Understanding the Revelation to Saint John

  "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all 
  the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, 
  for it is at hand." - Joel 2:1

Although certain features of the Book of Revelation closely resemble portions of other Old Testament Books such as Daniel and Ezekiel, as a whole it is unique. It is the only Book of the Bible entirely dedicated to foretelling the return of Christ. It describes, with astounding accuracy, events which must occur between the ascension of Jesus and His return.

In order to convey this critical knowledge to the reader (regardless of any cultural, intellectual or language barriers which may have intervened during the nearly two thousand year period it describes) the prophecy employs symbolism. These symbols can be understood, in part, by recognizing patterns of sequence employed within the Revelation itself. For instance, the Book is readily divided into seven distinct sections. The first section contains an introduction and a greeting to 'seven churches which are in Asia', the original recipients of the Book. The second section is composed of short messages to each of those seven churches. The third section is a record of John's vision of the Throne Room in Heaven, where twenty-four 'elders', four 'living creatures', the 'Lamb' and the 'One Who sits on the throne' are described.

The fourth section begins the portion of the Revelation which actually appears to be prophetic. This section is subdivided into seven stages, each one revealed as the Lamb removes seven seals from a divine scroll. The fifth section is a continuation of the prophecy and, not surprisingly, is also revealed in seven stages. In this section seven angels successively blow their trumpets to announce further developments in the revelation of the prophecy. The sixth section prophesies seven final plagues which will afflict humanity prior to the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. These seven plagues are administered by seven angels. The seventh and last section of the Book of Revelation describes the appearance of the King of Kings, the binding of Satan and the return of humanity to Paradise.

As we study the Book of Revelation, it will become apparent that the number seven is not a merely random number. It is used with precision and purpose throughout the Revelation. As can be seen from the above, much of the prophecy is revealed in a series of seven step progressions, the seventh step of each progression preparing the way for the first step of the next progression. The repetition of this pattern should alert the reader to search for the inward significance of the number seven. Because the seventh and final step of each earlier progression leads to the beginning of the next, it can be seen that 'seven' represents readiness for the next step. Ultimately, in the context of the Book of Revelation, it symbolizes that humanity has been prepared to receive information about the return of the Christ.

Symbols are able to convey their true meaning in whatever age they are read, as long as one knows the key. Jesus provides that key to the reader in the first chapter. There He introduces a symbol and, later in that same chapter, provides the correct interpretation of that symbol. He thus makes it clear that the correct interpretation of the symbols He has revealed can be found in the word of God. This is in harmony with 2 Peter 1:20, "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. "Therefore, our interpretation of the divine symbols must be based on explanations provided in the Scriptures. As each symbol is encountered, it will be necessary to search the Scriptures to determine its significance. This scriptural, and therefore authoritative, interpretation is the key which will unlock the intended meaning of each symbol. The writings of the Bahá'í Faith make it a lot easier to recognize that key. For this reason, selections from those writings will be included in this study.

The process of investigating the prophecies in the Book of Revelation is not an easy one. Search and struggle are inherent in the quest for that which has value. Jesus promised that He will be found, but only by those who earnestly seek Him. Hidden within the Book of Revelation are clues which will reveal the year of His return, the location of His return, the fact that He will have a new name - even what His new name will be. To understand its symbols is to know when and where the Christ will return. For this reason, each symbol must be carefully reviewed, exploring its meaning with the intention of understanding how it can guide mankind to the Christ.

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew 
   unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and 
   signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, 
   and of all the things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this 
   prophesy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

These first verses establish the line of divine authority for the transmission of the Book. This is necessary because it is not like the Gospels which, for the most part' are accepted accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus. The Revelation was given to John several years after Jesus ascended. How was John to convince the Christian world that his vision was actually from God? He almost failed. For many years inclusion of the Book of Revelation in the Bible was a hotly debated issue.

In the first verse John writes that the Book is an accurate account of a vision which came to him from God, although indirectly. It was given by God to Jesus, Who in turn, communicated it to John through the agency of an angel. Why is this important enough to mention? It is significant to note that, in the Revelation, Jesus continues to reveal God's will to humanity in the same manner as before He ascended to heaven: whatsoever He hears from the Father, that is what He speaks. This point cannot be overemphasized. Even after His ascension, His relationship to God remained the same as that of His earthly ministry. Understanding this relationship is vital if one is to be able to understand the prophecies in the Book of Revelation. Jesus was, and is, a Messenger of God.

Next, John verifies that he is a believer in the word of God and in the testimony of Jesus and that what he has seen in the vision is therefore reliable. At the time the vision was revealed to John, most of the world was not friendly to Christians. It was, in fact, not safe to be a Christian, and this may be why John was on the penal island of Patmos when he received his vision. At such a time, what earthly benefit could John have gained by writing a Book which lauds the name of Jesus, identifies himself as the writer and states where he could be found by the enemies of Christianity? It would seem that John very likely risked a great deal in writing these things.

The third verse is a benediction for those who will read the Book in gatherings. It blesses any who read the Book, and those who hear its words and 'keep those things which are written therein'. This last phrase is very significant in light of John 8:51,

  "Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my words he shall not see death."

Could the above verse mean that anyone who reads and believes in the words of Jesus will not physically die? Clearly, Jesus cannot be speaking of physical death, as there have been multitudes of great souls (perhaps the most notable being His disciples) who, without a doubt, have kept His words and yet have suffered physical death. Might not Jesus have intended a meaning for the word 'death' which does not pertain to the physical condition?

Whereas human beings are preoccupied with their physical condition, Jesus emphatically stated that the 'flesh profits nothing'. Jesus taught His disciples the spiritual meaning of the term 'death' when one of His disciples came to Him for permission to bury his father. He instructed that disciple to 'let the dead bury their own dead'. In this exchange we are given a glimpse of the meaning of death as understood in the heavenly language. As it is impossible for one who is physically dead to bury another who is physically dead, it must therefore be understood that Jesus considered as 'living' those who believed in Him (His disciples), while those who did not recognize Him were considered to be dead. Therefore, to 'not see death' does not mean that one will never die physically, but that if one 'keeps those things which are written' in the Book of Revelation, he will, like the disciples of Jesus, recognize the Christ when He appears and follow Hun.

One might argue that many, if not most, of the Jews had memorized the words of Moses and the Prophets, especially those verses which prophesied the corning of the Messiah. However, notwithstanding this knowledge, they failed to recognize that Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. Therefore they rose up against Him. Their denial demonstrates that memorization of the prophetic verses, by itself, does not guarantee understanding. How can Christians, even those who study the Scriptures, be certain that they will behave differently than the Jews when the Christ returns? How can they know if they are actually 'keeping' the words of prophecy in the Book of Revelation?

In the parable of the sower, Jesus explains what is actually meant by 'keeping' the word of God.

"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."

  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"
  Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"

  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, 
  but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing 
  they may not understand."'

  "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the 
  ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest 
  they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who when they hear, 
  receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time 
  of temptation fall away. And the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they 
  have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring 
  no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on good ground are those who, having heard 
  the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." (Luke 8:5-15)

Jesus taught that to keep the word of God, one must believe that it is true, must nurture the word in a pure heart and so become firmly rooted in his faith. He must not let the cares or temptations of the world interfere with the process which the word of God seeks to accomplish in him, which is to bear fruit. What is the 'fruit' that should be borne 'with patience'? In the context of the Book of Revelation, it is to recognize the Christ when He returns. To do so one must strive to understand the inward meaning of the prophecies. Armed with this knowledge, he must patiently search for the Christ, never growing tired of remaining alert for news of His Advent, and never allowing fear or attachment to the world to cloud his judgement.

When Jesus discussed the parable with His disciples, He told them that they should 'know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God' but that those who do not listen with 'ears to hear' will 'not understand' them. He intended that His followers must not merely read or hear His word, but rather that they seek to understand its meaning. Like the disciples, we should see, hear and understand the prophecies.

Had the Jews understood the inward meaning of the prophecies which foretold the coming of the Messiah, they would not have rejected Jesus. Instead, they based their acceptance of the Messiah upon traditional interpretations of those prophecies. They expected that the prophecies would be fulfilled according to what their imaginations had devised. The Jews rejected Jesus when He did not fulfill their expectations. The Christian student of prophecy should bear in mind that similar traditional interpretations have become commonplace among Christian teachings dealing with the return of the Christ.

Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, 
   and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and 
   from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

In this verse the reader is given three symbols to consider. The first is that of 'the seven churches which are in Asia'. The second symbol concerns 'Him which is, and which was, and which is to come'. The third symbol relates a greeting to the churches from 'the seven Spirits which are before the throne'.

The Seven Churches in Asia -

The seven churches are symbols with broad implications for this prophecy. They will be considered in greater depth in the following two chapters. However, a short comment is necessary at this time in order to appreciate the meaning of the other two symbols which have been associated with the churches.

The first thing that comes to mind when considering the churches is that there are seven. In a Book of symbols, in which most of the symbols are revealed in groups of seven, the reader is strongly encouraged to consider whether the churches themselves are symbolic. That they have symbolic meaning is indicated in the last verses of the first chapter, where they are made symbolically interchangeable with seven golden lampstands.

In order to understand a symbol, it is useful to know how it was used by the provider of the symbol. Jesus used the word 'church' only three times in the Gospels. The first time He used it was in reference to Peter's confession that Jesus was 'the Christ, the Son of God'. He said, "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall riot prevail against it". (Mt 16:18) In this context Peter, inspired by the Heavenly Father to recognize the true station of Jesus, is likened to the foundation stone upon which Jesus declares that He will build the edifice of Christianity. Here, Jesus uses the word 'church' to represent the establishment of the His Faith in the heart of every believer through the power of God.

The second and third use of the word 'church' by Jesus occur in Mt 18:17. Describing what should be done with a sinning brother who will not listen to the admonition of two or three reliable witnesses, Jesus says, "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." In this context, the church represents a specific group of Christian believers.

In these two examples, Jesus has defined what He means by the word 'church'. First, it can represent the Christian Faith as a whole, the outcome of the workings of the Spirit of God upon humanity. Second, it can represent specific groups of Christian believers.

The first defines Christianity as a single entity. It is the undivided 'house' brought into existence through the life and teachings of Jesus. It is the essence of belief in Jesus as the Christ, the Word of God. In this sense, all Christians are as one, united by their belief in Jesus. The second definition of church describes individual congregations of believers.

Although united in their belief that Jesus is the Christ, these congregations are divided over specific issues of dogma and ritual. Because of these divisions, Christianity has become a divided house, split into various 'churches'. These two different meanings of the word 'Church' will be explored in the next chapter.

Looking at the word 'church' in terms of the first definition, as Jesus explained to Peter, Christianity is His church. It was founded upon His life and teachings and therefore is uniquely His. It represents a Revelation from a Manifestation of God. If the seven churches are taken as symbols, then, in this context, each church could represent one such singular and distinct Revelation from God.

In the Book of Revelation Jesus states, in the first verse and again in the last chapter, that the Revelation was revealed to John through the agency of His angel. This relationship is important, for He then addresses each of the seven letters 'to the angel' of that church. Jesus has thus established a relationship which should not be overlooked when reading the letters to the churches. From this pattern, which Jesus Himself has established, it can be understood that each of the seven churches symbolically represents a Messenger of God and the Faith He has established. For example, just as Jesus built the church of Christianity, Moses built the Jewish 'church' and Muhammad the 'church' of Islam. As Jesus was able to reveal the Book of Revelation, a prophecy of His return, to John through the agency of His angel, might not the angels associated with Moses or Muhammad also reveal to their followers the expectation of that same return? This interpretation of the symbol of the churches suggests that the Revelation is directed to all humanity, regardless of religious background. Jesus explained that there were 'other folds' which He needed to bring with Him. Might not those other folds be the followers of other Faiths? It makes sense that Jesus would seek to inspire all human-kind with the knowledge that He is going to return since it has been prophesied in the Old Testament that the return of the Christ will be accompanied by the establishment of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. How can this come about unless people of all Faiths recognize and accept Him when He returns?

Christians recognize that God has revealed His will to humanity in a progressive manner through the appearance of successive Messengers. God spoke to Abraham, then to Moses and then to Jesus. Each Messenger has provided the knowledge of God to ever widening groups of humanity. For example, Abraham taught His family about the oneness of God. Moses taught the descendants of Abraham, the twelve Hebrew tribes, about the oneness of God. The message of Jesus was taught to those Jews who would listen, and was then carried around the world by the gentile believers.

Examples which demonstrate that God's knowledge is progressively revealed appear often in the Book of Revelation. The main body of the prophecy is progressively revealed as seven seals are removed from the scroll. This prophecy is continued as seven angels successively blow their trumpets and later as seven angels pour the seven last plagues upon the earth. The repeated use of a system of progressively revealed prophecies in which the prophecy is unfolded in a series of seven steps - ought to alert the reader to the possibility that the seven churches represent the same principle of progressive revelation, through the successive appearances of seven Messengers of God.

For Christians this should not be a difficult concept. They believe that Moses was a Messenger of God. The lesser Prophets, such as Isaiah and Daniel are also accepted as Messengers of God. This is why the Old Testament is attached to the New. Both are considered to be the word of God. The difficulty is not for Christians, or people of any other Faith, to acknowledge the truth of those Faiths from which theirs was born. The difficulty is to recognize the ones which come after. Thus the Jews cannot accept Jesus, though Christians accept Moses. The Christians cannot accept Muhammad, yet Muslims recognize Jesus. In fact, the Sunni Muslims are awaiting His return. The primary purpose of every Messenger of God is the divine education of humanity. They have all taught that there is only one God.

The Book of Revelation is thus a warning, not just to Christians, but to the entire human world that the Christ will return. When He does, He will summon people of every Faith to accept His divine counsel. His coming will not only fulfill the prophecies of the Old and New Testaments, but it will fulfill those of every other Holy Book. That He has been promised in the writings of each of these great Faiths represented by the seven churches may surprise many Christians.

There is further support for the idea that the seven churches represent seven great World Faiths. This comes from the prophecy which Jesus spoke to the Jews while He stood near the temple in Jerusalem. He told them in response to their request for a sign, to "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.', (John 2:19) The people failed to understand that He was speaking of Himself and not the great temple which Herod had built. He was signifying that the true Temple is the Messenger of God. Just as the Jews needed to understand that their outward place of worship (the temple) was merely an outward symbol of the Messiah Himself Christians need to realize that their place of worship (the church) is also a symbol of the Messenger of God. In the Bahá'í writings we have the following - "Among the institutions of the Holy Books is that of the foundation of places of worship. That is to say, an edifice or temple is to be built in order that humanity might find a place of meeting, and this is to be conducive to unity and fellowship among them. The real temple is the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of unity for all mankind."'

And again,

  "It is clear and evident to thee that all the Prophets are the Temples of the 
  Cause of God, Who have appeared in divers attire. If thou wilt observe with 
  discriminating eyes, thou wilt behold Them all abiding in the same tabernacle, 
  soaring in the same heaven, seated upon the same throne, uttering the same 
  speech, and proclaiming the same Faith."[2]

In the Book of Revelation we read the following. "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Rev 21:22) Finally, in the eleventh chapter of the Revelation we read that 'two witnesses' are likened to two lampstands, and these two witnesses are subsequently called prophets. Therefore, it is quite clear that in the language of God, a lampstand symbolizes a Messenger of God.

Thus, the seven churches, which have been likened to seven lampstands by Jesus, can symbolize Messengers of God. Since there are seven churches written to, these must correspond to seven Messengers of God. Not surprisingly, this is exactly the number of great Prophets from Abraham through Muhammad. Therefore, the seven churches can represent the Faiths established by Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad. As the letters are studied, it will be discovered that, to an amazing degree, each of the letters corresponds to one of those Faiths.

If we take the second meaning of the word 'church' given by Jesus, then the churches can also represent the body of believers. This approach has been taken by certain Christian scholars, who interpret each of the seven churches as symbols of seven distinct stages in the evolution of Christianity. As will be seen in the next two chapters, both of these explanations assist in the process of predicting when the Christ will return, although from two different perspectives. The first offers a prophecy of Christ's return, based on the historical succession of the seven Faiths. The second reveals a prophecy based on historical changes which have occurred within Christianity.

Him which is, and which was, and which is to come

In one sense, this title describes the eternal nature of God, and that God always has and always will send Manifestations of Himself (His Messengers) to humanity. In another sense, this title is descriptive of the Christ. It describes His manifestation to the world as Jesus (which was). It describes His condition as eternal, living and continuing to reveal the will of God to humanity after His ascension (which is). The title also indicates that the Christ will return, for He 'is to come Christ has stated several times in the Revelation that He 'is coming'.

The seven Spirits which are before the throne

If the seven churches represent the seven Great Faiths, then who are the 'seven Spirits who are before His throne'? A clue to the identity of these Spirits is found in all seven letters to the churches. Each letter includes the following phrase- "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches". The question is, who is it that identifies himself as the Spirit? In the beginning of the fourth letter we read, "These things says the Son of God". We are thus informed that this letter is from Jesus. That same letter ends with, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches".

Jesus is thus identified as the Spirit which has spoken. In the last chapter of the Revelation, Christ is alluded to as the Spirit,

  "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!'" (Rev 22:17)

The Spirit is identified with the bridegroom, for John the Baptist in exalting Jesus said, "He who has the bride is the bridegroom". (Jn 3:29) In His parables, Jesus often referred to Himself as the bridegroom. Thus, Jesus is again identified as the 'Spirit'.

In John 4:24 Jesus tells us "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Each Messenger of God was revealed through the power of the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit. His ministry began when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. Moses was also empowered with the Spirit of God. (Num 11:17) This Spirit caused Him to be able to release the Hebrew people from the mighty grasp of Pharaoh, and to reveal the Laws of God. Muhammad was also invested with the Spirit of God when the angel Gabriel came to Him. In fact, the Scriptures of each of the world Faiths attest to the influence of the Spirit of God upon their Prophet. As there have been seven major Faiths, from Abraham through Muhammad, it follows that there would be seven manifestations or expressions of the Spirit of God - one for each Messenger.

Bahá'u'lláh wrote that since God is exalted above the capacity of the human heart to comprehend Him, He hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence."[3]

Therefore, the true nature of these Beings is spirit. Jesus is called the Spirit because He manifests the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit to mankind. Similarly, each of the seven Messengers of God imparts the Spirit of God to humanity. In Their inmost essence They stand identified with the Holy Spirit. The 'seven Spirits which are before the throne' therefore represent seven Manifestations of the Spirit of God to mankind.

Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of 
   the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed 
   us from our sins in his own blood,

The phrase 'faithful witness' reminds us that Jesus has delivered, without change or addition, the divine instruction which He heard from the Father in heaven. In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly stressed that whatsoever He heard from the Heavenly Father, is what He said or did. "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." (John 12:49) Also, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge and My judgement is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." (John 5:30)

What does 'first begotten of the dead' mean? The interpretation of this phrase has been the cause of much dispute. Some have argued that it refers to the raising of Jesus after His crucifixion. If it refers to a literal or physical resurrection following His crucifixion, we cannot say that Jesus was in fact the first to be brought back to life. For both Elijah and Elisha are reported to have raised the dead. It must also be remembered that Jesus resurrected Lazarus.

Some might claim that those who were raised to life in the Old Testament or by Jesus were raised only to physical life, and that Jesus was the first raised after His death on the cross to a new spiritual and eternal body, and that this was the first and only instance of this specific event. Everyone else, even those who were brought back to life by a prophet, according to this doctrine, must remain dead and buried until the Second Advent. The ascension of Jesus into an eternal, spiritual body is thus considered to be a sign of His uniqueness. But if Jesus was the first to achieve everlasting life because of His death on the cross and His subsequent resurrection and ascension in His glorious form into heaven, we are forced to ask, how did Moses and Elijah come to be in the presence of Jesus at His Transfiguration? Moses had died of old age many years before, while Elijah had been transported to heaven while yet physically alive. Despite tbe remarkably different manner in which each had departed this world, both were revealed in the same glorious form as that of Jesus. They had become living, eternal beings before Jesus was crucified. But these were not the only souls who had achieved eternal life before the ascension of Jesus. For Jesus Himself said, "But concerning the resurrection of t he dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Mt 22:31,32) Therefore, although Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had passed from their mortal existence, they were each considered living beings according to the words of Jesus. They each had achieved eternal life before the ascension of Jesus.

  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me 
  has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death 
  into life."  (Jn 5:24)

To find the intended meaning of the phrase 'first begotten of the dead' it becomes necessary to review the sayings of Jesus in the Gospels. Guided by these teachings we will be able to understand the spiritual significance of this challenging phrase. Remembering the story of the disciple who wished to bury his father before setting out on a journey with Jesus, we know that Jesus judged as 'dead' those who were spiritually blind to the truth of His divine reality. Such souls, concerned only with their physical well-being, wanted no part of the life of the spirit which Jesus offered them. These, Jesus accounted as dead.

'Begotten' means to be given life, to be born. What did Jesus have to say about birth? In the third chapter of John we read that Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee, "that unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Also, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit."

Bahá'u'lláh writes concerning these symbols,

  "The purport of these words is that whosoever in every dispensation is born of the Spirit 
  and is quickened by the breath of the Manifestations of Holiness, he verily is of those 
  that have attained unto 'life' and 'resurrection' and have entered into 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."[4]

Jesus was, in fact, born of the Holy Spirit into a world that had become completely deprived of that Spirit. Abraham and Moses had imparted the Spirit to Their followers. The Prophets had worked to keep the Spirit alive in the hearts of the Jews. By the time Jesus had come, however, the Spirit had departed from the Jewish people. Jesus alone was spiritually 'alive'. He was the first begotten of the Spirit from among the spiritually dead of His time.

Bahá'u'lláh has written the following regarding this theme.

  "Consider the hour at which the supreme Manifestation of God revealeth Himself unto men. 
  Ere that hour cometh, the Ancient Being, Who is still unknown of men and hath not as yet 
  given utterance to the Word of God, is Himself the All-Knower in a world devoid of any 
  man that hath known Him. He is indeed the Creator without a creation."[5]

Jesus came to impart life to humanity through the Holy Spirit. Even as it is written in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." Darkness represents the absence of spiritual life through ignorance of the Christ. Light represents eternal life imparted to humanity through the Revelation of Jesus.

The phrase 'prince of the kings of the earth' is, in one sense, a prophetic term. This is because Jesus, far from actually achieving any earthly sovereignty, was crucified by the weakest of kingdoms, Israel. No earthly king recognized His sovereignty. No king even troubled himself to investigate the claim made by Jesus. Yet, after His ascension, how many great rulers bowed their heads in homage to His name? In this sense the title was prophetic.

The term 'prince' also indicates the son of a king. Jesus was the Son of the Heavenly Father, the King of Kings. Jesus came in the station of the Prince. Yet the Prince is invested with the authority of the King, and He wields that authority over all the kings of the earth. Jesus, the first Christ, came in the station of the Son of God, the King of kings. (Rev 17:14) At the Second Advent, He will come in the station of the Heavenly Father, the King of Kings. (Mt 21 :33A1)(Rev 19:16)

The meaning of 'washed us from our sins in His own blood' can be discerned from Exodus 29:21. This verse describes the symbolic purification of the altar and of the robes to be worn by Aaron, the high priest. This purification was accomplished by sprinkling the objects to be purified with the blood of a sacrificed animal. By so doing, Aaron was then permitted to approach the innermost sanctuary, and come into the presence of God. This same holy purification was accomplished for the Christian through the sacrifice of Jesus. His blood is symbolically applied, therefore, to the believer who, having been made clean by that sacrifice, may also approach God.

Rev 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be 
   glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

This verse verifies that through the sacrifice of Jesus, His followers have been permitted to approach God, as did Aaron the high priest, since they have been 'made priests'. It also adds another quality which the true believer will have; in addition to being like a priest, able to approach God, he will be like a king.

In Biblical times, when a man was made king, he was anointed with oil. This is the origin of the word Messiah. It means the Anointed One. As Jesus has conferred upon His believers the ability to approach God through His sacrifice, He also has conferred upon His believers the quality of His sovereignty through His teachings. In the Synagogue Jesus spoke of His own mission while quoting Isaiah 61:1.

  "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good 
  tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the 
  captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."

Through the quotation of this verse, Jesus explained that He was 'anointed' to heal the broken hearted, proclaim the Gospel and to free those who were bound. The Kingship of Jesus was not the sovereignty associated with earthly kings, but that holy state of servitude to God and His creatures. This is the sovereignty that He taught His followers. "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:44,45)

Rev 1:7 Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also 
   which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

This verse calls to mind Zechariah 12:10. "And I will pour on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn." The parallel between these two verses is striking. Many of the elements of the life of Jesus are plainly discernable in the verse from Zechariah. We find the 'only son' and the 'firstborn' themes as well as the reference to His being 'pierced' while on the cross.

Zechariah, in unmistakable language, is setting forth a prophecy of the first coming of Christ.

Verse seven above also prophesies the Advent; however, it does not prophesy His first coming but His return. It must be remembered that the entire Book of Revelation is prophetic of events that will take place after the ascension of Jesus. When He returns, He is depicted as coming with 'clouds'. For many the image of Jesus riding down to earth on a cloud bringing salvation for all humanity to see is comforting, since who could possibly miss it? But this is a literal understanding of the prophecy and as such poses many literal problems. For instance, anyone who has passed through fog, which is a low cloud, already knows that visibility in such conditions is next to zero. Clouds which are higher obscure the light of the sun from our eyes. Far from making it obvious that Jesus has returned, would not the clouds hide His advent from the eyes of humanity?

In Joel 2:2,3 we read, "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand: a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains ... " In Ezekiel 32:7 we read, "When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens, and make its stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light." Also, in Lamentation 3:44, "You have covered Yourself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through."

To come on clouds does not indicate that He will be easy to recognize, but difficult. Bahá'u'lláh writes,

"These 'clouds' signify, in one sense, the annulment of laws, the abrogation of former Dispensations, the repeal of rituals and customs current amongst men, the exalting of the illiterate faithful above the learned opposers of the Faith. In another sense, they mean the appearance of that immortal Beauty in the image of mortal man, with such human limitations as eating and drinking, poverty and riches, glory and abasement, sleeping and waking, and such other things as cast doubt in the minds of men, and cause them to turn away.

'And every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him.' It is difficult to understand how those who were present to pierce the body of Jesus would be able to return centuries later to witness His return. Bahá'u'lláh explains the concept of 'return' in the Book of Certitude. He states that it is with respect to their inward qualities, not the outward body that the people return. He writes,

  "Therefore, those who in every subsequent Dispensation preceded the rest of mankind 
  in embracing the Faith of God, who quaffed the clear waters of knowledge at the hand 
  of the divine Beauty, and attained the loftiest summits of faith and certitude, these 
  can be regarded, in name, in reality, in deeds, in words, and in rank, as the 'return' 
  of those who in a former Dispensation had achieved similar distinctions. For whatsoever 
  the people of a former Dispensation have manifested, the same hath been shown by the 
  people of this latter generation. Consider the rose: whether it blossometh in the East 
  or in the West, it is none the less a rose. For what mattereth in this respect is not 
  the outward shape and form of the rose, but rather the smell and fragrance which it 
  doth impart."[7]

To further understand this concept, it might be recalled that God often alluded to Jerusalem as Sodom, long after the actual city of Sodom had been obliterated. This is because with respect to the spiritual lawlessness of the Israelites, the two cities had become identical in the sight of God. Similarly, in Acts 7:51-53, Stephen explains that the people who killed Jesus are the same spiritually as those who have always risen up to oppose the Faith of God.

Another useful example can be found in the New Testament. While John the Baptist was preaching to the people, he was asked whether he was Elias (Elijah), because of the prophecy of Malachi which stated, 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.' (Mal 4:5) John's response was 'no', He was not Elijah. However, when Jesus was asked about John's identity, He replied that John was indeed Elijah. How can these conflicting statements be resolved, for undoubtedly both spoke the truth?

In "Some Answered Questions," 'Abdu'l-Bahá explains that Jesus was referring to the inner qualities of John the Baptist and not his actual person. The function of both Elijah and John was to announce the imminent appearance of the Christ. While John the Baptist announced the Christ's first coming, Elijah was to announce the Christ's return. Since both were to prepare the way for the coming of the Christ, they both occupied the same spiritual station. Jesus was affirming that both John and Elijah occupied that same spiritual station, while John denied that he was Elijah with respect to his particular Dispensation, individual personality and physical being.

The purpose of the above verse is to point Out that Jesus expected to be persecuted by the same kind of unbelievers (those that had pierced Him) at His second coming. This time however, not only the 'inhabitants of Jerusalem' would mourn for Him but 'all the kindreds of the earth'.

A final note about this verse. Many contend that when Jesus returns all will know it simultaneously because this verse states that 'every eye shall see Him'. Since this prophecy refers to the second coming of the Christ, it might be beneficial to compare it with similar prophecies and events which refer to the first coming. In Luke 3:2-6 is the record of the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist. Regarding himself and the coming Christ, John quotes Isaiah 40:3-5. "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" (Emphasis added by author). Certainly, not all humanity looked upon the living Jesus, with Whom was salvation. Neither was He regarded until many years after His death as being worthy of any note in the secular histories. But by the power of God, His cause was uplifted and gained ascendancy over its opposition. To those who were able to recognize Him, the door of salvation was open wide. But there are those who still persist in their denial that Jesus was the Messiah. Although all now 'see' that Jesus has laid claim to being the Messiah, not everyone recognizes this to be the truth. How often did Jesus remind us that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear'?

As it is evident that in the first Advent 'all flesh shall see' does not mean that everyone actually saw Jesus or even believed in Him, so 'every eye shall see Him' does not mean that everyone will simultaneously be aware of His return, nor does it mean that all will accept the truth of His mission immediately upon His announcement. It implies the same gradual realization by the people of the world that the Christ has returned. The gradual nature of the transformation of the world and establishment of peace by His government is made clear in the ninth chapter of Isaiah.

The last phrase 'and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him' in fact indicates that humanity will torment this Blessed Being before they eventually come to the realization that He is the Christ. They will wail because of the terrible cruelties He was made to suffer.

Rev 1:81 am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, 
   and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

These titles appear several times in the Book of Revelation. They are important symbols to understand because they relate to the concept of progressive revelation, already described above.

Bahá'u'lláh has explained that the Word of God must be manifested to humanity in strict conformity with the conditions which God has foreordained. He relates that "Should the Word be allowed to release suddenly all the energies latent within it, no man could sustain the weight of so mighty a Revelation. Nay, all that is in heaven and on earth would flee in consternation before it."[8]

We find that this is exactly what Isaiah taught. He said that the knowledge of God must be learned a little at a time, each precept used to build upon the next. (Isaiah 28:9,10) Thus, each Messenger of God, like the teacher of a specific age group of students, must teach according to the capacity of the people of His time. The knowledge They bring is cumulative, and is part of an overall process designed to confer heavenly education upon humanity. Bahá'u'lláh has written,

  "Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath purposed to send to the 
  peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with a Message, and charged to act in a 
  manner that would best meet the requirements of the age in which He appeared. God's 
  purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the 
  children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true 
  understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquility of mankind, and 
  provide all the means by which they can be established."[9]

And again,

  "The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is 
  to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and 
  to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men."[10]

This is why Jesus taught His followers to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven'. Christians were thus instructed to expect the establishment of the rule of divine Law on earth.

In the above verse, the Lord is called the 'Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending'. In a later verse, He is called 'Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.' Bahá'u'lláh explains that each of the Messengers of God has proceeded from the same Source, and has arisen to proclaim the same Faith, the belief in the One true God. He states that to attain Their holy Presence is to attain the Presence of God Himself. 11 He further explains that "They are all the manifestation of the 'Beginning' and the 'End', the 'First' and the 'Last', the 'Seen? and the 'Hidden' - all of which pertain to Him Who is the Innermost Spirit of Spirits and Eternal Essence of Essences. " 12

The Almighty 'which is to come', as mentioned previously, refers to the Divine Messenger, the Christ, not yet manifested to the world.

Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the 
   kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for 
   the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

This verse explains that John was on the Island of Patmos when he wrote down the Revelation. The Island of Patmos is located in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Asia Minor. He may have been there as a result of persecution brought about by his steadfast belief in Jesus and his refusal to worship the Roman idols, since he states that he was a 'brother, and companion in tribulation'.

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great 
   voice, as of a trumpet,

What John meant by 'in the Spirit' must be inferred partly from the context, and partly from the explanations gleaned from scripture. In the Gospel of John, Jesus states that, "The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life." (Jn 6:63) When John states that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day', he may intend nothing more than that he was meditating on the words of Jesus on the Sabbath.

Another meaning can be understood from the account that Ezekiel leaves of his own vision experience. He tells us, "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord, So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking. And He said to me, 'Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak to you.' Then the Spirit entered me when He spoke to me, and set me on my feet; and I heard Him who spoke to me."

Ezekiel was able to hear the voice of the Lord once the Spirit entered into him. This is remarkably similar to John who also hears a great voice, once he is 'in the Spirit'.

There is great significance to the voice which John heard having the sound 'of a trumpet'. The trumpet is symbolic for the warning which each of the Prophets gives to humanity. This warning is symbolized as a trumpet blast in Ezekiel 33:1-7. ln these verses, God informs Ezekiel that he is the watchman, whose job it is to blow the trumpet, that is, warn the people with the words which God has given him to speak.

A similar meaning comes from Exodus 19:16. This verse describes the imminent meeting between the Hebrew people and God on Mount Sinai. Prior to their meeting with God, there were thunderings and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain and a loud trumpet blast. In both of the above references, it is the trumpet blast which announces to humanity that God is about to become manifest. "Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; for the day of the Lord is coming, for it is at hand." (Joel 2:1)

The Book of Revelation is a prophecy about the return of Christ. The voice sounds like a trumpet because the Revelation is a warning to humanity that the Christ will soon become manifest.

Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last:
   and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in 
   Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto 
   Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

As noted previously, the seven churches can symbolize the Christian Faith as it has passed through its evolutionary stages, as well as the seven major Faiths. When the letters are studied, these two interpretations will be considered.

Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, 
   I saw seven golden lampstands;

The symbol of the lampstands (interpreted as candlesticks in other translations) is explained by Christ in verse twenty of this same chapter. He states that they represent the seven churches. This is yet another clue that the seven churches are meant to be interpreted as symbols.

The seven golden lampstands (churches) are what the lamps are placed upon, they are not the lamps or the light itself. The lampstand or church represents the physical body of the Messenger of God. This is why Jesus told the Jews that if they destroyed the temple (His body) He would raise it in three days. The lampstand (church) can also represent the body of believers. This relationship can be seen in the letters of Paul, where the believers are referred to as the body of Christ.

The lamp represents the inward reality of the Messenger of God. This can be seen in John 5:35 where Jesus referred to John the Baptist. He said, "He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in His light." The lamp therefore represents the inner reality of the Messenger of God, the lampstand (church), His body or the body of His believers. That the lamp needs to be placed upon a lampstand is seen in Matthew 5:15. "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house."

In this context it is interesting to read in the fourth chapter of Zechariah about a vision in which seven lamps appeared to Zechariah. In this vision, he was told that the seven lamps represented the eyes of God, and that these seven rejoiced to see the Holy Temple rebuilt. We have previously seen that Jesus was described as 'the faithful witness'. Do not these seven 'eyes of God' also describe such faithful witnesses? It is clear that the seven lamps are Messengers of God. That they rejoice to see the Holy Temple rebuilt may have prophetic significance. For as the Temple is a symbol of the Manifestation of God, its rebuilding signifies His reappearance. (Jn 2:19)

The lampstand represents the Temple, the institution of the church, the body or outward form of the religion. The lamp is the reality of the Messenger of God. The light is the Revelation He brings to humanity.

Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven lampstands One like unto the Son of man, 
   clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girded about the chest with a golden band.
Rev 1:14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes 
   were like a flame of fire;#(see end note)
Rev 1:15 His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace; and his voice as 
   the sound of many waters.
Rev 1:16 He had in his right hand seven stars, out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged 
   sword, and his countenance was as the sun shining in its strength.

The next four verses all describe aspects of the 'One like unto the Son of man'. The following list is taken from these four verses and enumerates His characteristics.

1.  He was clothed with a garment down to the feet.
2.  He was girt about the chest with a golden band.
3.  His hair was as white as wool and snow.
4.  His eyes were as a flame of fire.
5.  His feet were like brass burning in a furnace.
6.  His voice was like the sound of many waters.
7.  He held in His right-hand seven stars.
8.  Out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword.
9.  His countenance was like the sun.

Before investigating the attributes of this Being, it should be noted that the number of characteristics attributed to this Being are nine. In a Book in which all of the lists are grouped into sevens, it is completely at variance to reveal a list of nine attributes unless the number nine has a particular significance for the One about Whom the attributes speak. It will become evident that the number nine does indeed have a very special relevance. The number of Messengers from Abraham to Muhammad was seven. The Bible teaches that there will be two more Messengers, Elijah and the returned Christ. In the Book of Revelation, they are described as the Lamb and the One on the throne. The Christ at His second coming will be the ninth Manifestation of God.

The number nine, along with the details of His attributes, is a clue to help identify the Christ at His second coming. When an individual is sought for, but the name of the person is unknown, a description of that person becomes essential. In Rev. 19:12 we are told that no one knows the name of this great Being except He Himself. It is for this reason that we are given the above description. The description is to help us identity Him when He comes.

1. The garment down to the feet signifies a garment which completely covers the body. When Jesus lay dying on the cross, He quoted from the beginning of Psalm 22 - 'My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?' By speaking the first line of Psalm 22, Jesus was instructing His followers to remember and think about the entire psalm. In that psalm the major events of His life and crucifixion are recounted. After this, the psalm offers words of comfort and guarantees the ultimate victory of His Cause.

In Isaiah 61:1-2 can be found the verses which Jesus spoke in the Synagogue to announce His mission to the Jewish people. He began His ministry as He ended it, quoting the first few lines of a Biblical passage, that we might study the rest of that passage to know the full message. If we study the rest of that chapter we read in verse ten, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

Jesus had on several occasions compared Himself in His second advent to a bridegroom, and described the occasion of His appearance as a wedding feast. The figure who is clothed to the foot is thus completely covered with the garments of salvation. These 'garments' of salvation and righteousness will characterize Him when He returns.

There are two further clues hidden in this simple description. The first refers to the nature of the Revelation of the Christ. The second describes those who will accept the Christ when He returns.

During a feast given at the home of Matthew, the tax collector, Jesus was asked why His disciples ate and drank, whereas the disciples of John the Baptist were often found fasting. In His answer He explained that the friends of the bridegroom cannot be made to fast while the bridegroom is still with them. (Luke 5:34) As noted above, the 'bridegroom' is a term which refers to the Christ. He then spoke a parable to those present:

  "No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a 
  tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And 
  no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins 
  and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new 
  wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately 
  desires new; for he says, 'The old is better'." (Luke 5:36-39)

It is generally agreed that this parable refers to the new teachings of Jesus. The concept is fairly straightforward. Over the centuries, people become accustomed to the traditional beliefs and practices of their Faith. When a new Messenger of God appears, He brings new religious laws and teachings. The priesthood greets this new doctrine as a blasphemous change of what they perceive to be immutable religious law. It is for such reasons that every time a Manifestation of God is revealed, He is rejected by the existing priesthood or clergy. Instead, His first followers form the nucleus of a new Faith. This has happened every time a Manifestation of God has come. The 'new wine' of His teachings cannot be poured into the 'old wineskins' of existing religious tradition. Neither can a piece of His 'new garment' be incorporated into the aged fabric of existing religious beliefs.

Jesus summarized the difficulty of changing the current religious law when He abrogated the Mosaic law of divorce. He said,

  "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." (Luke 16:16)

Therefore, when the Christ returns He will bring new teachings. This 'new garment' will not be incorporated into the old. Rather, a completely new Faith will emerge. Its teachings will be like new wine, which at first, will not be desired by the people who are used to the old and familiar vintage. Neither will the clergy be able to accept that His message is true. The rejection of the Christ by the clergy is a prophecy of fundamental importance in the Book of Revelation. It will be explored in later chapters.

The second clue provides a description of those who will be able to accept the new Christ. Not surprisingly, the clue is found in the parable of the Wedding Feast. In this parable, Jesus describes a king who had prepared a sumptuous wedding feast for his son. He killed oxen and fatted cattle and sent out his servants to invite the guests when all was ready. Some guests however, refused to come claiming previous commitments. Others who were invited actually seized the servants, beat and killed them. When the king heard of these things, he decreed that the murderers should be killed and their city destroyed. He then ordered that his servants should go out into the highways and compel all whom they found, good and bad, to come to the wedding feast. The wedding hall was thus filled. However, as the king surveyed his guests, he spied a man who came without wedding garments. This man was bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness.

Like the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers, this parable closely predicts the course of the Christian Faith. The 'king' refers to the Heavenly Father. The 'son', who is the 'bridegroom', is Jesus. The servants are the disciples of Jesus. The feast itself represents the Revelation of Jesus, His new teaching. Those who killed the servants or just ignored the summons are the Jewish priesthood and citizens. The city which was destroyed was Jerusalem. The common men, brought to the feast after the Jewish people chose not to attend, were the gentiles.

The man who appeared at the wedding feast without wedding garments is of special interest here. The king ordered that common men from the street should be compelled to enter the wedding hall. These men would have been wearing whatever covered their backs at the time they were found. Yet, one is selected by the king as not having worn the proper 'wedding garment'. It is plain that the king was not referring to the man's outward clothing, but to the inward quality of his soul.

Just as the Christ will be completely clothed in wedding garments of righteousness and salvation, so must those who hope to recognize Him, when He appears, be properly attired with a righteous mind and heart and a genuine desire for salvation. These qualities make it possible to recognize the Christ and to accept His cause. The man who was bound failed to come prepared with the proper spiritual attitude. Although he attained the presence of the Christ, he was not able to experience His light. This is why the parable describes him as bound and cast into outer darkness.

2. He was girt about the chest with a gold sash - The gold of the sash is symbolic of divine qualities because gold will not rust or tarnish like other metals. Rust is the product of lesser metals which come into contact with the elements of this world. In Isaiah chapter 1, dross or rust is compared to a lack of justice and righteousness. Gold about this Being's waist indicates that He will manifest the heavenly qualities of justice and righteousness. He will live and act in this world, but will not be corrupted by it.

The sash or belt is referred to in Isaiah 11:5 Speaking of the One who wears it, Isaiah says, "Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, and faithfulness the belt of His waist." The entire eleventh chapter is a prophecy of the second advent of Christ. Its verses indicate that when this Great Being comes, the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard with the young goat, the child shall play with the asp. It also promises that at that time, the dispersed of Judah will be gathered from the four corners of the earth. These signs did not occur during the first coming of Christ, but rather the opposite took place. After Jesus was crucified, the Jews were scattered over the face of the globe. Also, warfare between the various contending nations and peoples, symbolized in Isaiah as different types of creatures, has continued throughout the entire Christian era. Therefore, although justice and righteousness characterize the Christ at both the first and second advents, it is only at the time of the Second Advent that the dispersed Jews will return to the Holy Land and that humanity is to look for the enmity between the nations to disappear.

3. His hair was as white as wool or snow - In Isaiah 1:18, white wool or snow is given as the symbol for spiritual purity. In Daniel 7:9, the Ancient of Days is seen sitting upon His heavenly throne, having hair like pure white wool. Isaiah saw this same Being, Who Daniel called the Ancient of Days, on His heavenly throne but called Him the Lord of Hosts. (Isaiah 6:3) Ezekiel also saw this great Being and described Him as, 'the likeness of the glory of the Lord.' (Ezekiel 1:28) It is prophesied in Daniel 7:22 that the Ancient of Days will come and usher in the long awaited period of peace, when the Saints will possess the kingdom. The 'Ancient of Days', the 'Lord of Hosts', the 'glory of the Lord' are all titles for the One Who sits upon the throne in heaven. These are all titles for the Heavenly Father, and Daniel tells us that He will come to judge the world and to establish the kingdom of heaven. But does 'coming' actually mean that the Heavenly Father will come to dwell among the people of the world?

Jesus, speaking to the Jews upon His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, told them the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers. He said that a landowner planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it and built a winepress and a tower inside. He leased this property to vinedressers and went to a far country. When the vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to receive the fruit. But the vinedressers beat, killed or stoned those servants. The landowner sent even more servants but these were also killed. Last, he sent his son, thinking that they would respect him. But he was also killed, for the vinedressers thought that by killing the son, they could keep the vineyard for themselves.

For the Christian world, it is easy to recognize that the Heavenly Father is the owner of the vineyard. The vineyard represents the House of Israel. The vine itself represents the Jewish people, tended by the priests, the wicked vinedressers. (Is 3:14,15 also Is 5:7) The servants sent by the Owner of the vineyard were the lesser Prophets. The son that He sent was Jesus. It is a wonderful parable, because it describes, in clear terms, the history of the Jewish Faith including the rejection of the Messiah. But the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers does more than warn of Israel's coming rejection of Jesus; it also announces the advent of the Heavenly Father to Israel. For we find in the last verses of the parable the following words of Jesus, "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?" Jesus thus explains that after the Heavenly Father sends His Son, He will come Himself. That the Father will actually come is in conformity with other prophecies of Jesus, for He promised that when He returned, He would come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. (Mk 8:38) Also, Isaiah 9:6 promises that a Messianic child will be born in this world. This child will be called 'the Everlasting Father'.

From the above it is clear that the Ancient of Days, the One Who sits upon the throne who has hair as white as snow, the Christ of the Second Advent, will be manifested to humanity as the Heavenly Father. It should be noted that whereas Jesus claimed the station of the 'Son of God', Bahá'u'lláh declared that He came in the station of the 'Father'. In the Tablet to the Christians, Bahá'u'lláh writes,

  "Lo! The Father is come, and that which ye were promised in the Kingdom is fulfilled! 
  This is the Word which the Son concealed, when to those around Him He said: 'Ye cannot 
  bear it now.' And when the appointed time was fulfilled and the Hour had struck, the 
  Word shone forth above the horizon of the Will of God. Beware, O followers of the 
  Son, that ye cast it not behind your backs."[3]

Bahá'u'lláh was known throughout the province in which He lived, as the Father of the poor. Whereas the wealthy throughout Persia spent upon themselves, Bahá'u'lláh expended His wealth upon the poor and needy.

Bahá'u'lláh was imprisoned by the shah of Persia in a subterranean prison, called the 'Black Pit', in Tehran in 1852 as part of a campaign to destroy the infant Faith of the Báb. For four months He endured the fetid air, filth and utter darkness of a prison which had in previous years served as a water reservoir. During this time, He constantly bore upon His shoulders one of two chains, each one weighing at least eighty pounds. His feet were held in stocks, and He was chained to other prisoners. There was only one exit from this prison. It led up three flights of stairs and usually to a cruel death suffered at the hands of men from one of the professional guilds of the city. It was during this time that the Most Great Spirit announced to Bahá'u'lláh that He was God's appointed Messenger for this day. He writes,

  "During the days I lay in the prison of Tehran, though the galling weight of the chains 
  and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments 
  of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even 
  as. a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty 
  mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue 
  recited what no man could bear to hear."

Again, in the Surah of the Temple, He described the moment when the Most Great Spirit, symbolized as a Maiden of Heaven, proclaimed to all creation His mission.

  "While engulfed in tribulations I heard a most wondrous, a most sweet voice, calling above 
  My head. Turning My face, I beheld a Maiden - the embodiment of the remembrance of the name 
  of My Lord - suspended in the air before Me. So rejoiced was she in her very soul that her 
  countenance shone with the ornament of the good-pleasure of God, and her cheeks glowed with 
  the brightness of the All-Merciful. Betwixt earth and heaven she was raising a call which 
  captivated the hearts and minds of men. She was imparting to both My inward and outer being 
  tidings which rejoiced My soul, and the souls of God's honored servants. Pointing with finger 
  unto My head, she addressed all who are in heaven and all who are on earth, saying: 'By God! 
  This is the Best-Beloved of the worlds, and yet ye comprehend not. This is the Beauty of God 
  amongst you, and the power of His sovereignty within you, could ye but understand. This is 
  the Mystery of God and His Treasure, the Cause of God and His glory unto all who are in the 
  kingdoms of Revelation and of creation, if ye be of them that perceive.'" 

Although 'hair like wool' is a spiritual symbol, meaning a pure being, it is interesting to note that when Bahá'u'lláh was released from this prison, His jet black hair had become pure white.

4. His eyes were as a flame of fire - the significance of this trait can be gleaned from the following verses.

"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light." (John 6:22)

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

"Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim, nor his natural vigor abated." (Deut 34:7)

"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you." (Isaiah 60:1)

The eye which is good allows light to enter, so that light can form an image of what is before the eye upon the retina. That image is interpreted by the brain in such a way that we 'perceive' the actual image before us. On several occasions, Jesus warned that it takes 'eyes that see' or spiritual eyes to recognize the Messenger of God and to correctly understand His teachings. The eye is likened to a 'lamp' because it is the source of light to the mind. The eye which is bad is described as 'dim'. Conversely, the eye which is perceptive is bright. The verses from John explain that the source of our light is the Christ. When the light of His guidance is allowed to enter the eye, one becomes filled with that light. The light of His message is our guidance in this dark world. For us to receive this guidance, His light of truth must enter our inward eyes. When it does so, our inward being becomes illuminated.

The eyes of this Being are lull of fire, they are not merely bright. His eyes are a source of light! He has within Himself the light of the knowledge of God and does not need to be taught the divine truths:

"Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counsellor has taught Him?" (Is 40:13) This is the reason that Jesus was able to astound the scholars at the temple in Jerusalem at the tender age of twelve. Such is the nature of the Messengers of God. They are born with innate divine knowledge. Their function is to provide this spiritual light to the world. This is why the Christ of the second advent is described in both Isaiah and in the Book of Revelation as the 'sun' which provides light to mankind.

From the above it is clear that the quality of innate knowledge will distinguish the Christ of the Second Advent. Both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh were untaught in the schools of men. They, like Jesus, demonstrated Their innate knowledge at an early age. They were both capable of revealing, without reflection, in a style unsurpassed in its beauty, originality and depth, the equivalent of the entire Qur'án, the Holy Book of Islam, in the span of two days.

In John 8:12 Jesus stated that He was the 'light of the world' and 'the light of life'. In Isaiah 60:1 the 'glory of the Lord' is described as this light, and his appearance as the rising of the sun. Bahá'u'lláh means 'the glory of the Lord'.

5. His feet were like brass in a furnace - Brass which is melted in a furnace is so bright that it is painful, even harmful to look upon. When Ezekiel was by the river Chebar, he saw a vision of 'the glory of the Lord' sitting upon the great throne of heaven. Ezekiel described Him from the waist down as having 'the appearance of fire with brightness all around'. In chapter 43 of the Book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel again sees a vision of the 'glory of the Lord'. He describes the appearance of this Being as having the appearance of fire and brightness from the waist down. In this vision, the glory of the Lord told Ezekiel, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever." Thus, the 'glory of the Lord' has promised that He will come to Israel and will dwell among the people of Israel forever.

In the same chapter of Ezekiel we are told that the 'glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east'. Again we are told, 'the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces towards the east'.

Bahá'u'lláh was banished four times by the Shah of Persia and later the Sultan of Turkey. The first banishment sent Him from Persia to Baghdad. From Baghdad He was sent to Constantinople and from this former Byzantine capital to Adrianople. From there Bahá'u'lláh was finally consigned to the prison fortress of Akka in what was then Palestine. Through the royal edicts of these two Islamic sovereigns, He eventually came from Persia, 'the way of the east' to reside as a prisoner in what is now Israel. He was forced to enter Akka through its eastern gate. His footsteps took Him also to Carmel, the mountain of God. In 1892, following His ascension, His remains were interred at Bahji near the city of Akka. Akka is located in Israel. So, literally, Bahá'u'lláh (Whose name means the glory of the Lord) came to Israel from 'the way of the east' and entered Israel 'by way of the gate which faces towards the east' and dwells 'in the midst of the people of Israel forever'.

6. His voice was as the sound of many waters - 'Many waters' can signify several bodies of water or a large quantity of water. Water has been compared to the revelation from God. It is a wonderful symbol, because like food it is essential to life. In Amos 8:11 we read, "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 'that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.'" In Isaiah 44:3 we read, "For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring." And again in Isaiah 55:10,11 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

It can be seen from the above quotations that the word of God is like rain. It is sent down from heaven by God through His Messengers. The water represents the utterances of those Messengers. In the Book of Revelation it is called the 'water of life'.

The voice of the 'One like the Son of Man' is described as sounding like 'many waters'. This provides an important clue to the identity of the Being described by these nine attributes. In chapter 43 of Ezekiel, the voice of the 'glory of the Lord' is described as having the 'sound of many waters'. Therefore, the One like the Son of Man is again linked to the title of the 'glory of the Lord'.

The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh comes in fulfillment of the prophecies of each of the Revelations which have preceded it. "To Israel He was neither more nor less than the incarnation of the 'Everlasting Father', the 'Lord of Hosts' come down 'with ten thousands of saints'; to Christendom Christ returned 'in the glory of the Father', to Shi'ah Islam the return of the Imam Husayn; to Sunni Islam the descent of the 'Spirit of God' (Jesus Christ); to the Zoroastrians the promised Shah-Bahram; to the Hindus the reincarnation of Krishna; to the Buddhists the fifth Buddha."

The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh explains the meaning of all the previous Books of God. His teachings encompass and fulfill the laws of all the Messengers before Him. His coming even fulfills the Divine promises recorded in the Scriptures of every Faith. In this way His voice is like the sound of the previous (several) waters or Revelations. Also, His Revelation consists of literally more than a hundred volumes, where previous Revelations have given humanity but one Book each. Therefore, His voice can be likened to the sound of many waters, indicating a tremendous volume.

7. He held in His right hand seven stars - Christ explains in verse twenty that the 'seven stars' are the angels of the seven churches, and that the seven lampstands are the seven churches. The reader is given the explanation of these symbols in order to cause him to contemplate their inward meaning.

The word 'angel' means 'messenger'. That the angels are likened to stars is most intriguing. The symbol of the star can be found to elsewhere in the Book of Revelation.

The 'morning star' is promised by Jesus to 'he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end'. (Rev 2:26-28) In Rev 22:16 Jesus identifies Himself as both the 'Bright and Morning Star'. The morning Star appears brightly in the night sky just before the dawn. Its appearance heralds the coming of the sun or bright star. As the sun rises, the morning star fades. This is the same relationship which John the Baptist had to Jesus. Even as John the Baptist said,

  "You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I have been 
  sent before Him'. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, 
  who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore 
  this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease (Jn 3:28-30)

Stars are only visible in the night sky. John the Baptist was like the morning star to Jesus, because he was the herald of the Christ. He appeared to the Jews at a time when they were steeped in spiritual darkness. His appearance was a warning to the Jewish people that the Sun of Righteousness was about to dawn. John the Baptist was the 'angel' or 'messenger' who heralded the coming of Jesus.

Concerning this theme Bahá'u'lláh writes,

  "And now, concerning His words: 'And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man 
  in heaven.' ...  By 'heaven' is meant the visible heaven, inasmuch as when the hour 
  draweth nigh on which the Day-star of the heaven ofjustice shall be made manifest, 
  and the Ark of divine guidance shall sail upon the sea of glory, a star will appear 
  in the heaven, heralding unto its people the advent of that most great light. In like 
  manner, in the invisible heaven a star shall be made manifest who, unto the peoples 
  of the earth, shall act as a harbinger of the break of that true and exalted Morn. 
  These twofold signs, in the visible and the invisible heaven, have announced the 
  Revelation of each of the Prophets of God, as is commonly believed." 

Bahá'u'lláh has written that before the advent of Jesus, some of the Magi became aware of the rise of the star of Jesus. They followed it to the kingdom of Herod, where they inquired, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and are come to worship Him!" Bahá'u'lláh explains that the star seen by the Magi was the sign which appeared in the visible heavens. The sign which appeared "in the invisible heaven - the heaven of divine knowledge and understanding - it was Yahya, son of Zechariah, who gave unto the people the tidings of the Manifestation of Jesus."

He concludes,

  "From all that We have stated it hath become clear and manifest that before the 
  revelation of each of the Mirrors reflecting the divine Essence, the signs heralding 
  their advent must needs be revealed in the visible heaven as well as in the invisible, 
  wherein is the seat of the sun of knowledge, of the moon of wisdom, and of the stars 
  of understanding and utterance. The sign of the invisible heaven must needs be revealed 
  in the person of that perfect man who, before each Manifestation appeareth, educateth, 
  and prepareth the souls of men for the advent of the divine Luminary, the Light of the 
  unity of God amongst men."[17]

The angels which are addressed in each of the letters to the churches have been likened to stars by Jesus. Like John the Baptist, each of these seven stars represents a warner, a herald of the Christ, sent to alert the followers of each church.

Again Bahá'u'lláh writes,

  "Thus, it hath become evident that the terms 'sun', 'moon' and 'stars' primarily 
  signify the Prophets of God, the saints, and their companions, those Luminaries, 
  the light of Whose knowledge hath shed illumination upon the worlds of the visible 
  and the invisible." 

Jesus was prophesied by the Prophet Malachi as the 'Sun of Righteousness'. The Lamb and the One Who sits on the throne are likened to the 'sun' in the last chapter of the Revelation. Jesus, as mentioned before, likened the angels to 'stars'. All stars are the same in that they provide light. The difference is one of degree. Stars guide humanity during the night. The Day-star or sun, provides that same light, but to a much greater degree.

The angels are all held in the right hand of the Christ because they are all part of God's Revelation to humanity. They are likened to stars since they confer light during the 'night', the period of separation from the 'Sun of Righteousness', the time preceding the appearance of the Manifestation of God.

8. Out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword - Truly this symbol which represents the power of the word of God to divide truth from falsehood is applicable to Jesus. But it must be remembered that these verses prophesy the Second Advent. In Isaiah chapter 11 the returned Christ is depicted as coming with the sword of utterance (Is 11:4). We know that it is the Christ of the Second Advent who is spoken of because these verses promise that during that time, God will gather the Jews from 'the four corners of the earth'. (Is 11:12) This prophecy refers to the return of the Jewish people to Israel. This is the same promise which Jesus gave to His disciples when prophesying His return. (Luke 21:24) The well-known pastoral setting wherein the lion and the lamb lay peacefully side by side is also prophesied as coming to pass when the Christ appears in this same chapter of Isaiah. As will be seen in later chapters, animal symbols can represent kings of different nations. The quality of the king is described by the quality of the animal. By extension, the mutually amicable behavior of previously contending nations is described as various types of animals existing peacefully side by side. People who had been warlike, depicted as lions or venomous snakes, will peacefully cohabit with nations of meek peoples, depicted as lambs or children. This describes the outcome of the government which will be established by the Christ, for in Isaiah 9:7 we are promised that the Everlasting Father will institute a government which will bring about an ever increasing, never ending, peace in the world.

During His forty years of exile and imprisonment, Bahá'u'lláh revealed hundreds of volumes of sacred text. His teachings, such as the equality of men and women, the need to abolish the extremes of wealth and poverty, the essential agreement of religion and science, the oneness of religion and the elimination of all forms of prejudice, were bestowed upon a world unaware of this priceless gift. Of the influence of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, George Townshend, former Canon of St. Patrick's Catherdral, Dublin, has written,

  "The humanitarian and spiritual principles enunciated decades ago in the darkest East by 
  Bahá'u'lláh and moulded by Him into a coherent scheme are one after the other being taken 
  by a world unconscious of their source as the marks of progressive civilization."[19]

Whereas Bahá'u'lláh was tortured, banished from His homeland and remained a prisoner for the last forty years of His life because of His world unifying teachings, Pope John XXIII was given the Nobel Peace Prize for endorsing many of those same humanitarian and spiritual principles one hundred years later. The Encyclical for which the Pope was universally lauded was called "Pacem in Terris" (Peace on Earth). In his address he spoke about:

  World Peace
  Equality of Men and Women
  A World Community
  The Oneness of Mankind
  Universal Education
  The Oneness of God
  Disarmament
  A Spiritual Solution to Economic Problems
  The Harmony of Science and Religion
  A Warning About Atomic Energy

Each of these topics was enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh more than one hundred years ago, as an exile from His home and a prisoner of the Islamic State.

9. His countenance was like the sun shining in its lull strength-Isaiah, while speaking of the final, blessed condition of Israel, confirmed that the Lord Himself will be the sun, the everlasting light to its people. (Is 60:19-20) This prophecy is found in verses which concern the latter days, when Israel will be gathered from the four corners of the world. It is during this period that the second Advent of Christ will occur.

In Rev 21:23, we are told that the New Jerusalem will have no need of the sun, for 
   the glory of God will be its light. The name Bahá'u'lláh means the 'Glory of God'.

From a study of the list of nine attributes associated with the one like 'the son of Man', it can be seen that the title, the glory of God is indicated, by association with scriptural references to these symbols, at least four times. That He will appear when the Jews are allowed to return to Israel (1844) is indicated at least twice. It is clear that He will come from the East of Israel, and that He will abide in Israel thereafter. He will be possessed of innate knowledge, just as Jesus was. He will be completely righteous and faithful to God. He will unite the contending peoples with a government which He establishes. His Revelation will be like new wine and therefore not immediately desired by the people. He will come in fulfillment of the prophecies of the previous Faiths, and His massive Revelation will be inclusive of those previous Faiths.

The description given by John has indeed been most helpful in determining the identity of the One he has seen in the vision. Bahá'u'lláh fulfills each of these attributes perfectly.

Rev 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And ke laid his right 
   hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

The experience of overwhelming power, when coming into the presence of this great Being is one which John holds in common with Isaiah, Daniel and Ezekiel. In fact, numerous examples of this shear humbling power can be found throughout the Bible.

The famous western Orientalist, E.G. Brown was able to attain the presence of Bahá'u'lláh in 1890, two years before the end of His earthly life. Brown, recounting his interview with Bahá'u'lláh, writes,

  " ... In the corner where the divan met the wall sat a wondrous and venerable figure, 
  crowned with a felt head-dress of the kind called taj by dervishes (but of unusual 
  height and make), round the base of which was wound a small white turban. The face 
  of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing 
  eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow...
  No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the 
  object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain.[20]

"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; 'I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no God.'" (Isaiah 44:6) These titles apply to God. They also are titles which are descriptive of the Heavenly Father. That the Father will be born and live among us is apparent from Isaiah 9:6 -

  "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be 
  upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, 
  Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Thus a Child will be born Who will be called the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. It is difficult to understand how the One Whom we have been calling God could come to earth in physical form. Bahá'u'lláh has written,

  "To every discerning and illuminated heart it is evident that God, the unknowable Essence, 
  the Divine Being, is immensely exalted beyond every human attribute, such as corporeal 
  existence, ascent and descent, egress and regress. Far be it from His glory that human 
  tongue should adequately recount His praise, or that human heart comprehend His fathomless 
  mystery. He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will 
  remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men. 'No vision taketh in Him, 
  but He taketh in all vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Perceiving.' ... "

  "The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Days being thus closed in the face of all 
  beings, the Source of infinite grace, according to His saying, 'His grace hath transcended 
  all things; My grace hath encompassed them all,' hath caused those luminous Gems of Holiness 
  to appear out of the realm of the spirit, in the noble form of the human temple, and be made 
  manifest unto all men, that they may impart unto the world the mysteries of the unchangeable 
  Being, and tell of the subtleties of His imperishable Essence."

  "These sanctified Mirrors, these Day Springs of ancient glory, are, one and all, the 
  Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate 
  Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. 
  The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a 
  sign of His deathless glory. They are the Treasuries of Divine knowledge, and the Repositories 
  of celestial wisdom. Through them is transmitted a grace that is infinite, and by them is 
  revealed the Light that can never fade.. "21

Jesus claimed the station of the Son of God. The prophecies name Him Immanuel, which means God with us. According to the above prophecy of Isaiah, He will return 'unto us' in the station of the Everlasting Father and will be called the mighty God. In both advents therefore, the Christ is described as God with us. Bahá'u'lláh has explained that God is exalted beyond physical incarnation. Therefore He has caused Manifestations of Himself to appear in human form. These Manifestations, like perfect mirrors, reflect all the qualities of God. In their words we find the knowledge of God. In the grace that they bestow we find salvation. This is exactly what Jesus taught, for He explained that His every word and action were in response to the will of God. (See Jn 5:30, Jn 6:38, Jn 7:16) Using Bahá'u'lláhs analogy, to gaze upon these perfect Mirrors is to see God. The statements of Jesus are in complete agreement with this, for Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me." (Jn 12:44,45) Therefore, to be in the presence of a Manifestation of God is to be in the presence of God.

Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, 
   Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

This verse refers to the resurrection. The resurrection is explained by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the book, "Some Answered Questions." He explains that contrary to what is commonly held, the resurrection has a spiritual rather than physical significance. For after the death of Jesus, the disciples lost their faith, and hid themselves away from the world. The reality of Christ which was manifested through His teachings, His bounties, His perfections and spiritual power, was therefore concealed from the world for three days.

  "The cause of Christ was like a lifeless body; and when after three days the disciples 
  became assured and steadfast, and began to serve the Cause of Christ, and resolved to 
  spread the divine teachings, putting his counsels into practice, and arising to serve 
  him, the Reality of Christ became resplendent and his bounty appeared; his religion 
  found life, his teachings and admonitions became evident and visible. In other words, 
  the Cause of Christ was like a lifeless body, until the life and the bounty of the Holy 
  Spirit surrounded it."[22]

Regarding 'hell and death', as previously discussed, death in the heavenly language refers to a spiritual, rather than a physical condition. It is the state of disbelief in the Manifestation of God and in His word. But what of hell? Hell is the consequence of spiritual death. 'Abdu'l-Bahá writes,

  "The rewards of the other (heavenly) world are peace, the spiritual graces ...  the meeting 
  of God in the world of eternity. In the same way the punishments of the other world - that 
  is to say, the torments of the other world - consist of being deprived of the special divine 
  blessings and the absolute bounties, and falling into the lowest degree of existence. He who 
  is deprived of these divine favors, though he continues after death, is considered as dead 
  by the people of truth."[23]

Verse 18 is a clear reference to Jesus. It highlights His resurrection and also reminds the reader of the true meaning of death. Regarding the keys, Jesus made His purpose clear when He quoted from Isaiah that -

  "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good 
  tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to 
  the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." (Is 61:1)

Rev 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, 
   and the things which shall be hereafter;

John is told to write what he has seen, and the things which presently are and the prophecy of the things which are to come. In other words, to write about that which has been, what now is, and what will occur in the future. This is the same formula which was used in verses 1:4 and 1:7 (from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come) to describe the successive appearances of the Messengers of God. We have seen that the appearance of the Manifestations of God provide humanity with a glimpse of the attributes of the Eternal. Through Them, we can know God. Because these Holy Beings manifest the attributes of God, They are called the Manifestations of God.

In this light, John is told to describe the Manifestations of God, past, present and future. This is exactly what the Book of Revelation does. The letters to the churches describe the Faiths before Jesus (letters one through five), the Christian Faith (letter six) and the yet to be revealed Islamic Faith (letter seven). The balance of the Book of Revelation then prophesies the conditions which will presage the second coming of the Christ. The seven letters point out the principle of the progressive revelation of God's will to humanity over the ages. They demonstrate that each of the Messengers of God is part of God's plan to confer spiritual education upon humanity. The ultimate goal of the Messengers is to prepare humanity to recognize the Christ when He returns. These Messengers have acted in concert to achieve this one purpose. To reject one is to reject all. Failure to recognize that God has manifested other Messengers is the primary reason for the conflicts which exist between people of different Faiths, conflicts which have tormented our world. The letters to the churches declare the unity which exists among the Manifestations and that such divisions are contrary to God's purpose. They provide a powerful instrument whereby the prejudices which separate the various Faiths can be eliminated.

Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the 
   seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and 
   the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

This final verse is meant to emphasize the symbolic nature of the churches.

1.  'Abdu'l-Bahá, Promulgation of Universal Peace p.65
2.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.52
3.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.47
4.  Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan, p.118
5.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.151
6.  Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan p. 71-72
7.  Ibid pp. 158,159
8.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 76,77
9.  Ibid pp. 79,80
10.  Ibid p.215
11.  Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan, pp. 160,161
12.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p.54
13.  Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p.11
14.  Bahá'u'lláh, quoted in God Passes By, pp. 101-102
15.  Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p.94
16.  Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan pp. 61-62
17.  Ibid p.66
18.  Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Iqan, p.36
19.  Introduction to Dawn Breakers p. xxxiii
20.  All Things Made New, pp. 224-225
21.  Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 46-47
22.  'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp. 103-105
23.  'Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp. 224-225

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