The following is an excerpt from the APPENDIX of the book:
RELEASE THE SUN
By William Sears
A book first published in 1957 and available from
Amazon and from BahaiBookstore.com
NOTE ONE
The
period in history from the years 1830 to 1850 was one of strange and
troublesome events. Men stared in wonder and uneasiness at the great
halo that circled the sun. They looked up in horror at the night sky
where a giant comet with a fiery tail rushed through the darkness. It
was whispered that the comet was racing toward mankind bringing the
"end of the world."
In
America, Europe, Asia and Africa, there were men warning the people
to prepare for the return of Jesus, for the second coming of Christ.
Wolf
in Asia, Sir Edward Irving in England, Mason in Scotland, Davis in
South Carolina, William Miller in Pennsylvania, and many others
throughout the world agreed that this was indeed the "time of
the end."[F1] Christ, they said, would
soon appear. Leonard Heinrich Kelber and his fellow Christians in
Germany confidently awaited the return of Christ during this same
period. This millennial zeal reached its climax in the year 1844.
An
historical account of those days states: "A converted Jew in
Palestine, Joseph Wolf, predicted the Advent for 1847. Harriet
Evermore, an eloquent and arresting woman of the time, who figures in
Whittier's Snowbound, preached the Second Coming everywhere,
including the House of Representatives at Washington where crowds
gathered to hear her. Lady Hester Stanhope, the valiant madwoman,
niece of William Pitt, who turned her back on London and power and
fashion, made her home in Lebanon among the Arabs and Druses, in
order to be ready and near to the scene of the Advent. She kept, it
was reported, two white Arab steeds in her stable, one for the
Messiah, one for herself! So real was the hope for the Advent
(Christ's "coming"), people were actually taking almost
violent measures for it. It was the nineteenth century, yet the
shooting stars of the year 1833, and the perihelia, or halo-like
rings around the sun in 1843, were objects of the most awesome
speculation and discussion. And the tail of the great comet of 1843
measured 108 million miles in length. ... Whole families were engaged
in making shrouds against that fateful day."[F2]
Some
of the more zealous went so far as to sell their possessions and to
await Christ's descent upon the clouds. Their more practical
neighbors pointed out that clouds did not descend but were vapors
that rose up from the earth. Others quoted St. Augustine who had
written an entire volume proving that there could not be anyone
living on the other side of the earth because it would be impossible
for such people to see Christ when He came down on the day of His
return. Mathematicians tried to calculate how many hundreds of
thousands of "solo" flights it would be necessary for the Messiah
to make before all humanity could see Him due to the curvature of the
earth. It was reported that shops in some of the eastern cities of
America advertised special "ascension robes" for the coming
event.
When the great comet streaked across the heavens in 1843, it
was believed to be an omen for the hour of Christ's return. In that
same year, the poet James Russell Lowell wrote:
Once
to every man and nation comes the moment to decide. Some great Cause,
God's new Messiah ...[
F3]
On
May 24, 1844 in Washington D.C., Mr. Samuel F. B. Morse, the
inventor of the telegraph, stepped to the keyboard of his new
instrument. He was about to send the first official telegram in
history flashing across the wires from Washington to Baltimore. The
press had heralded this day as a modern miracle. By this invention
the world would soon be united physically in the twinkling of an eye,
they said.
The
scholars of Scripture asked: Is this not still another proof that the
hour has come for Christ's appearance? Is it not written in the book
of Job that only God can send "lightnings that they may go and
say unto thee here we are!"[F4] Was not this electric telegraph
of Morse the "lightnings" spoken of by which the "Word"
would go?
Morse put his hand to the keyboard and tapped out the
message. It was a message chosen from the Bible, from the Book of
Numbers: "What hath God wrought?"[F5]
The
evening before, May 23, 1844 in Shiraz, Persia, the Bahá'í Faith
began. The Báb proclaimed Himself to Mulla Husayn as the One
foretold in all the holy Books of the past. This day, He said, was
the beginning of the fulfillment of all the holy Scriptures.
The
Báb arose in a Muslim country, whose people in their holy writings
had the unmistakable prophecy which said that the Messenger of God
would come when by "beating the iron upon the iron, you will
hear the news from a far distance."
The
Bab was a descendent of Abraham. He was of the "seed" which
would "inherit the earth." The message of Morse had quoted
only a part of the verse from Numbers. The full verse is: "According
to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel what hath God
wrought?"
Why
did so many Bible scholars from all parts of the world agree upon the
years between 1843- 1845 as the time for the return of Christ?
Careful research makes it clear that they chose this time in history
because of three very plain and specific promises given by Christ
Himself foretelling the hour of His second coming.
Christ assured His
disciples that He would return to earth when the following three
things took place:
1.
When His Gospel shall be preached throughout the world.
2.
When the "times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled and the Jews
return to Israel (Palestine).
3.
When all mankind would see the "abomination of desolation"
foretold by Daniel the Prophet.
First
Promise: When
the Gospel of Christ is taught "in all the world" then He
will return. This promise was made by Christ in direct reply to a
question asked by His disciples: "Tell us, when shall these
things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end
of the world?"
Christ gave His promise in the following words:
"But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for
a witness; then shall the end come."[F6]
A
study of the spread of Christianity made by these scholars of the
1840's convinced them that the message of Christ had already
well-circled the globe. It was being taught in all the continents. By
1844 it was being taught not by solitary missionaries, but on a wide
and organized scale, even in the interior of Africa. A commercial
history of East Africa states: "Christian missions began their
activities amongst the African people in 1844."[F7]
The
Gospel of Christ had now been "preached in all the world for a
witness" and therefore, these scholars had reasoned, the hour of
His coming was at hand.
Thus
the first promise of Christ was fulfilled by the year 1844.
Second
Promise: When the "times of the
Gentiles" is fulfilled and the Jews return to Israel, Christ
will come back to earth. Christ gave this promise in answer to the
questions of His disciples. They asked Him: "When shall these
things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come
to pass?"[F8]
He gave them His promise in the following words:
"And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led
away captive to all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of
the Gentiles, until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled ... and
then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and
great glory."[F9]
The
meaning of the term "times of the Gentiles" was very clear
to the scholars of Scripture. It denoted that period of time during
which Jerusalem would be held by the power of aliens, non- Jews
(Gentiles), and during which the Jews themselves would be banished
from their homeland.
The
"times of the Gentiles" would be fulfilled, therefore, when
the Jews came back to their homeland following this banishment.
The
first part of Christ's promise came true almost immediately. His
words, "they shall be led away captive into all nations"
began its fulfillment less than forty years after His crucifixion.
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Titus in 70 A.D. and the Jews
were exiled.
The
Jews tried to regain their freedom in 132 A.D. under Bar Kochba but
were crushed by the armies of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. This time
Jerusalem was devastated even more completely than it had been by
Titus. The site of the city was ploughed under and a new city named
in honor of Hadrian was built upon the ruins. The Jews were banished.
Many of them, exactly as had been foretold by Christ, fell "by
the edge of the sword." They fled, scattered, and were "led
away captive into all nations."[F10]
The
Romans were the first aliens after the time of Christ to trample down
the city of Jerusalem. Then came the Persians and the Muslims. The
latter conquered Jerusalem in 637 A.D. During the period of
occupation by the Muslims, the Jews were rigidly excluded from their
homeland.
The
famous Irish scholar and author, George Townshend, former Canon of
St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, and Archdeacon of Clonfert, writes:
"The strict exclusion of the Jews from their own land enforced
by the Muslims for some twelve centuries was at last relaxed by the
Edict of Toleration and the 'times of the Gentiles' were fulfilled."
Townshend
goes on to point out that this document, the Edict of Toleration, was
issued by the governing authorities in the year 1844.[F11]*1
1
*This famous scholar discovered the Bahá'í Faith in his
studies, and wrote saying that when "modern scholars and
statesmen speak of World government, Social Security, an
International language, international police force, the United
Nations, etc., they are merely ringing the changes of truths set down
by Bahá'u'lláh in everlasting language nearly a century ago."
There
is a strong confirmation to be found in the Bible itself that 1844
was the year intended for the fulfillment of Christ's promise
concerning the "times of the Gentiles." This confirmation
is given in the Book of Revelation, chapter eleven:
"And
the Holy City [Jerusalem] shall they trod underfoot for forty and two
months, until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled."[
F12]
This
period of forty-two months is expressed in the very next verse in the
form: 1260 days. Bible scholars found this period of forty-two months
or 1260 days to be identical with the year 1844. They arrived at this
conclusion by the following process of reasoning:
1.
In the study of Biblical prophecy, the period called a "day"
becomes a "year" when calculating the passage of time.
2.
This theory is supported by the following prophecies:
a)
Numbers 14:34 -- "Even forty days, each day for a year."
b)
Ezekiel 4:6 -- "I have appointed thee each day for a year."
James
Henry Foreman in his compilation The Story
of Prophecy writes: "... Biblical
prophecy students, after a scrutiny of the entire problem of Bible
chronology, deduce the following conclusions as virtually axiomatic
-- namely, that -- (1) In symbolic prophecy a day is the symbol of a
year."[F13]
By
using the accepted formula of a "day" for a "year,"
forty-two months or 1260 days become 1260 years. Therefore, the
"times of the Gentiles" would last for 1260 years.
The
Muslims conquered Jerusalem in the seventh century, and according to
the promise of Christ, they would tread the city underfoot until the
hour of His return, which would be 1260 years later by the
measurement of prophecy.
A
study of the calendar of the Muslims reveals that the year 1260 of
their calendar is identical with the year 1844 of the Christian
calendar.
Thus
the second promise of Christ was fulfilled by the year 1844, when the
"times of the Gentiles" was ended.
Third
Promise: When mankind witnesses the
"abomination of desolation" spoken of by Daniel the
Prophet, this will be the hour of Christ's return.
Christ
gave this promise to His disciples in direct answer to their
questions: When will you come, what shall we look for?
His
promise was given in these words: "When ye therefore shall see
the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand
in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand)."[F14]
The
third promise of Christ concerning the "abomination of
desolation" is the foundation-stone upon which the Biblical
scholars rested the structure of their belief in the return of Christ
during the 1844 period.
The
chapters of Daniel which deal with this subject are those from eight
through twelve. These foretell clearly not only the second coming of
Christ, but His first appearance as well. Therefore, this promise of
Christ is considered to be the most important of the three.
In
these chapters, Daniel prophesies that: From the issuing of the
decree to rebuild Jerusalem, until the time when the Messiah shall be
cut off (crucified) there are appointed 70 weeks (490 days).[F15]
The
decree would be issued, the city rebuilt, then Christ would be
crucified. This is the clear meaning, foretelling Christ's first
coming.
There
were four decrees issued to rebuild Jerusalem:
1.
Issued by Cyrus in the year 534 B.C. This is recorded in the first
chapter of the Book of Ezra. It went unfulfilled.
2.
Issued by Darius in the year 519 B.C. This is recorded in the sixth
chapter of the Book of Ezra. It also went unfulfilled.
3.
Issued by Artaxerxes in the seventh year of his reign in the year 457
B.C. This is recorded in the seventh chapter of the Book of Ezra. It
was fulfilled by the fourth decree.
4.
Issued by the same Artaxerxes in the year 444 B.C. This is recorded
in the second chapter of Nehemiah.
The
scholars of Scripture accepted the third decree of Artaxerxes as the
one prophesied by Daniel inasmuch as the fourth decree was merely an
extension of the third. Therefore, this prophecy of Daniel could now
be stated thus:
From
the issuing of the decree of Artaxerxes in the year 457 B.C. until
the time of the crucifixion of Christ there would be appointed 70
weeks (or 490 days). 70 weeks equal 490 days. By the use of our
measure of prophecy, a "day" for a "year," 490
days become 490 years. Therefore, from the issuing of the decree
until the crucifixion on Calvary there would be 490 years according
to Daniel's prophecy.
It
has been clear to scholars that the time of the first coming of
Christ was foretold by Daniel with amazing accuracy. No wonder Christ
Himself was so emphatic about Daniel's prophecy. What of the second
coming? Christ promised that He would return when Daniel's prophecy
came to pass.
These
are the words spoken by Daniel:
"How
long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the
abomination of desolation, to give the sanctuary and the host to be
trodden under foot? And he said unto me, unto two thousand three
hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."[
F16]
When
would this take place? In 2300 days, says Daniel. These 2300 days in
our prophetic measure become 2300 years. Using the same frame of
reference as that used by Christ's first coming, the biblical
scholars made their calculations.
Although
many disputes arose as to the exact month, day, and hour, there was a
basic agreement among all that Christ's return would take place
between 1843 and 1845, with the year 1844 as the central point of
reference.
One
group of Christian scholars worked out Daniel's prophecy in the
greatest detail. They even built a special chart to show that Christ
would return in the middle of the year 1844.[F17]
The
Báb, the Herald of the Bahá'í Faith, made His declaration to the
world well into the year 1844: May 23rd.*2
This hour marks the beginning of the Bahá'í Faith.
Thus the
proofs were now complete. All three of the specific promises of
Christ concerning the time of His return pointed to the exact same
period:
1.
The Gospel was preached around the world by 1844.
2.
"The times of the Gentiles" was fulfilled in 1844.
3.
The prophecy given by Daniel came to pass in 1844.
Christ
told His disciples: When ye see these things, it will be the time of
My coming, and the time of the end.
The words of Daniel, which told
with such startling accuracy the story of both the first and second
coming of Christ, were written by Daniel in Elam, a part of ancient
Persia. It was in the capital of ancient Persia, Shushán, that Daniel
gave his prophecy foretelling 1844 as the time for Christ's return.
He not only gave the time, he also directed attention to the place in
which he would appear, saying that "Elam" would be given as
a place of "vision" in the latter days.[F18]
2
For a further explanation, see Some Answered Questions, pp.
43-52.
The
holy Bible of Christianity, as well as the sacred writings of the
Jews, and the Scriptures of Islam all foretold that the Promised One
would appear in the last days in Elam or Persia. The Prophet
Jeremiah, speaking of the time of the end, says:
"And
I will set my throne in Elam."[F19]
In
a prophecy of remarkable clarity, the sacred writings of Islam state:
When the Promised One appears, "the upholders of His faith shall
be the people of Persia."[F20]
With all these proofs to guide
them, why did the people fail to recognize Christ in the day of His
return in 1844? Why did over a century pass with no clear explanation
of this great riddle?
The
answer is simple. It was the same reason that the people did not
recognize Christ in the day of His first coming, until after the
passing of centuries.
Those who were spiritually "alive"
knew Him, but the great mass of mankind were spiritually "dead"
and knew Him not. These were the people spoken of by Jeremiah:
"O
foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see
not; which have ears, and hear not." [
F21]
When
Christ did not appear (the first time) in the magic, glorious way
which the people expected of a Messiah, they denied Him. Thy called
Him a false prophet and slew Him. After all, He was born of a woman
and walked among them. Surely, they said, this is not the manner in
which our great Messiah will appear. Their eyes were closed.
The
disciples of Jesus were greatly troubled because most of the people,
especially the religious leaders and other influential persons,
neither understood nor accepted His Message. They asked Jesus: "Why
do they not believe?" Christ answered them:
"Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but
unto them it is not given ... their ears are dull of hearing, and
their eyes they have closed ... but blessed are your eyes, for they
see: and your ears, for they hear."[
F22]
It
was to be the same in the day of His return in 1844. It takes special
"eyes" and "ears" to recognize and accept the
Messiah each time He appears.
The great mass of mankind did not
recognize Christ in the day of His first coming, nor would they
recognize Him in the day of His second coming.
For
He would appear in the same manner: He would be born of a woman, and
walk among them. He would have the same Christ-spirit, but He would
have a new physical identity. Jesus Himself had explained this
spiritual truth with the greatest care so that mankind would
understand and not be misled.
The
people said of Christ, "why then say the scribes that Elias must
come first?"[F23]
The disciples found this question too
difficult to answer because they, too, had been taught that Elias
must come first. If so, where was he? They put this question to
Christ. He told them that Elias had already come, but that no one
understood this truth, since Elias had come in a manner they did not
expect.
"If ye will receive it," He said, "this [John
the Baptist] is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to
hear, let him hear."[
F24]
John the Baptist was Elias, Christ
told them. He added: "If ye will receive it." He meant: If
you can understand this symbolic truth. He added: "He that hath
ears to hear, let him hear."
This
clearly warned them that it would take spiritual ears to hear and
accept this truth. It was to be understood inwardly, not outwardly,
in the world of comprehension, not by the senses.
Only in this
symbolical way could anyone accept the man John as Elias. Elias had
returned in the spirit, not in the flesh of John. If they did not
understand the significance of this inward truth, they would believe
Him to be false. They must have the "eyes that see" and the
"ears that hear"; otherwise, it would be impossible to
understand or to accept.
This truth was confirmed by John the Baptist
Himself. He was asked: "Art thou Elias?" He answered: "I
am not."[F25] He was not the return of Elias in the flesh. He
was the return of the spirit of Elias.
In
the Book of Luke it is promised for this same John the Baptist:
"He
shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. ...
And he shall go forth before him in the spirit and power of
Elias."[
F26] This was the inward truth that Christ was trying to
convey. He emphasized this vital spiritual truth on more than one
occasion. He demonstrated to His disciples that a Messenger of God
does not return in the flesh. It is the Holy Spirit that returns;
but, through another channel, in another age, and with another
outward name. "And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say
the Scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said
unto them, Elias truly shall come first, and restore all things. But
I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not,
but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also
the Son of man suffer of them. Then the disciples understood that he
spoke unto them of John the Baptist."[
F27]
Elias
had come but they knew him not because he came in a way they did not
expect or understand. Christ likewise they knew not because He, too,
came in an unexpected manner. Christ would be rejected and slain, as
was John, because He came in a manner contrary to the expectations of
the people.[F28]
Elias came; he was John the Baptist. The Messiah
came; He was Jesus of Nazareth. The prophecies were symbolical.
Christ warned His disciples that the same conditions would also be
true in the day of His second coming. Elias returned in John the
Baptist and was rejected. "Likewise shall also the Son of Man
[Himself] suffer of them," Christ warned. When
He returned in the promised Messiah in 1844, He was also rejected in
spite of the overwhelming proofs; in spite of His own direct promise
of the hour of His coming and His warning that man would need to have
spiritual "eyes that see."
"When ye shall see the
abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the Prophet,"
Christ warned, "stand ye in the holy place (whoso readeth, let
him understand)."
Christ's last words show that His return would
not be clear to outward vision or understanding. He says: "Whoso
readeth, let him understand." He will return in the
Christ-spirit, but not as Jesus of Nazareth. Man must look for the
same Holy Spirit in a new physical identity.
Christ
is here once again repeating the warning about His own second coming
which He gave to His disciples about the return of Elias in John the
Baptist: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."
1.
The three direct promises of Christ giving the time of His return,
all pointed to the year 1844.
2.
The holy Scripture of the Christians, Jews and Muslims gave the
place: Persia.
3.
Christ Himself unmistakably gave the manner of His return; not in the
flesh, but in the spirit.
But
only Almighty God could give mankind the "eyes to see" and
the "ears to hear."
These proofs which make it possible for
everyone to understand the Holy Scripture could not have been given
to mankind in such detail until the time of Christ's return. Until
the hour of His appearance in 1844 in Elam (Persia) no one would be
able to understand these inner mysteries of the holy Books. The way
was closed. This
was yet another prophecy from the pen of the same Prophet, Daniel.
The words came to him in a vision.
"But thou, O Daniel, shut up
the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end."
Daniel,
still not satisfied, pressed for an answer to the meaning of the
visions:
"Then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these
things? And He said, Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end."[
F29]
This
much was clear. No one would be able to discover the meaning of the
words until after the return of the Spirit of Christ in the new
Messiah in the last days. Isaiah reinforces this truth:
"And the
vision of all is become unto you as the words of the book that is
sealed, which men deliver to one who is learned, saying, read this I
pray thee: and he saith, I cannot for it is sealed."[
F30]
These
seals would not be opened by Christ in His first coming, but only in
His second. Leaders of the early Christians understood this:
"Therefore
judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will bring to
light the hidden things of darkness. ..."[
F31]
The
Apostle Peter left this clear warning about trying to interpret the
prophecies before the day of Christ's return:
"We
have also a more sure word of prophecy ... that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not
in old time by the will of man: but the holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost."[
F32]
It
was written of Bahá'u'lláh early in this century that His teachings
"are the keys to all doors. Every hidden secret will become
discovered and every hidden secret will become manifest and
apparent."[F33]
With
the coming of the Bahá'í Faith in 1844, the Books were at last
opened. Mankind was once again faced with that same great spiritual
challenge: To accept or reject the Messiah. His "throne"
had been set in "Elam" (Persia) in the very hour (1844)
foretold by Christ Himself in three distinct prophetic promises.
From
the pen of the new Messiah were to come explanations of the hidden
meanings of the prophecies in all the holy Scriptures of the world.
This, too, had been foretold in the Revelation of St. John:
"In
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. ... And
they sung a new song, saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to
open the seals thereof."[
F34]
Even
Daniel, who said the books were sealed until the time of the end, saw
another vision of the "last days" in which the books would
be opened by the new Messiah:
"Ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set
and the books were opened."
Speaking
further of his great vision, following the opening of the books,
Daniel says that he saw:
"The
Ancient of Days ... and there was given him dominion and glory, and a
kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."[
F35]
This
is the story behind the great search for the promised One undertaken
by Shaykh Ahmad, Siyyid Kazim, Mulla Husayn, Quddus, Tahirih, Vahid,
and those holy souls who were so much like the disciples of Christ in
His day. Now at last the books were opened and the truth revealed:
1.
Christ would appear in Elam (Persia).
2.
Christ would return in the year 1844.
3.
Christ would return not in the flesh, but with the same Holy Spirit
in a new identity.
In
order that this last truth of the three might never be misunderstood,
repeated promises were given throughout the Bible that in the last
days the Messiah would come with a "new name." It was also
promised that His followers would be called by a "new name."
1.
"Thou shalt be called by a new name."
2.
"The Lord God shall ... call his servants by another name."[
F36]
3.
"To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna
and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written,
which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth
it."
Only
those that had the "eyes to see" and the "ears to
hear" would receive the name and know it. In the very chapter in
which Christ revealed to John, "If therefore thou shalt not
watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what
hour I come upon thee," a new name for His new followers is
promised yet again.
Christ counsels His followers to be prepared to
cast aside all they hold dear at the time of His second coming, just
as they had been forced to cast it aside in the day of His first
coming. He makes it plain that His second coming will not be
according to the beliefs, standards, or expectations of any man. He
warns each individual that he must search for himself, must be alert,
must look with an "inner eye." In
this final book of Christian Scripture (Revelation), Christ says:
"Blessed is he that watcheth."
It is chapter eleven of the
final book of Christian Scripture which so clearly prophesied that
the "times of the Gentiles" would be fulfilled by the year
1844. This was the hour (1844) when Christ Himself promised: "Then
shall they see the Son of man coming."
There is no subject
spoken of more frequently or with more power in the New Testament
than that of the Return of Christ. It is mentioned repeatedly on
innumerable occasions. Christ says clearly, time after time:
1.
"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
2.
"And behold I come quickly."
3.
"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of the Father."
4.
"I go away but come again unto you."
5.
"And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again."
Because
mankind has failed to understand the symbolical fulfillment of
Christ's return, he has been forced to abandon it and consider it a
mistake; and teach some other doctrine concerning His coming. Yet, it
is easy to understand why such a millennial zeal should have held the
world in its grasp when we realize that the following references are
but some of Christ's own promises of His coming: Matthew, chapters
16, 24, 25 and 26. Mark, chapters 8 and 13. Luke, chapters 12 and 21.
Acts, chapter 1. I Corinthians, chapters 4 and 15. I Thessalonians,
chapters 1, 4 and 5. II Peter, chapters 1 and 3.
In
the second and third chapters of Revelation, chapters filled with
the promise of Christ's second coming, and laden with warnings that
it will require a spiritual ear to hear and to understand the manner
of His coming, the "new name" for His followers is
mentioned for the final time in Christian Scripture.
In
these chapters, Christ speaks of the new city, the new Jerusalem, and
the new name. All the things of the past will be swept away forever:
"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my
God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name
of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new
Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will
write upon him my new name."[
F37]
He that hath an eye to see,
let him see. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.
APPENDIX, NOTE ONE (all the numbers below are F1, F2, F3, etc.)
1.
The Bahá'í World, vol. V, 1932-1934, p. 604.
2.
James Henry Foreman,
Story of Prophecy,
pp. 310-311.
3.
James Russell Lowell, "The Crisis," (1843).
4.
Job 38:35.
5.
Numbers 23:23.
6.
Matthew 24:3, 13-14.
7.
Year Book and Guide to East Africa,
p. 44, (Ed. Robert Hale Ltd., London, 1953).
8.
Luke 21:7.
9.
Ibid., 21:24, 27.
10.
Encyclopedia Americana,
vol. 16, p. 31 (1944 Edition).
11.
Shoghi Effendi,
God Passes By,
Introduction by George Townshend, p. IV.
12.
Revelation 11:2.
13.
James Henry Foreman,
Story of Prophecy,
p. 88.
14.
Matthew 24:15.
15.
(1) Daniel, 9:24, 25. (2) 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
Some
Answered Questions, p. 43.
16.
Daniel 8:13, 14.
17.
Bible Reading, edited
by Review and Herald Publishing Co., Battle Creek, Michigan, U.S.A.,
p. 94.
18.
Daniel 8:2, 7:13, 14.
19.
Jeremiah 49:38.
20.
Nabil,
The Dawn-Breakers,
p. 49.
21.
Jeremiah 5:21.
22.
Matthew 13:11-16.
23.
Ibid., 17:10; Mark 9:11.
24.
Matthew 11:14, 15.
25.
John 1:21.
26.
Luke 1:15-17.
27.
Matthew 17:10-13.
28.
Ibid., 11:18.
29.
Daniel 12:4; 8-9.
30.
Isaiah 29:11-12.
31.
I Corinthians 4:5.
32.
II Peter 1:19-21.
33.
Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, vol.
III, p. 692.
34.
Revelation 5:6, 9.
35.
Daniel 7:10; 13-14.
36.
Isaiah 62:2 and 65:15.
37.
Revelation 2:17;3:3, 12; 16:15.
Also see: