[continued from previous page]
THE MATERIAL OF THE GATES:
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was
of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it
were transparent glass. -Rev 21:21
Pearl is the stone of innocence. Each gate is made of a
single pearl, emphasizing that the innocent and only the innocent
may enter therein. Once inside the City, they will walk on
streets of golden purity.
NO TEMPLE IS NEEDED INSIDE:
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the
Lamb are the temple of it. -Rev 21:22
[REB: 22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple was the
sovereign Lord God and the Lamb.]
A 'temple' {34} is a place 'cut off.' In ancient times,
the temple had separated enclosures with varied 'degrees of
holiness.'
In Exodus, {35} God promises to dwell among the Israelites
forever, PROVIDED Solomon and his successors {36} are obedient to
His ordinances, precepts and commands. For whatever reason,
Solomon's Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar; Zerubabel's
Temple was profaned by Syrians and Romans; Herod's Temple was
destroyed by Titus. Each catastrophe implied to the Jews that
they had become alienated from God.
In the new Jerusalem, Temple worship is no longer needed,
since there is to be no place 'cut off' from the blessings and
the light of God. The Baha'i House of Worship, contrary to
commonly held misconceptions, is not a 'temple,' since it has no
priesthood, no ritual, no altar, no pulpit, and no separated
'degrees of holiness'; it is literally, by name, intent and
practice, a 'Dawning Place of God's Praise.'
The most sacred of Baha'i institutions is the 'Nineteen Day
Feast' that is usually held in private homes. It consists of
three distinct sessions: worship, community business, and social.
During the worship session, the Sacred Writings of the Faith are
read and prayers are raised. The community business session
includes plans, reports, letters from the Friends, etc., but is
devoid of offering plates and conspicuous donations. The social
session is just that, a time in which the Friends freely mingle,
enjoy conversation and music, and share the delights offered by
the host.
NO NEED FOR THE SUN OR MOON:
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine on it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is
the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved
shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do
bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall
not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.
And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they
which are written in the Lamb's book of life. -Rev 21:23-27
[REB: 23 The city did not need the sun or moon to shine on it,
for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb.]
The words allude to Isaiah {37}, who also speaks of the
Glory of the Lord {38} and the Holy One of Israel. {40} The new
Jerusalem is to be established with their Return from lands far
away. {40}
"No sun or moon" means that no priestly hierarchy will be
needed in the City. The reason is that Baha'u'llah, the Glory of
God, will be its light, and 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Lamb, will be its
Lamp of Guidance.
Isaiah tells us something else about this light:
'The moon will shine as brightly as the sun, and the sun with
seven times its wonted brightness, like seven days' light in one
....'- REB: Isaiah 30:26
The Moon of the 'Abdu'l-Baha will shine as brightly as the
Sun of Baha'u'llah. The Sun of Baha'u'llah will shine as brightly
as the seven Days that preceded his own Day.
In verse 23 the name of Baha'u'llah is given for the third
and final time in the Apocalypse. John follows the ancient canon
of repeating the name three-times to emphasize his supreme
station.{41} The notion that 'thrice' implies the best or
greatest has extremely ancient roots. Greek 'trismegistos' =
'thrice greatest.'; Latin 'ter felix' = 'thrice-happy' or
'happiest.'
The practice of repeating three-times was, and still is
used to emphasize a prayer or sacred ritual. The formula was
adapted by practitioners of the occult arts in carrying out their
rituals and incantations. ('Third time's a charm!') Samuel
Taylor Coleridge employed it in his masterpiece KUBLA KHAN, the
closing lines of which seem to presage the Advent of Baha'u'llah:
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of paradise.
A 'Night' is the period between two Divine Manifestations
when the Sun of Truth is not manifest among men.{42} In every
past Dispensation there has been such a period. But
Baha'u'llah's unique Dispensation is the 'King of Days,' the 'Day
not followed by Night.' Thus in verse 25 we find that there is
to be "no night" in the new Jerusalem.
CHAPTER 22- EPILOGUE
This, the final chapter of the Apocalypse, is an epilogue
and conclusion.
John sees the 'water of life' flowing from the Throne of
Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, the Lamb, just as promised by
Zechariah. On either side of the river, John sees the 'tree of
life,' the Twin Manifestation, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. The
'fruits' from the Twin Trees are the blessings that flow from the
12 Basic Principles on which the Sacred City is founded. The
ancient curse that caused the destruction of the physical city of
Jerusalem in past Ages will have been overcome, because the new
Jerusalem is to be a spiritual City, not prone to the capricious
forces of worldly history. Its citizens will be able to converse
'face-to-face' with God, just as Moses had done. The name of God
will be retained in the 'foreheads' of their minds, not in
physical talismans or phylacteries.
The Dispensation of Baha'u'llah will be the 'Day not
followed by Night.'
God promises that He is 'coming soon,' that He will become
Manifest in the very next Age, and that the prophesied events
revealed to John are to commence in the very near future.
Baha'u'llah, the Alpha and the Omega, will come quickly bringing
deliverance and redemption.
The chapter ends with farewells and warnings. Jesus reminds
us that he is an offshoot from David, not of the direct line of
kings.
Finally, John curses anyone who tampers with the written
text of the Apocalypse.
The last word in the Apocalypse is "Amen,"which has a
literal value of 99 and an archetypal value of 9, the Seal of
Baha'u'llah.
[Several voices are heard. The King James Version (KJV) does
not include closed quotes, and the Revised English Bible (REB) is
employed for determining the probable voices.]
Verses 1 through 5 are spoken by John.
THE RIVER OF LIFE:
1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as a
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. -Rev
22:1
[REB: 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life,
sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the
Lamb]
The verse alludes to:
"On that day, whether in summer or in winter, running water will
issue from Jerusalem, half flowing to the eastern sea and half to
the western sea." -REB: Zechariah 14:8
The new Jerusalem will be the source of spiritual
inspiration and guidance for all peoples, whether in the East or
in the West. "We have caused the rivers of Divine utterance to
proceed out of Our throne, that the tender herbs of wisdom and
understanding may spring forth from the soil of your hearts." -BH
{1}
THE TWIN HOLY TREES:
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the
river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of
fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the
tree were for the healing of the nations. -Rev 22:2
[REB: 2 down the middle of the city's street. On either side of
the river stood a tree of life, ...]
The two 'trees of life' are the Twin Holy Trees, the Bab
and Baha'u'llah. The 'twelve manner of fruits' are the blessings
flowing from the Laws and Principles that are the twelve
foundation stones upon which the City is founded.
NO MORE CURSE:
3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and the
Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: -Rev 22:3
[REB: 3 Every accursed thing shall disappear. The throne of God
and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants shall worship
him;]
The authority of Baha'u'llah, the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha
will reside in the new Jerusalem. The only true God will be
worshipped there, whose power will be manifested in the Universal
House of Justice, sitting on God's 'holy mountain.'
'No more curse' may allude to:
"Jerusalem will be inhabited, and never again will a ban for her
destruction be laid on her; all will live there in security." -
REB: Zechariah 14:11
THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE:
And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their
foreheads. -Rev 22:4
To 'see his face' is an allusion to the event in Exodus
{2} in which Moses is permitted to converse with Jehovah
face-to-face.
Baha'u'llah is the Manifestation of Jehovah, and is the One
who spoke with Moses on Sinai. Thus, in the Dispensation of
Baha'u'llah we are permitted to see the 'face' of the Voice From
the Burning Bush.
'In their foreheads' alludes to Revelation 14:1 in which we
are told that the twice-72 multitudes of specially endowed
working arms will have the name of the Father (Baha'u'llah) of
the Lamb ('Abdu'l-Baha) written in their foreheads. {3}
NO NIGHT:
And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle,
neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and
they shall reign for ever and ever. -Rev 22:5
Again we are reminded that the Dispensation of Baha'u'llah
is the 'Day not followed by Night.' The citizens of the new
Jerusalem will not need the services of a church or a priestly
hierarchy to guide them, since they will receive their spiritual
light and guidance directly from God through His Manifestation.
THE LORD GOD PROMISES TO COME QUICKLY:
6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and
the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his
servants the things which must shortly be done. 7 Behold, I come
quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy
of this book. -Rev 22:6-7
[REB: 6 He said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true.
The Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show
his servants what soon must take place. 7 And remember, I am
coming soon!'
Happy is the man who takes to heart the words of prophecy
contained in this book!]
The quote is by the plague angel who spoke to John in
21:9, 15 & 22:1. He reminds John that it is the Lord God who
has inspired the holy prophets and Manifestations of the past,
and will do so for all the Ages to come. When the plague angel
speaks the words "I am coming soon!", he is speaking as the
Messenger of God, Who reassures John that God will manifest
Himself very soon. Indeed, He did so in the human Temple of
Muhammad about five centuries after the Revelation.
DON'T WORSHIP THE MESSENGER!
8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the
angel which shewed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See
thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren
the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God. -Rev 22:8-9
[REB: 8 It was I, John, who heard and saw these things. When I
had heard them, I prostrated myself to worship the angel who had
shown them to me. 9 But he said, 'You must not do that! I am a
fellow-servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with
those who take to heart the words of this book. It is God you
must worship.']
Once again, John is warned against worshipping the
Messenger instead of the Originator of the Message. When a
Divine Messenger speaks in the first person FOR God, this does
not equate him WITH God. Christians are especially prone to this
error, although the devotees of all Divinely revealed Faiths
commit the fallacy to various degrees. {4}
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of
this book: for the time is at hand. -Rev 22:10
The Apocalypse is a prophecy of events that will commence
very shortly. Indeed, the first great persecution of Christians
prophesied in 8:7-9 began less than a decade after the Revelation
to John, but the Advent of Baha'u'llah would not occur until
after another eighteen lunar centuries. {5}
He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let
him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy
still. -Rev 22:11
The verse reminds us of the prophecy of Daniel:
"Many will purify themselves and be refined, making themselves
shining white, but the wicked will continue in wickedness and
none of them will understand: only the wise leaders will
understand." -REB: Daniel 12:10
THE ALPHA AND OMEGA GIVES A FAREWELL AND A PROMISE:
12 And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give
every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. -Rev
22:12
[REB: 12 'I am coming soon, and bringing with me my
recompense to repay everyone according to what he has done! 13 I
am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning
and the end.']
Spoken by the plague angel for Baha'u'llah. The 'reward'
alludes to:
"This is the Lord's [Jehovah's] proclamation to earth's farthest
bounds: Tell the daughter of Zion 'See, your deliverance comes.
His reward is with him, his recompense before him.' " -REB:
Isaiah 62:11
The title 'the Alpha and the Omega' is equated with the
'first and the last' {8} and 'the beginning and the end.'
'The Alpha and the Omega' is unique to the Apocalypse. It
occurs a total of three-times in modern translations {6}, as does
the title 'the Glory of God.' Its uniqueness suggests that its
numerology should be investigated. Doing so reveals that it has
an archetypal value of 9, the literal value of Baha' and the Seal
of Baha'u'llah.
The title 'the first and the last' occurs in Isaiah {7}
where it is equated with (REB) 'the Lord [Jehovah], Israel's
King, the Lord of Hosts, his Redeemer.' Isaiah also declares that
error-free prophecy is one proof of the validity of Divine
inspiration.
THE SAVED AND THE DAMNED:
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of
the city. -Rev 22:14
[REB: 14 Happy are those who wash their robes clean! They shall
be free to eat from the tree of life ...]
The Tree of Life is the Manifestation of God. "Through
His potency the Trees of Divine Revelation have yielded their
fruits, every one of which hath been sent down in the form of a
Prophet, bearing a Message to God's creatures in each of the
worlds whose number God alone, in His all-encompassing knowledge,
can reckon." -BH {10}
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
-Rev 22:15
Spoken by John. This list of the damned should be compared to
that of 21:8. Apparently 'dogs' include the fearful, the
unbelieving, and the abominable.
"Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls to pigs:
they will only trample on them, and turn and tear you to pieces."
-REB: Matt 7:6
JESUS BIDS FAREWELL:
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things
in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and
the bright and morning star. -Rev 22:16
[REB: 16 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you with this
testimony for the churches. I am the offspring of David, the
shoot growing from his stock, the bright star of dawn.']
Probably spoken by the first angel (verse 1:1). His
testimony is to the Seven Churches of Asia. Jesus affirms that
he is the 'root' of David, that is, the 'Pre-Existent Root,' and
therefore is a Manifestation of God. In addition, he claims to be
the 'offspring of David,' though apparently not of the direct
line of historic kings. Jesus also claims to be the 'bright star
of dawn,' that is, the 'Herald' of a new day of God. {11}
It is noteworthy that, once again, Jesus fails to claim the
Throne of David, although many of his devotees must have
considered him eligible for that position. Indeed, we now know
the reason why Jesus did not claim the Throne of David. The fact
that he was an 'offspring of David' automatically interdicted any
claim that he might have had to that Throne. {16} But being
merely an 'offspring,' and not a descendant of David's direct
line of kings, did not preclude his being the Messiah. Recall
...... [Pilate asks] 'So you are the king of the Jews?'.... Jesus
replied, 'My kingdom does not belong to this world. If it did, my
followers would be fighting to save me from the clutches of the
Jews. My kingdom belongs elsewhere.' -REB: John 18:33-36
[The New International Version begins a new paragraph at
this point.]
JOHN'S CURSE:
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever
will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify
unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto
him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the
holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. -
Rev 22:17-18
[REB: 18 I, John, give this warning to everyone who is listening
to the words of prophecy in this book: if anyone adds to them,
God will add to him the plagues described in this book; 19 if
anyone takes away from the words in this book of prophecy, God
will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the
Holy City, which are described in this book.]
Perhaps Jesus should have had the last word at verse 16,
but John addends a curse on those who would corrupt the text of
the Apocalypse. It is noteworthy that John would have felt the
need to do so, and it implies that corruption of the Word was not
a rare occurrence in the early Christian Church.
Indeed, corruption of the Word created the great whore of
Babylon that has plagued Christendom during the Piscean Age,
whose offspring is the mayhem that we now observe among the
thousands of Christian sects. As archaeologists and antiquarians
discover more pristine versions of Sacred Texts, the extent to
which corruption has taken place will become more evident. One
proven case is the Gospel of Mark. Although it is considered by
biblical scholars to be the most reliable of the Gospels,
nevertheless it is known to have had about twelve-and-a-half
verses addended, and there may have been other alterations. The
corruption of the Sacred Texts resulted in several hundred years
of trial-and-error before a canon of New Testament works could be
accepted by a significant body of Christians, and even today the
debate goes on.
It is always tempting to a scribe or a translator to alter
or add a word, a phrase or a verse to bring it more in line with
his own concepts or those of humanly limited theologians and
commentators. At other times, alterations may be accidental or
even unconscious. It is probably because the Apocalypse is so
cryptic that it has remained relatively free of such distortions.
Candidly, no one knew where or how to alter the text. {12}
Most of the alterations of the text of the Apocalypse are
relatively benign, but there is one significant exception. An
early version of the Apocalypse altered the number of the beast
of the Apocalypse from 666 to 616, apparently to make the value
equal to that of 'Nero Caesar,' {13} a blue ribbon villain that
many early Christians considered to be the anti-Christ.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus. -Rev 22:20
[REB: 20 He who gives this testimony says: 'Yes, I am coming
soon!' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!]
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be unto you all. Amen. -Rev
22:21
If not with Jesus' testimony at verse 16, the Revelation
should certainly have ended with John's curse, but part of verse
20 and all of 21 seem to have been addended. {14} The addendum
reflects the ardent hope among the early Christians that Jesus
would return in the flesh to establish the Kingdom of God during
their own lifetimes.
It is here that another great secret of the Apocalypse
becomes evident! The last word of the Apocalypse is 'Amen,'
whether or not we decide that the Apocalypse has been addended
after John's curse. At several places in the Apocalypse we have
been advised to consider 'the Alpha and the Omega.' Finally, at
22:13 we are advised to look at the 'beginning and the end, the
first and the last.' And what are the first and last words of
the Apocalypse? The first word is 'Apocalypse,' the last word is
'Amen.'
The first word 'Apocalypse' has a literal value of 1512
which has an archetypal value of 9. The last word 'Amen' has a
literal value of 99, which also has an archetypal value of 9.
'The Alpha and the Omega' appears three or four times,
depending upon the version. {15} The expression has either the
value 801 or 1332, also depending upon the version. In all
cases, the archetypal value is 9, the number of Baha' and the
Seal of Baha'u'llah!
APPENDIX A: SOME NUMBER SYMBOLISM
This Appendix describes some numerological discoveries.
Surely many more remain to be discovered. The definitions of
terms used can be found in the INTRODUCTION.
SOME SUBJECTS THAT HAVE AN ARCHETYPAL VALUE OF NINE:
SUBJECT = LITERAL VALUE = ARCHETYPAL VALUE; [WHERE FOUND]
Greek Words and Phrases:
Apocalypse (First word) = 1512 = 9; [Title, 1:1]
Amen (Last word= 22:20 or 22:21) = 99 = 9; [1:6, 1:7, 1:18, 3:14,
5:14, 7:12, 7:12, 19:4, 22:20, 22:21(?)]
'Alpha + Omega' ('First and Last') = 801 = 9; [1:8, 1:11(?),
21:6; 22:13]
'Alpha (spelled out {1}) + Omega' = 1332 (twice-666) = 9
'Faithful and True' (name) = 1269 = 9; [19:11]
'The Word of God' (name) = 927 = 9; [19:13]
Glory (Greek for 'Kabowd') = 135 = 9; [4:9, 4:11, 14:7, 15:4,
16:9, 19:1]
'New Name' = 432 = 9; [2:17, 3:12]
Jerusalem = 864 (twice-432) = 9; [3:12, 21:2, 21:10]
'The Glory of God of Israel' = 1746 = 9; [Ezekiel 8:4, 9:3,
10:19, 11:22, 43:2]
'A grain of mustard seed' = 1746 = 9; [Mat 13:31, 17:20; Mark
4:31; Luke 13:19, 17:6]
Numbers:
666 (a sacred number!) = 666 = 9; [13:18]
144 (twice-72) = 144 = 9; [21:17]
144,000 = 144,000 = 9; [7:4, 14:1, 14:3]
1260 (3 1/2 'times') = 1260 = 9; [11:2, 11:3, 11:9, 11:11, 12:6,
12:14, 13:5]
Items:
Fishes in the net = 153 = 9; [John 21:11]
Stanzas in THE HIDDEN WORDS = 153 = 9
Parameters of the New Jerusalem = (various) = seven cases of 9
[21:16, 21:17]
Other:
The Almighty (Pantocrator) appears 9 times; [1:8, 4:8, 11:17,
15:3, 16:7, 16:14, 19:6, 19:15, 21:22]
SOME OTHER INTERESTING VALUES:
Glory of God (Greek) = 1389 = 3; [15:8, 21:11, 21:23]
Baha'u'llah (Arabic) = 75 = 3
'Nine' (Greek word) = 111 = 3
Messiah (Hebrew) = 358 = 7; [Dan 9:25, 9:26]
'Shiloh Come' (Hebrew) = 358 = 7; [Gen 49:10]
Jesus (Greek) = 888 = 6; [14:12, 17:6, 19:10, 19:10, 20:4, 22:16,
22:20(?)]
Christ (Greek) = 1480 = 4; [11:15, 12.10, 20.4, 20.6]
Jesus Christ (Greek) = 2368 = 1; [1:1, 1:2, 1:5, 1:9, 12:17,
22:21(?)]
Last sentence of Chapter 13 = 2368 = 1; [13:18]
Son of Man (Greek) = 2260 = 1; [1:13, 14:14]
Son of God (Greek) = 1934 = 8; [2:18]
TRIANGULAR VALUES:
The name 'Baha'' is an Arabic word spelled Be, ha, alif,
hamza (BHA'). The numerical values of the letters are 2, 5, 1, 1
{2}. Thus the literal value of Baha' is 9. The triangular value
of 9 is 45, the same as the literal value of 'Adam.' The word
'Bab' is spelled Be, alif, beh (BAB), which has a literal value
of 5. The triangular value of 5 is 15, the same as the literal
value of 'Eve.' Thus the two traditional names Adam and Eve,
God's first two spiritual creations, are linked with the Twin
Manifestation whose appearance was promised at the Last Day.
KLIMA:
It seems appropriate to apply klima as we did for YHWH.
Expanding the word 'BAB' by klima:
B Sum = 2
BA Sum = 3
BAB Sum = 5
produces a total of (2 + 3 + 5) = 10, the value of the Y (Yod),
the first letter in YHWH. The literal value of BAB, being 5,
equals the value of the H (Hay), the last letter in YHWH. Thus
the word 'BAB', which literally means 'the Gate,' is an
expression of the 'first and the last.'
Expanding 'BHA'':
B Sum = 2
BH Sum = 7
BHA Sum = 8
BHA' Sum = 9
The sum of (2 + 7 + 8 + 9) is 26, the literal value of YHWH.
Thus we find the occult connection between BHA' and YHWH.
The word Baha' (BHA') is loosely translated into English as
'Glory.' More accurately, it is equivalent to the Hebrew word
'Kabowd,' a 'palpable manifestation.' The word 'Kabowd' is
translated into Greek (again loosely) as 'Doxa.' We have noted
several occult uses of the words 'Kabowd' and 'Doxa' in the
Bible.
Jewish mystics knew the significance of the letters 'B' and
'H.' They attached much importance to them and wrote commentaries
about these letters.
There is a Jewish legend that says that Solomon's Seal,
considered a powerful talisman by the ancients, carried the
Greatest Name, possibly the 'Kabowd' of 'El'.
In the Buddhist Scriptures, the word 'BHA' occasionally
appears, occultly disjointed from the adjacent Sanskrit Text.
NOTES
NOTES TO INTRODUCTION
{1} BAHA'I SCRIPTURES, Sect 92.
{2} The 'Quadratura Circuli.' See Carl Jung, PSYCHOLOGY AND
RELIGION
{3} The four elements + ether. See Ecclesiasticus 17:5.
{4} Appel and Haken, THE SOLUTION OF THE FOUR-COLOR-MAP PROBLEM,
Scientific American, Oct, 1977
{5} Aristotle, DE CAEOLO
{6} Gen 7:2-3
{7} Gen 29
{8} 1 Sam 6:1
{9} Jer 25:11, 2910
{10} See Ps 90:4
NOTES TO CHAPTER 1
{1} The 'Prophetic Cycle' began with the Dispensation of the
Prophet Adam and ended with the Dispensation of Muhammad,
the 'Seal of the Prophets.' The Advent of the Bab closed the
Prophetic Cycle and opened the Age of Fulfillment. The
'Baha'i Cycle' initiated by Baha'u'llah will consist of
numerous Ages spanning a period of, perhaps, 500-thousand-
years.
{2} From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to an individual believer, Aug 7, 1978. 'The Master'
was a title bestowed by Baha'u'llah, upon his son, 'Abdu'l-
Baha.
{3} See Romans 1:2
{4} Matthew 8:22
{5} GWB, p 101
{6} Matt 13:14-19, 24:15; John 9:39; Acts 28:26-27; Cf. Is
6:9-10
{7} BOC, pp 192-6
{8} Isaiah 60:1-3; Luke 17:22-25
{9} TTJ; PT, p 51; SAQ, p 254; WAB, p 13; GPB, p 95
{10} GPB, p 95
{11} Isaiah 44:6
{12} Is 41:4, 14, 44:6, 47:4, 48:12, 59:19-21; Ps 24:7-10;
Job 19:25; Jer 23:5-8. Cf. GPB, pp 93-99
{13} GWB, p 168
{14} In the original version of THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED, I chose
Justice as the symbolism of Parchment, and Harmony as the
symbolism of Just People. Either way works, since Law is
usually associated with Justice, and Justice is essential
for generating Harmony.
{15} 'Thya' means a sandarac tree, a close relative of the
cypress. The candle-shaped cypress was the emblem of Ormazd
and Zoroaster. Ormazd was the name given to the God of
Goodness and Spiritual Light.
{16} H. Smith, THE RELIGIONS OF MAN, is a popular treatment.
{17} WOB p 104
{18} WOB, p 104; GPB, p 169. As was the custom in that region,
Baha'u'llah had dyed his hair and beard a jet black before
his interview with Prof E.G. Browne in 1890. See Ustad
Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmani, (tr. Marzieh Gail), MY MEMORIES OF
BAHA'U'LLAH, Kalimat Press, Los Angeles, 1982; H.M. Balyuzi,
BAHA'U'LLAH, THE KING OF GLORY, George Ronald, Oxford, 1980,
p.240
{19} Dan 2:32
{20} GWB, p 167
{21} Daniel 7:9, 13-14
{22} GWB, p 296
{23} GWB, p 104
{24} GWB pp 45, 183; WOB, p.104
NOTES TO CHAPTER 2
{1} GWB, pp 179, 185
{2} WOB, p 115}
{3} Possibly mentioned in Acts 6:5.
{4} Cf. Gen 2
{5} The difficulties for Israel ensuing from the worship of Baal
are recorded in 1st and 2nd Kings.
{6} GWB, p 195
{7} 'Thyine' means 'fragrant.' Cf. Rev 18:12 in KJV.
{8} The subject is further elucidated in Romans 1:3-4 and Hebrews
1:4-6.
{9} GWB, p 325.
{10} TAB, pp 92-4
NOTES TO CHAPTER 3
{1} GWB pp 332, 323.
{2} GWB, p 132
{3} BOL; GWB, pp 269-270.
{4} That is, (8 + 6 + 4) = 18. Continuing, (1 + 8) = 9. Note that
432 is just one-half of 864.
{5} In THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED, I proposed that Baha'u'llah was
the one who "stands at the door and knocks." In revisiting
the matter, it seems more likely, in the context of previous
verses, that it is Muhammad.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 4
{1} Every astrological age actually has a double name, e.g.
Aries-Libra, Pisces-Virgo, and Aquarius-Leo. The double name
comes from the names of the stellar constellations or
'signs' where the sun rises at BOTH the Spring AND Fall
seasons of the year. This should become clearer in later
verses. See the INTRODUCTION. I recommend de Santillana et
al, HAMLET'S MILL.
{2} SAQ, pp 284-6
{3} With very little search, I found these twelves in less
exalted circles: 12 Olympian deities, 12 Titans, 12 knights
of King Arthur's round table, 12 merry men of Robin Hood,
and 12 Caesars in the canon of Seutonius. I'm sure that the
list is quite extensive.
{4} What are the names of the 24 Elders seated around the throne
of Baha'u'llah? I have been able to locate only 20 that are
authenticated: the Bab, the 18 Letters of the Living, and
Haji Mirza Muhammad-Taqi. The names of the other 4 may be
laying undiscovered in the Baha'i archives, or may require a
decision by the Universal House of Justice. In the meantime,
I personally consider these exalted names as probable: Mirza
Mihdi (the Purest Branch), 'Abdu'l-Baha' (the Servant of
Baha'), Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian), and Bahiyyih Khanum
(the Greatest Holy Leaf).
{5} AB, SAQ, p 71
{6} GWB, p 104
{7} BH: TAF. See commentary after Rev 1:12.
{8} BOC, pp 100, 103; GWB, p 258
NOTES TO CHAPTER 5
{1} The REB is at variance with the KJV and the NIV. The REB
reads: 'Do not weep; for the Lion from the tribe of Judah,
the shoot growing from David's stock, has won the right to
open the scroll and break its seven seals.' The word in KJV
v. 5 is actually Greek 'Rhiza', a 'Root.'
{2} Ez 19:4
{3} 2 Kings 25:7
{4} The line of David is given in Ruth 4:18. Baha'u'llah is
descended from Abraham through his third wife Keturah.
{5} 2 Kings 21:2-7. The Ark of the Covenant disappeared at about
the same time. See Graham Hancock, THE SIGN AND THE SEAL.
{6} Jer 15:4, 36:30. The genetic root of David is given in Ruth
4:18-20. His throne was passed down from son to son until
Jehoiakim. But by the dictum of the prophet Jeremiah,
Jehoiakim had no descendant to succeed him on the Throne of
David. Instead, his brother Mattaniah-Zedekiah was appointed
king by Nebuchadnezzar. (2 Kings 24:17) Apparently, with the
demise of Jehoiakim, there were no further legitimate
claimants to the Throne of David until Baha'u'llah.
{7} Ps (REB) 132:17
{8} Matthew 22:42-45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41. Jesus is
referring to Psalm 110.
{9} in TTJ; PDC, pp 78-79; GPB, p 230
{10} 1 Sam 16:1; Heb 5:4-5, 7:3, 15. Also see Is 11; Is 63:10;
Zech 12:7.
{11} John 18:36
{12} Gen 49:10
{13} See Rev 4:1
{14} The word 'Edom' means 'Red.' When Baha'u''lah was later
exiled to the Holy Land, the region of Edom was a part of
'Transjordan,' literally, 'the land beyond the Jordan
river.' Basrah is a city in modern Iraq.
{15} To be explained in a later chapter.
{16} See INTRODUCTION.
{17} The Bab also plays a special role in the Book of Daniel, as
can be seen by a careful reading of Daniel 10. This chapter
of Daniel and others is discussed in I, DANIEL.
{18} BOC, p 164
{19} GWB, pp 244-5
{20} E.g., BOL and CB. See GPB, pp 239, 242.
{21} Genesis 2:9. In WOB, p 135, Baha'u'llah refers to 'Abdu'l-
Baha as the Branch from the Sadratu'l-Muntaha. In BOL, see
paragraphs 100, 148, and Notes 128, 164.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 6
{1} Ps 114:7; 1 Chron 16:29-34; Joel 3:16; Amos 8:8; Is 13:13,
14:16; Hag 2:6-7; Heb 12:26-27
{2} Amos 8:9; Is 13:10, 60:19-20, 14:12; Ezek 32:7-8; Job
38:7; Num 24:17; Joel 2:31, 3:15; Acts 2:20; Jude 1:13;
Matt 24:29; Obad 1:4; Gen 37:9-1
{3} Is 34:4; Matt 24:29-30
{4} Ps 114:4; Is 14:25-26, 2:2-3, 40:4, 65:23-25; Jer 48:8;
Micah 1:3-4; Luke 23:30; 3:4-5; Dan 2; John 4:21
{5} Ps 18:2; Deut 32:4, 30, 31
{6} BOC, pp 33-34, 36, 37, 38, 41
{7} GWB, pp 44-45
NOTES TO CHAPTER 7
{1} GWB, p 68
{2} GWB, p 68
{3} GWB, pp 331, 198, 218
{4} Gen 49. See Introduction.
{5} I.e., (1 + 4 + 4) = 9
{6} Rev 4:4
{7} Numbers 11:25-26
{8} See Introduction.
{9} See Introduction.
{10} See Martin Gardner, THE COLORING OF UNUSUAL MAPS LEADS INTO
UNCHARTED TERRITORY; also Appel and Haken, THE SOLUTION OF
THE FOUR-COLOR-MAP PROBLEM.
{11} Gen 49. See Introduction.
{12} The history of the zodiac is obscure, but it seems likely
that Gemini was originally the first sign of the zodiac. If
so, the zodiac was devised at least four astrological Ages
ago, circa 6-millennia BCE. Some astrologers have
suggested that the Cain-Abel myth may have been created
during the Age of Gemini. An interesting theory! Then
perhaps Cain was the star that announced the harvesting
season (Genesis 4:3) and 'murdered' his brother when the
Precession caused him to replace Abel, the star that
announced the sheep birthing season (4:4). But, eventually,
the Precession also caused Cain to lose his position in the
sky (4:11). Thereafter, Cain became a 'wanderer' or 'planet'
(4:13), no longer indicative of either the harvesting or the
birthing season. His star was forced 'east of Eden' (4:16)
during the Age of Taurus.
{13} Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30
{14} Rev 21:14
{15} Luke 6:12
{16} Mark 3:17
{17} John (REB) 13:21-30
{18} GWB, pp. 169, 213
{19} GWB, p. 189
{20} PMB, pp. 83-4
{21} Zech 11:7-14 (REB): "So I became a shepherd to the flock
destined to be slaughtered by the dealers. ... I had lost
patience with the flock and they had come to abhor me... 'I
shall not be a shepherd to you any more..' I took my staff
called Favor and snapped it in two, annulling the covenant
which the Lord had made with all nations ... . Then they
weighed out my wages, thirty pieces of silver... Then I
broke in two my second staff called Union, annulling the
brotherhood between Judah and Israel. " Curiously,
Baha'u'llah was born on November 12, 1817. By conventional
pre-Piscean astrology, Baha'u'llah would have been born
under the sign of Scorpio. But by the new astrology of the
Apocalypse, Baha'u'llah was born under the sign of Flying
Eagle.
{22} See Nabil's Narrative (THE DAWN-BREAKERS).
{23} See Lady Blomfield, THE CHOSEN HIGHWAY.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 8
{1} GWB, p 316
{2} SAQ, p 71
{3} Christians were also under attack from the Jews during the
persecutions by Rome. Probably in response to Jesus' warning
(Matt 24:15-6), at the sight of Titus' army coming to take
Jerusalem in 70 CE, the Christians in and around Jerusalem
fled across the Jordan river to Pella. This act of seeming
desertion angered the surviving Jews, who, after the Fall of
Jerusalem, carried out a campaign of terror against the
Christians. The Christians responded in kind, and this
internecine struggle lasted until Caliph Umar I conquered
Jerusalem in 637.
{4} SAQ, p 66
{5} GWB, pp 21, 41
{6} The Bab: SWB, p 129 fn
NOTES TO CHAPTER 9
{1} The Sunni caliphate was abolished in 1922 in the wake of the
successful revolution in Turkey under Kemel Ataturk. The
date of the destruction of the caliphate was 27 sabbatic
years after the Crucifixion and 27 days before the Ascension
of 'Abdu'l-Baha. A 'sabbatic year' = 7-decades. I place the
date of the Crucifixion at 34 CE in accord with the prophecy
in Daniel 9:26.
{2} SAQ, p 60
{3} GWB, p 43
{4} Qur'an: 42:11, 46:11, 73:15
{5} at 3:10.
{6} at 11:13 and 14:7.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 10
{1} Rev 1:7, 4:3, 1:16
{2} 1 Kings 7:21; 2 Chron 3:15
{3} Exod 13:21
{4} Ruth 4:21
{5} Is 11:1, 10
{6} I.e., (7 + 2) = 9
NOTES TO CHAPTER 11
{1} Most of what follows is explained by 'Abdu'l-Baha in SAQ,
Chapter 11.
{2} 'AH' means 'After the Hegira,' the starting point of the
Muslim calendar. The Hegira occurred in 622 CE. A lunar year
is 354.367 days long. There are 1.03069 lunar years in a
solar year of 365.242 days.
{3} Exodus 7
{4} Ex 9:33
{5} Ex 4:9
{6} Ex 4:21
{7} 'Kyrios' was His most popular title, implying that many
early believers considered Jesus to be a mystery deity. See
Rudolf Bultmann, PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY IN ITS CONTEMPORARY
SETTING.
{8} Is 45:1
{9} PMB, p 68. See also PUP, p 444.
{10} Some believe that the physical Ark is preserved in a
sanctuary at Axum, Ethiopia. See Graham Hancock, THE SIGN
AND THE SEAL.
{11} Dan 10:13, 21, 12:1; Rev 12:7
{12} See Chapter 1, Note 1.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 12
{1} Much of this chapter has been explained by 'Abdu'l-Baha in
SAQ, Chapter 13.
{2} REB: Gen 49:17
{3} Dan 12:1
{4} Dan 7:25 and 12:7. This is just one-half of the 7 'times'
specified in Daniel 4:23. The starting point of the 7 times
is discovered by correlating Daniel 2:1 with 4:29. The
result is 3 years after Nebuchadnezzar came to power. This
becomes 3 years after the year 605 BCE, or 602 BCE.
Seven times are 2520 lunar years, or 2445 solar years.
Accounting for the fact that there is no zeroth year in the
common calendar, the seven times brings us to (2445 - 602 +
1) = 1844 CE. The Book of Daniel deals primarily with
the first half of the 7 times; the Apocalypse deals
primarily with the second half.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 13
{1} Commemorated in the fable ARABIAN NIGHTS.
{2} Dan 7
{3} See Dan 4:30.
{4} 'Abdu'l-Baha is the 'Branch' of Isaiah 11:1 (KJV).
{5} 'The Sultan' means 'The Sovereign.'
{6} The 'Abbasids ended their career controlling only the
dominion surrounding Baghdad, approximately the region of
ancient Babylonia.
{7} Jesus is said to have been born at One AD, not Zero AD.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 14
{1} GPB, p 243
{2} GWB, p 13
{3} WOB, pp 103-104; GPB, pp 94-96
{4} WOB, p 111
{5} The archetypal value of 144 'thousands' is 9. That is: (1 +
4 + 4 + 0 + 0 + 0) = 9.
{6} At this point, it is worthwhile to consider the angels who
deliver the various messages to John. Recall that
'Abdu'l-Baha has informed us that there are many meanings to
each word of the Apocalypse. In my opinion, there are
meanings latent in the numbers, messages, and ordering of
the angels beyond those already discerned. In the case of
the six angels who are presented in this chapter, it seems
to me that they probably represent the Mediators who
prophesied the coming of Baha'u'llah, the Divine Reaper.
These were Krishna, Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha, Jesus and
Muhammad. The Bab is a sixth Mediator who is a part of that
Judgement, and who also warned us of the Advent of "One Whom
God will make Manifest," Baha'u'llah. Three
mediating angels have already appeared in this chapter. At
verse 6 we find an angel preaching the 'everlasting gospel,'
while at verse 8, we find one announcing the fall of the
'city' of the corrupted Word of God. The clues are scanty,
and the conclusions correspondingly tenuous, but the wording
of the two verses indicate to me that the first angel is
probably Lord Krishna, who preached extensively of recurring
Avatars, while the second angel probably represents the
Great Reformer, Lord Buddha. In verses 9-11 the clues
are more ample. Chapters 11, 12, and 13 offer extensive and
credible evidence that the third angel is probably Muhammad.
{7} Genesis 11:9
{8} BOC, pp 84-90
{9} GWB, pp 14, 40-42; BOC, pp 76-77
{10} TSV, pp 4, 36-37
{11} and RSV: Daniel 7:13. (The REB translates Dan 7:13 and Rev
1:13 as 'one like a human being.') In the RSV Daniel, the
one like the Son of Man is introduced to the Ancient of
Days; but the Ancient of Days has characteristics resembling
the one like the Son of Man in Rev 11:13! The seeming
paradox can be resolved by the concept of different
spiritual worlds as revealed by Baha'u'llah in his TABLET OF
ALL FOOD. Daniel is witnessing the world of Lahut; John is
witnessing the world of Jabarut.
{12} Without spirituality, man has no meaningful history. A human
world totally devoid of spirituality would decay to the
level of the brute, and history would cease.
{13} Matt 21:33-41
{14} Matthew 16:27
{15} In WOB, p 104, Baha'u'llah speaks with the VOICE of the Son
of Man; this Tablet could be interpreted as meaning that He
does not actually claim the title, but does claim the
'voice.'
{16} Is 11
{17} In THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED, I suggested that the altar angel
was probably Jesus Christ. The whole subject of the
identities and symbolism of the various angels in the
Apocalypse deserves more study by some enterprising scholar.
{18} That is, (1 + 6 + 0 + 0) equals 7.
{19} Micah 4:10; Ez 1:1, 28, 43:1-4; Zec 4. Cf. Ezra 5:2 &
Zech 4:9. [The river Chebar or Kabar empties into the
Euphrates at Babylon. 'Zerubabel' means 'Banished in
Babylon.']
NOTES TO CHAPTER 15
{1} GWB, p 270
{2} Isaiah 11
{3} The Ka'bih at Mecca is also a tent in the shape of a perfect
cube. Plato in his TIMAEUS ascribed a cubical shape to
the 'element earth.' The 4 fabrics of the Tabernacle and
the priestly garment may have symbolized the 4 elements of
fire, air, earth and water (Muller, HISTORY OF JEWISH
MYSTICISM, p 14). In his TOPIGRAPHICA CHRISTIANA, the
6th century monk Cosmas likened the earth to the Tabernacle
except on a greatly enlarged scale; the ground corresponded
to the floor, the sky to its walls and ceiling.
{4} GWB, pp 47, 311
{5} BOC, p 76
{6} Also 1 Kings 8:11
NOTES TO CHAPTER 16
{1} E.g., Lord Curzon, PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN QUESTION.
{2} The Civilizing Hero is called the 'God incarnate in man' by
Arnold J. Toynbee and the 'Hero with a thousand faces' by
Joseph Campbell.
{3} GWB, pp 151, 29; PMB, p 42; Qur'an 39:65-70
{4} There would be only three 'Kings of the East': Baha'u'llah,
'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi.
{5} Exodus 8
{6} Ex 8:7
{7} Matt 24:42-44; Luke 12:39-40; Rev 3:3.
{8} E.g., Is 35:2, 41:2: Jer 49:38; Ez 43:2; Hosea 2:15; Micah
7:12-15; Matt 24:3, 27, 36. In these prophecies, Assyria
included old Babylonia, etc.; Elam was a region included in
Persia; 'Achor' literally means 'trouble,' an occult name
for modern 'Akka.
{9} SE: TPDIC, p 117
{10} GWB, p 39
{11} GWB, pp 198, 40, 136
{12} Matt 16:27
NOTES TO CHAPTER 17
{1} GWB, p 18)
{2} In THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED published in 1981, I proposed
Alexander's empire as the beast that 'was, is not, yet is.'
Based on the analysis of A.J. Toynbee in his monumental A
STUDY OF HISTORY, I have decided that the Persian empire is
the correct solution to the riddle.
{3} From the date of the Apocalypse, circa 104 CE, until the
beginning of Muhammad's Dispensation: Syria-Palestine was
dominated by Romans, Persians and Byzantines. Arabia was
dominated by Romans, Byzantines, Abyssinians and Persians.
Egypt was dominated by Romans and Byzantines. Libya was
dominated by Romans, Vandals, and Byzantines. Spain was
dominated by Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and Byzantines.
West Turkestan, later to become Transoxania, remained an
amorphous region dominated in turn by various invaders.
Only Persia, under the Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanid
dynasties, remained sovereign.
{4} If one counts only the mainstream Caliphs, there were also 10
un-repeated names of chiefs of the Seljuk dynasty that
seized power from the 'Abbasids. See commentary, Rev 13:13-
14.
{5} In Rev 17:14, we find the epithet 'Lord of lords, and King of
kings.' In Rev 19:16 we find the epithet capitalized and
reversed: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. The reversing of
the epithet suggests that the 'Lamb' of 17:14 is not the
same Figure as 'Faithful and True' of verse 19:16. In fact,
17:14 refers to the Bab while 19:16 refers to Baha'u'llah.
Collectively, they are the 'Twin Manifestation.' See A NOTE
CONCERNING TITLES in the INTRODUCTION.
{6} TOA; GWB, pp 77, 292, 145. The Bab is Lord of Lords, and
King of Kings- BOC: pp 123-4
NOTES TO CHAPTER 18
{1} GWB, pp 339-40, 181, 321
{2} Isaiah 47
{3} Luke 17:2
{4} As in the ancient Islandic legend of 'Amlodhi's Mill.' See de
Santillana et al, HAMLET'S MILL.
{5} Jer 25:10
{6} Jer 51:58-64
NOTES TO CHAPTER 19
{1} Cf. Isaiah 47 & 54
{2} Matthew 22:1-13. Repeated with variations in Luke 14:16-24.
{3} Gen 37:31-33
{4} BWF, p 47
{5} All caps to indicate that he rules over the other Kings of
kings, and Lords of lords.
{6} BOL, p 49; GPB, p 206. Baha'u'llah was given the title 'Lord
of Lords' by the Bab in the Persian Bayan: GPB, p 94.
{7} Matthew 22:12
{8} NEB: Matthew 22:14
{9} See A NOTE CONCERNING TITLES in the INTODUCTION.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 20
{1} This sequence differs slightly from that proposed in THE
APOCALYPSE UNSEALED.
{2} See commentary Rev 5:5.
{3} John 3:7
{4} The resurrections that occurred during the Piscean Age were
apparently suppressed and minimized by satanic forces. Both
Jesus and Muhammad prophesied that the Great Resurrection
would occur but at a time known only to God. See, e.g.,
Luke 14:14; Matthew 24:36; Qur'an 99:2, 27:66-67.
{5} BOC, p 118; Qur'an 7:178
{6} Ez 38
{7} ROM, p 50
{8} Ez 38:8
{9} Ez 38:12
{10} Rev 20:9; Ez 38:21-23
{11} Qur'an 21:96
{12} Qur'an 18:82-96
{13} Ez 38:22
{14} Qur'an 18:100
{15} We note that the phrase "from whose face earth and heaven
fled away" tends to favor the first interpretation since it
correlates with Rev 6:12-17. On the other hand 'heaven and
earth' (the former Spiritual and Material Laws of God)
always 'flee' from the face of a Manifestation of God.
{16} Note that 'thrones' is plural. If there were a single
individual who is to have the power of judgment during the
Millennium, the word would be singular.
NOTES TO CHAPTER 21
{1} BWF, p 350
{2} Is 54:5-6
{3} See Rev 2:17, 3:12
{4} REB: Isaiah 65
{5} Is 65:1; BH: WOB, p 104; GPB, 169
{6} Is 65:10
{7} Is 65:11-12
{8} Is 65:17
{9} Is 65:20
{10} Is 65:25
{11} The REB version of Isaiah 65:16 reads: "Anyone in the land
invoking a blessing on himself will do so by God whose name
is Amen, and anyone in the land taking an oath will do so by
God whose name is Amen, for past troubles are forgotten;
they have vanished from my sight." The REB is at
variance with the KJV, the RSV and the NIV. These translate
'Amen' as the 'God of truth.' I do not know the
rationale for these interpretations. However, assuming that
'Amen' is introduced as a sacred name of God in the new Age,
what is its meaning? In Piscean Judeo-Christian usage, the
word came to mean simply 'faithful and true!', a 'seal' or
an echo of assent to the truth of a spiritual statement. In
Rev 3:14 we find that usage of "Amen" in reference to
Muhammad, the "faithful and true witness" to the Prophethood
of Jesus. The 'Rx' symbol on a prescription drug has
come to mean simply a statement of clinical potency,
although it was originally an abbreviation of a prayer to
'Jupiter Rex,' the king of the Roman pantheon. Similarly,
'Amon' or 'Amen' was also the name of the chief god of upper
Egypt whose worship was introduced near the beginning of the
Age of Aries and flourished during the Egyptian Captivity.
Literally, the name means 'Hidden.' In the words of
Baha'u'llah, God is the 'Unknowable Essence,' and 'the most
hidden of the hidden.' Apparently, in the Aquarian Age, the
ancient title might become an acceptable appellation for
God, since 'past troubles are forgotten.'
{12} REB: Ezekiel 28:13-16 lists some of the stones that will be
given in this and later verses. The king of Tyre, adorned
with semi-precious stones, once walked on 'God's holy
mountain' (Carmel), but is brought down in disgrace "from
among the stones that flashed like fire." Ezekiel {28}
gives the dimensions of the holy City as 4,500 measures on
each side and 18,000 measures around the perimeter. Both of
these numbers have an archetypal value of 9. The dimensions
of the altar {29} are given as 12 cubits on each side, which
gives an archetypal value of 9 for its area. The altar is
purified for 7 days. {30} The 7 'days' symbolize the seven
Days of the Lord (Rev 1:4) that precede the Advents of the
Bab and Baha'u'llah.
{13} Ezekiel 48:31-34 gives a list of names of the tribes as they
are to appear on the gates of a prophetic city allotted to
the tribes of Israel. Ezekiel's list is at variance with
Revelation 7:5-8 and does not appear to have astrological
significance.
{14} using Luke's 6:14-16 list.
{15} See Zech 11:13 and commentary Rev 7:5-8.
{15}{16} TAB, pp 92-94; WAB, pp 164-167
{17} AB: SAQ, pp 284-286
{18} AB: SAQ, p 67. See also Joshua 4 and Matthew 19:28.
{19} The orientation of the holy City follows the canon of the
four cardinal directions. We find the same canon applied,
for example, to the Giza pyramids. The three gates in each
wall represent the three zodiacal signs centered about that
cardinal direction.
{20} TAB, pp 92-94; WAB, pp 164-167
{21} Reported by E.T. Hall of Manchester, England on February 28,
1920.
{22} Recent discoveries by certain Egyptologists indicate that
astrology played an important part in the design and
placement of the Giza pyramids. In contrast to the
pyramid of the new Jerusalem, the Great Pyramid of Giza has
a base that lies OUTSIDE the circle. There are many
other interesting facts and speculations concerning the
Great Pyramid of Giza, but only pertinent characteristics
will be recited.
{23} That is, the 'Quadratura Circuli,' discussed in depth by
Carl Jung in PSYCHOLOGY AND RELIGION, Yale University Press,
1971. See SOME NUMEROLOGY in the INTRODUCTION.
{24} Cf. Zech 1:8-21 with Rev 6:1-8, 7:1.
{25} See TAB, pp 538-40
{26} Approximately 25,920 solar years. Also called a Great Year
or a Platonic Year.
{27} Proof not given here. Some of the results follow from the
'circular property of 9,' that is, any real, positive,
non-zero number multiplied by 9 will have an archetypal
value of 9.
{28} The interested reader may test other theories of his own,
such as by letting each edge of the pyramid equal 12,000
measures, or by assuming a cubical shape for the holy City.
Regardless of the assumptions posited, the number 9 will
appear with high frequency in the archetypal values of the
parameters.
{29} This interpretation of the 12 Foundation Stones is based on
a pilgrim's note purportedly given to Shahnaz Waite by
'Abdu'l-Baha. My typed copy contains many typographical and
other errors. I have taken some liberties with the text of
the note to correct obvious errors, make it more readable,
and to elaborate on certain portions where I considered it
productive to do so. In particular, I included 'justice' as
an attribute of the sapphire in accordance with the ancient
Egyptian priesthood's use of the stone to represent 'truth
and justice.' The Twelve Basic Principles as listed here can
be found in several issues of STAR OF THE WEST beginning
with Vol 10, March 20, 1920.
{30} BH: NTG, Aug 1st.
{31} Occultly derived from Exodus 14:19-21. (See KLIMA in the
INTRODUCTION.) The set of 72 names was further divided into
4 groups of 18 names in correspondence with the four letters
of the Tetragrammaton, and apparently in correspondence with
the four zodiacal seasons. Astrologers describe the
attributes of a sign of the visible zodiac in 6-term
combinations of: masculine or feminine; diurnal or
nocturnal; commanding, melancholy, phlegmatic or sanguine;
earthy, airy, fiery or watery; hot or cold; dry or wet.
There are probably other secrets in the number 144 that will
not be discussed here.
{32} REB: Isaiah 54:11
{33} Is 54:11
{34} From Lat. 'templus'; Hebrew for Temple is 'beth Jehovah' or
'hecal Jehovah,' a residence or palace of Jehovah.
{35} Ex 6:12-13
{36} See Mal 2:8; Mark 7:5-8.
{37} Is 60:11, 19-20
{38} Is 60:1
{39} Is 60:14
{40} Is 60:4, 9
{41} The Pantocrator is thrice-holy in 4:8.
{42} The Bab: SWB, p 129 fn
{43} See commentary Rev 7:5-8.
{44} In THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED, I proposed that the Bab was the
'Moon' in this verse. The moon is a reflector of the sun's
light. Since he was a Manifestation of God, the Bab was a
'Sun,' not a 'Moon.'
NOTES TO CHAPTER 22
{1} NTG, Aug 3rd.
{2} Ex 33:11. But in Ex 33:18, Moses seems unsatisfied with this
arrangement and requests that he be permitted to see His
'Glory' (Heb 'Kabowd'). Psalms 73:24 reads (REB) "You
guide me by your counsel and afterwards you will receive me
with glory.
{3} We also note that Ez 9:3-4 (REB) reads: 3 "The glory of God
of Israel ..... called to the man dressed in linen, with pen
and ink at his waist. 4 'Go through the city of Jerusalem,'
said the Lord, 'and mark with a cross the foreheads of those
who groan and lament over all the abominations practiced
there.' "
{4} Cf. Rev 1:17, 19:10.
{5} Cf. Rev 1:3, 10:4.
{6} REB, NIV and RSV: 1:8, 21:6 and 22:13. In the KJV, it also
occurs (spuriously?) at 1:11.
{7} Is 44:6-7
{8} Jesus reveals that "many of the first will be last, and the
last first." (REB) Mark 10:28-31; also see Matt 20:1-16.
Jesus' words imply that many of those who are the first to
accept his own Manifestation may be the last to accept the
Manifestation of the Age to come. Confirmed Baha'is, even
former atheists, readily accept the validity of the
Manifestations of all previous Ages, including Jesus Christ
and Muhammad.
{10} GWB, p 104
{11} Cf. Matt 2:2. The 'rising star' seen by the astrologers
from the East (Zoroastrians?) was probably the great
conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter that occurred in 6 BCE.
{12} A few variations in versions of the Apocalypse have already
been noted. Certain Christian groups have rejected the
Apocalypse altogether.
{13} in Hebrew! Later equally heroic attempts have been made to
equate 666 to various favored villains. Besides the Caliph,
Napoleon may have had enough villainous stature to qualify
for the number, especially since he is the subject of Daniel
11:36-45.
{14} Baha'u'llah explains that the phrase 'the Alpha and the
Omega' means 'the Word of God,' and thus it can be applied
collectively to every Manifestation of God, since they "are
regarded as one soul and the same person, ... utter the same
speech, and proclaim the same Faith." However, Shoghi
Effendi explains that, in the Apocalypse, the title
specifically refers to Baha'u'llah. (BH: TTJ; WOB, p 115;
SE: GPB, p 95
{15} at 1:8, 1:11(?), 21:6, 22:13.
{16} See commentary, Rev 5:5.
NOTES TO APPENDIX A
{1} In at least one version of the Apocalypse, the Alpha is
spelled out while the Omega remains a single letter. The
literal value of this version is 1332, which is twice-666.
{2} The hamza is a glottal stop with the value of 1, the same
value as the alif.
SOME BAHA'I APOCALYPTIC WRITINGS
The following writings have been used as background material
for much of this Commentary on the Apocalypse. They are described
in more detail in THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED.
GENERAL:
'Abdu'l-Baha: BS, Sections 92, 804
'Abdu'l-Baha: TAB, pp. 285-6, 294, 678-81
'Abdu'l-Baha: SOW, Vol. 8, p 180
Shoghi Effendi: GPB, pp 48-9, 57-8, 93-100, 238-40
Mirza Asadu'llah: SOW, Vol. 2, No.1, pp. 3-4
Mirza Asadu'llah: SM, pp 112-19
CHAPTER number:
VERSES; AUTHOR; SOURCE
CHAPTER 1:
4; Shoghi Effendi; BAHA'I NEWS, No. 77, Sept 1933
7; Baha'u'llah; BOC, pp 71-3, 216-7
4, 16, 20; The Universal House of Justice; Letter to individual
believer, Aug. 7, 1978
4; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SAQ, p 179
8; 'Abdu'l-Baha; PT, p 51
8; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, p 95
8; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SAQ, p 254
8; Baha'u'llah; TTJ
8; 'Abdu'l-Baha; WAB, p 13
11-16; Baha'u'llah; TOM
CHAPTER 2:
17; Baha'u'llah; GWB, p 195
17; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SOW, Vol 11, p 275
17; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, p 677
CHAPTER 4:
4; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, pp 7-8
4; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SAQ, pp 86-7
4; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, p 39
CHAPTER 6:
12-13; Baha'u'llah; BOC, pp 33-4, 36-41
CHAPTER 9:
12; Shoghi Effendi; M-to-A; pp 99-100
CHAPTER 11:
all; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SAQ, pp 53-71
11-14; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, pp 49-50
13; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, pp 53-54
13; Mirza Asadu'llah; SM, pp 16-17
CHAPTER 12:
all; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SAQ, pp 77-82
CHAPTER 13:
8; Louis Gregory & Mirza Abu'l-Fadl; SOW, Vol 13, No 14
18; 'Abdu'l-Baha; Two Tablets to individual believers
CHAPTER 16:
16; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SOW, Vol 10, No 3
16; 'Abdu'l-Baha; 'ABDU'L-BAHA, pp 259, 438
16; Shoghi Effendi; WOB, pp 4-7
CHAPTER 19:
16; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, p 206
CHAPTER 20:
3; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, pp 659-60
4; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, pp 396-7, 429-30, 643-4
7; Shoghi Effendi; Baha'i News, No 89, Jan 1935, p 1
CHAPTER 21:
1-2; 'Abdu'l-Baha; SOW, Vol 18, No 197
1-2; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, pp 538-40
1-2; Shoghi Effendi; Baha'i News, No 134, Mar 1940, p 2
1-2; 'Abdu'l-Baha; PUP, pp 17-8, 35-6, 97-8
1-2; Mirza Asadu'llah; SM, pp 37-40
1-2; Baha'u'llah; ESW, pp 144-5
1-2; Shoghi Effendi; GPB, p 213
1-2; Shoghi Effendi; WOB, pp 204-6
1-2; 'Abdu'l-Baha; PT, p 84
1-7; 'Abdu'l-Baha; BWF, pp 350-1 and WAB, pp 12-3
2; Shoghi Effendi; ADJ, pp 64-7
2; 'Abdu'l-Baha; BWF, pp 380-1
10-17; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, pp 92-4 and WAB, pp 164-7
15; 'Abdu'l-Baha; pilgrim's note to E.T. Hall, 1920
19-20; 'Abdu'l-Baha; pilgrim's note to S. Waite, circa 1920
19-20; ?; SOW, Vol 10, Mar 20, 1920, pp 358-9
22-23; 'Abdu'l-Baha; TAB, pp 10-11
23; Baha'u'llah; BS, Sect 47, p 117
23; Mirza Abu'l-Fadl; SOW, Nov 22, 1902
SOME BIBLICAL REFERENCES
SYMBOLISM:
Wind- Gen 8:1; Ex 10:13, 19, 14:21, 15:10; Num 11:31; 2
Sam 22:11; 1 Kings 19:11; Ps 18:10, 78:26, 104:3,
107:25; Jer 49:36; Is 59:19, 60:19-20; Ez 37:9; Dan 7:2;
Zech 2:6; Matt 8:26-7
Dogs and pigs: Matt 7:6
Millstone: Luke 17:2
'Heaven and earth': Matt 24:35
Tower of Babel: Genesis 11:9
'Tree of Life': Gen 2:9
Horn' as a name: Dan 7:8, 11, 20-24, 8:5-22
'Horn' as a 'head': Ps 92:10, 112:9
'See': Is 6:9-10; Matt 13:14-19, 24:15; John 9:39; Acts
28:26-27; Romans 1:20. Cf Matt 17:10-13 with 2 Kings 2:11 &
Mal 4:5
'Death,' 'sleep,' etc.: Gen 2:17; Ez 18:21-23; Matt 8:21-22,
10:28; John 11:25, 17:3; 1 Tim 5:6;
Raised from death: Romans 1:2
'Clouds': Ps 97:2; Is 44:22, 50:3; Ez 30:1-3, 32:7-8; Zeph
1:14-15;
Stars shall fall, etc.- Matt 24:29-30
Rod of Iron- Is 11:4
'Manna' = 'Word of God'- John 1:1-2, 3:34, 6:33 ff, 6:50-51,
12:49; Wisdom 9:17
Door: Psalm 24:7-10; Ez 43:1-4
The rejected stone: Ps 118:22
'Seven eyes'- Zech 3:9- 4:10
Seven suns: Is 30:26
Tree: Gen 2:9; Ps 1:3; Prov 3:18; Dan 4:10, 20-22; Matt
3:10, 7:19, 12:33
Sun and heat- Eccl (e.g.) 3:16, 4:1-16, 5:13, 18, 6:1; Is
49:10; Ps 121:6; Jonah 4:8; Mal 4:1-2
Water- Is 12:3, 49:10; Jer 2:13, 17:13; Ez 36:25; John
4:10-14; Zec 14:8
Hunger- Ex 16:3-4; Deut 8:3; Neh 9:15; Ps 34:10; Amos
8:11-12; Matt 5:6; Luke 6:21, 25; John 6:35
Fire: E.g., Is 1:25, 10:17, 30:27-33, 33:11, 66:15-16;
Amos 2:5; Ps 29:7-8, 83:14-15; Mal 3:2-3; Jer 13:9; Heb
12:29
Grass and green things: Job 5:25, 8:16, 15:32, Ps 23:2, 37:2,
35-36, 52:8, 72:6, 90:5-6, 92:7, 102:4, 103:15-16,
129:6-8; Pr 19:12; Is 37:27, 40:6-8, 44:3-4, 51:12;
Jer 11:16, 17:8; Ez 17:24; Hos 14:8; Micah 5:7; Luke
23:30-31; James 1:10-11; 1 Peter 1:24-25
Voices: Gen 4:10; Ec 5:3-7; Ps 55:3, 58:5, 74:23
Thunder, etc.: E.g., Ps 46:6, 77:18, 93:3-5, 104:7
Sea and dry land: E.g.: Exodus 14:16-29; Haggai 2:6-7
Rain: Ps 72:6; Pr 16:15; Is 5:6, 55:10-11; Jer 5:24, 14:22;
Ez 1:28, 38:22; Hos 10:12; Amos 4:7; Zec 14:17-18; Matt
5:45
Hail: Ps 11:6, 105:22
Earthquake: Ps 114:7; 1 Chron 16:29-34; Joel 3:16; Amos 8:8;
Is 13:13, 14:16; Hag 2:6-7; Heb 12:26-27
Sun, moon and stars: Amos 8:9; Ezek 32:7-8; Job 38:7; Num
24:17; Acts 2:20; Jude 1:13; Matt 24:29; Obad 1:4; Gen
37:9; Deut 17:3; Ps 72:5, 121:6, 136:8-9, 148:3; Is
60:19-20, 14:12; 13:10, 30:26; Jer 31:35; Joel 2:10,
31, 3:15; Micah 3:6; Luke 21:25
Heavens rolled up: Is 34:4; Matt 24:29-30
Mountains, valleys: Ps 114:4; Is 14:25-26, 2:2-3, 40:4,
65:23-25; Jer 48:8; Micah 1:3-4; Luke 23:30; 3:4-5; Dan
2; John 4:21
Dens, islands, rocks: Ps 18:2; Deut 32:4, 30, 31
Fire and brimstone: Gen 19:24; Deut 29:23; Job 18:15; Ps
11:6; Is 30:33, 34:9; Ez 38:22; Luke 17:29
Birds: Gen 40:17-19; Lev 14:6-53; Ps 11:1, 35:7, 124:7; Jer
4:25, 5:27, 12:4-9; Ez 13:20, 39:4; Ec 10:20; Hosea
9:11, 11:11; Dan 4:33; Lam 3:52; Is 31:5, 46:11; Matt
13:32; Luke 17:20, 37
Frogs: Exodus 8
Altar: E.g., Ex 30:1, 27, 31:8, 35:15, 40:5; 1 Kings
1:50-51; 2 Chron 6:22; Amos 3:14; Matt 23:18-22
Dead (Gr: 'Nekros' = lit. or fig. 'dead')- all of Revelation
except Rev 11; all N.T. direct quotes of Jesus except: Matt
9:24; Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52, 10:30; John 6:49, 58, 11:14,
25
Dead (Gr: 'Ptoma' = 'a lifeless body')- Rev 11
Dead (Gr: 'Apothnesco' = lit. or fig. 'to die off')- Matt 9:24;
Mark 5:39; Luke 8:52; John 6:49, 58, 11:14, 25
Dead (Gr: 'Anazao' = lit. or fig. 'be alive again')- Luke 15:24,
32
Alive (Gr: 'Zao' = lit. or fig. 'lively')- Rev 1:18, 2:8
Stand (Heb: ''Amad' = lit. and fig. 'arise')- Dan 12:1, 13
Awake (Heb: 'Quwts' = lit. or fig. 'arise')- Dan 12:2
'mark' as a 'sign' or 'token' (Heb 'oth'): Gen 4:15; Deut 11:18
'mark' as a 'signature' (Heb 'tawv'): Ez 9:4, 6
'mark' as a 'badge of servitude' (Gr 'charagma'): Rev 13:16,
17, 14:9, 11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4
'image' as a 'resemblance' (Heb 'tselen'): Gen 1:26
'image' as a 'resemblance' (Gr 'eikon'): Matt 22:20; Mark
12:16; Luke 20:24; Rev 13:14, 15, 14:9, 11, !5:2,
16:2, 19:20, 20:4
PARABLE AND ALLEGORY:
Allegory used in the Bible: Matt 13:10-23, 36-43, 15:8-20,
16:11-12, 17:11-13, 22:29-32, 26:26-28; Mark 4:10-12,
34; 1 Cor 2:13-14, 4:20, 10:1-4, 14:15-20; 2 Cor 4:18;
Gal 4:21-26
Parable of the Vineyard: Matt 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke
20:9-16
Parable of the Talents: Matt 16:21, 25:1, 14-30
Parable of the Feast: Matthew 22:1-13; Luke 14:16-24. Cf. Isaiah
47 & 54;
NUMBERS AND NUMEROLOGY:
Forty: Ex 24:18; Gen 7:4, 12, 8:6, 18:29, 50:3; Numbers
13:25, 14:33-34; Deut 2:7, 8:2-4, 25, 9:18-25; 1 Kings
19:8; Ezek 4:6, 16:35, 24:18, 29:11; Jonah 3:4; 1 Sam
17:16; Matt 4:2; Acts 1:3; Ps 95:10; Micah (KJV) 7:15;
Josh 5:6, 13:1; Mark 1:13; Luke 4:2
'72'- Num 11:25-6; Luke (REB, NIV) 10:1
'Thrice'- Ex 34:23-4; 2 Kings 13:18-19, 25; Matt 26:34; Luke
22:34; John 13:38; Acts 10:16
Seven times seven: Lev 25:8-12; Deut 16:9
Seventy times seven: Dan 9:24; Matt 18:21-22
Two olive trees: Zech 4:3, 11-14; Exodus 7; Ex 9:33, Ex 4:9, Ex
4:21
The 12 stones of the priestly breastplate- Ex 39:12
Four horses of heaven- Zech 6:2-3
Bonding of souls- Matt 13; Mark 4:30-34
AGES AND ASTROLOGY:
Future Ages: Ps 72:5; Matt 12:32, 24:3, 26:29, 28:20 (RSV); 1
Cor 10:11
Four corners: Zech 1:8-21
The cosmic machine- Ezek 1, 10
Cosmic seasons- Mark 13:28-29
Age of Aries- Acts 17:23 (Egyptian cult of Ram = 'Amon' =
'Occult')
'Lamb of God'- John 1:29, 36
Age of Pisces- Matt 2:1-2
Golden calf (Age of Taurus)- Ex 32:23
Four horses of heaven- Zech 6:2-3
'Forever' is an 'Aeon'- Cf. Matt 28:20 in KJV and RSV; 1 Peter
1:5, 20, 4:7; 1 Cor 10:11; Jude 18
PROGRESSIVE REVELATION:
Progressive Revelation: Heb 4:14, 6:20, 7:12; 9:15-28 (cf. 1
Tim 2:5 & 2 Cor 3:7-11)
Future Manifestations: Matt 16:27, 19:28, 24:3, 30, 44; Mark
13:26; Luke 9:26, 17:24-26, 30, 18:8; John 14:16, 17, 26,
15:26, 16:7, 8, 13
Jesus foretold by Moses: Deut 18:15-19; John 5:46
"Fierce as a Lion to Judah" (Third-Day prophecy)- Hosea 5:14 -
6:2. [The three 'days' are the Dispensations of Jesus,
Muhammad and the Bab. The Bab's Declaration came a few weeks
after the Edict of Toleration that permitted the Jews to
resettle the Holy Land.]
New song- Is 42:9-10, 43:19
THE BOOKS WERE SEALED: Dan 12:4, 8-9; John 16:12-13; 1
Corinthians 13:8-12
STATION OF A MANIFESTATION:
Son of God: John 10:34-35; Psalm 82:6-8; Romans 1:3-4; Heb
1:4-6
Jesus' relationship to Abraham: John 8:58
The Manifestation as a 'Mirror'- Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3-4
"I and my Father are one."- John 10:30
Autonomy of a Manifestation- John 5:26-27
RESURRECTION AND THE RAPTURE:
Born again: John 3:5-7, 6:54-8
The time known only to God: Luke 14:14; Matthew 24:36
The 'Rapture'- Cf. 1 Thess 4:16 and Ephesians 2:5-7
Resurrection: (Gr: 'Anastasis' = 'a standing up again' = lit. 'a
resurrection from death' or fig. 'a moral recovery of
spiritual truth')- Rev 20:5, 6; all direct quotes of Jesus
in the Gospels (i.e., Matt 22:30-31; Luke 14:14, 20:35-36;
John 5:29, 11:25); also Matt 27:53, 12:18, 23; Mark
12:26-27; Luke 20:27, 33; John 11:24
Resurrection (Gr: 'Egersis' = lit. 'a resurgence from death' or
fig. 'an awakening from inactivity')- Matt 27:53
Resurrection (Gr: 'Exanastasis' = lit. 'a rising from death')-
Philippians 3:11
The 'Rapture':
Raised (Gr: 'Egeiro' = lit. 'to waken from sleep or death'
or fig. 'to rouse from inactivity')- Eph 1:20
Raised (Gr: 'Sunegeiro' = lit. 'to rouse from death in
company with' or fig. 'to revivify spiritually in
resemblance to')- Eph 2:6
Caught up (Gr: 'Harpazo' = 'to seize' in various
applications)- 1 Thes 4:17; Rev 12:5
Alive (Gr: 'Zao' [see above])- 1 Thes 4:15, 17
DISPENSATION OF BAHA'U'LLAH:
One name for God: Zech 14:9
One God: Eph 4:4-6; Gal 3:20; Mal 2:10
One shepherd: John 10:16
As bright as 7 suns: Is 30:26
Day not followed by Night- Zech 14:7
Deliverance of daughter of Zion: Is 62:11
Falcon from the east: Is 46:10-11
Word renewed at Babylon: Micah 4:10; Ez 1:1, 28, 43:1-4; Zec
4. Cf. Ezra 5:2 & Zech 4:9. [The river Chebar or Kabar
empties into the Euphrates at Babylon. 'Zerubabel' means
'Banished in Babylon.']
"Here am I, here am I": Is 65:1
One like the son of man: Daniel 7:13
Marriage of the Lamb: Isaiah 47 & 54
Mystical references to Baha' (Glory): Is 60:1-2; Hab 2:14; (Beth
and Ayn:) 1 Kings 7:21; 2 Chron 3:15 ; Exod 13:21; Ruth 4:21
Lord of Hosts, First and Last, Latter Day Redeemer, King of
Glory: Is 41:4, 14, 44:6, 47:4, 48:12, 59:19-21; Ps 24:7-
10; Job 19:25; Jer 23:5-8
God of Glory: Acts 7:2
Spirit of Truth: John 16:12-15
Throne of Glory: Jer 14:21; Ez 1:26; Matt 19:28, 25:31
'Zerubbabel' (= 'Banished in Babylon' = Baha'u'llah)- Haggai
2:23; Zech 3:9- 4:10
Rod of Jesse: Is 11:1, 10
Michael: Dan 10:13, 21, 12:1-4. [Also see Exodus 23:23. 'My
Angel' = 'Michael' by rearrangement of the Hebrew letters.
This is an ancient form of letter mysticism called
'temurah.']
Birth of Michael: Dan 12:1
The 'Return'- Luke 13:35; Matt 16:27, 17:10-13, 25:31-33
Thief in the Night- Matt 24:42-44; Luke 12:39-40; Cf. 2 Peter
and Wisdom 17:19-18:1
Glory [= Heb 'Kabowd' = Gr 'Doxa' = 'palpable manifestation']
E.g.: Deut 5:24; 1 Sam 4:21; Ps 73:24; Is 3:8, 6:3; Ez
39:21; Matt 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 9:26, 21:27, 24:26
Glory of God: E.g.: Ex 16:7, 10, 24:16, 33:18, 40:34; Lev
9:6; Num 14:10; Ps 19:1, 24:7-10, 102:16, 138:5; Is
35:2, 40:5, 60:1, 11, 19-20; Ez 1:28, 3:12, 43:1-4,
9:3, 10:4, 18, 19, 11:22, 23; Hab 2:14; Hag 2:7; Matt
16:27; Mark 8:38; Luke 2:9, 9:26; John 11:4, 40, 17:5,
22, 24, 9:26, 21:27, 24:26; Acts 7:55
Glory of God at Babylon [at the river Kebar]: Ez 3:23, 8:4,
43:1-5
Glory of God fills the Sanctuary: 1 Kings 8:11; 2 Chron 5:14
Cloak dyed red; winepress, etc.: Gen 37:31-33, 49:11; Isaiah
63:1-3
Rejection of Baha'u'llah: Luke 17:22-25; Is 60:1-3
Forty-year Ministry: KJV: Micah 7:15
Israel's call to return: Is 5:24-26, 60:4, 9
THE BRANCH, 'ABDU'L-BAHA: Isaiah 11:1 (KJV).
THE CHILD, SHOGHI EFFENDI: Is 11:6
CARMEL:
Carmel: 1 Kings 19:8; Is 35:2; Jer 46:18, 50:19
Napoleon at Carmel: Dan 11:45 to 12:1
Baha'u'llah at Carmel: E.g., Is 35:2, 41:2; Is 65: Jer 49:38;
Ez 43:2; Hosea 2:15; Micah 7:12-15; Matt 24:3, 27, 36. In
these prophecies, Assyria included old Babylonia, etc.; Elam
was a region included in Persia; 'Achor' literally means
'trouble,' an occult name for modern 'Akka;
OLIVE TREES:
Olive trees: Ps 52:8; Jer 11:16; Hos 14:6
Two olive trees: Zech 4:3, 11-14
BABYLON:
Fall of Babylon: Isaiah 47
Fall of Israel to Babylon: Jer 25:10
Babylon; Ps 137:8; Is 21:9, 48:14; Jer 29:15; Jer 50; Zec
2:7
Babylon in ruins: Jer 51:58, 64
Daughter of Babylon: Is 47
Word renewed at Babylon: Micah 4:10; Ez 1:1, 28, 43:1-4; Zec
4. Cf. Ezra 5:2 & Zech 4:9. [The river Chebar or Kabar
empties into the Euphrates at Babylon. 'Zerubabel' means
'Banished in Babylon.']
DAY OF THE LORD:
A Day of the Lord = 'a thousand years': Ps 90:4
Woe: Is 3:9, 11, 5:8-22, 29:15; Ez 13:3, 18, 34:2; Luke
11:42-52
Woe attends a Day of the Lord: Amos 5:18
Rejection of Messengers: Matt 23:29-39; Acts 7:51-53
SATAN:
Leviathan: Is 27:1
Dragon: Is 51:9; Ezek 29:3
Scorpion: Gen 49:17-18
Serpent: E.g., Gen 3:1; Ex 4:4-5; Matt 10:16; Job 26:13; Is
27:1, 14:29; Amos 9:3. Cf: Numbers 21:9 and John 3:14-15
Satan: E.g., Job 1:6 ff; Zech 3:1 ff; Matt 4:10, 12:26,
16:22; Mark 1:13; Luke 10:18, 13:16, 22:31; Acts 26:18
Evolution of 'Satan': Cf: 2 Sam 24:1 and 1 Chron 21:1
ZION: Ps 65:1; Is 2:3-4, 59:19-21; John 4:21; Romans 9:33,
11:26; 1 Pet 2:6
ARMAGEDDON:
Megiddo: 2 Kings 23:29; 2 Chron 35:22; Zech 12:11
THE ABOMINATION THAT MAKES DESOLATE: Dan 8:13-14, 11:31,
12:11; Ez 18:12; Matt 24:15, 29, 30; Mark 13:10, 14,
24-27; Luke 21:20, 24-28
THE COVENANT:
The Covenant- Gen 9:13; Ezek 1:28, 6:12-13; 16:62, 37:26; Jer
31:4, 31-34, 32:38-40; Luke 1:72; Is 52:9, 54:10, 59:21;
Ps 33:11, 105:8-9; Hos 14:7; Amos 9:11; Mic 7:18-19;
Heb 8:8
Violation of the Covenant: Malachi 2:8-10; Zep 3:9; Matt
16:18-19, 28:18-20; Mark 7:5-8, 16:15; Luke 24:47; John
21:15-17; 1 Cor 4:9, 9:1-27, 12:27-31, 15:9; 2 Cor
11:5-13, 12:11; Gal 1:17-19
SACRIFICE:
Blood sacrifice- Gen 22:13-14; Ex 24:4-8; Num 6:17, 28:9;
Lev 4:32-35, 16:11; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:5; Heb 9:12-14,
10:4, 11, 12; Is 40:2, 53:4-5; John 1:29, 36; Rom 12:1
'Lamb of God'- John 1:29, 36
ONLY BEGOTTEN:
Israel: Apoc of Ezra 6:55
Jesus: cf. John 1:18 in KJV and RSV
THE NEW JERUSALEM:
The new Jerusalem- Is 2:2-4, 9:6-7, Is 60, 62:1-2; Zec 14:9
Precious stones: Ezekiel 28:13-16; Is 54:11
No more curse: Isaiah 65; Zech 14:11
'Running water': Zech 14:8
List of tribes: Ezekiel 28:13-16
'wall of fire': Zech 2:1-5
PROPHETIC TIME SCALES:
A 'day' equals a 'year': Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6
A Day of the Lord = 'a thousand years': Ps 90:4
'Forever' is an 'Aeon'- Cf. Matt 28:20 in KJV and RSV; 1 Peter
1:5, 20, 4:7; 1 Cor 10:11; Jude 18
3 1/2 'times': Dan 7:25 and 12:7
THRONE OF DAVID:
Throne of David- 1 Sam 16:1; 2 Sam 7:12-16; Is 9:6-7; Ez
37:24; Mal 2:10; Zep 3:9
Sons of David cut off: Ezekiel 19:4; 2 Kings 21:2-7, 24:17, 25:7;
Psalm 132:11-12; Jer 15:4, 36:30; Is 63:10; Zech 12:7
Ultimate victory: Gen 49:10
Jesus denies the Throne: Matt 10:34; John 18:33-36
KEY OF DAVID: Is 22:22
MESSIAH:
Cyrus a messiah: Is 45:1
Prepare a lamp for him: Psalm (REB) 132:17
Not a son of David: Matt 22:42-45; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41;
Psalm 110; John 18:33-36
DIVINE BESTOWAL:
David: 1 Sam 16:1;
Melchizedek, Jesus: Heb 5:4-5, 7:3, 15;
Baha'u'llah: Is 11
THRONE OF HEAVEN:
Jesus: John 18:36; Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30
APOSTLES OF JESUS:
As per Luke: Luke 6:12
Sons of thunder: Mark 3:17
Judas: John 13:21-30; Zech 11:7-14
GOG AND MAGOG: Ez 38
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
JUDEO-CHRISTIAN:
KJV: THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE HOLY BIBLE
NEB: THE NEW ENGLISH HOLY BIBLE
REB: THE REVISED ENGLISH HOLY BIBLE
NIV: THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF THE HOLY BIBLE
RSV: THE REVISED STANDARD VERSION OF THE HOLY BIBLE
Roland H. Bainton, CHRISTENDOM, Vol. 1, Harper and Row, NY, 1966
Ernst Muller, HISTORY OF JEWISH MYSTICISM, Oxford, 1946
Rudolph Bultmann, PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANITY IN ITS CONTEMPORARY
SETTING, tr. Rev. R.H. Fuller, Meridian Books, World
Publishing Co., Cleveland and New York, 1956
F.H. Colson, G.H. Whitaker, PHILO, London, 1929
Christopher Dawson, et al, SAINT AUGUSTINE, HIS AGE, LIFE AND
THOUGHT, Meridian Books, the World Publishing Company,
Cleveland, 1969
Graham Hancock, THE SIGN AND THE SEAL, Crown Publishers, NY, 1992
MUSLIM:
QUR'AN: THE HOLY BOOK OF ISLAM
Syed Aeer Ali, THE SPIRIT OF ISLAM, W.H. Allen Co., London, 1891;
Christophers, 1935
T.W. Arnold, THE PREACHING OF ISLAM, Scribners, NY, 1913
E.J. Brill, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ISLAM, Leiden, 1913-1942, 1960-
1966
H.M. Balyuzi, MUHAMMAD AND THE COURSE OF ISLAM, George Ronald,
Oxford, 1976
BAHA'I:
WAB- 'Abdu'l-Baha, SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA
PT- 'Abdu'l-Baha, PARIS TALKS
CB- Baha'u'llah, THE COVENANT OF BAHA'U'LLAH (KITAB-I-'AHD)
SWB- The Bab, SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE BAB
SDC- 'Abdu'l-Baha, THE SECRET OF DIVINE CIVILIZATION
THW- Baha'u'llah, THE HIDDEN WORDS
BOC- Baha'u'llah, THE BOOK OF CERTITUDE
GPB - Shoghi Effendi, GOD PASSES BY
WOB- Shoghi Effendi, THE WORLD ORDER OF BAHA'U'LLAH
SAQ-, 'Abdu'l-Baha, SOME ANSWERED QUESTIONS
TDB- Nabil's Narrative, THE DAWN-BREAKERS, (trans. & edit. by
Shoghi Effendi)
BWF- Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, BAHA'I WORLD FAITH
ROM- Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, THE REALITY OF MAN
ESW- Baha'u'llah, EPISTLE TO THE SON OF THE WOLF
PMB- Baha'u'llah, PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS
GWB- Baha'u'llah, GLEANINGS FROM THE WRITINGS OF BAHA'U'LLAH
TCH- Lady Blomfield, THE CHOSEN HIGHWAY
WATAB- 'Abdu'l-Baha, THE WILL AND TESTAMENT OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA
ADJ- Shoghi Effendi, THE ADVENT OF DIVINE JUSTICE
TPDIC- Shoghi Effendi, THE PROMISED DAY IS COME
PUP- 'Abdu'l-Baha, THE PROMULGATION OF UNIVERSAL PEACE
TAB- 'Abdu'l-Baha, TABLETS OF 'ABDU'L-BAHA ABBAS, (3 volumes)
1940
M-to-A - Shoghi Effendi, MESSAGES TO AMERICA (1932-46)
SM- Mirza Asadu'llah, SACRED MYSTERIES, 1902
BS- Baha'u'llah and 'Abdu'l-Baha, BAHA'I SCRIPTURES, 1923
TTJ: Baha'u'llah, TABLET TO THE JEWS
BOL: Baha'u'llah, THE BOOK OF LAWS (KITAB-I-AQDAS)
TAF: Baha'u'llah, TABLET OF ALL FOOD
TOM: Baha'u'llah, TABLET OF MYSTERIES
TOA: Baha'u'llah, TABLET OF AHMAD
NTG: Baha'i Publishing Trust, London, NEARNESS TO GOD
SOW: STAR OF THE WEST, republished by George Ronald, Oxford
Adib Taherzadeh, THE REVELATION OF BAHA'U'LLAH, George Ronald,
Oxford (4 volumes)
Elena Maria Marsella, THE QUEST FOR EDEN, Philosophical Library,
NY, 1966
Abdu'l-Qasim Faizi, EXPLANATION OF THE EMBLEM OF THE GREATEST
NAME, Baha'i News, Wilmette, IL, Oct 1968
Dhikru'llah Kadem, BAHA'U'LLAH AND HIS MOST HOLY SHRINE, Baha'i
News, Wilmette, IL, March 1976, No. 540
Jamshed K. Fozdar, BUDDHA MAITRYA-AMITABHA HAS APPEARED, Baha'i
Publishing Trust, India, 1976
William Sears, THIEF IN THE NIGHT, George Ronald, Oxford
J.E. Esslemont, BAHA'U'LLAH AND THE NEW ERA, Baha'i Publishing
Trust, Wilmette, IL
Ruhiyyih Rabbani, THE PRICELESS PEARL, Baha'i Publishing Trust,
London
H.M. Balyuzi, 'ABDU'L-BAHA, George Ronald, Oxford
Usted Muhammad-'Aliy-i Salmani, MY MEMORIES OF BAHA'U'LLAH, (tr.
Marzieh Gail), Kalimat Press, Los Angeles, 1982
H.M. Balyuzi, BAHA'U'LLAH, THE KING OF GLORY, George Ronald,
Oxford, 1980
COMPARATIVE RELIGION:
Hans Jonas, THE GNOSTIC RELIGION, Beacon Press, Boston, 1963
Huston Smith, THE RELIGIONS OF MAN, Harper and Brothers, NY, 1958
Edward Conze, BUDDHISM: ITS ESSENCE AND DEVELOPMENT,
Philosophical Library, NY, 1951
Jacques Duscesne-Guillemin, SYMBOLS AND VALUES IN ZOROASTRIANISM,
Harper and Row, NY, 1966
G.R. Driver, CANAANITE MYTHS AND LEGENDS, Clark, Edinburgh, 1956
David Brady, THE BOOK OF REVELATION AND THE QUR'AN: IS THERE A
POSSIBLE LITERARY RELATIONSHIP?, Journal of Semitic Studies,
Vol 23, #2, Autumn, 1978
GENERAL HISTORY:
Arnold J. Toynbee, A STUDY OF HISTORY
Simeon L. Guterman, RELIGIOUS TOLERATION AND PERSECUTION IN
ANCIENT ROME, London, 1961
S. Runciman, THE FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE, 1453, Cambridge
University Press, 1965
V.V. Bartold, TURKESTAN DOWN TO THE MONGOL INVASION, 2nd ed.,
1958
Alexis Perrey, NOTE SUR LES TREMBLEMENTS DE TERRE, Academie
Royale des Sciences des lettres et des Beaux Artes de
Belgique, Bulletin, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp.291-308 of the First
Series, 1855
O. Neugebauer, THE EXACT SCIENCES IN ANTIQUITY, Dover
Publications, NY, 1969
Milton K. Munitz, THEORIES OF THE UNIVERSE, FROM BABYLONIAN MYTH
TO MODERN SCIENCE, The Free Press, Macmillan Publishing Co.,
NY, 1957
Lord Curzon, PERSIA AND THE PERSIAN QUESTION
SYMBOLISM:
Carl Jung, MAN AND HIS SYMBOLS, Doubleday, Garden City, NY
Carl Jung, PSYCHOLOGY AND RELIGION, Yale University Press, 1971
Carl Jung, PSYCHOLOGY AND ALCHEMY, Collected Works, Bollingen
Series XX, NY, 1953
Otto Rank, BEYOND PSYCHOLOGY, Dover, NY, 1958
Jose A. Arguelles, THE TRANSFORMATIVE VISION, Shambhala,
Berkeley, Calif, 1975
Adelaide S. Hall, A GLOSSARY OF IMPORTANT SYMBOLS, Bates and
Guild, Boston, 1912
ASTROLOGY:
Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend, HAMLET'S MILL,
Gambit, Boston, 1969; David R. Godine, Boston, 1977
Arthur M. Harding, PhD, ASTRONOMY, Garden City Publishing Co.,
NY, 1935
Alan Oken, AS ABOVE, SO BELOW, Bantam Books, NY, 1973
Robert Hand, HOROSCOPE SYMBOLS, Whitford Press, West Chester, PA,
1981
NUMEROLOGY:
Plato, TIMAEUS
Aristotle, DE CAELO
E.W. Bullinger, NUMBER IN SCRIPTURE, Kregel Publications, Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 1986
Carlo Suares, THE CIPHER OF GENESIS, Shambhala, Berkeley, 1970
John Mitchell, CITY OF REVELATION, Garnstone press, London, 1972;
Ballantine Books, NY, 1973
Christopher Butler, NUMBER SYMBOLISM, Barnes and Noble, NY, 1970
F.B. Bond and Dr. T.S. Lea, GEMATRIA, Basil Blackwell, Oxford
Ernest G. McClain, THE MYTH OF INVARIANCE, Shambhala, Boulder and
London, 1978
MATHEMATICS:
Kenneth Appel and Wolfgang Haken, THE SOLUTION OF THE FOUR-COLOR-
MAP PROBLEM, Scientific American, October, 1977
Martin Gardner, THE COLORING OF UNUSUAL MAPS LEADS INTO UNCHARTED
TERRITORY, Scientific American, Feb, 1980
SACRED GEOMETRY:
Matila Ghyka, THE GEOMETRY OF ART AND LIFE, Dover Publications,
NY, 1977
R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz, THE TEMPLE IN MAN, The Autumn Press,
Brookline, Mass, 1977
Peter Tompkins, SECRETS OF THE GREAT PYRAMID, Harper and Row, NY,
1971
H.E. Huntley, THE DIVINE PROPORTION, Dover Publications, NY, 1970
BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR:
THE APOCALYPSE UNSEALED, Philosophical Library, NY, 1981
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