Bible Verses [1] And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.	V.1 He showed John fresh new and pure spiritual teachings, pure as crystal, the untarnished teachings proceeding from the throne of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Say: We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to proceed out of Our throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and understanding may spring forth from the soil of your hearts. Will ye not be thankful? (Baha'u'llah, XVIII Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
[2] In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.	V.2 On His right side floweth the river of grace and on His left side the sweet wine of justice; before Him go the angels of paradise with the standards of Signs. Beware lest names withhold thee from God the Creator of the earth and heaven; (Baha'u'llah, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 98) The most glorious fruit of the tree of knowledge is this exalted word: Of one tree are all ye the fruit, and of one bough the leaves. Let not man glory in this that he loveth his country, let him rather glory in this that he loveth his kind. (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.127) Baha'is often list as twelve principles, some of the guidance that Baha'u'llah has given us that will lead to a government and economic system. People by following His teachings will eventually heal the nations. The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; The oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; The basic unity of all religions; The condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; The harmony which must exist between religion and science; The equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar; The introduction of compulsory education; The adoption of a universal auxiliary language; The abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; The institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; The exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; The glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society; Religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations, The establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind. (Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 281) That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p.166)
[3] And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:	V.3 Gradually the Baha'i Faith will be accepted. The Baha'i administrative center has been created on Mount Carmel in Haifa Israel, as promised in the holy books. "O people of Baha! Ye have been and are the dawnings of affection and the daysprings of divine grace: defile not the tongue with cursing or execration of anyone, and guard the eye from that which is not seemly. . (Abdu'l-Baha, A Traveller's Narrative p.84) Praise be to God! the mediaeval ages of darkness have passed away and this century of radiance has dawned, -- this century wherein the reality of things is becoming evident, -- wherein science is penetrating the mysteries of the universe, the oneness of the world of humanity is being established and service to mankind is the paramount motive of all existence. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith p. 279)
[4] And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.	V.4 They shall see His face, (understand His Mission) and be completely devoted. The name 'Baha'u'llah' means "the Glory of God", which will be on the lips, and in the minds, of the people staunch in their service to God. These are they who are blessed by the Concourse on high, who are glorified by the denizens of the everlasting Cities, and beyond them by those on whose foreheads Thy most exalted pen hath written: "These! The people of Baha. Through them have been shed the splendors of the light of guidance." Thus hath it been ordained, at Thy behest and by Thy will, in the Tablet of Thine irrevocable decree. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 83) Every forehead which is illuminated with these lights will be a lamp of guidance and a star whereby all horizons will be lighted. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Baha v1, p. 106) John's saying that His Name will be in their foreheads does not mean that anything will be physically visible there anymore than were the sayings about the 'mark of the beast' being there for others.
[5] And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.	V.5 In the spiritual realm of intelligence and idealism there must be a center of illumination, and that center is the everlasting, ever-shining Sun, the Word of God. Its lights are the lights of reality which have shone upon humanity, illumining the realm of thought and morals, conferring the bounties of the divine world upon man. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 254) Some people still have old dogmatic ideas about the New Jerusalem that John says in Rev.3:12 and 21:2 will come down from heaven. Many envision an entire physical city descending from the skies. There are many other things that are said about it, about which they have equally strange imaginings, such as here where it says there shall be no darkness. This does not mean that there will be no daytime and nighttime but rather that the darkness of life will be gone.
[6] And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.	V.6 This is seventh and last Angel of the Sixth and Last Thread. The Seventh Angel is the Islamic Angel that has been showing the meaning of the last many verses, the explanation of which was started by the Sixth Angel, the Christian Angel, from a Christian perspective beginning in 21:9. There is also an Islamic perspective on these same previous verses, and that perspective regarding the measurement of the walls (21:15-17) of New Jerusalem harks back to Rev. 11:1 and the Seventh Angel in Rev.11-15. For an understanding of this one MUST understand The Most Clear Proof which is based on those verses. Thus hath His bounty been sent down unto men, His testimony fulfilled, and His proof shone forth above the Horizon of mercy. Rich is the prize that shall be won by him who hath believed and exclaimed: "Lauded art Thou, O Beloved of all worlds! Magnified be Thy name, O Thou the Desire of every understanding heart!" (Baha'u'llah, XIV Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah)
[7] Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.	V.7 The events of The Book of Revelation will happen suddenly and in a brief time. Greater changes have happened in the last century since the Bab than in all centuries before.
[8] And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.	V.8 John was overwhelmed, and fell down before the angel to worship him, for showing him these warnings. O kings of the earth! He Who is the sovereign Lord of all is come. The Kingdom is God's, the omnipotent Protector, the Self-Subsisting. Worship none but God, and, with radiant hearts, lift up your faces unto your Lord, the Lord of all names. This is a Revelation to which whatever ye possess can never be compared, could ye but know it. (Baha'u'llah, Kitab-i-Aqdas: Verse 78)
[9] Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.	V.9 John was about to worship the angel but the angel said 'No, do it not' as he was a fellow servant just as John was. He was told by the angel to worship God instead. Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God! Thou art He Whom all things worship and Who worshipeth no one, Who is the Lord of all things and is the vassal of none, Who knoweth all things and is known of none. Thou didst wish to make Thyself known unto men; therefore, Thou didst, through a word of Thy mouth, bring creation into being and fashion the universe. There is none other God except Thee, the Fashioner, the Creator, the Almighty, the Most Powerful. (Baha'u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah, p. 6)
[10] And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.	V.10 The Book of Revelation and the Book of Daniel, and other Scriptures that were previously 'sealed' are no longer sealed because the time of fulfillment has come. It was impossible to understand them before, but the world has changed and they are now understandable even as you are reading them here. Baha'u'llah unsealed the holy books and revealed laws through which mankind can attain to a high state of spiritual civilization. These new laws will go into effect after the great readjustment, when wars, cataclysms, famine, labor troubles, etc., have done their work of equalization! ('Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 7)
[11] He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.	V.11 People will continue have to have free will. If we choose to be unjust or filthy, God still gives us the freedom to choose what we want in life, so there will still be those who choose their own beliefs, but society will be organized in a much more just manner according to the Laws of God. Man is not a pre-existent being, but a newly produced and created being, consisting of two aspects or portions, the spiritual and material, which may be likened to hell and paradise; and he does not know whether he will be in hell or paradise. For instance, man is composed of evil as well as good, of darkness as well as light, of guidance as well as misleading; the most evil character is to be found in man, while the greatest and most excellent character is also found in him. We must see that the good qualities gain victory over the bad. If so, the man will become an "angel," but if the bad qualities conquer the good ones, then he will become a "devil." If the light conquers the darkness in man, of course he will be true light, and if the darkness conquers the light, he will be of the material. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i Scriptures, No. 960, p. 499)
[12] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.	V.12 "When the Day that must come shall have come suddenly... Day that shall abase! Day that shall exalt!..." and thus was the new Dispensation announced and the great Resurrection made manifest. At the start, those who were present fled away, and some forsook their Faith, while some fell a prey to suspicion and doubt, and a number, after wavering, returned to the presence of Baha'u'llah. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 202)
[13] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.	V.13 At the outset in Chapter One of the Book of Revelation Jesus said: Rev.1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. and here again in this verse He repeats that, "I am the Alpha and Omega". He is the One that is the same today, tomorrow and always. The one that before Abraham was, I AM. He has now appeared in His new garb and those who fail to recognize Him now would have failed to recognize Him then. Those who reject Baha'u'llah, reject Jesus. He hath wiped away their tears, kindled their light, rejoiced their hearts and enraptured their souls. Death shall no more overtake them, neither shall sorrow, crying and tribulation afflict them. The Lord God Omnipotent hath been enthroned in His Kingdom and hath made all things new. This is the truth, and what truth greater than the Revelation of St. John the divine? He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the One that will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, and bestow upon the sick the remedy of true salvation. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p.350)
[14] Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.	V.14 Say: It behoveth you, O Ministers of State, to keep the precepts of God, and to forsake your own laws and regulations, and to be of them who are guided aright. Better is this for you than all ye possess, did ye but know it. If ye transgress the commandment of God, not one jot or one tittle of all your works shall be acceptable in His sight. Ye shall, erelong, discover the consequences of that which ye shall have done in this vain life, and shall be repaid for them. This, verily, is the truth, the undoubted truth. (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 196) Say: O people! The Tree of Life hath verily been planted in the heart of the heavenly paradise and bestoweth life in every direction. How can ye fail to perceive and recognize it? It will in truth aid thee to grasp all that this well-assured Soul hath disclosed unto thee of the essence of the divine mysteries. (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 71)
[15] For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.	V.15 Those who oppose the faith, he has compared to dogs, sorcerers, those who have killed the Prophets in the past, and have lied. Say: Never will the barking of dogs deter the Nightingale from warbling its melodies. Ponder awhile that perchance ye may discover a path leading to the Eternal Truth. (Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts, p. 156,) In like manner, thou beholdest in this day that although spiritual sustenance hath descended from the heaven of divine mercy, and been showered from the clouds of His loving kindness, and although the seas of life, at the behest of the Lord of all being, are surging within the Ridvan of the heart, yet these people, ravenous as the dogs, have gathered around carrion, and contented themselves with the stagnant waters of a briny lake. Gracious God! how strange the way of this people! They clamour for guidance, although the standards of Him Who guideth all things are already hoisted. They cleave to the obscure intricacies of knowledge, when He, Who is the Object of all knowledge, shineth as the sun. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 208)
[16] I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.	V.16 Jesus sent His angel, to tell John to write His testimony that they may hear the words of this prophecy, as time is at hand. (Rev 1: 1-3) He is the root and offspring of David. The Bab is also known as the Morning Star (see Rev.2:28). Both Jesus and the Bab had similar lives. He the Revealer of the unseen Beauty (Jesus), addressing one day His disciples, referred unto His passing, and, kindling in their hearts the fire of bereavement, said unto them: "I go away and come again unto you." And in another place He said: "I go and another will come Who will tell you all that I have not told you, and will fulfil all that I have said." Both these sayings have but one meaning, were you to ponder upon the Manifestations of the Unity of God with divine insight. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 20) That all the Manifestations are One, that Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Muhammad, The Bab and Baha'u'llah are all One, with the Father, is probably the hardest new concept to grasp about the Teachings of the New Age.
[17] And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.	V.17 O My servants! Could ye apprehend with what wonders of My munificence and bounty I have willed to entrust your souls, ye would, of a truth, rid yourselves of attachment to all created things, and would gain a true knowledge of your own selves -- a knowledge which is the same as the comprehension of Mine own Being (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p.326),
[18] For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:	V.18 This verse condemns any who defile the purity of the Teachings by contaminating them with worldly ideas. It specifically protected the verses of the Book of Revelation itself so that we would have it as it was given for this time. Whoso interpreteth what hath been sent down from the heaven of Revelation, and altereth its evident meaning, he, verily, is of them that have perverted the Sublime Word of God, and is of the lost ones in the Lucid Book. (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p.129)
[19] And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.	V.19 Can a man who believeth in a book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it? ...Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires. ...Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur'an have perverted the text of God's holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and desires. In yet another instance, He saith: "A part of them heard the Word of God, and then, after they had understood it, distorted it, and knew that they did so." [Qur'an 2:75.] ...The same may be witnessed today. Consider how abundant are the denunciations written by the foolish divines of this age against this most wondrous Cause! How vain their imaginings that these calumnies are in conformity with the verses of God's sacred Book, and in consonance with the utterances of men of discernment! (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 86) It is recorded in all the Books of the Gospel that He Who is the Spirit (Jesus) spoke in words of pure light unto His disciples, saying: "Know that heaven and earth may pass away, but my words shall never pass away." As is clear and evident to thine eminence, these words outwardly mean that the Books of the Gospel will remain in the hands of people till the end of the world, that their laws shall not be abrogated, that their testimony shall not be abolished, and that all that hath been enjoined, prescribed, or ordained therein shall endure forever. (Baha'u'llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries: Verse 22)
[20] He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.	V.20 Rejoice, then, O ye beloved of the Lord and His chosen ones, and ye the children of God and His people, raise your voice and laud and magnify the Lord, the Most High; for His light hath beamed forth, His signs have appeared, and the billows of His rising ocean have scattered on every shore many a precious pearl. ('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith p.350) Thus hath His ordinance been sent down from the Kingdom of Him Who is the Most Exalted, the All-Wise. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah p. 278)
[21] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.	V.21 The blessing of the Eternal One be with you in all its richness, that each soul according to his measure may take freely of Him. Amen. (Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London p. 20)

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