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CHAPTER 17- MYSTERIES REVEALED
SYNOPSIS:
What follows is a test of the reader's spiritual and
intellectual acuity. If his solutions to past riddles in the
Apocalypse are correct, he will be able to solve the riddles in
Chapter 17.
The great whore, Babylon, is the civilization created by the
corrupted Word of God. She is the mistress of the spiritual and
political potentates of the world, and the secret cause of the
world's abominations.
The beast that "was" is the Persian Empire initiated by
Cyrus the Great.
The beast that "is not" is the Greek empire initiated by
Alexander the Great.
The beast that "is" is the Muslim empire initiated by the
House of Umayyah.
The great whore sits on the throne of the 7 dominions
conquered by the House of Umayyah. But she also rules over the
peoples of the 7 Churches of Asia.
Five of the 7 dominions will have fallen after the
Revelation and before they are conquered by the Umayyah; one will
remain sovereign; one will be a new dominion carved out of West
Turkestan, but will exist only until it is destroyed by Genghis
Khan.
The Persian-Greek empire will have had 7 un-repeated names
of rulers by the time of the caliphate. The Caliph will be the
8th ruler of that empire, yet will represent one of the 7
Churches of Asia.
The House of Umayyah will have 10 un-repeated names of
chiefs, beginning with its secret king Abu-Sufyan, and ending
with Ibrahim. Similarly, the House of 'Abbas that will take over
the empire, will also have 10 un-repeated names of chiefs. The
neo-Umayyad caliphate set up in Spain will continue the pattern
of 10 un-repeated names.
At the end of the Piscean Age, the illegitimate caliphate
will oppose the Bab, but their efforts will fail, because the Bab
is a Lord of lords, and King of kings. The Bab will declare an
end to the Dispensation of Muhammad; the illegitimate caliphate
will be extinguished.
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven
vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will
show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth on
many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed
fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made
drunk with the wine of her fornication. -Rev 17:1-2
[REB: 1 ... 'I will show you the verdict on the great whore, she
who is enthroned over many waters.]
The great whore is Babylon, the wicked city of the corrupted
Word of God. She sits enthroned over many nations, populations,
races and languages. The world's rulers have made use of her
services- intoxicating lies and distortions, to reinforce their
power over the masses.
THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST:
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I
saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of
blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. -Rev 17:3
Scarlet is the color of spiritual beauty in Islamdom. The
7 heads and 10 horns identify her steed at the end of the Piscean
Age as the beast of the Apocalypse. The spiritual descendants of
Abu-Sufyan, the Destroyer from the House of Umayyah, each bear
the blasphemous title 'The Caliph.'
The whore lives in the wilderness of spiritual desolation.
"... such souls as tread the valley of arrogance and pride, are
lost in the wilds of remoteness, walk in the ways of their idle
fancy, and follow the dictates of the leaders of their faith." -
BH {1}
THE WOMAN'S APPEARANCE DESCRIBED:
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and
decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden
cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her
fornication. -Rev 17:4
The whore is blasphemously arrayed in the purple of
royalty and the scarlet of spiritual beauty. She is bedecked with
precious gifts bestowed upon her by her clientele, the corrupt
priesthood and temporal leaders. She carries a beautiful cup
containing the intoxicating brew of her perversions.
SHE IS BABYLON:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE
GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. -Rev
17:5
The verse explains that the great whore Babylon, the
corrupted Word of God, is the secret source of all the world's
abominations.
A RIDDLE:
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of saints, and with
the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered
with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore
didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and
of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and
the ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not: and
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition:
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were
not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,
when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. -Rev
17:6-8
The beast that "was" is the Persian empire, {2} which was
initiated by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE.
The beast that "is not" is the empire of Alexander the
Great, who conquered the Persian empire in 331 BCE; Alexander's
empire was dismantled shortly after his untimely death less than
a decade later.
The beast that shall ascend out of the pit of error is the
illegitimate caliphate, initiated by the House of Umayyah in 661
CE.
The riddle describes the Umayyad empire as a continuation of
the Persian empire, which, indeed, resembled it in culture,
structure and prosperity. The incursion of Alexander, although
introducing enduring cultural artifacts, in the perspective of
history, was little more than a temporary interruption.
The angel explains that the Persian empire was, is not, and
yet will be revived. Ultimately, the illegitimate caliphate that
will rule the revived Persian empire, will be destroyed (go into
perdition). Those whose names are not written in the Book of Life
will marvel when they behold the Persian empire come into
existence a second time.
9 And here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are
seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are
seven kings; five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not
yet come; and when he cometh he must continue a short space. 11
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is
of the seven, and goeth into perdition. -Rev 17:9-11
[REB: 9 'This calls for a mind with insight. The seven heads are
seven hills on which the woman sits enthroned. 10 They also
represent seven kings: five have already fallen, one is now
reigning, and the other has not yet come. When he does come, he
is to last for only a little while. 11 As for the beast that was
once alive and is alive no longer, he is an eighth- and yet is
one of the seven, and he is going to destruction.]
The riddle concerns the steed on which the corrupted Word
is mounted. John is told that the 7 heads represent both 7
mountains and 7 kings.
A 'mountain' is a symbol of a Faith. Thus he is told that
the corrupted Word of God will dominate all of the 7 Churches of
Asia that are listed in Chapter 1.
A king governs a dominion, and thus there must be 7
dominions. These are the 7 dominions governed by the House of
Umayyah. We have already listed these dominions in a previous
posting. Of the 7 dominions, 5 will have fallen and will be under
the control of foreign powers before their conquest by the beast.
These were the Roman-Byzantine dominion around Damascus
(Palestine and part of Syria), the dominions of Arabia,
Egypt, Africa (Libya), and Andalusia (Spain). One dominion 'is'
and remains sovereign until the hour of the beast. This was
Persia. The dominion which 'is not yet come' was Transoxania. It
will 'continue a short space,' meaning that it will cease to
exist with the invasion of Genghis Khan in 1218-1220 CE. {3}
The beast that 'was and is not' was the Persian empire and
its successor, the empire of Alexander. It had kings with 7
un-repeated names: Cyrus, Cambyses, Gaumata, Darius, Xerxes,
Artaxerxes, and Alexander. Therefore the Caliph became the eighth
'king' of the Persian empire. And yet he is 'one of the seven,'
meaning that his empire is Islam, one of the seven Churches of
Asia.
Verse 11 says that (eventually) the beast will be
destroyed. The caliphate was abolished by the Turkish Grand
National Assembly on March 2, 1924, less than three years after
the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Baha.
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour
with the beast. -Rev 17:12
The angel explains to John that the 10 horns represent the
un-repeated names of rulers who will receive ephemeral power from
the beast, the illegitimate caliphate initiated by the House of
Umayyah. At the time of the Revelation, circa 104 CE, these
rulers had not yet appeared but would appear starting with the
hour of the beast, circa 661 CE.
We have already listed these 10 un-repeated names in
previous postings. Summarizing very briefly, the first beast was
the creation of the archenemy of Muhammad, Abu-Sufyan, the
'Destroyer' and the secret 'king' over the House of Umayyah (Rev
9:11). His name is un-repeated in the list of chiefs. After the
murder of 'Ali, there were 14 Caliphs from the House of Umayyah,
but with only 9 more un-repeated names of chiefs, beginning with
Mu'awiya, the son of Abu-Sufyan, and ending with Ibrahim.
In the 'wounded head that healed,' the Cordoban caliphate
in Spain, there were 18 neo-Umayyad Caliphs, but again with only
10 un-repeated names of chiefs, beginning with 'Abd al-Rahman and
ending with Sulayman.
With the usurpation of the caliphate by the second beast,
the House of 'Abbas, there were 10 Caliphs with 10 un-repeated
names of chiefs, beginning with As-Saffa and ending with
Al-Mutawakkil.
Thus the pattern of 10 names was repeated (at least) 3
times in the formative history of Islamdom. {4}
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto
the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings:
and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
-Rev 17:13-14
Verse 14 reminds us of the 'war' that the beast will make
against the Lamb, recounted in Chapter 12. We recall that the
Bab, being a Lord of lords, and King of kings {5}, was also the
re-manifestation of the Twelfth Imam who mysteriously disappeared
while still a child in the year 260 AH. "Verily He (the Bab) is
the King of the Messengers and His Book is the Mother Book, did
ye but know." "... the Ancient Beauty appeared in the year
sixty (1260 AH), in the person of 'Ali-Muhammad, the Bab." "Thy
Lord, the Most High (the Bab), addresseth thee, from His realm of
glory ..." "... this, the Lord of days, ... the Day in which
the Beauty of the All-Glorious shone forth in the exalted person
of 'Ali-Muhammad, the Bab." -BH {6}
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the
whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and
tongues. -Rev 17:15
This defines the sea of humanity, verse 17:1. The
corruption of the Word of God is ubiquitous, not limited to any
single race, nation or culture.
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall
hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall
eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in
their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their
kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be
fulfilled. -Rev 17:16-17
The spiritual descendants of Abu-Sufyan, the Destroyer,
will detest the corrupted Word of God, will make her spiritually
desolate, and will condemn her with fiery words. God has ordained
that they shall satisfy His Will and agree with each other,
giving their dominions to the illegitimate caliphate until the
end of the Piscean Age.
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which
reigneth over the kings of the earth. -Rev 17:18
The great whore is identified as Babylon, the corrupted
Word of God. She is the secret Mistress of the governors of the
world.
CHAPTER 18- THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON
SYNOPSIS:
This chapter announces the destruction of the great whore,
Babylon, the wicked city [civilization] of the corrupted Word of
God.
The fall of her city is announced by a mighty angel
[Gabriel?]. Her services have been used by the powerful and rich
of the earth. The people of the earth are invited to assist in
the administration of her punishment.
The great whore pretended that she was still a fertile
source of civilization, and that the Covenant was still her
husband. Therefore her destruction will come at the last Day, the
Hour of Judgement. The rich and powerful of the earth will be
saddened by her demise, and the merchandise of her civilization
will no longer be in demand.
The corrupted Word will be 'thrown into the sea' because she
has caused the spiritual downfall of so many souls of the world.
The music glorifying the Churches will be silenced, and marriages
will no longer be performed under her laws. Her great secret,
that she was the hidden cause of war and martyrdom of the
righteous, will become evident to all.
BABYLON IS FALLEN!
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven,
having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the
great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of
devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird. -Rev 18:1-3
Perhaps it is the archangel Gabriel, the Announcer, who
informs John of the collapse of Babylon. Her city is twice
fallen; fallen in heaven and fallen in earth.
Birds are likened to souls or spirits, and may be unclean;
"... We have warned the faithful to anticipate the appearance of
the Birds of Darkness. There can be no doubt whatever that the
croaking of the Raven shall be raised in certain lands, as it
hath been heard in recent years." "Like the bats of darkness,
they lift not their heads from the couch except to pursue the
transient things of the world, and find no rest by night except
as they labor to advance the aims of their sordid life."
But birds can also represent clean souls or spirits:
"Bursting through his cage, he will, even as the bird of the
spirit, wing his flight to his holy and everlasting nest. -BH
{1}
Since Baha'u'llah seized power over the spiritual realm in
1863, the material realm has witnessed a dramatic decline in the
fortunes of the ecclesiastics and temporal rulers. The decline is
world-wide, but the decline in the Christian world will be more
evident to Western readers. Students of modern history of the
last 150 years have long marveled at the sudden collapse of
institutions and governments that had roots as remote as the
Middle Ages. The Churches of Christendom have witnessed a decline
in the power of their leaders, starting with Pope Pius IX who
lost his dominion over the Papal States to Garibaldi in 1871,
while the Russian Orthodox Church lost its power to the
Bolsheviks in 1917. Protestant denominations have fared no
better, and have lost their ability to influence governments and
the morality of the citizenry at large. 'Revivalist' movements,
whether from the left or the right, have had little enduring
effect, and we witness the rear guard actions of Christendom in
disarray and defeat.
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed
rich through the abundance of her delicacies. -Rev 18:3
Every civilization requires a guiding image. The guiding
image determines the cultural values, and the standards of
personal interactions of her citizens. The guiding image also
sets the goals of the government, and forms the basis of the
legal codes and the definition of 'justice.' On a more palpable
level, the guiding image determines which material artifacts are
'goods' and which are not, thereby regulating the standards of
industry, the media, the government and the arts, and,
consequently, the distribution of money, power, influence and
commitments.
The guiding image ought to be the Truth enunciated in the
uncorrupted Word of God, or else it will create a tyranny, a war
machine, or some other satanic form of social organization. And
even though a civilization may have been launched by a divinely
inspired image, the depletion of Truth through overlays of
humanly-limited theological speculation, misinterpretation, or
deliberate falsification will inevitably destroy her beauty and
integrity, and she will become intolerable.
It is because of the depletion of Truth that mankind has
experienced repeated disasters during past Ages, and, in
particular, the schizoid journey of the Piscean Age.
AN INVITATION:
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out of her my
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive
not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and
God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Reward her even as she
rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works:
in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. -Rev 18:4-5
[REB: 6 Pay her back in her own coin, repay her twice over for
her deeds! Give her a potion twice as strong as the one she
mixed.]
The victims of the injustice created by the corrupted Word
of God are warned to withdraw from her in order to avoid her
plagues and sufferings. Furthermore, they are invited to join in
the administration of those plagues which will befall her in her
final destruction.
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so
much torment and sorrow give her; for she saith in her heart, I
sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. -Rev 18:7
The verse uses symbols of Isaiah, {2} indicating the
parallel of her fall with that of Babylon of the Chaldeans, her
sorcerers, magicians and astrologers. The great whore pretended
that she was still fertile, that her husband the Lamb was still
alive, and that she was the Queen of the Covenant.
HER JUDGEMENT:
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death and mourning,
and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong
is the Lord God who judgeth her. -Rev 18:8
The great whore will be destroyed at the Last Day, and she
will be burned with the fire of spiritual torment.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and
lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her,
when they shall see the smoke of her burning. Standing afar off
for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city
Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
-Rev 18:9-10
The judgment of the whore will come with the Hour of the
Divine Reaper. Smoke is a palpable sign. Her destruction will be
apparent to everyone who has eyes to see.
THE LAMENT OF THE MERCHANTS AND SEAMEN:
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for
no man buyeth their merchandise anymore: The merchandise of
gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine
linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood,
and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most
precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble. 13 And
cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine,
and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and
horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. And the
fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and
thou shalt find them no more at all. The merchants of these
things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the
fear of her torment, weeping and wailing. And saying, Alas, alas
that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and
scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! -
Rev 18:11-16
[REB: 13 "..... and human lives."]
The merchants and traders of the Piscean Age have been
made rich by making use of false doctrine, the services of the
whore. The verses describe some of their commodities of luxury,
and warns the traders in these 'goods' that their wealth and
power will be seized from them.
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every
shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as
many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw
the smoke of her burning, saying, what city is like unto this
great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried,
weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city wherein
were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her
costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. -Rev 18:17-19
The wealth from the services of the whore of the Piscean
Age will not be limited to any one country, nor even to one
continent.
THE GREAT MILLSTONE:
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets;
for God hath avenged you on her. And a mighty angel took up a
stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying,
Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down,
and shall be found no more at all. -Rev 18:20-21
The metaphor of a millstone cast into the sea is used by
Jesus in the synoptic Gospels. The great whore will suffer the
fate of one who causes the spiritual downfall of another. {3}
But the metaphor used in the context of Revelation suggests a
less obvious meaning. The zodiacal wheel is likened to a great
millstone. {4} In golden times at the beginning of a new Age, the
mill grinds out peace, plenty and happiness. But as times
worsen, the mill grinds out salt. Finally, at the end of the Age,
it ends up at the bottom of the sea where it creates a vast
whirlpool, a Maelstrom, and grinds out rock and sand.
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and
trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no
craftsman, of whatever craft he be, shall be found any more in
thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all
in thee; And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in
thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be
heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great
men of the earth; and by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
-Rev 18:22-23
The language of Jeremiah {5} is used once again to show the
parallel to a Fall. But in Jeremiah's prophecy, the Fall is to
be that of Israel to Babylon. In the context of Revelation, the
physical city of Babylon will be a ruin as explained by Jeremiah.
{6} It is the fall of a spiritual Babylon, the civilization
created by the corrupted Word of God, that will fall at the end
of the Piscean Age. The music played in glorification of the
whore will be silenced. Those industries dependent upon her will
grind to a halt. The Light of Guidance that she blasphemously
carried will be snuffed out, and marriages will no longer be
sanctified under her laws.
THE TRUE CULPRIT:
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of
all that were slain upon the earth. -Rev 18:24
We are again reminded that the corrupted Word of God is
the secret cause of war and the murders of the righteous.
CHAPTER 19- THE TRIUMPH OF BAHA'U'LLAH
SYNOPSIS:
After an introductory salutation, a 'wedding' between the
Covenant and the purified and cleansed Word of God is announced.
Those who are invited to the wedding feast are blessed.
The 'Master' who is to preside over the feast is introduced.
He is Baha'u'llah, who rides the white horse of Divine doctrine,
but now called Faithful and True. Several of his attributes are
described, and in particular his 'vesture dipped in blood,'
signifying that he is the 'long lost Joseph' now returning in
triumph and power. Since he is the Lord of Hosts, he is
accompanied by his retinue of 'heavenly hosts'.
His servant, the angel 'in the sun,' invites the social
rejects and disenfranchised to the feast, just as foretold by
Jesus in the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The repast of the
feast is to be the villains of past Ages, the clients of the
great whore- the corrupted Word of God.
Again, the final struggle for the minds and souls of men is
alluded to. The battle is joined, and the villains of the Piscean
Age are vanquished. The true meaning of the 'feast' thereby
becomes manifest.
PRAISE UNTO GOD:
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in
heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and
power, unto the Lord our God; For true and righteous are his
judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt
the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his
servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia, and her
smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders
and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the
throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the
throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that
fear him, both small and great. -Rev 19:1-5
The voice out of the throne is that of Baha'u'llah, the
Bird of the Celestial Throne. He is to be the spokesman for God
during the Aquarian Age.
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth. -Rev 19:6
The voice of many waters and mighty thunderings is that of
the Manifestations of God, and their many peoples, nations and
languages.
THE BRIDE IS READIED:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the
marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself
ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in
fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints. -Rev 19:7-8
The language of Isaiah {1} is used here. The corrupted
daughter of Babylon, cleansed and purified, is to be reunited
with her husband, the eternal Covenant. The Lamb's Bride is to be
the mother of a new civilization, a 'new Jerusalem.' It will
replace the corrupted civilization of Babylon.
The symbolism of white linen is revealed.
THOSE INVITED TO THE WEDDING FEAST:
9 And He saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called
unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me,
these are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to
worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of
Jesus: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. -Rev
19:9
[REB: 9 The angel said to me, 'Write this: "Happy are those who
are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb!" ' He added,
'These are the very words of God.' 10 I prostrated myself to
worship him, but he said, 'You must not do that! I am a
fellow-servant with you and your brothers who bear witness to
Jesus. It is God you must worship. For those who bear witness to
Jesus have the spirit of prophecy.']
The angel alludes to Jesus' Parable of the Feast. {2}
John is told that the words are from God, and he proceeds to
prostrate himself before the messenger. However, John is
admonished for this act, and reminded to worship the Originator
of the message and not the Messenger. A true witness to the
Prophethood of Jesus, will, himself, have the spirit of prophecy,
and will look to God, the real Source of the Prophetic Spirit.
During his earthly sojourn, Jesus often attempted to make his
devotees understand this distinction:
"When you have lifted up the Son of Man you will know that I am
what I am. I do nothing on my own authority, but in all I say, I
have been taught by my Father." "To believe in me, is not to
believe in me but in him who sent me; ..." -REB: John 8:28,
12:44
THE MASTER OF THE FEAST:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that
sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness
he doth judge and make war. -Rev 19:11
Baha'u'llah is the Lord of Hosts, that is, the Lord of the
Heavenly Armies. He is shown riding a white horse, a symbol of
spiritual power and authority. Whereas in Chapter 6, the rider of
the white horse was the corrupted Church, now the horse is ridden
by Faithful and True, a synonym for many of the titles of
Baha'u'llah.
Examples of his titles that are equivalent to 'Faithful and
True' are: Bearer of the Trust of God, Fountain of the Root of
Knowledge, Well Spring of Revelation, Bird of the Throne, Word
of Truth, Sun of Truth, Day Star of Divine Revelation.
'Faithful and True' (Greek 'Pistos kai Alethinos') has a
literal value of 1269 by gematria and an archetypal value of 9,
the Seal of Baha'u'llah. There may be a double-entendre here;
1269 AH is also the date of the third woe, the Revelation to
Baha'u'llah in the Black Pit.
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many
crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he
himself. -Rev 19:12
'Eyes as a flame of fire' was introduced in 1:14 and 2:18,
and describes the stunning eyes of Baha'u'llah. The many crowns
he wears are his many titles and his sovereignty over the
Divinely revealed Faiths of the world.
360 variants of the word 'Baha'' ('Glory') were written by
the Bab on his mystic Tablet called the 'White Stone' (2:17).
When this Tablet was delivered to his devotees, only 'Husayn-'Ali
knew that the name referred to him, and that the Tablet revealed
the Name of the next Manifestation.
The Covenant is always transmitted through the Ages by the
'White Stone.' Although false prophets will always claim the
'White Stone' as their own, only the True Prophet, the
Manifestation of God, is capable of revealing its hidden contents
and through the power of His Utterance prove that its concealed
Name refers only to Himself.
HIS VESTURE:
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name
is called The Word of God. -Rev 19:13
His 'vesture dipped in blood' alludes to the cloak of
Joseph. {3} In the Genesis story, the brothers of Joseph become
jealous over a beautiful multicolored cloak given to him by their
father Jacob. They hatch a plot to get rid of Joseph and throw
him into a pit in the wilderness. In order to explain the
disappearance of Joseph to their father, they soak the cloak in
blood as evidence that he had been devoured by a wild beast. The
Genesis story goes on to recount the eventual triumph of Joseph
over his family in Egypt through the power bestowed upon him by
pharaoh.
The story of Joseph is a prophecy of the sufferings of
Baha'u'llah and his eventual triumph. As a result of the
confiscation of his property, Baha'u'llah was left without even a
cloak to wear. His loved ones pieced together a multicolored
cloak made of remnants of other garments. The resulting garment
was then, literally, dyed red.
Indeed, the sufferings sustained by Baha'u'llah are
historic. Though born into a wealthy and powerful family (as was
Lord Buddha), his property was confiscated, he was imprisoned in
dungeons and jails, bound by massive chains, banished from place
to place over a period of 40 years, was the target of numerous
conspiracies and attempts on his life, was poisoned twice, and
underwent the torture of the bastinado. "By the righteousness of
God! The tribulations we have sustained are such that any pen
that recounteth them cannot but be overwhelmed with anguish. No
one of them that truly believe and uphold the unity of God can
bear the burden of their recital. So great have been our
sufferings that even the eyes of Our enemies have wept over Us,
and beyond them those of every discerning person." -BH {4}
The 'Word of God' (Greek ''O Logos Theou') has a literal
value of 927 and an archetypal value of 9, the Seal of
Baha'u'llah. Some of the titles of Baha'u'llah that are synonyms
for this phrase are: Pen of the Most High, Voice of the Ancient
of Days, the Mystic Herald, Voice From the Burning Bush,
Fountain of Wisdom, Tongue of Eternity, Spirit of God, Pen of
the Most Great Name.
HIS RETINUE:
And the armies which were in heaven followed him on white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth
goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:
and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he
hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF
KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. -Rev 19:14-16
The weapon of the Lord of Hosts is the Sword of Truth. Even
though his weapon is not physical, he rules the nations with a
'rod of iron,' not with a shepherd's hook. He is the Divine
Reaper, and is KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.{5}
Baha'u'llah has declared himself, in unequivocal terms, to
be 'King of Kings.'{6} Although many have claimed that the title
belongs to Jesus, nowhere do we find evidence that Jesus actually
claimed this title or any of the other titles implied by these
verses. There is substantial evidence in the New Testament that
Jesus claimed the title 'Messiah' or 'Christ', but not the title
'King of Kings.'
Paradoxically, the best evidence that Jesus, in truth, was
the 'Messiah of the Jews' comes from the Tablets of Baha'u'llah,
wherein the spiritual rank of Jesus is exalted in unparalleled
terms. Jesus alludes to this paradox in John:
'When the Spirit of Truth comes .... . He will glorify me, for he
will take what is mine and make it known to you.' -REB: John
16:13,14
HIS DEVOTEES ARE INVITED:
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a
loud voice, saying to all the fouls that fly in the midst of
heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of
the great God: -Rev 19:17
[REB: 17 .... He cried aloud to all the birds flying in mid-
heaven: ...]
The angel stands in the Sun of Truth and invites the birds
of 'mid-heaven' to partake of the wedding feast of the Lamb.
In Jesus' Parable of he Wedding Feast, the Master of the
household (the Manifestation) invites his friends and colleagues
(devotees) to come to a magnificent feast. They all decline,
giving one excuse or another. Finally, in anger, the Master
tells his servant to
'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town, and
bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame ... I
want my house full. I tell you, not one of those who were
invited shall taste my banquet.' -REB: Luke 14:21-24
In 18:2 we learned that the civilization created by the
whore of Babylon has become the "cage of every unclean and
hateful bird." Now we see that the social rejects and
disenfranchised of that civilization are to partake of the feast.
In response to the question,
"Where, Lord [is to be the Kingdom of God]?"
Jesus answered,
"Where the carcass is, there will the vultures gather." -REB:
Luke 17:20, 37
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains,
and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them
that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond,
both small and great. -Rev 19:18
The social rejects and disenfranchised are invited to
consume the 'flesh' of those who have become rich and powerful
through the use of false doctrine during the Piscean Age. The
four horses and their riders of Chapter 6 are specifically
included in the repast (the corrupt religious leaders, the
warmongers, the captains of economic injustice, and the ungodly).
The repast also includes those socially underprivileged who 'wear
the wrong garments' to the feast {7}, that is, those who may be
victims but who violate the Covenant.
"For many are invited, but few are chosen." {8}
HIS ENEMIES GATHER FOR BATTLE:
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army. -Rev 19:19
The caliphate and the other corrupt powers of the earth
gather their forces in an attempt to destroy the Message of
Baha'u'llah, the Divine Reaper.
Besides the murders, imprisonments, torture and
persecutions of Baha'is in the East, we see the forces of
negation starting to gather in the West. 'Bahai-ism' is
occasionally attacked from the pulpit; emotionally charged books
that falsely label the Baha'i Faith as a 'cult,' or as simply an
'heretical sect of Islam' are now available in bookstores;
individuals and groups, both overt and covert, are attacking the
Faith through various media.
HIS ENEMIES TAKEN:
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that
wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had
received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his
image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning
with brimstone. -Rev 19:20
[REB: 20 The beast was taken prisoner, along with the false
prophet who had worked miracles in its presence ...]
The annihilation of the caliphate, and the collapse of the
'Azali' movement (the partisans of Mirza Yahya) are specifically
prophesied.
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon
the horse, which sword proceedeth out of his mouth: and all the
fowls were filled with their flesh. -Rev 19:21
The remainder of those named in the indictment of verse 18
are to be vanquished by the Word of God emanating from the Pen of
Baha'u'llah, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.{9}
CHAPTER 20- SATAN BOUND
SYNOPSIS:
This chapter reveals the meaning of 'death,' 'resurrection,'
the 'second death,' etc., and even gives a brief glimpse of
events of the next thousand years! The sequence of events
[beginning with the rejection of Jesus], is as follows:{1}
Rejection of Jesus the Messiah = First Death
Acceptance of Baha'u'llah = First Resurrection
Satan bound a thousand years
Judgement of the dead
Rejection of Baha'u'llah - Second Death
The Millennium of Peace
Satan released for a short time
Gog and Magog wage war on the saints
'Fire from heaven' = another Manifestation of God (?)
Second Resurrection
Satan bound a second time
The chapter opens with satanic forces of deception being
'bound' for a thousand years, that is, the 'Millennium.' But we
are warned that, afterwards, these negative forces will be loosed
once again for a 'little season.'
The power of spiritual dominion during the thousand years is
to be given to those 'sitting on thrones,' that is, to the Baha'i
Universal House of Justice. The 'psyches' of the righteous of the
Piscean Age are to be 'resurrected' and will reign with the
Anointed One, Baha'u'llah, during that thousand years.
The remaining 'psyches' will not become 'resurrected' until
the end of the thousand years.
After the thousand years, the satanic forces of deception
will, once again, be loosed into the world. Another great 'war'
is forecast, this time waged by the evil forces of 'Gog and
Magog' against the 'camp of the saints' [Mount Carmel?] and the
'beloved city' [Haifa or Jerusalem?]. But 'fire from God'
[another Manifestation?] will overpower the satanic forces of Gog
and Magog. The 'Deceiver' and the guilty are to be judged and
cast into the 'lake of fire' by One sitting on a 'great white
throne' [Baha'u'llah or the next Manifestation?].
We recall that in a letter to the Aquarian Jews (the
Church of 'Smyrna'), verse 2:11, those Jews who are able to
overcome the false teachings within their Faith will be able to
avoid the 'second death.' Their 'first death' followed from their
rejection of the healing Message of Jesus. As a consequence,
their Temple was destroyed, Jerusalem became a desolate ruin, and
they were sent into a world-wide exile that lasted for almost
two-millennia. The 'Exile' itself has become their religion, in
which they cling to the hope of a 'Messiah,' presumably a genetic
descendant of David {2}, who will come to restore their kingdom
and the glory of ancient days. Their religion has become a 'dead'
religion of tradition, without 'spirit.'
SATAN BOUND A THOUSAND YEARS:
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the
bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold
on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan,
and bound him a thousand years, 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. -Rev
20:1-3
Following the triumph of Baha'u'llah, the forces of negation
and deception will be held in check for a thousand years, the
'Millennium.' But, for a brief time following the thousand
years, satanic forces will once again be released into the world
of man.
JUDGEMENT AND THE FIRST RESURRECTION :
And I saw thrones, and they that sat on 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
reigned with Christ a thousand years. -Rev 20:4
The power of spiritual dominion will be given to the
Baha'i Universal House of Justice who sit on nine THRONES {16}
during the Millennium. The 'souls' of the righteous will be
'resurrected' and will reign with the Anointed One for the
duration of the Millennium. Among those souls will be the martyrs
of Jesus, and of those who died for the Word of God from every
Divinely revealed Faith, and even those true Muslims who voted
with their feet to avoid paying the taxes that kept the 'beast'
alive during the Piscean Age.
The 'resurrection' will be of 'souls' (Greek 'psyche'), not
of 'bodies.' The meaning of this is that the heavenly attributes
and virtues of the saintly and righteous of former Dispensations
will become re-manifested among those reigning with the Anointed
One.
".... 'In very truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of
God without being born of water and spirit. Flesh can give birth
only to flesh; it is spirit that gives birth to spirit ..."
"Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and
I will raise him up at the last day. ... This is the bread which
came down from heaven; it is not like the bread which our
father's ate; they are dead, but whoever eats this bread will
live for ever." -REB: John 3:5-6, 6:54-58
"... Even as Jesus said: 'Ye must be born again.'{3}
Again He saith, 'Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the
flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'
The purport of these words is that whosoever in every
dispensation {4} is born of the Spirit and is quickened by the
breath of the Manifestation of Holiness, he verily is of those
that have attained 'life' and 'resurrection' and have entered the
'paradise' of the love of God. And whosoever is not of them, is
condemned to 'death' and 'deprivation,' to the 'fire' of
unbelief, and to the 'wrath' of God. In all scriptures, the
books and chronicles, the sentence of death, of fire, of
blindness, of want of understanding and hearing, hath been
pronounced against those whose lips have tasted not the etherial
cup of true knowledge, and whose hearts have been deprived of the
grace of the Holy Spirit in their day. Even as it hath been
previously recorded: 'Hearts have they with which they understand
not.' " -BH {5}
"He (Jesus) said, 'If any man eat this bread, he shall live
forever.' That is to say whosoever assimilates these divine
perfections which are within me will never die; whosoever has a
share and partakes of these heavenly bounties I embody will find
eternal life; he who takes unto himself these divine lights shall
find life everlasting.' How manifest the meaning is! How
evident! For the soul which acquires divine perfections and
seeks heavenly illumination from the teachings of Christ will
undoubtedly live eternally. This is one of the mysteries of
sacrifice." -AB {7}
THE SECOND DEATH:
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years
were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and
holy is he that hath a 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. -Rev
20:5-6
John learns that many 'psyches' will not be re-manifested in
the First Resurrection. Those righteous psyches who are
re-manifested will reign as 'priests' with the Anointed One
(Baha'u'llah) for the duration of the Millennium.
Apparently there will be many who do not accept the
Revelation of Baha'u'llah. These will be excluded from the New
Jerusalem that will 'come down from God out of heaven' in the
next chapter.
SATAN RELEASED AGAIN; GOG AND MAGOG:
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed
out of his prison. 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: and the number of whom is as the
sand of the sea. -Rev 20:7-8
[REB: 7-8 When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be let
loose from his prison, and he will come out to seduce the nations
in the four quarters of the earth. He will muster them for war,
the hosts of Gog and Magog, countless as the sands of the sea.]
The enigmatic forces of Gog and Magog that are the subject
of Ezekiel {6} are introduced. Just exactly who these names
represent has been the subject of much speculation and debate.
Such speculation is fruitless, since the events prophesied in
these and following verses are to transpire a thousand years from
now, and prophecies are only helpful in elucidating the past, not
in predicting the future. A few points will be stressed that are
evident from these verses and other sources:
The forces are to be very numerous and will come from a
wide region, perhaps the whole earth.
At least a thousand years will have elapsed from the
Revelation of Baha'u'llah. Ezekiel {8} informs us that Israel
will have been restored and at peace for a long time.
The object of the invasion will be to take spoils. {9}
The invasion will fail through divine agency. {10}
Those are the salient points regarding Gog and Magog that
can be gleaned from the biblical texts. But there are other
points to be found in the Qur'an regarding Gog and Magog:
Their forces will "hasten from every high land." {11}
A Figure (code-named?) "Dhoulkarnain" (literally 'The
two-horned') will be given power by God to lead forces against
Gog and Magog. {12}
SATAN BOUND A SECOND TIME:
9 And they went up to 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. 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. -Rev 20:9-10
[REB: 9 They marched over the breadth of the land and laid siege
to the camp of God's people and the city that he loves. But fire
came down on them from heaven and consumed them.]
These are necessarily pure speculations: The 'camp of
God's people' may allude to the Baha'i World Center on Mount
Carmel. The 'city that He loves' could be Jerusalem; then again
it could be Haifa, or some other city that will be loved by God
during the Millennium of Peace.
The 'fire from heaven' correlates with Ezekiel {13} and the
Qur'an {14}. The meaning is ambiguous, and it could mean the
fiery words of a prophet or of another Manifestation of God. We
shall have to wait and see.
THE GREAT WHITE THRONE:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them. -Rev 20:11
Again the words are ambiguous, probably by design. Is the
One sitting on the throne Baha'u'llah, or is he/she the
Manifestation who will follow Baha'u'llah? {15}
No 'place' for whom? The answer is found in verse 14-
"Hades and Death." After the Millennium, the Dragon is to be
captured and imprisoned for a second time, and finally cast into
the "lake of fire" where the beast and the false prophet are
already bound.
Some may be disappointed that the next thousand years is
not an 'open book.' If it were so, there would be no test from
heaven 'about the weight of a talent' for the next spiritual
generation. Baha'u'llah has warned us not to expect another
Manifestation of God until at least a full thousand years has
transpired, but has not specified the maximum time for us to
wait. The Writings also tell us that the 'Age of Prophecy' began
with the Prophet Adam and ended with Muhammad, the 'Seal of the
Prophets.' The 'Age of Fulfillment' began with the Bab, but its
duration has not been revealed. We are told, however, that the
future Manifestations will be 'under the shadow' of Baha'u'llah
for, perhaps, five-hundred-thousand years.
THE SECOND DEATH:
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. 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. 14 And death and hell were cast into
the lake of fire. This is the second death. -Rev 20:12-14
[REB: 14 Then Death and Hades were flung into the lake of fire.
This lake of fire is the second death; ]
The 'second death' is the 'lake' of spiritual torment and
unbelief. The sea of humanity is to be judged according to their
deeds in the Balance of the Word of God.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. -Rev 20:15
CHAPTER 21- THE HOLY CITY
SYNOPSIS:
After having a glimpse of the Millennium of Peace, John is
now granted the inestimable privilege of seeing, in figurative
form, the new Jerusalem that will attend the Manifestation of the
Glory of God, Baha'u'llah. The new Jerusalem is to be the
fulfillment of the prophecies of Jesus and the Jewish prophets of
old.
The chapter opens with John seeing 'a new sky and a new
earth'; it is the future Age of Aquarius. New spiritual and
material laws attend the new Age. The sea of uncertainty that
attended the Piscean Age will have disappeared.
The City of 'new Jerusalem' will replace Babylon, the wicked
city. John sees the new Jerusalem descending, figuratively, from
the cosmos. It is to be an earthly microcosm of the heavenly
macrocosm.
The new Law is characterized as the 'bride' that will be re-
married to the Covenant- the Lamb. The Tabernacle of God, long
since disappeared from the earthly realm, will, once again, exist
on earth with mankind. Spiritual pain and the sorrow of death
will disappear.
The Alpha and the Omega, Baha', will make all things new,
and the Word of God will be disbursed throughout humanity without
cost. Those souls who have overcome the false teachings of the
former Faiths shall inherit all the City's spiritual riches, and
they shall be sons of God. Those who are fearful of investing
their single 'talent of silver,'the atheists, the despicable,
etc., will be deprived of the spiritual riches of the new
Jerusalem.
John is carried to a high place where he can see the new
Jerusalem in all its panoramic splendor. He sees that it has
Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, as its Governor. The City
resembles, in microcosm, the heavens, with its twelve celestial
gates (the zodiac), and with each gate guarded by an angel. As
explained in Genesis 49, the names of the twelve tribes are
inscribed on the gates. The 12 foundations are seen to be
inscribed by the names of the 12 Apostles, just as Jesus had
promised.
The City has a pyramidal shape with sacred dimensions. An
angel measures the Sacred City with a spiritual measure, a
'golden reed.' The occult pyramid, like the Baha'i House of
Worship, is seen to contain 9, the number of Baha', in various
parameters, and to fit perfectly inside the celestial sphere from
which it descended, thereby marrying the material and spiritual
laws in perfect harmony.
The protective outer wall of the City is also seen to have
sacred dimensions, but this time it is metered by the cubit, a
sacred measure of the Perfect Man. The 'height' of the wall is
twice-72 cubits, corresponding to the 144-multitudes who are to
be redeemed from all Ages and Faiths.
Even the materials used in the building of the Sacred City
are seen to have spiritual significance. The 12 Foundation Stones
represent the 12 Basic Principles of the Baha'i Faith. Only those
with the innocence of pearls will be allowed to enter the gates
of the new Jerusalem.
The City contains no physical 'temples,' that is, 'barriers'
that separate God from man; Baha'u'llah is to give 'light' to the
City while 'Abdu'l-Baha is to be its 'lamp.' Neither is there to
be a priestly hierarchy.
THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH:
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven
and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
-Rev 21:1
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass
away." - REB: Matt 24:35
The prophecy of Jesus becomes fulfilled with this verse. The
Precession of the Equinoxes has caused the 'heaven' or 'sky'
(Greek 'ouranos') of the Piscean Age to give way to the sky of
the Aquarian Age. By the 'law of correspondences' the 'earth'
(Greek 'ge') has also been replaced by a new Era of human
affairs. But even though we have a new sky and a new
civilization, the words of Jesus are still with us!
The Divine Law is always composed of two parts: the eternal
spiritual Law that remains unchanged from Age to Age, and the
material Law that must be altered to accommodate the evolutionary
changes in the human condition. For example, in the Aquarian
Age, the Law of only One God, and the 'Golden Rule' are still in
effect. But there is no longer ambiguity regarding the
permissibility of slavery, or the equality of men and women.
Also, we are living in a world of technology and science, a world
inconceivable to the common citizen of the Piscean Age. The Law
of the 'new earth' must accommodate these and other irreversible
facts of human history.
"No more sea" means that there will no longer be the 'sea'
of chaos, of doubt and disbelief concerning the existence of God,
or of life after death, and other Divinely revealed truths among
the citizens of the new Jerusalem.
JOHN SEES THE NEW JERUSALEM:
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. -Rev
21:2
"O ye beloved of God! O ye children of the Kingdom! Verily,
verily the new heaven and the new earth are come. The holy City,
new Jerusalem, hath come down from heaven on high in the form of
a maid of heaven, veiled, beauteous, and unique, and prepared for
reunion with her lovers on earth." -AB {1}
The symbol of Isaiah {2} is alluded to. But in Isaiah, her
husband is the Lord of hosts, the Holy One of Israel. In the
Apocalypse, her husband is to be the Lamb, a symbol of the
Sacrificial Hero and the Eternal Covenant. Either way, the
symbol is valid, since the marriage symbolizes the renewal of he
Covenant by the Twin Manifestation.
'Jerusalem' (Greek 'Hierousalem') has a literal value of
864 and an archetypal value of 9, the Seal of Baha'u'llah. 864
is exactly twice 432, the literal value of 'new name,' {3} which
also has an archetypal value of 9.
THE TABERNACLE IS WITH MANKIND:
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and
be their God. -Rev 21:3
[REB: 3 I heard a loud voice proclaiming from the throne: 'Now
God has his dwelling with mankind!]
The voice is that of Baha'u'llah, the Bird of the
Celestial Throne.
THE END OF SPIRITUAL DEATH:
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. -
Rev 21:4
As in most of the Apocalypse, the words are to be taken
spiritually. In the new Jerusalem, the belief in the eternal
life of the spirit will be firmly grounded, no longer lost in a
sea of uncertainty and doubt. The sorrow, crying and anguish of
physical death will be eliminated.
The verse alludes to Isaiah: {4}
....l take delight in Jerusalem and rejoice in my people; the
sound of weeping, the cry of distress will be heard in her no
more. - REB: Isaiah 65:19
The same chapter of Isaiah also quotes the words of
Baha'u'llah: "Here am I! Here am I!",{5} spoken to a nation that
does not invoke him by name. It also contains an interesting
reference to Achor and Sharon: "....; they will belong to my
people who seek me." {6} "But you that forsake the Lord and
ignore my holy mountain, who spread a table for the god of Fate,
and fill bowls of spiced wine in honour of Destiny, I shall
destine you for the sword, ..." {7} "I am creating new heavens
and a new earth!" {8} Greatly extended physical longevity is
prophesied. {9} "The wolf and the lamb will feed together and the
lion will eat straw like the ox, and as for the serpent, its food
will be dust. Neither hurt nor harm will be done in all my holy
mountain, says the Lord." {10} {11}
THE ALPHA AND OMEGA MAKES ALL THINGS NEW:
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and
faithful. And said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst
of the fountain of the water of life freely. -Rev 21:5-6
The words are "true and faithful" because they come from
"Faithful and True," the rider of the white horse in verse 19:11.
Recall that Faithful and True has an archetypal value of 9, as
does Alpha and Omega. In contrast to former sacerdotal orders
that may have required a tithe or a payment in return for the
dispensing of sacraments, the Word of God is to be disbursed free
of charge in the new Age.
The 'beginning and the end' alludes to:
"From the beginning I reveal the end, from ancient times what is
yet to be; I say, 'My purpose stands, I shall accomplish all that
I please.' I summon a bird of prey from the east- from a distant
land a man to fulfil my design. ..." -REB: Isaiah 46:10-11
The words of El remind us of a claim of Baha'u'llah: "I am
the royal Falcon on the arm of the Almighty."{30}
THE SAVED AND THE DAMNED:
He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving,
and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and
sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in
the lake of fire which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is
the second death. -Rev 21:7-8
The "fearful" are the first on the list of those who will
suffer the second death- those devotees of past Faiths who are
afraid to risk their single talent of silver will not become sons
of God, the citizens of the new Jerusalem. Atheists, the obscene
and liars of every kind will suffer the same fate as murderers,
fornicators, sorcerers and idolaters.
JOHN IS PERMITTED TO SEE THE BRIDE:
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the
seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me,
saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,
descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and
her light was like unto stone most precious, even like a jasper
stone, clear as a crystal; -Rev 21:9-11
It has been an objective of man down through the Ages to
mirror God's heavenly realm with physical structures. Now John
witnesses the ancient dream becoming a reality as the holy City
descends from the God of the heavens and the earth. The new
Jerusalem is to exist on the earthly plane, not suspended in
space somewhere in the outer cosmos. It will be an earthly
microcosm of the heavenly macrocosm.
Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, is to be the name of the
Manifestation who will govern the new Jerusalem. His name is
given for the second time in the Apocalypse, the first being in
15:8.
The jasper stone, {12} already mentioned in 4:3, symbolizes
the oneness of humanity, having many colors but particularly red,
the hue of the human heart. Baha'u'llah's mission includes, as a
paramount objective, the unification of mankind with all their
various Faiths.
THE TWELVE GATES OF THE CITY:
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the
names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east
three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates;
and on the west three gates. -Rev 21:12-13
The twelve gates correspond to the twelve zodiacal signs
and their supposed divine (angelic) influences in the world of
man.
'Abdu'l-Baha {16} has revealed the significance of the
twelve gates. His Tablets are summarized:
According to the theories of astrologers (not to be taken
literally {17}), the world of physical possibilities is
determined by the dawning place of the phenomenal sun shining
through those constellations. Similarly, the Sun of Truth
manifests and pours forth His bounty in twelve constellations of
holiness. The twelve constellations of holiness have been
manifested in different Ages as the twelve sons of Jacob, the
twelve chiefs of tribes with Moses, the twelve Apostles of Jesus,
and the twelve Imams of Islam. {18}
The Heavenly Jerusalem, the sacred Law of God, therefore
has twelve Gates or Stars of Guidance through which advancing
souls enter into the City of God. Each one of the holy souls in
the twelve constellations of holiness has received the power of
Divine confirmation. Since, symbolically, the Twelve Gates
surround the entire universe, all existence is under the shadow
of these souls, and these Gates are the foundations of the City
of God, the Divine Jerusalem.
In contrast to the heavenly macrocosm that was considered to
be a sphere, the base of the earthly microcosm is square, with
sides oriented to the four cardinal directions and four corners
symbolic of the equinoxes and solstices. We recall that the names
on the gates were derived in Chapter 7 by correlating Genesis 49
with Revelation 7:5-8: {19}
Reuben/Aquarius, Zebulon/Pisces, Gad/Aries, Issachar/Taurus,
Simeon & Levi/Gemini, Benjamin/Cancer, Judah/Leo, Dinah
(veiled)/Virgo, Asher/Libra, Manasses/Flying Eagle,
Joseph/Sagittarius, Nephtali/Capricorn.{13}
The zodiac as revealed in Chapter 7 has two remarkable
differences from the pre-Piscean male-dominated zodiac. Due to
the coalescing of Simeon & Levi into the single sign of Gemini, a
space in the zodiac is left for Virgo. Thus in the Piscean Age,
womanhood was secretly elevated to her rightful place in the sun.
This accounts for the influence of Virgo (though still veiled) in
the holy Figures of Mary and Fatima. Secondly, the occult
substitution of Manasses/Flying Eagle for Dan/Scorpio invalidated
the theory that evil influences emanate from the zodiac through
the sign Scorpio, which, according to astrological theology,
derives its power from the God of the cosmos. Thus God became
totally benevolent, the God of Love, and evil influences could no
longer be attributed to Him. These principles are overtly
elevated to the rank of revealed Law in the Aquarian Age.
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WALL:
And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the
names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. -Rev 21:14
In this case, the Lamb is Jesus, and his Twelve Apostles
are memorialized forever by correlating their names with the
Twelve Foundation Stones of the new Jerusalem.
We have previously discussed the probable names of the
Apostles corresponding to each of the twelve zodiacal signs. To
review: {14}
Simon-Peter the Fisherman = Pisces; Levi the Tax Collector
= Libra; Simon the Zealot = Aries; Thomas the Doubter = Taurus;
James & John the Sons of Thunder = Gemini; Judas Iscariot the
Betrayer = Scorpio. {15} Also Mary the Virgin (veiled) = Virgo.
Less likely are Andrew, brother of Simon-Peter (also a fisherman)
= Aquarius; Judas, son of James (also a fisherman) = Cancer.
But Scorpio is to be removed from his position in the zodiac
in the Aquarian Age. As explained in Acts 1:26, Matthi'as was
chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot. Therefore the new sign
replacing Judas Iscariot/Scorpio is Matthi'as/Flying Eagle.
Unknown are the roles of Philip, Bartholomew and Matthew, who are
probably to be correlated with Leo, Sagittarius and Capricorn.
THE SPIRITUAL METERING STICK:
And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city,
and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. -Rev 21:15
"In this Greatest Day, the rod of the plant and the rod of
iron are changed into a rod which is of pure gold and is from the
endless treasuries of the Kingdom of God." {20}
THE SACRED GEOMETRY:
And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the
breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand
furlongs. The length and breadth and height of it are equal. -
Rev 21:16
The verse is ambiguous, but regardless of the assumptions
made, the dimensions of the holy City can be shown to have occult
significance.
Although many geometric figures have equal length, breadth
and height, the most ubiquitous are the cube and the pyramid. In
a pilgrim's note {21} 'Abdu'l-Baha explains that a pyramidal
shape is intended by the verse, since it is a natural and
enduring shape.
Besides the symbolism of the pyramid as mirroring the
natural and enduring qualities of the pristine Word of God, one
recognizes the fact that pyramids have been built as sacred
structures throughout the oecumene, the most impressive, perhaps,
being those at Giza. {22}
The 12-thousand furlongs of verse 16 correlate with the 12
signs of the zodiac, and the pyramid's base becomes 3-thousand
furlongs (an earthly measure) on each side. But how do we measure
the height of the pyramid? With only a golden rod, the only
remaining dimension of the pyramid that can be readily measured
is the slant edge, and this will be taken as its 'height.' And,
indeed, a work by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus
strengthens this conjecture, since the length of the slant edge
was given to Herodotus as the height of the Great Pyramid by an
Egyptian priest, circa 450 BCE.
Thus the holy City becomes a perfect pyramid with all 8
edges equalling 3,000 units of earthly measure.
The first inference that can be drawn from this geometry is
that it will fit perfectly inside a hemisphere, with the square
base just inside the circle. {22} The square, in astrological
geometry, represents the 'square earth,' while the circle
represents the 'eternal circle of heaven.' By analogy, the
square base of the pyramid represents the temporal Law of God
that must be modified to fit contingent historical conditions,
while the enclosing circle represents the eternal Law that
remains unchanged throughout the Ages. The holy City thus
'squares the circle,' {23} the ancient dream of mystics
throughout the Ages.
The corners of the base of the pyramid represent the four
'pillars' of the Aquarian Age: Baha'u'llah, 'Abdu'l-Baha, the
Bab, and Shoghi Effendi.{24} The apex of the pyramid represents
the Apex of the world {25} and points the way to the open door in
heaven.
The four sides of the pyramid correspond, not only to the
four annual seasons, but to the four zodiacal seasons, one full
zodiacal year {26} being the time required for the Precession of
the Equinoxes to complete a full cycle of the zodiac. The last
zodiacal season, beginning at the Age of Taurus and ending at the
start of the Age of Aquarius, covered a period of about 6,500
years, roughly equal to the traditional duration of the Adamic
Cycle.
It can be shown with a little algebra {27} that the
following parameters of the holy City will each have an
archetypal value of 9:
The area of the base
The perimeter of each triangular face
The area of each triangular face
The total area of the four triangular faces
The total area of the pyramid
The volume of the pyramid
That the dimensions of the holy City contain hidden
meanings can be inferred by the emphasis placed upon them by
Ezekiel. But the dimensions, like the holy City itself, are
symbolic, not physical. Zechariah reveals that the real
Jerusalem cannot be measured, nor will it have physical walls:
"... I myself shall be a wall of fire around it, says the Lord,
and a glorious presence within it." -REB: Zech 2:1-5
THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL:
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and
four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the
angel. -Rev 21:17
[REB: 17 Its wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits high, by
human measurements, which the angel used.]
The verse alludes to the 'royal gift of the cubit,' a
custom of antiquity in which the forearm of the priest-king was
designated as the unit of measure that would prevail as the
harmonizing principle (Egyptian 'neter') during his reign. The
Manifestation, as both man and angel, is the Perfect Man and the
Only Son of God during his Dispensation. He is, therefore, the
measure of all things human.
Twice-72 was first introduced in Chapter 7. Among other
things, it is another clue to the identity of the Manifestation,
since its archetypal value is 9, the literal value of 'Baha'' and
the Seal of Baha'u'llah. We now see the number connected with
the 'wall' that will protect the holy City. The twice-72 'working
arms' are the specially endowed and confirmed souls, the primal
points or 'mustard seeds' cast over the soil of mankind, who will
guard, nurture and protect the Heavenly Garden, the new
Jerusalem.
Recall that ancient Jewish mystics believed that YHWH had
12-times-6 three-letter names called the 'Divided Name of YHWH.'
{31} Thus, in past Ages, each gate of the invisible zodiac
emanated 6 spiritual attributes. Because of the Twin
Manifestation, twice-6 attributes are to emanate from each sign
during the Aquarian Age.
Since the cubit is a 'spiritual measure,' its use is
appropriate as a measure of the new Jerusalem. In astrological
symbolism, the 144 cubits measure the spiritual attributes
emanating from the heavenly realm that will enrich, guide and
protect the citizens of the holy City.
With the new clue, the number 9 is indicated 7-times in the
dimensions of the new Jerusalem. {28}
The dimensions of the new Jerusalem reflect the dimensions
of the Baha'i House of Worship, 'The Dawning Place of God's
Praise.' Several of these highly symbolic structures now exist
throughout the world. Their architectural canon has been
enjoined by Baha'u'llah as having a dome, nine sides, and nine
doors. It can be shown, again using the circular property of 9,
that the following 7 parameters of these structures each have an
archetypal value of 9:
The perimeter of the wall
The area of the wall
The area of the dome
The volume of the dome
The area of the floor
The total area of the exterior
The total enclosed volume
Besides being the literal value of 'Baha'' and the Seal of
Baha'u'llah, the 9 symbolizes the highest unity, being the
greatest single digit number. The 9 doors represent the essential
unity of man and the Divinely Revealed Faiths. In ancient
number symbolism, 9 is the 'number of finality, judgement, and
the fulfillment of prophecy.' It is also the 'Perfected Triad'
(3-times-3).
THE MATERIAL OF THE WALL AND ITS FOUNDATIONS:
And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city
was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of
the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious
stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire;
the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth,
sardonyx; the sixth, beryl; the seventh, chrysolyte; the
eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus;
the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. -Rev 21:18-20
The verses allude to Isaiah {32} in which the Bride, now
purified and redeemed, is to be married to the Lord of Hosts, the
Holy One of Israel. Her City will have foundations of sapphires,
battlements of red jasper, gates of garnet, and boundary stones
of precious jewels.
In the context of Revelation, the stones have physical
attributes suggestive of the spiritual attributes of the Twelve
Basic Principles of the Baha'i Faith. {29}
The material of the wall is jasper, symbolizing the Oneness
of the World of Humanity, since it comes in many colors, but
especially red, {33} the color of the heart.
The City is of purest gold, meaning that only purity and
heavenly virtues will be found inside.
The first and foremost foundation stone is jasper, symbolic
of the principle that Humanity Is actually One race.
The second foundation stone is sapphire, a stone of truest
blue, the color of justice, faith, inspiration, loyalty and
truth. It stands for the principle of the Independent
Investigation of Truth.
The third foundation stone is chalcedony, a stone of purest
white, reflecting all seven colors (seven Faiths) equally well.
It stands for the principle that all Divinely revealed Faiths Are
essentially One, since their common origin is God, the most
manifest of the manifest, and the most hidden of the hidden.
The fourth foundation stone is emerald, a stone with the
green of nature, symbolizing harmony, unity, immortality and
humility. It uniquely harmonizes with every other color, and
stands for the principle that enlightened Religion should and
Must Be the Source of Unity.
The fifth foundation stone is sardonyx, a stone of
equi-layered red and white. It stands for the principle of the
Equality of Men (red) and Women (white).
The sixth foundation stone is sardius, a stone that changes
color depending upon how it is viewed. The same is true of
Science and Religion, and it stands for the principle of their
eventual Agreement and Unity.
The seventh foundation stone is chrysolite, a stone of
exquisitely pure green, the color of absolute sincerity,
truthfulness, purity and selflessness. Only when our hearts are
pure and free of prejudice and superstition can our secret
thoughts be engraved on the Chrysolite Tablet. The chrysolite
stands for the principle of the Elimination of All Prejudice.
The eighth foundation stone is beryl, a stone of
bluish-green, combining the attributes of the sapphire and the
emerald: justice, faith, inspiration, loyalty, truth, harmony,
unity and humility. These attributes established in the hearts
of men will permit the Establishment of Universal Peace.
The ninth foundation stone is the golden topaz, the color
of the sun. The light of knowledge and the glory of wisdom will
follow when Universal Education is established throughout the
world.
The tenth foundation stone is chrysoprasus, of clearest
green. It embodies truthfulness, justice, sincerity and purity.
These requisites are necessary for a Spiritual Solution of the
Economic Problem.
The eleventh foundation stone is jacinth. Like one form of
jasper, it is a clear red, the universal color, the color of the
human heart. The heart of one race can understand the heart of
another only when it can speak the same language. It stands for
the principle of an Auxiliary Universal Language.
The twelfth foundation stone is amethyst. Its violet
symbolizes spiritual light, reverence, healing, serenity and
poise. The World Parliament of Man must embody these attributes
in order to guide mankind in a world at peace.
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