Baha'i vs End Times Christianity

[serf7]

Is the Ba'hai faith the predicted end times religion mentioned in the bible?:

One world religion
Universal language
Coming together of nations
etc

?What do you think?

 

[Sen McGlinn]

You would have to tell us which verses of the Bible predict the end-time religion.

 

[harlan]

I'm not sure if the T.V. version of the Christian end-times religion is accurate or not, but I can mention some things about the Baha'i Faith which may or may not fit those expectations. Baha'is see their Faith as the fulfillment of the promised Kingdom of God on earth, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Baha'u'llah (Glory of God in English) claimed to be the promised return of Christ, the One Who is to establish this Kingdom of God on earth. He established Teachings, Principles and Institutions for the establishment of the Kingdom. Among these teachings are that mankind is one family, the earth is one home for mankind, the equality of women and men, the establishment of a Federation of Nations similar to the Federation of states in the U.S.A. with a world executive, legislature and judicial system to keep the peace and provide for the well being of mankind as a whole. A world language should be selected by the world legislature to be taught as a second language in all the schools of the world. All of the major world religions will be seen as being inspired by the one God, with the Prophet/Founders of each religion being seen as Divine Teachers of the one religion of God, progressively revealed from age to age. The legislative institutions created by Baha'u'llah and into the future will be democratically elected without political parties, campaigning and such.

There's much more, and more detail, but this is a beginning for questions and comparisons with the end-time religion Christians are expecting. But there is no individual leader in the Baha'i system of administration. The final authority in the Baha'i Faith resides within a democratically elected body named "The Universal House of Justice" which is located in Haifa, Israel at the Baha'i World Center. This institution is composed of 9 Baha'is who are elected every 5 years to serve the world wide Baha'i community and to promulgate and safeguard the Baha'i Faith. Baha'u'llah gave the Universal House of Justice the authority to legislate upon any matter not expressly revealed in Baha'i Scripture, and it is bound by, and cannot change, anything in this revealed Scripture which includes at least 100 books.

Harlan

 

[javajo]

No, its not Baha'i. Actually, many people from many religions or walks of life will worship the Antichrist (The Beast) or his image as according to Revelation 13:12,15 "...and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast... and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

According to other passages in Rev: And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

 

[Yoshieslunchbox]

If Ba'hai was to be the "end-times religion" then they certainly aren't doing a very good job of gaining religious supremacy in the world.

One world religion
Universal language
Coming together of nations
etc

By using that criteria you could argue any number of other religions or even secular philosophies fit the bill. The problem is that when things are kept so general, the net gets cast wide enough to throw suspicion on any number of beliefs for being some work of evil.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west;so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" Matt. 24:28

This means He would appear from east side of the world, and the new religion would progress to the west side of the world. What else could it mean?

 

[dlherrmann]

It is more accurate to identify the Baha'i Faith with the "new name" mentioned at least twice in Revelations by which the return of the Spirit of Christ will be known, as well as His followers: "I..will will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Rev. 2:17 This seems to me to say that only certain people will recognize the Spirit when it comes with the new name. But there is also, "I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, which is the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God and I will write upon him my new name."

This means to me that the new Jerusalem will not be the Jerusalem that has been known for thousands of years and there will be a new name.

Baha'is believe that new name to be Baha'u'llah, the Glory of God, and there are verses in the New Testament which refer to the Glory of God which refer to Baha'u'llah.

dlh

 

[TrodtoZion]

brother the only end time is going to be this Babylon system, there will be no jeezus coming from the sky. Jah going to cast lightening and thunder pon dem

JAH Rastafari I

 

[Yoshieslunchbox]

I'm not quite sure I see the point of trying to figure out the mystery "end times" religion. Hasn't this been done time and again previously? Isn't it pretty much a one way street to accusing people who's beliefs you find to fit vague generalities as being in league with the devil?

 

[no-body]

I've heard Unitarian Universalism fits the bill too, eh whatever I see it as a preemptive strike on the part of the bible authors. The thought of a universal, one world church where individual ideas are honored and respected drives the jesus and friends crowd nuts.

The most unexpected but logical religion would be fundamental Christianity, if God has a sense of humor anyway.

 

[javajo]

"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west;so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" Matt. 24:28

This means He would appear from east side of the world, and the new religion would progress to the west side of the world. What else could it mean?

Basically it is understood by many to mean that when Christ returns at the 2nd Coming everyone will see it as opposed to the Rapture where only believers in Christ are caught up to Heaven.

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes(nations, people) of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matt. 24:30

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Basically it is understood by many to mean that when Christ returns at the 2nd Coming everyone will see it as opposed to the Rapture where only believers in Christ are caught up to Heaven.

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes(nations, people) of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Matt. 24:30

The word 'shineth' generally means, light of guidence. just as light against the darkness of an age.
We believe, not everyone would be able to recognize Him, just as the first time, He would be rejected:

"For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 17:25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 17:27" Mat.​

I think, If it was meant, all people except believers of Jesus, then it would have said something like; "all except Christians will mourn".
As to the meaning of "all the tribes of the earth mourn", this is the Baha'i interpretation:​

"...with reference to His words: “And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
These words signify that in those days men will lament the loss of the Sun of the divine beauty, of the Moon of knowledge, and of the Stars of divine wisdom. Thereupon, they will behold the countenance of the promised One, the adored Beauty, descending from heaven and riding upon the clouds. By this is meant that the divine Beauty will be made manifest from the heaven of the will of God, and will appear in the form of the human temple. The term “heaven” denoteth loftiness and exaltation, inasmuch as it is the seat of the revelation of those Manifestations of Holiness, the Day-springs of ancient glory..... "--Baha'ullah, Book of Certitude​

"...Notice also that it is said that Christ came from heaven, though He came from the womb of Mary, and His body was born of Mary. It is clear, then, that when it is said that the Son of man is come from heaven, this has not an outward but an inward signification; it is a spiritual, not a material, fact. "--Abdul baha- Some answered questions​

 

[javajo]

I take a more literal view.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

I take a more literal view.

How would you take these signs literal:

"Among other things it is said that the stars will fall upon the earth. The stars are endless and innumerable, and modern mathematicians have established and proved scientifically that the globe of the sun is estimated to be about one million and a half times greater than the earth, and each of the fixed stars to be a thousand times larger than the sun. If these stars were to fall upon the surface of the earth, how could they find place there? It would be as though a thousand million of Himalaya mountains were to fall upon a grain of mustard seed. According to reason and science this thing is quite impossible. What is even more strange is that Christ said: “Perhaps I shall come when you are yet asleep, for the coming of the Son of man is like the coming of a thief.
It is clear and evident that these signs have symbolic signification, and that they are not literal.
Perhaps the thief will be in the house, and the owner will not know it."--Some Answered Questions

Also, in Old testimony, Messiah was supposed to be a 'King'. But jesus was not literally a 'King' Why didn't you take that literal?

Other examples of figurative language in Old Testimony was that Messiah would come from sky in the cloud "And behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven" (Daniel 7:13).

But He was born from Marry. and what happened to the clouds of heaven?

In New Testimony, it also says Messiah for the second time comes from sky, in the clouds.

Why do you necessarily expect to see He comes from sky with clouds again?

 

[poseur]

As a Unitarian I agree that my religion is very similar to the one from the Left Behind novels. Of course those books were primarily political manifestos for the religious right which hates religious pluralism.

Alot of protestants consider the Catholic Church to be the end time religion.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

As a Unitarian I agree that my religion is very similar to the one from the Left Behind novels. Of course those books were primarily political manifestos for the religious right which hates religious pluralism.

Alot of protestants consider the Catholic Church to be the end time religion.

Yes, I looked up Unitarian on the internet. It said, your approch is to search for the truth. This is actually one of the fundamental teachings of the Baha'i Faith.
So, Generally, How do you go about finding the truth? I mean, what is your criteria to distinguish between Truth and False?

 

[poseur]

Actually, we don't really see the spiritual destination that members reach as being all that important. It is basically the quest for knowledge that unites us. Although I am unable to attend services due to being in a rural area, I am told that the church is often a stepping stone for people hunting for a religious path.

We view all, or at least the vast majority, of religious paths as being valid. There is no one truth that will work for everyone. The focus of the serices is on compassion, tolerance, and love for other people.

 

[javajo]

InvestigateTruth,
I would be more apt to answer your posts if they weren't so long, and yes I take some things as symbolic.
I follow the rules of interpretation as shown on this site: Do You Interpret the Bible Literally?
I follow the Golden Rule of Interpretation which is as follows:

When the plain sense of Scripture​

makes common sense,​

seek no other sense;​

Therefore, take every word​

at its primary, ordinary,​

usual, literal meaning​

Unless the facts​

of the immediate context,​

studied in the light​

Of related passages and​

axiomatic and fundamental truths​

indicate clearly otherwise.​

 

[InvestigateTruth]

InvestigateTruth,
I would be more apt to answer your posts if they weren't so long

Ya, I quickly looked at the approch that you posted for interpretation, i think they are good. Ok, Thanks. If you would be interested then, choose any of the topics which i proposed and share your view further, and then i also share my understanding as well.

Or, whatever other sign of the End-time, that you find interesting.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

Actually, we don't really see the spiritual destination that members reach as being all that important. It is basically the quest for knowledge that unites us. Although I am unable to attend services due to being in a rural area, I am told that the church is often a stepping stone for people hunting for a religious path.

We view all, or at least the vast majority, of religious paths as being valid. There is no one truth that will work for everyone. The focus of the serices is on compassion, tolerance, and love for other people.

Your view sound open minded.