God's Great Plan/Text

[Page 2]GOD’S GREAT PLAN

THE sum or THE BAHA"|' FAITH

by Henry Ginn

Cover photo: A happy crowd leaving worship service in Bahá’í House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois (on shores of Lake Michigan, near Chicago).

Bahá’í' PUBLISHING TRUST Wilmette, Illinois

[Page 3]© COPYRIGHT, 1968 NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY OF THE BAHA’IS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

[Page 4]TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE THE PEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1 THE DAYS OF OLD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 THEN JESUs CAME . . . . . . . . . . .’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 PART TWO LOOKING UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 WE SEE IN PART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 A Doon OF HOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

THE NEW DAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

[Page 5]HOW TO STUDY:

First read to get an idea of the subject. Underline words and ideas that are not clear.

Read a second time. Now check references in the Bible. Then look up the underlined words in your dictionary.

You must also use your reason. The Bible teaches us that you must use reason. See: Isaiah 1:18; Acts 17:2 and II Timothy 1:6-7.

Now you are ready.

A last word to the reader: remember that the Bible must be interpreted in the light of spiritual meaning rather than in the literal, or physical sense.

[Page 6]GOD’S GREAT PLAN

PART ONE

Photo next page: The golden dome of the Shrine of the Bdb rises amidst beautiful gardens on the slopes of Mt. Carmel, Bahá’í World Center, Haifa, Israel. The cave of Elijah is a short distance away and across the bay lies the ancient city of ‘Akká (Achor), where Bahá’u’lláh revealed much of His new Message for humanity.

[Page 7][Page 8]’ THE PLAN

The dictionary speaks of a plan in these terms: “to design; to form a plan for.”

Sometimes We make plans.

Then we work to make our plans come true.

God has a plan for us.

He created it in His infinite wisdom.

We call it a plan for our salvation.

N 0 man has yet been able to understand it all.

To do so we would have to understand God, Who has infinite wisdom.

In every age God sends a Mouthpiece.

We call them Prophets or Manifestations.

They speak for God.

They give us the plan.

They give us as much of the plan as we are able to understand. O

The Bible records how, little by little, this plan has been given.

Chapter by chapter it tells of salvation.

Those who believe in the Bible can trust it

as a sure guide foretelling things to be. To be ignorant of God’s great plan is no excuse. From Genesis to Revelation we have the plan. We know that the New Age will see:

The Oneness of Mankind (Micah 4:2-3)

World Peace (Isaiah 2:2—4; 11:6-11)

One Language (Zephaniah 3 :9)

One Shepherd and One Fold (John 10:16) Now let us go back and see how it all began . . .

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[Page 9]THE DAYS OF OLD

God is good.

He created us all from the same first parents.

We are all one.

We all know this is the truth.

We know this from our study of the Bible.

The word Bible means “the Book.” E

It is many books all put together like one. Each was written at a different time.

Each was written as a lesson.

Each book tells us something about God.

Each book tells us something about man.

Each book tells a story—a true story!

It is a story about men.

Some were -rich.

Some had nothing but faith.

Some were important.

Some had to work hard for a living. Some could read.

Some just trusted and believed. Time passed. Centuries went by. Men forgot about God.

Most men did!

When we forget about God He makes us forget ourselves. Then We act like animals. We do not love one another. We are not kind. We are not honest. We do not tell the truth. We are not happy.

[Page 10]When this happens a new teacher must come from God.

He must come to show us the way back to God. This is the only way.

We call this teacher a Manifestation.

We call this teacher a High Prophet. He is the true Educator!

A Manifestation tells us what God knows is best for us.

A Manifestation tells us what will happen if we obey God.

Adam was the first of these great Manifestations.

He taught us the reason for good and evil. He taught us man’s duty to God.

To make his lesson clear he became the example.

Think! What Adam taught was this:

When we love and worship God and obey Him we are in the garden of Eden——close to God. ' (Gen. 3 :22)

When we disobey God

we are put out of the garden—far from God. (Gen. 3:17-23)

Time passed . . . centuries of time. (Gen. 6:1)

Men lost the lesson that Adam had taught. Men had turned away from God. This lesson had to be given again.

After perhaps a thousand years another teacher came.

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[Page 11]His name was Noah. a (Gen. 6:8) “Noah” means “comfort.”

He had that same Holy Spirit that was in Adam. Some of the people laughed at Noah.

They wanted no scolding for their sins.

Some of the people threw stones at Him.

Some of the people made fun of Noah.

Noah kept His faith. (Heb. 11:7) Noah did what God told Him to do. He built an Ark. (Gen. 6:22)

The word “ark” means “a place of safety.”

For many years Noah warned the people.

The name Noah also means, “one who warns.” Noah was both a comfort and warning to the people: A comfort to those who believed,

a warning for those who would not take heed.

Those who believed Him went into the ark. These people were safe.

Noah’s family were the only people who believed in God.

What Noah said would happen did happen!

He said a great flood would come to sweep away the sinners.

God always gives us time to follow His Manifestations.

These Manifestations come. They all tell us another Manifestation will come after them. They come about every thousand years. They come to show us the way.

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[Page 12]Abraham came. He taught us the':Fatherhood of God. He lived in the Ur of the Chaldees. He was a good man.

Those around Him believed in many gods.

The people were superstitious.

They had again lost the lesson of the Manifestations. God blessed Abraham.

The twelfth chapter of Genesis tells how He was called.

What the Prophet taught us was this: We must love God more than ourselves. We must be obedient to God. i There is only one God who is the Father of all.

Time passed. Again men forgot God.

Moses came. He was a Deliverer.

Do we need a Deliverer today? He was not believed in at first.

The people could not believe that a member ‘ of a fallen tribe had been called by God. The children of Israel wanted freedom. But they would have to learn many lessons. They had to suffer. . They had been made to work hard as slaves. They trusted in God. They prayed for a Deliverer. They knew God would answer their prayers. How? They did not know.

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[Page 13]Then Moses was called by God.

He was to be the next Manifestation. Moses would help them.

He would help them if they trusted Him.

Moses did not want to be the Manifestation. He knew He would have to suffer. Every Manifestation has had to suffer.

Moses did not want to be the Manifestation.

He did not think that He was able. T

He could not talk very well.

He was a stammerer.

God called Him.

God gave Him the power to speak to Pharoah. Moses showed the people the way out of captivity.

Now we all talk about Moses.

We sometimes sing: “Give us a leader like Moses.” God has sent us such a leader.’

Moses led His people well.

He then told them that in many, many years another Prophet would come. (Deut. 18: 15)

Now Moses had to get His people ready. To do this He gave them laws. Every Manifestation brings laws. (Ex. 18:20) To prepare the people for freedom, Moses gave them laws. He gave them spiritual laws. He gave them-social laws.

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[Page 14]Every Manifestation brings two kinds of laws: Spiritual laws Social laws . Spiritual laws tell of our duty to God. Social laws tell us how to act toward our brothers. As conditions change‘, some of the social laws must change. The spiritual laws never change.

The Ten Commandments are both spiritual and social laws. They are as good today as when Moses gave them.

Some of the social laws of Moses were to preserve health. They told what meat was safe to eat. They told how to kill, prepare and cook the meat. These health laws made the people strong. They kept them free from many diseases.

Today we know why Moses gave these health laws.

People had no way to keep food as we have it today.

Now we know how to treat food and keep it safe. Now when another Manifestation comes

He may change some of the social laws. Christ changed some of the social teachings

of Moses. No Manifestation‘ ever changes the

spiritual teachings.

Moses said that a Great Teacher was to come. The people prayed for this event.

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[Page 15]THEN JESUS CAME

His coming was foretold by all the Prophets. Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem. The word “Bethlehem” means “house of bread.” Isaiah said His name would be Immanuel. Immanuel means “God is with us.”

He would be the Messiah.

At first only a few people believed in Jesus. They had read what Jeremiah and the other Prophets had said. They had understood only the words. Things looked different. (John 1:11) “If he is a king, where is his throne?” someone would say. Then they would all laugh. His own people refused Him. Some people would make the same mistake in our own day!

Jesus told them: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) And again He said: J “I came not to send peace but the sword.” ' (Matt. 10:34) His teachings troubled them. '

Moses was among His brothers many years before they knew that He spoke for God.

Noah preached -over one hundred years before His words came true.

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[Page 16]Think! Might we not find it hard to recognize God’s Messenger? Every sensitive soul can tell you that today we are in the last days. But where is Christ?

Jesus was not known as the Christ

until He was thirty years old. John the Baptist knew Him as the Spirit. But it was Peter who told it in public.

Could Christ have already returned? It is possible.

We are told in Revelation that He would have a new name. Then we must look for a new name. (Rev. 3: 12)

What were some of the signs Jesus gave us? 1) The gospel must be in all the world for a witness. (Matt. 24:14) The word “gospel” means “the good news.”

This good news was preached in all the world by 1844.

A leading minister was reported in 1844 to have said:

“We have carried the gospel from one end

of the earth to the other.” 2) The Jews would return to the holy land. (Jeremiah 2323)

They have returned.

3) We would have war and rumors of wars. We have had many wars and rumors of wars), too.

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[Page 17]On and on we could go.

Proof after proof.

The fulfillment is plain.

Then Jesus must have returned! His words can never fail.

Then Jesus must have returned!

Millions of people believe so.

These people are like you.

They were Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Holiness, or had no religion.

They have found unity.

(David said how good it is to dwell in unity.)

These people have searched.

They have asked.

They have prayed.

They have found.

Now they work hand in hand building the kingdom. He came when mankind was unaware.(I Thess. 5:2)

These people were black, white, yellow, red or brown. Color means nothing but beauty to them now. They could not love each other before.

Now they do. They would not work together before. i Now they can. . In more than three hundred countries in the North. Yes, even in the South — these people have a Great Message. They would like you to know it too.

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These people are called Bahá’ís. It is a new name!

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[Page 18]GOD’S GREAT PLAN

PART Two

Photos next page: Bahá’í youth of all races work together in harmony and joy.

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[Page 20]LOOKING UP

From the start of His mission Jesus promised that He would return.

This hope of the Return is the life of the church.

The church of Jesus is a condition of faith, not a place of wood or stone.

Watch and pray, was His warning.

Sign after sign He gave them.

He gave them many signs of His second coming. Some called it the second Advent.

We know that He promised to return! (John 14:3) But have we been watching, praying?

For He taught us to pray: Thy Kingdom Come.

Would He have told us to pray for a kingdom that would never come?

Many times He said He would come

like a thief in the night. 4 Does that sound strange? (Matt. 24:42-43) Yes, but Christ could have already returned! Millions of people believe so. ‘ Would a thief let you know he is going to rob you? Never in a million years.

They had read what Moses said,

They had read what Isaiah said.

They had read what Jeremiah said.

We all know what Jesus taught: How men had changed the teachings of Moses. How they have made God’s law a burden. He taught love and kindness. (Matt. 5:44) Jesus healed the sick. (Matt. 4:23-24) He raised the spiritually. dead. (John .5228, 29)

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[Page 21]Jesus taught with parables. What is a parable?

It is a short story of familiar things, with a clear, spiritual meaning about unknown things.

It makes you think!

Jesus used parables to teach us about the spiritual

meaning of the Kingdom of God. In the parables:

He revealed the love of God. He revealed that man had a spiritual nature. He revealed the need for spiritual food. His teachings made those around Him angry. From that moment they wanted to kill Him.

Every Manifestation of God has to suffer. They give up their lives to free us. By their lives men are brought closer to God.

Jesus’ earthly mission lasted for three-and-a-half years.

It makes us sad to think of the death of Jesus. He overcame death. He gave new life to the world. He taught His followers to give life to the spiritually dead.

What is a spiritually dead person? He is like the rich man who came to Jesus by night. He failed to sell his goods and give to the poor. He had religion. But his religion was of the flesh and form, not of the spirit. It was the kind you just look at, not the kind that puts words into deeds.

Every time a Manifestation comes He gives spiritual life to those who follow Him!

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[Page 22]WE SEE IN PART

It was Paul who said:

“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away with.”

Each Prophet brought a part of the plan for the kingdom of God on earth. t 1

These parts are called Dispensations.

Each Dispensation was a new step‘ forward.

It was a part of the Divine Plan of God for us!

A Dispensation is the time of a Prophet from the public notice of His mission until the next Prophet comes.

It is the period during which the Manifestation is giving the Word of God.

Adam gave this Word in His day. Moses gave this Word in His day. We then have many Dispensations. From the start with Adam to the end with the Seal of the Prophets, we have what is known as a cycle.

From the first to the last,

then back to the start again. This new start is called a new cycle. It will have many Dispensations.

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[Page 23]The direction or movement of this cycle ‘ We call progress.

Progress means to move forward, forward towards the kingdom.

The Words these Manifestations bring are called Revelations.

A revelation means to make clear something not known before.

The coming of these Manifestations, A one after another, over a period of many thousands of years, is called;

Progressive Revelation.

There is but One God, revealing His Words.

Therefore there is only one religion.

For example, there is a school. It has twelve grades.

When we learn ou-r lesson-well in one grade, we go to the next grade.

Some get tired and quit school.

They have remained in the same grade.

One grade is the steppingstone for the next.

We can see that each step was necessary for the next.

Now, what if someone were to say:

“I am not going to the twelfth grade.

I have all the knowledge I need here in the

second.

No need for me to study for that many years!”

Now who is to blame for his lack of progress?

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[Page 24]Our progress in this world and the next is caused

by the Manifestations. These Manifestations of God cause us to

move forward.

This is what progress is! Jesus did not say He was the last

of these Manifestations. He said the Spirit of Truth would come.

Jesus also made it clear that He was not

the only Manifestation. He told them: “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold . . .” (John 10:16)

These other sheep were the people who followed other Manifestations that God had sent to His children in other parts of the world.

We have lost records of many of them. But we know that some of these other sheep are: Zoroastrians, whose prophet, Zoroaster, came about 1000 years before Christ. Hindus, whose prophet, Krishna, came to India about 2000 years before Christ. Buddhists, who live in the Orient and revere the prophet Guatama Buddha, who came 600 years before Christ.

Each of these Manifestations promised to return in the last days. All Manifestations, or Prophets, speak for God.

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[Page 25]A DOOR OF HOPE

The word “door” is mentioned

in the Bible several times. The Prophet Hosea speaks of

Achor as a door of Hope. (Hosea 2:15) We love to sing: “You must come in at the door.”

We have already mentioned the promise of Christ to return. We have looked at several of the signs. We have talked about their fulfillment.

But how shall Christ come? He told those around him: “For I came down from heaven.” (John 6:38)

Yet we all knew He was born of Mary.

These two views call for light from the Word.

Think.

Now 1et’s look at it in the way it is given.

Jesus was the physical body (Matt. 2:1) Christ was the spiritual Word (John 1 :13, 14) The Christ was before Abraham. (John 8:58)

The physical body was born of Mary. It is plain then that He had two stations: One human, that eats, sleeps, has feelings. One Divine, beyond which the human mind cannot understand.

When Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan by John the Baptist,

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[Page 26]this Spirit of Christ in the form of a dove came upon Him. (John 1:29-34)

Christ said the Second Coming could be in the same manner as the first.

At the first Advent He was born of a woman.

He grew into manhood.

He declared His mission.

The Second Coming, if we are to believe the Word of God, will be in the same manner.

Millions believe that such an event has happened. Would you like to hear the story?

In 1844 a good young man said that He was the Gate The “Gate” or door for a new Revelation from God. (Mal. 3: 1-3) He called Himself the Báb. The word “Bab” means the “Gate.” His Revelation was called the Babi Faith. His teachings made the clergy angry. They wanted the people to stay in darkness, so that they could rule over them.

But darkness was not a part of God’s Divine Plan.

God wants everybody who seeks it to see the Light.

The word Bahá’í means “light.”

These people of darkness worked night and day until they caused the Báb to be killed.

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[Page 27]But not before theBáb had stirred the hearts of the people with the hope of the New Day.

Was the Bcib the promised One foretold by Christ? Yes, in many ways, but the Báb,

like John the Baptist, spoke of the n

One to come after Him. (John 1:27)

John the Baptist did not reveal a religion. The Báb revealed a religion. It was called the Babi Faith.

The Báb told the world to look for the Promised One Whose mission would be revealed in nine years. The Promised One is the return of the Christ Spirit.

Photos opposite: Bahá’í children’s classes where the principles of the unity of God, of His Prophets and of all mankind are taught.

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[Page 28][Page 29]THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH

After nine years this Great Teacher came. He is the promised one of all religions!

Would you like to know Who this Great Teacher is? Is He the return of the Christ Spirit?

Millions of people believe that He is.

He has brought the races together.

He has established the Kingdom of the Father on earth.

Then what about the end of the world?

The word “world” means the present system of things.

The end of the world means the end of one system, or dispensation, and the start of a new one.

God created this earth to be the place of His promised Kingdom. We read in Isaiah: “Thus saith the Lord that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth: He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited.” (Is. 45: 18)

Now would God destroy the earth when Jesus promised: “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth”? (Matt. 5:5)

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[Page 30]If there is no ea-rth what shall the meek inherit?

It is plain to see that the “world” means a system of things.

For more understanding read Heb. 6:5; Heb. 2:5; II Peter 3: 10-13.

But what about the fire? The word “fire” is always used to mean “making something clean.” The latter-day fire is the making clean of this earth.

Those things that are against the will of God will all pass away. See how this is explained by Peter. (I Peter 1:7)

So we can see that the passing away of the world means the passing away of this old world system.

This world system is called Babylon.

(Revelation 14:8)

The word “Babylon” means “confusion.”

Thus you can see the confusion of this present world will pass.

The end of the world or the battle of Armageddon is now. . (Rev. 16:16)

On whose side will you be?

The side of the Returned Christ Spirit?

Or of the forces of darkness?

It is up to you.

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[Page 31]“The last days” and “end of the world’’ mean -’

the same thing.

“And the nations of them that are saved shall

walk in the light of it: .

and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor unto it.” (Rev. 21 :24)

The word “Bahá’í” means “light!”

“Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the

.Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden

things of darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then shall every man have praise of God.” (I Cor. 4:5)

The Lord has come!

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[Page 32]THE NEW DAY

Christ has returned. His new name is Bahá’u’lláh. It means the Glory of God. Christ said He would return in the glory of the Father. (Matt. 16:27)

Those who follow Bahá’u’lláh are called Bahá’ís.

They are members of the Bahá’í Faith.

It is a faith that is world-wide.

Members come from all of the diflerent races and religions of the world.

This is the one fold and the One Shepherd. (John 10:16) Bahá’ís believe that God has revealed a message for this day. We know how much we need God’s help with the world’s problems. Bahá’u’lláh is speaking to modern man. ’ ' (Matt. 7:15-21) He came nine years after the Báb, as the Báb said He would.

Christ has returned. His new name is Bahá’u’lláh.

This is the dawn of a new cycle. We are in the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh.

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[Page 33]This is the dawn of a new day. Bahá’u’lláh is the hope of the world.

All the promises have been fulfilled.

We must turn our faces toward the light. The kingdom is come.

God’s mighty power is revealed.

His plan has been made clear in the

teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

The next step is up to us!

To learn more about the Bahá’í Faith contact the Bahá’í Center in your city. If none listed, write National Bahá’í Center, 536 Sheridan Road, Wilmette, Illinois 60091.

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