(The TEXT continues....)
Although citing an illustration leads to prolixity, yet we will
do so for the purpose of enlightenment and further elucidating the matter
for the reader. For example, let us assume that a Christian missionary
should say to a Jew: "Dear friend, why are you sleeping and heedless?
The promised Messiah, whose coming was foretold by all the prophets, has
appeared." Then imagine the Jew answering: "How splendid! How
splendid! What beautiful glad-tidings and joyous news! We Jews
have made all our wishes dependent upon the coming of the Messiah and daily
supplicate by prayer for His advent! Now let us see this promised
Messiah whom you declare to have appeared." The Christian missionary
answers: "The promised Messiah was that wronged youth, Jesus of Nazareth,
who sacrificed His Life for the liberation and salvation of the world."
The Jew would reply: "Oh, esteemed teacher, clear signs are recorded in
the Holy Books regarding the appearance of the Messiah, none of which came
to pass. We Jews have not found our religion so easily that we can
relinquish it carelessly. You consider yourself a teacher of the
Holy Books. See then in the Heavenly Books the words that at the
time of the coming of the promised Messiah the sun will be darkened, the
moon will turn to blood, the new heaven and the new earth will become manifest,
the stars will fall, the dead will arise. Where and when did these
prophecies become fulfilled during the day of the Nazarene and who saw
them? Furthermore, let me show you numerous passages wherein it has
been clearly revealed that when the promised Messiah appears He will gather
together all the Jews scattered throughout the world and he will save them
from the great humiliation, execration and tyranny which they suffer.
Then He will establish them in the Holy Land and confer upon them dominion
and eternal glory. Now tell me when did Jesus of Nazareth accomplish
such a thing? Nay, through His Manifestation the contrary came to
pass, for we were established in the Holy Land but we have become scattered
through His coming. We were assembled; we became dispersed.
We were blessed; we became afflicted with curses. All this was contrary
to the promises given to the Israelitish people. So to accept Jesus
would be to deny those glorious prophets."
(see Addendum #1)
In brief, at this point in the conversation the Christian missionary would fail to answer the Jew. For he himself does not understand the real meanings of these glad-tidings. How then could he explain them to the Jews and cause them to be convinced and assured? Therefore during this long period the missionaries of the Christian religion have attempted to discomfit and confound the Jews, yet without traversing the pathway of true knowledge and real proof. Instead of bringing them near the Gospels, they caused them to be annoyed and further removed.
It is therefore recorded in church history that during this long period, that is since the conversion of the great Constantine down to our time, both in the days of Charlemagne and during the crusades, they repeatedly attempted to force the Jews to accept Christianity, but in the end they failed. Now had they known the meanings of these glad-tidings there would be no need of using force and compulsion.
Similar to this is the attitude of the Moslem toward the Christian. When the Moslem desires to prove the truth of the mission of the "Seal of the Prophets" to a Christian, he refers the Christian to the signs recorded in the 24th Chapter of St. Matthew. Then that Moslem, not understanding the meanings thereof, is forced to say that this Gospel in the hands of Christians is not the original Gospel which descended with Jesus--upon whom be peace! As you readily see, the Moslems will clearly prove in word and writing (18) that this Gospel has been interpolated by the Christian scholars and that it has been attributed to His Holiness Christ. In this case, the Christian, to whom the reality of the Gospel is evident and manifest, and the love of this Holy Book firmly established in his heart, will be amazed at the incorrect answer of the Moslem. Instead of fellowship and friendship with the Moslem the Christian becomes an enemy of the Islamic religion and an opponent of the Mohammedan people.
In short, one of the greatest obstacles to the unity of the nations is this difficulty which has been explained by the foregoing illustration. All these abstruse problems are involved and explained in the statement that because the Christian missionaries do not understand the real meanings of the books of religions which have appeared prior to the manifestation of His Holiness Christ--upon whom be peace!--therefore they cannot guide others to their own religion. (19) This has become evident and manifest.
As to the religions which have appeared after His Holiness Christ, inasmuch as retrogression and reversal are opposed to natural motion and contrary to the progress and advancement which are evident and manifest in world movements, therefore the Christian cannot turn development backward and [by] cause[ing] other people to descend the ladder of progress in order to unite them to themselves. (20) The great man Lord Curzon has partly understood this point when he writes: "The conversion of Asiatics [Moslims] to the Christian religion is without effect and result."
Now that the subject has been clearly elucidated we will submit
that the present state of progress in the world necessitates the Most Great
Manifestation.(21) While His Holiness Bahá'u'lláh
resided in Baghdad, the first book revealed by Him was the "Kitáb-i-Iqán,"(22)
which is the key to unlock the seals of the Heavenly Books. It comprehends
the realities revealed in the Holy Writ. By it the doors of the understanding
of prophetic words were opened to the faces of the people of Bahá,
the real meaning of the Divine Glad-tidings were revealed and the original
purposes of such terms as were latent and unknown became manifested.(23)
These terms are: "Death," "Life," "Heaven," "Earth," "Sun," "Moon," "Stars,"
"Resurrection," etc. Thus, the means of unity became facilitated
and the hindrances to international misunderstandings were removed.(24)
The signs and emblems of accord and agreement among inimical and opposing
people became manifest and apparent. For you observe that while now
is the commencement of the Bahá'í Religion,(25) yet difficult
questions and doctrines have become so clearly explained to, and so easily
accepted by, various peoples that numerous souls among Zoroastrians(26),
Jews, Nuseyrites, et. al., who have never believed in His Holiness Christ
nor would listen to a single verse of the Gospel, have now become acknowledged
believers in Bahá'u'lláh through the effect of His Blessed
Utterances. Moreover, they consider [as a result of Bahá'u'lláh's
teachings about Christ] His Holiness Christ the Promised Lord and His Heavenly
Book the Divine Holy Word. They associate and consort with Christians
in their feasts and gatherings with the utmost kindness and fellowship.
. .
EDITOR'S FOOTNOTES:
(18) As have some Christian apologists through "higher criticism" and redactive exegesis.
(19) The Book of the Covenant (commonly referred to as the Old Testament by the Christians) declares that the prophesies concerning the coming of the promised one cannot be understood until the "latter day," until the Promised One, Himself, unseals the books. (for example, see Daniel 7:9-10 and 12:4, 9 and Isaiah 2:9-18,24. Also, see "The Book of Revelation" in the Christian New Testament," Chapters 5 & 6.) Therefore, the Christian who purports to understand and explain their meaning either does not believe the passages which declare that the books are sealed until the "time of the end," and that only One is worthy to "unseal" them (and is therefore arrogantly advancing his own opinion in spite of the warnings against it), or else he is not aware of those declarations and warnings.
(20) This is partly a reference to the fact that the Moslems already believe that Christ was from God since it is written in their holy book, the Quran; whereas the Christian religion preceded Islam and thus could not have mentioned Muhammad by name or in any historical sense. The Muslim believes that by converting to Christianity he would gain nothing for he already has Christ; rather he would lose Mohammed.
(21) This terminology is easy to misunderstand if one is not familiar with the rest of the Bahá'í teachings. It is important to declare thaothert the Bahá'í teaching concerning the oneness of the Prophets is that none of them are any greater than any , save perhaps in the intensity of their revelation. They are, one and all, seated upon the same throne, and occupy the same heavenly station--the place of the Divine appearance. (See pages 37 & 38 for a further explanation.)
(22) Literally translated, this title means, "Book of Certitude."
(23) This is the point referred to in footnote #19.
(24) Bahá'u'lláh has written: "'Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship.' Whatsoever hath led the children of men to shun one another, and hath caused dissensions and divisions amongst them, hath, through the revelation of these words, been nullified and abolished. From the heaven of God's Will, and for the purpose of ennobling the world of being and of elevating the minds and souls of men, hath been sent down that which is the most effective instrument for the education of the whole human race." (One might say that this not only refers to the specific verses -- e.g., "these words"--- but certainly is true, in general, to the whole of His revelation.)
(25) Bahá'u'lláh teaches that there is only one religion and all the Prophets of God have taught it--that all the Prophets have proclaimed the same religious faith. Thus, the Bahá'í revelation does not claim to be distinct and separate from the successive chain of revelations, rather it teaches that they are progressive and complementary, and they proceed from the same Source. The choice of terms in calling the Bahá'i Faith the "Bahá'í Religion" is more for the benefit of the people who know it by that name.
(26) A Zoroastrian king (of Persia) named Cyrus is mentioned in the
Old Testament books of Daniel and Ezra. He conquered the Babylonians
and allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the "House of the
Lord," as he believed in the God of Daniel, having recognized Him as the
God about whom Zoroaster taught. In fact, Cyrus financed this return.
The first Chapter of the book of Ezra essentially states that the faith
of Cyrus, a believer in the prophet Zoroaster, was truly from God.
Actually, the book of Ezra recounts that this righteous king of Persia
was "charged" or commanded by God to rebuild the temple. The first
decree to rebuild the "House of the Lord" was issued by Cyrus in 536 B.C.
Actually four edicts went forth by three Persian kings. The third,
and most significant (since the first two were not complete and the fourth
was merely an extension of the third), was issued by Artaxeres in 457 B.C.,
or 2300 years before the birth of the Bahá'í revelation,
i.e., in 1844. (This same period is referred to as 2300 days by Daniel
in his prophesy of the return of Christ and is the one which Jesus Himself
refers to in order to pinpoint the time. Read the Addendum for the
full explanation of the significance of this.)
Interestingly, the "three wise men" whom we associate with the birth
of Christ are said to have been followers of Zoroaster, looking for the
fulfillment of Zoroaster's prophesy of Christ. Zoroaster's prophesy
also concerned His own "return" (His own return and the coming of "another"
is interpreted to mean one and the same thing). The prophesy translates
to something like this: "When I return, you will see a new star in the
East--follow it and thou wilt find me there, cradled in straw." (See Addendum
#2 regarding the 3 promises of Christ concerning His return.)
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