Chapter C26
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"Earth" - as a mystical term referring to the divine teachings
(spiritual foundation) for a given era/period, coming from the Prophets
(Independent and Dependent).
1)
The Day of God -- the era of the Glory of God (Bahá'u'lláh), the "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness", is foretold in the Bible by Peter:
3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the
holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord
and Saviour:
3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation.
3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God
the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in
the water:
3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are
kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men.
3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is
with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count
slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements
shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up.
3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner
of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
3:12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein
the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat?
3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
-- Bible: Peter
2)
O ye beloved of God! O ye children of His Kingdom! Verily, verily the
new heaven [new Prophet, new Face of God] and the new earth [new teachings, new era] are come. The holy City, new Jerusalem,
hath come down from on high in the form of a maid of heaven, veiled,
beauteous, and unique, and prepared for reunion with her lovers on
earth. The angelic company of the celestial Concourse have joined in a
call that hath rung throughout the universe, all loudly and mightily
acclaiming: "Hail, O City of God! Abide Thou, and make Thy habitation
with the pure, virtuous and holy servants of Thine; for they are Thy
people, and Thou art their Lord."
-- Compilation, Bahá'í World Faith, p. 350
O Sun of this earth [the Bab, the Independent Prophet of the Babi Dispensation], eclipse thy face, for the sun of eternity [Baha'u'llah, the new Independent Prophet of the Baha'i Dispensation] hath dawned in the luminous heaven.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God, O Thou who alone art God! ...
O concourse of lovers, give out the glad tidings with all your heart, for the time of waiting is over, and the covenant hath come, and the Beloved hath shone in wondrous beauty.
Glory to Thee, O God, O Thou who art God, O Thou who alone art God!
-- Baha'u'llah, Tablet Feast of Ridvan (a provisional translation).
13:28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
13:29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
13:30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
13:31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his
house, and gave authority to his servants, and toevery man his work,
and commanded the porter to watch.
13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house
cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the
morning:
-- The Bible: Mark
Beside this passage, there is yet another verse in the Gospel wherein He saith: "Heaven and earth shall pass away:
but My words shall not pass away."[1] Thus it is that the adherents of
Jesus maintained that the law of the Gospel shall never be annulled,
and that whensoever the promised Beauty is made manifest and all the
signs are revealed, He must needs re-affirm and establish the law
proclaimed in the Gospel, so that there may remain in the world no
faith but His faith. This is their fundamental belief. And their
conviction is such that were a person to be made manifest with all the
promised signs and to promulgate that which is contrary to the letter
of the law of the Gospel, they must assuredly renounce him, refuse to
submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and laugh him to scorn. This
is proved by that which came to pass when the sun of the Muhammadan
Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a humble mind from the
Manifestations of God in every Dispensation the true meaning of these
words revealed in the sacred books -- words the misapprehension of
which hath caused men to be deprived of the recognition of the
Sadratu'l-Muntaha, the ultimate Purpose -- they surely would have been
guided to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the
mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom.
[1 Luke 21:33.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 27
In like manner, strive thou to comprehend from these lucid, these
powerful, conclusive, and unequivocal statements the meaning of the
"cleaving of the heaven" -- one of the signs that must needs herald the
coming of the last Hour, the Day of Resurrection. As He hath said: "When the heaven shall be cloven asunder."[1] By "heaven" is meant the heaven of divine Revelation, which is elevated with every Manifestation, and rent asunder with every subsequent one.
By "cloven asunder" is meant that the former Dispensation is superseded
and annulled. I swear by God! That this heaven being cloven asunder is,
to the discerning, an act mightier than the cleaving of the skies!
Ponder a while. That a divine Revelation which for years hath been
securely established; beneath whose shadow all who have embraced it
have been reared and nurtured; by the light of whose law generations of
men have been disciplined; the excellency of whose word men have heard
recounted by their fathers; in such wise that human eye hath beheld
naught but the pervading influence of its grace, and mortal ear hath
heard naught but the resounding majesty of its command -- what act is
mightier than that such a Revelation should, by the power of God, be
"cloven asunder" and be abolished at the appearance of one soul?
Reflect, is this a mightier act than that which these abject and
foolish men have imagined the "cleaving of the heaven" to mean?
[1 Qur'án 82:1.]
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 44
It is recorded in all the Books of the Gospel that He Who is the
Spirit15 spoke in words of pure light unto His disciples, saying: "Know
that heaven and earth may pass away,
but my words shall never pass away."16 As is clear and evident to thine
eminence, these words outwardly mean that the Books of the Gospel will
remain in the hands of people till the end of the world, that their
laws shall not be abrogated, that their testimony shall not be
abolished, and that all that hath been enjoined, prescribed, or
ordained therein shall endure forever.
23 O My brother! Sanctify thy heart, illumine thy soul, and sharpen thy
sight, that thou mayest perceive the sweet accents of the Birds of Heaven
and the melodies of the Doves of Holiness warbling in the Kingdom of
eternity, and perchance apprehend the inner meaning of these utterances
and their hidden mysteries. For otherwise, wert thou to interpret these
words according to their outward meaning, thou couldst never prove the
truth of the Cause of Him Who came after Jesus, nor silence the
opponents, nor prevail over the contending disbelievers. For the
Christian divines use this verse to prove that the Gospel shall never
be abrogated and that, even if all the signs recorded in their Books
were fulfilled and the Promised One appeared, He would have no recourse
but to rule the people according to the ordinances of the Gospel. They
contend that if He were to manifest all the signs indicated in the
Books, but decree aught besides that which Jesus had decreed, they
would neither acknowledge nor follow Him, so clear and self-evident is
this matter in their sight.
24 Thou canst indeed hear the learned and the foolish amongst the
people voice the same objections in this day, saying: "The sun hath not
risen from the West, nor hath the Crier cried out betwixt earth and
heaven. Water hath not inundated certain lands; the Dajjal 17 hath not
appeared; Sufyani 18 hath not arisen; nor hath the Temple been
witnessed in the sun." I heard, with Mine own ears, one of their
divines proclaim: "Should all these signs come to pass and the
long-awaited Qá'im appear, and should He ordain, with respect to even
our secondary laws, aught beyond that which hath been revealed in the
Qur'án, we would assuredly charge Him with imposture, put Him to death,
and refuse forever to acknowledge Him", and other statements such as
these deniers make. And all this, when the Day of Resurrection hath been ushered in, and the Trumpet
hath been sounded, and all the denizens of earth and heaven have been
gathered together, and the Balance hath been appointed, and the
Bridge hath been laid, and the Verses have been sent down, and the Sun
hath shone forth, and the stars have been blotted out, and the souls
have been raised to life, and the breath of the Spirit hath blown, and
the angels have been arrayed in ranks, and Paradise hath been brought
nigh, and Hell made to blaze! These things have all come to pass, and
yet to this day not a single one of these people hath recognized them!
They all lie as dead within their own shrouds, save those who have
believed and repaired unto God, who rejoice in this day in His
celestial paradise, and who tread the path of His good-pleasure.
-- Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries, p. 17
In the utterances of the divine Luminaries the term "heaven" hath been
applied to many and divers things; such as the "heaven of Command," the
"heaven of Will," the "heaven of the divine Purpose," the "heaven of divine Knowledge," the "heaven of Certitude," the "heaven of Utterance," the "heaven of Revelation,"
the "heaven of Concealment," and the like. In every instance, He hath
given the term "heaven" a special meaning, the significance of which is
revealed to none save those that have been initiated into the divine
mysteries, and have drunk from the chalice of immortal life. For
example, He saith: "The heaven hath sustenance for you, and it
containeth that which you are promised;"[1] whereas it is the earth
that yieldeth such sustenance. Likewise, it hath been said: "The names
come down from heaven;" whereas they proceed out of the mouth of men.
Wert thou to cleanse the mirror of thy heart from the dust of malice,
thou wouldst apprehend the meaning of the symbolic terms revealed by
the all-embracing Word of God made manifest in every Dispensation, and
wouldst discover the mysteries of divine knowledge. Not, however, until
thou consumest with the flame of utter detachment those veils of
69 idle learning, that are current amongst men, canst thou
behold the resplendent morn of true knowledge.
[1 Qur'án 51:22.]
Know verily that Knowledge is of two kinds: Divine and Satanic. The one
welleth out from the fountain of divine inspiration; the other is but a
reflection of vain and obscure thoughts. The source of the former is
God Himself; the motive-force of the latter the whisperings of selfish
desire. The one is guided by the principle: "Fear ye God; God will
teach you;"[1] the other is but a confirmation of the truth: "Knowledge
is the most grievous veil between man and his Creator." The former
bringeth forth the fruit of patience, of longing desire, of true
understanding, and love; whilst the latter can yield naught but
arrogance, vainglory and conceit.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 67
3)
And now, comprehend the meaning of this verse: "The whole earth shall
on the Resurrection Day be but His handful, and in His right hand shall
the heavens be folded together. Praise be to Him! and high be He
uplifted above the partners they join with him!"[1] And now, be fair in
thy judgment. Were this verse to have the meaning which men suppose it
to have, of what profit, one may ask, could it be to man? Moreover, it
is evident and manifest that no such hand as could be seen by human eye
could accomplish such deeds, or could possibly be ascribed to the
exalted Essence of the one true God. Nay, to acknowledge such a thing
is naught but sheer blasphemy, an utter perversion of the truth. And
should it be supposed that by this verse are meant the Manifestations
of God, Who will be called upon, on the Day of Judgment, to perform
such deeds, this too seemeth far from the truth, and is surely of no
profit. On the contrary, by the term "earth" is meant the earth of
understanding and knowledge, and by "heavens" the heavens of divine
Revelation. Reflect thou, how, in one hand, He hath, by His mighty
grasp, turned the earth of knowledge and understanding, previously
unfolded, into a mere handful, and, on the other, spread out a new and
highly exalted earth in the hearts of men, thus causing the freshest
and loveliest blossoms, and the mightiest and loftiest trees to spring
forth from the illumined bosom of man.
[1 Qur'án 39:67.]
In like manner, reflect how the elevated heavens of the Dispensations
of the past have, in the right hand of power, been folded together, how
the heavens of divine Revelation have been raised by the command of
God, and been adorned by the sun, the moon, and stars of His wondrous
commandments. Such are the mysteries of the Word of God, which have
been unveiled and made manifest, that haply thou mayest apprehend the
morning light of divine guidance, mayest quench, by the power of
reliance and renunciation, the lamp of idle fancy, of vain imaginings,
of hesitation, and doubt, and mayest kindle, in the inmost chamber of
thine heart, the new-born light of divine knowledge and certitude.
Know verily that the purpose underlying all these symbolic terms and
abstruse allusions, which emanate from the Revealers of God's holy
Cause, hath been to test and prove the peoples of the world; that
thereby the earth of the pure and illuminated hearts may be known from
the perishable and barren soil. From time immemorial such hath been the
way of God amidst His creatures, and to this testify the records of the
sacred books.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 47
4)
The Surih of the Temple, an important tablet revealed by Baha'u'llah, is another
place where Baha'u'llah refers to His many Dependent Prophets, in
addition to other important themes covered. "Temples" is one of the terms/titles Baha'u'llah applies to Prophets (both Independent Prophets
and Dependent Prophets), who are the Face of God on earth; as reflected in the words, "temples of the Oneness of God" in the passage below. "Raise up, then, from this Temple," refers to Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet. "the temples of the Oneness of God" refers to the pre-existent Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah summoned to appear on earth by him. "be of them that are illumined by His
light" -- be among those who recognise the Dependent Prophets. "Through them the earth hath been established": through the Dependent Prophets new teachings are brought.
1.12
O Pen of the Most High! Hearken unto the Call of Thy Lord, raised from
the Divine Lote-Tree in the holy and luminous Spot, that the sweet
accents of Thy Lord, the All-Merciful, may fill Thy soul with joy and
fervour, and that the breezes that waft from My name, the
Ever-Forgiving, may dispel Thy cares and sorrows. Raise up, then, from
this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet], the temples of the Oneness of God [the Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah],
that they may tell out, in the kingdom of creation, the tidings of
their Lord, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, and be of them that are
illumined by His light.
1.13
We, verily, have ordained this Temple [Baha'u'llah, the Independent Prophet] to be the source of all existence
in the new creation, that all may know of a certainty My power to
accomplish that which I have purposed through My word "Be", and it is!
Beneath the shadow of every letter of this Temple
We shall raise up a people whose number none can reckon save God, the
Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Erelong shall God bring forth from
His Temple such souls as will remain unswayed by the insinuations of
the rebellious, and who will quaff at all times of the cup that is life
indeed. These, truly, are of the blissful.
1.14
These are servants
who abide beneath the shelter of the tender mercy of their Lord, and
who remain undeterred by those who seek to obstruct their path. Upon
their faces may be seen the brightness of the light of the
All-Merciful, and from their hearts may be heard the remembrance of
Mine all-glorious and inaccessible Name. Were they to unloose their
tongues to extol their Lord, the denizens of earth and heaven would
join in their anthems of praise -- yet how few are they who hear! And
were they to glorify their Lord, all created things would join in their
hymns of glory. Thus hath God exalted them above the rest of His creation, and yet the people remain unaware!
1.15
These are they who circle round the Cause of God even as the shadow
doth revolve around the sun. Open, then, your eyes, O people of the
Bayan, that haply ye may behold them! It is by virtue of their movement
that all things are set in motion, and by reason of their stillness all
things are brought to rest, would that ye might be assured thereof! Through
them the believers in the Divine Unity have turned towards Him Who is
the Object of the adoration of the entire creation, and by them the
hearts of the righteous have found rest and composure, could ye but
know it! Through them the earth hath been established, the
clouds have rained down their bounty, and the bread of knowledge hath
descended from the heaven of grace, could ye but perceive it!
-- Baha'u'llah, Surih of the Temple, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 8.
It should first be noted that in one sense the stations of the Prophets
of God differ one from another. For instance, consider Moses. He
brought forth a Book and established ordinances, whilst a number of the
Prophets and Messengers who arose after Him were charged with the
promulgation of His laws, insofar as they remained consonant with the
needs of the age. The books and chronicles annexed to the Torah bear
eloquent testimony to this truth.
-- Baha'u'llah, Tabernacle of Unity.
Thereupon God sent Elijah the prophet [a Dependent/Lesser Prophet in the era of Moses] who redeemed the people, renewed
the law of God and established an era of new life for Israel.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Foundations of World Unity, p. 95
The continuation of revelation
is also alluded to by the following passage which can be interpreted as a reference
to the laws of the Aqdas, and their formulation according to the
spiritual capacity, social and cultural context of the earliest believers. Hence,
for example, their patriachal nature. It was also permitted for a
man to have up to two wives. In the era of Muhammad, it was permitted
for a man to have up to four
wives -- based on the spiritual capacity of believers then. Similarly,
in the era of Muhammad, the Holy Imams introduced new doctrines after the ascension of Muhammad. In the next passage where it says, "The mariner of eternity [Baha'u'llah] was ordered to teach a single letter" also points to the fact that there will be more Revelation in this dispensation, beyond what Baha'u'llah revealed, which will come through Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah.
67. O SON OF BEAUTY!
By My spirit and by My favor! By My mercy and by My beauty! All that I
have revealed unto thee with the tongue of power, and have written for
thee with the pen of might, hath been in accordance with thy capacity
and understanding, not with My state and the melody of My voice.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, The Hidden Words of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 19
... The mariner of eternity [Baha'u'llah] was ordered to teach a single letter of the hidden word to the people of the ark...
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner from the Persian. (a provisional translation by Juan Cole)
5)
20. O YE THAT ARE LYING AS DEAD ON THE COUCH OF HEEDLESSNESS!
Ages have passed and your precious lives are well-nigh ended, yet not a
single breath of purity hath reached Our court of holiness from you.
Though immersed in the ocean of misbelief, yet with your lips ye
profess the one true faith of God. Him whom I abhor ye have loved, and
of My foe ye have made a friend. Notwithstanding,
ye walk on My earth complacent and self-satisfied, heedless that My
earth is weary of you and everything within it shunneth you.
Were ye but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth, prefer a myriad
griefs unto this joy, and would count death itself better than this
life.
-- Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words
... For ages and centuries they settled and dwelt in that pleasant and
spiritual station, in that divine and holy rose garden, with perfect
joy and happiness.
Then the gales of divine tests and the winds of lordly temptation blew
from the Sheba of the everlasting Cause. They became distracted by the
beauty of the wine server and grew heedless of the immortal countenance,
to the extent that they imagined the shadow to be the sun and phantoms
to be light. They set out for the ladders of the greatest name so that
they might scale those heavens and arrive at that seat and place. When
they rose toward it, the divine assayers descended upon them with the sacred touchstone, by the irresistible decree of the lord. When these emissaries did not perceive the scent [fragrance] of the spiritual youth, they forbade entry to all.
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Tablet of the Holy Mariner (from the Persian). A provisional translation by Juan Cole.
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