessors declare:
“We have gone throughout the earth and found the whole
world at rest and in peace” (Zech. 1:11 NIV). The Lord then
declares: “I am very angry with nations that feel secure [at
ease, NEB]” (Zech. 1:15 NIV).
Who is the true judge of human beings? The Creator or the
created? Our knowledge of our true potential for spiritual
growth and greatness is always limited and our assessment of
our attainments and failures subjective. To cope with difficult
conditions, we often compromise or alter our standards to
meet daily demands. Something that was unacceptable,
unethical, or even unthinkable for one generation may become
the norm for the next. “We don’t see things as they are, but
as we are.”
Do God’s standards also change? Only He knows the true
and absolute standards of being human; only He knows our
capacities for greatness and self-fulfillment; only He can
assess the worth of the missed opportunities, the magnitude
of His unclaimed blessings. Therefore, to know how well we
are doing, we must always depend on His standards.
Consider these examples. At the time of this writing, over
30,000 people on our planet die every day from malnutrition
and starvation. As Dr. Ervin Laszlo notes “one in every five
human beings goes permanently hungry and lives in abject
poverty.” If we did not have the resources to save them,
we would not be accountable. But we do. The accumulated
wealth of the world in our time is beyond imagination. The
rich ones of the earth could save all the hungry people of
our planet with a stroke of a pen, with virtually no change
in their wealth. They could also be saved with a fraction of
one percent of the world’s military budget. Our political
leaders search for the biggest and latest bombers but ignore
the rampant spread of blindness in little children, a terrible
handicap that can be prevented with a few pennies worth of

4To us the ignoring of such widespread death and disease in the
context of enormous wealth is the norm. But what about God?
Likewise, when we find many people around us depressed,
uninterested in knowledge, cynical, conforming, apathetic, or
suffering in quiet desperation, then we accept those conditions
as normal. Usually what is easy and what the majority follows
shapes and reshapes our standards, and statistics often write the
rules of living.
Making money often seems to be the prime motive and
having money the prime purpose of living. How does God
view wealth? A man of wealth came to Jesus and asked how
he could gain eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the
commandments (love thy neighbor, etc.). The man said he was
keeping them already. (That is what he thought.) Jesus then
tried his soul in the fiery crucible of testing: “If you want
to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor”
(Matt. 19:21 NIV). Sadness overwhelmed the man’s soul. He
could not pass this test and walked away. He could give love
but not gold. God saw his perfection in giving away his
possessions. He saw his self-worth in keeping them.
O SON OF MAN!
Thou dost wish for gold and I desire thy freedom from
it. Thou thinkest thyself rich in its possession, and I
recognize thy wealth in thy sanctity therefrom. By My
life! This is My knowledge, and that is thy fancy; how

1“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on
earth?” (Luke 18:8 NEB). “At that time many will turn
away from the faith” (Matt. 24:10 NIV). “The love of most
will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12 NIV).

2130 I Shall Come Again

3What love will grow cold? The love of God, religion, and truth.
People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money…not
lovers of the good…having a form of godliness but deny-
ing its power. II Timothy 3:2-5 NIV
Is religion today an accumulation of the ideas, illusions, and
precepts of people or an expression of the principles of God?
Is it based on true understanding or on rote learning?
…their religion is but a precept of men, learnt by rote…
Isaiah 29:13 NEB
See also Amos 8:12
In our time biblical scholarship has advanced beyond the
dreams of past generations. The number of books published
to help people understand the Bible is phenomenal. Many
new translations of the Bible have appeared. Hundreds of
colleges and universities offer degrees or courses in religion.
Never before have there been so many Bible scholars with
Ph. D.’s and D. D.’s. What kind of knowledge is being
discovered and shared? Is it the kind that mostly “begins and
ends in words,” or the kind that leads to action? Is it the kind
that promotes “rote learning” as Isaiah foretold (29:13), or
the kind that fosters enlightenment?
People [who live at the end of the age] will be…always
learning but never able to acknowledge the truth…
II Timothy 3:2-7 NIV
These prophecies should make anyone who reads them—no
matter how learned—as humble as a little child. They imply:
• Following the popular views of prophecies may be un-
justified.
• Openness of the mind and the heart to new ideas is
absolutely essential.
Do the countless theories on prophecies enlighten or becloud
the mind? Do they create insight or confusion? Why did
Jesus declare that He would come on the clouds?

4Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

5They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds…
Matthew 24:30 NIV
What purpose do the clouds serve? They veil the heavenly
lights. The Hebrew prophets also predicted the gloominess of
our time:
“That day will be a day of…darkness and gloom, a day
of clouds…” (Zeph. 1:15 NIV). “Arise…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”
(Isa. 60:1-2 NIV).
Jesus warned the seekers of His Kingdom and showed them
how to lift the veils of gloom and darkness, so that the glory
of the Lord could become visible:
Keep a watch on yourselves; do not let your minds
[hearts, NIV] be dulled by dissipation and drunkenness
and worldly cares…Be on the alert, praying at all times…
Luke 21:34-36 NEB
Jesus asked His faithful followers to observe two actions:
• Watch or investigate
• Pray continuously
He also urged them to overcome three obstacles:
• Dissipation, which the dictionary defines as “indulging in
intemperate pursuit of pleasure”
• Preoccupation with worldly concerns, such as working,
going to school, and raising a family
• Drunkenness
What does Jesus mean by “drunkenness”? Many in our age
numb their souls with intoxicating drinks and drugs. But far
more critical is spiritual intoxication—with one’s own fantasies,
which leads to separation from reality; and self-satisfaction,
which leads to coldness, complacency, and apathy. The

6132 I Shall Come Again

7Scriptures declare that the spiritual handicap of the people of
our time is very serious; it is continual intoxication:
“They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but
not with strong drink” (Isa. 29:9). “They grope in the
darkness without light and are left to wander like a
drunkard” (Job 12:25 NEB). “All the nations shall drink
continually” (Ob. 1:16 NEB). “Wake up, you drunkards,
and lament your fate…Alas! the day is near, the day of the
Lord” (Joel 1:5, 15 NEB). “The inhabitants of the earth
were intoxicated” (Rev. 17:2 NIV). “They will walk like
blind men” (Zeph. 1:17 NIV). (See also Rev. 18:3; Isa.
29:9-14; 49:26.)
To whom do these prophecies apply? Humility requires that
each individual, no matter how learned, admit this in his
heart: I too may have serious spiritual handicaps of which
I may be totally unaware. I too may be living in the clouds.
I too may be afflicted with spiritual intoxication. I too need
to remain sober:
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch
and be sober. I Thessalonians 5:6
Bahá’u’lláh repeatedly characterizes the spiritual state of
mankind in passages such as these:
Drunken are the eyes of those men that have openly refused
to behold the face of God, the All-Glorious, the All Praised.3
Their eyes are drunken; they are indeed a blind people.4
We behold it [the world], in this day, at the mercy of
rulers so drunk with pride that they cannot discern
clearly their own best advantage, much less recognize a
Revelation so bewildering and challenging as this.5
Thou beholdest, O my God, how bewildered in their
drunkenness are Thy servants who have turned back from
Thy beauty and caviled at what hath been sent down from
the right hand of the throne of Thy majesty.

8Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

9What is the consequence of “drinking”? The consequence is
spiritual unconsciousness; it is an inability to recognize the
signs of the times and the timely return of the Master:
But suppose that servant…says to himself, ‘My master is
staying away a long time,’ and he then begins…to eat and
drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will…
assign him a place with the hypocrites…
Christ (Matthew 24:48-51 NIV)

10Why is the servant placed with the hypocrites? Because he
considers himself a faithful follower, yet he fails to abide by
his Master’s wishes, he refuses to investigate the news of His
return. Hypocrisy always results from failure to put one’s
professed faith and belief into action.
This prophetic parable implies that many will continue to wait
and wish for their Master’s return, after the set time has
passed, and after the Master has returned because they
assume that their “master is delaying his coming” (NKJ). The
parable of the ten maidens clearly supports this. The five
maidens who took no oil, “slumbered and slept” (Matt. 25:5)
because they thought the Bridegroom would be late. While
they were dreaming about His late return, He came and left
them absorbed in their dreams.
This prophecy clarifies the point:
Suddenly, in an instant, the Lord Almighty will come…[it
will be] as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night—
as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he
awakens, and his hunger remains; as when a thirsty man
dreams that he is drinking, but he awakens faint, with his
thirst unquenched. Isaiah 29:5-8 NIV

11Many people prefer to be dreaming than to be awake, espe-
cially if they can choose their dreams. But as the prophecy
declares, dreaming alone or feeling comfortable cannot satisfy
the hunger of the spirit.

12134 I Shall Come Again

13We may enjoy the dreaming part so much that we do not
even want to consider that there is much more available
if we awaken. Thus we choose to remain asleep, unaware
of the grandness that is there for us in awakening. When
we stay with the familiar we take no risks.7 Wayne Dyer
Would the Bridegroom ever be late to His banquet? How can
the One who calls Himself a faithful witness (Rev. 1:5) fail
to fulfill His most urgent and glorious promise to His servants?
No, the heavenly Host would never be late to His banquet.
He appears late only to His “slumbering and sleeping” guests
who are caught in their dreams.
He who is coming will come and will not delay.
Hebrews 10:37 NIV
The belief that the Master has delayed His return is not
uncommon. Noted Christian author and leader, George
Vandeman writes:
…Jesus could have returned to this earth any time after
1844…No time prophecy is holding Him back. Then why
hasn’t He returned?8
He then concludes that God is waiting to give people more
time to repent. Here are two more examples from other writers:
If we put all the information together we must reach the
inescapable conclusion that it [the time of the advent] will
take longer than we thought, but when it comes it will
happen sooner than we expect.9
God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last
forever.10
The idea of the late coming of the Master is not new. It has
been held by the Jews for as long as 2000 years:
Rabbi Avrohom Feuer wrote, “The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a)
lists numerous signs which herald the imminent arrival
of Messiah…all these signs have appeared, yet Messiah
tarries.”

14Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

15In the delay many have succumbed to drunkenness. Some
are drunk with the wonders of modern technology, others
with a specific ideology or theology, and still others with
success, wealth, power, prestige, pride, self-conceit, or self-
satisfaction. Any of these obstacles may preoccupy the mind
and becloud the spirit. Any one of them can conceal the
great glory of the Master, can make Him totally invisible.
Spiritual intoxication comes also from a stressful life. The
people of our time live under constant stress and distress:
“That day will be…a day of distress and anguish, a day
of trouble and ruin” (Zeph. 1:15-16 NIV). “There will be
a time of distress such as has not happened from the
beginning of nations until then” (Dan. 12:1 NIV). “It will
be a time of great distress” (Christ, Matt. 24:21 NEB). “There
shall be great distress in the land” (Christ, Luke 21:23).
The new wine dries up, the vines sicken, and all the
revellers turn to sorrow…No one shall drink wine to the
sound of song; the liquor will be bitter to the man who
drinks it…mirth is banished from the land…So shall it be
in all the world, in every nation… Isaiah 24:7-13 NEB
The spiritual state of human beings will grow so grave as to
affect the earth itself:
The earth reels to and fro like a drunken man…
Isaiah 24:20 NEB
To compensate for pain and to cope with pressure, people
have devised an assortment of escape routes. Some live from
weekend to weekend, from vacation to vacation. Others go
to bars, watch violent movies, rent scary videos, read romantic
novels, or seek new sexual encounters; they join cults, form
gangs, or practice voodoo and satanism; they resort to drugs,
alcohol, or astrology; they run away from their families, abuse
their children, or divorce their spouses; they escape from
reality, and as a last resort attempt suicide.
Suicide as a means of escape is on the rise and occurs especially
among young people. In the United States—one of the most

16136 I Shall Come Again

17prosperous countries in the world—every day over a thousand
young people try to take their own lives. (The latest statistics
place the figure at 500,000 a year.) At that rate there would
be over 27,000 attempts around the planet every day.
Some people depend in vain on their wealth as a means of
satisfying their spiritual hunger; others simply dream that if
only they had more, happiness would be theirs:
Their silver and gold will not be able to save them in the
day of the Lord’s wrath. They will not satisfy their hunger…
Ezekiel 7:19 NIV
Many people complain about being too busy, yet are afraid
of free time; they do not know how to cope with freedom.
The stress of freedom makes some workers workaholics and
sends many retirees to an early death.
According to a new Harris Poll, in a fifteen-year period the
number of leisure hours per week declined 37 percent, from
26.2 to 16.6. The sharing of “quality time” among family
members has reached its lowest point. Dr. Roberta Berns in
her book Child, Family, Community writes: “According to
Shaevitz working couples typically spend only 12 minutes a
week talking to each other.” 12 Another study indicates that
married couples speak about 4 minutes a day with each other
and 2 minutes a day with their children.
The unrelenting stress and distress of our time and the massive
energies devoted to defuse them create in most people a state
of spiritual exhaustion. A state of the mind such as this: “I
am tense, tired, anxious, and in need of escape. I have no
time for anything else.” They try to go from one high to
another before anxiety grips their soul. They take “nourish-
ment” all the time, yet remain hungry. They are constantly
on the run yet feel entrapped. This state of the mind often
causes spiritual slumber. It manifests itself as apathy, coldness,
and complacency, which are often concealed under a facade of
self-satisfaction, covered with a shallow sense of well-being.
The busy life, the constant search for a high, the demanding

18Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

19struggle for mere survival, leave no room for self-awareness,
reflection, curiosity, knowledge, and spiritual adventure.
But where are to be found earnest seekers and inquiring
minds?13 Bahá’u’lláh

20If you ask someone on the street “Have you heard that
Christ has come again?” His first thought may be, “This
person is weird,” and his first concern, “How can I escape
from this unfortunate encounter without wasting a minute?”
Not wanting any conflict or controversy, he may respond
briefly and courteously and walk away. If the person who
hears the message happens to be a “born-again” believer, he
may actually be offended by the question itself, and feel sorry
for the questioner. Before departing, he may simply say, “My
brother I will pray for you.” He runs away from this en-
counter without ever thinking “My Master has asked me to
watch for His coming and to be on the alert.” He departs
or runs away from the news without recognizing his role in
the unfolding of the divine drama, without suspecting that he
is running away from the news of the coming of the One
called “the Lion of the tribe of Juda” (Rev. 5:5), without
realizing that his untimely departure has been graphically
portrayed by the prophets:
It [the day of the Lord] will be as when a man runs from
a lion, and a bear meets him, or turns into a house and
leans his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him.
Amos 5:19 NEB
They will flee…from dread of the Lord and the splendor
of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth [the
stagnant hearts; see Volumes IV and V]. Isaiah 2:21 NIV
The thing that must come hath come suddenly; behold
how they flee from it! 14 Bahá’u’lláh
Flee ye the One Who hath sacrificed His life that ye may
be quickened? 15 Bahá’u’lláh

21138 I Shall Come Again

22The receiver of the message has been told to crown his heart
with courage, yet he fears:
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear
not: behold, your God will come” (Isa. 35:4). “Be strong,
take courage, and wait for the Lord” (Psa. 27:14 NEB).
The receiver of the message has been told to take advantage
of every opportunity to seek His Lord, to try to find Him
before “the silver cord is cut,” yet he fails to pursue the news:
Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may
live…Seek the Lord while he may be found…
Isaiah 55:3, 6 NIV
Most of us are repelled by complacent people, those who
wear special blinders to conceal their surroundings, who just
mind their own business and do not get excited by any news
—whether it concerns pollution, poverty, or prejudice—who
starve for truth yet refuse to admit hunger, who live in dire
need of the spirit yet conceal their poverty with the mask of
self-satisfaction, who stand aloof from the world and respond
to a warm invitation as coldly as a snow-capped mountain.
In the next passage, Jesus shows His displeasure with them.
He appeals to His dearly beloved but unconcerned followers,
who stand unmoved by the news of His return. His message
portrays the divine discipline, uttered in the harshest yet
kindest words:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I
wish you were either one or the other!…you are lukewarm
…You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not
need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are…poor,
blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined
in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to
wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and
salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest,
and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If

23Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

24anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come
in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who over-
comes [the fear of opening the door], I will give the right
to sit with me on my throne… Revelation 3:15-21 NIV

25The invitation and the counsel found in the preceding passage
(to open one’s heart to the news of the coming of the Master)
have been repeated once again in our time:
Say: We, in truth, have opened unto you the gates of the
Kingdom. Will ye bar the door of your houses in My
face?16 Bahá’u’lláh

26If ye choose to follow Me, I will make you heirs of My
Kingdom…17 Bahá’u’lláh

27Prophecies declare that among the masses of complacent and
stressed people, many remain alert and curious; they hunger
for truth, but they too are hampered. They do not know
where to turn. Who can help them?
The time is coming, says the Lord God, when…Men shall
stagger from north to south, they shall range from east to
west, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find
it. Amos 8:11-12 NEB

28What “oppression” is more grievous than that a soul seek-
ing the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of
God, should know not where to go for it and from whom
to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways
unto the attainment of God have multiplied.18 Bahá’u’lláh
Dr. John White in Re-entry (published by Billy Graham
Evangelic Association, with a foreword by Dr. Graham)
devotes an entire chapter, “The Church and the Coming
Christ” to the decline of faith and the confusion of a divided
church in our time. As evidence, the author offers numerous
quotations from a wide range of Christian leaders and writers.
These are two brief examples from that chapter:

29140 I Shall Come Again

30H. G. Wells, the historian [declared] “The world is now a
very tragic and anxious world…more people are asking
today (than ever before) and asking with a new intensity,
‘What must I do to be saved?’ The trouble with the Chris-
tian churches is that they give a confused, unconvincing
and unsatisfying answer.” 19 …Visser’t Hooft…the Secretary-
General of the World Council of Churches, characterizes
the Church today: “confusion reigns supreme—politically,
theologically, socially.”
Dr. White states that One of the most eloquent, if tragic
passages in the entire New Testament is where Jude forecasts
the state of the people in the last days.21 Here is part of that
prophecy as quoted in Re-entry:
“They are like clouds driven up by the wind…They are
like stars which follow no orbit, and their proper place
is…the regions beyond the light” (Jude 12, 13, Phillips
Version).22
According to a widely distributed Christian magazine:
Today, Christianity is fragmented more than any other
major religion. Already 25,000 different churches, denomi-
nations, sects and cults divide Christianity, and the World
Christian Encyclopedia suggests that number is growing
by five every week [260 a year]!…If Jesus were to return
to earth today, where would he go to worship?…How can
this tangle of ideas represent him?23
In a Christian publication called What Is the True Gospel?
appears this statement:
Why should there be such perplexity—such confusion—
in every phase of life today? It should be the function of
religion to point the way. Yet here, too, we find only
confusion of tongues—hundreds of religious denomina-
tions and sects, in a babylon of disagreement.24
This prophecy too confirms the prevailing confusion in
our time:

31Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

32…the day God visits you. Now is the time of their con-
fusion. Micah 7:4 NIV

1people of our time, let us take a frequently quoted prophecy
on this topic and view it in the light of both the Bahá’í
teachings and the various schools of thought supported by
Christian scholars. Let us take Jesus’ prediction that at His
return there will be great tribulation:
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be. Matthew 24:21
Daniel predicts the same ominous occurrence:
There will be a time of distress such as has not happened
from the beginning of nations until then. Daniel 12:1 NIV
If we look at specifics we find many variations of views, but
in principle, as theologians have discovered, we have four
schools of thought, each of them defended by hundreds of
competent scholars. This is how, according to a Christian
source, the four schools interpret “tribulation” and a list of
the verses they use to support their views:
Praeterist: the tribulation was centered at the fall of
Jerusalem in A. D. 70 (Luke 21:20-24).
Historicist: the tribulation represents the whole gospel age
(John 16:33; 1 Tim. 3:12).
Futurist: the tribulation will be a short time of intensive
trouble at the end of the age (Rev. 7:14; 13:5).
Idealist: there will always be tribulation and trouble for
the people of God, although it will vary in intensity from
time to time and from place to place (John 16:33; 2 Tim.
3:12; Rev. 1:9).25

2142 I Shall Come Again

3In the Bahá’í view “tribulation”—also translated as “distress”
(NIV), “misery ” ( ME ), “trouble” (EB), and “affliction and
oppression” (AB)—is already in progress and climbing. It
points to the sufferings and pangs of hunger that the people
of this age are enduring because of spiritual starvation. It
means the stress and anguish of being deprived of divine
guidance, of the joy and peace that come from knowing and
loving God. Its distress calls can be heard everywhere. Its
presence can be seen in the lives of people of all ages:
• In the widespread child abuse
• In the alienation of the youth
• In the crisis of the middle aged
• In the abuse and despair of the aged
Christian leaders often mourn the terrible distress and decline
of the people of our time. Dr. Billy Graham in preface to his
book Till Armageddon writes:
The whole world is sighing and suffering on a scale perhaps
not known in human history: the refugees, the starving,
the “new slaves,” the psychological woes, the emotional
turmoils, the broken marriages, the rebellious children, the
terrorism, the hostages, the wars, and a thousand other
troubles which beset every country in the world. There are
no people anywhere that are immune. The rich and famous
suffer as well as the poor and obscure. As the late actor
Peter Sellers said, “Behind the mask of all [of] us clowns
is sadness and broken hearts.” It seems that the human
race may well be heading toward the climax of the tears,
hurts, and wounds of the centuries—Armageddon!
Perhaps the best way to know the troubles and tribulations
of our time is to look at some statistics about the state of the
“mental” or psychological health of the world. As we shall
see later in this chapter, the Hebrew prophets, Christ, and
Bahá’u’lláh all predicted the diseased state of our world with
flawless accuracy.

4Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

5My purpose in presenting the distressing news is not to
dwell on the negative but rather to inform and awaken. The
first step to change is awareness. Few people realize the scale
of the prevalence of pain and suffering in our time. Perhaps
awareness will stir action. Furthermore, the information is
given here in the light of God’s judgment. What matters is
not the facts but the meaning behind the facts, and the
understanding that may come from the facts.
We can all tolerate so much bad news. When we pass the
threshold of our tolerance, we tune out. That may be good
for us but not for the world. We must be aware of the pain
and suffering of all members of the human race. We must try
to see everything as God would. Furthermore, hearing bad
news is futile only in the absence of hope. This book brings
the news of the greatest hope for humanity since the dawn
of history. The bad news must be judged only with an eye
on the good news.
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a dis-
tant land. Proverbs 25:25 NIV
The test of first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two
opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the
ability to function. One should, for example, be able to
see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make
them better. F. Scott Fitzgerald
What is the state of mental and spiritual health of nations?
A poll taken in June 1994 by Newsweek shows that three-
fourths of Americans believe the United States is in moral
and spiritual decline.
The following are some figures mostly from the United
States, a country for which statistics are available. They
probably represent the state of mental and spiritual health
of all nations, except the least developed. They indicate that
the troubles and tribulations of our age—especially in the last
few decades—have been on the rise. (Unless indicated, the
data is from U.S. population studies.)

6144 I Shall Come Again

7• Psychiatric disorders are more prevalent today than ever
before. Percentage of the population afflicted with these
disorders at any given time: depression 17%; alcoholism
14%; social anxiety disorder 13%; simple phobia 11%;
drug dependence 8%.
• According to National Center for Health Statistics, in a
thirty-year period, the number of U. S. teenagers who
attempted suicide increased three to five times. Their
number has now climbed to about 500,000 a year.
• A Who's Who survey shows that one-third of outstanding
students have considered suicide to solve their problems.
• A recent survey indicates that, “More than 50% of young
adults between the ages of 16 and 24 say they have
thought about killing themselves.”
• In a four-year period, the number of adolescents admitted
to private psychiatric hospitals increased about 350 percent.
• In a three-year period, alcohol use among high-school
seniors increased 90 percent.
• In 1996, Columbia University reported that young women
are using illegal drugs 15 times more often than their
mothers did.
• In Canada suicide among all age groups doubled in
years. Among those 20 to 24 years, it increased threefold.
Among those aged 15 to 19, it increased fourfold.
• In the United States, suicide is the second highest cause
of death among college students.
• ABC television network recently reported that, for the first
time in the United States, more people aged 15 to 19 are
being killed by guns than by all other causes combined.
The number of all those killed by guns in the United States
stands at about 30,000 a year.

8Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

9• Fifty percent of high-school graduates have tried some
narcotic drugs. There has been 106 percent increase in
substance abuse among teenagers since 1992.
• Teenage pregnancy has increased more than 600 percent
in the last 40 years.
• Clinical depression in the United States costs 44 billion
dollars a year.
• Eighty-two percent of young people have sexual relations
before they marry.
• AIDS is spreading rapidly throughout the planet. It has
infected 22 million people, and is now spreading at the
rate of one victim every second. In Africa, every day
5,500 funerals are held for AIDS victims. One and a half
million people died from AIDS in one year. The cost of
treating those infected with HIV in the United States is
about $20,000 per victim.
• Violence is accepted as a way of life. In a recent study,
8 percent of high school students stated that if someone
insulted them, they had the right to kill him! Harris polls
indicate that 9 percent of school children have fired a gun
at someone, and 11 percent have been fired at. Three-
fourths of them feared being killed by a gun.
• President Clinton recently stated that 40 years ago homi-
cide was not even among the first ten causes of death for
young people. Today it is the second highest cause of
death for those between 15 and 25 years of age.
• Violence has also entered the workplace. Recently NBC
reported that one-fourth of employees report being harassed
or attacked, one-sixth of them with lethal weapons.
• Alcohol abuse kills 500 Americans every day. The cost
of drinking (due to treatment and loss of productivity)
stands at over $100 billion a year.
• Drunk driving is the number one killer of teenagers.

10146 I Shall Come Again

11• A recent study shows that, in the United States, Canada,
and many European countries, the rich have been getting
richer and the poor poorer.
• UNICEF reports that every hour 940 children die from five
infectious but preventable diseases.
• In recent years, the U.S. prison population has more than
doubled. For certain crimes, criminals are set free almost
as soon as they are arrested. Many prisons are already
overpopulated.
• Violent crimes in the United States since 1960 have increased
many times faster than the population. “Shortly after the
gulf conflict ended, [President Bush] made this sobering
observation at an anti-crime conference at the Justice
Department: ‘During the first three days of the ground
offensive, more Americans were killed in some American
cities than at the entire Kuwaiti front…One of our brave
National Guardsmen may have actually been safer in the
midst of the largest armored offensive in history than he
would have been on the streets of his own hometown.’”
Statistics from the FBI indicate that, in a given year, about
one in every 16 Americans is the victim of a violent crime.
• In recent years, unruly behavior or “air rage” among air-
line passengers has tripled. The news media reported that
a group of scientists representing various disciplines plan
to meet once a year for three years to study “the rising
tide of meanness and incivility” in the United States.
• Money spent on illegal drugs has reached an estimated
billion dollars per year, or about 136 million dollars a day.
In the United States 12 million people use narcotic drugs.
• Every 20 seconds a car is stolen. Some of the thieves are
young children. The police are so busy, they do not take
car theft seriously.
• White-collar crime is at an all-time high. Government
officials are preoccupied with so many problems and

12Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

13pressures, they don’t have the will or the power to prevent
white-collar crimes. They often go on unnoticed and un-
punished. American taxpayers lost about $200 billion in
the Savings and Loan scandal. Never before has a scandal
of such magnitude been discovered.
• Income not reported to the IRS is estimated at $175 billion.
• The total cost of fraud in the repair business is beyond
estimation. Experts maintain that 50 percent of repair bills
are fraudulent.
• Perhaps the most painful fraud is in the health services,
which, because of their huge cost—over one trillion a
year—have been investigated more than any other. In the
United States, the cost of fraud, overcharging, unnecessary
surgery, unnecessary services and tests by the health
profession is estimated at over $150 billion a year. This
is about two and a half times the cost of the Gulf War,
which was $61 billion.
Who, then, can people trust? What goes on in corpora-
tions, repair businesses, medical services, and many other
professions and institutions is not unique. It simply
reflects the value system of a world that has lost its
spiritual purpose. What would happen if these billions of
dollars were used year after year for the prevention of
disease, for daycare centers and education, for a better
quality of life for all people?
• Some countries carry enormous debts. The United States
borrows about $240 billion a year to pay the interest on
its debt, which is now over $5,500 billion ($5.5 trillion).
How much is five trillion? If converted into one dollar
bills and placed in a straight line, the line would extend
over five times the distance between the earth and the sun!
• In the last three decades the divorce rate has tripled. About
50 percent of children must cope with the separation of
their parents. Court battles for custody and alimony take

14148 I Shall Come Again

15a terrible toll on parents and children alike. Today's
newlyweds are likely to stay married for only 7.2 years.
• The traditional family is in grave danger. “More and more
American men and women are choosing to just live to-
gether instead of marrying. The number of cohabiting
couples increased by 740 percent between 1970 and
1989—with an 88 percent rise between 1987 and 1989
alone.” One authority estimated that about 40 percent of
first-born children are born out of wedlock. In a ten-year
period, the birth rate among unwed mothers increased
percent.
• According to one report, on average, parents hold positive
conversations with their children for about 12 minutes a
week.
• In the United States, every year 350,000 children are
abducted by their parents.
• In recent years rape has become the fastest growing
crime. According to a television documentary, one out of
every five women will eventually be raped. A recent study
of 4,000 women indicates that one out of eight has been
raped, and 25 percent of rapes occurred when the victim
was 11 or younger. Another study indicates that “One out
of every four American women is sexually abused before
she reaches 18. Girls are twice as likely to be sexually
abused as boys. Family members—fathers, stepfathers,
uncles, grandfathers, and brothers—are the most frequent
abusers of children under the age of 11.”
• Other kinds of abuse have also continued to increase. In
a ten-year period, the number of neglected and abused
children has doubled. Every year about 2,000 children die
from abuse and inflicted injuries. The number of both
abused and neglected children is about 10 million.
• Every year, about 2.5 million elderly people are abused.
• In Canada, violence against women has doubled in the last
few years.

16Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

17• Even unborn babies have not escaped the pains and
pressures of this age. Some of them are born addicted
(100,000 a year in U.S.) and about 50 million are aborted
every year around the globe. If we put these babies in a
line (one foot for each baby), they would stretch for 9,470
miles, nearly two and a half times the radius of the earth!
How has the school environment changed in the last
years? The following estimates seem quite reasonable:
Teachers’ Greatest Teachers’ Greatest
Concerns in 1940 Concerns Today
1. Talking out of turn 1. Drug abuse
2. Chewing gum 2. Alcohol abuse
3. Making noise 3. Pregnancy
4. Running in the halls 4. Suicide
5. Getting out of line
5. Rape
6. Wearing improper clothing
7. Not putting waste paper in 6. Robbery
basket
A disgruntled schoolteacher handed in her resignation with
the following comment: “In our public schools today, the
teachers are afraid of the principals, the principals are afraid
of the superintendents, the superintendents are afraid of the
board, the board members are afraid of the parents, the
parents are afraid of the children, and the children are afraid
of nobody.”
Perhaps the groups touched most by the onrush of the troubles
and tribulations of our time are our youth and children.
Psychiatrist Mary Giffin, author of A Cry for Help, writes:
The median age of depressed patients has been dropping
steadily. Today, more than half the patients in U.S. mental
institutions are under twenty-one…one in five children may
be suffering from symptoms of depression, outstripping
that for the middle-aged and exceeded only by the rate of
depression among the elderly.

18150 I Shall Come Again

19Among depressed children, suicidal wishes are extremely
common…among approximately 100 children referred for
outpatient treatment to a New York hospital, 33 percent
had threatened or attempted suicide. (Studies in the 1960s
indicated that no more than 10 percent…showed suicidal
behavior.)27
Long ago Bahá’u’lláh predicted the disease-stricken state of
our world:
Witness how the world is being afflicted with a fresh
calamity every day. Its tribulation is continually deepening
…Its sickness is approaching the stage of utter hopeless-
ness, inasmuch as the true Physician is debarred from
administering the remedy, whilst unskilled practitioners are
regarded with favor, and are accorded full freedom to act.28
What about the state of the physical health of the world? In
spite of the marvels of science and technology and the vast
resources devoted to maintaining health and fitness, a com-
bination of both mental and physical causes is contributing
to widespread disease and suffering. Stress, loneliness, despair,
fear, and a sense of emptiness and futility, on the one hand,
and adverse effects from a polluted environment, dependence
on alcohol, tobacco, and drugs of all kinds (both legal and
illegal), combined with a sedentary life, the spread of sexually
transmitted diseases (the most common infectious diseases
next to colds and flu), the consumption of unwholesome
foods (often to satisfy spiritual and emotional hunger), and
disregard for preventive medicine are all taking their terrible
toll, are all adding to the weight of suffering borne by this
generation.
Even the earth, which kept her health and vitality for eons,
is now diseased and suffering:
According to Worldwatch Institute, about 40 trillion pounds
[80 pounds per person] of waste around the globe make
their way into the sea each year.29

20Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

21According to Matthew Fox:
In the ordinary course of events one species disappears
about every two thousand years. Currently, however,
species are disappearing at the rate of one every twenty-
five minutes. At this rate humankind will eliminate ten
percent of the remaining species (one million of the re-
maining earth creatures) in the next ten years. If current
rates of destruction continue, within the next one hundred
years there will be no living species left on this planet—
including humankind, since we are totally interdependent
with all these other creatures.30
Why has the land become a dead land…? It is because
they forsook my law… Jeremiah 9:12 NEB
As our life span has increased, so has suffering from sick-
ness. Some authorities maintain that the proportion of people
afflicted with chronic diseases (arthritis, allergy, asthma,
AIDS, Alzheimer’s, alcoholism, diabetes, digestive problems,
irregular heart beats, backache, headache, herpes, fatigue,
cancer, and countless others) has increased substantially.
What can we expect when we pollute our environment, eat
processed foods, overfeed our bodies, and then keep them
unfit and under stress? What can we expect when 65 percent
of the calories we consume comes from fat and sugar?
Let us look at more evidence pertaining to other dimensions
of modern life to see if the citizens of our ancient planet have
ever before witnessed troubles and tribulations on the scale
endured by the people of this age:
• In the 20th century, more people have been killed in wars
than in all wars since the dawn of recorded history, a
period covering about 6,000 years.
• Similarly, in this century, more people have been killed by
their own government than in all wars in past centuries.
According to an editorial in The New York Times, “In no
previous age have people shown so great an aptitude, and

22152 I Shall Come Again

23appetite, for killing millions of other people for reasons of
race, religion or class.”
• Every 22 minutes someone is maimed or killed by land
mines—26,000 a year.
• In the United States alone about 100,000 people are
killed by accident every year. Every day 1,500 people are
seriously injured or disabled. The sufferings of survivors
who lose their loved ones as well as the pain and anguish
borne by millions among the injured are incalculable. One
in every six persons suffers from disability. Never before
have so many people succumbed to accidental death and
injuries as in our time.
In their textbook, Abnormal Psychology And Modern Life,
Drs. R. Carson, J. Butcher, and J. Coleman state:
On every side we see anxious, unhappy people who miss
the realization of their potential because they cannot find
adequate solutions or answers to problems that seem
beyond them. The hassles of modern life are reflected in
the massive amounts of tranquilizing chemicals—alcohol
or otherwise, prescription and nonprescription—we as a
society consume…
Despite the stressful nature of modern life, most of us
seem to muddle through, although probably not without
at least some psychological scars…Mental impairments of
one sort or another now afflict more people than all
physical health problems combined…
What will be the outcome of this jarring new reality? We
do not pretend to know the answer in any comprehensive
way, but prospects for an increasing rate of adaptational
failure, particularly in the psychological domain, seem
compelling…How shall we cope [emphasis added]?
How awful that day will be! None will be like it.
Jeremiah 30:7 NIV

24Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

25And there shall be a time of trouble, straitness [difficulty,
pressure, perplexity, and] distress, such as never was since
there was a nation until that time. Daniel 12:1 AB

26Oliver Holmes said, “I find the greatest thing in this world
not so much in where we stand, as in what directions we are
moving.” Unless the divine remedy is accepted and applied,
nothing indicates that the direction toward which the human
race is moving will change. On the contrary, the prevailing
trends will continue to intensify. This statement from a Chris-
tian publication expresses eloquently not only the mental and
spiritual state of our time but also the need for freedom from
the illusion of well-being as well as hopelessness:
Things are not as they seem. The thought keeps coming
around. Things are not as they seem…not as they seem.
Behind the faces, front doors, and casual relationships of
our neighborhoods, workplaces, and churches is an under-
world of personal pain and embarrassment. Untold stories
of alcoholism, anger, anxiety, addiction, abortion, affairs,
alienation, and abuse are epidemic. Under the surface we
are fast becoming a people like those of Isaiah’s day:
beaten and bruised in heart, mind, and body, from the top
of our heads to the bottom of our feet (Isa. 1:1-6)…The
Bible gives us every reason to believe that, yes, it’s true:
Things are not as they seem. Things are only as God says
they are. Father, don’t let us succumb either to the
illusion of well-being or to the illusion of hopelessness
[emphasis added].32
The scriptural and scientific evidence presented on the state
of the world indicates that the people of this age are not
enjoying the peace of mind and the spiritual pleasures and
blessings that God has designated for them. Their hearts do
not rejoice in the heavenly hope; their souls do not exult and
glory in God’s great blessings and bounties, but suffer and
mourn in quiet desperation:

27154 I Shall Come Again

28…all the nations of the earth will mourn.
Matthew 24:30 NIV
We can well perceive how the whole human race is
encompassed with great, with incalculable afflictions. We
see it languishing on its bed of sickness, sore-tried and
disillusioned.33 Bahá’u’lláh

29In our age (since the beginning of 19th century), two major
changes have been taking place side by side.
• The light of faith that bestowed eternal hope and gave
people the strength and enlightenment to deal with stress
and adversity has been steadily growing dimmer.
• Many of the old values, ties, and loyalties that created
consistency and certainty in the life of the individual and
made him an integral part of his family and community
have also been steadily waning and weakening.
Social scientists believe that what ails the people of our time
is the loss of a support system. What gave the individual
security and strength in the past has itself become a source
of stress and distress. Statistics show that most of the violence
against people comes from someone they know: a parent, a
spouse, a son or daughter, a neighbor, or a friend. An indi-
vidual is far more likely to be killed or abused by a friend
or family member than by a stranger. (The ratio for murder
is three to one.) Prophecies predicted this trend:
The godly have been swept from the land…the ruler de-
mands gifts, the judge accepts bribes…the day God visits
you…Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a
friend. Even with her who lies in your embrace be careful
of your words. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter
rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his
own household. But as for me, I watch in hope for the
Lord, I wait for God my Savior… Micah 7:2-7 NIV

30Chapter 6: The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord

31True, material comforts have given many people some peace
of mind, but this advantage is counteracted by still another
change: the decline in concern for basic physical needs has
led to a sharpened awareness of spiritual needs. The end
result of the titanic changes of our time has been a steady
rise in stress, and a steady decline in strength. The disease
carrying invaders have been allowed to advance, while the
immune system, which must protect people, has been left to
disintegrate and break down.
In His interpretation of “tribulation,” Bahá’u’lláh singles out
one aspect of the stressful life of the modern age. Suppose a
person decides to find a path to God. What confusion must
he face! How bewildered will he become! How can he tell
which path to pursue?
Clinging unto idle fancy, they [the interpreters of the word
of God] have strayed far from…divine knowledge…Though
they recognize in their hearts the Law of God to be one
and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new
command, and in every season proclaim a fresh decree…
What “oppression” [tribulation] is greater than that which
hath been recounted? What “oppression” is more grievous
than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain
unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go
for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely
differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have
multiplied. This “oppression” is the essential feature [at
the dawning] of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to
pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest.34
The following quotations, one a prophecy, the other a
statement from a psychology textbook, confirm Bahá’u’lláh’s
assessment:
Men wander about like sheep in distress for lack of a
shepherd. My anger is turned against the shepherds…
Zechariah 10:2-3 NEB

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33Human beings need to believe, even passionately, in things
abstract, moral, and “spiritual.” But there are so many
divergent “moralities” from which to choose today that the
choice itself can be a source of confusion.35

1…the day God visits…is the time of their confusion (Micah
7:4 NIV). It will be a unique day, without daytime or night-
time—a day known to the Lord (Zechariah 14:7 NIV).
My purpose in showing the “great tribulation” of our time is
not to dwell in darkness. Distressing news serves no purpose
unless it is presented in the light of “good news,” unless it is
linked to hope and action. Seeing the stark contrast between
the light and the darkness—the dire despair of humanity and
the bright and beautiful hand of Heaven—will provide the
most potent motivation for action. We stand accountable not
only for the avoidable pain and sufferings we endure, but
also for much of what others have to bear. Only by offering
to God an open and humble heart can we become an instrument
in His hand and remain loyal to His trust and our responsibility.

1clouds and smoke (see Volume IV), and the people are con-
fused and intoxicated. The spirits that keep them intoxicated
are these:
• The wonders of modern science and technology
• Materialism
• The spread of theological theories, especially about the

2• Severe stress and distress (tribulation) that result from lack
of spiritual guidance
These four elements together create a sense of unawareness,
on the one hand, and self-satisfaction and self-conceit, on the
other. This is what intoxication means.
A veneer of self-satisfaction, complacency, apathy, and denial
prevents many from sensing the global pain and suffering
endured by the people of our time, from seeing the reality
and the urgent need for action. They must arise and raise
their voices in prayer and supplication, in seeking help from
the Provider:
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Christ (Matthew 5:4)
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the
depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They
reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their
wits’ end. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the
storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them
to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and
praise him in the council of the elders.
Psalms 107:26-32 NIV
When Jesus cried for Jerusalem, He could clearly see the
dark destiny of the people of Israel. He was aware and awake;
the Jews were in a state of spiritual drunkenness. Are there
not similarities between the state of Israel then and the state
of the world now?
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept
over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on
this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden

3enemies will…dash you to the ground…because you did
not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.
Christ (Luke 19:41-44 NIV)
God’s judgment of the people of the end-time is quite un-
favorable. People can always conceal their true identity from
themselves and others but not from God. At the end of the
age, our Creator declares “knowledge shall be increased”
(Dan. 12:4), but wisdom will decrease: “The wisdom of their
wise men shall perish ” (Isa. 29:14). Information shall
multiply but faithfulness will diminish: “many will turn away
from the faith” (Matt. 24:10 NIV). Multitudes go to school to
learn yet fail “to acknowledge the truth” ( II Tim. 3:2-8
NIV). What appeals to people most is self-love or pursuit of
pleasure (II Tim. 3:2-6) with an appearance of faithfulness.
And so they preserve and present “a form of godliness” (II
Tim. 3:5) to themselves and others.
The state of their mind, the Predictor declares, follows the
state of their soul. Their understanding of the Word of God
consists mostly of “a precept of men, learnt by rote,” (Isa.
29:13 NEB), of man-made ideas and illusions retained without
insight and awareness. In the midst of all this spiritual and
mental confusion, they need to decipher the true meaning of
God’s most mysterious words: prophecies. But how can they?
Are they humble enough to accept God’s harsh judgment
against them, set aside their own personal thoughts and
theories, and listen to the revealer of all mysteries?
What are our tendencies and weaknesses? How do our
choices and thoughts differ from God’s? These are explored

1John 8:15 NEB

2God’s Way Versus
the Human Way

3W hy is there such a disparity between people’s expectations
and reality, between what they want and what God
gives them? Human expectations are activated mainly by two
forces: the desire for a visible display of power and glory,
and the wish for instant rewards and remedies. Most people
like a positive message, especially if nothing is demanded of
them. Literal interpretation of prophecies accomplishes this
very purpose. This is the kind of message almost everyone
would like to hear:

4160 I Shall Come Again

5Think about that day when the Lord Jesus Christ breaks
through the eastern sky. Think about it over and over. Let
it give you something to live for. Could anything be more
exciting to contemplate?
Seeing first a small black cloud. Watching it move nearer
and nearer till it becomes white and glorious. A cloud like
none you’ve ever seen before—a cloud of angels, uncounted
angels. Hearing a sound like none you’ve ever heard
before—the sound of a trumpet echoing round the world.
Then a voice like none you’ve heard before. It’s the voice
of our Lord calling the dead to life.
The earth quivers. Tombs burst open. Angels everywhere
carry little children to their parents’ eager arms. Loved ones
long separated by death reunite with shouts of joy, never
to part again! And then, together with those resurrected
ones, we who have waited through earth’s long night are
caught up into that angel starship for the trip to our
heavenly home.1
Imagine the feeling! Defying gravity, we soar through the
sky. Without a spacesuit we sail through the stars up to
our heavenly home
Human imagination is stirred and excited by the images of
the supernatural. A Christian writer confirms this:
A person can really get excited about seven-headed
beasts, mysterious seals, a great red dragon, four ghastly
horsemen, vast armies and cosmic destruction. Such
dazzling and sensational images cannot help but arouse
interest and wonder, especially when in connection with
the end of the world.3
Those who proclaim the message of the coming of the Master
deserve the highest praise (Matt. 24:45-47), for they instill
faith, peace, and hope. What they fail to do is to transform
this hope from a state of complacency into alertness, into a
continuous searching for the Master. This prophecy was
undoubtedly spoken concerning the peoples of our time:

6Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

7For the time will come when men will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers to say
what their itching ears want to hear. II Timothy 4:3 NIV
People love dramatic spectacles and instant transformation,
but God has a different plan and purpose for His creation.
He sees things differently:
…how can My way accord with thine? 4 Bahá’u’lláh
The Lord does not see as man sees; men judge by appear-
ances but the Lord judges by the heart. I Samuel 16:7 NEB
You judge by worldly standards. Christ ( John 8:15 NEB)
…man can never hope to attain unto the knowledge of the
All-Glorious…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.5
Bahá’u’lláh
Say: O leaders of religion! Weigh not the Book of God
with such standards and sciences as are current amongst
you, for the Book itself is the unerring Balance established
amongst men. In this most perfect Balance whatsoever
the peoples and kindreds of the earth possess must be
weighed, while the measure of its weight should be tested
according to its own standard, did ye but know it.6
Bahá’u’lláh
…human standard of judgment is faulty, finite.

8‘Abdu’l-Bahá
The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The
words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Christ (John 6:63 NIV)
What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s
sight. Christ (Luke 16:15 NIV)
Has human nature changed since those noble words were
spoken? History attests that human judgment has always been

9162 I Shall Come Again

10at variance with the divine. Jesus predicted that at the time
of His return, everything will be the same as it was in the
days of Noah. This indicates that the way people think and
act will not have changed at all.
God conceals His great power and glory in poverty, suffering,
and meekness:
…the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a
field… Christ (Matthew 13:44)
Our Creator’s plan and purpose is that we should search for
truth by exercising our freedom of choice, and never be over-
whelmed by His transcendent might and majesty. He wants
us to acknowledge His Messengers through our own efforts,
our own love for truth, our own purity and sincerity. His
wish is that we should accept His guidance, and then by
patience and persistence create “a new earth and a new
heaven.” Instead of sending a perfect city from heaven, He
sends a perfect plan. Instant and easy remedies satisfy our
desire, but not His:
Shall a woman bear a child without pains?…Shall a nation
be brought to birth all in a moment? Isaiah 66:7-8 NEB
We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom
of God… Acts 14:22 NIV
Our Creator has made us in His exalted Image, endowing us
with His own attributes, among them freedom of choice and
creativity. His vision of us is grand and glorious. He wants
us to participate in creating the world of our dream. If we
use His blueprint, the impossible becomes possible, the ideal
becomes real.
…all things are possible to him that believeth.
Christ (Mark 9:23)
Then the Lord…said, ‘Here they are, one people with a
single language…henceforward nothing they have a mind
to do will be beyond their reach.’ Genesis 11:6 NEB

11Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

1Let us examine one more sign linked to the second Advent.
It is predicted that when Jesus returns from heaven, He will
be accompanied not only by power and glory but also by
flaming fire.
…the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His
mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the gospel…
II Thessalonians 1:7-8
See also Matthew 13:41-42
If we take the “coming from heaven” literally, should we not
also take the “fire” in the prophecy literally? For the sake of
consistency, “fire” must also be taken literally. It appears
unreasonable to take one part (coming from heaven) of the
same prophecy literally, and the other part (fire) symbolically.
Painters through the ages have made majestic drawings of
Jesus descending from heaven with grace and glory, power
and peace. They have usually blended His image with
magnificent clouds touched with the glowing rays of the
sun. But they have as a rule left one element out of the
scene: the flaming fire. The painters must have instinctively
recognized that being seen with fire does not fit the profile
of a Man who was the very heart of mercy and forgiveness.
They must have sensed that the Exemplar who taught loving
one’s enemies and blessing one’s persecutors (Rom. 12:14),
who said to be perfect one must give his wealth to the poor
(Matt. 19:21), who was so tender that He wept for Jerusalem,
would not return for revenge. They must have known that the
Man, who out of His abiding love for people carried the cross
and crowned it with His body, who gave His own life to give
joy to the world, would not return to take life, to bring pain
and suffering to the distressed masses of humanity.
Which of these acts fits the profile and the supreme station
and mission of a Savior: carrying a torch that burns and
destroys, or one that gives light and life to the world? If a

2164 I Shall Come Again

3child rejects his loving parents, how should they respond to
his rejection? Is the natural consequence of his deed—
separation from his parents—not in itself a suitable and
sufficient punishment for him? God’s ways are different, but
always above—never below—human standards. Indeed our
Creator is our perfect Model whose lead we are asked to
follow:
I have set you an example that you should do as I have
done for you. Christ ( John 13:15 NIV)
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Christ (Matthew 5:48 NIV)
God’s standards of treating His children have been and always
will remain changeless. As Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, the
prominent clergyman and author of The Power of Positive
Thinking notes:
Do you believe that the God who gives us such precious
experiences here [on earth] would suddenly become cruel?
Do you believe that God, whose every demonstration here
is life and creation, will suddenly change and make every
demonstration death and destruction? I have never seen
any sign that God is capricious. The orderliness of the
universe belies it. The seasons follow one another in
absolute regularity. The stars come out in the skies nightly
in the same old wonderful pattern. And those that show
only periodically return on the stroke of the minute.8
God’s love for humans always has been and always will be
supreme:
The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that
all should come to repentance. II Peter 3:9

4Who needs the divine remedy most?
It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick.
Christ (Matthew 9:13 NEB)

5Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

6Did not Jesus in His first advent express more interest in
saving the sinners (Matt. 18:11-12) than the saints who out-
wardly observed the law? The life and teachings of Jesus
testify to His infinite love even for the lowest and meanest
of humans (Luke 15:2-10). Would He not show the same
compassion again? Traditional expectations, based on literal
interpretation of prophecies, have led many Christians to
believe otherwise. Consider these examples from several
Christian leaders and writers:
So everyone who is ready to meet Jesus He will take up
to heaven. Anyone who is unprepared will remain here
dead—and tragically, left on the ground for vultures to
consume. No second chance!…If our unsaved friends and
relatives don’t make their decision before Christ comes,
they can never be saved. As God’s Word puts it, “Behold,
now is the day of salvation!” 2 Corinthians 6:2.9
At the end of the world, instead of the wicked all being
converted, they are to be cast into a furnace of fire, where
there will be wailing
In hell there is never the bliss of annihilation. You’d give
anything for annihilation, but it’s unavailable, only the
conscious continuation of emotional anguish, physical
anguish, relational anguish, and spiritual anguish forever.11
Those who have ignored him [Christ], denied him, pre-
tended but never really repented of their sins, shall be
consumed with everlasting destruction—in flaming fire.12
All of the non-Christians will be cast into the lake of fire.13
We should note that St. Paul’s prophecy (II Thess. 1:7-8)
includes Christians too. Literal interpretation of his prophecy
requires that any Christian who does not practice his beliefs,
who “does not obey the Gospel,” must also perish.
Both the principle of “no mercy, forgiveness, and repentance”
and the idea of “harsh punishment by fire” are the conse-
quences of a strong belief in the literal descent of Jesus from

7166 I Shall Come Again

8heaven. Those who deny any expression of mercy or forgive-
ness by Jesus at His second coming do so on this ground: if
people saw their Savior coming from the sky with His mighty
angels, they would all be moved to repentance. Everyone who
saw would wish to escape the fire. In that case there would
be no separation between the faithful and the unfaithful.
Good and bad would join the Lord. This would obviously
be unfair. Further, if people believed that an opportunity
for repentance would be offered to them, they would have
no incentive for living a good life before Christ’s coming.
Thus, the reasoning goes, at the very instant of the Savior’s
appearance on the clouds, every opportunity for repentance
or restoration must be terminated. As C. S. Lewis notes:
It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no
use saying you choose to lie down when it has become
impossible to stand up. That will not be the time for
choosing. It will be the time when we discover which side
we have really chosen whether we realized it before or
not. Now, today, this moment is our chance to choose the
right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It
will not last forever. We must take it or leave it.14
Aside from being contrary to God’s infinite love for humans,
the literal interpretation of St. Paul’s prophetic words
suffers from other flaws as well. For instance:
• It allows no provision for lack of opportunities. (People
are either taken to heaven or left on earth to die.) This
is contrary to the words of Jesus that from those who
are given more, more shall be demanded (Luke 12:48).
• It does not take into account the degree of the individual’s
age or mental maturity. For instance, will children of “the
unsaved” also perish? And at what age or level of intelli-
gence are people accountable?
• It does not take into account the infinite variation of
character among the believers.

9Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

10• It does not take into account the infinite variation of faith
among the believers.
• It offers no reward to those who are not Christian, but still
live by the law of love. Should they receive the same
harsh punishment as those who pursue a life of crime and
cruelty?
We are asked by our Creator to reason (Isa. 1:18). This is
exactly what Paul himself did in proving Jesus to the Jews:
And Paul…reasoned with them out of the scripture…
Acts 17:2
And this is what Peter asked us to do:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear
conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against
your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their
slander. I Peter 3:15-16 NIV
If reason is disregarded or denigrated, then tradition, dogma-
tism, and emotionalism will fill the vacuum. Tradition is
perhaps the most powerful force in society. By itself it can
still the voice of reason as readily now as it did at the time
of the first advent.
Literal interpretation of divine language sometimes leads to
conclusions contrary to the very purpose for which God sends
His Messengers and Redeemers. How many have died because
they took these verses literally?
And these signs will accompany those who believe…they
will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they
drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all…
Mark 16:17-18 NIV
It is evident snake and poison symbolize negative forces
of the world. True faith safeguards the spiritual life of the
believer from the deadly influence of despair and deviation.

11168 I Shall Come Again

12Thus, to avoid danger—physical or spiritual—we must decode
the divine language, by thinking in heavenly terms.
To understand Jesus’ heavenly thoughts, we must first under-
stand Him. His words give us a glimpse of His identity, of
His boundless love, mercy, and gentleness:
Come to me, all whose work is hard, whose load is heavy;
and I will give you relief. Bend your necks to my yoke,
and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble-hearted;
and your souls will find relief. For my yoke is good to
bear, my load is light. Christ (Matthew 11:28-30 NEB)
Lord, how often am I to forgive my brother?…seventy
times seven. Matthew 18:21 NEB
How blest are those of a gentle spirit…How blest are those
who show mercy…How blest are the peacemakers…
Christ (Matthew 5:5-9 NEB)
Would the One who was “gentle and humble-hearted,” who
blessed the peacemakers, return to bring death to the masses
of humanity and destruction to the world? Would the One who
was the quintessence of love and forgiveness, who rejoiced
in leading one sinner to God, return without mercy? To
understand the divine words, we must elevate our thinking to
higher horizons, as close to God’s as possible. Even Peter, the
distinguished disciple, sometimes had difficulty doing so:
Then Jesus turned and said to Peter…‘You think as men
think, not as God thinks.’ Matthew 16:23 NEB
Was not Jesus’ first advent also engulfed in fire? The Son
of God carried no torch save that of knowledge, love, and
enlightenment. Yet He said:
I have come to set fire to the earth… Luke 12:49 NEB
What did He mean by setting fire? Every new Redeemer by
His teachings disrupts the old and entrenched order as He
uproots false beliefs and traditions. At the time of His com-
ing, people are so consumed with apathy and complacency
that only “fire” can move them and set them free.

13Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

14A divine Redeemer always comes with a crucible filled with
flames! He offers people an opportunity to be tested and tried:
For that day dawns in fire, and the fire will test the worth
of each man’s work. I Corinthians 3:13 NEB
The day comes, glowing like a furnace; all the arrogant
and the evildoers shall be chaff, and that day when it
comes shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of Hosts…
Malachi 4:1 NEB
…the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole
world to test those who live on the earth.
Christ (Revelation 3:10 NIV)
The testing separates the people:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory…he will separate
the people one from another… Christ (Matthew 25:31-32 NIV)
People respond to “the fire” in various ways. A few face the
challenge: they allow its flames to touch their hearts and
souls, to burn the veils of self and separation from God. By
its power they cleanse and transform themselves into a pure
light of love:
It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate,
and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of
the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity.15
Bahá’u’lláh
Love setteth a world aflame…16 Bahá’u’lláh

15…when the fire of the love of Jesus consumed the veils
of Jewish limitations…17 Bahá’u’lláh

16Those whose faith is tested and tried in God’s crucible attain
riches beyond measure:
…buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich… Christ (Revelation 3:18)

17170 I Shall Come Again

18Taking the heat of the crucible is not easy:
We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom
of God… Acts 14:22 NIV
See how I tested you, not as silver is tested, but in the
furnace of affliction; there I purified you. Isaiah 48:10 NEB
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my
Father… Christ (Matthew 7:21 NIV)
Many, however, avoid the challenge of entering or even
approaching the crucible. They stand beyond its reach,
unaware that they too are afflicted by the heat of its raging
flames. They fail to recognize the burning desire of their
souls to attain Truth and Knowledge—one that continues to
smolder into the realms beyond. This fire usually is called
hell-fire, sometimes the unquenchable fire (Mark 9:44 NEB).
If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of
life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Christ (Revelation 20:15 NIV)
No one is spared from the raging flames of tests and trials:
…every one shall be salted with fire… Christ (Mark 9:49)
For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
See also Deuteronomy 4:24
These verses, clear and conclusive, are a token of the mercy
of thy Lord and a source of guidance for all mankind. They
are a light unto those who believe in them and a fire of
afflictive torment for those who turn away and reject
them.18 The Báb
…whatsoever was promised in the sacred Scriptures hath
been fulfilled. This is the Day of great rejoicing. It behoveth
everyone to hasten towards the court of His nearness with
exceeding joy, gladness, exultation and delight and to
deliver himself from the fire of remoteness [from God].19
Bahá’u’lláh

19Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

1symbol:
…hell…where their worm does not die, and the fire is not
quenched. Mark 9:44-48 NIV
Then I myself [the Lord] will come to gather all nations
and races, and they shall come and see my glory…as the
new heavens and the new earth…shall endure…so shall
your race…and they [the people of the new earth and
heavens] shall come out and see the dead bodies of those
who have rebelled against me; their worm shall not die
nor their fire be quenched… Isaiah 66:18, 22-24 NEB
What does “worm” in the preceding passages imply? A
literal or a symbolic reality? Would the loving Creator expose
human beings for ages and eons to worms that shall not die?
If not, then what does the word symbolize? It symbolizes that
which annoys the spirit, that which pesters the conscience. It
carries messages such as these: How did I get myself into
this predicament? When opportunity knocked, why did I not
open my heart? Why did I not love God more? Why did I
not live a nobler life? Why did I fail to pursue the truth?
Why did I fear to search? Why did I not trust my Lord to
protect me from falling? Why did I not take time to investi-
gate the news of the coming of my Master? Why? Why?
Why? Since the consequences of our deeds are eternal, the
wondering and questioning will likewise be eternal. No
analogy or metaphor could more aptly portray or dramatize
these concerns and questions than the pestering of human
conscience by an ever-living worm.
From the examples provided, it becomes clear that divine
language is different from human language, that traditional
expectations are sometimes erroneous. Therefore we should
not begin our search by insisting that a new Redeemer must
conform entirely to our standards. To understand the

2This is difficult to do, because we are used to earthly speech.
“He who is from the earth…uses earthly speech” ( John 3:31
NEB). History shows that the trap of tradition, designed and
maintained by human standards, is always tempting:
But you have no idea where I come from or where I am
going. You judge by human standards…
Christ ( John 8:14-15 NIV)
You neglect the commandment of God, in order to main-
tain the tradition of men. Christ (Mark 7:8 NEB)
You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of
God in order to observe your own traditions!

Comparing The First Century
With The Twentieth
That Men Do Not Learn Very Much From The Lessons Of

1history is the most important of all the lessons in history.

1A great poet has said “We need to live two lives: to acquire
wisdom in the first and apply it in the second.” The way to
turn this fantasy into reality is to study history. For others
have already lived the first life for us.
Remember the days of old, consider the years of many
generations… Deuteronomy 32:7
…Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach
wisdom. Job 32:7
To get a clear view of our spiritual position today, all we need
to do is to look at those who were in our position earlier.
Hal Lindsey, a widely read contemporary Christian author,
has already done some of the work for us. In his book,
The Promise, he has attempted to assess the spiritual state
of the people of Israel at the time of Jesus. Relevant to our

2Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

3discussion is his analysis of the reasons the Jews, for the
most part, rejected their Redeemer, the very Object of their
heavenly hope. He asks:
…the question that continues to plague me and so many
other serious students of the Bible is, “Why wasn’t it that
obvious to the Jews of that day that this [Christ] was their
Messiah?” He continually pointed to the things he did and
said and declared that these were fulfillments of their own
prophetic Scriptures. Couldn’t they have checked this out
and seen the truth or error of it?
He calls the response of the people of Israel The Paradox of
Anticipation and Rejection, and then sets out to resolve the
paradox by studying the main causes of the response:
• Dependence on traditions. He asks:
…why didn’t the majority of religious leaders, who
knew the prophecies concerning Messiah, give Jesus
their support and proclaim him to the people as the
Promised One of God?
And then he answers:
One word sums up what has really held sway over
all Judaism since their last Prophet Malachi spoke to
them about 400 years before Christ and that word is
TRADITION! Tradition about God, tradition about His
Laws (Torah), tradition about how to live, eat, work,
worship, marry and even die.22
• Dependence on religious leaders. He states that the inter-
pretation of the Scriptures:
…was left primarily in the hands of the religious leaders.
The sages, teachers, scholars, rabbis, scribes, or what-
ever else they were called at any given time in Jewish
history, were the ultimate authorities on what God
had to say to man.23

4174 I Shall Come Again

5The religious leaders had made such a hedge around
the Word thinking to protect it, and in so doing, made
it so that no one could get near the true Word. Isaiah
predicted that this would happen. He said the time
would come when the people would draw near to God
with their words and honor Him with their lips, but
their hearts would be far from Him and their reverence
would consist of tradition learned by rote (Isaiah
29:13).24
• Total devotion to “minute interpretations of the Law.”
He points out that the Jews placed undue emphasis on the
letter or outward intent of the Word. They showed concern
for “external rituals and outward conformity.”
• Preoccupation with prophecies that pointed to a con-
quering King, and disregard for those that implied “a
suffering Servant.” He states that the people of Israel did
not understand that:
First, Messiah would have to deal with the root of men’s
problems, a nature and a heart of rebellion and sin, and
then he could set up a Kingdom where all men would
be prepared to live at peace with themselves, their
families and their neighbors. But until the first was
accomplished, the second could only be a dream, never
a reality.25
If Mr. Lindsey’s analysis is accurate, then it seems history
is repeating itself in our time with precision. Today, as in
the past:
• Most people still follow tradition, regarding it as the
authority. Only a few search independently for Truth.
• Much emphasis is still being placed on “external rituals
and outward conformity.” The division of religions into
many denominations is an evidence of this.
• Most people still prefer to leave the interpretation of the
Word to their religious leaders.

6Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

7• Prophecies that point to the Redeemer of our age as a
suffering Servant (“first He must suffer” ) and to His
coming in an ordinary or undramatic way (“like a thief
in the night”), are given little if any attention. Yet frequent
reference is made to an all-powerful Savior who upon His
arrival transforms the world instantly.
William Miller, the leader of the Advent Movement in the
West, wrote:
The Jews were looking for a temporal king and kingdom.
And are not we looking for a temporal millennium—one
in which the Christians will have the rule of the world? Let
us see to it that we do not stumble at the same stumbling-
stone; possibly we may have carnal notions as well as
they. Therefore, let us inquire.26
He states that the people of Israel “claimed all the learning,
all the wisdom, and all the piety of that day” 27 yet could not
“discern the signs of the times.” 28 Why?
Even Jesus’ disciples, who were the wisest and most en-
lightened people of their time, could not face the reality of
receiving a suffering Savior. Despite their Master’s repeated
predictions of a dark future, they continued to dream of
victory. As Dr. George Ladd, professor of New Testament
at Fuller Theological Seminary, notes:
It is a sound psychological fact that we hear only what we
are prepared to hear. Jesus’ predictions of his suffering
and death fell on deaf ears. The disciples, in spite of his
warnings, were unprepared for it
This is also why his disciples forsook him when he was
taken captive. Their minds were so completely imbued
with the idea of a conquering Messiah whose role it was
to subdue his enemies that when they saw him broken
and bleeding under the scourging, a helpless prisoner in
the hands of Pilate, and when they saw him led away,

8176 I Shall Come Again

9nailed to a cross to die as a common criminal, all their
messianic hopes for Jesus were shattered.30
The disciples were not only endowed with wisdom, but gifted
with the unparalleled blessing of receiving knowledge directly
from their Master. If they, despite their awareness and
astuteness, preferred to disregard their Master’s predictions
of pain and suffering, could not the same frailty that
dimmed their perception of reality, dim ours as well?
When the residents of a village in Israel refused to welcome
Jesus, the disciples James and John felt that punishment by
a display of their Master’s miraculous powers was the
right response. So they suggested:
‘Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to
destroy them?’ But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and
they went to another village. Luke 9:54-56 NIV
Even Peter, who is eulogized by many as Jesus’ greatest
disciple, the Rock of His Church, could not reconcile his
thoughts with those of his Master:
Jesus…rebuked Peter…“ you do not have in mind the
things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:33 NIV
Is it possible that the scholars and interpreters of our time
suffer from the same weakness for which James, John, and
Peter were rebuked? Then why do they insist that every
prophecy must be fulfilled in a predetermined way, accord-
ing to human standards?
The people of Israel expected their Savior to come from “an
unknown place.” Nazareth was not good enough to give birth
to such a supreme figure:
…can anything good come from Nazareth? John 1:46 NEB
Most of the people of our age also stumble on the same
stone: they refrain from examining Bahá’u’lláh’s claim partly
because of His name and birthplace. If people questioned the
worthiness of Nazareth in ancient times, now they question

10Chapter 7: You Judge By Worldly Standards

11the worthiness of the earth itself! They have their eyes
and hopes on heaven. Some people’s spiritual health is so
fragile that the sound of a name or label can break it!
If Jesus appeared among us today, exactly as He did among
the people of Israel, how many of us would welcome Him?
How many would rush to pass judgment on Him, without
ever testing His evidence? How would the religious leaders
behave? What would our evangelists say? Are the peoples of
our time more discerning than those who received Jesus? Are
they less bound by tradition?
[What] if Christ was here, as then?…I have much reason
to fear, that many may be found among the learned, the
great, and teachers of divine things, who would receive
from our divine Master, the same reproof [given to the
Jews], were he as then a teacher among us. “Let him that
thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall” (I Cor.
10:12).31 William Miller

1ment, so do we to our spiritual environment. We are exposed
to our beliefs gradually, progressively, almost imperceptibly.
To us they do not seem out of place. That is why it is almost
certain that a child born to a Muslim family will grow up
to be a Muslim, a child born to a Christian, a Buddhist, a
Jewish, a Hindu, or an agnostic family will grow up to follow
and accept as the truth whatever his parents teach him.
The assumptions we accept, the convictions we defend,
even the prejudices we cherish, they all seem natural and
right to us:
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes…

2All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes…
Proverbs 16:2
…every party rejoices in what is their own. Qur’án 30:31
The only way to escape from “spiritual monotony”—being
exposed only to one set of beliefs—and the danger of being
deprived of God’s abundant riches is to:
• Venture into new spiritual realms
• Learn to look with a new eye
Without a new eye:
You may look and look, but you will never see.

1…behold, I have foretold you all things.
Christ (Mark 13:23)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
I Thessalonians 5:21
Produce your cause, saith the Lord; bring forth your
strong reasons. Isaiah 41:21
Lo! He is come in the sheltering shadow of Testimony,
invested with conclusive proof… Bahá’u’lláh
This is the Day in which the testimony of the Lord hath
been fulfilled, the Day in which the Word of God hath
been made manifest, and His evidence firmly established.
All the signs have been revealed; every prophetic allusion
hath been manifested. Whatever hath been enshrined in
all the Scriptures of the past hath been made evident.

1T he mid-19th century witnessed the birth of a worldwide
movement unparalleled in history. Hundreds of thousands of
Christians, on all continents of the planet, awaited the return
of Christ. What prompted so many in so many lands to set
their hopes and hearts on heaven? And why did they face the
most bitter disillusionment and disappointment of all time?

2The “Sprouting” of Time Prophecies
During the first part of the 19th century, many seekers of truth
from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds recognized
that the time was ripe for the advent of a great Savior. The
basic reason for this awakening and revival in so many places

3from the Scriptures of several religions, especially the
Judeo-Christian and Muslim Scriptures. These prophecies had
remained “sealed” for centuries. Then, like the arrival of
spring, the advent of the 19th century imparted a new im-
petus to the unfolding of their potential, and the dormant
buds flowered simultaneously in many a seeking mind
around the globe.
The enthusiasm generated by this discovery—so definitive, so
decisive—grew beyond measure. People thought that at long
last they had found something on which they could depend.
The evidence pointing to the exact date was overwhelming.
Never before had the time of the advent of a Savior been so
explicitly and repeatedly predicted. The number of discovered

1pointing to 1844 ………………………………………………
• Prophecies in the New Testament
pointing to 1844 …………………………………………….
• Prophecies from other religions
pointing to 1844 ………………………………………………
• Prophecies from the Bible pointing
to the time of the advent of Bahá’u’lláh …………..
• Prophecies from other religions pointing
to the time of the advent of Bahá’u’lláh …………
• Total number of time prophecies …………………….
How could various religions be in such harmony about the
advent? And how could such a mystery have remained
“sealed” for so long and been declared at the same time by

2The expectation of the advent of Christ in the mid-19th
century ranks among the most dramatic episodes in the
history of religion, yet it is seldom brought out into the open
by religious leaders and scholars. It is veiled and ignored in
so many ways as to be reasonably called the most guarded
secret in the religious history of the world. It is a secret
forgotten, ignored, or hidden by those unable to tell the
masses of believers why God’s words—so emphatic, so

1Bahá’u’lláh, have asked: how could God make a promise
that He knew He would not honor? In the mid-19th century
some believers were so uprooted, so puzzled and bewildered,
as to abandon their faith. The date—1844—that they had
thought would crown their heavenly hope, that would ful-
fill their fairest dreams, was reduced to a time of bitter
disillusionment. They called 1844 “The Year of the Great
Disappointment.”
A pertinent question that may arise is this: if the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh were indeed the expected Redeemers, then why
did so many fail to recognize them? This question requires
a thorough examination, as detailed and specific as that
provided in Volume V, In the Clouds of Glory. Briefly, some
of the prophecies predicting the Advent are couched in
parables and symbols. Others, such as those pointing to the
appointed time, are relatively free from symbolism. Those
expecting the second Advent simply failed to decode the first
set of prophecies, namely, those veiled by symbols.
The Scriptures signaled the manner and condition of Christ’s
second advent by two sets of clues. The first set contained

2stars,” “the angels,” “lightning,” “heavenly descent,” “glory
and power,” “raging fire,” “resurrection,” and “trumpet
blast”—clues that implied action, triumph, drama, astonish-
ment, upheaval; events or signs that can be perceived by
every person, that should claim everyone’s attention.
The second set of clues offered in the Scriptures contained
words and expressions such as “thief,” “night,” “darkness,”
“sleep,” “smoke,” “clouds,” “ Noah’s days,” “unknown,”
“unaware,” “drunk,” “negligent,” “worldly,” “suffering,”
“mustard seed,” and “watch”—clues that implied obscurity,
secrecy, rejection, gradualism, and lack of drama. Exactly
the opposite of the first set of clues.
Most seekers in the mid-19th century only took note of the
first set of clues, and completely disregarded the second. If
they had not ignored the second set of clues, they would
certainly have been saved from crushing disappointment.
Bahá’ís believe that the first set of clues—those pointing to
dramatic events—were purely symbolic. Chapter 5—which
contains comparative examples from the Christian and Bahá’í

1Froom calls the Advent Awakening and the Great Awakening,
was one of the greatest and most dramatic events in the
history of the world. Yet many now prefer to regard it as an
unfortunate misjudgment that is best buried or forgotten. To
do justice to history we should revive it.
During the first half of the 19th century the expectation of
the return of a great Redeemer swept across the world,
especially among Christians:
Like a tidal wave the movement swept over the land.
From city to city, from village to village, and into remote

2The advent movement of 1840-44 was…carried to every
mission station in the world, and in some countries there
was the greatest religious interest which has been witnessed
…since the Reformation of the sixteenth century.2
In Great Britain it was reported that:
…the Advent doctrine is chiefly the talk in this country
now…Thousands are now looking for the coming of the
Lord, and believe it is at the door.3
The chief reason for the widespread expectation was the
sudden unfolding of the time prophecies in the Scriptures of
several of the great religions. In the Christian world many
seekers of truth came to the same or similar conclusions.
They found the mid-19th century to be the appointed time of
Christ’s return.
In Dieux d’homme, Dictionnaire des Messianismes et
Milleranismes, the French scholar, Henri des Roche, presents
brief biographies of more than a thousand seekers who
proclaimed the nearness of “the time of the end,” and in
many cases the exact time of its termination when the
promised Redeemer was to come.4
Leroy Froom, a Christian scholar and author of one of the
most extensive works on the Advent Awakening of the 19th
century, writes:
…beginning about 1810, just after the French Revolution…
a simultaneous study of the 2300 years and the impend-
ing judgment hour broke out in the various countries of
Christendom. On both sides of the Atlantic, and in different
lands, men were led independently to similar conclusions.
Not one or two voices, but a swelling chorus of men…
proclaimed the approaching terminus of the 2300 years as
the message of prophecy for the hour.5
Many prominent figures of that period discovered or proclaimed
the exact or approximate “time of the end,” when God would

3history (See Table I). The prevailing view among them was
that Christ Himself would appear to lead the believers to
the expected millennial kingdom.
Among all the prophecies pointing to the time of the second
advent, the prophecy of 2300 days had a special attraction for
the seekers in the mid-19th century. It served as the chief
guiding force in their discovery of the appointed time. By far
the most popular dates selected were 1843, 1844, and 1847.
The reason for this variation will be discussed later.
Table I lists some recognized figures of the 19th century who
discovered or proclaimed the time of the advent. Table II lists
some publications of that period that predicted the time of

1Alfred Addis 1806-? 1843-1844
William Anderson 1799-1873 1843
David Arnold 1805-1889 1844
Joseph Bates 1792-1872 1844
David Bernard 1843
Thomas Birks 1810-1883 1843
Joshua William Brooks 1790-1882 1844
Freeman Brown 1843
John Aquila Brown 1844
Charles Buck 1771-1815 1844
Alexander Campbell 1788-1866 1847
John Cook 1804-1874 1843
William Cuninghame 1843

2E
For specific references, please see Table II in this chapter and The Prophetic
Faith of Our Fathers, Volumes II, III, and IV.

1William C. Davis 1760-1831 1843-1847
William Digby 1783-1866 1843+
Henry Drummond 1786-1860 1847
George Duffield 1794-1868 1844-1847
Hiram Edson 1806-1882 1844
Edward B. Elliott 1793-1875 1844
Charles Fitch 1805-1844 1843
Lorenzo Fleming 1808-1867 1843
Calvin French ?-1844 1843
James H. Frere 1847
John Fry 1775-1849 1844
Elon Galusha 1790-1856 1843
Matthew Habershon 1789-1852 1843-1844
Appollos Hale 1843
William W. Hales 1844
Silas Hawley 1815-1888 1843
N. Hervey 1843-1844
Joshua Himes 1805-1895 1843
Edward Hoare 1802-1877 1843
Ph. Homan 1843-1844
John Hooper 1847
Richard Hutchinson 1843
Edward Irving 1792-1834 1847
Henry Jones 1804-1880 1843
L. H. Kelber 1843
Thomas Keyworth 1782-1852 1843
Josiah Litch 1809-1886 1843
Joseph Marsh ?-1863 1843
Archibald Mason 1843
David Millard 1843
William Miller 1782-1849 1843
Alphonse Nicole 1789-1874 1846-1847
William W. Pym 1792-1852 1843-1847
Jahann H. Richter 1799-1847 1847
James Sabine 1774-1845 1843
J. F. E. Sander 1843-1847
Robert Scott 1760-1834 1843-1844
Samuel Snow 1844

1Nathan Southard ?-1852 1843
George Storrs 1796-1879 1843
Edward Vaughan 1777-1829 1843
Henry Dana Ward 1797-1884 1839-1843
Thomas White 1843-1844
Nathan Whiting 1794-1872 1843-1844
Daniel Wilson 1778-1858 1847
Joseph Wolff 1795-1862 1847

Table Ii

Some Works Of Scholars Or Writers Of The

119th Century With Publications on
the Expected Time of the Advent
Author Title Publication

Essays On The Advent And Kingdom

1of Christ 1840
Freeman Brown Views and Experiences in Relation to

Entire Consecration And The Second

1Advent 1843
John Aquila Brown The Even-Tide… 1823

1Charles Buck Theological Dictionary 1811
John Cook A Solemn Appeal to Ministers And
Churches, Especially to Those of the
Baptist Denomination, Relative to
the Speedy Coming of Christ 1843
William Cuninghame The Pre-Millennial Advent of Messiah
Demonstrated from the Scriptures 1836
William C. Davis The Millennium 1811
A Treatise on the Millennium 1827
William Digby A Treatise on the 1260 Days of Daniel
and St. John 1831
Henry Drummond Introduction to the Study of the
Apocalypse 1830
George Duffield Dissertation on the Prophecies Relative
to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ 1842
Millenarianism Defended 1843
Edward Elliott A Commentary on the Apocalypse 1837
Charles Fitch Letter to Rev. J. Litch, on
the Second Coming of Christ 1843
James H. Frere A Combined View of the Prophecies of
Daniel, Esdras, and St. John 1815

1Relating to the Last Times 1831
John Fry The Second Advent 1822
Elon Galusha Address of Elder Elon Galusha, With
Reasons for Believing Christ’s
Second Coming… 1844
Matthew Habershon A Dissertation on the Prophetic
Scriptures, Chiefly Those of a
Chronological Character 1834
Silas Hawley The Second Advent Doctrine
Vindicated… 1843
N. Hervey Prophecies of Christ’s First and
Second Advent 1843

1Chronology 1842
John Hooper The Doctrine of the Second Advent 1829
Richard Hutchinson The Abrahamic Covenant 1843
Edward Irving The Coming of Messiah in Glory and
Majesty 1827
Exposition of the Book of Revelation,
in a Series of Lectures 1831
Henry Jones Principles of Interpreting Prophecies 1837

1in General, of Christ’s Second
Advent, “at Hand” 1842
L. H. Kelber Das Ende Kommt 1842
Thomas Keyworth A Practical Exposition of the
Revelation of St. John 1828
Josiah Litch Prophetic Exposition 1842
Archibald Mason Appendix to an Inquiry Into the

Prophetic Numbers Contained In The

11335 Days 1818
Two Essays on Daniel’s Prophetic

1Hundred Days; and on the
Christian’s Duty to Inquire Into the
Church’s Deliverance 1820
William Miller Evidence From Scripture and History
of the Second Coming of Christ,
About the Year 1843 1836
William Pym Thoughts on Millenarianism 1829
Johann Richter Erklarte Haus-Bibel (6 vol.) 1834-
1840
James Sabine The Relation of the Present State of
Religion to the Expected Millennium 1823

The Appearing And Kingdom Of Our

1Lord Jesus Christ… 1842

1J. F. Sander Versuch einer Erklarung der
Offenbarung Johannis 1829
Robert Scott Free Thoughts on the Millennium 1834
Edward Vaughan The Church’s Expectation: A Sermon
on the Second Advent of the Lord
Jesus Christ 1828
Henry Dana Ward Glad Tidings. “For the Kingdom of
Heaven is at Hand” 1838

2The 19th century Advent Awakening embraced a cross-
section of almost all Christian denominations, and contained
within its ranks some of the most distinguished leaders and
scholars of the time. As Froom writes:
These men were accomplished in Biblical languages,
Latin, and history, and were well acquainted with the
principles of sound exegesis. They were not inclined to
catch up some fanciful or irrational theory. On the contrary,
they were rather matter of fact and exacting in their
scholarship. They had come to their conclusions on the
basis of substantial evidence, after painstaking study
consuming years and sometimes decades.6
Charles Meister, a modern Christian author, has recently
published a book on the events of 1844: Year of the Lord,
A. D. Eighteen Forty Four. He chose 1844 among all the years
in history because he found it unique, a very special year.
His book contains chapters on both the Advent Movement
and the Bahá’í Faith. He writes:
In 1812 a Catholic priest born in Chile, Manuel de Lacunza,
published a book called The Coming of Messiah in Majesty
and Glory. By 1820 about 300 Anglican and 600 Noncon-
formist clergymen in England were preaching Christ’s

3192 I Shall Come Again

4early return…Joseph Wolff spread the advent doctrine to
more than twenty countries in the Middle East and Asia
between 1831 and 1845. In 1820 Archibald Mason in
Scotland predicted that 1844 would be the year of Christ’s
return. Alexander Campbell, in a famous debate with
Robert Owen in 1829, also selected 1844 as the year.7
The uniqueness of 1844 motivated still another modern
author, Jerome Clarke, a Christian scholar and professor at
Southern Missionary College, to write three volumes entitled
simply: 1844.8
The year 1844 was also a time of awakening in the East. It
is indeed astonishing that when multitudes of Christians were
awaiting the advent of Christ, many Muslims were cherishing
an identical hope. The Sunni sect (Sunnites), who constitute
the majority of Muslims, expect the return of Christ in the
last days. Some Muslims expected, independently of the
Christians, the advent of their Redeemer in that same year of
1844. John Fry, one of the figures of the Advent Movement
in the mid-19th century, in his book on prophecies (published
in 1835) states:
…the Mohammedans in various parts of the world, have
their expectation fixed on the same year, A. D. 1844
Fry then states that such agreement between the prophecies
of Christians and Muslims (who constitute a large portion of
humanity) concerning the date of the advent of the expected
One should not be taken lightly.
It is indeed remarkable that so many seekers and scholars
from so many lands came to such similar conclusions. Minor
variations, however, can be noted in their findings. One reason
for such variations was a failure to move correctly from B. C.
to A. D. Still another reason was an inability to locate and
use the same starting point (day or month). It seems evident
that if the units of time are years and not months or days,
one should expect some margin of error, not exceeding one
year below or above the intended figure.

5Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

6Those who selected 1847 instead of 1843 or 1844 did so
because they depended on a manuscript preserved in the
Vatican. The manuscript included a copying error that dis-
torted the correct and now accepted prophetic figure of 2300.
As far as is known, no one was able to discover the day
(May 23) and the hour (two hours and eleven minutes past
sunset) in which, according to Bahá’ís, the appointed time did
arrive. As foretold in the Scriptures, the knowledge of the
hour remained a mystery until the last instant when, suddenly
and unexpectedly, it was disclosed and declared by the Báb.
The dawning of the new day was also declared to people
through dreams and visions. The Scriptures prophesied:
In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on
all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your
young men will see visions, your old men will dream
dreams. Acts 2:17 NIV
See also Joel 2:28

7In 1842 William Foy, a Baptist preacher, told of two
visions he had of Christ’s second coming. In 1844 he
reported a third vision of three mysterious platforms.
Hazen Foss in the fall of 1844 told of a vision he had of
the second coming, in which three steps were depicted.
Twice more he reported receiving this vision.10
(See also William Miller’s dreams—one of them cited later
in this chapter and another in Appendix II. See also Joseph
Wolff ’s visions, and the remarkable story of the child
preachers of the mid-19th century in Chapter 19.)
Although some of those who proclaimed the imminent return
of Christ were mocked, harassed, regarded as heretics, and
even imprisoned, they succeeded nonetheless in attracting
thousands of followers.
This awareness of the dawning of a new age did not come
too early, when it would have been of little if any use. Those
who discovered or confirmed the time of the advent lived in

8194 I Shall Come Again

9the late 18th and early 19th century. Only when the people
needed to know the date were they able to break the seal of
concealment. That is why Daniel, who was inspired to predict
the date, was also informed of the need for secrecy:
But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the book
till the time of the end. Daniel 12:4 NEB
Go your way, Daniel, for the words are kept secret and
sealed till the time of the end. Daniel 12:9 NEB
This revelation which has been given of the evenings and
the mornings is true; but you must keep the vision secret,
for it points to days far ahead. Daniel 8:26 NEB
Before the ripening of the time, even Daniel could not
understand the vision:
I [Daniel] was perplexed by the revelation and no one
could explain it. Daniel 8:27 NEB
Among those intimately involved in the study of biblical
prophecies was Sir Isaac Newton, who believed that
“prophecies remain veiled until their time of near fulfillment,
and then God raises up a prophet to interpret their meaning.”
He said, “I seem to gather that God is about to open these
mysteries.”
Those studying the prophecy of 2300 days, the prophecies of
1260 days (to be examined later), and scores of other clues,
were certain that the advent would surely take place as
promised. But when the year 1844 came and passed with no
sign of the descent of their Savior, they were baffled,
bewildered, and disillusioned to find that the explicit
prophecies of the Bible had remained unfulfilled. Their
disillusionment is well reflected in the title some of them
gave to 1844, the year of the “Great Disappointment.”
Despite the disappointment, some Christian scholars have
continued to uphold their belief in the accuracy of the year.
They maintain that 1844 marked a turning point in the history
of the human race.

10Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

1Bahá’ís believe that 1844 was not the time of “Great Dis-
appointment.” Instead, 1844 marked the onset of the Age of
Fulfillment, because it was in that same year that a new
Revelation came into being when the Báb declared Himself
as the promised one of all ages and religions.
The Báb, the Herald of Bahá’u’lláh, possessed a station equal
to that of all the great Messengers and Redeemers of the past.
He declared:
I am the Primal Point from which have been generated all
created things. I am the Countenance of God Whose
splendor can never be obscured, the Light of God Whose
radiance can never fade.12
I am the Flame of that supernal Light that glowed upon
Sinai…and lay concealed in the midst of the Burning Bush.13
Verily He [the Báb] is the One Who holdeth, by Our
[God's] leave, the kingdoms of earth and heaven in His
grasp
Therefore, Bahá’ís believe that the advent of the Báb fulfilled
all the prophecies pointing to 1844.

1Any discussion of the Great Awakening of the 19th century
is incomplete without a brief review of the life of the man
who was its central figure: William Miller (1782-1849). This
man of great vision was by far the best-known pioneer,
teacher, and leader among all those discovering and proclaim-
ing the time (1844) of the return of the expected Redeemer.
In the United States alone he gained, over a period of 13 years,
as many as two hundred thousand followers. They were
called Millerites, after his name. The Millerite Movement
later gave rise to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a
few other denominations.

2196 I Shall Come Again

3Miller was a selfless and dedicated seeker of truth. He
devoted all he had to proclaiming the dawn of what he
deemed the greatest Day in human history, a Day whose
arrival he had discovered after many years of ceaseless search.
Miller’s integrity and honesty were such that even his enemies
acknowledged them. Unlike those who seek leadership for
the sake of power, who compromise their beliefs to win
favors, Miller taught his views with the utmost humility and
devotion. When he found that, according to his expectations,
his predictions had not come true, he refused to accept any
unreasonable explanations or rationalizations that would have
pacified his disappointed and outraged followers.
Miller started his search into prophecies with no specific
expectations or preconceived notions. He wrote:
I commenced their study with no expectation of finding
the time of the Saviour’s coming, and I could at first
hardly believe the result to which I had arrived; but the
evidence struck me with such force that I could not resist
my convictions. I became nearly settled in my conclusions,
and began to wait, and watch, and pray for my Saviour’s
coming.15
After finding the appointed date, Miller decided not to
disclose it. He wanted to make sure that it was accurate. On
November 4, 1826 he had an unusual dream that gave him a
glimpse of his future destiny. In his dream:
…he saw the blood of Jesus running from a rail-fence.
He saw the cross, with garments drenched in blood. He
received a book, which he was told would direct him.
When he opened it, his eyes came to Isaiah 48:17: “I lead
thee by the way thou shouldst go.” He then had a vision
of a paradise beyond description, and then he awoke. He
began to feel that God could use even a humble farmer
to awaken the world to biblical prophecy.16
Miller had discovered the date after years of research, and
his dream seemed to lend credence to his findings. Yet he

4Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

5could not muster enough confidence to unveil to others his
awesome and incredible message.
One Saturday morning in August 1831 Miller felt the call
to tell the world about Christ’s imminent return. Still some-
what reticent, he made an apparently safe bargain with
God: he promised God that if he was ever called upon to
preach, he would preach Christ’s second coming. Since he
had never had such an invitation, the bargain seemed safe
enough. But that very day a young man arrived from nearby
Dresden, inviting him to preach the following day. Angry,
Miller refused. But his conscience bothered him. His six-
year-old daughter Lucy told her mother: “Something’s
the matter with Daddy.” Miller had gone into a grove to
pray about the invitation to preach. As Francis Nichol
summarized: “He went into the grove a farmer, and came
out a preacher.” He could not go back on his word to
God. So he hitched up his horse, and traveled the sixteen
miles to Dresden.17
From then on his life was a continual climb. Proclaiming the
imminent return of Christ dominated his life. He who had
been hesitant to face the crowds and present his urgent
message, gained such confidence as to deliver, by 1844,
some 4,500 talks to over 500,000 people. As the set time
approached, his certainty concerning the advent continued to
climb. In August 1834, he said:
The evidence is so clear, the testimony is so strong, that
we live on the eve of the present dispensation, towards the
dawn of the Glorious Day, that I wonder why ministers
and people do not wake up and trim their lamps.18
From the outset Miller’s message was controversial. Though
some admired him, others attacked him. “On some occasions
Miller’s message so enraged certain people that they planned
to take his life as he left the auditorium.”
But threats, ridicule, or censure could not turn him away
from the cause to which he devoted his whole life and honor.

6198 I Shall Come Again

7In fact, opposition simply strengthened Miller’s message of
hope. People could ridicule him, but they could not refute
his reasoning. Many were so moved by his appeals, so con-
vinced by his evidence on the appointed time of the advent,
as to count the remaining days with joyful anticipation and
preparation. Some farmers declined to plant their crops in the
spring. Others refrained from reaping their harvest in the
fall. 20 If taken to heaven, they would need heavenly, not
earthly, food.
Restoration of stolen property and payment of debts became
unusually common. A man who identified himself only as
a believer in Millerism mailed five dollars in conscience
money to the United States Treasury. Another man sent a
larger sum to a New York insurance company with a note
saying, “The Lord is at hand. This was unlawfully taken
from you, and I ask forgiveness, for the Lord has forgiven
me much.” Even the editor of the Midnight Cry, to be
sure that every obligation was taken care of, placed this
notice above his signature: “If any human being has a just
pecuniary claim against me, he is requested to inform me
instantly.”
Jesus had prophesied that before His coming the stars of
heaven would fall (Matt. 24:29). During the years of Miller’s
teaching, two heavenly events of the greatest magnitude did
occur. Dr. Robert Gale writes:
Few things did more to attract attention to the fulfillment
of Bible prophecy and thus to give impetus to Miller’s
cause than two astronomical phenomena that occurred
during the 1830’s and 1840’s…
In the early morning hours of November 13, 1833, an
unusually large meteoric shower covered much of North
America…This was the most extensive and wonderful
display of fallen stars that has ever been recorded. Thou-
sands of people viewed this event as a direct fulfillment

8Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

9of Bible prophecy, a sign of the nearness of the second
coming of Christ.
The second phenomenon occurred about ten years later,
when from February 28 to April 1, 1843, the night sky
was lighted with the most brilliant comet to appear in the
nineteenth century.22
Miller expressed his views with confidence and devotion. He
totally depended on the Scriptures as his guide and inspira-
tion. Here is a summary of his main beliefs in his own words
with the biblical references on which they rest:
I believe God has revealed the time. (Isa. 44:7, 8; Dan.
12:10; Amos 3:7; I Thess. 5:4.)
I believe many who are professors and preachers will
never believe or know the time until it comes upon them.
(Jer. 8:7; Matt. 24:50; Jer. 25:34-37.)
I believe the wise, they who are to shine as the bright-
ness of the firmament, Dan. 12:3, will understand the time.
(Eccl. 8:5; Dan. 12:10; Matt. 24:43-45; 25:6-10; I Thess.
5:4; I Peter 1:9-13.)
I believe the time can be known by all who desire to
understand and to be ready for his coming. And I am
fully convinced that some time between March 21st,
1843, and March 21st, 1844, according to the Jewish
mode of computation of time, Christ will come, and bring
all his saints with him; and that then he will award every
man as his works shall be (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12).23
Based on the Jewish computation of time, the revelation of
the Báb occurred on May 23, 1843, ten months before the
closing of Miller’s deadline. Based on the Christian calendar,
His revelation occurred on May 23, 1844. (More about this
later.)
Miller discovered the appointed time by making extensive
studies of prophecies throughout the whole Bible, from
Leviticus to Revelation, and they all pointed to the same date.

10200 I Shall Come Again

1years. He had endured the most severe trials all for the
reward of seeing his Lord and of awakening others. Only the
hope of meeting his Lord could give him the strength and
the courage to continue. In his own words:
What then will be my feelings, when faith will end in
sight, and hope in fruition?…No more a stranger in this
giddy world…no more to meet the scoffs of friends or
foes…My soul rejoices when I think a few more days, at
most, and all these scenes will be forgotten in the eternal
sunshine of his glory. Why not begin the song of everlast-
ing gratitude to God for this blessed hope.24
This is how the Millerites approached the hour of their
expectation:
Those who truly believed Christ was going to come had
made a heart preparation for the event that they expected
to be theirs throughout all eternity. Their worldly cares
were largely forgotten during the weeks immediately pre-
ceding the expected Advent, and they examined closely
every thought and emotion as if it were to be their last.
According to Miller’s reckoning, March 21, 1844, was the
last day of the prophetic period within which Christ must
come. At last the great day arrived! The Lord could come
during the early-morning hours. But the sun crossed the
meridian, the morning passed, and He did not come.
Only the afternoon remained. It too passed. The evening
came, and still the believers waited—waited and hoped
and prayed. He must come before midnight! But, alas,
midnight too passed. The next morning came, and still Christ
had not come.
The bitterness—the galling bitterness—of that disappoint-
ment can be fully appreciated only by those who experi-

2their Lord was added the ridiculing and scoffing of the
unbelievers who now reveled in their seeming triumph.25
What of Miller? “Few men have been called to endure so
great an amount of reproach…and few could have endured it
as he did.” 26 But Miller’s disappointment had not yet reached
its climax. The galling, climactic disappointment came a few
months later, on October 22. After his first disappointment,
Miller reluctantly consented to move his deadline a few
months forward to October 22, 1844. Again to his utter
astonishment, the heavenly descent of the expected Savior did
not materialize.
Early on the morning of October 22, 1844, most Millerites
gathered in their churches to await the Advent. In com-
munities where there were no church buildings the people
met in the homes of various believers…Many Adventists
gathered in the large auditorium in Cincinnati…there were
1,200 inside the building, with another 300 outside. The
people were “very orderly,” and there was “less excitement”
than the reporter had expected. The minister…preached
…his last warning to a sinful world. The meeting was
closed before nine o’clock, and the people were advised
to go to their homes, there to await the expected Advent
that many felt would occur at midnight.27
What was the drama in store for the remaining hours of
that unforgettable day? Would the adored Redeemer at last
descend from behind the clouds of glory?
…the sun passed its zenith, and declined toward its setting.
The cloud of shining glory for which they strained their
eyes, and which they believed would bring their Lord,
did not appear. No lightning rent the sky, no earthquake
shook the land, no trumpet smote the ear. The westering
sun went down silently but relentlessly upon their dis-
appearing hopes. Darkness covered the land, and gloom—
irrepressible gloom—settled down upon the waiting,

3Men and women wept unashamedly, for their Lord had
not come.28
After the Disappointment, Hiram Edson, who had constantly
proclaimed “the year of the Lord,” expressed the overwhelming
despondency and sadness of the people in these words:
Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such
a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced
before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could
have been no comparison. We wept, and wept.29
Then he asked:
If this, the richest and brightest of all my Christian expe-
riences, had proved a failure, what was the rest of my
Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure?
Is there no God, no heaven, no paradise? Is all this but a
cunningly devised fable?
Another Adventist, Washington Morse, described that unfor-
gettable day in these terms:
That day came and passed, and the darkness of another
night closed in upon the world. But with that darkness
came a pang of disappointment to the Advent believers
that can find a parallel only in the sorrow of the disciples
after the crucifixion of their Lord. The passing of the time
was a bitter disappointment…And now, to turn again to the
cares, perplexities, and dangers of life, in full view of
jeering and reviling unbelievers who scoffed as never

1After the disappointment, people tried to reexamine the
prophecies. They could have erred, they thought, in two ways:

2Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

3• By miscalculating the date
• By misjudging the event
First they reexamined their calculations and could find no
error:
…they could detect no error in their reckoning of the
prophetic periods. The ablest of their opponents had not
succeeded in overthrowing their system of prophetic inter-
pretation. They could not consent, without Bible evidence,
to renounce positions which had been reached through
earnest, prayerful study of the Scriptures…positions which
had withstood the most searching criticism and the most
bitter opposition of popular religious teachers
Then they reexamined the prophecies to see if they could
have erred in judging the event. Here they found themselves
divided. Some of them lost their faith and hope altogether.
They could not believe in a God whose promises could fail:
In a letter to a friend, Miller said that on the day after the
Disappointment it seemed as though all the demons in the
bottomless pit had been turned loose upon the believers.
Some, who had been begging for mercy two days before,
were now mixing with the rabble, mocking and scoffing
in a most blasphemous way.33
Others found the belief in an invisible return most plausible.
So they said that Christ did come as promised, but no one
was able to see Him. But if no one could see Him, people
wondered, for what purpose did He come?
Still others—perhaps the largest group—supported Hiram
Edson’s view that the advent was heavenly, not earthly. They
claimed that in 1844 Christ entered “the most Holy place of
the Heavenly Sanctuary to carry on His work as high priest.”
Edson’s explanation left many questions unanswered (see
Chapter 10, and Appendix I), but it served a vital purpose in
saving many believers from rejecting their faith. It bestowed

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5hope on those who could not deny the accuracy of the date.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a living proof of that
hope. By accepting this new interpretation, they could still set
their faith in the Scriptures and their eyes on heaven. After
“the Great Disappointment,” the Adventists kept alight the
lamp of hope, but unfortunately quenched the flaming fire of
search. The Seventh-day Adventists have continued to believe
to this day that 1844 marked the earliest time that Christ
could have come.34
Many did not accept Edson’s explanation, including Miller.
To the end he believed that all the date-prophecies, including
the prophecy of 2300 days, point to the physical return of
Christ to our planet. Fifteen reasons are presented in Appendix
I to prove Miller’s sound judgment.
Miller never gave up the hope of seeing Christ return. In spite
of the Disappointment, he continued to teach the imminent
advent of the Lord. He never wavered in his beliefs, because
he had full confidence in God’s promises. Towards the end
of his life he wrote:
Were I to live my life over again, with the same evidence
that I then had, to be honest with God and man I should
have to do as I have done.35
And again:
Although I have been twice disappointed, I am not yet
cast down or discouraged…My hope in the coming of
Christ is as strong as ever. I have done only what, after
years of solemn consideration, I felt it my solemn duty to
do. If I have erred, it has been on the side of charity, love,
to my fellow men, and conviction of duty to God.36
Miller’s final admonition was:
Avoid everything that shall cause offenses. Let your lives
be models of goodness and propriety. Avoid unnecessary
controversy. God will raise up those to whom He will
commit the direction of His cause.37

6Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

7In the spring of 1845, he wrote:
I have reckoned all the time I can. I must now wait and
watch until he is graciously pleased to answer the 10,000
prayers that daily and nightly ascend his holy hill, ‘Come,
Lord Jesus, come quickly.’
Again he wrote:
The fatigue of body and mind has almost unnerved this
old frame, and unfitted me to endure the burdens which
Providence calls upon me to bear…this frail life will soon
be over. My Master will soon call me home, and soon
the scoffer and I shall be in another world to render
our account before a righteous tribunal.39
Four years after the Disappointment, Miller’s sight failed and
his health took a sharp decline. Still full of hope that he
might see his adored Redeemer, he died in 1849, at the age
of 68. The inscription on his gravestone reads: “At the time
appointed the end shall be.”
Why did Miller and the multitude of his followers ultimately
fail in their search for Truth? They failed primarily because
of their extreme literalism. Had they not taken literally the
prophetic passages that point to the heavenly descent of their
Savior, they would have kept their minds open to other
possibilities, well supported in the Scriptures. For instance,
possibilities conveyed by prophecies such as:
That is the day when I come like a thief! Happy the man
who stays awake and keeps on his clothes…
Revelation 16:15 NEB
Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burn-
ing… Luke 12:35 NIV
…the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
I Thessalonians 5:2 NIV
“Keeping one’s clothes on” and “being dressed” symbolize
qualities that adorn and elevate our spirit and prepare us to

8206 I Shall Come Again

9see and recognize the truth, qualities such as: sincerity,
open-mindedness, purity of heart, patience, persistence, self-
sacrifice, self-confidence, thirst for truth, justice, courage,
faith, humility, and trust in God.
If hundreds of thousands expected the Redeemer’s advent on
a given day, and He appeared literally with earthly glory,
how would a prophecy like the following be fulfilled?
But understand this: If the owner of the house had known
at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let
his house be broken into. You also must be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not
expect him. Luke 12:39-40 NIV
Many Christians have kept their hopes aflame. Some of them
are getting impatient as they instinctively sense a delay in the
return of their Lord. They see the crops of faith and hope
becoming overripe and perishing, and wonder why they are
not being harvested. A few of them explain the delay this
way: the Harvester wants to give His servants more time to
repent, to grant them further opportunities for escape from
unbelief.
God’s delay of this event [the second Advent] is for the
purpose of giving people a chance to escape
Dr. Ray Stedman
God is holding back to give us that chance. It will not last
forever.41 C. S. Lewis
George Vandeman, perhaps the best-known contemporary
spokesman in the Seventh-day Adventist church, states:
…so far as any time prophecy is concerned, Jesus could
have returned to this earth any time after 1844. He is not
waiting for any prophetic time period to end. No time
prophecy is holding Him back. Then why hasn’t He
returned? For nearly two hundred years we have been
living in the time of the end. Why isn’t He here?
Then he responds:

10Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

11Our wonderful Lord, our compassionate, loving Saviour,
doesn’t want anyone to be lost. And so He holds up the
final flight of time, He slows the march of history—
because some have not yet made a decision. And He
doesn’t want one to be lost!
Is such a view supported by the Scriptures? Both the Old and
the New Testaments teach otherwise. They declare that the
time is fixed and unchangeable, and delay is impossible. (For
details see Chapter 17.)

1Most of those who declared that 1844 was the appointed time
of Christ’s advent came to that conclusion on the basis of
Daniel’s prophecy of 2300 days. They remained unaware of
the meaning of many other time prophecies, not only in
Daniel but in the Book of Revelation as well. Had they
known the true meaning of those other prophecies, their
anticipation and their disappointment would have reached
almost unbearable proportions; therefore, their ignorance
saved them from an even greater agony. The meaning of the
other time prophecies was destined to be unveiled decades
later by Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.
Further, if more information had been unveiled to the people
before the arrival of the appointed time, it could have led to
several other consequences. First, it would have incited many
false claims to divine Revelation. Second, it would have
interfered with people’s freedom of choice. Many would
be forced to accept their Redeemer out of fear, and the
insincere would have forcefully claimed faith and fidelity.
God in His Wisdom gives us as much evidence as He knows
we need to make a decision; no more, no less. This is one
reason why in spite of its clarity, Daniel’s vision appears
partly in the garment of signs and symbols. Instead of

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3prophesying that after 2300 years the Redeemer shall come,
it simply says that after this period “the sanctuary shall be
cleansed.”
Verily the Hour is coming—My design is to keep it
hidden—for every soul to receive its reward by the
measure of its endeavor. Qur’án, 20:15 Y
We see the veil of symbolism clothing other prophecies
(those not related to time) as well. One reason the Gospel
pointed to the heavenly descent of Christ was to discourage
false claims at the appointed time.
What would happen if it were known that Christ would come
in an ordinary way? Many people among both the devout and
the deniers would try to fulfill the prophecies in their own
or their children’s lives; some of them with the intention of
invalidating the prophecies, others with the hope of playing
a decisive role in the divine drama of the advent. It is con-
ceivable that some parents and grandparents would try to
have their offspring be born at the right time, in the right
place, and with the right name. Many mockers would advance
their claims at the designated date. Countless impostors and
false prophets would emerge at the appointed time. Many
sincere seekers of truth would be bewildered as they would
not know to whom they should turn. Prophecies would lose
their guiding power and indeed serve the opposite purpose
for which they are intended.
We see an application of this same principle in the first
advent of Christ. If the Jews knew what was meant by
“king,” some of them would try to compete with Jesus in
fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies. Again the guiding
power of those prophecies would diminish.
People were sure—and still are—that if Christ ever came, it
would be “on” the clouds. They knew that His miraculous
descent from heaven was a feat no one else could copy.
Therefore, when the appointed Hour dawned, no one except
a humble young Man in Persia—the Báb—claimed to be the

4Chapter 8: The Wise Shall Understand

5Promised One of all ages, even though hundreds of thousands
were well aware of the date. Once the date passed, the
Mystery gradually became known. After the appointed year,
deceivers could not misuse the time prophecies. For there
was—and there will always be—only one 1844 A. D.
This is an astonishing achievement in God’s kingdom, one
that a human mind never could have conceived. In each of
the two advents, two monumental goals were attained by one
word. In the first advent, that word was “king”; in the
second, that word was “heaven.” By each of them, not only
did God protect the prophecies from misuse, He tested the
hearts of His servants as well. In the first advent, that
word loomed so large as to conceal Jesus, the light of the
world, from the literal-minded Jews. Today another magical
word is presenting Christians with a challenge of a similar
magnitude.

6Cause Thy Face to Shine
Upon Thy Sanctuary
Daniel 9:17

1in the Book of Daniel. It is a prophecy without peer: it
predicts the times of both the first and second advents of
Christ, under the same continuing vision. In order to study
the relevance of this vision to the time of the second advent,
we need to study its fulfillment by the first.
The Jews have been blessed with a succession of prophets
who have enriched their Scriptures with an abundance of

2212 I Shall Come Again

3prophecies, among them those that point to the advent of
their Redeemer, Jesus. It seems improbable that they would
be informed by their prophets of some of the most detailed
accounts of future events, yet be denied the knowledge of the
most critical event in their history: the time of the advent of
their Messiah:
Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing
his plan to his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7 NIV
The Scriptures indicate that Jesus often appealed to Old
Testament prophecies to substantiate His claim:
Then he [Jesus] began with Moses and all the prophets,
and explained to them [the Jews] the passages which
referred to himself in every part of the scriptures.
Luke 24:27 NEB
If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he
wrote about me. Christ (John 5:46 NIV)
These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you
refuse to come to me to have life. Christ (John 5:39-40 NIV)
See also Acts 28:23
Daniel’s time prophecy of the first advent stands out clearly
among all those pointing to the advent of Christ. Dr. and
Mrs. Guinness in their book on chronological prophecy
describe it as:
…a prophecy which is perhaps more fundamental than any
other in the Bible, as evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was
the promised Messiah of Israel.1
Dr. Gleason Archer in Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties writes:
The prophecy of the Seventy Weeks in Daniel 9:24-27 is
one of the most remarkable long-range predictions in the
entire Bible. It is by all odds one of the most widely
discussed by students and scholars of every persuasion
within the spectrum of the Christian church. And yet when
it is carefully examined in the light of all the relevant data

4Chapter 9: Cause Thy Face to Shine Upon Thy Sanctuary

5of history and the information available from other parts
of Scriptures, it is quite clearly an accurate prediction of
the time of Christ’s coming advent and a preview of the
thrilling final act of the drama of human history before
that advent.2
Only God could have predicted the coming of His Son
with such amazing precision; it defies all rationalistic
explanation.3
Declaring Daniel’s prophecy a clear evidence of the validity of
Jesus’ claim is not new. Its relevance to the promised Messiah
of the people of Israel has been verified by countless Christian
scholars and writers, some of them as classic as Sir Isaac
Newton, others as contemporary as Hal Lindsey.
In the first half of the 19th century, a conference was held
in New York city between Christian and Jewish leaders and
scholars. One of the prophecies presented by Christians in
that conference to prove that Christ was indeed the expected
Savior of the people of Israel was Daniel’s time prophecy.
According to William Miller, the Christian scholars “explained
the 70 weeks…and asked the Jews how they could avoid the
conclusion.” The Jewish leaders and scholars could not refute
their argument.4

6Daniel’s Prophecy of 69 Weeks
The time prophecy of the first advent is revealed in a vision
to Daniel in four consecutive verses (9:24-27). Let us begin
with verse 25:
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth
of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and
three score and two weeks [7 + 62 = 69]: the street shall be
built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.E
E
The figures in the first part of this chapter are based on the traditional dates of
the ministry and crucifixion of Jesus; the figures in the latter part on the revised
dates.

7214 I Shall Come Again

8Since Messiah and Christ have the same meaning (anointed),
we could reword the prophecy this way: “From the time the
commandment concerning the restoration and rebuilding of
Jerusalem is issued until Christ the Prince, there shall be
weeks and 62 weeks” (a total of 69). Why is 69 not given
as a whole number, but divided into parts? This is done for
a definite purpose, to be examined later. Prince is also one
of Christ’s titles:
Him hath God exalted…to be a Prince and a Savior…
Acts 5:31
To decode Daniel’s vision, we need to resolve two questions:
• The length of the 69 prophetic weeks.
• Their starting point.
How long is 69 prophetic weeks? Sixty-nine weeks equals
483 days, which in Biblical prophecies equals 483 years, for
in the Scriptures each “prophetic day” equals a year:
I have appointed thee each day for a year. Ezekiel 4:6
See also Num. 14:34; Gen. 29:27-28
As Adam Clarke, a noted scholar states:
The Jews had Sabbatical years, Lev. xxv: 8, by which their
years were divided into weeks of years…each week con-
taining seven years.5
Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven
years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a
period of forty-nine years. Leviticus 25:8 NIV
Dr. Gleason Archer in Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties writes:
The word for week is “sabu,” which is derived from
“seba,” the word for “seven”…There is no doubt that in
this case we are presented with seventy sevens of years
rather than days. This leads to a total of 490 years.6
William Biederwolf in The Second Coming Bible Commentary
writes:

9Chapter 9: Cause Thy Face to Shine Upon Thy Sanctuary

10It is conceded by all [commentators] that these are weeks
of years
Leroy Froom, a Christian writer, points out that the principle
of “weeks of years” was “discerned by the Jews, at least by
the third century B. C. E. [before Common, or Christian,
Era].8 He then adds:
This principle of a day for a year was tenaciously held by
the Jews in the succeeding centuries, and came to be well-
nigh universally accepted by Christian expositors.9
Froom provides many historical references showing the
universal application of “the year-day principle” to time
prophecies by Bible scholars since biblical times. See The
Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, Volume 4, pp. 204-207.
In translating the preceding prophecy from Daniel, The
Amplified Bible actually adds the word years to the verse, but
in brackets:
Know therefore and understand that from the going forth
of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
until [the coming of] the anointed one, a prince, shall be
seven weeks [of years], and sixty-two weeks [of years]…
Daniel 9:25 AB
The second question: when is the starting point for the
prophecy? The starting point corresponds to the time when
the decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem was issued. But
since four such decrees were issued, we must first determine
which of the four was meant by Daniel’s prophecy. Uriah
Smith, a Christian scholar, in his commentary on the book
of Daniel introduces the four decrees:
• First decree: issued 536 B. C. by Cyrus. (Ez. 1:1-4).
• Second decree: issued 519 B. C. by Darius. (Ez. 6:1-12).
• Third decree: issued 457 B. C. by Artaxerexes. (Ez. 7).
• Fourth decree: issued 444 B. C. by Artaxerexes. (Neh. 2).10

11216 I Shall Come Again

12Concerning Daniel’s prophecy of 69 weeks, Uriah Smith states:
The command [referred to in the prophecy] was to include
more than mere building. There was to be restoration; by
which we must understand all the forms and regulations
of civil, political, and judicial society. When did such a
command go forth?
Then he explains that the first two decrees:
…had reference principally to the restoration of the temple
and the temple-worship of the Jews, and not to the resto-
ration of their civil state and polity, all of which must be
included in the expression, “to restore and build Jerusalem.”
These made a commencement of the work. They were
preliminary to what was afterward accomplished. But of
themselves they are altogether insufficient
Uriah Smith then presents several reasons to show that the
edict intended by the prophecy was the third, granted to Ezra;
not the fourth, granted to Nehemiah. (The third and the fourth
edicts were issued by the same king within the span of
years.) These are two of the reasons he cites:
• The grant to Nehemiah cannot be called a decree. It was
necessary that a Persian decree should be put in writing,
and signed by the king (Dan. 6:8). Such was the document
given to Ezra; but Nehemiah had nothing of the kind, his
commission being only verbal…
• There was nothing granted to Nehemiah, which was not
embraced in the decree to Ezra; while the latter had all
the forms and conditions of a decree, and was vastly more
ample in its provisions.13
George Vandeman, a noted Christian writer and orator states:
This date [457] has been confirmed by modern discoveries
in archaeology, a fact recognized by many Bible scholars.
The widely-acclaimed Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties,

13Chapter 9: Cause Thy Face to Shine Upon Thy Sanctuary

14for example, endorses the year 457 B. C. as the date for
the fulfillment of Daniel 9.14
Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary also confirms 457 as the
most likely date:
The most likely fulfillment is the decree issued to Ezra in
the seventh year of Artaxerxes I (i.e., 457 B. C.)
Aside from the reasons given, we can find a special clue in
the wording of the prophecy, pointing to the intended edict.
The restoration and building of Jerusalem, as the result of the
third edict, lasted 49 years,E or seven weeks of years. We find
the prophetic figure pointing to the advent of Jesus to be
divided in such a way as to correspond to this period:
Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth
of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem
unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [49
years], and threescore and two weeks [434 years]…
We may ask: why was the prophetic figure divided, and at
the precise point? Now if we take as the starting point the
time when the third decree was issued, we find that the
promised period of 69 weeks or 483 years culminates in the
year 27 A. D., which corresponds to about the beginning of
the last prophetic week (seven years) of Christ’s life. Here are
the calculations:

15Twenty-six years from 1 A. D. brings us to the year 27, and
not 26 A. D. For details, refer to the next chapter.

16E
See Some Answered Questions, 1981 ed., p. 41, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties,
1982 ed., p. 291, and The Second Coming Bible Commentary, p. 219.

17218 I Shall Come Again

18The Prophecy of 70 Weeks
In addition to the 69 weeks already discussed, Daniel’s vision
contains other figures:
Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon
thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an
end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and
to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the
vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Daniel 9:24
The preceding prophecy provides us with two definitive
clues: to anoint, and the most Holy. The word Christ comes
from the Greek christos, meaning anointed (the Anointed
One). Similarly, Messiah in Hebrew means anointed. Thus
this prophecy not only refers to the date of the advent of Jesus,
but also to His title Christ. Jesus fulfilled the prophecy both
literally when He was baptized (anointed) by water, and
symbolically when baptized by the Holy Spirit. Moreover, He
confirmed the fulfillment of the preceding prophecy in His
own advent: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He
has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18 NEB; Isaiah 61:1-2).
Still another clue: in Daniel’s prophecy, the anointed One is
also called the most Holy. Who else but the divine Redeemer
is deserving of such an exalted title and honor?
What do the words seal up imply? A seal is a sign of con-
firmation or approval. Two of the modern translations of the
Bible use other substitutes for this word. The New American
Bible uses ratify, the Modern Language Bible uses confirm.
The following verse further clarifies the point: “He that hath
received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true”
(John 3:33).
The prophecy of 69 weeks points to the beginning of the
time of redemption; the prophecy of 70 weeks designates the
end of that opportunity. The prophecy of 70 weeks reminds