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And now, concerning His words -- "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven." By the terms "sun" and "moon," mentioned in the writings of the Prophets of God, is not meant solely the sun and moon of the visible universe. Nay rather, manifold are the meanings they have intended for these terms. In every instance they have attached to them a particular significance. Thus, by the "sun" in one sense is meant those Suns of Truth Who rise from the dayspring of ancient glory, and fill the world with a liberal effusion of grace from on high. These Suns of Truth are the universal Manifestations of God in the worlds of His attributes and names. Even as the visible sun that assisteth, as decreed by God, the true One, the Adored, in the development of all earthly things, such as the trees, the fruits, and colours thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed in the world of creation, so do the divine Luminaries, by their loving care and educative influence, cause the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance, to exist and be made manifest. Thus it is that through the rise of these Luminaries of God the world is made new, the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth upon all created things. It is the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity. It is through the abundant grace of these Symbols of Detachment that the Spirit of life everlasting is breathed into the bodies of the dead. Assuredly the visible sun is but a sign of the splendour of that Day-star of Truth, that Sun Which can never have a peer, a likeness, or rival. Through Him all things live, move, and have their being. Through His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return. From Him all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all have repaired. From Him all created things did proceed, and to the depositories of His law they did revert.


This paragraph begins a 17 paragraph sequence all referring to the quote, "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall from heaven".

There is so much in this paragraph that it would be impossible to try and capture everything that it calls to our minds. One thing that stands out for us, though, is the fact that He tells us that there are many meanings to each of these phrases from that prophecy in the Book of Matthew. Time and again He reminds us that there are so many levels of meanings to every aspect of the Sacred Writings, and He is only giving us a few of them.

We feel this is so important in our work as teachers of the Faith for it is a clear reminder that our own understanding is not the only one. Whatever we understand by the verses we read, they are correct, so are the understandings of others. This serves to remind us to be both humble and aware of the truths that others have found. Of course, this is not to say that things contrary to the obvious meanings are correct, such as someone trying to say that it's okay for a Baha'i to drink alcohol as long as they don't get drunk. That just isn't true.

It seems that one of the things that Baha'u'llah is doing here is saying to the uncle of the Bab, "You are correct. Your understanding of the sacred Writings is correct, and there is more." Once again He is taking the Uncle where he is and leading him ever forward, and this, to us, is the very essence of effective teaching. It is also a sign of a depth of understanding.

Imagine if we all shared the Faith in this manner. It would raise the station of our own teaching from the usual debate-like style to a form in which we truly share with and learn from others. Instead of denying what we already know, we would, instead, build upon it, recognizing that knowledge is infinite, we can always learn more and more.

On another note, Baha'u'llah brings in some very beautiful metaphors, and we wanted to make sure to touch on these, for they are there for a reason. We're just not sure we know why, so we want to explore it a bit.

There seem to be four groups of metaphors in this passage:

1. the trees, the fruits, and colours thereof, the minerals of the earth, and all that may be witnessed in the world of creation
2. the trees of divine unity, the fruits of His oneness, the leaves of detachment, the blossoms of knowledge and certitude, and the myrtles of wisdom and utterance
3. the waters of everlasting life stream forth, the billows of loving-kindness surge, the clouds of grace are gathered, and the breeze of bounty bloweth
4. the warmth that these Luminaries of God generate, and the undying fires they kindle, which cause the light of the love of God to burn fiercely in the heart of humanity

In simple terms, that first one seems to refer to the basic material world. The second is all about the vegetable kingdom. The third is about water. The fourth is in terms of fire. When looking at spiritual metaphors, this seems to be a crescendo, moving from the base of earth up through plants, the water of life and culminating in the sun of divinity.

On another level, there is also a crescendo of meaning implied in each. The first has no implications. He just mentions those things of the earth. In the second He likens the plants to various attributes of the human spirit that we are all striving to achieve. In the third, He likens the waters to those gifts from God, such as everlasting life or grace. In the fourth, He likens the attributes of the fire to various aspects of the Manifestations.

In another sense, we can see this as the work of a farmer. You have the field, you plant it, you water it, then you burn off the chaff. The farmer also uses the sun to know when to do his planting. These metaphors can serve to remind us of how the Manifestations perform Their functions.

There was an aspect of third metaphor that reminded us of the story of the wind - There was a group of scientists that built a giant biosphere and within it they planted a group of trees. Everything grew well, but after some time, the tall trees began to fall over for no reason that they could understand. Afterwards, they were talking with an elder, who heard all they had done to make the trees strong. They had given them water and fertilizer, pruned them and took care of them. The elder nodded and said that they had forgotten the wind. This is what gives the trees their strength: their resistance to the wind. It is like what 'Abdu'l-Baha said: "It is clear, then, that tests and trials are, for sanctified souls, but God's bounty and grace, while to the weak, they are a calamity, unexpected and sudden."

These are, of course, just a few things that can be understood from these metaphors. There is obviously so much more there, but we don't want this post to go on forever. Besides, we know that you already see so much more than what little we've mentioned.

There is one last thing, though, we want to mention that caught our attention. We were wondering about this last part: Through Him all things live, move, and have their being. Through His grace they are made manifest, and unto Him they all return. From Him all things have sprung, and unto the treasuries of His revelation they all have repaired. From Him all created things did proceed, and to the depositories of His law they did revert.

Are these re-phrasings of passages from previous revelations? We're not sure. He may be carrying us through religious history, but we haven't really explored that. That first sentence reminds us of Moses, while the second, for some reason, reminds us of Jesus. That third reminds us of Muhammad, while the last reminds us of the Bab. But again, we're really not sure.

We did, however, notice that it is like a heartbeat. We are made manifest, and then return. We spring out, and then repair back. We proceed, and then revert. Why He put that in here, we don't know, but we sure found it interesting. And we'll also keep an eye out in the next few paragraphs and see if anything helps explain it.

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Were this "oppression" (which literally meaneth pressure) to be interpreted that the earth is to become contracted, or were men's idle fancy to conceive similar calamities to befall mankind, it is clear and manifest that no such happenings can ever come to pass. They will assuredly protest that this pre-requisite of divine revelation hath not been made manifest. Such hath been and still is their contention. Whereas, by "oppression" is meant the want of capacity to acquire spiritual knowledge and apprehend the Word of God. By it is meant that when the Day-star of Truth hath set, and the mirrors that reflect His light have departed, mankind will become afflicted with "oppression" and hardship, knowing not whither to turn for guidance. Thus We instruct thee in the interpretation of the traditions, and reveal unto thee the mysteries of divine wisdom, that haply thou mayest comprehend the meaning thereof, and be of them that have quaffed the cup of divine knowledge and understanding.


Here it is: the third of three paragraphs looking at this oppression.

To start, He denies the literal interpretation that some had made regarding this prophecy. With that out of the way, He then tells us in very simple terms that this term means that real oppression caused by difficulties in life, and the suffering that results from not knowing where to turn at such times.

We have written a little bit about the previous two paragraphs, mostly recapping what Baha'u'llah says, but the real question before us is "How does this apply in our life?" It would be very easy to say that we don't feel oppressed because we know to turn to the Writings of Baha'u'llah for guidance, or that we are not in a position of spiritual authority and therefore can't oppress others in this way. We could say these things and, in a sense, we might even be correct.

But is that so?

In regards to the first thought, that of knowing where to turn, sure. But let's be clear. We know to turn to Baha'u'llah, but that doesn't mean that we do, nor that we know where in His many Writings to look. Throughout history we have had divine guidance, and there have been countless scores of people who have known to turn to the Writings of their faith, but they have often, and with great consistency, misunderstood that guidance. It is for this reason that Baha'u'llah is letting us know what Jesus meant when He gave us this incredible promise in Matthew 24. We need to be very careful and not let our ego get in the way. If we think that we, ourselves, have the "answers", then we are forgetting humility, as well as reliance on God. That is when we are in the greatest danger, and when those divine bounties are withheld from us.

But if we turn to the guidance, look at the Master, study the words of the Guardian and follow the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, in other words, if we wholeheartedly turn to the Administration, which is inseparable from the spiritual guidance in the Writings, then we have a better chance of beginning to discover some of those priceless gems that are contained within the Faith.

In regards to that second thought, that we are not in a position of authority, and that we can't oppress someone else in their search for truth, that also is open for discussion. While it is true that we do not have authority in the traditional sense of the word, we are in a position of greater understanding in regards to the Writings compared to someone who has never seen them. For those who want to learn about the Baha'i Faith, the chances are fairly good that they will ask us first, before searching through the Writings for themselves. We have the responsibility to offer the Writings in such a way that they are the most accessible to the person. How we do this can have a tremendous impact on their life, and their view of the Writings of Baha'u'llah.

Here an example is probably in order. Suppose we meet someone who loves Jesus, and is eagerly striving to better understand what Jesus has taught us. If we were to tell them, "Well, Baha'u'llah is the return of Christ, and you should turn to Him from now on", how do you think they will react? Our direct bluntness will most likely have them thinking that we are nuts, offend them, and leave a very poor impression on them regarding the Faith. But if, instead, we speak of our own love for Jesus, and praise His teachings, as well as offer some of the beautiful insights regarding those teachings given to us by either Baha'u'llah or 'Abdu'l-Baha, then they will be more likely to want to hear more. Whether or not they ever embrace the Faith is secondary. Regardless of what they call their own path to God, offering these teachings from the Baha'i Faith can still have a tremendous impact on their life. There are countless stories of people who were impacted by the teachings, who went on to use them in their own lives, even though they never became members of the Baha'i community. In fact, it would probably not be an exaggeration to say that for everyone who has become Baha'i, there are probably dozens who have been impacted by the teachings they have heard.

In both of these instances, there is oppression. The first is the oppression that is induced by our own ego, or idle fancies, which results in much suffering, while the second is the oppression caused by placing a veil between someone else and the Writings.

Baha'u'llah also talks of the "want of capacity" as a part of this oppression. Some may think that this means an inability to acquire this spiritual knowledge, but that may not be the case. After all, it would be unjust for God to condemn us for failing to do something that we are incapable of. Instead, we think of this "want" as a current weakness, or a falling short. For example, I have the "want of capacity" to bench press 200 pounds, but I can work up to it. I have the "want of capacity" to run a marathon, but I can, if I practice, train, and strive to do so.

Today, we can look around society and see many examples of people who are denying religion and spirituality any place in the world. They, rightly so, see contradictions in some traditions, for example the separation of religion and science, and, unfortunately, deny all spirituality because of this inconsistency. They're throwing out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. Here we have two parties, the religious and the scientific, and they have separated from each other, and both are unwilling to hear any alternative interpretations of the traditions that could unite them once again. They are lacking the capacity to listen.

Oh, and there's our favorite little word again: "haply". Can't forget that.

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What "oppression" is greater than that which hath been recounted? What "oppression" is more grievous than that a soul seeking the truth, and wishing to attain unto the knowledge of God, should know not where to go for it and from whom to seek it? For opinions have sorely differed, and the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied. This "oppression" is the essential feature of every Revelation. Unless it cometh to pass, the Sun of Truth will not be made manifest. For the break of the morn of divine guidance must needs follow the darkness of the night of error. For this reason, in all chronicles and traditions reference hath been made unto these things, namely that iniquity shall cover the surface of the earth and darkness shall envelop mankind. As the traditions referred to are well known, and as the purpose of this servant is to be brief, He will refrain from quoting the text of these traditions.

This is the second of three paragraphs on the phrase, "immediately after the oppression of those days". In the first of these three, He talks a bit about the problem with some of the ignorant clergy, as opposed to the good clergy.

In this paragraph, He continues this by pointing out that this is a theme found throughout all of history. As the people find themselves lost, without any clear understanding of where to seek God, as the ignorant are in the positions of power and authority, as darkness overshadows all regions, then the Messenger appears.

In some ways, this is like a heartbeat. It is regular, continual and systematic. We seem to have the regular infusion of divine Knowledge which gives life to all humanity, just like the regular infusion of blood into our body, pumped by the heart, gives life to our body.

One thing that stands out for us is the phrase, "the ways unto the attainment of God have multiplied". We are reminded of Jesus saying "“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The only way to God is through the Messenger, whether that be Muhammad or Jesus, Buddha or Moses, Baha'u'llah or the Bab. And yet at this time in history, the time that calls for a new Messenger, the clergy misdirect people to look to them, the clergy instead of the Messengers, and their feeble interpretations of the Word of God.

People try to be obedient, follow the clergy, of which there are too many, and are in obvious confusion. They know that what these people say doesn't make sense. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why so many people today disregard religion altogether. They see the hypocrisy and ignorance and figure that the whole thing must be junk.

It is sort of like those Babis who saw Mirza Yahya and his claim to be a Manifestation, and figured, "If this yahoo is making a claim, then I must be the real Messenger." Remember how many claims were made before Baha'u'llah made His? Many dozens. Compared to Mirza Yahya, it just seems to make sense. But when these people saw the true majesty of Baha'u'llah, they understood their iniquity and became Baha'i.

But going back to the passage, this cycle still makes sense. After all, if the people were rightly guided, and could easily find the path to God, why would there need to be a new Messenger? How can the sun rise in the morning if it hasn't set the night before?

We could talk more about this here, but really, part 2 of 3 is always is hardest to explore. Baha'u'llah concludes His look at this phrase in the next paragraph, and so shall we.

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As to the words -- "Immediately after the oppression of those days" -- they refer to the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted, the time when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men, when the reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and ignorant, when the portals of divine unity and understanding -- the essential and highest purpose in creation -- will have been closed, when certain knowledge will have given way to idle fancy, and corruption will have usurped the station of righteousness. Such a condition as this is witnessed in this day when the reins of every community have fallen into the grasp of foolish leaders, who lead after their own whims and desire. On their tongue the mention of God hath become an empty name; in their midst His holy Word a dead letter. Such is the sway of their desires, that the lamp of conscience and reason hath been quenched in their hearts, and this although the fingers of divine power have unlocked the portals of the knowledge of God, and the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace hath illumined and inspired the essence of all created things, in such wise that in each and every thing a door of knowledge hath been opened, and within every atom traces of the sun hath been made manifest. And yet, in spite of all these manifold revelations of divine knowledge, which have encompassed the world, they still vainly imagine the door of knowledge to be closed, and the showers of mercy to be stilled. Clinging unto idle fancy, they have strayed far from the Urvatu'l-Vuthqa of divine knowledge. Their hearts seem not to be inclined to knowledge and the door thereof, neither think they of its manifestations, inasmuch as in idle fancy they have found the door that leadeth unto earthly riches, whereas in the manifestation of the Revealer of knowledge they find naught but the call to self-sacrifice. They therefore naturally hold fast unto the former, and flee from the latter. Though they recognize in their hearts the Law of God to be one and the same, yet from every direction they issue a new command, and in every season proclaim a fresh decree. No two are found to agree on one and the same law, for they seek no God but their own desire, and tread no path but the path of error. In leadership they have recognized the ultimate object of their endeavour, and account pride and haughtiness as the highest attainments of their heart's desire. They have placed their sordid machinations above the divine decree, have renounced resignation unto the will of God, busied themselves with selfish calculation, and walked in the way of the hypocrite. With all their power and strength they strive to secure themselves in their petty pursuits, fearful lest the least discredit undermine their authority or blemish the display of their magnificence. Were the eye to be anointed and illumined with the collyrium of the knowledge of God, it would surely discover that a number of voracious beasts have gathered and preyed upon the carrion of the souls of men.


This is the beginning of the analysis of Matthew 24, and is the first of three paragraphs that looks at the phrase "Immediately after the oppression of those days". It's a long one, as we're sure you've noticed.

To make it easier for you (well, really to make it easier for us), we're going to break it down into five little sections. The first sentence outlines the whole issue at hand. The next 3 sentences point to the "foolish leaders" of religion, ending with "hath been made manifest". The next 4 sentences talk about what they do, ending with "flee from the latter". This is followed by 7 sentences of explanation of why they do what they do. And it concludes in the last sentence with a statement of the reality of what is happening.

To start, let's look at that first sentence. There appears to be something of a crescendo in the clauses that Baha'u'llah uses:

• the time when men shall become oppressed and afflicted,
• the time when the lingering traces of the Sun of Truth and the fruit of the Tree of knowledge and wisdom will have vanished from the midst of men,
• when the reins of mankind will have fallen into the grasp of the foolish and ignorant,
• when the portals of divine unity and understanding -- the essential and highest purpose in creation -- will have been closed
• when certain knowledge will have given way to idle fancy,
• and corruption will have usurped the station of righteousness

It starts with everyone feeling that sense of being heavily burdened by troubles or anxiety, and continues with that pain or misery. This was obviously the case in His days, as it is in ours. Normally, feeling oppressed or afflicted does not necessarily mean that you are. It just means that you feel that way, and those feelings are real. But here, Baha'u'llah says that this oppression and affliction are real. It is the reality.

He goes on and, in the second clause, points out that the traces of the Sun and the fruit of the Tree are gone, although the Sun and the Tree are still there. Like winter-time, the fruits are gone, as is the heat of the sun.

In the third phrase, it seems that because these traces and fruits have vanished, the foolish and ignorant have been able to usurp the reins of mankind. To picture this, you only have to imagine a horse-drawn cart. We, humanity, are like the horse, and the driver is no longer that good and wise husbandman. He has been replaced by someone who is foolish and, perhaps, reckless.

In the fourth point, we begin to realize just how depraved this new driver is. Because of this foolish driver, the team of horses is no longer united, nor are they confident that the driver knows where he is going. Let's not forget, this divine unity and understanding are, as He says, the essential and highest purpose of creation.

But it doesn't stop there. In the fifth point, we now know that the driver truly does not know where he is going. His supposed knowledge has been proven to be nothing more than his own imagination. The horse cart is out of control. The driver is now like the car thief who steals the car to go on a joy ride, before crashing and burning it.

Finally, He says that it is corruption that has taken over. The moral authority that is supposed to be in charge has lost its position to corruption. The good driver has been replaced by someone without a driver's license, with no right to take the car, or the cart, to go back to our original metaphor. In the end, we feel robbed.

This is where we are now. This is the state of affairs we see in the world today, and something needs to change.

The Foolish Leaders

At this point in the paragraph, Baha'u'llah further explains who it is that He is referring to: the foolish leaders. The adjective here, "foolish", is very important, for if they were not foolish and corrupt, then they would be good and wise leaders. If this were the case, then there would be no reason for a Messenger of God to correct the situation. And let's not forget, Baha'u'llah is not condemning everyone. There are many places in which He praises the good leaders, and exalts their station. Here, though, He is focusing our attention on those foolish ones who seem to be quite prevalent.

What are some of the qualities of these foolish leaders? Baha'u'llah gives us a number of characteristics of them. They "lead after their own whims and desire", God has become an empty word in their mouth, the Holy Word is meaningless to them, and conscience and reason have been overshadowed in their hearts by their desires.

How this could happen is something of a mystery, though. After all, the portals of the knowledge of God are open, the essence of all things has been illumined and inspired by the light of divine knowledge and heavenly grace, and every atom contains a trace of the sun. In short, they are completely blind to that which is self-evident.

We only need to see how the lust for money, or sexual gratification, have led some of these leaders astray. Or we can look at how many leaders are denying such obvious realities as climate change, otherwise known as global warming, as they still try to push through their own corporate agendas.

What they do

Baha'u'llah gives us a few examples of what it is that these foolish ones are doing. He says that they imagine the door of knowledge to be closed and that His mercy has stopped flowing, as if such things were ever possible. They cling to their own silliness, instead of looking at the guidance found within the Sacred Texts, the Urvatu'l-Vuthqa, that "sure handle" and "firm cord". They prefer to seek after earthly wealth, because the other path leads to self-sacrifice. And interestingly enough, Baha'u'llah seems to understand this, for He says that it is "natural". This is something that we all can relate to. It is far easier to seek after something as simple and shallow as money, while it is much more difficult to strive to grow spiritually. Getting to know yourself, and aligning your behaviour with the standard set forth in the Holy Books is no easy task and requires a sacrifice of the ego. Even Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

But what does this mean to us, for we are surely not religious leaders? We think that it's a reminder to not be attached to dogma or surface things. For example, remember the story of Muhammad when He suddenly turned away from Jerusalem and faced Mecca during His prayers? This was a huge test for many of His followers. They were so attached to the idea that they had to face Jerusalem that they forgot to be obedient to the new Messenger.

This also applies to us. There are many things that we do in our life that are nothing more than a custom, tradition or a part of our culture, and yet we tend to think of it as being the only way to do it. In this day of multiculturalism, and the mass migration of humanity across the face of the planet, we are encountering more and more people who do things in a different way than we do. By keeping this awareness in our mind, we will more easily see the underlying unity in our actions. For example, when the Aboriginal American washes the smoke over them in a smudging ceremony, that is no different than the Catholic dipping their fingers in the Holy Water. This is also the same as the Muslim or the Baha'i performing their ablutions by washing their hands and face. All are a way of preparing oneself to encounter the sacred.

When we think that our way is the only way to do something, then we are forgetting to be detached, forgetting to see the variety and beauty of the many ways of doing that same thing. By admitting that our way is only one of many, we demonstrate a degree of self-sacrifice and humility. And, as Baha'u'llah says, many flee from this.

Why they do it


Now there are two questions that come up. The first is why do people, in general, flee from this?

In one sense, it's not that difficult to understand. By clinging to "idle fancy", we can do very well for ourselves, but by striving to follow a Messenger of God, we are called to a station of sacrifice. We sacrifice our time, our money, and sometimes our very lives. At the very least, by striving for the things regarded as worthy by society, by trying to live up to those shallow and hollow standards, we may have what others call a successful life. But by endeavouring to walk that path of faith, we will generally be ridiculed and find many obstacles and tests thrown in our way. So, in one sense, it is not difficult to understand why people flee from this.

From the vantage point of religion, we can see how shallow those standards of society are, how fleeting the accolades and riches are. We understand that the true life is that of the spirit, and it is this for which we should strive.

The second question is why do the foolish leaders do what they do? The simple answer here is because of their ego. Even though they are aware that all the religions come from God, and that the Law of God is the same everywhere, they still issue their own decrees. Why? Because they see the important thing as being in a position of leadership, as opposed to promoting truth. We see this happening around us all the time. In politics, for instance, one politician will often deride another no matter the merit in what they propose. They feel that they must stand against it if it doesn't come from themselves or their political party. If they don't, they somehow feel that this may erode their political influence, even though this is nothing short of foolishness.

The Collyrium

While this may seem a digression, this is a point that stood out to us. Baha'u'llah uses the interesting word "collyrium" to describe the knowledge of God. Collyrium is an eyewash, used to clean out the eye that is infected with a foreign object. Without the eyewash, your vision is either blurred, impaired, or altogether gone.

Imagine you're working in a warehouse, or somewhere dusty, and you get something in your eye. What do you do? You blink. You don't want to use the eyewash, mainly because it's very uncomfortable. You think you can just blink and you'll get the stuff out of your eye. In other words, you're in denial. You have something stuck in your eye and you need to get it out, but you don't want to use the prescribed remedy. You know the rules, you've had the safety training, and you know you're supposed to use the eyewash, but you still don't. (At least that's been our experience.) You figure you can just get rid of this annoying thing on your own.

But as anyone who has been in this position knows, that's just not the case. When you finally break down, admit you can't do it on you own, and use the eyewash according to the instructions, then you feel so much better and you can see clearly again. Oh, and those instructions usually prescribe using it for far longer than you think necessary. But if you really want the job done right, you better use it properly.


Reality

Finally, Baha'u'llah is telling us that we only need to look around us to see the truth of what He is saying. These leaders have preyed, but unfortunately with an "e", not an "a".

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This servant will now share with thee a dewdrop out of the fathomless ocean of the truths treasured in these holy words, that haply discerning hearts may comprehend all the allusions and the implications of the utterances of the Manifestations of Holiness, so that the overpowering majesty of the Word of God may not prevent them from attaining unto the ocean of His names and attributes, nor deprive them of recognizing the Lamp of God which is the seat of the revelation of His glorified Essence.

Here is the last of three paragraphs of introduction to Matthew 24.

Baha'u'llah immediately identifies Himself as a servant thus positioning Himself in a humble state of mind. He sets the example of how we should teach by using Himself as an example.

He reminds us that these holy words are truly fathomless. There is always more and more that we can discover within them. "And if all the trees in the earth", it says in the Qur'an, "were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it, (were ink), the words of Allah could not be exhausted."

He also reminds us that understanding them is not a foregone conclusion. It is only with luck, or by the Will of God ("haply", remember), that we will come to a deeper understanding. Over and over again throughout this Book, He reminds us that it is always by the grace of God that we understand. Our job, as He says so well in the first few paragraphs, is to purify our heart, to sanctify our soul, and then we can begin to approach His threshold. It is important to note that it is our heart that does the comprehending, not our mind. This is so contrary to our modern "scientific" understanding in which everything can be understood from a logical and straightforward literal reading. Here we are learning about the sacred, an effort which defies the literal and straightforward and causes us to face the incomprehensible. This is a challenge for us; it involves a little spiritual labour, as well as humility.

Here, once again, He likens the sacred texts to an ocean, which can be overwhelming. This is like information overload. When a submarine goes under the water in the ocean to explore, they are only able to see a few feet in front of them. It is only by making thousands and thousands of dives, all over the ocean, and combining what we know from each one's experience that we can begin to get a bit of an understanding of the what is contained within the depths of the ocean. This is further multiplied when we consider the Holy Words.

He also points out something very interesting here, namely that this can be overpowering and can even become a barrier for some. Imagine if someone discovered a profound truth latent within a sacred verse. Now imagine someone else has discovered another very profound truth within the same verse. Can you not see how they could come to odds with each other over which interpretation, or understanding, is "correct"? It is often very difficult to recognize that both may be "correct", for there are many truths that are contained within each verse.

Even here, with all that Baha'u'llah shares about this single verse from Matthew 24, He doesn't claim that He is telling us everything that is contained within it. In fact, He is expressly telling us that there is more, far more, contained there. Although He is hoping that we will be able to "comprehend all the allusions and the implications", He is only sharing a dewdrop with us.

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Beside this passage, there is yet another verse in the Gospel wherein He saith: "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but My words shall not pass away."[1] Thus it is that the adherents of Jesus maintained that the law of the Gospel shall never be annulled, and that whensoever the promised Beauty is made manifest and all the signs are revealed, He must needs re-affirm and establish the law proclaimed in the Gospel, so that there may remain in the world no faith but His faith. This is their fundamental belief. And their conviction is such that were a person to be made manifest with all the promised signs and to promulgate that which is contrary to the letter of the law of the Gospel, they must assuredly renounce him, refuse to submit to his law, declare him an infidel, and laugh him to scorn. This is proved by that which came to pass when the sun of the Muhammadan Revelation was revealed. Had they sought with a humble mind from the Manifestations of God in every Dispensation the true meaning of these words revealed in the sacred books -- words the misapprehension of which hath caused men to be deprived of the recognition of the Sadratu'l-Muntaha, the ultimate Purpose -- they surely would have been guided to the light of the Sun of Truth, and would have discovered the mysteries of divine knowledge and wisdom.[1 Luke 21:33.]

Here is a second warning from Baha'u'llah about how we are to approach this paragraph from Matthew, and, indeed, all the Sacred Texts: We should recognize that the laws are regenerated and renewed as needed in each Age. We will also need to submit to these new laws, and that might be difficult for us, as it is not easy to move from our old set of traditions to a new one. It is good to remember that Jesus changed some laws from the dispensation of Moses, the law of the Sabbath being one example, and we can see the effect it had at the time.

Later, at the time of Muhammad, the adherents of Jesus clung to the letter of the Law and forgot the spirit of it. They took the Words of Jesus literally and presumed that this was the only valid way to read them.

We see this as another caution. While it is acceptable, and sometimes preferable, to read the words literally, we should be cautious not to do so to an extreme. Baha'u'llah does not seem to be condemning the people of that day for using a literal interpretation, but instead for trying to impose it upon others. By doing so, they were moving beyond the bounds of moderation and humility, forgetting that they could still learn more.

This pattern, which we see here between the followers of Jesus and those of Muhammad, continues that which we had seen earlier in this Book.

Baha'u'llah, indeed all the Messengers of God, has told us repeatedly that God is exalted above the Manifestations and They do His bidding; They are all His servants. They are, as the Bab says, but a ring upon His finger. It is to God that we must become attached, and not the Words. This is the true meaning of detachment. "Forget all save Me, and commune with my Spirit".

Many Jews denied Jesus because He taught something other than what was in the Tanakh. Many Christians denied Muhammad because He taught something other than what was in the Gospels. Baha'u'llah is cautioning us not to fall into the same pattern. He specifically tells us to approach with a humble mind the true meaning of these words from every Manifestation, not just the Messenger of God we adhere to. Looking back on this pattern we should be able to identify this lack of humility in the mind.

This is a very important point to us, for it encourages us to keep an open mind about how we read things. There are some who are, of course, against this, as they see it as somehow weakening their faith. But what they fail to realize is that exploring the Writings from many points of view allows us to see where our faith, or reasoning, is weak. This type of exposure allows us to see how to strengthen our faith by reinforcing those areas of doubt. This whole Book, after all, is called the Book of Certitude, so it should not come as a surprise that we find this in here.

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Inasmuch as the Christian divines have failed to apprehend the meaning of these words, and did not recognize their object and purpose, and have clung to the literal interpretation of the words of Jesus, they therefore became deprived of the streaming grace of the Muhammadan Revelation and its showering bounties. The ignorant among the Christian community, following the example of the leaders of their faith, were likewise prevented from beholding the beauty of the King of glory, inasmuch as those signs which were to accompany the dawn of the sun of the Muhammadan Dispensation did not actually come to pass. Thus, ages have passed and centuries rolled away, and that most pure Spirit hath repaired unto the retreats of its ancient sovereignty. Once more hath the eternal Spirit breathed into the mystic trumpet, and caused the dead to speed out of their sepulchres of heedlessness and error unto the realm of guidance and grace. And yet, that expectant community still crieth out: When shall these things be? When shall the promised One, the object of our expectation, be made manifest, that we may arise for the triumph of His Cause, that we may sacrifice our substance for His sake, that we may offer up our lives in His path? In like manner, have such false imaginings caused other communities to stray from the Kawthar of the infinite mercy of Providence, and to be busied with their own idle thoughts.


As an introduction to the passage from Matthew 24, we might do well to ponder this paragraph for a bit. While we are not certain, it does seem to us that Baha'u'llah is giving us some further guidance about how to examine this passage.


He begins with a bit of a warning about taking things too literally.


Because the divines didn`t recognize the meaning of these words, Matthew 24, and took them literally, they missed Muahmmad and His coming. Because the divines missed it, their "ignorant" followers also missed it.


To us, the message is clear: do not take these words as literal. If we do, we run the risk of even more ages and centuries passing away before we are given the bounty of a new Message.


In our heart of hearts, we hear the lament, we know the passionate appeal that gives rise to the questions He quotes from that "expectant community". But in the background, we also hear His answer. When shall these things be? They are now. When will the Promised One arise? When will we be able to offer up everything in His path? Now, dear Friends. The time is now.


Again, we hear an echo of that phrase, "O the pity", and pray that its lament is not for us. Instead, we long to be one of those dead raised up by the trumpet blast, rushing to the realm of guidance and grace. Even then, before He even declared His mission, Baha'u'llah was keenly aware of the scarcity of time and encouraged us to hurry before it was too late.


This paragraph is, to us, a very sad one. Baha'u'llah seems to be lamenting the fact that many have missed the Messengers of God due to their literal interpretation, and their failure to understand the spirit of the Words. His grief is very real and heartfelt, and He seems to be warning us so that we don't fall into the same trap in the future.


Just in case we think this is only related to the Christian community, Baha'u'llah also points out that other communities have fallen victim to this same vain imagining. We hear another warning in the background. It seems as if He is warning us, the Baha'is, not to be overly literal with His own Writings. He seems to be guiding us to be aware of the spirit of the Words, and to always remember that if our understanding does not lead to unity, then we have missed something. We are not exempt from this test, either.


Looking a bit more at this idea of literal interpretation, we have often come across people in our teaching work who are firmly committed to their literal interpretation of their sacred Books. When speaking with them, we do not say that they are wrong, nor try to denigrate their ideas. Instead we point out that these Writings are sacred, and can be read on more than just a single level. With this in mind, we ask them what other meanings we can get out of it. This usually leads to a fruitful conversation with much learned on both our parts.


On the other hand, if we fall into the trap of thinking that the literal interpretation is wrong, then we also get into trouble. Don't forget, Baha'u'llah doesn't say that this interpretation is wrong. He merely says that these people cling to it. We need to be "detached from all that is in heaven and on earth", including our own understanding of the Writings. Taking the example of the stars falling from heaven, which He goes on for pages describing the spiritual meaning of, there was also the literal star fall of 1833, as described by William Sears in Thief in the Night.


As with everything in this Dispensation, it is all about unity. We need to find ways to bridge the gap between different understandings of the Writings. While the literal interpretation is one valid way of reading the Writings, it is not the only way. We believe that our job, as Baha'is, is to help others, and ourselves, to come to a greater and greater understanding of what is contained within the sacred Books.