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Chapter 4
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References to Dependent/Lesser Prophets of Baha'u'llah in the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá.
At the following link is a brief compilation explaining the two classes of Prophets (Independent Prophets and Dependent/Lesser Prophets).
Symbolic and other terms used by Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to Prophets include: "Sun", "Moon", "stars", "heralds", "countenances", "Manifestations", "root", "branch".
1)
In the passage below, the
"torches of God's oneness" refers to the Dependent/Lesser Prophets of
Baha'u'llah, "who would be the very embodiments of guidance"; and those
who recognise and follow them show "staunchness [firmness] in the
Covenant". They are said to be "torches of God's oneness", "shining in
the heavens where God reigneth alone" as they are Face of God on earth,
like the Holy Imams in the era of Muhammad. The next passage (204) is another reference to them ("stars", "manifest the signs
of the unity of God", "heralds", "countenances", ...).
203. O thou who art enamoured of the Covenant! The Blessed Beauty [Baha'u'llah]
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.
It is my hope that in His bounty He will soon raise up these souls,
that His Cause may be exalted. The lodestone which will attract this
grace is staunchness in the Covenant. Render thou thanks unto God that thou art firmest of the firm.
O my God, aid Thou Thy servant
to raise up the Word, and to refute what is vain and false, to
establish the truth, to spread the sacred verses abroad, reveal the
splendours, and make the morning's light to dawn in the hearts of the
righteous.
Thou art verily the Generous, the Forgiving.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 250
204. O phoenix of that immortal flame kindled in the sacred Tree!
Bahá'u'lláh -- may my life, my soul, my spirit be offered up as a
sacrifice unto His lowly servants -- hath, during His last days on
earth, given the most emphatic promise that, through the outpourings of
the grace of God and the aid and assistance vouchsafed from His Kingdom
on high, souls will arise and holy beings appear who, as stars, would adorn the firmament of divine guidance; illumine the dayspring of loving-kindness and bounty; manifest the signs
of the unity of God; shine with the light of sanctity and purity;
receive their full measure of divine inspiration; raise high the sacred
torch of faith; stand firm as the rock and immoveable as the mountain;
and grow to become luminaries in the heavens of His Revelation, mighty channels of His grace, means for the bestowal of God's bountiful care, heralds calling forth the name of the One true God, and establishers of the world's supreme foundation.
These shall labour ceaselessly, by day and by night, shall heed neither
trials nor woe, shall suffer no respite in their efforts, shall seek no
repose, shall disregard all ease and comfort, and, detached and
unsullied, shall consecrate every fleeting moment of their lives to the
diffusion of the divine fragrance and the exaltation of God's holy
Word. Their faces will radiate heavenly gladness, and their hearts be
filled with joy. Their souls will be inspired, and their foundation
stand secure. They shall scatter in the world, and travel throughout
all regions. They shall raise their voices in every assembly, and adorn
and revive every gathering. They shall speak in every tongue, and
interpret every hidden meaning. They shall reveal the mysteries of the
Kingdom, and manifest unto everyone the signs of God.
They shall burn brightly even as a candle in the heart of every
assembly, and beam forth as a star upon every horizon. The gentle
breezes wafted from the garden of their hearts shall perfume and revive
the souls of men, and the revelations of their minds, even as showers, will reinvigorate the peoples and nations of the world.
I am waiting, eagerly waiting for these holy ones to appear; and yet,
how long will they delay their coming? My prayer and ardent
supplication, at eventide and at dawn, is that these shining stars may soon shed their radiance upon the world, that their sacred countenances may be unveiled to mortal eyes,
that the hosts of divine assistance may achieve their victory, and the
billows of grace, rising from His oceans above, may flow upon all
mankind. Pray ye also and supplicate unto Him that through the
bountiful aid of the Ancient Beauty these souls may be unveiled to the eyes of the world.
The glory of God rest upon thee, and upon him whose face is illumined
with that everlasting light that shineth from His Kingdom of Glory.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 250
2)
In the following passage,
"luminous and sparkling stars" that "derived their grace and brilliance
from the bounties of the Abha Realm" is a reference to Dependent Prophets of
Baha'u'llah, who receive their revelation from Baha'u'llah, the
Independent Prophet. This theme is explained at the following link on the two classes of Prophets.
19. Praise be to Him through Whose splendours the earth and the heavens
are aglow, through Whose fragrant breathings the gardens of holiness
that adorn the hearts of the chosen are trembling for joy, to Him Who
hath shed His light and brightened the face of the firmament. Verily
there appeared luminous and sparkling stars, glittering, shining out,
and casting forth their rays upon the supreme horizon. They derived
their grace and brilliance from the bounties of the Abha Realm, then,
stars of guidance, they poured down their lights upon this earth.
Praise be to Him Who hath fashioned this new era, this age of majesty,
even as an unfolding pageant where the realities of all things can be
exposed to view. Now are clouds of bounty raining down and the gifts of
the loving Lord are clearly manifest; for both the seen and the unseen
worlds have been illumined, and the Promised One hath come to earth and
the beauty of the Adored One hath shone forth.
-- Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 38
3)
According to the passages below,
there will be 24 Dependent Prophets in the Bahá'í era; twice the number
in each of the recent major dispensations, an aspect of the greatness of
the Day of God, whose Universal Manifestation is Baha'u'llah. The following sequence from the Book of Revelation verses 11:3 to 11:17 fortells the coming of Muhammad (first woe) and Imam
Ali; followed by The Bab (second woe) and Quddus; followed by
Bahá'u'lláh (third woe) and the 24 Dependent Prophets of Bahá'u'lláh.
In the Surih of the Temple, an important tablet revealed
by Bahá'u'lláh, references to the many Dependent Prophets of
Bahá'u'lláh ("temples of the Oneness of God" and "His Servants") can also be found, with the Dependent Prophets referred to in separate paragraphs using symbolic language ("O Living Temple!", "O Eyes of this Temple!",
"O Ears of this Temple", "O First Letter of this Temple", "O Second Letter of this Temple", "O Third Letter of this Temple", "O Fourth Letter of this Temple",
"O Breast of this Temple", "O Inmost Heart of this Temple", and so on) in the English translation.
11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall
prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in
sackcloth.
-- Bible: Revelation
And I will give power unto my two witnesses,
and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three-score days,
clothed in sackcloth." These two witnesses are Muhammad the Messenger
of God, and `Alí, son of Abú Tálib [Imam Ali] .
In the Qur'án it is said that God addressed Muhammad, the Messenger of God, saying: "We made You a Witness,
a Herald of good news, and a Warner"--that is to say, We have
established Thee as the witness, the giver of good tidings, and as One
bringing the wrath of God. The meaning of "a witness" is one by whose
testimony things may be verified. The commands of these two witnesses
were to be performed for twelve hundred and sixty days, each day
signifying a year. Now, Muhammad was the root, and `Alí the branch, like Moses and Joshua.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 48
11:11 And after three days and an half the spirit of life from God
entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell
upon them which saw them.
-- Bible: Revelation
"And after three days and a half the spirit of life from God entered
into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon
them that saw them." Three days and a half, as we before explained, is
twelve hundred and sixty years. Those two persons whose bodies were
lying spiritless are the teachings and the law that Muhammad
established and `Alí promoted, from which, however, the reality had
departed and only the form remained. The spirit came again into them
means that those foundations and teachings were again established. In
other words, the spirituality of the Religion of God had been changed
into materiality, and virtues into vices; the love of God had been
changed into hatred, enlightenment into darkness, divine qualities into
satanic ones, justice into tyranny, mercy into enmity, sincerity into
hypocrisy, guidance into error, and purity into sensuality. Then after
three days and a half, which by the terminology of the Holy Books is
twelve hundred and sixty years, these divine teachings, heavenly
virtues, perfections and spiritual bounties were again renewed by the
appearance of the Báb and the devotion of Jináb-i-Quddús.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 54
11:12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
-- Bible: Revelation
"And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up
hither. And they ascended up to heaven," meaning that from the
invisible heaven they heard the voice of God, saying: You have
performed all that was proper and fitting in delivering the teachings
and glad tidings; you have given My message to the people and raised
the call of God, and have accomplished your duty. Now, like Christ, you
must sacrifice your life for the Well-Beloved, and be martyrs. And that
Sun of Reality, and that Moon of Guidance, both, like Christ, set on the horizon of the greatest martyrdom and ascended to the Kingdom of God.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 55
11:14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
-- Bible: Revelation
"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly."
The first woe is the appearance of the Prophet, Muhammad, the son of
`Abdu'lláh--peace be upon Him! The second woe is that of the Báb--to
Him be glory and praise! The third woe is the great day of the
manifestation of the Lord of Hosts and the radiance of the Beauty of
the Promised One. The explanation of this subject, woe, is mentioned in
the thirtieth chapter of Ezekiel, where it is said: "The word of the
Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus
saith the Lord God; Howl ye, Woe worth the day! For the day is near,
even the day of the Lord is near."
Therefore, it is certain that
the day of woe is the day of the Lord; for in that day woe is for the
neglectful, woe is for the sinners, woe is for the ignorant. That is
why it is said, "The second woe is past; behold the third woe cometh
quickly!" This third woe is the day of the manifestation of
Bahá'u'lláh, the day of God; and it is near to the day of the
appearance of the Báb.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 56
11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
The seventh angel is a man qualified with heavenly attributes, who will
arise with heavenly qualities and character. Voices will be raised, so
that the appearance of the Divine Manifestation
will be proclaimed and diffused. In the day of the manifestation of the
Lord of Hosts, and at the epoch of the divine cycle of the Omnipotent
which is promised and mentioned in all the books and writings of the
Prophets--in that day of God, the Spiritual and Divine Kingdom will be
established, and the world will be renewed;
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 56
"His Christ" is interpreted as a general reference to the Manifestation, similar to how Muhammad refers to himself as "Jesus".
Every discerning observer will recognize that in the Dispensation of
the Qur'án both the Book and the Cause of Jesus were confirmed. As to
the matter of names, Muhammad, Himself, declared: "I am Jesus." He
recognized the truth of the signs, prophecies, and words of Jesus, and
testified that they were all of God. In this sense, neither the person
of Jesus nor His writings hath differed from that of Muhammad and of
His holy Book, inasmuch as both have championed the Cause of God,
uttered His praise, and revealed His commandments. Thus it is that
Jesus, Himself, declared: "I go away and come again unto you."
-- Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 21
11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O LORD God Almighty, which art, and
wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power,
and hast reigned.
-- Bible: Revelation
Such is the day of God. For
all the days which have come and gone were the days of Abraham, Moses
and Christ, or of the other Prophets; but this day is the day of God,
for the Sun of Reality will arise in it with the utmost warmth and
splendor.
"And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God.
"Saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Which art, and wast,
and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and
hast reigned." In each cycle the guardians and holy souls have been
twelve. So Jacob had twelve sons; in the time of Moses there were
twelve heads or chiefs of the tribes; in the time of Christ there were twelve Apostles; and in the time of Muhammad there were twelve Imáms. But
in this glorious manifestation there are twenty-four, double the number
of all the others, for the greatness of this manifestation requires it. These holy souls are in the presence of God seated on their own thrones, meaning that they reign eternally.
These twenty-four great persons, though they are seated on the thrones
of everlasting rule, yet are worshipers of the appearance of the Universal Manifestation,
and they are humble and submissive, saying, "We give thanks to Thee, O
Lord God Almighty, Which art, and wast, and art to come, because Thou
hast taken to Thee Thy great power and hast reigned" -- that is to say,
Thou wilt issue all Thy teachings, Thou wilt gather all the people of
the earth under Thy shadow, and Thou wilt bring all men under the
shadow of one tent. Although it is the Eternal Kingdom of God, and He
always had, and has, a Kingdom, the Kingdom here means the
manifestation of Himself; and He will issue all the laws and teachings
which are the spirit of the world of humanity and everlasting life. And
that universal Manifestation will subdue the world by spiritual power,
not by war and combat; He will do it with peace and tranquillity, not
by the sword and arms; He will establish this Heavenly Kingdom by true
love, and not by the power of war. He will promote these divine
teachings by kindness and righteousness, and not by weapons and
harshness. He will so educate the nations and people that,
notwithstanding their various conditions, their different customs and
characters, and their diverse religions and races, they will, as it is
said in the Bible, like the wolf and the lamb, the leopard, the kid,
the sucking child and the serpent, become comrades, friends and
companions. The contentions of races, the differences of religions, and
the barriers between nations will be completely removed, and all will
attain perfect union and reconciliation under the shadow of the Blessed
Tree.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, p. 58.
5)
References to Dependent Prophets of Baha'u'llah in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.
6)
The Significance of Twelve:
Thou didst ask as to the tenth to the seventeenth verses of the
twenty-first chapter of Saint John the Divine's Revelation. Know thou
that according to mathematical principles, the firmament of this
earth's brilliant day-star hath been divided among twelve
constellations, which they call the twelve zodiacal signs. In the same
way, the Sun of Truth shineth out from and sheddeth its bounties
through twelve stations of holiness, and by these heavenly signs are
meant those stainless and unsullied personages who are the very
well-springs of sanctity, and the dawning-points proclaiming the oneness of God.
Consider how in the days of the Interlocutor (Moses), there were twelve
holy beings who were leaders of the twelve tribes; and likewise in the
dispensation of the Spirit (Christ), note that there were twelve
Apostles gathered within the sheltering shade of that supernal Light,
and from those splendid dawning-points the Sun of Truth shone forth
even as the sun in the sky. Again, in the days of Muhammad, observe
that there were twelve dawning-points of holiness, the manifestors of
God's confirming help. Such is the way of it.
Accordingly did Saint John the Divine tell of twelve gates in his
vision, and twelve foundations. By `that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God' is meant the holy Law of
God, and this is set forth in many Tablets and still to be read in the
Scriptures of the Prophets of the past: for instance, that Jerusalem
was seen going out into the wilderness.
The meaning of the passage is that this heavenly Jerusalem hath twelve
gates, through which the blessed enter into the City of God. These
gates are souls who are as guiding stars, as portals of knowledge and grace; and within these gates there stand twelve angels. By `angel'
is meant the power of the confirmations of God--that the candle of
God's confirming power shineth out from the lamp-niche of those
souls--meaning that every one of those beings will be granted the most
vehement confirming support.
These twelve gates surround the entire world, that is they are a
shelter for all creatures. And further, these twelve gates are the
foundation of the City of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and on each one
of these foundations is written the name of one of the Apostles of
Christ. That is to say, each one maketh manifest the perfections, the
joyous message, and the excellency of that holy Being.
-- `Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 165
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