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Prophets and Prophecies of Various Religions→ |
1674. Israel
"The word Israel, used throughout the Bible, simply refers to the Jewish people, and not to the chosen ones of this day."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, April 21, 1939)
1675. Position of Jerusalem
"…whereas Jerusalem is the spiritual center of Christendom it is not the administrative centre of either the Church of Rome or any other Christian denomination. Likewise, although it is regarded by Moslems as the spot where one of its most sacred shrines is situated, the Holy Sites of the Muhammadan Faith and the centre of its pilgrimages are to be found in Arabia, not in Palestine. The Jews alone offer somewhat of a parallel to the attachment which the Bahá’ís have for this country inasmuch as Jerusalem holds the remains of their Holy Temple and was the seat of both the religious and political institutions associated with their past history. But even their case differs in one respect from that of the Bahá’ís, for it is in the soil of Palestine that the three Central Figures of our religion are buried, and it is not only the centre of Bahá’í pilgrimages from all over the world but also the permanent seat of our Administrative Order.…"
- (From a letter of Shoghi Effendi to the Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, July 14, 1947: Bahá’í News, No. 199, September 1947, p. 3)
1676. All Palestine to Become Home
"You can see that from all the parts of the world tribes of Jews are coming to the Holy Land; they live in villages and lands which they make their own, and day by day they are increasing to such an extent, that all Palestine will become their home."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Some Answered Questions, p. 66, 1985 ed.)
1677. Gathering of Israel
"You have asked Me a question with regard to the gathering of the children of Israel in Jerusalem in accordance with the prophecy.
"Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies, is a revered Temple, a sublime name, for it is the City of God… The gathering of Israel at Jerusalem means, therefore, and prophesies, that Israel as a whole is gathering beneath the banner of God and will enter the Kingdom of the Ancient of Days. For the celestial Jerusalem, which has as its center the Holy of Holies, is a City of the Kingdom, a Divine City. The East and West are but a small corner of that City.
"Moreover, materially as wellas spiritually), the Israelites will gather in the Holy Land. This is irrefutable prophecy, for the ignominy which Israel has suffered for well-nigh twenty-five hundred years will now be changed into eternal glory, and in the eyes of all, the Jewish people will become glorified to such an extent as to draw the jealousy of its enemies and the envy of its friends."
- (According to information received by the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States several years ago this Tablet was revealed by the Master in the year 1897 to a Jewish Community in the Orient: Bahá’í News, No. 250, December 1951, p. 5)
1678. Journey of the Israelites
"It was both spiritual and physical. They journeyed to the Promised Land and geography and history both prove that this was a physical journey.
"Moses viewed the Promised Land but died before it was reached, having given over his charge to Joshua.
"The crossing of the Red Sea has a spiritual meaning. It was a spiritual journey, through and above the sea of corruption and iniquity of the Pharaoh and his people, or army. By the help of God through Moses, the Israelites were able to cross this sea safely and reach the Promised Land (spiritual state) while Pharaoh and his people were drowned in their own corruption.
"The Egyptian History recorded even trifling events. Had such a wonderful thing happened as the parting of the physical sea it would also have been recorded."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Daily Lessons Received at Akka, p. 45, 1979 ed.)
1679. Erroneous Belief
"The belief, according to which Judah represents the Jews and Israel the Chosen people, is erroneous."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 10, 1939)
1680. Ten Tribes of Israel
"The Teachings throw no light on the question as to what became of the ten tribes of Israel, or whether they were absorbed into some other nation or not."
- (Ibid.)
1681. The Jews Have a Great Spiritual Destiny and Will Enter the Faith in Large Groups
"Regarding your question concerning the future of the Jews: They certainly have, as explicitly stated by the Master, a great spiritual destiny, and will gradually enter the Faith in large groups."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 13, 1937)
1682. Greek Philosophers Visited Israel's Scholars and Religious Leaders
"It is furthermore a matter of record in numerous historical works that the philosophers of Greece such as Pythagoras acquired the major part of their philosophy, both divine and material, from the disciples of Solomon. And Socrates after having eagerly journeyed to meet with some of Israel's most illustrious scholars and divines, on his return to Greece established the concept of the oneness of God and the continuing life of the human soul after it has put off its elemental dust. Ultimately, the ignorant among the Greeks denounced this man who had fathomed the inmost mysteries of wisdom, and rose up to take his life; and then the populace forced the hand of their ruler, and in council assembled they caused Socrates to drink from the poisoned cup."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Secret of Divine Civilization, p. 77, 1975 ed.)
