Posted by DonPlunk on August 09, 2000 at 01:26:20:

In Reply to: Genealogy of Baha'u'llah posted by Seefan on August 04, 2000 at 07:13:43:

Thought this excerpt might help, Don `

And I will make thee (Abraham) exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. (Genesis 17:6)`

Abraham was father to both Ishmael and Isaac. In Genesis we read that Ishmael was sent back east, and is today recognized by Muslims as ancestor to Muhammad and the people of Islam. Isaac remained in Canaan where his descendants became the people of Judaism. In the following passage, we read that Ishmael too is blessed, and will beget 12 princes. This corresponds to the 12 Imams in Islam: "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation." (Genesis 17:19,20)`

We then read that Hagar, the mother of Ishmael, was sent away into the wilderness of Beersheba - the area where Islam sprang forth: "And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba." (Genesis 21:13,14)`

The next time we read of a woman in the wilderness is in Revelation, where we find she is in a place ­€˜prepared of God' for 1260 years - the exact duration between Islam and the Baha'i Faith: "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: ... And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth ... And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." (Revelation 12:1,3,6)`

And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks . . . And their dead bodies shall lie in the street . . . And they . . . shall see their bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, . . .. And after three and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them... (Rev 11:3-11)`

Two witnesses = Muhammad and His son-in-law - the Imam Ali Clothed in sackcloth = means that they apparently were to be clothed in old raiment, not in new raiment; in other words, in the beginning they would possess no splendor in the eyes of the people, nor would their Cause appear new; for Muhammad's spiritual Law corresponds to that of Christ in the Gospel, and most of His laws relating to material things correspond to that of the Pentateuch. Two olive trees/candlesticks = lights of Divine guidance Their dead bodies shall lie in the street = "Their bodies" means the Religion of God (eg. Body of Christ), in this case Islam; "shall lie in the street" refers to the empty body of Islam under the Umayyads, which was like a dead body, without a spirit. After 3 1/2 days the Spirit of life from God entered into them = 3 1/2 days = 3 1/2 years = 1260 days = 1260 years = Spirit enters Baha'i Faith 1260 years after Islam (1844)!`

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet., and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, ... And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads ... (NIV): The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. (Revelation 12: 1-6) ...where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time(1260 years)... (Revelation 12:14)`

The woman symbolizes a religion ("bride" in Biblical writings = Law of God) The sun & moon represented the two nations that were then under the shadow of Islam - The Persian and Ottoman kingdoms. The symbol of Islam is the sun and moon! `

emblem of Persia = sun emblem of Ottoman Empire = crescent moon The twelve stars = twelve Imams of Islam "she being with child cried" = difficulties endured by Islam until a perfect offspring was produced from within the cradle of Islam - the Bab. seven heads and seven crowns = 7 dominions under Umayyad Dynasty of Islam: 1. Damascus 2. Persia 3. Arabia 4. Egypt 5. Africa 6. Andalusia 7. Turkestan ten horns = Ten names of the Umayyad rulers of these seven dominions desert (NIV) = wilderness of Arabia, the great desert, where the Law of Islam was set up 1,260 days = 1260 prophetic years . . . The Islamic year 1260 A.H. equals 1844 A.D. - The year that the Baha'i Faith commenced with the Declaration of the Bab.`

Is Persia - the birthplace of The Bab and Baha'u'llah - found in Scripture? Yes - this area is the "Biblical East" of the Bible. `

Abraham, from whose descendants came a succession of prophets (David, Moses, Christ, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah) was born in Ur in present day Iraq.`

Abraham later traveled to Canaan where Israel was born. Baha'u'llah declared His mission near the birthplace of Abraham (Baghdad). Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah are all descendants of Abraham. (Baha'u'llah is descended through Abraham's wife, Katura.) Baha'u'llah was later banished by authorities from Baghdad to Palestine - where the Baha'is now have their world center on top of Mount Carmel - in fulfillment of yet other prophecies: And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (Isaiah 2:2)`

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots . . . (Isaiah 11:1) . . . Baha'u'llah is a descendant of Jesse (father of David).`

And I will set my throne in E'-lam . . . (Jeremiah 49:38) E'-lam is the province in Persia near Shiraz, the birthplace of the Bab.`

.... that I was at Shu'-shan in the palace, which is in the province of E'-lam (Persia); and I saw in a vision . . . (Daniel 8:2) Daniel's visions of the return came to him while he was in modern day Persia.`

In that day also he shall come even to thee from Assyria, and from the fortified cities, and from the fortress even to the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain. (Micah 7:12 KJV) .... he shall come even to thee from Assyria, - The birthplace of the Baha'i Faith. .... and from the fortified cities, - Baha'u'llah was exiled first to Constantinople and then to Akka in Israel - both are fortified cities. .... and from the fortress even to the river, - Baha'u'llah went from the prison where He was held for two years in Akka to an island in a river called Na'mayn. .... and from sea to sea, - On the way to Constantinople, Baha'u'llah made the last part of his journey by way of the Black Sea. And on His way to Akka, Baha'u'llah made the last part of that journey by way of the Mediterranean Sea. .... and from mountain to mountain. - Baha'u'llah withdrew prior to beginning his public mission (just as Jesus did) to commune with God in the Kurdistani mountains near Baghdad. (This was His first place of exile.) When he returned to Baghdad, he announced his mission publicly to the people. The second mountain was Mount Carmel in Israel near Haifa, where He journeyed to and where is found today the world center of the Baha'i Faith - Universal House of Justice. `

The great spiritual lights have always appeared in the East. The Blessed Perfection, Baha'u'llah, appeared in the East. Jesus Christ dawned upon the horizon of the East. Moses, Aaron, Joseph and all the Israelitish prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah and others appeared from the Orient. The lights of Muhammad and the Bab shone from the East. The eastern horizon has been flooded with the effulgence of these great lights, and only from the East have they risen to shine upon the West. (`Abdu'l-Baha: Promulgation of Universal Peace, p 23)`

.... there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (Mat 2:1,2) Magi ("wise men") are believed by some to have been Zoroastrians from Persia.`

.... the glory (Baha) of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. (Ezekiel 43:2)`

.... the righteous man from the east ... and made him rule over kings ... (Isaiah 41:2)`

Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it. Hearken unto me, ye stouthearted ... (Isaiah 46:11,12)`

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