Some notes on Bahá’í proofs
based on the Bible
“Come ye Beloved of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World.”
(Matthew 25:34)
compiled by
National Spiritual Assembly of the
Bahá'ís of Central and East Africa.
First published in Kampala Uganda y
Baha'i Publishing Trust of the
Baha'is of Central and East Africa
1963
This edition
Baha’i Publishing Trust,
P. O. Box 19, New Delhi 110 001
© The National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’í of India
Second Print 1988
ISBN 81–85091–38–2
The true meaning of the prophecies
concerning the coming of Christ
30 October 1911
In the Bible there are prophecies of the coming of Christ. The Jews still await the coming of the Messiah, and pray to God day and night to hasten His advent.
When Christ came they denounced and slew Him, saying: ‘This is not the One for whom we wait. Behold when the Messiah shall come, signs and wonders shall testify that He is in truth the Christ. We know the signs and conditions, and they have not appeared. The Messiah will arise out of an unknown city. He shall sit upon the throne of David, and behold, He shall come with a sword of steel, and with a sceptre of iron shall He rule! He shall fulfil the law of the Prophets, He shall conquer the East and the West, and shall glorify His chosen people the Jews. He shall bring with Him a reign of peace, during which even the animals shall cease to be at enmity with man. For behold the wolf and the lamb shall drink from the same spring, and the lion and the doe shall lie down in the same pasture, the serpent and the mouse shall share the same nest, and all God’s creatures shall be at rest’.
According to the Jews, Jesus the Christ fulfilled none of these conditions, for their eyes were holden and they could not see.
He came from Nazareth, no unknown place. He carried no sword in His hand, nor even a stick. He did not sit upon the Throne of David, He was a poor man. He reformed the Law of Moses, and broke the Sabbath Day. He did not conquer the East and the West, but was Himself subject to the Roman Law. He did not exalt the Jews, but taught equality and brotherhood, and rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees. He brought in no reign of peace, for during His lifetime injusticeand cruelty reached such a height that even He Himself fell a victim to it, and died a shameful death upon the cross.
Thus the Jews thought and spoke, for they did not understand the Scriptures nor the glorious truths that were contained in them. The letter they knew by heart, but of the life-giving spirit they understood not a word.
Hearken, and I will show you the meaning thereof. Although He came from Nazareth, which was a known place, He also came from Heaven. His body was born of Mary, but His Spirit came from Heaven. The sword He carried was the sword of His tongue, with which He divided the good from the evil, the true from the false, the faithful from the unfaithful, and the light from the darkness. His Word was indeed a sharp sword! The Throne upon which He sat is the Eternal Throne from which Christ reigns for ever, a heavenly throne, not an earthly one, for the things of earth pass away but heavenly things pass not away. He re-interpreted and completed the Law of Moses and fulfilled the Law of the Prophets. His word conquered the East and the West. His Kingdom is everlasting. He exalted those Jews who recognized Him. They were men and women of humble birth, but contact with Him made them great and gave them everlasting dignity. The animals who were to live with one another signified the different sects and races, who, once having been at war, were now to dwell in love and charity, drinking together the water of life from Christ the Eternal Spring.
Thus, all the spiritual prophecies concerning the coming of Christ were fulfilled, but the Jews shut their eyes that they should not see, and their ears that they should not hear, and the Divine Reality of Christ passed through their midst unheard, unloved and unrecognized.
It is easy to read the Holy Scriptures, but it is only with a clean heart and a pure mind that one may understand their true meaning. Let us ask God’s help to enable us to understand the Holy Books. Let us pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, and for hearts that long for peace.
God’s eternal Mercy is immeasurable. He has always chosen certain souls upon whom He has shed the Divine Bounty of His heart, whose minds He has illumined with celestial light, to whom He has revealed the sacred mysteries, and kept clear before their sight the Mirror of Truth. These are the disciples of God, and His goodness has no bounds. You who are servants of the Most High may be disciples also. The treasuries of God are limitless.
The Spirit breathing through the Holy Scriptures is food for all who hunger. God Who has given the revelation to His Prophets will surely give of His abundance daily bread to all those who ask Him faithfully.[1]
“… come, ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
(Matthew 25:34)
1.When studying the Bible we must:
a)use our reason
I Thessalonians 5:20–21 Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
I Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in you hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 41:21 Produce your cause, saith the lord; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
Acts 17:2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.
II Timothy 1:6–7 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
b)interpret the Bible spiritually not literally
II Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministersof the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2.Christ repeatedly said that He would come again at the time of the end. He told His followers to wait and pray, to prepare and watch for His Second Coming. Certain signs have been given in the Bible for that great Day. Let us study these signs, and let us not make the same mistake as the Jews in not discerning the signs of the times at His first coming:
Matthew 16:3 And in the morning, it will befoul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can yet not discern the signs of the times?
3.One of the signs of His Second Coming is wickedness prevailing in the world:
II Timothy 3:1–7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, high-minded,—lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Is not wickedness now prevalent in the world? Where is Christ then? Has He forgotten His promise?
4.Another sign of His coming is the preaching of the Gospel in the world:
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
The Gospel has already been taken to all the nations. Where is Christ? Could He have forgotten His Promise?
5.A third sign is the establishment of the Jews in Palestine (Israel):
Isaiah 11:11–12 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time torecover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Jeremiah 23:3–8 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the lord.
5. Behold, the days come, saith the lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth.
6. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, the lord our righteousness.
7. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the lord, that they shall no more say, The lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8. But, The lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
Amos 9:14–15 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
15. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the lord thy God.
Ezekiel 37:21–23 And say unto them, Thus saith the lord god; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:
22. And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:
23. Neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.
Luke 21:24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
Luke 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Acts 1:6–7 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, will thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7. And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Romans 11:25–27 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
26. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
This sign has also been already fulfilled, as the Jews are gathered and established in Israel. Where is Christ, then?
6.A fourth sign is material progress, increase in knowledge, much travelling and scientific development:
Daniel 12:4 But thou; O Daniel, shut up the words, and seat the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Nahum 2:4 (cars) The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.
Jeremiah 4:13 (aeroplanes) Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
These have also been fulfilled. If this is the time of the end, then, where is Christ?
7.The only answer to all these is that Christ must have come already. Why doesn’t everybody know this? It is because He Himself says that He shall come as a thief:
I Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Luke 12:35–40 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when hecometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39. And this know, that if the goodman of the house, had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
Revelation 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
He also says that He will come when mankind is unaware (knew not):
Matthew 24:37–39 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Note that not only is He to come as a thief that isunexpectedly, but He is also to operate as a thief (“house to be broken through”).
8.The current concept of Christ’s coming from heaven as the physical sky, and all eyes physically to see Him, should be understood spiritually not literally. The earth is round and rotating and therefore the sky is changeable. Furthermore, Christ said He also came the first time from heaven, although He was born of Mary:
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but will of himthat sent me.
By “all eyes shall see Him”, spiritual perception is meant, (“They have eyes but they see not”). We have here the assurance that at His Second Coming the world will accept Him.
9.Let us now study the parable of the Vineyard:
Luke 20:9–16 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husband-men, and went into a far country for a long time.
10. And at the season he sent a servant to the husband-men, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husband-men beat him, and sent him away empty.