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This chapter is about Fulfillment- but also about Destiny in that it explains that each dispensation has its termination and that in a thousand years another great (but lesser) catastrophe will take place with the coming of the next Manifestation.
The fulfillment of the archetype of the 'beast' or The Great Red Dragon, of this day, and that which causes war on this planet is International Anarchism, the political theory holding that all forms of international authority are unnecessary and undesirable and advocating solely the voluntary cooperation and free association of sovereign nations.
What will bring about the thousand years of the Millennium or what the Bahá'ís call the Lesser (political) Peace is mankind's unconsciously implementing Bahá'u'lláh's Teachings in the Greater Plan of God.
Second: Languages must be reduced to one common language to be taught in all the schools of the world.
Third: It behoveth man to adhere tenaciously unto that which will promote fellowship, kindliness and unity.
Fourth: Everyone, whether man or woman, should hand over to a trusted person a portion of what he or she earneth through trade, agriculture or other occupation, for the training and education of children, to be spent for this purpose with the knowledge of the Trustees of the House of Justice.
Fifth: Special regard must be paid to agriculture. Although it hath been mentioned in the fifth place, unquestionably it precedeth the others. Agriculture is highly developed in foreign lands, however in Persia it hath so far been grievously neglected. It is hoped that His Majesty the Shah -- may God assist him by His grace -- will turn his attention to this vital and important matter.
That City is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation. In the days of Moses it was the Pentateuch; in the days of Jesus, the Gospel; in the days of Muhammad, the Messenger of God, the Qur'án; in this day, the Bayan; and in the Dispensation of Him Whom God will make manifest, His own Book -- the Book unto which all the Books of former Dispensations must needs be referred, the Book that standeth amongst them all transcendent and supreme.
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Bible Verses [1] And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
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One Bahá'í's Concept V.1 This is the Fifth Angel and related to the Buddhist Religion. He was given the key to the bottomless pit to open it in (Rev.9:1) and it is also mentioned again in (Rev.9:11) with the reference to destruction. Finally, the great pit is to be closed. The great power of God has changed the attitude of people. |
[2] And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
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V.2 The angel laid hold onto the dragon, (described as the 'Devil' and 'Satan'). The dragon is anarchic (uncontrolled sovereign) international governments. This old serpent will be bound for a thousand years. We have discussed at length the relationship between the Buddhist Religion and nuclear war and this is indication that after the final battle of the Great War of Armageddon weapons of mass distruction such as nuclear will not be used again for a thousand years. Technology has changed to such an extent that we all recognize that this is now 'a new era', however many don't relate it to the fact that this is the time promised in all the holy books, for the renewal of religion.
(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, November 14, 1935: Bahá'í News. No. 102. August 1936, pp. 2-3 Lights of Guidance, p. 475) |
[3] And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
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V.3 The dragon, again anarchic international governments, will be cast into the bottomless pit, and kept quiet, so that the nations will no longer be deceived. However towards the end of the thousand years, there will appear similar animosities and intolerances, and along with them another though lesser catastrophe, such that humanity will finally turn unto that which Bahá'u'lláh has established.
'Abdu'l-Bahá explains:
(Bahá'í Scriptures p.472)
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[4] And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
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V.4
In the sequence of the seven religions in order, this is the specific reference to Jesus and Christianity. It speaks of the opposition that His Return will arouse from the beast (antichrists) and how there were many martyrs who had sought to follow and spread His Teachings. Those who oppose Him in His Return are seen as having 'the mark of the beast' and often sit in judgment upon the thrones of authority. As explained previously this mark of the beast is symbolic of their character of opposition. Eventually, the Millennium of Peace or what some call the Kingdom of God on Earth will be established. John saw thrones, and those that sat upon them. Thrones are the administrative centers such as the hierarchy of each religion and those who sit upon them have the authority to interpret meanings of Scripture for their flock to follow. Although this is necessary, mistakes are possible when the ministers and priests of any religion administer the religious laws and practices - which they consider best for their flock. In the Christian religion, many followers went against the teachings of the Pope and were admonished for it, as history shows. Some lives were lost and many suffered in other ways. The 'Word of God' mentioned in this verse stands for all the Holy Writings of all religions, as there is only one God. Every religious system is meant to bring guidance, spirituality and wisdom with laws during its dispensation.
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán, p. 4)
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[5] But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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V.5 The rest of the 'spiritually dead' are those that will make the choice not to worship God, or to recognize His Manifestation, during this next period of a thousand years. The rest of the dead does not refer to people who have lived in the past, or even just those living in the present. It refers to the people who will be born and die during the next thousand years that fail to recognize the Manifestation of God for this Day and Age.
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 135 Suriy-i-Haykal / Surih of the Temple / Násiri'd-Dín Sháh / Lawh-i-Sultán:271) Many people think that the resurrection refers to the physical body. However it refers to the spirit. Each physical body must die and each body disintegrates or decomposes. The spirit referred to here is the human spirit which remains in the 'spirit of deadness' if it doesn't progress and is unaware of the spiritual growth that is necessary. Many people will still refuse to follow the teachings of the Manifestation of God, not only for this Day, but also for all the Prophets of the past and possibly for those of the future.
[Qur'án (Koran) 34:39]
(Tablet of Ahmad, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 211) |
[6] Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
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V.6 There are no 'priests' as such in the Bahá'í Faith but the ones who have taken part in the teaching work hold the station of those called 'priests of God and of Christ'. Since independent investigation of the writings is one of the principles of the Faith, priesthood has been abolished along with rituals such as baptism, communion and confession of sins. Each Manifestation has the right to make these changes.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Scriptures, p. 31)
(From a letter written to an individual believer on behalf of the Guardian, August 14, 1934, Lights of Guidance, p. 492) |
[7] And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
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V.7 While the Cycle of Fulfillment begun by the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh will last for over 500,000 years the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh will end sometime after a thousand years and another Manifestation will appear to bring new laws and new teachings to fit the changing times and conditions of mankind. All things in the world eventually decay and have to be renewed or replaced and this applies also to institutions and religion. It will also apply to the Bahá'í Faith. When religion loses its spiritual vitality that is when the old Satan (materialism, immorality, religious intolerance, war) reappears. Each Prophet of God foretells of the One to come after Him and each has given signs of His coming, however we usually do not recognize these signs unless we search, keep an open mind and ask for guidance.
The meaning of this is that any individual who, before the expiry of a full thousand years -- years known and clearly established by common usage and requiring no interpretation -- should lay claim to a Revelation direct from God, even though he should reveal certain signs, that man is assuredly false and an impostor.
(Bahá'u'lláh, quoted and explained by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 67) |
[8] And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
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V.8 In a thousand years the satanic attitudes will again deceive the nations. At that time the number of people in the world will be a multitude 'as the sand of the sea'. John compares the time of the future Manifestation to the time of Gog, the king of Magog, which is told about in Ezekiel Chpt 38 and 39 (which also describes the time of the lesser Great Destruction that is to occur after a thousand years and at the end of the Bahá'í Dispensation).
(The Universal House of Justice, Wellspring of Guidance, Messages 1963-1968, p. 90) |
[9] And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
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V.9 Those of satanic spirit will go out into the breadth of the earth, to circle the camp of the saints and their beloved city, however God will intervene. There are many physical things that we might speculate about that time as regards the fire from heaven, since already today we have such things as satellites, and there are even intimations in the Writings that there may be space travel by that time, but the important thing is to look for the spiritual meanings.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 14) |
[10] And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
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V.10 This verse is actually foretelling the fulfillment of the Bahá'í Faith in 1,000 years (see verse seven above). The Teachings of each religion are absorbed by mankind during the dispensation of the Manifestation of God that brings them and then reach their culmination at the beginning of the time of the next Manifestation of God. The distinguishing spiritual teaching of Bahá'u'lláh is the Unity of Religion and it is this that is necessary to establish the Most Great Peace. Regrettably, it may well take mankind long centuries to learn the lesson and it will only be in response to the disasterous effects of its final rebellion that the desired goal will be achieved.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 19)
('Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 83)
(Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 125)
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 93, Suriy-i-Haykal / Surih of the Temple / Queen Victoria:180)
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Faith, p. 240)
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. viii) |
[11] And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
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V.11 John saw the great white throne and the one sitting on it, referring to Bahá'u'lláh: The corruptions of earth are floating away, as the people will now have no part of it.
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá v3, p. 681) |
[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
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V.12 John saw the great and the small, those who were spiritual dead, stand before God. Now the writings of Bahá'u'lláh are open and those that understand are in another book - 'The book of Life'. The dead (dead in spirit) are those who are unwilling to accept the message of Bahá'u'lláh and they are judged by their works.
O believers! The tests of God are very severe; you should beseech and cry unto Him that you may be firm and steadfast during all temptations. ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá v3, p. 647)
('Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 212)
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh) |
[13] And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
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V.13
('Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Scriptures, p.501) |
[14] And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
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V.14 To be resurrected means to find new spiritual life and to come forth from the grave of materialism and irreligion. This spiritual life is deliverance from death and hell.
(Bahá'u'lláh, The Proclamation of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 100) |
[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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V.15 Whatsoever was not found in the book of life, will be cast into the lake of fire.
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh) |
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