Bahá’u’lláh's Station/Text

[Page 1]

What Station Does Baha ’u ’llah Claim?

Prophecies indicate that at “the end of the age” a universal Redeemer will come to unify all the religions and peoples of the earth under one God and one faith. He will establish righteousness, peace, and justice:

The desired of all nations shall Come... Haggai 2:7

Lo, the Desired One is come with manifest dominion!‘ Bahá’u’lláh

Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest...how blessed you will be. Isaiah 32:16-20

Bahá’u’lláh claims to be that universal Redeemer and unifier of the human race, the One expected and desired by all nations, the One who will bring righteousness, justice, peace, and prosperity.

Bahá’u’lláh proclaimed His mission in Epistles addressed to common people and to the political and religious leaders. These Epistles have been published under the title The Proclamation fl

_*77r"\‘:77*

l

[Page 2]V!/6§\c5@&4.‘~c.'LQ

05 Bahá’u’lláh. Here is a brief passage from an Epistle addressed to the kings;

ponder the power and authority with which Bahá’u’lláh speaks:

Ye are but vassals, 0 Kings of the earth! He Who is the King of Kings hath appeared, arrayed in His most wondrous glory, and is summoning you unto Himself, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Take heed lest pride deter you from recognizing the Source of Revelation; lest the things of this world shut you out as by a veil from Him Who is the Creator of heaven. Arise, and serve Him Who is the Desire of all nations, Who hath created you through a word from Him, and ordained you to be, for all time, the emblems of His sovereignty...

Forsake your palaces, and haste ye to gain admittance into His Kingdom. This, indeed, will profit you both in this world and in the next. To this testifieth the Lord of the realm on high, did ye but know it?

Bahá’u’lláh proclaims in the clearest, most certain, and most emphatic terms His station as the supreme Savior and Redeemer of the World, the Promised One of all ages and religions, the return of Christ to Christians, and the Glory of the Lord to the followers of both the Torah and the Gospel. He claims a station referred to throughout the Scriptures as the Return of the Son in the Glory of His Father, the Lord of the Vineyard, the King of Glory, the

\:7¢*c7?~c77'\-y¢=\~27~a>

2

[Page 3]~&6'v7\&®&4‘~c!$Q

Desire of all Nations, the Comforter, the Counselor, and the Prince of Peace?‘

The followers of all great faiths expect a World-Redeemer who at the last hour will bring peace and prosperity to our planet. Zoroastrians refer to Him as “Shah-Bahram,” Buddhists as “the Buddha of universal fellowship,” the Hindus as “the Most Great Spirit.” The Qur’án calls Him “the Great Announcement.”4 Bahá’u’lláh declared that He fulfilled all these expectations and prophecies.

Here are still more examples of the language and the manner in which Bahá’u’lláh declares His divine mission:

He who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty...Better is this for you than all ye possess.5

The Hour which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth...hath come to pass.“

He that was hidden from mortal eyes is come! His all-conquering sovereignty is manifest; His allencompassing splendor is revealed. Beware lest thou hesitate or halt.7

This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Let him that seeketh, attain it; and as to him that hath refused to seek it—verily_, God is SelfSufficient, above any need of His creatures.8

By the righteousness of the Almighty! Every hidden thing hath

\:77’~¢7¢=~\-7¢°\v¢=\-/mt 3

[Page 4]!/6'-‘~&<¢'v«\&4‘~«_-!’,@~<_’Lf

been manifested through the power of truth. All the favors of God have been sent down, as a token of His grace. The waters of everlasting life have, in their fullness, been proffered unto men. Every single cup hath been borne round by the hand of the Well-Beloved. Draw near, and tarry not, though it be for one short moment."

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One ...lt behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory...

The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth.”

Many Christians simply assume that Christ must come with His original name. King of Kings presents many prophecies that point to a new name and specifically to the Glory of God, which is the English translation of Bahá’u’lláh. For instance, the following prophecy from Isaiah points not only to rejection of the Redeemer of our time but also to a new name given to His servants or followers:

I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; and

_*77r"\‘:77*

4

[Page 5]~&63.\&6'\\&4\c!$Q

you did what was wrong in my eyes and you chose what was against my will. Therefore these are the words of the Lord God: My servants shall eat but you shall starve; my servants shall drink but you shall go thirsty; my servants shall rejoice but you shall be put to shame; my servants shall shout in triumph in the gladness of their hearts, but you shall cry from sorrow and wail from anguish of spirit...the Lord God shall give you over to death; but his servants he shall call by another name. Isaiah 65:12-15

The Book of Revelation also points to a new name:

Him who overcomes...l will also write on him my new name. Revelation 3:12

To him who overcomes...l will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it. Revelation 2:17

Christ said that He will come “in His Father’s glory” (Mark 8:38). Since “Father” equals “God,” “Father’s glory” equals “God’s Glory,” or “Glory of God,” which is the meaning of the word “Bahá’u’lláh.”

In His Epistle to Christians, Bahá’u’lláh declares Himself the One promised to come in the station of the Father:

He Who is the Desired One is come in His transcendent majesty. Say, L0! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled! This is the

\:fi\v7x~/i*\-7¢°\-/tests

5

[Page 6]§

~&4«\&6'u\&4.\c!LQ

Word which the Son [Christ] concealed, when to those around Him He said: ‘Ye cannot bear it now.’ And when the appointed time was fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the Word shone forth above the horizon of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the Son, that ye cast it not behind your backs. Take ye fast hold of it. Better is this for you than all that ye possess. Verily He is nigh unto them that do good. The Hour which We had concealed from the knowledge of the peoples of the earth and of the favored angels hath come to pass. Say, verily, He [Christ] hath testified of Me, and I do testify of Him."

The coming of a divine Being named “the Glory of God,” which is the equivalent of “Bahá’u’lláh,” is repeated throughout the Bible, yet it is seldom noticed:

As truly as I live, all the earth shall

be filled with the glory of the Lord. Numbers 14:21

They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Isaiah 35:2

Did I not tell you that if you have

faith you will see the glory of God? Christ (John 11:40)

...he shall come in his own glory and in his Father’s. Christ (Luke 9:26)

When the Lord...shall appear in his

glory. Psalms 102216 The Lord is come in his great glory.” Bahá’u’lláh

\:y7~\y7x~/i'\y?\-/East6

[Page 7]~&6'€‘~&6'v.\&4‘~c!»@

In His Epistle to Christians, Bahá’u’lláh asks why they allow the name Bahá’u’lláh to stand as an obstacle in testing His claim. He reminds them that the people to whom Jesus was sent prayed constantly for their Redeemer’s advent. They expressed the deepest desire to meet Him. Yet when He came, only a few among them, mostly from the disfavored classes of society—the poor and the powerless, the simple and the sinnersrecognized His divine glory. Why did their deep love for their adored Redeemer and Master not save them from denying Him? They read their Scriptures day and night. Why was their knowledge of no avail to them? Why did their repeated readings of the prophecies not guide them to truth?

You study the scriptures diligently, supposing that in having them you have eternal life; yet, although their testimony points to me, you refuse to come to me for that life.

Christ (John 5:39-40)

Bahá’u’lláh intimates that, without asking these questions and resolving them, we cannot learn from the example of those who were once in our place, of those who thought that by ignoring or opposing Jesus they were doing the right thing, without ever suspecting that they were depriving themselves of the greatest gift that Heaven might bestow upon humans. Without pondering these questions and resolving them, it is extremely difficult,

\:77\y7~c7?\v¢=\~/EN: 7

[Page 8]ffv!/6'§‘~&6'\\J,4‘~c.'$Q

even impossible, to overcome the many obstacles our traditional beliefs place before us. We will be as confused and perplexed as our forebears who repeatedly rejected God’s Messengers:

You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the com ing of the Righteous One. Acts 7:51-52

When you hear the name “Bahá’u’lláh,” always remember its meaning: the Glory of God. The human being who lived on earth and called Himself Bahá’u’lláh was simply an instrument for manifesting “the Glory of God” in an earthly temple on an earthly plane. This prayer from Bahá’u’lláh shows His submission and selflessness as a human being before God who created Him and crowned Him with His glory:

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou knowest that my sole aim in revealing Thy Cause hath been to reveal Thee and not my self, and to manifest Thy glory rather than my glory. In Thy path, and to attain Thy pleasure, I have scorned rest, joy, delight. At all times and under all conditions my gaze hath been fixed on Thy precepts, and mine eyes bent upon the things Thou hast bidden me observe in Thy Tablets. 1 have wakened every morning to the light of Thy praise and Thy remembrance, and reached every evening inhaling the fragrances of Thy mercy.”

\:7’ixy?¢7’i'\-/ix-/IN8

[Page 9]~&6§\&6'\\J,4\c.'LQ

In the following passage, Bahá’u’lláh expresses His humility even before human beings, God’s loved ones:

By Thy glory, O Lord of all being, and the Desire of all creation! I would love to lay My face upon every single spot of Thine earth, that perchance it might be honored by touching a spot ennobled by the footsteps of Thy loved ones!”

What Other Proofs Establish the Validity of Bahá’u’lláh ’s Station?

- Bahá’u’lláh persisted in His claim to the end, without making the slightest compromise.

- He endured every conceivable adversity, humiliation, and pain for half a century with superhuman resolve, composure, and constancy.

° He revealed Scriptures for 40 years, with no contradictions or changes of mind.

° He spiritualized and raised the ethical standards of millions from every race, creed, and culture.

° He revealed teachings extolled by some of the great thinkers of our time.

° He unified millions of people from diverse races, religions, and cultures.

- He wrote the equivalent of 100 volumes, without research or revision.

- He revealed principles that harmonize religious and scientific truthsa task beyond the reach of the ablest thinkers.

\:fl\v7'~¢7’i'\-2?\-yrrw:

9

[Page 10]~&6'€‘~&6'v.\&4‘~c!»@

0‘ ° He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies with perfect precision, in harmony

with at least 16 biblical references that pointed to the precise year of the advent of the Báb—the beginning date of the dawning of the new Day: 1844.

- He lived a life pure, divine, and noble, far beyond the reach of any human being.

° He made predictions that have come true.

- He established a Faith that, despite constant and severe persecution, has endured and preserved its unity for a century and a half.

Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Christ (Matt. 15:13)

These are the most reliable proofsproofs that, unlike miracles, can be tested and verified. Taken together, these 12 distinguishing features set Bahá’u’lláh above impostors; they point to His divine origin. No human being can accomplish such wonders on his own. Only the power of God can allow a person to succeed. They are the main parts of a jigsaw puzzle that only God can design and put together. No piece should be seen alone, apart from the others. Like a tapestry of exquisite beauty and charm, they should be blended and viewed together, every thread in the light of every other. Only then can their divine distinction fully manifest its splendor.

\:77\y7~c7?\v¢=\~/test:

l0

[Page 11]¢F~&6'v7\&6'§\&4\c.'$Q

All the preceding points apply equally to the Báb, except for the numbers, such as the duration of His ministry and the number of books He revealed. Thus we have not one, but two supreme Redeemers, each of them manifesting every sign of divine distinction.

God endows His great Messengers and Redeemers with such a distinct spectrum of evidence as no human being can ever produce. He makes their souls shine like the sun among lighted lamps. Is it possible to mistake one for the other? The reason for not seeing the difference has always been and will always be with the beholders, who wear dark veils or try to see the sun through many layers of clouds.

l. The Proclamation of Baha ’u ’llah, p. 19.

2. The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 5-6.

3. Motlagh, Hushidar. I Shall Come Again, Mt. Pleasant, MI: Global Perspective, 1992, pp. 87-88.

4. Shoghi Effendi. Goa’ Passes by, Wilmette, IL: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1957, pp. 94-95.

5. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11. 6. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11.

7. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 16.

8. Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 136.

9. Gleanings from the Writings of Baha ’u ’llah, p. 34.

10. The Proclamation of Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 111-112.

ll. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 11.

\:77x-/i~¢7’i'\v¢=\-/ixsts

ll

[Page 12]ff»:-_’/6'v.\«.—L6'§\&4\c.'LQ

12. Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 13.

13. Prayers and Meditations by Bahá’u’lláh, pp. 103-104.

14. Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 44.

For further infonmation, contact:

For a list of other pamphlets art the Bahá’í Faith, visit:

www. globalperspective. org

¢77\~y7'\2/i'\v¢\~/i~st>

12