Who Has The Right

1to Interpret the Bible?

1the significance and meaning of Christ’s directive that, “Ye shall
know them by their fruits.” He was asked if the truth of a religion
should be judged simply by that standard, by the good fruits a
Messenger or Prophet produces. He said, “We cannot accept a
religion simply because it produces good fruits. Its theology must
also be correct.” What he implied was this: to be credible, it is not
sufficient for a Redeemer to produce an abundance of good fruits
as an evidence of His Claim. He must also present a theology or an
interpretation that the “mainstream” Christians or that particular
leader will consider correct!
This raises a serious question. How can anyone claim to have the
correct theology, when we know that every human being is fallible,
and that there are so many schools of interpretation?
Dr. Robert Lightner, a distinguished and highly respected Christian
scholar and professor of systematic theology at Dallas Theological
Seminary, has written a book to promote reconciliation among
supporters of various schools of prophecy within orthodox
Christianity. His book—The Last Day Handbook—does not
address the differences between Catholics and Protestants, or
between unorthodox denominations within the Protestant church,
but only between evangelicals, the ones who “embrace the historic
orthodox Christian faith.”

2For those who do not have time to study countless books of
prophecy, it may be revealing to know the attitudes of
distinguished theologians, who by their education specialize in
interpreting the Word of God, and by their position wield
enormous power over the spiritual lives of millions of believers.
Dr. Lightner writes:
The fact is that soon after the apostles passed from the earthly
scene, differences developed over end times. The battle has
raged among evangelicals at least since the third century…
For the most part, theologians, educators, authors, and preachers
are the ones wielding the weapons…
How goes the battle? The furor over the future is a battle of
words, but behind the fighting words there are attitudes and
feelings that reflect some deep seated differences.
When strong differences are expressed, each side inevitably
accuses the other of being unfair and of misrepresentation
It is understandable that objections will be raised by opposing
sides of an issue. Honest differences will always exist as long as
there are two people around. But differences and disagreements
develop into open warfare when slander of people and views,
unsupportable accusations, judgments of motives, name calling,
and insinuations are used against those with whom we differ.
When this happens, Christian principles are discarded and
carnality rules the day. The works of the flesh, not the fruit of
the Spirit, are manifest, and honest differences on an issue such
as eschatology cannot be expressed without the smell of gunfire
and below-the-belt blows…Adherents of each of the views of
future events are guilty of unfairness. All the bullets have not
been fired from the guns of one particular side.2
The question is this: if theologians are at war, what are the laymen
supposed to believe? How can they decide who is right and who is
wrong? Is it wise to leave one’s eternal destiny in the hands of the
people who assume the positions of leadership, but are as confused
as everyone else? Is it prudent to let people, who are subject to
every human weakness, decide what others are supposed to
believe?

3There are various systems of theology, with various subsystems in
each system, and various shades of opinion among the supporters
of each subsystem! In his book, Dr. Lightner introduces the
following nine systems or schools of interpretation:
• Amillennialism • Posttribulationism
• Postmillennialism • Pretribulationism
• Premillennialism • Antidispensationalism
• Midtribulationism • Dispensationalism3
• Partial Rapturism
What is the basis of the differences in the various systems of
interpretation concerning the end-time prophecies? The core of all
the differences lies in this principle: which prophecies are literal,
which prophecies are symbolic. That is all! Some schools lean
toward the literal, others toward the symbolic, and still others take
a middle position. Almost every difference in interpretation can be
traced to the literal-symbolic question. If that could be resolved,
almost all the differences between various schools of interpretation
within Christianity and between Bahá’í and Christian
interpretations would be resolved.
As Dr. Lightner writes:
All evangelicals do use the literal method for their
understanding of most of the Bible, but some…think it best to
use a less than literal hermeneutic [the art or science of
interpretation] with much unfulfilled prophecy. It is at this point
that the evangelical world is divided over things to come and
this is what puts prophecy in the middle of the debate.4
It is astounding how one principle of interpretation can separate so
many people; how one difference of viewpoint can exert so much
impact on the spiritual life of humankind. Is not the diversity of
opinion among experts an evidence that deciphering prophecy
requires more wisdom than human beings can acquire? Should not
this observation instill humility in every believer, in every Bible
teacher and scholar?

4Dr. Lightner then asks this question: Why is there such a diversity
of interpretation among the various schools of interpretation? Why
do the interpreters of prophecy differ in their views so
passionately? In response, he offers fourteen reasons. Consider the
following:
• Not knowing, yet failing to admit ignorance.
• Overestimating or exaggerating the passages that support
one’s views.
• Misrepresenting the facts.
• Acting selfishly for personal gain.
• Being stubborn in one’s views.5
The faults described by Dr. Lightner reminds us of human
weaknesses. They show how the forces of emotions can subdue
and defeat the forces of reason. It was those same forces that
caused the people of Israel to deny their Lord. It is those same
weaknesses that have caused wars throughout the ages.
Even among conservative Christians, who are literalists and
ultraliteralists, there is a wide variety of views about the Second
Advent. Christian scholar William Cox asks: “Since all
conservative men use essentially the same method of interpreting
Scripture, then how is it that they end up with such divergent views
on the millennium? Does the Bible…actually give five completely
different accounts of the millennium?”6 He then responds by
saying that the conflicting accounts of the end-time prophecies
result from this problem: the highly literal-minded interpreters use
certain passages of the Scripture “in order to justify [their]
preconceived unscriptural presuppositions.”7 Is this not exactly
what the Pharisees did?
• They were highly literal-minded.
• They interpreted their prophecies to fit their expectations.
William Cox then criticizes the extreme literalism prevalent among
many Christians. He asks the interpreters of the Word of God to
learn from the examples of history:

5It is indeed a dangerous thing for anyone to wax hyperliteral—
especially in dealing with highly figurative language found in
some parts of the Bible.
Hyperliteralism is the same interpretation given to certain
passages from the Old Testament by the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.
It was this method of interpretation that, humanly speaking,
kept them from recognizing the Christ as the Hope of Israel.
Hyperliteralism kept them from seeing that the unfulfilled
promises of the Old Testament were…fulfilled through the
Christian church. Rabbinism [Rabbinical teachings and
traditions] is still with us today, in modern garb.
The non-believing Jews expected their Messiah to appear and to
set up a kingdom. And this belief was based on the Scriptures.
However, their hyperliteral interpretation of the Old Testament
blinded their eyes to the genuine kingdom and kept them from
recognizing the real king. The Messiah did come into the world,
and he did establish his kingdom; or, rather he manifested a new
phase of the on-going eternal kingdom of God.
The Jews expected a warrior-type Messiah who would inflict
vengeance on their enemies and place Jews in chosen places of
leadership. To their dismay Jesus did not Come into Jerusalem
on a white charger, but rather he entered the city on a lowly
donkey. And he went about as a physician—healing even
Gentiles! And he taught them to love their enemies and to do
good to those who hated them. Away with such a “messiah!”
This cannot be the Messiah of our Talmud…Indeed. Mr.
Pharisee, you are correct. Jesus was not the “messiah” of the
Talmud. But he was, and is, the Messiah predicted in the
language (oftentimes figurative language) of the Old Testament.
And, while his kingdom was a disappointment to hyperliteral
interpreters of the Old Testament, it was indeed the fulfillment
of the kingdom predicted therein.8
The most valuable part of an orange is its juice, not its skin. Christ
was offering the juice, the Pharisees were worrying about the skin.
That type of thinking is common to all ages and in all circles. “A
minister was saying that God knows what is best for us. We are
like flowers. ‘You know roses grow best in sunlight, but fuchsias

6require shade to grow.’ he said. A woman came up to him bubbling
over with praise. ‘Pastor, that was just a wonderful sermon. I never
could figure out just what was wrong with my fuchsias!’“

1• Human beings are used to literal language. People do not say,
“If you do this, you will never die.” or “I will raise you up.”
or “If you drink this you will never thirst.” They tend to
translate the prophetic symbols into their common everyday
language. People tend to think on their own level, just as a
child thinks like a child.
• Thinking in literal terms is easier. It requires less effort and
less imagination.
• Literal thinking glamorizes one’s desired Redeemer. People
love to be associated with someone powerful, who comes
and destroys all evil in an instant. It is hard to brag about a
poor, suffering Savior.
• Literal language takes the responsibility away from the
believer and gives it to God. It sends this message, “I don’t
have to do anything. I do not have to ‘watch’ or look for
Him. He will make Himself known to me by his supernatural
powers. My only responsibility is to wait and be patient.”
• Literal thinking favors the religious leaders. It allows them to
stay in power.
• Literal interpretation of prophecies gives people a sense of
superiority over the unbelievers and the skeptics. They can
daydream about the day when they will suddenly be lifted or
raptured to heaven, while the skeptics watch in disbelief,
remorse, grief, and anger at their own foolishness and lack of
faith. People would like their last words to their nonbelieving
friends and relatives to be “I told you so! Now it is too late!”
As we can see, everything is stacked in favor of literal thinking. No
wonder so many people feel so proud of being literalists. It gives
them a sense of security, superiority, and power.

2dangerous disease. The desire to see one’s hero become victorious
over his bitter and mocking enemies is so tempting and so strong
that even Peter, perhaps Christ’s greatest disciple, fell into that
trap. He was among the most spiritual, most devoted, and wisest of
people who have ever lived. If that was not the case, Christ would
not have called him the rock, the foundation of His church. Note
the supreme honors Christ bestowed on him:
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of
Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;
whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:15-19
Yet in spite of all these honors, in spite of all his spiritual gifts,
Peter could not free himself from the tempting trap of triumph. He
was unwilling to see His Master suffer. He refused to believe
Christ’s repeated warnings that suffering and death, not victory,
was in store for Him. His attachment to wishful thinking and his
desire for worldly victory was so strong that he rebuked his own
Master. That attachment and attitude angered Christ to such an
extent that He called him by a word worthy of the meanest and
lowest human beings. He called him Satan:
From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the
elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be
killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside
and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall
never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Out of
my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not
have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 16:21-23

3was the name by which the Master called one of His most beloved
disciples. Peter, “the rock of the church” turned into “a stumbling
block” because he shifted his thinking from God’s standards to
human standards. He was unable to detach himself from what his
ancestors had believed for centuries: “Our Messiah will come with
great glory to liberate us and lift us to power and prosperity” just
as many Christians think today. This one lesson alone should
awaken all literal-minded interpreters of the Word of God from the
centuries-old dreams of triumph. It should set them free from the
easiest and most tempting trap to fall into: quick and painless
victory.
The use of such a strong term by Christ, especially about a most
beloved disciple, shows how dangerous it is to be attached to
human desires, which always revolve around earthly gains and
glories. The bridge to this desire is always created and sustained by
a literal understanding of spiritual truths. Yet this dangerous and
contagious disease continues, on a vast scale, among the followers

1not suit your eyes? That is what happens when we use human
standards to understand the Scriptures, when we try to see through
human lens instead of God’s. And what we see is always distorted
by what we wish to see. The problem is that we gradually get used
to the distortion. Eventually the distortion were accepted and
recognized as reality and reality as distortion. This is why
Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb ask us again and again to put aside what
we have, to detach ourselves from the accumulated distortions of
centuries:
Cast away that which ye possess, and, on the wings of
detachment, soar beyond all created things. Thus biddeth you
the Lord of creation, the movement of Whose Pen hath
revolutionized the soul of mankind.9 Bahá’u’lláh

2all kinds of assumptions and suppositions, which we regard as the
truth, then how can we find any space for new knowledge?
…empty thyself of all learning, that thou mayest partake of My
knowledge; and sanctify thyself from riches, that thou mayest
obtain a lasting share from the ocean of My eternal wealth.
Blind thine eyes, that is, to all save My beauty; stop thine ears
to all save My word; empty thyself of all learning save the
knowledge of Me; that with a clear vision, a pure heart and an
attentive ear thou mayest enter the court of My holiness.10
Bahá’u’lláh
When we are continually exposed to certain beliefs for years and
decades, we become so accustomed to them that they appear to us
not as a truth but as the truth. Dr. Lightner’s analysis of the root
causes of divisiveness among the leaders of the orthodox Christian
faith returns us to reality, reminds us of our vulnerability, and of
the weaknesses that always find a way of hiding behind the facade
of conformity, convenience, tradition, and popularity. We all like to
believe that we are right. Yet we suffer from many hidden
weaknesses, that can undermine our assumptions of rightness.
Awareness of our weaknesses is essential; it instills humility in our
soul.
What people believe almost always is what they have been told.
What would be your beliefs if all your life you were told that
Christ will come like a thief in the night, and that you must always
search for the news of His coming? You would be quite watchful
and curious. You would not instantly dismiss the news of the
coming of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. But since theologians have
always reminded you of the heavenly descent of Christ, you are
now less open, less curious, and less watchful. You do not believe
you have a responsibility to search for your Master. In your heart
you say, “He will search for me. All I need to do is to go to my
church and hear what my pastor says. If anyone knows, he will be
the one.” This belief takes all your initiative away from you, and
leaves everything in the hand of your pastor. He in turn looks up to
other pastors, to the famous and respectable religious leaders, and
to the professors of theology with expertise in Hebrew and Greek
and a long list of publications.

3become attached to our spiritual possessions. The longer the period
of possession, the stronger our attachment. Our sentiment for the
past is sometimes so strong that gradually our old possessions
become precious antiques. A church had a difficult problem. An
old man refused to listen to any translation of the Bible except the
King James Version. As he put it, “If the King James Version was
good enough for St. Paul, it’s good enough for me.”
Take any question that does not involve symbolism or mystery and
you will see a vast difference of views among the interpreters.
When it comes to the meaning of prophecies, the difference
increases even more, because prophecies often involve symbolism.
An excellent source that demonstrates this wide diversity of
interpretation among theologians is The Second Coming Bible
Commentary by Christian scholar William Biederwolf. It is a 728-
page reference packed with dizzying facts on how various schools
of theology on both sides of the Atlantic have interpreted the
biblical prophecies. It is a summary of hundreds of volumes of
interpretation, the result of 10 years of continuous study by its
author. I have read it with great care for personal study, especially
when I was working on my six volumes of prophecies about the

1Is it wise to reject a religion that produces an abundance of good
fruits and fulfills hundreds of literal prophecies, because its
theology differs from one’s own? Is it reasonable to ignore the
countless evidences of divine power in Bahá’u’lláh because His
biblical interpretation varies from that of the “orthodox”
interpretation, from the views of professors of theology, or certain
doctrines of one’s own denomination?
Without the light of knowledge shed by the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh,
one can quickly get lost in the vast tangle of theological thoughts

2countless interpreters.
In the realm of religion it is hard to find any ‘rhymes or reasons.’
“A mother was very busy getting her four children dressed. Her
three-year-old son walked into the kitchen with tears in his eyes
and two mismatched socks in his hand. ‘What’s wrong?’ his
mother asked. He looked at her and said, ‘Mom, I can’t find any
socks that rhyme.’”
When we examine the main reason behind why many Christians
reject Bahá’u’lláh, we find this: His biblical interpretation does
not conform to theirs! If those who ignore or deny Bahá’u’lláh’s
call set aside that one expectation and assumption, they will behold
such divine power and such glory and splendor in His life and
teachings as to be dumbfounded. Consider the analogy Bahá’u’lláh
uses. He states that a veil as small as an eyelid conceals the
splendors of the sun. That little eyelid, in this case, is this
enormous assumption: my own or the “mainstream” or “orthodox”
interpretation of prophecies is correct. Can any scientist—whether
in the social or the physical sciences—start with that assumption?
Religion is perhaps the most subjective of all fields of knowledge.
How then can we then make an exception about religion?
Please pause and ponder this point in your heart as long as you
like, until you can see the fallacy of reasoning when people start
with that assumption, and treat the most challenging and most
critical question in their lives so casually and unreasonably. How
can anyone who starts with the assumption of “I am absolutely
right!” and “There is no other solution!” be open-minded, and
therefore be able to find the truth?
We offered a free copy of I Shall Come Again to all religious
leaders in our community. Only one of them responded to our
offer. Why did they ignore our offer of a free book on proofs of
Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation? The main reason was this: they knew
they were right. Why should they waste their precious lives
studying falsehood? They were happy with the truth in their
possession, so why should they take a risk? To them, it does not
matter what fruits Bahá’u’lláh has produced, what prophecies He
has fulfilled, and what other wonders He has accomplished. The

3only thing that matters to them is this: have their favorite—and
unearthly—theories of how Christ returns been fulfilled? Anyone
who deviates from their theories is not worth investigating.

1their interpretation of the Bible, ignore the very words of the Bible.
For they are told:
But first note this: no one can interpret any prophecy of
Scripture by himself. II Peter 1:20
Therefore 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 [emphasis added
throughout]. I Corinthians 4:5
Who has true knowledge of “what is hidden”?
Every hidden thing hath been brought to light by virtue of the
Will of the Supreme Ordainer…11 Bahá’u’lláh
I testify that, through Thy Revelation, the things hidden in the
Books of God have been revealed, and that whatsoever hath
been recorded by Thy Messengers in the sacred Scriptures hath
been fulfilled.12 Bahá’u’lláh
Through His potency everything that hath, from time
immemorial, been veiled and hidden, is now revealed.13
Bahá’u’lláh
God keeps many secrets, especially about prophecies:
…the words are kept secret and sealed till the time of the end.
Daniel 12:9
Who can remove the seal of secrecy except God Himself ?
Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll? But no
one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the
scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one
was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.
Revelation 5:2,4

2earth nor of heaven could decode them. And they are so sacred that
no one—neither on earth nor in heaven—was worthy even to
glance at them. Yet thousands of Bible teachers and interpreters
claim to have decoded them, to have discovered their true
meaning.
Why did John weep? Because of the lack of spiritual capacity in
people. The crying is specially justified when those people, who
should acknowledge their ignorance before God with utter humility
and contrition, claim to know the secrets—secrets so well guarded
that even the heavenly hosts could not decipher them.
Dr. Lightner offers this insight to all seekers of the true meaning of
prophecy:
If the Bible were as clear in its teaching of the details and order
of events for the future as it is on what a man must do to be
born again, there would be less room for different views on the
subject. But God in His wisdom has not seen fit to present all
truth in the same way and to the same extent. He has chosen to
give us some things in broad outline, with less emphasis upon
the specific details. We need to respect the silence of God as
much as we do His spoken word.14
How can we respect God’s silence on the specifics in prophecy?
By being humble and open-minded, by heeding His warning that
we do not have the wisdom to “bring to light what is hidden in
darkness,” and that the wisdom of revealing the hidden words of
God is given only to the One who comes in the name of the Lord.
The one who has the wisdom and the right to interpret the Word of
God has come. He declares to be the Lord, the desired One of all
nations, and He supports His claim by conclusive evidence: by

1Just as it is taught in the Gospel, Bahá’u’lláh declares that only He
knows the true interpretation of prophecies, for His knowledge is
not from Himself but from God, that His interpretation should not

2be judged by His, for His Word is the Word of God:
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.
The eye of My loving-kindness weepeth sore over you,
inasmuch as ye have failed to recognize the One upon Whom ye
have been calling in the daytime and in the night season, at even
and at morn…
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.15 Bahá’u’lláh
The Báb declares the same message:
Were all the peoples of the world to testify unto a thing and
were He to testify unto another, His testimony will be regarded
as God’s testimony, while aught else but Him hath been and
will ever be as naught; for it is through His might that a thing
assumeth existence.16 The Báb
…His revealed Word is the Balance.17 The Báb
Bahá’u’lláh has brought the light that reveals the inner meaning of
all mysteries, He has shed light on “every hidden thing.” Yet most
people allow human judgment and human standards to veil their
vision, to prevent them from seeing the light of true knowledge.
The only difference between Bahá’u’lláh’s and Christians’
interpretation of prophecies is this: Christians, as a whole, take
virtually all the prophecies literally, Bahá’u’lláh states that some of
them are symbolic. That is the only difference. Those who deny
Bahá’u’lláh do not look at the hundreds of literal prophecies He

3they notice that He has not fulfilled some of their favorite ones—
such as coming from heaven, raising the dead, or rapturing the
believers—in the way they interpret them: literally. Please note the
following statement, because it sheds the most illuminating and
brilliant light on your path of the search for truth: If you wish to
test Bahá’u’lláh by the Word of the Bible you have only one right:
to see that all prophecies about Him have been fulfilled either
literally or symbolically. No human being, other than the One who
speaks the Word of God, has the right or the wisdom to know
which is which. Do you believe you have the wisdom to know?

1signs. On the one hand, they referred to the coming of a powerful
and liberating king like David, and on the other, to the coming of a
suffering servant. Christian scholars are unanimous in relating
these sets of prophecies to the Advent of Christ:

2Suffering Servant Liberating King
He was despised and I will raise up your offspring to
rejected by men, a man succeed you, one of your own
of sorrows, and familiar sons…I will establish his throne
with suffering. Like one forever. I will be his father, and he
from whom men hide will be my son…I will set him over
their faces, he was my house and my kingdom
despised, and we forever; his throne will be
esteemed him not. established forever.
I Chronicles 17:11-14
But you Bethlehem…out of you
will come for me one who will be
ruler over Israel… Micah 5:2

3not fulfilled the prophecies, that He was not a king, Christ simply
said that, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John
18:36). He showed that He was a spiritual king, not an earthly one,
and that the prophecies about the coming of a liberating king were
all symbolic, that His earthly glory would become manifest later:
How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that
the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer
these things and then enter his glory? Christ (Luke 24:25-26)
Did the Jewish theologians accept His interpretation? Of course
not. Why not? Because they started with the assumption that they
were right, that they knew what the prophecies meant. What
credentials did they have for their claims? None. What credentials
did Christ have? He fulfilled every prophecy either literally or
symbolically. And He claimed to speak only the Word of God,
exactly as Bahá’u’lláh does. Let us now put this reasoning to the
test once again, but this time about the Second Advent. Look at

1Christ (Rev. 3:2-3) Man coming on the
It will be good for those servants clouds of the sky, with
whose master finds them watching power and great glory.
when he comes. Christ (Luke 12:37) Christ (Matt. 24:31)

2…don’t let him find you sleeping.
Christ (Mark 13:36)
The day of the Lord will come like a
thief in the night… I Thessalonians 5:2
Unto them that look for him shall he
appear the second time. Hebrews 9:28

3Obviously these prophecies seem to be opposite to one another. A
person cannot come both like a thief in the night, and appear in the
sky for all to observe. Do we need any warning to stay awake and

4who comes secretly? Do the sun and the moon appear only to those
who look for them or do they appear to everyone?
Let us see if we can reconcile the apparent contradiction.
Bahá’u’lláh states that He has come from the heaven of divine
revelation and that we must see His great glory with our inner
eyes, with our hearts, and that anyone who looks at Him with an
unclouded eye can see His great glory and power as he can see the
sun. His interpretation indicates that, in this case, both heaven and
seeing are symbolic. They point to the spiritual world, not the
physical. Everyone who has an inner eye can readily see the
resplendent light and glory of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh descending
like two brilliant Suns from the heaven of the new Revelation.
Bahá’u’lláh also offers this statement:
He, verily, hath again come down from heaven, even as He
came down from it the first time. Beware lest ye dispute that
which He proclaimeth, even as the people before you disputed
His utterances. Thus instructeth you the True One, could ye but
perceive it.18
What does Bahá’u’lláh mean by saying to Christians: “as the
people before you disputed His utterance?” It seems He means the
Pharisees who argued with Him when He came in the Spirit of
Christ; when Bahá’u’lláh, the Glory of God, appeared under the
name of Jesus Christ. How did the Pharisees argue at that time?
Christ: I have come from heaven… (John 6:38)
Pharisees: 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)
What an amazing similarity between the Pharisees of yesterday
who argued with Christ and literal-minded Christians of today who
argue with Bahá’u’lláh! The exact same objection that was raised
2,000 years ago is being raised today.
Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the Spirit of God, “I go away,
and come again unto you”? Wherefore, then, did ye fail, when
He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven, to draw

5nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them
that attained His Presence?19 Bahá’u’lláh

1The Bible is a rich reservoir of symbols, metaphors, parables,
similes, and allegories. As Christian scholar, Herbert Lockyer
notes:
Scripture is rich in symbolism…The Eastern mind has ever
been pictorial, and as the Bible is an Eastern book, it is but
natural that it should abound in figurative language.20
Jesus often spoke in metaphoric or spiritual language:
I have told you these things in parables (veiled language,
allegories, dark saying). Christ (John 16:25 Amplified Bible)
We are asked to discern the Word of God spiritually because He
often speaks in that language:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come
from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
I Corinthians 2:14 NIV
The following diagram offers a portrait of God’s metaphoric or
spiritual language:

1hear will listen… Isaiah 32:2

2The physical world is a shadow of the spiritual. Both
have heavens (religions), suns (divine Messengers),
stars (religious leaders who shine but lose their light
when the new Sun rises), clouds (illusions,
superstitions, and impurities), rain (God’s bounties and
blessings), earth (the receiver of blessings—the human
heart), water (spiritual life), sea (masses of people),
city of God (spiritual civilization), storms (tests and
trials), darkness (lack of faith), and cycles (the rise and
decline of religions).
When the spiritual world is polluted, God makes “all
things new.” He renews the earth and the heaven.
The inner eye is blocked from seeing the light by
clouds: lack of desire, emotional attachment to one’s
beliefs, conformity, dependency on religious leaders,
and fear of the unfamiliar.

3tree (God’s Messengers), fruits (what the Messengers produce),
weeds (people who grow in God’s garden but do not belong there),
stone (unreceptive and unyielding hearts), sand (unreliable
foundation), salt (the true believers who are not corrupted), bread
(the Word of God), water (spiritual life), blood (life-giving force),
dove (innocent), snake (tricky, tempting, wise), dog (mean people),
adulterous (disloyal), clothes (spiritual attributes), wing (divine
assistance), bride (religion), Bridegroom (divine Messengers), and
children (pure, humble, and innocent).
Some of these symbols may have many specific meanings.

1Gardener plants the tree. God sends the Messenger.
Gardener protects and God protects and reveals His
nourishes the tree. Word to the Messenger.
A tree faces many dangers. The Messenger faces cruel
crowds.
A good tree bears good The true prophet brings good
fruits, while a bad tree teachings, while the false
bears bad fruits. prophet brings bad teachings.
A tree grows little by little. A Messenger starts with a few
supporters. Their number grows
little by little.
A healthy tree thrives, a The influence of the true
sick tree dies. Messenger endures, that of a
false one dies.
A tree receives rain from The Messenger receives
heaven. blessings from God.
A tree receives support The Messenger receives support
from the earth. from people.

1by planting its seed. religion by sending a new
Messenger.
The new tree may be God’s Messengers may come
planted in a different place from different places and look
and look different, but it is different, but they reveal the
the same tree. same truth.

1are Symbolic?
Let us see who has the authority to judge if heaven, eye, and
seeing are symbolic or literal.• “Let us reason together, saith the
Lord” (Isaiah 1:18). God gave us the power of reasoning and He
wants us to use it. Religion should not be an exception. If we set
reason aside, all we have are illusions and emotions. In that case,
no belief is inherently right or wrong. The only standard is how a
person feels about an issue. If it feels right to join a cult, then a cult
is as good as any other belief system. That is how most people live:
by emotions, illusions, and assumptions. But God wants us to use
the magnificent gift of the mind He has given us:
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the hope that you have. I Peter 3:15
First and foremost among these favors, which the Almighty
hath conferred upon man, is the gift of understanding. His
purpose in conferring such a gift is none other except to enable
His creature to know and recognize the one true God—exalted
be His glory. This gift giveth man the power to discern the truth
in all things, leadeth him to that which is right, and helpeth him
to discover the secrets of creation.21 Bahá’u’lláh

2•
If you wish to know the reasons why such seemingly opposite signs are given,
see I Shall Come Again.

3greatest theologians in history with those of Christ and
Bahá’u’lláh. What authority has God given to that theologian,
other than declaring that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God” (Romans 3:23)? Can any theologian be exempt from
sinning, from being wrong, from falling short of the glory of God?
Obviously not!
Now let us look at Bahá’u’lláh’s credentials. First, He claims to be
the Glory of God and to speak only the Word of God exactly as
Christ did. And in support of His claim He fulfills over 1,800
prophecies, some of them literally, others symbolically. Many of
those 1,800 prophecies are literal. (See I Shall Come Again, Lord
of Lords, and King of Kings.) Those three volumes demonstrate the
literal fulfillment of countless biblical prophecies by the Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh. Then who is more credible? The theologian who has
no evidence for inerrancy, and no proof that he speaks the truth
other than just making an assumption, or Bahá’u’lláh who not only
fulfills hundreds of literal prophecies, but also produces an
abundance of the most wonderful and magnificent fruits?
Who then is more credible? The one who is told that he has no
right to cling to a given, private interpretation, and that he must
wait for the Lord to “bring to light what darkness hides,” or the
One who claims to be the Lord and as evidence of His divine
mission clarifies and harmonizes all the prophecies of the past?
(For an evidence of this, see The Book of Certitude by
Bahá’u’lláh.)
The difference between the position of Bahá’u’lláh and the greatest
theologian in history is like the difference between the sun in all its
splendor and a flickering candle. Once again, “Let us reason
together, saith the Lord.” Who would you trust? Whose
interpretation would you accept? In whose hand would you entrust
your eternal destiny? In the hands of a theologian who is as fallible
as you are, or in the hands of the Glory of God who fulfills every
prophecy that has ever been uttered, either literally or
symbolically, and, in addition, fulfills every other proofs that the
Bible refers to, such as sacrificing His worldly comforts, suffering

4the most abundant and heavenly fruits in His vast vineyard?
The preceding explanation or reasoning resolves every objection
that Christians may raise against Bahá’u’lláh. Only He fulfills the
prophecies, only He is the Glory of God, only He has the authority
to interpret the Word of God, and only He is qualified to bring to
light the mysteries of the scriptures. No one else can make that

1God. If we disregard the following two verses, we have been
untrue to our beliefs:
But first note this: no one can interpret any prophecy of
Scripture by Himself. II Peter 1:20
Therefore 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
What is “hidden in darkness”? Anything about which believers
differ, any truth of which they may be ignorant, any question that
has led to the creation of over 20,000 denominations in
Christianity. The realm of “darkness” definitely encompasses the
meaning of prophecies. Statements such as the following are not
made about any issue except prophecies:
But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the book till the
time of the end. Many will be at their wits’ end, and punishment
will be heavy. Daniel 12:4
In the same book that Christ promises that “every eye will see
Him” (Rev. 1:7), He also gives this advice to those who want to
see Him:
I advise you to buy from Me…ointment for your eyes so that
you may see. Christ (Rev. 3:18)

2a physician: “I’ve been seeing spots in front of my eyes.” “Have
you seen a doctor?” “No, just spots.”
You may look and look, but you will never see. Acts 28:26
How can a person look and look but fail to see? Only when his
eyes are veiled. The people of Israel looked at Christ, the bright
Sun of Truth. Did they see any light? Did they discover any truth?
Looking comes from the eyes, seeing from the heart. The veil that
enfolds the heart can be as thick and immovable as a mountain.
Then who knows the meaning of “seeing”?
Blessed the ear that hath heard and the tongue that hath borne
witness and the eye that hath seen and recognized the Lord
Himself, in His great glory and majesty, invested with grandeur
and dominion.22 Bahá’u’lláh
Consider this verse:
Then He opened their mind so they could understand the
Scriptures. Luke 24:45
Who were the ones whose minds had to be opened? Who were the
ones who needed help to understand the Scriptures? The most
enlightened people of their time, the best of the best, the beloved
disciples of Jesus. They were the ones in need of help. And who
was the One who opened their minds? Their Lord and Master,
Christ Himself.
Even after His resurrection, Jesus continued to help His disciples
understand His Word. As Christian scholar, Herbert Lockyer
writes:
After His Resurrection, meeting His disciples, He began by
interpreting the Scriptures to them, and then went on to “unseal
the barred doors of their perceptions…”23
If that was the state of the wisest and most enlightened people,
then who can declare, “I know, my interpretation of prophecies is
correct!”?

3recognize the face of their Redeemer with all His glory and
splendor:
When it is evening you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky
is red”; and in the morning, “It will be foul weather today, for
the sky is red and threatening.” Hypocrites! You know how to
discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of

1allegories, symbols, and metaphors. That is why we find a greater
diversity of views about prophecies than about any other topic. A
man asked a priest about the meaning of the Book of Revelation. In
response, the priest said: “It’s like a display of fireworks! If you try
to understand how they work you miss the beauty of the show.
Don’t try to understand the book of Revelation. Just enjoy the
exotic imagery and be satisfied with that!”24
In general, few subjects remain outside the realm of “darkness.”
The two subjects that do are moral values such as, loving God and
His creatures, and the inerrancy and perfection of Christ: that His
Word was indeed the Word of God and not His own fabrication,
and that He moved and lived by the Will of the One who sent Him.
Aside from these two subjects and certain historical facts, it is
difficult to find any question whose true meaning is not, to some
extent or another, clouded or concealed in “darkness.” Diversity of
views about Christ and Christianity is so widespread that some
secular scholars doubt that Christ even existed! We find many
Christian authors who present evidence simply to prove that Christ
was for real, and not a fictitious figure.
It does not matter how “obvious” the meaning of a prophecy
appears to a person. Human beings can be wrong even about the
most “obvious.” If you were a Jew at the time of Jesus and were
well aware of the prophecies, could you think of anything more

2gloom and misery, would bring you glory and honor and make you
triumphant over your oppressors and enemies? If you knew that
prophecies clearly stated that the promised Messiah would be like
king David, would you have any reason to doubt their literal
meaning, would you have any inclination to accept the symbolic
interpretation of a poor homeless man from Nazareth? This
example alone must humble our soul, must make us realize how
wrong human beings can be, not only then but always.
Aside from the meaning of the coming of a king, let us examine
one more example from the Hebrew prophecies, an example whose
meaning “was hidden in darkness” for the Jews and was brought to
light by Jesus. According to Hebrew Scriptures, Elijah was seen by
people to ascend to heaven (II Kings 2:11-12), and was expected to
return later to earth, just like Jesus. There is a remarkable
similarity between their ascension and return. Both are reported to
have been seen to go to heaven, and both are promised to come
back.
God kept His promise and sent Elijah back. But who was Elijah the
second time? It was John the Baptist:
John is the destined Elijah, if you will but accept it. If you have
ears, then hear. Christ (Matt. 11:15)
See also Matt. 17:10-13
What connection is there between Elijah and John the Baptist?
Elijah ascended to heaven. Did John descend from heaven? No, he
did not. Did his name return? No, it did not. God could have
inspired John’s parents to call Him Elijah. Why didn’t He? It
would be more reasonable, according to human standards, to bring
someone back by the same name, if not in the same way. Did
Elijah’s body return? We have no way of knowing. There were and
are no pictures to compare. It is reasonable to assume that the body
did not return either. Then what was it that returned? Fortunately,
in this case, we have the Word of Jesus, who brought to light what
was “hidden in darkness.” He said that it was the spiritual powers
of Elijah that had returned. That is the only thing that really
matters.

3possessed by the spirit and power of Elijah… Luke 1:17
Is there any significance to the body other than carrying out true
essence, our soul?
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom of God… I Corinthians 15:50
If Jesus had called Peter to be the return of Elijah, would we deny
His judgment? Of course not, because we are not the authority; He
was.
Since the Jews did not have the benefit of this example as we do,
they could have argued with Jesus, and they did. How could Jesus
prove to them that He was right, other than saying that He was the
Lord, the One who knew the mysteries, the One who could bring to
light what was hidden in darkness, that only He had fulfilled some

1victim to the relentless hate, to the denunciation, denial, and
execration of the clerics of His day!25 Bahá’u’lláh
You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet
your fathers did not persecute? Acts 7:51-52
Consider this conversation between Christ and some people who
loved to win an argument more than everlasting life. It is recorded
in John 8:12-29. The New International Version presents it under
the title: The Validity of Jesus’ Testimony. Please note the way
Christ reasons with the crowd:
Jesus: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will
never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
Pharisees: Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your
testimony is not valid.
Jesus: Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is
valid, for I know where I came from and where I am

2going. But you have no idea where I come from or
where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass
judgment on no one. But if I do judge, my decisions are
right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father
who sent me. In your own Law it is written that the
testimony of two men is valid. I am one who testifies for
myself; my other witness is the one who sent me–the
Father.
Pharisees: Where is your father?
Jesus: You do not know me or my Father. If you knew me, you
would know my Father also. I am going away, and you
will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I
go, you cannot come.
Pharisees asked each other: Will he kill himself? Is that why
he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?
Jesus: You are from below; I am from above. You are of this
world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would
die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I
claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.
Pharisees: Who are you, anyway?
Jesus: Just what I have been claiming all along. I have much to
say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is reliable,
and what I have heard from him I tell the world…When
you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know
who I am and that I do nothing on my own but speak
just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me
is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do
what pleases him.
What evidence did Christ present to prove His station?
• He declared Himself again and again as the authority.
• He stated that His authority came from God.
• He warned the argumentative Pharisees with, “You will die
in your sins.”
• He told them that they were judging by human standards.

3What were the Pharisees like and how did they respond?
• They were literal-minded. They could not understand the
symbolic messages Jesus uttered.
• They were also closed-minded. They were sure they were
right. It did not matter what Jesus said; they were ready to
reject it.
Other than a few words of warning, the strongest appeal Jesus used
was the authority that God had given Him. We find the same
appeal repeated thousands of times in Bahá’í Scriptures. From
Bahá’u’lláh:
Thy Lord, verily, is a witness unto what I say.26
God, verily, is a sufficient witness!27
O peoples of the earth! God, the Eternal Truth, is My
witness…28
To this He Who is the Lord of all creation beareth Me witness.29
Thy Lord beareth witness unto that which I declare.30
From the Báb:
I swear by Him Who hath called Me into being, I can discover
no trace of sinfulness in Myself, nor have I followed aught but
the Truth; and unto Me God is sufficient witness.31
Verily this is the true Faith of God, and sufficient witness are
God and such as are endowed with the knowledge of the
Book.32
…I have no control over what profiteth Me or harmeth Me, but
as My Lord pleaseth. Indeed God is Self-Sufficient and He, My
Lord, standeth supreme over all things.33
History is the best teacher. Let us listen to the rest of the
conversation between Christ and the Pharisees:
Jesus: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
free.

4Pharisees: We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been
slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set
free?
Jesus: I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a
son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you
will be free indeed. I know you are Abraham’s
descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you
have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have
seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have
heard from your father.
Pharisees: Abraham is our father.
Jesus: If you were Abraham’s children then you would do the
things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill
me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from
God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the
things your own father does.
Pharisees: We are not illegitimate children. The only Father we
have is God himself.
Jesus: If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came
from God and now am here. I have not come on my
own; but He sent me. Why is my language not clear to
you? Because you are unable to hear what I say…Can
any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the
truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to
God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is
that you do not belong to God.
Pharisees: Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan
and demon-possessed?
Jesus: I am not possessed by a demon, but I honor my Father
and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself;
but there is one who seeks it, and He is the judge. I tell
you the truth, if a man keeps my word, he will never see
death.
Pharisees: Now we know that you are demon-possessed!
Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that

5if a man keeps your word, he will never taste death. Are
you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so
did the prophets. Who do you think you are?
Jesus: If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father,
whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies
me. Though you do not know Him, I know Him. If I
said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know
Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.
Pharisees: You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen
Abraham!
Jesus: I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!
At this, they picked up stones to stone him.
Jesus fulfilled all the prophecies that pertained to Him. Then why
was He crucified? Because His explanation of mysteries did not
conform to mainstream or orthodox interpretation. Because He
showed that some prophecies had inner meanings. That was the
only reason for which He was crucified. If He had come as a
liberating king, almost every Jew would have bowed before Him
and glorified Him. Only the insane among the Israelites may have
denied Him.
History is once again repeating itself. Christians can deny, and
some of them do deny, Bahá’u’lláh, for the exact same reason.
They act as if they know the mysteries, as if they know how
Bahá’u’lláh must fulfill the prophecies: literally. They act as if for
them nothing lies hidden in the domain of darkness. How can any
reasonable person make such an assumption?
The literal-minded Jews could have found hundreds of reasons for
denying Christ. The return of Elijah was only one. They did not
need any other reason to call Christ an impostor. Therefore, if it is
your heart’s desire to ignore or deny Bahá’u’lláh, you can do it
with no effort. In fact, if you look hard enough, you can find
countless reasons. As it is said, “Prove it against my will, and I will
believe the same still.” If a person closes his heart and mind, he
can find countless “reasons” not only for denying Bahá’u’lláh but
also Christ, and even God Himself. That is the wonder of being a

6human being. That is a source of richness and adventure in human
life.

7Humility, the Key to
the Kingdom of Heaven
Observe the diversity of human beings. See the differences in taste
and temperament. They exist only because God gave us the
freedom of choice, the freedom even to deny Him, the freedom
even to torture and to kill the Ones dearest to Him: His Messengers
and Redeemers.
As “in Him [Christ] lie hidden all the mighty untapped treasures of
wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3), so do they in Bahá’u’lláh, the
Glory of God. Once again we come to the critical role humility
plays in our relationship with God. Can a person who starts with
the assumption of “I am right!” without studying the evidence to
the contrary, be humble?
Every soul that walketh humbly with its God, in this Day, and
cleaveth unto Him, shall find itself invested with the honor and
glory of all goodly names and stations.34 Bahá’u’lláh
O SON OF MAN!
Humble thyself before Me, that I may graciously visit thee.35
…Wert thou to speed through the immensity of space and
traverse the expanse of heaven, yet thou wouldst find no rest
save in submission to Our command and humbleness before
Our Face.36 Bahá’u’lláh
Who is guided to the gate of knowledge and understanding?
He shall save the humble person. Job 22:29
He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.
Psalms 25:9
…when you realize your worthlessness before the Lord, he will
lift you up… James 4:10

1theologians, religious leaders, and scholars who have lived and
will ever live put their knowledge and wisdom together, it will be
like a drop compared to Bahá’u’lláh’s, for He speaks not His own
word, but the Word of God. Ponder the authority with which
Bahá’u’lláh challenges the religious leaders:
O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can
rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that
dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by
My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away;
and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-
Beloved.37
The Báb offers the same challenge:
His age is no more than twenty-five years, yet His glory is such
as none of the learned among the people…can rival…38
The divine voice has presented the same challenge before:
Who is like me? Who is my equal? What shepherd [religious
leader] can stand his ground before me? Jeremiah 49:19
The following table shows graphically who is qualified to “bring to
light what lies hidden in darkness” (I Cor. 4:5):

2Thousands of Theologians The Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh
Their Qualifications: Their Qualifications:
• extensive knowledge of • fulfillment of over 1,800
Hebrew and Greek biblical prophecies some
• having taken or taught literally, others symbolically
numerous courses in all • creation of the most abundant
facets of theology in the and heavenly “fruits”
best seminary schools • establishment of a new spiritual
• doctoral and postdoctoral civilization

3Bahá’u’lláh
degrees from the most • speaking with divine authority
prestigious universities in the name of the Lord
• numerous publications on • enduring every conceivable pain
New Testament and Old and suffering and sacrificing
Testament prophecies their all for their claim
• established names and • withstanding thousands of
popularity among many powerful enemies without any
nations support
• pioneering research in • showing absolutely no fear of
numerous eschatological any human being
studies
• glorifying God and trusting Him
at all times
• loving and praying for their
enemies
• revealing thousands of pages of
the most marvelous Scriptures
without any pause
• seeking no worldly glories and
honors
• disclosing the mysteries of past
scriptures without taking a
single course in theology,
Greek, or Hebrew, without even
going to school!
We can repeat a similar table about Christ with perhaps these
exceptions: first, according to Christian scholars, there are about
six times as many prophecies about the Second Advent as there are
about the First (1,800 versus 300); and second, very little of what
Christ revealed was recorded. Other than these, we find no
difference between what John the Baptist and Christ accomplished,
and what the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh accomplished.

4being perfect, almost infallible. Quietly observing while her
minister father penned his next sermon, a little girl’s curiosity
finally got the best of her. “Is God telling you what to put in your
sermon, Daddy?” she asked. “Yes, of course,” he answered. Still
puzzled, she asked another question: “Then why do you keep
changing it?”
Everyone has the potential to recognize the face of God. But
potential entangled in attachment, tradition, personal desires, and
fantasies remains a bondslave. God veils His glory, so that only the
spiritually receptive souls, only those with keen insight, only those
who sincerely strive can pierce the veil:
I swear by God, were We to lift the veil, ye would be
dumbfounded.39 Bahá’u’lláh
To anyone who “transgresses his limits,” such as claiming to be the
authority for the Word of God, Bahá’u’lláh declares:
O SON OF MAN!
Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee
not. Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy God, the
Lord of might and power.40
If you have any unresolved questions about the prophecies, pray
for insight, review this book once again, and ponder the evidence it
presents. Think about the past. The people who rejected and
crucified Christ did not have the slightest idea of what they were
doing, except this: they knew they were right. Think about those
people. They went to their synagogues; they worshipped God; they
helped the poor; and they loved their children. Yet they were
adamant in denying their Redeemer, the One they claimed they
would know the moment they saw Him, the One they were sure
they would accept and adore. If such a grand illusion happened to
those people, could it not happen to Christians of today? Are they
protected from misjudgment any more than the Jews were? Could
this not happen to anyone?

1theologians, religious leaders, and scholars who have lived and
will ever live put their knowledge and wisdom together, it will be
like a drop compared to Bahá’u’lláh’s, for He speaks not His own
word, but the Word of God. Ponder the authority with which
Bahá’u’lláh challenges the religious leaders:
O ye leaders of religion! Who is the man amongst you that can
rival Me in vision or insight? Where is he to be found that
dareth to claim to be My equal in utterance or wisdom? No, by
My Lord, the All-Merciful! All on the earth shall pass away;
and this is the face of your Lord, the Almighty, the Well-
Beloved.37
The Báb offers the same challenge:
His age is no more than twenty-five years, yet His glory is such
as none of the learned among the people…can rival…38
The divine voice has presented the same challenge before:
Who is like me? Who is my equal? What shepherd [religious
leader] can stand his ground before me? Jeremiah 49:19
The following table shows graphically who is qualified to “bring to
light what lies hidden in darkness” (I Cor. 4:5):

2Thousands of Theologians The Báb and
Bahá’u’lláh
Their Qualifications: Their Qualifications:
• extensive knowledge of • fulfillment of over 1,800
Hebrew and Greek biblical prophecies some
• having taken or taught literally, others symbolically
numerous courses in all • creation of the most abundant
facets of theology in the and heavenly “fruits”
best seminary schools • establishment of a new spiritual
• doctoral and postdoctoral civilization

3Bahá’u’lláh
degrees from the most • speaking with divine authority
prestigious universities in the name of the Lord
• numerous publications on • enduring every conceivable pain
New Testament and Old and suffering and sacrificing
Testament prophecies their all for their claim
• established names and • withstanding thousands of
popularity among many powerful enemies without any
nations support
• pioneering research in • showing absolutely no fear of
numerous eschatological any human being
studies
• glorifying God and trusting Him
at all times
• loving and praying for their
enemies
• revealing thousands of pages of
the most marvelous Scriptures
without any pause
• seeking no worldly glories and
honors
• disclosing the mysteries of past
scriptures without taking a
single course in theology,
Greek, or Hebrew, without even
going to school!
We can repeat a similar table about Christ with perhaps these
exceptions: first, according to Christian scholars, there are about
six times as many prophecies about the Second Advent as there are
about the First (1,800 versus 300); and second, very little of what
Christ revealed was recorded. Other than these, we find no
difference between what John the Baptist and Christ accomplished,
and what the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh accomplished.

4being perfect, almost infallible. Quietly observing while her
minister father penned his next sermon, a little girl’s curiosity
finally got the best of her. “Is God telling you what to put in your
sermon, Daddy?” she asked. “Yes, of course,” he answered. Still
puzzled, she asked another question: “Then why do you keep
changing it?”
Everyone has the potential to recognize the face of God. But
potential entangled in attachment, tradition, personal desires, and
fantasies remains a bondslave. God veils His glory, so that only the
spiritually receptive souls, only those with keen insight, only those
who sincerely strive can pierce the veil:
I swear by God, were We to lift the veil, ye would be
dumbfounded.39 Bahá’u’lláh
To anyone who “transgresses his limits,” such as claiming to be the
authority for the Word of God, Bahá’u’lláh declares:
O SON OF MAN!
Transgress not thy limits, nor claim that which beseemeth thee
not. Prostrate thyself before the countenance of thy God, the
Lord of might and power.40
If you have any unresolved questions about the prophecies, pray
for insight, review this book once again, and ponder the evidence it
presents. Think about the past. The people who rejected and
crucified Christ did not have the slightest idea of what they were
doing, except this: they knew they were right. Think about those
people. They went to their synagogues; they worshipped God; they
helped the poor; and they loved their children. Yet they were
adamant in denying their Redeemer, the One they claimed they
would know the moment they saw Him, the One they were sure
they would accept and adore. If such a grand illusion happened to
those people, could it not happen to Christians of today? Are they
protected from misjudgment any more than the Jews were? Could
this not happen to anyone?