Paragraph 30

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.

Paragraph 29

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.