Predictions and prophecies: hope, warning and human responsibility

The Prophets of God were informed through divine revelation that certain events would come to pass. For instance, through divine revelation they came to know that Christ would be martyred, which they in turn proclaimed. Now, did their knowledge and awareness cause the martyrdom of Christ? No: This knowledge is a sign of their perfection and not the cause of His martyrdom.

Thinkest thou that He would have commanded thee to pray for that which would never come? That prayer is also a prophecy."

Whatever has issued from the Supreme Pen will definitely come to pass, but we servants must strive and surge and cry out until we become successful in this service and become the manifestation of this bounty.

This question of the union of the white and the black is very important, for if it is not realized, erelong great difficulties will arise, and harmful results will follow ... enmity will be increased day by day, and the final result will be hardship and may end in bloodshed.

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Abdul-Baha said: "I foretell things before they happen and I write about them before they occur. The destruction of two or three houses is of no importance, but the importance lies in what is coming, which is the destruction of America.

In brief, with such explicitness was this matter set forth in great assemblies and mighty churches, and admonition was begun, saying: "O honored ones present! This mighty peril is before us. Arise with high resolve and show forth a noble effort, that this world-consuming fire may not blaze forth, that this tempest of calamity may not appear, and that this most great earthquake may not upheave the nations of the earth. This is the hour for self-sacrifice and the time for manly endeavor. Assuredly the world of creation will be left without repose, and the face of the earth will be dyed with the blood of its youth.

In brief, if all the friends of God arise to promote the heavenly teachings, it is certain that universal peace will be established. Praise be to God, all that was set forth in explicit text in the divine Tablets hath been wholly fulfilled, and all that 'Abdu'l-Baha proclaimed in the churches and gatherings of America hath appeared and come to pass.

God has purposed that peace must reign in this age, and it will come to pass. Let the advocates of peace work with greater zeal and courage for the Lord of Hosts is their supporter.

May the world become another world, and may the realm of creation seek new beauty and adornment. May the Most Glorious Paradise pitch its tent on the dusty earth, and may the Lote Tree of the Furthermost Boundary cast its shadow upon all horizons.

Soon will the Sun of Justice emerge from behind the clouds and its rays encompass the world. The Command is in His hands - He doeth what He willeth and ordaineth what He pleaseth. God willing, outwardly and inwardly occupy thyself with the triumph of God's Cause.

Soon the remaining tyrannical souls will likewise turn to their dwellings. According to the Command, all friends must hold fast to patience and perseverance and keep their gaze fixed upon the horizons of divine ordinances. God, exalted be His glory, alone will grant victory and suffice against the evil of the oppressors.

And yet, in the epistles of Baha'u'llah, this momentous event was explicitly foretold forty years before it occurred. He addressed all the kings of the world and all peoples, telling them to prevent this flood, but none accepted. 'Abdu'l-Baha also repeatedly cried out in America and Europe: "O wise ones! The continent of Europe has become an arsenal. Below its surface are all manner of explosive materials. Soon it will be ignited by a single spark. Strive that you may be able to extinguish this fire."

These stories of the prophets recorded in the Koran are not for the sake of writing history. They are a warning to the future generations after Mohamad, so that they may know what was done by former people to the Messengers of God.

O thou who art turned toward the Kingdom of existence and who hast clung to the hem of the robe of grandeur in the realm of the visible, moving among the people of prostration! Look deeply into the ranks of humanity and thou wilt see them immersed in the lusts which destroy, the sins which expose, the veils which conceal, and the darkness which encompasses - arising from the evil of self and passion, and descent into the abyss of degradation and wretchedness, tormented by the conditions of heedlessness and blindness, and wandering in the wilderness of ignorance and estrangement. Every people awaits the dawning of the Sun of Truth from the horizon of hope, every sect watches for the appearance of brilliant lights from a most luminous dayspring, and every people is promised the manifestation of the Lord of existence - the One promised to the Jews, the One awaited by the people of the Gospel through the grace of the Loving Lord, the One whose appearance in the visible realm was foretold in the tongue of the Praised One Muhammad - so that by His dawning from the horizon of the world, the intense darkness may be dispelled and the dense clouds over the horizons of the nations may be removed, and the forces of ignorance may be scattered while the angel of knowledge and virtue prevails, and those possessed of true understanding may be empowered while the helpers of failure are dispersed, and the morn of guidance may appear and the lamp of wisdom may shine forth, and every crookedness may be straightened and every deviation set right, and all doubts may vanish and the veils may be lifted from the face of reality. But when He came to them with the decisive proof and the brilliant light and the shining evidence, they turned back on their heels, abased, and became among those veiled from the truth.

Ponder in your hearts that which He hath foretold in His Tablet of the Divine Vision that hath been spread throughout the world.

In the divine Holy Books there are unmistakable prophecies giving the glad tidings of a certain Day in which the Promised One of all the Books would appear, a radiant dispensation be established, the banner of the Most Great Peace and conciliation be hoisted and the oneness of the world of humanity proclaimed.

Say: Awaken, O people! The Herald hath cried out in the wilderness of the Bayan, and this is the Day of the great calling. How long will ye slumber on the couch of heedlessness and desire? Arise and turn unto God, and follow not every doubting idolater.

That Most Great Sea will soon send forth a wave that will cast all these foam-flecks to the shore. Before this inevitable event, souls must become aware and take shelter in the sheltering shade of the Tree of Divine Unity.

For instance, in reference to the Promised One that must come after Christ, it is said in John 16:12: "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak."

But when Jesus said "the Spirit of Truth shall come and teach all things," He meant that He was to come in the flesh.

Let us consider the prophecies announcing the coming of God or the Blessed Perfection. The coming of the Kingdom of God is foretold in all the heavenly books and these sayings are not confined to a small number, but the books are full of them - especially Daniel and Isaiah.

Jesus Christ said in the Gospels: "After Me shall come the Paraclete (or Advocate)." … When Mohammed put forth His claim, a great multitude of the disciples of Christ believed in Him as the man who put forward the claim of being the Comforter mentioned in St. John 16:13.

Then He said that the Queen of the South came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, a greater than Solomon is here: My light shall shine forth, My fragrances shall waft abroad, My breezes shall pass by, and My life-giving spirit shall influence the horizons. The queens of the earth shall all come to the seat of My Kingdom that they may hear My consummate wisdom and My perfect mysteries and the realities and meanings deposited in the Tablets of God.

And in the traditions, in the eleventh chapter of the Revelation of John, the Messenger of God states: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True (the faithful and true one being His name and title), and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

The revered Shaykh wrote in reply, and it is recorded in the books and treatises in the possession of the Shaykhis: "This Cause must needs have a focal point, and every announcement has its fixed time, but it is not permissible to specify by name. You shall surely know its tidings after a time [ba'da hin]."

It is said that he poured it on the air, because the air fills every place, and the continuing verses mean the Great War that is to come. After this war everything will be at peace. The city which was cut in three pieces means that kingdom of Babylonia, which is under three kings, those of England, Persia and Turkey. The islands and mountains of v. 20 mean people of influence, and also small kingdoms, which will be destroyed and annihilated at that time.

Read the prophecies of Isaiah and Hezekiah concerning the return of the Jews to Jerusalem in the last days. Also that the water of the Nile would come to Jerusalem in the last days. When the British came they brought the water of the Nile in pipes to Palestine, and we drank that water here.

The philosophers were always astonished at that prophecy saying that this was one of the exaggerations of the Bible; that this was impossible, the water could not cross the desert and how could that water be brought from the Nile to Palestine.

Do the hieroglyphics seen inside the great Pyramid refer to Baha'u'llah? Answer: Maybe, but if this is so, it will be known in the future. There are prophecies in the old Persian books that were taken to India long ago by Zoroastrians when they were driven from Persia. In every old gospel, or sacred book, if it be carefully studied, reference to this Day may be found. The old Parsi books are in India, for the Parsis fled to India.

The "perceiving soul" of man is the power which discovers. Wheresoever it is directed it discovers the hidden mysteries therein, and brings to light that which was veiled. Therefore it is possible for man to arrive at the station wherein future events are revealed to him. But as to the other phenomena which are known among the people, they are imagination.

The meaning of the dream I dreamt is now clear and evident. Please God this dynamite will not explode.

All, except those who ride in the Ship of God. Those will be saved.

That Ship is the Ship of the Kingdom, it is heavenly. Whoever boards it will never drown.

As to the question ye have asked me, know verily that this is a well-guarded secret. It is even as a gem concealed within its shell. That it will be revealed is predestined. The time will come when its light will appear, when its evidences will be made manifest, and its secrets unraveled.

As for the blessed verse "Whoso layeth claim to a Cause before the completion of a full thousand years," this refers not to a relative amount but to a thousand years - that is, the well-known thousand years which is established and determined in the convention of mathematicians and verified and customary among people. The warnings regarding Ta have not yet been fulfilled, and likewise the first prophecy of Daniel is calculated from the beginning of the mission of the Prophet, which is approximately 1280 by the Hijra calendar. The second prophecy is by the Hijra calendar, meaning from the beginning of the Hijra, so 1335 has not yet come.

Whoso layeth claim to a Revelation before the completion of a full thousand years, such a one is assuredly a lying impostor. And whoso interpreteth this verse differently, verily he is of those who have gone astray.

As for what you asked about the verse found in the Book of Daniel - "Blessed is he who waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty-five days" - these are solar years, not lunar years, because by that date a century will have elapsed from the rising of the Sun of Truth, and God's teachings will be firmly established in the earth, and light will fill the east and west of the earth. On that day the believers will rejoice.

"There are many prophecies but we do not use them as proofs. We prove the appearance of the Blessed Beauty in other ways. For the sun is in no need of having others say that it exists. Is this not so? Is there need for any one to say the sun is shining? Its own appearance is sufficient. So the knowledge which appears from the Blessed Beauty is quite sufficient. He has written books. I will tell you about one of them briefly, concisely. From the beginning of the world until now, no one has established his cause while in chains. His Holiness Baha'u'llah was imprisoned by two kings and was guarded by soldiers and forbidden to meet any one. Briefly, under these conditions He raised His Cause. While in prison He established His Cause. Nothing can be compared to it from the beginning of time until now.

"He has prophesied all the recent happenings. (Turning to the Allisons) You come one day and I will show them to you. He wrote to Napoleon (the Third) twice, at a time when he was in the utmost power and glory; to William also, addressing him clearly He said that 'Thou wilt fall from your station. Do not boast. Hast thou not seen what has become of Napoleon? The same will befall thee. I hear the lamentation from Berlin. Although Berlin is at present in the utmost glory, I hear her cries. I hear her crying and lamenting.'

"He addressed Tihran, when the Shah, Nasiri'd-Din, was in the utmost glory. He said: 'O land of Tihran, agitation will befall thee and affairs will be upset.'

"Then He addressed Constantinople when the Ottoman Empire was in the utmost glory. He said: 'O thou city between the two seas. Thy reign is that of the oppressor. Soon it will reach such a state that lamentation of the mass and women and children will reach to heaven.' What He has said about the Ottoman Empire has come to pass. He said: 'This 'Abdu'l-Hamid is an owl, and an owl does not live in a house.' He foretold the end of 'Abdu'l-Hamid. Baha'u'llah was in the prison of 'Abdu'l-Hamid. While He was in his prison at such a time He made great addresses.

"He was like a king addressing his servants. The imprisonment of the Blessed Beauty was not like that of others. There were many officials who came there. The Governor of 'Akka had tried for five years to receive an audience in His Holy Presence. He did not grant it. Every one knew this. While in prison He was in the utmost glory but all were humble (before Him). 'Abdu'l-Hamid had issued a firman (order) that the Blessed Beauty be not allowed to leave his room. Soldiers were on guard. If I should have gone there, they would not let me enter. Nevertheless the tent of the Blessed Beauty was pitched on Mount Carmel. Throngs of Baha'is used to come outside the city of 'Akka to visit.

There were always sixty or seventy of the Baha'i pilgrims there. No one would dare to speak. If you also were there, you would have been astonished.

"The aide of the Governor of Yemen, Aziz Pasha, was on the steamer and sent a message to me: 'Come, I want to see you.' I went. He asked me: 'Whose pavilion is this? It is visible from afar. It has no equal.' I said: 'This was the pavilion of Baha'u'llah, the tent of Baha'u'llah. This was the imprisonment.' He said: 'Is this the imprisonment of Baha'u'llah!'

"When we first entered the barracks it was very difficult. All were imprisoned in the barracks. No one was allowed to come out. Even when I wanted to go to the baths they would not let me. Tablets were revealed at that time which are still preserved, telling the Baha'is not to grieve, 'for ere long these doors will be open and My Tent will be pitched outside the walls.' For two years it was very difficult. After two years we left the barracks. In the ninth 'year the Blessed Beauty left the city. He remained all the time outside 'Akka. Every now and then He used to visit 'Akka.

"We were all ordered to be imprisoned forever. All of us were to be imprisoned eternally. When we came here (Haifa) the governor sent for me and said, 'It is a firman of the Sultan that you should not leave the barracks.' He ordered the firman to be brought to him and it was read. It was written, 'Everlasting imprisonment.' I said: 'This is a lie. It has no truth.' The governor was surprised, exclaiming: 'This is the firman of the Sultan!' I replied: 'I cannot remain forever in this world. 'Abdu'l-Hamid cannot remain forever either. I will not remain in the world so that I may be forever in prison. It is certain that a day will come when I shall die and I shall be freed from this prison. Therefore this is a lie."'

Mr. Randall: "What date was referred to in the Book of Daniel: 'Blessed is he who comes to the thousand, three hundred and thirty and five days?'"

'Abdu'l-Baha: "This date is reckoned according to solar time. From the declaration of Muhammad thirteen hundred thirty-five years will pass according to solar reckoning. There will be a very blessed Cause at that time, this is reckoning from the Hijrah. Three or four years before 1917 the Jews interpreted it to mean the year 1917. They reckoned it according to lunar time. Now this reckoning according to lunar time is thirteen hundred and five years. Three years ago they were expectant. They wrote everywhere that the Messiah will appear. The Rabbis of the Holy Land wrote everywhere. Even a Persian Jew came to me. He said: 'In the year 1335 the Messiah will appear. It is certain. All the Rabbis are agreed upon it.' I said: 'Your Promised One was Christ. He came nineteen hundred years ago.' He said: 'He has not come. He must come in 1917.' I said: 'If He does not come, what then?' He replied: 'Strike me one hundred times with a stick.' In the beginning of the year (1917) I sent for him. He said: 'Wait until the end of the year.' The end of the year came and I sent for him again. He did not come. I sent for him several times, but he did not come. His name was Ishmael. He was a physician here, an oculist. No matter what I did he remained away until the poor fellow died."

Dr. Esslemont: "What are we to expect at the end of 1335? What shall we see?"

'Abdu'l-Baha: "Thank God you are still young. Universal Peace will be established; the Oneness of the World of Humanity will be established. No war will remain. The Teachings of God will be promulgated. One language will be adopted and spread. Misunderstandings will pass away and it will be very good."

Daniel Chapter 4 spoke of 2520 years reduced to solar time is 2444 years, that is, from Daniel to Christ 403 years, from Christ to Baha'u'llah 1817 years, from Baha'u'llah to the end of the old religion is 144 years, altogether 2444.

I say in truth: whatsoever hath flowed from the Most Exalted Pen shall assuredly come to pass, and if it be delayed due to the requirements of consummate wisdom, there is no harm.

Until the sun rises in the West, the door of repentance will remain open.

Then they mentioned that it is well known among people that there is a hadith which states that on the Day of the Manifestation of the Qa'im, seven mills shall turn with the blood of the clergy.

The secret of the Day that is to come is now concealed. It can neither be divulged nor estimated. The newly born babe of that Day excels the wisest and most venerable men of this time, and the lowliest and most unlearned of that period shall surpass in understanding the most erudite and accomplished divines of this age.

Who knoweth, it could be that the gates of all things will not all attain His presence, and yet He may ordain the return of the creation of the Bayan, and to wrap up, in His grasp, all the heavens that are raised in the Bayan.

Say: All such as these are mentioned in God's Book. And verily what thou hast mentioned about the seat of the Gate, after God had raised him unto Himself - ye cannot comprehend it save on the Day of Resurrection. Those who believe in Him Whom God shall make manifest - that is His seat, as ye shall there behold. Set no limits to God's Cause, for if God should choose infinite numbers, all are chosen by God's command, and if He should choose praiseworthy numbers, all are chosen by God's command, and if He should enumerate the Cause, they are chosen by God's command.

And among the signs which must needs occur and which cannot be stayed, as revealed in the tradition, are the Yamani and the Sufyani and the Call and the slaying of the Pure Soul and the sinking of the earth at Bayda and the red death which is the sword and the white death which is the plague and the lunar eclipse for five [days] and the solar eclipse for fifteen [days] the like of which hath not been seen since Adam descended to earth; and at that time shall the work of the conjecturers be rendered null and the reckoning of the astrologers shall fall, and thereat shall all behold a form in the garments of the sun. Alas! Alas! Abu 'Abdu'llah -- upon him be peace -- said: "This Cause shall not come to pass until two-thirds of mankind have passed away."

This is what We promised thee aforetime: "Be patient until there passeth from the Bayan nine. Say: All was created in His grasp and all are obedient unto Him. Verily, after a time [ba'da hin] there shall come to you a Command which ye shall come to know."

I shall, instead, direct your steps to that city which enshrines a Mystery of such transcendent holiness as neither Hijaz nor Shiraz can hope to rival.

Of the span of your earthly life there remain only three months and nine days, after which you shall, with faith and certitude, hasten to your eternal abode.

"It is the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit that causes words such as these to stream from the tongue of poets, the significance of which they themselves are oftentimes unable to apprehend. The following verse is also divinely inspired: 'Shiraz will be thrown into a tumult; a Youth of sugar-tongue will appear. I fear lest the breath of His mouth should agitate and upset Baghdad.' The mystery enshrined within this verse is now concealed; it will be revealed in the year after Hin."

Say: O people! This servant of God calleth you only unto Him and guideth you to the path which hath been raised up in truth, and teacheth you the ways of piety in that which ye know not, and giveth you glad tidings of Him Who shall come after and of Him Whom God shall make manifest, that ye may attain unto every grace.

Await thou the Day when God shall come with a sovereignty from the realm of His command, and around Him shall circle the angels of the Spirit. Then shalt thou find the people struck down, and trembling shall seize the dwellers of the heavens and earth, and all names shall be overturned and fall upon limited dust - save those who have detached themselves unto God and entered beneath the shadow of their Lord, the Most High, the Supreme, the Mighty, the Praised.

The evidence hath appeared and the cry hath gone forth and the Tongue of Grandeur hath spoken amongst creation: "The appointed time hath come and the Promised One hath appeared."

My Most Exalted Pen hath testified that there is none other God but Him, and the Tongue hath testified in its Most Glorious Station that the Promise hath been fulfilled and the Promised One hath come with manifest sovereignty.

This is a day wherein every one who advanceth gaineth, and every doubting denier loseth.

The Hour hath come, yet ye turn away from it. The Awakening hath appeared, yet ye remain heedless of it. The earthquake hath seized all who are on earth save those who have come unto the All-Merciful after drinking the cup of assurance.

Await ye the Day which ye were promised in the Tablets, when the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall upon the face of the earth. Say: The Day hath come, and none knoweth it save God, unto Whom returneth the decree of the beginning and the end.

O thou who art present before the Throne and gazest upon the Countenance! Soar on the wings of longing unto the heaven of wisdom and utterance and say:

O peoples of the world! Rejoice and behold on this Day whereon He Who conversed on Sinai hath been established upon the throne of Revelation and hath said: By God! The blessed supreme verse "but He is the Apostle of God and the Seal of the Prophets" hath been fulfilled by the Day when mankind shall stand before the Lord of the worlds.

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O Hasan, upon thee be My glory! The Promise hath come, and the Promised One calleth out before the faces of the unseen and the seen, and commandeth them with that which draweth them near and acquainteth them with what was hidden from them.

O upholder of the Faith! The Faith has been upheld and the Uprising has appeared, yet the people are in wondrous intoxication. Earthquakes have seized all the tribes of the earth save whom God, the Lord of all men, has willed.

Surely you have read in the books of the Prophets that a day will come which is the King of Days, when the Lord of Hosts will come from heaven - a day when all the world will come under the shadow of the Divine Word, a day when the true Ruler is the Lord, a day when East and West will be connected to each other, a day when war and strife will cease and all nations will achieve peace and reconciliation with each other.

O thou who hast inhaled the Fragrance of faithfulness from the Rose-garden of the Bestowal of God!

By God, the True One, Verily the Prophecies of the Books and the predictions of the Tablets have come to pass and become manifest, like unto the manifestation of the lights of the Sun and are shining upon all the countries and regions.

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The promises of the Prophets have already been fulfilled, the prophecies of the Messengers realized; the Day of Judgment hath come, and mankind hath stood before the LORD of the creatures!

O newspaper of the world, convey a blessed message to the people of the world that this century is a luminous century and this age is the age of the All-Merciful. The dawn of guidance has risen. The Sun of Truth has shone with utmost heat. Consider the time as precious. Open your eyes that you may behold the lights. Open your ears that you may hear the call of the Kingdom.

I send you the glad tidings that the light from the Sun of Truth is already dawning on the horizon of the East.

I send you the glad tidings that the heavenly powers are already set in motion.

I send you the glad tidings that the powers of this world are already faltering.

I send you the glad tidings that the time has now come in which the sun of prejudice and the moon of superstition will be darkened.

I send you the glad tidings that the divine Spirit and the hosts of the Kingdom are at work.

The Call of God when raised, breathed a new life into the body of mankind, and infused a new spirit into the whole creation. It is for this reason that the world hath been moved to its depths, and the hearts and consciences of men been quickened. Erelong the evidences of this regeneration will be revealed, and the fast asleep will be awakened.

The effulgence of God's splendrous mercy hath enveloped the peoples and kindreds of the earth, and the whole world is bathed in its shining glory... The day will soon come when the light of Divine unity will have so permeated the East and the West that no man dare any longer ignore it.

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Soon you will see that in this new age and wondrous century, the gleaming light of the morn of guidance will illuminate distant horizons.

Soon you will observe that the horizons of the world will become the unfurled banner of the Most Great Name, and the character of nations will be attracted to that honored light. The melody of sanctification in the gatherings of unity will reach the ethereal sphere, and the chanting of the verses of the Glorious Lord - its song will bring delight to the people of the Supreme Concourse. The world will become another world, and the universe will become the dawning-place of that life-giving spirit. The fame of the Glorious Lord will conquer the world, and "Glorified be my Lord, the Most Glorious!" will be raised from all horizons.

Even though this manifest light has not yet been reflected fully in the palpable world and its virtue is as yet unknown in the visible realm erelong shall everything both high and low alike receive a portion from it and it will soon be evident that the Mystery of existence has revealed this bounty and each of the friends has become a shining luminary in the horizon of glory.

And when the appointed hour is come, there shall suddenly appear that which shall cause the limbs of mankind to quake. Then, and only then, will the Divine Standard be unfurled, and the Nightingale of Paradise warble its melody.

Spread abroad the sweet savors of thy Lord, and hesitate not, though it be for less than a moment, in the service of His Cause. The day is approaching when the victory of thy Lord, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Bountiful, will be proclaimed.

Ere long will the standard of the Cause of God be unfurled in the midmost heart of the world in such wise as to astonish all the nations.

… Announce unto all the friends of God the glad tidings that ere long will ye witness the power of the Word of God, and the supremacy of the Law of God and the pervading potency of the verses of God, and ye will attain such joy and felicity as to intoxicate the world of creation.

Divine assistance is with you and infinite bounty encompasses your state. Soon shall the signs of God's grace appear and divine lights illumine East and West.

Soon will the lights of the Cause encompass the world, although now faces are turned toward the direction of infidelity. However, an appointed time hath been fixed for it. When it is fulfilled, that which is recorded in God's Books, the Lord of the worlds, shall appear.

Soon will that which was closed be opened, and that which was joined be separated, and he who was barred will enter, and that which was united will be divided, and that which was difficult will become easy, and that which was hidden will be revealed.

Soon shall We make it as scattered dust and leave their wealth to another people. Say: Reflect upon the generations that have gone before you. We commanded them to fear God, but they followed their desires. We seized them for their sins and made them a lesson to the worlds.

In the days of the former Manifestations of God no addresses were given for the kings and no clear warnings were given. If you read the whole of the Gospel you will be unable to find a single warning to a crowned head. No prophetic statements were made. No prophecies of the future were given except in a general way, as, for example, the prophecies you will find in Isaiah concerning the destruction of Babylon and the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem.

The book containing these Epistles to the kings was published in India about thirty years ago and is known as the Suratu'l-Haykal ("Discourse of the Temple"). Whatever is recorded in these Epistles has happened. Some of the prophecies contained in them came to pass after two years; others were fulfilled after five, ten and twenty years.

You are not a protector of your own distressed and oppressed people. You are devoted to your own interests; and this pride of yours, which is supported by your commands, must be overthrown.

"Because of this arrogance of yours, therefore, in a short time God will destroy your sovereignty.

"France will fall away from you, and will be vanquished by a great conquest.

"[On] the banks of its rivers will be places of lamentation and mourning.

"The women of France will weep and bemoan the loss of their sons."

Thou didst conspire with the Persian Ambassador to harm Me, though I had come unto you from the source of majesty and grandeur with a Revelation that hath solaced the eyes of the favoured ones of God..." until He saith: "Hast thou imagined thyself capable of extinguishing the fire which God hath kindled in the heart of creation? Nay, by Him Who is the Eternal Truth, couldst thou but know it. Rather, on account of what thy hands have wrought, it blazed higher and burned more fiercely. Erelong will it encompass the earth and all that dwell therein. Thus hath it been decreed by God, and the powers of earth and heaven are unable to thwart His purpose.

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There is a story from before that is fitting to mention here: When the Manifestation was in the Land of Mystery, known as Adrianople, a special Tablet was revealed from the Supreme Pen addressed to the sovereign of Paris. In that Tablet proper etiquette was observed, and it was then sent to one of his ministers who had expressed loyalty. After some time, a petition arrived from that minister at the Most Holy Court stating that they had taken the blessed Tablet to the Foreign Minister and delivered it to the Emperor, but no response was received from him. Thereafter, another Tablet which forms part of the blessed Surih of Haykal was revealed from the heaven of God's Will, wherein news was given of his abasement, the loss of his entire kingdom, the ruin of that land, turmoil and revolution, and what you have heard. After the revelation of these blessed verses, most were observed to be in utmost bewilderment and astonishment. Indeed, someone mentioned to this servant that the sovereign of Paris was the foremost person in the world, that he ruled over all the earth, held the reins of all kings in his hands, and controlled the management of all the world's affairs - how could such a person be overcome or brought low? Even some of the loved ones were perplexed, for in no way could human minds comprehend it and were incapable of imagining it, until there came to pass exactly what was revealed in the divine verses.

Now consider this Tablet - all that befell him was explicitly foretold therein without any ambiguity. Blessed are they who read! Blessed are they who ponder! Blessed are they who are sincere! Likewise, reflect upon its wondrous creation and dispatch with power and majesty.

The mention of two great kings appeared in the Tablets with utmost clarity concerning what would befall them, to such extent that some of the assured souls, upon hearing that kingdom would be taken from them and their dominion, sovereignty, glory, and power would be lost, were observed in utter amazement. For they had not imagined that a kingdom like that of Paris would be lost from its king's grasp, and another king would pass in such abasement, and the lamentations of trees and stones would rise from the mountains.

When Napoleon III was at the height of power Baha'u'llah wrote him that God will destroy the foundation of his Kingdom. Likewise, His addresses to Sultan Abdul-Aziz, Sultan Abdul Hamid, the Shah of Persia, Nasser-ed-din etc are famous for the speedy fulfillment of their prophecies.

I will call your attention more especially to the aspects of this war which Baha'u'llah prophesied forty years ago fully and completely. During His exile and while under surveillance in the prison of Akka He addressed a letter to the Sultan of Turkey. He, likewise, sent Epistles to Napoleon III and to the Shah of Persia.

Amongst the proofs of the Blessed Beauty is this: That what he revealed in tablets about fifty years ago is accomplished today. Amongst his prophecies are those about the Turks in Kitab-i-Aqdas, Surat-ul-Hykl and in the Tablet to Ra'is. Whatever was revealed has now been accomplished.

Verily, this evanescent servant proclaimeth before the face of the world that regarding the conflict between the two powers, the Will of God hath ordained thus: after the complete weakening of the Ottoman state, other powers shall intervene and establish peace.

… And following a universal convulsion, the sun of justice will rise from the horizon of the unseen realm.

Thus hath spoken the Tongue of manifest truth.

Regarding what you wrote about the war between the two powers, all that was revealed in the Tablet to Ra'is has come to pass - God, the Most High, the Most Great, speaketh the truth. After reading it you will become informed of these matters. However, concerning the victor, certain statements have been revealed from the heaven of knowledge indicating that he too will not maintain this power. Verily He is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed.

Know then that the two kings have united to harm Us, though We were not corrupt in the land and called them to the Kingdom of their Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. God will soon transform their peace into enmity, and the fire of war shall be kindled between them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Knowing, the All-Informed. This is of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal unto thee that thou mayest be of those who are firmly established.

God will soon raise up from among the kings one who will help His Cause, for He is potent over all things.

All this was foretold by the Prophets of old from God, the Lord of Justice and Sovereign of Grace. Blessed is the soul that perceiveth these matters, pondereth them, and is awakened thereby.

The Lord of the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets - may the spirit of all else be sacrificed for His sake - hath said: "A time shall come when no one's faith shall remain secure except for those who flee from peak to peak and from stone to stone." Likewise, Isaiah the Prophet hath spoken concerning the severity of these days: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty."

In all His Tablets and epistles, He explicitly foretold these present events, warning that humanity was in grave danger and that a universal war was impending and inevitable, for the inflammable materials stored in the infernal arsenals of Europe would be ignited by a single spark. Among other things, He stated that the Balkans would become volcanic, and the map of Europe would change.

During my stay in America I cried out in every meeting and summoned the people to the propagation of the ideals of universal peace. I said plainly that the continent of Europe had become like unto an arsenal and its conflagration was dependent upon one spark, and that in the coming years, or within two years, all that which is recorded in the Revelation of John and the Book of Daniel would become fulfilled and come to pass.

O ye fathers of wisdom and philosophy! A smoldering volcano, fiery and volatile, lieth hid beneath the soil of Europe. The least spark will cause it to burst forth into a violent conflagration which shall abase the exalted and spread to the other continents of the world. Then will the fire of hell have seized the whole earth.'

The Balkans will remain discontented. Its restlessness will increase. The vanquished Powers will continue to agitate. They will resort to every measure that may rekindle the flame of war. Movements, newly-born and world-wide in their range, will exert their utmost effort for the advancement of their designs. The Movement of the Left will acquire great importance. Its influence will spread.

This year, calamities and blows of stagnation and corruption have encompassed all horizons, for the proof has been completed for all. … Surely this heedlessness, ingratitude for divine bounties, and lack of awareness will lead to regret, hardship, war and strife, and bring about loss and calamity. And if the people of the world do not turn to the Most Great Name, great danger lies ahead.

Praise to be God, whatever was recorded fifty years ago in the Tablets and Epistles, has in these days been fully realized. Undoubtedly the standard of universal peace shall be unfurled, its legions shall conquer, its call shall be raised, its rays shall beam forth upon all lands. At present it is only the dawn of its morn, for its sun shall shine in full splendor upon all regions.

"His Holiness Baha'u'llah fifty years ago mentioned the evils of this war and said these things would happen, and that the cure is Universal Peace and the establishment of Universal Arbitration and that all nations should be included to solve these disputes. If the letters which His Holiness Baha'u'llah sent to the rulers of the world had been put into action, this war would not have occurred.

For, all the events of these years of commotion have been set forth fifty years ago by the Supreme Pen and all, one by one, have come to pass. From among them is the prediction about Universal Peace which shall be eventually established.

Therefore I engaged myself in writing this Epistle, addressing all the friends and the maidservants of the Merciful who are absent though present spiritually: All that has been explicitly recorded and embedded in the Tablets of His Highness Baha’u’llah more than 50 years ago are in these days revealed and unfolded. Read those Tablets, especially the Epistle of the Temple [Suri-Haykal] and the Tablets to the Kings and Rulers of the earth!

… Not a single individual could conceive that Baha’u’llah addressed on that day, Kings and Emperors whose fame had filled all the regions and who had raised themselves to the utmost height of autocracy, predicting in an unmistakable and clear tone the events and happenings of these times.

Praise be to God, whatever was revealed in the Sacred Tablets fifty years ago has fully come to pass, and even the opposers inserted those verses in their own book and published them.

Before the war, numerous letters were sent to America stating explicitly that a great upheaval lay ahead, severe turmoil was approaching, the people of the world would fall into danger and painful torment, severe tests would arise, and through these trials the foundations of comfort would be shaken, while holy souls would shine like stars in the highest horizon.

When I was in Europe and America, I called out in all churches and gatherings, and it was printed and published in newspapers: "O hearers! A great danger lies ahead. All of Europe is like a powder magazine waiting for a single spark. The flames of war will reach the highest heaven and Europe will be turned upside down. This Balkan war will end in universal war. The foundation of the human world will be shaken. Cities will be destroyed and villages razed to the ground. Fathers will be left without sons and sons without fathers. Mothers will weep and children will wail and lament.

Regarding the current situation, fifteen months ago a detailed account was written to Tehran, which was published there and distributed throughout Iran, stating that a great danger would soon encompass all and war and conflict would become worldwide.

There will be a general war between the European powers and Germany of course will take a prominent part. Baha'u'llah has predicted a war between Germany and France and this will be fulfilled!

I said in America that the Balkan War was the prelude to that general war.

We are on the eve of the Battle of Armageddon, referred to in the 16th chapter of Revelation, when only a spark will set aflame the whole of Europe.

The social unrest in all countries, the growing religious scepticism prophesied as antecedent to the millennium, will set aflame the whole of Europe, as is prophesied in the 1st of Daniel and in the Book of John.

Before 1917 kingdoms will fall and cataclysms will rock the earth.

It will certainly come about but America will not participate in it. This war will be staged in Europe. You are in a corner and have nothing to do with others. You have no desire to gain territories in Europe, and no one lusts after your land. You are safe because the Atlantic Ocean serves as a great natural protection for you.

['Abdu'l-Baha] responded:

Yes, since they have disobeyed the blessed instructions [of Baha'u'llah]. Only a few countries have representatives in the League of Nations, whereas the representatives must be appointed and ratified by the nation, the government, the monarch and the Senate. They do not even consult. On the other hand, some governments are deprived of membership, and this has precipitated their fury and prompted their feeling of revenge. Governments have secret alliances with each other of which no one is aware, but these schemes will reach nowhere.

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This peace will come about after great upheavals and events take place.

[He was asked whether it would occur in this century. He replied:]

Yes, in this very age and century in which we now find ourselves.

Last year, when the banner of the clergy was raised high, it was clearly written to Tehran that this agitation would not be the cause of the clergy's glory, but rather the foundation of their abasement. Do not look to their current prosperity in these days - later it will become different and their utter humiliation will be made manifest.

Soon shall the wrongdoers know what fate awaits them. Before long these dark clouds shall pass and this murky dust shall settle, and the burden shall remain upon the necks of the corrupt ones.

In response to him, I wrote:

Concern not yourself with the glory and majesty which those divines now enjoy; this glory will soon be turned into the most abject abasement. 'Vileness and poverty were stamped upon them, and they returned with wrath from God.' These divines will uproot their foundations by their own hand, even as it has been said: 'They demolish their homes with their own hands.' These divines have seen the stable, but not the end which awaits them.

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O thou who art firm in the Covenant! Thy letter was received and the upheavals in Mashad and the surrounding areas of Khurasan became known. Surely by now some degree of peace and calm has been established and some of the dangers have passed. When the constitutional government becomes organized, some comfort and ease shall be attained.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant! At a time when the previous National Assembly was at the height of its power, and the Shah himself sent the Prime Minister to Qum to welcome the divines and return them to Tehran with utmost respect and consideration, and when they arrived in Tehran, all the people and the government received them with the highest honor and dignity, welcoming them with great pomp, and for three days and nights they held celebrations, and the National Assembly was formed - some of the followers of Yahya gained complete influence in the Assembly and engaged in corruption, setting the government and nation against each other until matters reached such a point that they were determined to depose the Shah and enthrone another. 'Abdu'l-Baha explicitly wrote to several souls, including the Spiritual Assembly of Tehran, that the government would triumph and the Assembly would be dispersed due to the ill-fortune of the Yahya'i corruptors. At that time, the Shah was at his weakest and the Assembly at its strongest, and the national committees supporting the Assembly had reached nearly one hundred. Therefore, the Yahya'is mocked 'Abdu'l-Baha's explicit statement about the Assembly's dispersion until suddenly the Assembly was scattered and dissolved, and the Yahya'is were disappointed and defeated, unable to change the monarchy to their intended person, from whom they had received large amounts of bribes and kickbacks.

In any case, after this momentous event which caused astonishment to all souls, even the enemies, the incident of Sirjan occurred where the esteemed learned one, Aqa Siyyid Yahya, was martyred with utmost innocence, and in Sangsar the divine friends suffered severe persecution and great oppression was inflicted upon them. And in Tabriz, the bloodthirsty mujtahid Haji Mirza Hasan issued a fatwa for the killing of all the friends, saying these constitutionalists are all Baha'is and according to religious law must be killed and plundered. Therefore, all the divine friends scattered; only two were caught and martyred with severe wounds. Had the friends in Azerbaijan not scattered, they would all have been martyred by the fatwa of that tyrannical bloodthirsty one, but despite their searching, they found no one.

At that time 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote, with utter explicitness and without the least veil of interpretation, to the principal centers, even to the Shah's own confidant and intimate, Aminu'd-Dawlih; and likewise He wrote in confidence to the Spiritual Assembly of Tihran, and in like manner addressed other prominent persons in clear and unmistakable terms. Those documents, bearing the signature and seal of 'Abdu'l-Baha, are still extant in Tihran. Their purport was this: that the government should arise to avenge the blood of the martyred Hadrat Aqa Siyyid Yahya, should stone the oppressors of Sangsar, should punish that bloodthirsty mujtahid, and inflict upon him his deserved chastisement, that henceforth no other mujtahid might dare commit such an outrage. Should the government arise to these matters, well and good; otherwise, God doeth whatsoever He willeth and ordaineth. Thereupon the government made excuse, saying, "Such power is not within our grasp."

A second time it was written that, if the government should duly and fittingly carry out that which was required, avenge the blood of the martyred Siyyid Yahya, inflict the necessary punishment upon the oppressors of Sangsar, and requite the denier, that hostile mujtahid, with the chastisement he deserved, it would remain preserved and secure; otherwise all confirmation would be wholly withdrawn, bada would manifest itself, and affairs would be overturned. It had even been written that they submitted to His Holiness Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, peace be upon Him: "We had been promised that the seventh among them would be their Qa'im, and Thou art the seventh. Where then is that arising?" He replied: "I was the Promised One, and I was the Qa'im, but bada occurred." With this same plainness it was written that, if bada be admissible in the Qa'imship of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, then assuredly, a fortiori, bada would be admissible in the might and ascendancy of the present government. Since there it was admissible, here its admissibility would be yet greater. Explicitly was this written even to his own trusted confidant and companion, yet no heed was paid. Wherefore the effect of bada became manifest.

Similarly, it was written time and again that until the government and people blend together like milk and honey, prosperity and success would be impossible and unattainable. The letters exist, and even in several detailed letters to Tehran it was explicitly written, including to the Shah's trusted confidant, that if the government and people do not blend together and unite, affairs would become entirely disordered and neighboring powers would intervene. To prove this statement, the very letter that Haji Mirza Abdullah Saqat-furush has sent in these days from Tehran is being forwarded, that you may observe with what clarity future events were forewarned, and it may be established and proven that the Pen of the Covenant is divinely assisted - whatever proceeds from it will surely come to pass. You should make copies of this letter and circulate it throughout all of Khurasan, and also make copies of Haji Mirza Abdullah's letter and circulate it, for some weak ones have made this matter a pretext and are confusing minds, while the loved ones of God lack detailed knowledge.

At the beginning it was explicitly written that this assembly would be dissolved and these present leaders would be brought low, and the government would prevail. Thereafter certain requirements were set forth that needed to be implemented. The government paid no heed. Time and again it was written explicitly and warning was given, but it yielded no result. Thus whatever proceeded from the Pen of the Covenant has in these days become evident and manifest. We hope that constitutional government, which is the decisive text of the Most Holy Book, will be established in Iran and assurance will be obtained. Constitutional government, by the decisive text of the Most Holy Book, is legitimate government, while absolutism and autocracy are illegitimate. But we, at the beginning, showed forbearance merely to protect the friends.

The reason for this forbearance was that the leaders of the nation, at the instigation of the shameless followers of Yahya, were entirely opposed to the friends. Therefore, if we had uttered the word "constitution", the government too would have risen in enmity, the matter would have fallen upon the weak element, and the friends would have become the sacrificial compromise between the two sides. The government would have immediately announced that all constitutionalists were Baha'is and that they will carry out the text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, just as Mirza Fadlu'llah Nuri announced in Tehran, where proclamations were posted throughout the city. Through these means, the government officials would set about killing, and the people would assist them, completely eliminating the friends. It was due to this wisdom that such forbearance was shown in the beginning, and finally, praise be to God, what was written became clear and evident. This is naught but from the bounty of my Most Glorious Lord. And upon you be greetings and praise.

In those letters it was foretold that Tabriz would become bloodstained and the party of Mirza Hasan the mujtahid would be defeated, reversed and disgraced.

Study the letters of 'Abdu'l-Baha which were written in detail from the beginning of the revolution and sent to Tehran. All current events were foretold in previous times. Among these is this passage: "Until government and people blend together like honey and milk, prosperity and salvation are impossible. Iran will be laid waste and ultimately it will end in the interference of neighboring powers."

Previously, all events whether in Isfahan or Yazd or the surrounding areas were, through the confirmation of the Abha Beauty, may my spirit be a sacrifice for His loved ones, revealed from the pen of 'Abdu'l-Baha.

And still the carpet of tests has not been rolled up - again in various corners agitation will occur.

Regarding the Land of Ta, whatever glad-tidings have been given shall be realized later.

As to the River Rhine, although that was an event which occurred in the days of Napoleon III when much blood was shed upon its banks, yet more remains to come.

And as to the question of the Point between the Two Seas, that which occurred was the shattering of the throne of tyranny, but it has not yet found stability.

In the Most Holy Book, forty years ago, the events of this year in Tehran were explicitly recorded, that in the land of Ta there would be popular movement, but afterwards the throne of sovereignty would be adorned by an important personage and every difficulty that arose would gradually pass away.

I hope that the star of the Iranian crown will shine and radiate at the zenith of eternal glory, and this is a promise that shall not prove false, such that the sublimity, justice, greatness and might of future kings will cause the renown of greatness and world-conquering fame of past monarchs to be wholly forgotten.

In this new age and glorious century, when the Sun of Truth has dawned from Iran's horizon, another movement will arise in the country and people of that blessed realm, and great progress will unfold - especially since today the royal throne is adorned by the presence of a just and generous king. Through the novel grace of the Glorious Lord, it is hoped that his star will shine like the sun.

God willing, you will be assisted and confirmed in all these counsels, and you will find the doors of victory opened from every direction. And in this world assembly you will light a candle whose brilliant rays will shine upon centuries and ages, and you will render such service that its fame and renown will endure forever in both the earthly and heavenly kingdoms.

Erelong will it be witnessed that the government of the native land of the Blessed Perfection will become the most honoured government of this world, and Iran will become the most prosperous of all lands. This indeed is a token of God's bountiful favour, and verily in this is there a lesson unto every beholder.

Erelong shall that dust-heap become a rose-garden and its darkness turn into light. Erelong will that venerable land become the focal centre of divine grace and be renowned in the East and the West for its greatness and majesty. It shall become the centre of divine outpourings and the source of heavenly bestowals. Its ancient glory will be restored and its gates will be flung open.

Rejoice, for by virtue of the favors vouchsafed by the all-bounteous Lord Iran is destined to advance greatly and to become even as a delightsome paradise. Nay, I cherish the hope that it may become the envy of the world and that its musk-laden fragrances may perfume the East and the West!

Erelong shalt thou witness East and West embracing each other as two lovers, and Eastern and Western nations being intoxicated with the same cup. Iran shall become the focal centre of the world and the sanctuary of all its peoples.

As long as this continues, Iran will remain restless and unsettled. This agitation is increasing, but the ultimate destiny of Iran is tranquility, stability, and establishment. The divine fragrances will encompass it and the teachings of God will achieve complete penetration. Pure seeds will sprout in that field through the bounty of the cloud of grace. Iran will become a paradise of contentment and find perfect peace, joy and repose.

Though Iran is now in ruins, it will eventually become a palace - meaning after many disturbances.

The horizon of Persia hath been illumined with the light of the heavenly Orb. Erelong will the Daystar of the supernal realm shine so brightly as to raise that land even unto the ethereal heights and to cause it to shed its radiance over the whole earth. The imperishable glory of bygone generations shall once more be manifest in such wise as to dazzle and bewilder the eyes.

Ere long Iran shall become the envy of the world and the Iranians shall become the object of the world's admiration.

The star of the ancient ones' existence had vanished in the west of nothingness, but has now risen again from the east of being and become bright and radiant. The banner of the forebears has been raised high, and the glad tidings of the prophets have become clear and evident.

These dear people are near to the threshold of the Lord and will progress day by day until they make up for the thousand years of humiliation and hardship.

The radiant Mehr Hushidar of the divine world was the sun of the bright sphere that gave adornment to the garden of existence. And after him Bahram will illuminate his countenance and reveal his face, and will bring the world of spirit and heart under his signet ring, and will place the crown of divine kingship of the world, and will put on his head the blessed diadem of heavenly glory.

Though the physical eye cannot yet see it, soon it will sprout and become verdant and flourishing. Eyes will be brightened and hearts and souls will rejoice. Iran will become the Garden of Paradise and East and West will become mirrors of the celestial realm through the bounty of the Sun of Truth.

Soon you will observe that the radiance of the Persians' light will illuminate East and West like the shining moon. The fame of Persia will become world-embracing, and the renown of that captive group will encompass East and West.

Soon you shall witness how the sun of the East, Iran, will illumine the Daylamites and Tajiks, nay even the Americans and Africans, and all that was the heart's desire and soul's repose of the ancients shall come to pass.

As for Iran, revolution lies ahead, for the Iranians have not yet awakened to realize that there is no refuge save in the divine teachings and no salvation except in the conduct and behavior of true Baha'is.

It will take long before Iran becomes Iran. Until it comes under the divine breaths of God, it is impossible. Whatever reforms are made are temporary."

Iran will become good in any case - Iran's success and prosperity is assured.

… Iran will become a paradise and achieve complete progress, but only when the majority are believers.

Although they squandered Iran's independence, Iran is progressing day by day. One must not lose hope, for everyone's turn lasts but five days. Nothing remains the same way forever. In any case, Iran's future is very bright.

As for the future of Iran, it will be one of joy and delight, and through the diffusion of divine fragrances and the chanting of evident verses it will cause the people of the world to turn towards [the Faith].

Then His holiness Baha'u'llah promised him that the moral and material conditions of his people will undergo an entire transformation, assured him that the gates of God's rich treasures will be opened before them and they will rise in the scale of progress and civilization and their shame will be changed into great glory.

'Abdu'l-Baha showed further how Baha'u'llah had exactly described in one of his books what has since been carried out in the International Council of Arbitration, describing its various functions, some of which have not yet been realized and he (Abdu'l-Baha) would describe them to us now, so that when they were fulfilled, as they would be in the near future, we might know that they had been prophesied by Baha'u'llah.

"Yes, the nations will be forced to come to peace and to agree to the abolition of war. The awful burdens of taxation for war purposes will get beyond human endurance. Practically the whole of the substance of the peoples, all the fruit of their labor, is now taken away from them to be devoted to the forging of armaments everywhere.

Let this century be the sun of previous centuries, the effulgences of which shall last forever, so that in times to come they shall glorify the twentieth century, saying the twentieth century was the century of lights, the twentieth century was the century of life, the twentieth century was the century of international peace, the twentieth century was the century of divine bestowals, and the twentieth century has left traces which shall last forever.

The Sun of Reality will shine, and all the earth shall put on its beautiful green carpet. Among the results of the manifestation of spiritual forces will be that the human world will adapt itself to a new social form, the justice of God will become manifest throughout human affairs, and human equality will be universally established.

In the future, proportionately about three-quarters of the profits will go to the workmen and one-quarter to the owner. This condition will prevail in about one century. It will certainly come to pass.

Do ye not look upon the present conditions; in the not far distant future the world of women will become all-refulgent and all-glorious, For His Holiness Baha'u'llah Hath Willed It so! At the time of elections the right to vote is the inalienable right of women, and the entrance of women into all human departments is an irrefutable and incontrovertible question.

O ye beloved maid-servants of God! In this most wonderful Dispensation God hath clothed the women with a new garment and hath crowned their heads with a glorious diadem - and that is equality between men and women. Therefore in the coming ages the women shall make signal progress.

A friend enquired concerning Baha'u'llah's prophecy in the Words of Paradise, that a universal language would be formed, and desired to know if Esperanto would be the language chosen.

"The love and effort put into Esperanto will not be lost," he answered, "but no one person can construct a Universal Language.

The Bab - may my spirit be sacrificed for Him - stated that people should provide means for swift communication so that news of Him Whom God shall make manifest could spread to all regions with maximum speed. In a short time the telegraph appeared.

'Abdu'l-Baha: "Yes. New arts and other inventions that will perfect the existing ones. Everything will be renewed, in every department. This generation cannot be compared to the past."

The science of aviation will make great progress in the immediate future and people will travel at ease from one city to another city without any danger. It will become as popular as automobiles.

Those who have provided the means for transporting arms and ammunition and the instruments of war and massacre on earth will do so from the air. There will come to exist such instruments as to cause all the means of destruction in the past to be looked upon as the playthings of children.

Abdul Baha: It does not say it is in the earth, but there is a power which is very strong which will become apparent in future, such as the power of dynamite. That is what he said and it has come to pass. For instance, he said, 'There will be discovered a thing which is poisonous. Whenever it is discovered, if it reaches the nostrils of persons it will kill them. This became apparent in the late war. The Blessed Perfection said this fifty years ago, but now it has come to pass.

Nevertheless, its appearance hath been made one of the signs of the coming of age of the human race, and the time when this shall happen hath been fixed. As yet it hath not come, but when it cometh it shall be manifested through the power of Him Who is the Sovereign Truth.

In the future, a form of electricity shall be discovered whereby, within the stone itself and without connection to any power plant, electric lights shall be illuminated.

Although it seems to them they have exhausted the subtle, chromatic resources of music yet they are on the threshold of the revelation of celestial, universal music, which shall revolutionize the present system and usher in a new era of musical progress. The musical consciousness of future generations will become so rarified and trained that today's masterpieces will be as dissonant noises in their ears...

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The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement. Its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching. It will lead all nations spiritually.

This is a beautiful city; the climate is pleasant; the views are charming. All the cities of America seem to be large and beautiful, and the people appear prosperous. The American continent gives signs and evidences of very great advancement; its future is even more promising, for its influence and illumination are far-reaching, and it will lead all nations spiritually.

Then will all the peoples of the world witness that this community is spiritually illumined and divinely guided. Then will the whole earth resound with the praises of its majesty and greatness.

The day is approaching, when ye shall witness how, through the splendor of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, the West will have replaced the East, radiating the light of Divine Guidance.

Know thou that the horizons of the Orient are illumined with the Lights of the Kingdom and ere long these Lights shall shine from the dawning-places of the occident far more than from the Orient, regenerating souls with divine instructions in those parts.

As the Master was looking upon this seemingly victorious army he said: "The wise man sees that another army with no cannons or rifles but with quite other armaments shall defeat this Army. The day is coming when all these armies and regiments are vanquished by the ever-victorious army of the Kingdom of Abha and theirs shall be the glorious triumphs of Peace and brotherhood.

O Lord! Through the Prophets in the Books and Scriptures, Thou hast foretold and given glad-tidings to Israel, promising that a day would come when the hopeless Israel would become hopeful, and those in the greatest abasement would attain eternal glory. That scattered people would find order and arrangement under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts in the Holy Land, and from distant regions they would turn towards Zion. The abased would become mighty, the poor would become wealthy, the unknown would gain fame, and those who were despised would become beloved by all.

But Israel received glad tidings from the tongue of the Prophets and intimations from divine inspiration that in the latter days divine bounties would again appear and heavenly favors would manifest, and this people would progress so much as to surpass their previous advancements, attaining eternal glory more than before and achieving complete power and might.

Nevertheless, in the outward sense too, Israel shall gather in the Holy Land, and this is a promise that shall not prove false. The meaning is that the abasement which Israel endured for two thousand five hundred years shall now be transformed into eternal glory, and outwardly too they shall become honored, to such a degree that they shall be envied by their enemies and coveted by their friends.

As for the gathering of the Jews in Jerusalem and Palestine, this was previously revealed by the Supreme Pen, and in 'Abdu'l-Baha's letters thirty years ago, this glad tiding was given in detail to the Jews. Have no doubt that all will eventually enter under the shadow of the Lord of Hosts.

After a long pause during which another course was served 'Abdu'l-Baha began:

"President Wilson left his work unfinished in Europe.

… "The only result of the war that has appeared is that this place (Palestine) is freed.

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After two thousand years of wandering, the Jewish people will return to the Holy Land and embrace the Cause of God. From here divine civilization will be propagated unto the whole of the world and provide it with serenity and comfort.

Behold the greatness of God's inscrutable wisdom. Some three thousand years ago, He imparted through the tongue of the Prophets glad-tidings unto the Holy Land in words such as these: Rejoice, O Holy Land, for thou shalt be made the footstool of the All-Merciful!

Soon shall its climate be changed, and there shall enter it those who will develop it, for God hath adorned it with the embellishment of His Most Great Name, the All-Glorious.

During the night the great City will be lighted by electricity. The whole of harbor from Acca to Haifa will be one path of illumination. Powerful searchlights will be placed on both sides of Mount Carmel to guide the oncoming steamers. Mount Carmel itself, from top to bottom will be submerged in a sea of lights. A person standing on the summit of Mount Carmel and the passengers on the steamers coming toward it will look upon the most sublime and majestic spectacle of the whole world!

A very large Mashriqu'l-Adhkar [House of Worship] will be built on the summit of Mount Carmel where the recitation of verses and the chanting of prayers will bring the spirits of the listeners to delight and the souls of the yearning ones to excitement. … Houses for the infirm will be formed, hospitals will be established, universities will be built, schools will be founded, orphanages will be constructed, and lofty palaces and noble buildings will be raised around the Most Exalted Shrine. The slopes of Mount Carmel will be covered with important centers and beneficial institutions; electric tramways and railways will connect and link its streets and avenues.

The day will come when this mountain will be resplendent with light,—lights from top to bottom. On one side of it there will be a hotel, a universal hotel. Its door will be open to all the people of the world. Whoever comes will be a guest. On the other side of the mountain there will be a university in which all the higher sciences will be taught. On another part of it there will be a Mashreq'ul Azkar. On another part of it there will be a home for the incurables. In still another part there will be a home for the poor. In still another part there will be a home for orphans. All these will be administered with love.

However, regarding the future of Carmel, I now behold the whole of this mountain basking in brilliant lights and the Haifa harbor as the anchor point of thousands of steam ships. I see the monarchs of earth, having removed their crowns, reverently, submissively and humbly, with tears flowing, carrying baskets of colorful flowers on their heads, approaching the Shrines of Baha’u’llah and the Bab.

Ere long this mountain will be developed. Many fine buildings will be raised upon it. The Shrine of the Bab will be constructed in the best possible way and most majestically. … The kings of earth, bareheaded, and the queens, will walk up the boulevard of the Shrine of the Bab carrying bouquets of flowers. They will prostrate themselves, kiss that Sacred Threshold and place their crowns on that ennobled earth.

These souls who come from various regions - after Me they shall come in multitudes. If any soul is wavering, let him become more firm. If any is troubled, let him become assured, so that when they return they may be transformed souls. None knoweth what shall occur after Me. I know it shall reach such a point that people shall carry earthen water jugs on their heads as they walk from the Most Exalted Spot to the Holy Shrine. Ships laden with souls shall arrive at the port. They shall even search for and seek to find a child of the friends who may have died somewhere.

'Once again a time will come as sweet as sugar.' The time will come when the procession of pilgrims of all lands will be densely extended from the gate of Akka to the Holy Tomb without any interruption. Thus men of all nations and districts will come to visit this Sacred Spot.

This plain will be built and will become inhabited by a happy people. It will not take a long time this prediction will become fulfilled!

Thus did God's grace and favor encompass the Persians of an age long gone, in order that their ruined capital should be rebuilt and flourish once again. To this end, with the help of God, events were brought about which led to the Afnan's being buried here; and there is no doubt that a proud city will rise up on this site.

Be not sad owing to the present ruin of the House. The time of its building shall come very soon. We must destroy and build it again, but its first form shall not undergo any change. Rest ye assured that it will be constructed most solidly.

Convey my greetings to thy revered husband and say to him: There shall appear in that great continent, a sign. Turn thy attention to it, so that thereby thy luminous heart may attain confidence. Verily, thy Lord is All-Powerful.

How extraordinary indeed was his service, for this is the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar that hath been raised up in the world in God's name. Its significance, therefore, is very great. And yet, in the future a hundred thousand Mashriqu'l-Adhkars shall be reared in glory, dignity, and utmost majesty. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of 'Ishqabad hath the station of the mother, and the other Mashriqu'l-Adhkars are like unto spiritual children that shall be born of it.

When the foundation of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is laid in America, and that divine edifice is completed, a most wonderful and thrilling motion will appear in the world of existence. The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar will become the center around which all these universal Baha'i activities will be clustered. From that point of light, the spirit of teaching, spreading the Cause of God and promoting the teachings of God, will permeate to all parts of the world.

Although the importance of this divine Institute is not very evident now, yet in the future it will be clear and plain as the sun.

Ye shall surely see the lights rising in those parts, as ye have already seen them. Ye shall surely behold a Pillar of Fire extending upward to the Supreme Apex and it will call unto you with the most wonderful expression and will address you, saying:

"I am the Ancient Light! I am the Lord of the Exalted Kingdom! I am the Star shining forth unto the horizon of the hearts of the people of Oneness!"

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Although the radiance of that Light is now concealed from view and hidden from the wicked, yet ere long that world-illumining light will shine forth and its warming rays will set the world ablaze.

Know ye the worth of this dwelling, for that home is blessed and ere long the kings of the world shall be its guardians.

Thus may the Caucasus become the nest of the immortal Phoenix and the people of Tiflis intimate companions of that cherished Bird; thus may the fowls of holiness sing and chant in its gardens of reality and the gazelles of unity amble and stroll in its fields and mountains. When that land is quickened by the breezes of the Self-Subsisting Lord, it will become even as the Abha Paradise.

O spiritual friends! Strive to take precedence, for it is certain that in that land the light of the Manifest Light will appear and it will become the gathering place of the believers. But you must strive to take precedence over others in this field, otherwise there is no doubt that the region of Nur will become illumined and the outpourings of the Forgiving Lord will encompass it. The rocky terrain of Taker will become a flower garden and rose garden. From Mount Urang the melody of glorification and sanctification will reach the Supreme Concourse. This is decreed and ordained.

Since this is so, ere long Nahavand shall become a sublime paradise and its foundations shall become the highest heaven. That plain and desert and that mountain and wilderness shall be perfumed with the fragrance of the Most Glorious Paradise.

Praise be to God, you observed in London that what flowed from the Supreme Pen fifty years ago - which all deemed impossible and unattainable, and which the ignorant even ridiculed - has now come to pass, as representatives of nations and governments have arranged a general assembly in the capital of the just British government and are discussing universal peace.

This is evidence that soon the fire of the love of God will blaze forth with intense flame in that land, and the light of the knowledge of God will shine in that territory with the brilliance of the sun and moon. This is certain and decreed, for it is the Will and Decree of the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting.

The Blessed Beauty made mention of Khorasan, saying that this blessed Cause would be spread there. Everyone thought that the Blessed One's intention was Khorasan itself, but later when the grace of the Blessed Beauty was directed entirely toward 'Ishqabad, they realized that was the intended place. Subsequently, the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar was established there.

In any case, I hope that Simnan too will be filled with spirit and fragrance, that a soul-stirring breeze will blow and the world will be filled with musk and ambergris, that in Simnan the banner of the love of the All-Merciful will be raised high and the light of the knowledge of God will shine forth, that that city will become renowned throughout the horizons and that land will receive abundant portion from the Luminary of effulgence.

O spiritual friends! Praise be to God that whatever has flowed from the Pen of the Covenant has become manifest and evident, and whatever has not yet appeared will appear. This is certain.

Soon you will observe that the banner of sanctification will be raised, and the standard of the unity and love of mankind will wave at the pole of the horizons, universal peace will be established, and the light of reality will shine forth.

Soon the whole world, as in springtime, will change its garb. The turning and falling of the autumn leaves is past; the bleakness of the wintertime is over. The new year hath appeared and the spiritual springtime is at hand.

Soon you shall see the banners of guidance waving on the highest mountain peaks, the signs of truth encompassing the earth's globe, and the traces of your Lord's gifts appearing in all directions like the sun at high noon.

There will come a day when you will see how the nightingales of Persia will sing their songs of God in these gardens. Likewise, the quails of America in the mountains of Persia shall cause such a "quailing" as to cause the mountains to dance.

Unquestionably, in the future, feasts will be held uninterruptedly and such a wonderful melody shall arise from Paris as to astonish other countries.

I gave you the glad tiding that this indifference will be changed into deep interest and in the very center of Paris the Standard of Baha'u'llah shall be upraised.

A day shall come when innumerable meetings in the utmost grandeur shall be established in that city. The Cause of God shall be raised and the breath of the Holy Spirit impart eternal life. Be thou not sad. This indifference is temporary. Ere long the fires of the love of God shall raise a flame in that city, and the splendors of the Sun of Truth cast intense rays and the melody of the Kingdom shall be heard....

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The people of Stuttgart and Esslingen are very warm-hearted, sincere and genuinely attracted to the Cause. They will surpass all other Europeans and will cause great excitement throughout Europe; they will stir the whole continent.

The Cause of God will make great progress in Germany. It will surpass all other regions. Although London and its surroundings are better than Paris, Germany will progress more than anywhere else.

I have set a conflagration throughout America. Its results will become known later. Wait for two years and you will behold the appearance of many traces.

It is hoped that wonderful effects will be displayed in the future, that the friends of God may live and act in accord with the heavenly teachings, in order that the region of America may become the Paradise of ABHA, that desert and wilderness become the rose-garden of human perfections, the verse of guidance be read, the melody of "Ya Baha El-ABHA!" reach the Kingdom of Beauty; warfare and bloodshed be removed from among the people, affinity and love hoist their tent upon the apex of the world, all mankind become real friends with one another and each soul respect the other.

Through the favors of the Lord of Hosts, the Promised One, my hope is that this journey of thine may become like the journey of Paul and like the journey of Peter when he went to Antioch - see what mighty results it had! Now the results of thy journey will be even greater, be thou assured of this.

Ere long these grievous days and severe times shall pass away and the beauty of assurance will unveil itself from the manifest horizon, and thou shalt see the wrongdoers in manifest loss.

Look not at the present moment only, like those who lack insight. Ere long ye shall behold the sanctified banner of God's loved ones waving above the horizon of the world, and their radiance illuminating the east and the west.

Ere long will the sun of joy dawn from the horizon of divine victory, and the breezes of might shall pass, and the pavilion of glory shall be raised up, and the sign of God's triumph shall encompass all creation, and the point of tyranny shall be erased from the tablet of existence. This is a promise that shall not prove false.

These numbered days shall pass away, and We shall behold the sincere ones in pavilions of glory with might and majesty.

It rose and shone even more intensely, and the bright flame of the remembrance of God blazed even higher. Now once again, ye shall behold how the resplendent lights of Divine Unity will erelong envelop the kingdom of existence, and the ensigns of His words will be raised upon the loftiest heights of the realities of all beings.

Fear not if this Branch be severed from this material world and cast aside its leaves; nay, the leaves thereof shall flourish, for this Branch will grow after it is cut off from this world below, it shall reach the loftiest pinnacles of glory, and it shall bear such fruits as will perfume the world with their fragrance.

As to the question of "after my departure" to the neighborhood of the mercy of my Lord: Know there shall appear wonderful traces; the breath of God shall pass by; the fragrance of God shall spread and the Spirit of God shall run in the body of the contingent world both before and after my departure; but I supplicate God that He may grant the greatest spirituality in these days.

The Blessed Beauty always said - even during the height of our tribulations in the prison - that this captivity would not last very long and gave hope and promise for victory that soon both our sufferings and the glory of the foes would end.

Soon shall the prison door be opened, and whosoever willeth shall enter.

Say: The earth hath borne the burden of this greatest terror, and soon shall it give birth to its load. Then shall ye flee to the right and find no friend for yourselves, and run to the left and find no helper for your beings.

Be patient until the promise cometh to pass. Then shalt thou see the people turning towards the horizon of My luminous and radiant countenance.

Most of the friends have been seized with agitation due to the tribulation of these grievous days, though We had informed them of it beforehand so that they might not be agitated but rather be among the steadfast ones.

Soon shall ye behold the Cause shining forth from the Supreme Horizon, despite those who have seized and plundered God's sincere servants.

Ere long He shall send down upon His loved ones that which shall make them victorious over all things, and after they have been overcome they shall triumph.

Soon will the banners of tribulation be raised in this land and the sun of trials appear in this heaven, and the people will then be tested, and We say: We are God's and unto Him do we return.

Then know that in this land a fire lies concealed - We do not wish to mention it. Soon its flames will become manifest.

If you wish to know about the conditions of this land, it is in upheaval as was revealed in previous Tablets.

… The Tablet of Mallahu'l-Quds which was revealed in Iraq - if you can obtain a correct copy, study it. That which was revealed therein has come to pass.

The Truth has informed all in wondrous and sublime Tablets of the great tribulation, that perchance the people might not be perturbed when it comes to pass, and might not be debarred from the path of the All-Merciful.

Soon there shall be revealed to you what lies hidden in an inscribed Book.

… I swear by the Sun of the heaven of inner meanings that ere long whatsoever hath flowed from the Divine Pen shall become manifest and evident.

We foretold what hath appeared in the Scriptures and Tablets, and from the horizon of tribulation do We summon the servants unto the Lord of the Day of Judgment. Through tribulation have We nurtured the Cause in bygone ages. Soon wilt thou find the Cause shining forth from the horizon of glory with power and dominion.

Soon shall We seize them as We seized the generations of old. Verily thy Lord is the All-Compelling, and when His promise cometh, severe in His chastisement. Soon shall the sun of glory rise from the horizon of My Cause and illumine all regions.

Consider the former centuries and those who committed oppression - their tongues were stilled, their traces were erased, and the breezes of chastisement overtook them from all directions, by the power of One mighty and wise. … Soon these who have waxed proud and committed that which causeth the near ones to lament shall join them.

We have encompassed the world through Our Most Exalted Word. God shall, through it, soon conquer the hearts of all who dwell on earth.

Erelong thou shalt hear from various lands the croaking of the ravens. Leave them behind thee and take fast hold of the cord of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Praised. This is what We foretold unto the servants aforetime when We were in Iraq.

In many of the Tablets mention hath been made by the Most Exalted Pen of the cawing of the crows. Some were bewildered as to its meaning, while others waited to see what would come to pass. The Most High, the Most Great God hath spoken the truth: that which was foretold in all the Tablets hath come to pass, and the cawing hath been raised from the abode of the sinful one.

Likewise convey my greetings to his honor N.S. and say that this is a day wherein the breaths of steadfastness and certitude must waft from pure hearts, for these are the days about which they have foretold that soon a pack of wolves will emerge from the thickets of hypocrisy. They have also foretold that Satan will appear in different forms in every land - to some in the form of written sheets, to some in the form of messengers, and to some in the form of letters.

We previously announced that the cawing of the crows would be raised and fiery leaves would be spread abroad. In these days this hath appeared and shall continue to appear.

Then know that after Me the breezes of discord shall blow - blessed is he who remaineth steadfast in God, the Sovereign, the Mighty, the All-Knowing, who is patient within himself and is content with his Lord above all who dwell on earth.

This is the Day when "man shall flee from his mother and his father and his sister and his brother."

And verily thou, O thou who dost raise the banner of truth and gather those who arise to proclaim firmness in the Covenant, be of good cheer and let thy heart rejoice, for the standard of the Covenant shall wave at the center of all horizons and the sun of the Covenant shall shine with the most intense radiance upon the East and West of the earth. This is an inevitable truth.

Ere long the Lamp of the Covenant of the Supreme Concourse will shine so brightly in the assemblage of the world that the darkness will be utterly dispelled and these foam-like doubts will be completely effaced from the face of the ocean of evident signs.

Ere long will the standard of the Covenant wave from the highest horizons. At that time the worth of your counsels and exhortations will become known.

Soon the results and fruits of steadfastness and firmness will become manifest and apparent. Then shall the believers rejoice and the sincere ones be gladdened, and the Covenant-breakers shall be in loss and the pillars of the violators shall be shaken.

Soon will the dense clouds disperse from the horizon of the world, and the brilliant morn will shine forth with brilliant rays. The divine fragrances will be diffused and the Word of God will become renowned.

Therefore we hope that this autumn of pain and tribulation will pass and the life-giving spring will come, and that from sweet fragrances and holy breezes nostrils will be perfumed. This lamp of the love of God will flame forth and the song of mystic knowledge will reach to heaven's zenith.

O servant of the Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting One! Grieve not over these affairs, for soon thou shalt see them forgotten, and the sun of hopes shall shine forth from the dawning-place of glory with a beauty brilliant, manifest and radiant - thou shalt find it a luminous moon. For every setting there is a rising, and for every descent an ascent. And thou shalt see beneath the shade of the Tree that which shall dispel the darkness of obscurity with brilliant rays and a lamp that was luminous with the light of acceptance.

O visitor who art fragrant with the breath of God! It is midnight, and a brief opportunity has arisen to pen these few words. That oppressed and martyred leaf is safe in the shelter of the intended One - may she be embraced by mercy and forgiveness. But the upheaval of the factions will not endure, and the agitation will pass away, though only after many hardships.

And assuredly it will soon create such a spirit and fragrance in Kermanshah that even the enemies will cry out in lamentation, saying: "Would that the rabble had not undertaken this heart-rending oppression!"

… And soon thou shalt see the greatest signs appear to all from this martyrdom in the field of sacrifice.

Unforeseen tribulation lies ahead. Blessed is he who knows, and woe unto the heedless!

Soon the Sun of Reality will shine forth from the invisible realm, the Dawning-Place of the mysteries of existence, in such splendor that the sacred blood will surge forth and roses, hyacinths and tulips will spring up in the field of sacrifice. At that time will appear the descendants of the martyrs: "We desired to show favor unto those who were brought low in the land and to make them leaders and to make them inheritors."

Through the blood which they shed the earth hath been impregnated with the wondrous revelations of Thy might and the gem-like signs of Thy glorious sovereignty. Ere-long shall she tell out her tidings, when the set time is come.

Every drop of blood shed in the Cause of God will raise up one hundred believers. Martyrdom is the supreme test of belief. Great martyrs will arise in this Cause in the years to come. A believer is sometimes called upon to suffer a living martyrdom.

Today the worth of such souls is unknown, but in the future it shall become evident and manifest like the light of the sun.

Ere long thou shalt witness what a victory Jinab-i-Fath-i-A'zam achieved, what realm he conquered, and what spiritual sovereignty he established.

O Maidservant of God!

Verily, that child is born and is alive and from him will appear wondrous things that thou wilt hear of in the future. Thou shalt behold him endowed with the most perfect appearance, supreme capacity, absolute perfection, consummate power and unsurpassed might. His face will shine with a radiance that illumines all the horizons of the world; therefore forget this not as long as thou dost live inasmuch as ages and centuries will bear traces of him.

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Soon that which is hidden from the eyes of men shall be unveiled, and those nigh unto God shall behold through their Lord's bounty that which the pens of the world and every discerning scholar are powerless to describe.

O fresh branch growing in the garden of Abha! Soon your father will see you as a verdant tree, refreshed by the outpouring of the clouds of God's Kingdom. Do not spare any effort in serving your father, for he was the cause of your guidance to the path of salvation and your receiving abundance from the spirit of life. Verily your Lord has built for you a mighty Babylon and a great Jerusalem wherein you shall dwell forever.

Erelong shall ye bear witness that the lights are streaming forth, the banners of the realm above are waving, the sweet scents of the All-Merciful are wafted abroad, the hosts of the Kingdom are marching down, the angels of heaven are rushing forward, and the Holy Spirit is breathing upon all those regions. On that day thou shalt behold the waverers, men and women alike, frustrated of their hopes and in manifest loss.

O thou who art enamored of the Covenant! The Blessed Beauty hath promised this servant that souls would be raised up who would be the very embodiments of guidance, and banners of the Concourse on high, torches of God's oneness, and stars of His pure truth, shining in the heavens where God reigneth alone. They would give sight to the blind, and would make the deaf to hear; they would raise the dead to life. They would confront all the peoples of the earth, pleading their Cause with proofs of the Lord of the seven spheres.

I swear by the Most Great Name that soon this association will become the desire of the world's sovereigns and the source of pride for the kings of nations.

O thou lady of the Kingdom! Praise thou God that in this age, the age of the dispensation of Baha'u'llah, thou hast been awakened, hast been made aware of the Manifestation of the Lord of Hosts. All the people of the world are buried in the graves of nature, or are slumbering, heedless and unaware. Just as Christ saith: "I may come when you are not aware. The coming of the Son of Man is like the coming of a thief into a house, the owner of which is utterly unaware."

Tell Mr. Fisher Unwin that in the days of Christ the writing of books concerning the Cause of Christ was deemed of little moment; yet behold now how great is its importance. Ere long, writings produced in this age concerning the Baha'i Cause shall be snatched from hand to hand even as leaves of gold.

The poetries which are composed in these days will be mentioned by the poets and thinkers throughout the ages and after a thousand years they will be chanted and sung in the great meetings, vast congregations and wonderful Temples throughout the world.

Though the measure of this bounty and favor remains hidden now, in the future this gift shall shine forth in such splendor that the kings of the world will yearn for a single moment of it.

Soon shalt thou witness the glorious results of this service. Thou hast sown pure seeds that shall yield many harvests. Thou hast planted a sapling that shall bear endless fruit.

These lights shall shine forth and these signs shall appear, and it shall be proven that servitude at the Sublime Threshold is a glorious crown whose most resplendent jewels shall gleam upon the horizons.

And although the reality of this divine gift is now hidden and concealed, yet ere long its brilliant lights shall shine forth from the dawning-place of possibility and the dayspring of all worlds. At that time, tongues shall speak forth in praise of this service, and the reality of all things shall become evident and manifest.

Erelong thou shalt behold the celestial blessing of this prayer, and the radiance of the light of God's mighty Cause. Thou shalt witness the widespread diffusion of this light to the highest heaven, and thou shalt see how from this new spirit a mighty power is released over the entire creation.

Ere long the victory of the Kingdom will appear beyond all expectation, and "thou shalt see men enter the religion of God in troops" will be fulfilled.

The full measure of your success is as yet unrevealed, its significance still unapprehended. Ere long ye will, with your own eyes, witness how brilliantly every one of you, even as a shining star, will radiate in the firmament of your country the light of Divine Guidance and will bestow upon its people the glory of an everlasting life.

Ere long shall the saplings that have been planted bring forth wondrous and sublime fruits in the world. This is a glad-tiding from Our presence that thou mayest rejoice and be among the thankful ones.

Today the station of deeds and their fruit is hidden from sight. The All-Knowing One declareth: Erelong shall the deeds, actions and remembrances of the servants and handmaidens become manifest in the assemblage of the world and be proclaimed from the pulpits.

However, afterwards all shall be transformed by the command of the True Ordainer: tyranny into justice, agitation into tranquility, remoteness into nearness, denial into acceptance, aversion into attraction, poverty into wealth, and want into abundance. All this was decreed by thy Lord as an irrevocable fate.

Thou didst promise me in these days that Thou wouldst extinguish the fire of corruption and wickedness and manifest the light of righteousness and godliness.

Now consider what shall come to pass for thee. Erelong shalt thou see a great transformation occurring in thy family. Every one of thy relations will claim precedence in his belief and every stranger will take pride in knowing thee and say he is thy kith and kin.

Write this in the margin of the book: The time will come when her whole family will be proud of Mrs Krug and her faith. Her husband is still distant and heedless; the time will come when he will feel himself exalted on account of Mrs Krug's faith.

I see what they do not see. Ere long the whole of her family will consider the faith of that lady as the crown of honor on their heads.

Soon these reproachful souls will boast of their connection to you and will claim secret belief, saying "We were concealing our faith and practicing dissimulation." Not much time will pass before all people will say to the friends of God: "By God, truly God has preferred you above us."

Likewise will the heedless souls soon awaken and become conscious, and utter words of praise for the friends and handmaidens of the All-Merciful, and envy their servitude and yearn to serve them, and proclaim "By God, truly God has preferred you above us."

Erelong will thy Lord enable thee to attain such a state of bliss as will be the envy of the queens of the world throughout the ages, inasmuch as the love of God is a glorious crown upon thy head, the brilliant jewels of which shall shine forth upon all lands. Its lustre, radiance and effulgence shall appear in future centuries when the signs of God will be spread abroad and the Word of God will encompass the hearts of all the peoples of the earth.

Ere long shall the standards of the divine Cause be seen raised throughout all regions. On that day the tongues of all who dwell on earth shall speak forth in praise and glorification of those accepted souls who have today turned toward the court of the divine oneness, and with utmost remorse shall they make mention of these days.

Soon shall appear in the world the signs and fruits of whatsoever ye have witnessed and heard in the path of God.

And as for the glad tidings given by various souls concerning the appearance of the Blessed Beauty and the Exalted One [the Bab], those souls were in truth among the men of the unseen realm, but outwardly they were known by different names and numerous sects, however in reality they were firm upon the straight path and the mighty course and were steadfast in the religion of God and followed the way of the pure Imams.

O thou who art firm in the Covenant!

Three years ago a letter and prayer were written to Dahj, and within it, without explicit statement but through allusion, the current events regarding Siyyid Mahdi were foretold in the language of prayer.

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He said: Two or three years ago He wrote to some of the Believers in America and also to Dr. Kheiralla, stating those events (His imprisonment and persecutions), which have now taken place. He also wrote the same things to other countries, and they are now exactly fulfilled.

The world and its condition will change to such a degree and the Baha'i Cause will prevail to such an extent that nothing but a remnant - like these pillars - will remain of the previous order.

"What art thou reading?"

A lecture on the coming world teacher, by Mrs. Besant.

"The great world teacher has already come."

We previously informed all of hidden and concealed matters. No event hath occurred on earth except that We mentioned it beforehand from Our Most Exalted Pen.

Yet these gifts and bounties are still like pure seeds hidden and preserved in the depths of the earth, but will soon become evident and known, and like brilliant lights and gleaming stars become manifest and renowned.

O Rajab! In the tradition it is stated: "All wonder, complete wonder, between Jumadi and Rajab!" Thou art Rajab, and God willing, a First Jumadi, which is the First Spring, shall also appear. At that time "All wonder, complete wonder" - which is the witness of the delicate mystery of oneness and singleness - shall be made manifest and become the cause of the appearance of the sign of unity.

Notwithstanding this, whosoever reads his book must of a necessity acknowledge the superiority of the divine vision of Baha'u'llah. Because he quotes in the pages of his book certain prophesies uttered by the Blessed Perfection concerning the downfall of despotism in Turkey and the deposition of the Sultan. His book was published many years before the declaration of constitution in 1908 so that no one can refute the validity of their authenticities [sic] as quoted therein.

So await the day when the sky shall come with crimson light, and the Maiden of Infallibility shall appear from the horizon of eternity, and the believers shall then rejoice in the gladness of God.

The Youth shall soon appear with the adornment of the All-Merciful amidst all existence. He shall be recognized by those who knew Him not, and shall be seen by those who saw Him not. On that day the heedless shall lament while the sincere shall rejoice.

O 'Ali! That which We foretold thee hath come to pass. With thy Lord is the knowledge of all things preserved in a guarding tablet. God shall soon manifest in the earth that which shall gladden the hearts of the sincere ones.

Soon shall the generality of mankind lament and bewail that which hath escaped them in this supreme Manifestation.

That which We told you before has come to pass, and that which remains shall appear.

Wait thou a little while, and from this iron and stone such a blazing fire shall appear that the universe will become a temple of divine love. Be thou happy and enchanted with the Beloved, so that among the righteous ones thou mayest become a servant of the Threshold and a guardian. May thy soul be happy and thy heart be joyous.

Yea, certain persons shall in this divine dispensation produce heavenly children and such children shall promulgate the teachings of the Beauty of ABHA and serve His great Cause. Through a heavenly power and spiritual confirmation they shall be enabled to promote the Word of God and to diffuse the fragrances of God. These children are neither Oriental nor Occidental, neither Asiatic nor American, neither European nor African, but they are of the Kingdom; their native home is heaven and their resort is the Kingdom of ABHA.

One morning Abdu'l-Baha, on entering the room looked about and said: "It is just like a miracle, our being here together. There is no racial, political or patriotic tie. We are drawn together by the words of Baha'u'llah, and in like manner will all the races of the earth be drawn together. Of this, rest assured!"

Gradually racial prejudices will be dispelled. There will come a day when the German will say to the Frenchman, 'I am a Frenchman'; and the Frenchman will say, 'I am a German'. If the governments should like to wage war the people will not agree to it…. If anyone is in any place he will say, 'This is my home'.

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I enquired if in future the prophets of God will meet with the same opposition as those offered to Baha'u'llah, Mohamed and Christ, he replied, "No, the world will be so trained that no one will harm even his own enemy."